According to the rules of etiquette, the person escorting the bride must be a relative of the groom, and the groom should be at the back. But why did Huan Xuan, who was supposed to appear last, become the person escorting the bride?
Rui Wang was stunned for a moment, and Gu Yan, who was in the carriage, also heard it clearly. Her mind flashed, and she already understood.
Before leaving, the Anqing Emperor said that Yi Ling had already agreed. Sure enough, the Muran proposed, and the Anqing Emperor mediated, and secretly married the Hokuin's noble eldest son to a warrior.
She sat in the carriage, motionless.
Rui Wang did not know what had happened, but he felt that the current situation was not in line with etiquette. The marriage between the two countries strictly followed the rules of etiquette to show respect. But now that there was a sudden change, he did not know what to do.
Huan Xuan saw that he suddenly lost his voice, and asked: "Did Rui Wang suffer from the long journey?"
Rui Wang came back to his senses, and looked at Huan Xuan in front of him, and then looked at the carriage behind him. Hundreds of thoughts flashed through his mind. The Hokuin led the army to the south, trampling on the peace of Nan Hua. Nan Hua was wronged and begged for peace, and the land was torn apart to marry off their daughter. They silently endured such humiliation, and now, the person escorting the bride became Huan Xuan. Obviously, the Hokuin changed their mind at the last minute, and the person that Princess Pingyang was marrying was no longer the eldest son of the Hokuin Emperor. Could it be that the most noble princess of Nan Hua was not worthy of the Hokuin Prince? How could he accept such humiliation? If this matter spread back to Nan Hua, it would be difficult to appease the people. But now they were in Hokuin territory, if the princess was handed over to him, then she would henceforth belong to the Hokuin, and Nan Hua would not be allowed to interfere. But if he did not hand her over …
Thinking to this point, Rui Wang's heart was in turmoil, his palms sweating. Just as he was in a dilemma, he heard the clear sound of a jade ornament behind him. The woman coldly said, "Thank you for your trouble, Rui Wang."
The beaded curtains of the wedding carriage fluttered, and the maids lifted the beaded curtains from the left and right. Jade-Green gold bracelets, jade hairpins, and jade belt embroidered shoes, Gu Heng slowly got off the carriage. Her red wedding dress made her skin look even more snowy.
At this moment, the sky left people behind, and the grass covered the flowers. ①
Gu Yan raised his head slightly and stepped forward to greet Cheng Wang.
Huan Xuan returned the greeting and then turned to lead her into the hall. Rui Wang bowed to see him off. The ceremonial officials of the two countries chanted auspicious words. The messengers exchanged matchmakers' letters.
When the two of them entered, the red silk floated on the ground, as if there were tens of thousands of multicolored haze rising and dazzling.
The ceremonial music played in unison, and the bugle horn sounded. The palace servants scattered broken gold pieces one after another.
Gu Yan did not look sideways, and slowly walked forward. Her heart was pounding like a drum. Even if she already knew who was behind the door, she was still afraid.
Finally, the door slowly opened, and a man in a black auspicious robe stepped out from behind the door.
His sword-like eyebrows were slanted, and his gaze was like a blade. His dark eyes stared unblinkingly at Gu Yan.
Meeting his gaze, Gu Yan's heart slightly stagnated, and even her feet slightly paused. Their eyes met, as if all the words were surging up, but there was no trace of it.
They had not seen each other for a year, and he seemed to be more robust. Wearing the auspicious robe, he also gave people a sense of fierceness. And Gu Yan was no longer that simple and weak Ting 'er. She was Pingyang. No matter what was in front of her, whether it was a bottomless abyss or a flourishing brocade, she would always raise her head and welcome it.
An old horse was trapped in a garden, but a steed galloped for thousands of miles.
She finally understood his breadth of mind, his heroic spirit.
Rui Wang saw the man walking out from behind the door from afar. That familiar feeling made his legs go weak, and he almost fell down. He never thought that it was actually Yi Ling, the Yi Ling who had just led three thousand armored soldiers to intimidate Nan Hua a year ago.
Yi Ling stared fixedly at Gu Yan, and stretched out his hand to her.
Gu Yan raised her wrist, and gently placed her hand in his palm.
Yi Ling clasped his hand, and the thick calluses on his palm made Gu Yan suddenly understand. Gu Yan raised her eyes to look at him, and he also lowered his eyes to look at her. After a long time, his thin lips pursed, and he revealed a smile, as if he was saying gently to his wife who had gone out in the morning and returned home in the evening: "You're finally here."
(1) Tang Xianzu's 《Soul Returning to the Peony Pavilion》
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At night, the music stopped, and the palace lanterns gradually went out. The hustle and bustle of the posthouse gradually quieted down.
A Nuo helped Gu Yan take off the layers of wedding clothes. Gu Yan cooperated with her, and said: "A Nuo, Rui Wang and his entourage will be returning to court tomorrow."
A Nuo focused on undressing her, and said carelessly: "Yes, even if you accompany him for thousands of miles, he will still have to part."
Gu Yan lowered her eyes to look at A Nuo's bright and clean forehead, and asked softly: "A Nuo, do you regret it?"
A Nuo's hands paused, and he raised his head to look at her and asked: "What does Junzhu mean by this?"
Gu Yan said: "If you didn't serve me, you wouldn't have to leave your hometown with me, and go to Hokuin."
A Nuo frowned, and said with dissatisfaction: "Junzhu, what are you saying? If it weren't for Junzhu, A Nuo would have frozen to death on the streets more than ten years ago. How could I have the fortune to serve Junzhu?"
Gu Yan's heart softened, and he raised his head to pat the top of her head. "A Nuo, from now on, it's just the two of us."
Her words were full of melancholy, and it made A Nuo's heart ache. Her eyes reddened, and she said: "Junzhu, don't worry. Even if there's a mountain of swords and a sea of fire ahead, this servant will accompany Junzhu."
Just as the master and servant were feeling sad, they heard a commotion outside the door, and the sound of footsteps came one after another. The two of them were stunned, and they understood that Yi Ling must have come.
Thinking that it was him, Gu Yan felt a burst of panic for no reason. A Nuo held her hand, and said in a low voice: "Junzhu, don't be afraid."
Just as she calmed down, there was a knock on the door. Gu Yan turned to sit in front of the dressing table, but she couldn't help but look up at the door from the dressing table mirror.
A Nuo opened the door and bowed. Yi Ling strode in, and then waved his hand to signal A Nuo to leave.
A Nuo turned to look at the inner room worriedly, but still bowed and left, gently closing the door.
Gu Yan's back stiffened, and she sat in front of the dressing table. She held an ivory comb in one hand, and her palms were sweaty.
Yi Ling approached step by step, and Gu Yan hurriedly got up and bent her knees to bow. Before her knees touched the floor, a pair of large hands stopped her, and she heard a voice above her head saying: "Wife, there's no need to be so courteous."
Gu Yan's heart trembled, and she quickly looked up at him. Wife was how Nan Hua's husbands addressed their wives, but she didn't expect him to address her this way. This "wife" was so affectionate, and it made her feel dazed and even more afraid. She didn't know what he meant.
Yi Ling looked at her dazed expression, and couldn't help but purse his lips and reveal a faint smile. Then he pressed her back to sit in front of the dressing table, and raised his hand to gently remove the hairpin.
His movements were clumsy, and he slowly combed through the countless strands of hair, as if he wasn't in a hurry at all. Behind her, she could feel his warmth through the thin layer of clothing, and Gu Yan didn't dare to move.
She looked at him in the mirror, and under the flickering candlelight, his sharp face softened, and the flickering shadows seemed to carry tenderness. Gu Yan looked at him for a long time, then said: "General."
Yi Ling didn't raise his head to look at her, and only focused on composing her hair, as he said: "Call me Yi Ling."
Gu Yan bit her lip, and still said: "General."
Yi Ling didn't force it, and only asked: "What's wrong?"
"General, please protect my Gu family." Since he could make a deal with the Anqing Emperor, he must know about the hidden waves in Nan Hua.
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