Chapter 211 Got Married
April 15th.
It was a good day that Madame Tao and the Empress asked Royal Observatory to pick. However, it was gloomy since early morning and began to rain after noon.
It was kind of a buzzkill.
Especially, in Marquess Qin’s Mansion, Madame Dou said with regret, “Everything is good today expect the rain…”
How could Madame Tao and Madame Ou who sat at the head of the room not understand the gloat in her tone? Their faces went dark immediately!
Luckily, He Shuijin was there. She mediated in a hurry, “First, aunt, did you forget? Our family name Jiang and Yashuang’s wife’s given name lan both have the meaning of water. They are getting married today. The rain is the blessing from G.o.d. Doesn’t the rain turn into water after falling down? Besides, it’s said that the rain in spring is as precious as oil. It’s a sign meaning they are a heaven-made match which has many blessings. They will surely have a life as sweet as honey, won’t they?”
“Jin’er is right. In my opinion, it’s more like a drizzle which moisturizes everything!” The third Madame of the Jiang Family, He Shuijin’s aunt and mother-in-law Madame He agreed with her at once. Jiang Tianqi hated Jiang Tianao the most. Of course, their wives didn’t get along either. Madame Dou wanted to imply that Jiang Yashuang picked a bad day to get married. How could Madame He let her have what she wanted?
Madame Dou wasn’t that easy to be defeated. She wanted to say something. Madame Tao turned her head suddenly and said to Madame Ou casually, “Speaking of these kinds of important days, you need to let an expert pick. Today, for example, laymen consider it as a bad day. But it’s very good for them! We should have let this expert pick the days for those kids who got married before. In this case, Qiyun and Qisheng should have been pregnant by now!”
“They just got married in the second half of last year. It hasn’t been one year until now!” Madame Dou didn’t have time to mind being ridiculed as a layman by Madame Tao. She defended her daughter in a hurry, “Second Aunt, you are too impatient!”
Madame Tao said flatly, “It just crossed my mind. I didn’t mean anything… Why are you so upset? Is there really something wrong with them which causes their infertility? Listen to me. I have been there. If there is really something wrong with them, it’s better not to conceal their faults for fear of criticism. Today is Yashuang’s bid day. I’ll say no more. Anyway, health is more important than reputation. That’s all I have to say!”
Then she ignored Madame Dou and went on talking with Madame Ou. Madame Dou was stupefied for a moment. She gnashed her teeth in anger, “This old b.i.t.c.h! She questioned Yun’s health without proof… Was she threatening me?”
However, she didn’t dare to say it out loud. Empress Jiang vented her anger on Jiang Qiyun a lot recently!
“I’ll bite my tongue for now! I’ll have my chance to seek revenge!” Madame Dou thought furiously!
After she got quiet, people were laughing and talking again in the Flower Hall. Everyone was saying auspicious words knowingly and waiting for the bride. Meanwhile, in the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe, Qiu Yelan just finished doing her makeup.
As usual, Ruan Ciyi pre-approved her look.
Her makeup should be morning glow style.
Her skin which was nourished by rose water mixed with ewe’s milk more than a month was tender and silky like a baby. A faint blush ran across her snow-like cheeks like the morning glow which set off the l.u.s.ter of her peach blossom like eyes. There was an inseparable king bird-shaped gold foil sticker between her eyebrows. Although she was inside a room on a drizzling day, the sticker was still shining from time to time which drew people’s attention.
Her dark hair was made into a simple but decent chignon. The jade earrings on her ears were glittering and translucent which almost made her whole neck look green.
After putting on the coronet which was made of countless gold and gems by famous craftsmen hired by the Jiang Family and wearing the wedding dress embroidered flower and bird patterns using gold and silver thread which weighed dozens of catties, Qiu Yelan looked at herself in the mirror. The 16 years old girl still had a childish look. However, with the gorgeous clothes and heavy makeup, there was a certain stateliness in her stunning beauty. The vibe of a n.o.blewoman began to show.
“Just like the Princess!” Mrs. Zhou scrutinized her for a while and couldn’t help crying, “It’s a pity that the Princess couldn’t see this!”
“Mrs. Zhou, why are you crying? It’s Yelan’s big day…” Zhuang Man who arrived in the early morning played with her silk fan and said with a smile, “If Princess Ruan was here, seeing that my cousin treats Yelan so nice, she should be happy to see her get married, right?”
“Miss Zhuang is right. Mrs. Zhou is just so happy for Yelan.” Out of awe of the Jiang Family, not just Qiu Baozhu, Qiu Mingzhu and Qiu Jinzhu came early to keep Qiu Yelan company, Princess Yang also came to make sure everything was under control right after noon. She mediated at that moment, “However, seeing this flower-like niece, even I’m not willing to let her go!”
Princess Yang lowered her head and tapped the corner of her eyes as if her emotion was real while saying.
Xin Fubing was also there at that moment. Actually, those two cousins of the Jiang Family came to the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe mainly because Xin Fubing wasn’t happy to be with Mi Yinyin. She made an excuse that they were close to Qiu Yelan. She was more willing to attend the wedding ceremony as the bride’s guests. Seeing that Zhuang Man didn’t pay attention to what Princess Yang said, she picked up the topic and said with a smile, “Princess Yang, it’s too late. Yelan definitely is going to get married today. Even if you send people to build a wall behind the door, it won’t be able to stop people from the Jiang Family!”
“People from the Jiang Family sound like robbers!” Hearing that, Zhuang Man turned around and said.
“With Yelan’s beauty and talent, who wouldn’t want to s.n.a.t.c.h her?” Xin Fubing asked a rhetorical question.
Everyone laughed, “If there were more people like her, I’m afraid that there would be more robbers in our country.”
Qiu Yelan remained shy and silent as a bride should be. She lowered her head a little and let the strings of beads on the coronet fall down to cover the look in her eyes. She wouldn’t miss Prince’s Mansion of Xihe. And she didn’t take Princess Yang’s sweet talks seriously. Her only regret was that her wedding date was too early for Qiu Jinglan and Ruan Ciyi to attend because they were still in mourning.
Considering her physical growth and Qiu Jinglan and Ruan Ciyi were still in mourning, she didn’t agree to be married so early. However, Jiang Yashuang listened to everything she said except this. Without him stopping Madame Tao, Qiu Yelan couldn’t tell the Jiang Family’s elders herself that she didn’t want to get married now and asked them to have the wedding ceremony in two years, could she?
“I’ll punish him later!” Thinking of how much Qiu Jinglan adored her, but he couldn’t even see her get married… Qiu Yelan couldn’t help grinding her teeth.
Towards evening, although Princess Yang wanted to keep pleasing Qiu Yelan, the guests were streaming to her house. Ding Qinghong couldn’t handle it alone. She sent people to ask her for help frequently. Princess Yang had to take the two married daughters Qiu Baozhu and Qiu Mingzhu with her and went to entertain the guests.
“Mother, let me stay here. I’m not familiar with those people.” Qiu Baozhu said. Her mother was Qiu Mengmin’s former wife. Her mother was forced to die. So, she was not close to her mother’s family. Of course, Prince’s Mansion of Xihe didn’t treat her well either. Before Qiu Hongzhi got married back then, Princess Yang found a random excuse and married her to a regular family of public officials.
And when Qiu Hongzhi and Qiu Mingzhu held their wedding ceremonies, she didn’t even come back.
So, it was the first time Qiu Yelan saw her. Qiu Baozhu had a normal look. Although her outfit was new, the condition and material were not the best kind. It was clear that her husband’s family was not that rich.
However, she didn’t look self-abased or scared. When she rejected Princess Yang, she looked slightly annoyed.
As the second wife, Princess Yang naturally hated the first wife’s daughter. But she couldn’t reproach Qiu Baozhu in front of Qiu Yelan, Zhuang Man and Xin Fubing. She simpered, “Then you stay. Keep your cousin company!” She winked at Qiu Jinzhu while leaving to remind her to be smart and don’t let Qiu Baozhu have the chance to play up to Qiu Yelan.
However, Qiu Baozhu didn’t mean it. n.o.body talked to her afterward. And she was in total silence. It looked like she just didn’t want to go out and engage in social activities. So, she slacked off in Qiu Yelan’s room.
“I don’t remember being on good terms with her. If she doesn’t want something from me, why does she come to my wedding deliberately?” Seeing this, Qiu Yelan also felt strange, “Coming back to this home is not easy for her. Let alone those mocking words, Princess Yang took her as the punching bag almost every time… So, she came back at first after she was married. And then she stopped!”
Since Qiu Baozhu didn’t talk, it was inappropriate for Qiu Yelan to ask if she came to the wedding to ask her a favor. She didn’t observe Qiu Baozhu for a long time. People from the Jiang Family arrived.
Back then, it was popular to play tricks on the groom. Especially, Jiang Yashuang was the Empress’s nephew and the latest Tanhua. If they missed that day, they would probably never have the chance to play tricks on him aboveboard!
So, a lot of people were partic.i.p.ating. Laughter was everywhere. Even the thunder couldn’t drown the laughter. It came from the front door like waves. Listening to that, Qiu Jinzhu yearned, “I wonder if I have a wedding dress like you when I get married? And if it will be this jolly?”
She suddenly thought of someone and felt both sad and happy… She couldn’t help smiling. But she peeked around at once alarmedly. Seeing that no one noticed her, she was relieved.
Actually, she was over-thinking it. Qiu Yelan surely was the most important one on that day. Who would care about her abnormality?
Although a great many people were playing tricks on the groom, they wouldn’t dare to miss the propitious time. Jiang Yashuang finally arrived in the yard after a while. After the rituals, maids inside the inner chamber checked Qiu Yelan for the last time in a hurry. Then they covered her head with a red bridal veil and walked her out.
She said goodbye to her relatives in the Prince’s Mansion and then went out to get in the sedan. When she went into Marquess Qin’s Mansion, even Qiu Yelan claimed to be calm, she was stunned for a moment, “I’m a member of the Jiang Family now?”
Marquess’s Mansion had been filled with guests at that time. Because Jiang Tianchi and his wife weren’t there. Like Jiang Yadan’s and Jiang Yazhu’s weddings, Marquess Qin and his wife acknowledged greetings from his grandson and granddaughter-in-law on behalf of his son and his daughter-in-law.
After the wedding ceremony and sending the bride to the bridal chamber, Marquess Qin and his wife stood up and invited the guests to have dinner. Dinner was served. Singing and dancing people ran through hundreds of tables. The whole city could hear the noise in Marquess’s Mansion!
Beneath the din, Jiang Yashuang lifted Qiu Yelan’s veil with a jade Ruyi. They looked at each other in the eyes and smiled. Tenderness and love were exuding through their eyes which made people in the room burst into laughter.
After drinking the wedlock wine, Madame Dou Junior asked Jiang Yashuang to leave with a smile, “Yashuang, you need to go to entertain the guests now. Let us take care of Yelan!”
“Remember to ask Jiang Tan to change your wine to water or tea. Don’t toast with actual wine!” He Shuijin added, “Be sure to keep in mind!”
Ladies who knew how bad Jiang Yashaung was at drinking all laughed!
After Jiang Yashuang left embarra.s.sedly, Madame Dou Junior looked at her sisters-in-law and then looked at Qiu Yelan. A meaningful smile appeared on her face, “I heard that you were very beautiful a long time ago. Seeing you today makes me understand why you have such a great reputation. No wonder Yashuang keeps thinking about you. He couldn’t wait to marry you right after getting the Tanhua t.i.tle!”
Those words were fine.
However, she continued, “It began to rain since this morning. Shuijin said it was because you and Yashuang’s names both had the meaning of water. It was a sign of your blessing… You are so blessed. Even G.o.d favors you guys. I a.s.sume you guys will have a boy and make our family prosperous within this year!”
He Shuijin’s face suddenly froze!