Fan Xian didn't remember what he had eaten for lunch. He only remembered that he had drunk a lot of wine, and had been persuaded by officials with good intentions or greed to write two poems to describe the occasion. But no matter how much Fan Xian drank, he remembered his declaration to retire from the world of poetry. He smiled and declined each one.
In the middle of the banquet, the people from King Jing's manor finally arrived. All the officials rose to greet them. Looking at the garden-like Prince, Fan Xian smiled bitterly and wondered why he hadn't recognized him the first time he saw him.
King Jing had always liked Fan Xian. Seeing him dressed so flashily today, he said in a muffled voice, "He doesn't know how to dress up."
Fan Xian knew his personality. He smiled and said, "I wonder what His Highness was like during his wedding."
Crown Prince Li Hongzi lowered his voice. "Probably not as good as you."
King Jing flew into a rage. "You weren't even born when I got married. What the hell do you know?"
The officials watching the prince and the crown prince quarrel didn't dare say anything. They all hid to one side and snickered. Count Sinan, Fan Jian, was the host. He shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Your Highness, your words are unnecessary." Although he was a count, the two families had been friends for over ten years, so he spoke casually to King Jing.
King Jing waved his hand, no longer paying attention to the little ones. He followed Fan Jian into the inner hall. Halfway there, he stopped and turned to face Fan Xian. "You're not bad."
Fan Xian was startled. He quickly bowed and thanked him. Imperial Prince Jing frowned again and said, "I was originally thinking that after two years, I would give Roujia to you. I didn't expect that my older sister would steal my son-in-law away from me." He seemed to really regret it as he shook his head and walked inside.
Who was King Jing's sister? Naturally, it was Fan Xian's mother-in-law, the Eldest Princess. Fortunately, he had spoken in a low voice, so no one heard. But when Fan Xian heard that the prince was going to give Princess Roujia to him, he couldn't help but feel afraid. If he had to marry Roujia, it would be a terrible thing. Then he thought of his mother-in-law. She looked much younger than the prince, and he couldn't help but wonder.
As his mind wandered, Li Hongcheng patted him on the shoulder and said quietly, "Given our friendship, I should have come earlier. But you also know that it is not convenient for me to come too early on an occasion like this."
Fan Xian understood that although Li Hongcheng had a good relationship with him, he was still Crown Prince Jing. There was no reason for him to rush to help the son of an official. That would be against the rules. He smiled and was about to say something when he heard Li Hongcheng say quietly, "Rou Jia did not come today. She asked me to tell you."
Fan Xian raised his eyebrows. Rou Jia had always been on good terms with Ruoruo and had a good relationship with him. Why hadn't she come to his wedding?
Seeing his expression, Li Hongcheng smiled bitterly and said, "My sister is wiping away her tears in the manor. What father said earlier was true. If it weren't for the fact that your fiancée also has a great background, father might actually ask the empress dowager to come forward and have you marry Roujia instead."
Fan Xian was startled at first. Shortly after, he felt bitter in his heart. He realized that he really didn't know what to say today. It was better to keep his mouth shut.
— — —
Finally, it was time to bow to heaven and earth. Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er held the ends of the red silk and looked at each other lovingly through the red cloth. They slowly and softly bowed down. The sourness of the gesture moved Ruoruo to tears, and Fan Sizhe, who was next to her, was so mushy that he wanted to go crazy.
As they bowed to their parents, Count Sinan, Fan Jian, gently stroked his beard while Lady Liu, somewhat bashfully, sat on the matriarch's seat. The officials and nobles watching the ceremony were puzzled. When had Lady Liu been promoted?
They didn't know that this was the result of a month of secret planning by Fan Xian. Fan Xian was not a person who repaid evil with good, but he was also not a person who held grudges. Although he could not remove his vigilance toward Lady Liu, he could see that she was truly devoted to her father. If he promoted Lady Liu to the official position, he could appease Lady Liu's influence, and at the same time make him feel more at ease.
Of course, if Lady Liu did anything unfavorable to him, Fan Xian now had enough power to protect himself and harm his enemies. He just didn't want to do it — after all, according to his own conjecture, Lady Liu was a person with a hard life, and now there was Fan Sizhe between the two of them. Count Sinan, Fan Jian, had never nodded. But last night, the palace finally sent word that the Empress Dowager had spoken, and he had no choice but to acquiesce.
After enduring for ten years, Lady Liu finally sat on the matriarch's seat. She touched the smooth armrest of the chair uncomfortably, and uneasily accepted the tea the bride handed her. She took a sip, not knowing the taste, and looked at Fan Xian with an uneasy gaze.
Fan Xian's eyes did not look at her. He only smiled and offered his father tea.
With great difficulty, Lady Liu's lips curled into a smile.
Because the officials present did not know the inside story, they could not help but look confused. And in the side hall, the officials of Lady Liu's paternal family watched this scene and could not help but sigh.
At that moment, there was a commotion outside the manor. Fan Xian stood up, and the matchmaker helped Wan'er up. The whole family looked outside.
"An edict has arrived. Lady Fan, receive the edict."
Eunuch Hou, who was familiar with the Fan family, pushed open the door with a smile and announced the edict from the palace. Today was a joyous day, and both Fan Jian and Fan Xian had guessed that the palace would have made arrangements, so they were not surprised.
But the officials of the Six Ministries in the courtyard were surprised. Eunuch Hou's edict did not conform to the rules of the palace. The amount of gold and silk far exceeded the norm, and some items of tribute were also on the list. No matter how they looked at it, it did not seem like a reward for a minister's son's marriage. It seemed more like a marriage between a princess or a prince.
Even if it was a marriage between the Prime Minister and Count Sinan, the royal family should not have paid so much attention.
As Fan Xian listened to the edict, he whispered to his wife, who was under the red veil. "Do you understand? I am basking in your glory, husband. "
Lin Wan'er was bashful under the red veil.
...
...
After Eunuch Hou left, the officials let out a sigh of relief. Unexpectedly, they heard a shout from outside. "The marriage between Fan and Lin is a match made in heaven. Imperial Concubine Shu rewards them."
Fan Xian was startled. He and Wan'er bowed again. Imperial Concubine Shu rewarded them with the original set of rare books. Imperial Concubine Shu was the mother of the Second Prince. Unexpectedly, she was also acquainted with the Fan manor. The officials could not help but click their tongues in wonder.
Unexpectedly, after a while, they heard another shout from outside. "The marriage between Fan and Lin is a match made in heaven. Ning the Talented congratulates you." The officials were shocked again. Although this talented woman did not have a high status, her only son was the Great Prince. He had always led troops outside, and was highly regarded by the Emperor.
Ning the Talented's gift was a sword, which suited her temperament of Dongyi origin. Fan Xian and Wan'er had no choice but to bow again. Taking the sword with a bitter smile, Fan Xian whispered to his wife, "Do you see? Now it's the concubines' turn to reward you. Ning the Talented, this sword is for you. If anything goes wrong, you can use it to cut me down. "
Lin Wan'er was bashful again. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she could not take a bite out of this wretched Langjun.
Since Imperial Concubine Shu and Ning the Talented had sent gifts, the other concubines naturally sent gifts as well. It was just that the ones who were not well known sent gifts together. Only Imperial Concubine Ning was a member of the Liu family, so she was particularly different. Furthermore, she had received the news last night that Lady Liu had finally been promoted. In her joy, she had acted ruthlessly. Just the gift list alone was two feet thick, and it shocked the officials in the Council.
After the concubines, it was the empress' gift. As the mother of the country, the empress' gift was not ordinary. It was a sparkling and translucent jade scepter. It was very precious and indescribable.
Today, the officials had finally opened their eyes. Since the founding of the Kingdom of Qing, there had not been a child of an official whose marriage had alarmed so many nobles in the palace!
Of course, the officials who knew Lin Wan'er's true identity knew the inside story. Not only was Lin Wan'er the illegitimate daughter of the Eldest Princess, but she had always been favored by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Growing up in the palace, she had a special relationship with these nobles.
Gradually, the tables in the courtyard quieted down. The officials of the Six Ministries finally understood what was going on. At this moment, their expressions became much more restrained and dignified. The way they looked at the bride became somewhat strange.
Finally, the most important bombshell was dropped. The Emperor's handwritten letter was carried into Fan Manor by the eunuchs like a treasure. A large number of people in the courtyard knelt down.
"By the decree of the Heavens, the Emperor has decreed that the marriage between Fan and Lin will be completed at an auspicious time. Write this as a blessing."
Fan Jian and Fan Xian carefully took it and unfolded it for everyone to see. On the pure white paper, there were four large words: "A Hundred Years of Bliss."
It was a very simple meaning, but the Emperor, who did not like to get involved in the family affairs of his officials, had written it himself. The hidden meaning was not simple. Everyone in the courtyard guessed that Fan Xian had married Lin Wan'er. He was as lucky as picking up a big ingot.
— — —
In a room deep in the palace, the Emperor of the Kingdom of Qing was smiling as he looked at a painting. The painting was of a yellow-robed woman.
The Emperor had married Wan'er, whom he admired the most, to Fan Xian. He thought that the woman in the painting would also like this daughter-in-law. For Fan Lin's marriage to be so grand, everyone thought that it was because the Emperor loved Wan'er. Even the concubines in the palace did not think of anything else. But the Emperor knew that he only wanted to make up for the regret of Fan Xian not being able to marry as a prince.
The Emperor looked at the woman in the painting, and a smile rose to the corners of his lips. "You used to like this kind of excitement. I hope he likes it too."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
