The Anqing Emperor seemed satisfied. He didn't say anything else and personally helped her onto the carriage. The Emperor was about to withdraw when he heard Gu Yan say, "Imperial Uncle."
Hearing her call him that, the Anqing Emperor was stunned. In his mind, he seemed to see a little Gu Yan, like a little girl carved from jade, looking at him and calling him "Imperial Uncle." The Anqing Emperor's heart suddenly softened. He looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Gu Yan lifted the curtain with one hand and looked at the Anqing Emperor with clear eyes. "Please protect the Gu Family."
The Anqing Emperor was stunned. He didn't expect her to make such a request, so he remained silent.
Gu Yan also didn't waver. She stared at the Emperor without moving her eyes an inch.
After a long time, the Anqing Emperor quietly said, "It's up to you."
Gu Yan already understood what he meant. She smiled and didn't say anything else.
After returning to the Prime Minister's residence, Gu Yan went to the ancestral hall to pay her respects to the ancestors. Then she paid her respects to her parents and brothers. Finally, her father personally helped her onto the carriage.
When a woman returns home, she is proud to cry. The more sorrowful she cries, the more it shows that she misses her parents. Her filial piety is commendable.
However, Gu Yan didn't shed a single tear from beginning to end.
Her expression was calm. From the Prime Minister's residence to the Imperial Palace, and from the Imperial Palace back to the Prime Minister's residence, she only looked at her parents deeply.
Lord Rui was ordered to send off the bride. Seeing that all the ceremonies were finished, he was about to order the wedding carriage to set off. However, Gu Qian suddenly stepped forward and told Gu Rong to say goodbye. He just said a few words and then stepped back. However, at the moment when he bent down, a small ball of paper was stuffed into Gu Rong's palm.
She calmly hid her hand under her sleeve and sat back into the carriage.
Rui Wang ordered the carriage to depart. The wedding procession stretched for hundreds of meters and slowly moved out of Jiangdu.
The common people of Jiangdu watched the ceremony along the way, hoping to catch a glimpse of Princess Pingyang's beautiful face. Even the numerous Imperial Bodyguards could not stop the surging crowd.
It was noisy along the way, but Gu Yan sat peacefully in the car, as if she could not hear any commotion. She just tightly held the note that Gu Qian gave her.
She didn't need him to say anything to know that it was Muran's. Today, in the Taiji Palace, she didn't dare to look sideways, afraid that she would meet those clear eyes. But in the end, he still came to disturb her mood.
Gu Yan lowered his eyes and slowly unfolded the ball of paper that he had been kneading in his hands for a long time. There was only one line of poetry written in black and white.
"Above the kapok the partridge crows, below the kapok pulling the man's coat. Wanting to do it but not doing it, not having the heart to part, the blood does not stop falling, the horse cries. "
This was the poem that her second brother made fun of her on the second day after she reached marriageable age. She didn't expect that he still remembered that she said that she wanted to be a proud and independent kapok, not a peach blossom that couldn't block the wind. At that time, she didn't know what true independence was. She was full of pride and despised all those who relied on her.
Now, she wanted to go to Hokuin alone and face all the wind and frost alone. Kapok's words were just a joke, but she didn't expect that it would become a prophecy.
Wanting to do it but not doing it, not having the heart to part, the blood does not stop falling, the horse cries.
Tears suddenly welled up in her eyes and surged down, falling on the note in her hands, enshrouding the words.
① Peng Xianmen, "Guangzhou Zhuzhi Ci"
— — —
Leaving Jiangdu, passing Dinggu Pass, heading north, the last pass was Tongling Pass. North of Tongling Pass were fifteen cities and Qingyan Mountain, which was the boundary of Hokuin.
The further north they went, the colder it got. This day in the middle of the night, the sky was filled with snowflakes.
In the Royal Courier House of Tongling, more than a hundred servants were already busy sweeping, hanging lights, and draping red clothes before dawn. Even the tree trunks on the side of the road were wrapped in red silk, creating a festive atmosphere.
Gu Yan woke up from her dream in a trance. She only felt that her throat was unbearably dry. She called out in a hoarse voice, "A Nuo."
A Nuo had already woken up and was tidying up the wedding dress in the outer room. Hearing her voice, he hurried to the bedside in the inner room and asked softly, "Junzhu, what's wrong?"
Gu Yan opened her eyes and said, "I'm thirsty."
A Nuo turned back to light the lantern and brought her a cup of water.
The curtains were gently lifted. Gu Yan got up and leaned against the bed. She drank the cup of water in one gulp and said with some dissatisfaction, "Another cup."
A Nuo took the cup but didn't go to pour the water. He just said, "Junzhu, don't drink anymore. It's dry in the north, and your throat can't help but itch. It won't be good if you drink too much water and your eyes become swollen. It's still early, Junzhu should sleep for a while. "
When Gu Yan heard this, she gave up. She turned over and lay on the bed again, closing her eyes.
This time, she tossed and turned but couldn't fall asleep. Her mother, father, aunt, brother, and countless other people's faces began to appear in front of her eyes. Even Muran, so close yet so far.
Today, as long as she left Tongling Pass, the Hokuin's wedding procession would come to welcome her. A banquet would be held at the foot of Qingyan Mountain to entertain Rui Wang and his entourage. Then she would follow them to the north to Shengjing. Rui Wang would then return to Jiangdu to report on his mission.
From then on, her parents, relatives, old lovers, old friends, they would all be at different ends of the world. It was possible that they would never see each other again.
Thinking of this, Gu Yan's heart ached. She got up and used the faint candlelight to take out the note Muran gave her before she left. She read it carefully.
She had already memorized the four lines of words, but she seemed to be entranced by it. She stared at it without moving.
When it was time for A Nuo to wake her up, she still sat there in a daze.
A Nuo saw her from outside the curtain and asked with concern, "Princess, why are you up?"
Gu Yan heard this and returned to her senses. She asked her, "What time is it?"
"It's a quarter past three in the morning. It's time to get up and get dressed."
Gu Yan responded softly. She let A Nuo lift the curtain and got up to get dressed.
The Hokuin's wedding procession stretched for several li. Imperial robes fluttered in the wind, colorful flags fluttered, and the sound of ceremonial music could be heard from several li away. The palace servants were all wearing brocade clothes and new shoes. They held ceremonial instruments in their hands and lined up in the wedding procession.
Rui Wang was riding on a horse. He could vaguely hear the ceremonial music from afar.
When they reached the Hokuin's post house at the foot of Qingyan Mountain, they saw rows upon rows of black banners. The red carpet stretched for ten li. Gold shards scattered along the road, like stars twinkling in the sky.
On the official road, there was a palace servant every ten steps, kneeling on the ground to welcome the bride. The colorful flags fluttered all the way to the front of the post house.
Rui Wang was riding on a horse, leading the procession from the south. The light cavalry in front of him cleared the way. They were wearing red tassels and silver armor, long feathered helmets, and carved jade saddles.
Rui Wang was wearing a court robe embroidered with a seven-clawed python on the dark purple brocade. He had a high crown and long hair.
Behind him was Princess Pingyang's wedding carriage. It was decorated with golden carvings and jade ornaments. Behind him was the procession carrying the dowry. It snaked forward without an end.
When they reached the gate of the post house, the officials bowed to greet them. At the front stood a handsome and imposing man. He was wearing a yellow court robe and a high crown. He had a straight nose and thin lips. His every movement was full of the nobility of the imperial family.
Rui Wang guessed that this man must be the Hokuin's Second Prince, Huan Zhuo. He was here to escort his brother's bride.
Rui Wang stopped his horse and dismounted. The man also stepped forward to welcome him. The two of them exchanged greetings. Rui Wang said in a clear voice, "Nan Hua, Prince Rui, Feng Chang, escorts Princess Pingyang here."
The man reached out to help Rui Wang up. He said clearly, "Dai Yin, Cheng Wang, Huan Xuan welcomes you. Rui Wang has suffered a lot along the way."
Huan Xuan!?
Rui Wang was shocked. He raised his head to look carefully at the man in front of him. He was not the Hokuin's Second Prince, Huan Zhuo. Instead, he was the Eldest Prince, Huan Xuan. Yi Ling had asked for Pingyang's hand in marriage.
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