Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 819 The Wedding Procession [Thank you! Bow again! 8k words owed]

As Gu Tingye spoke,

The young servant of the Chai family, dressed in new clothes with a red silk sash around his waist, was already smiling as he held the wine jar and refilled the wine bowls on the table.

Seeing Zheng Xiao walk back, Gu Tingye smiled and asked, "Second Brother Zheng, how are you feeling?"

Zheng Xiao glanced at the attendants around Xu Zaijing and shook his head, saying, "The Chai family really spared no expense to block the door. I think this table must weigh a thousand pounds."

"Trying to get away with it or move the table is not going to work."

Lu Zezong, who was standing next to Xu Zaijing, nodded repeatedly, looking at the wine bowl on the table with a mixture of fear and curiosity in his eyes.

"I'll try."

"This is what Yue Fei said, following behind Xu Zaijing."

Yue Fei had only taken two steps when Gu Tingye stopped him: "Brother Fei, don't go. Even if you can move, the Chai family will definitely be on guard."

"Ahem." Yue Fei coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "Second Brother Gu, I'll try to sweep a few wine bowls down so that the brothers can drink less."

Zheng Xiao shook his head: "Forget it, there are too many of us, let's not do it! Who knows, the Chai family might have wine bowls and jars prepared by the door."

Liang Han licked his lips, exchanged a glance with the Li brothers who were standing next to him, and said, "Second Brother Zheng, this is only the first hurdle! If we all drink, who knows what will come next."

The people nearby nodded in agreement.

Zheng Erlang glanced at the attendants around him, then at the smug Chai brothers, and covered his mouth with his hand, saying, "If we have it, we have it! We'll do our best! No matter how difficult it is, does the Chai family think they won't let Jing-ge'er in?"

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Gu Tingye said helplessly, "That makes sense, but we can't protect Wulang in the past, or we'll be the ones who lose face."

No one else has spoken yet.

"No more dawdling, I'm going first!" Li Jiachi said as he walked to the table, picked up a bowl of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.

Li Chimei's way of drinking is not the kind where he takes a sip halfway through and then slurps down three mouthfuls.

The bowl of wine was indeed swallowed.

"it is good--!"

Seeing Li Chimei's straightforwardness, the crowd gathered at the Chai family gate roared "Bravo!"

This "good" greeting contained both praise and a playful encouragement for the best man to drink more.

"Wow! Fine wine!"

Li Chimei put down his wine bowl and sighed.

With Li Chimei setting an example, the other attendants followed suit.

Just as Zhua Juezhongding, who was at the very back, finished his drink, his eyes widened. Just as Zheng Xiao had said, the Chai family servant was about to set out wine bowls on the table again.

Before Zhua Juezhong could speak.

Gu Tingye, who had just been drinking the second thing after Li Chimei, staggered to the table, jumped lightly, and then rolled around on it.

The way it rolled around made it impossible for the Chai family servants to put down the wine bowls.

Xu Zaijing smiled and shook his head.

Chai Jin glanced at the groomsmen, whose faces were slightly flushed, and smiled as he waved to the side, knowing when to stop.

A moment later, six burly men with red ribbons tied around their waists came to the table and carried Gu Tingye and the table to the side.

Seeing that he had passed this test, Gu Tingye got off the table and returned to the group of attendants.

The inner courtyard of the Chai family, Qiusheng Garden.

inside the house,

Chai Zhengzheng, dressed in a crimson and gold-embroidered wedding gown, sat on a chair, her makeup being carefully touched up by a maid.

On the table next to her was a brocade cloth, upon which rested an exquisitely beautiful crown with nine flower hairpins.

Chai Zhengzheng noticed someone quickly entering the house and was about to turn her head to look.

"Young lady, please don't move."

Upon hearing the maid's words, Chai Zhengzheng immediately stopped what she was doing.

The maidservant approached, and before Chai Zhengzheng could speak, Fuyi, standing beside her, asked with a smile, "How is the main gate?"

The maid bowed slightly to Fuyi and looked at Chai Zhengzheng, who was looking at her with concern, and said with a smile, "Miss, Sister Fuyi, the young master just passed the chess game."

"Did he live alone?" Chai Zhengzheng asked with a smile.

"Yes, young lady! But the attendants also offered their advice," the maid said with a smile.

Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

Yunmu suppressed a laugh and said, "Miss, I think the young master can easily pass the 'Guanpu' (a game of tag), the rapid-fire tongue twister, and the 'bridal poem' (a poem to urge the bride to get ready). It's just the pitch-pot game."

"My son-in-law has been busy studying and practicing martial arts all these years, so I don't know how good he is at pitch-pot! I haven't heard of any of the bridesmaids who are good at pitch-pot either."

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Since Sister Tingyi is so amazing, the second brother of the Gu family must also be quite skilled at pitch-pot."

Then, Chai Zhengzheng said with a hint of reproach, "My brothers are really something. They know he's an exceptional archer, yet they deliberately didn't set any challenges related to archery."

Upon hearing this, everyone inside the room covered their mouths and burst into laughter.

About fifteen minutes later.

Then another maid came running in, laughing.

"Miss, the groom has finished composing the poem to urge you to get married."

Upon hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng immediately looked over and smiled expectantly, "Tell me quickly."

Yunmu and the other maids were also very much looking forward to it.

The maidservant thought for a moment, her eyes filled with memories, and recited: "How many journeys have we taken through the gates of the capital? How many times have we met on the Star Bridge on the Lantern Festival?"

"."

The meaning of the poem is not difficult to understand: 'In and out of the capital, we have traveled together many times. We have also met many times during the Lantern Festival.'

The maid recited the poem softly.

Memories welled up in Chai Zhengzheng's mind.

It feels like five or six years have passed since I met Xu Zaijing at Jin Yang Mountain Village a few years ago.

Over the years, people visited each other during festivals, went out of the city to enjoy the spring scenery, and admired the moon and lanterns inside and outside the palace.

The two met many times, but they didn't exchange many words.

In Chai Zhengzheng's memory, what impressed her most was never Xu Zaijing's handsome face, but his bright and clear eyes.

"That's not right either," Chai Zhengzheng shook her head secretly.

It started in Jin Yang Mountain Village.

When she first met Xu Zaijing, his handsome face, after he took off his helmet in the sunlight, made her somewhat lose her composure.

Just as Chai Zhengzheng was about to continue recalling,
"Miss! Lady Quanfu is here. We're going to the main hall."

Yunmu's voice came through.

"Oh!" Chai Zhengzheng snapped out of her daze.

When Yunmu gently placed the exquisite floral hairpin crown onto her hair, Chai Zhengzheng took a deep breath.

Chai Zhengzheng came out of the house holding an exquisite round fan.

In a daze,

Upon hearing Madam Chai's admonition to "be obedient day and night and serve your parents-in-law well," Chai Zhengzheng, holding a round fan, couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat.

She struggled to control her emotions and managed not to cry.

When the master of the Chai family gave his instructions, Chai Zhengzheng felt her ears throbbing with emotion.

Through the fan, Chai Zhengzheng seemed to see her two older brothers raising their sleeves and bringing them close to their faces, as if they were wiping away tears.

At this moment, Chai Zhengzheng noticed that the woman supporting her was giving her a look. She quickly bowed and replied softly, "Your daughter will follow your teachings."

After the ceremony, Chai Zhengzheng saw through the edge of the fan that Xu Zaijing, who was standing to the side, was turning his body to the side and bowing to her with his hands clasped in greeting.

In a daze, the voice of the blessed lady beside him reminded him to be careful of the threshold.

Immediately, Chai Zhengzheng's eyes lit up; the light was so bright that he couldn't help but squint.

They had already left the house and were in the sunlight.

On his right was Lady Quanfu supporting him, and in front of him were several maids who were saying auspicious words while scattering various dried fruits, grains and other things from the bamboo baskets they were carrying.

After walking a few steps, Chai Zhengzheng felt Xu Zaijing, who was walking on her left, moving closer to her.

Immediately afterwards, Chai Zhengzheng felt someone supporting her left elbow.

Although this was the first time Xu Zaijing had been so close to Chai Zhengzheng, Chai Zhengzheng, who had her attention focused entirely on her feet, didn't feel any embarrassment at all.

After leaving the Chai family's gate,

The cheers around them suddenly grew louder.

With the help of Quanfu's wife, Chai Zhengzheng boarded the luxurious wedding car in a daze.

After the curtain was lowered, the light inside the car dimmed slightly, and Chai Zhengzheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking around the car and at the fan in her hand, Chai Zhengzheng suddenly felt that the scene was somewhat familiar.

Chai Zhengzheng reached out to pull back the curtains, but halfway through, she realized she could see outside through the sheer curtains.

Looking at Yunmu smiling beside the car, Chai Zhengzheng felt even more flustered.

The panic of forgetting the wedding ceremony steps, and the sense of loss after waking up, all welled up in Chai Zhengzheng's heart.

Thinking about all this, Chai Zhengzheng quickly put down the fan and squeezed her hand hard.

"Hiss!" A distinct pain shot through Chai Zhengzheng, who finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I wasn't dreaming! Thank goodness."

At this time, the Chai family servants began to present red envelopes to the wedding party as a token of their departure.

After a lively discussion...

"Clang clang clang—" A series of cymbal sounds.

"Beep—beep beep beep!" The suona was played.

"Boom boom boom boom!" The drumbeats followed.

The yu and sheng also started playing.

The joyful music was loud, enthusiastic, and extremely festive.

Clearly, the musicians were extremely satisfied with the red envelopes given by the Chai family.

Amidst joyful music, the Xu family's massive wedding procession began to move.

In the car,
Chai Zhengzheng turned her head slightly, looking somewhat melancholy.
His gaze followed the two older brothers standing outside the car at the gate of the Chai family's residence.
Once the Chai family gate was no longer in sight, Chai Zhengzheng turned her head and touched her cheek, only to find that tears were already welling up in her eyes.

On the way back to Quyuan Street,
The streets were lined with many onlookers, including wealthy people.

When they saw the groom, Xu Zaijing, they were greeted with a chorus of congratulations.

When the servants scattered wedding money, dried fruit, and candy along the way, it would cause a stir and a great deal of noise.

along the way,

Following behind the groom on horseback were numerous groomsmen.
Looking at the sea of ​​people on the street, with crowds of people cheering and offering congratulations, Gu Tingye couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Why do I feel that the crowd waiting on the roadside today seems to be larger than that of any other high-ranking family getting married?"

Zheng Xiao clicked his tongue, exchanged glances with the others beside him, and nodded, saying, "Erlang, you're right!"

"The scene of my wedding is nothing like the street scene today."

The other couples getting married nearby nodded in agreement.

Liang Han chuckled: "Brother Jing is skilled in both literature and martial arts. He is a newly appointed prince and a top scholar in the imperial examination! The people of the capital naturally love to share in the joy of such a person."

Gu Tingye raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, 'I am also skilled in both literature and martial arts!'

Lu Zezong, who was riding a horse beside him, glanced at Xu Zaijing and said with a smile, "Brothers, I feel that it's not just because of my sworn brother's identity, but also because of his connection with the Chai family."

After a moment of surprise, everyone nodded.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Chai family represented wealth and status.

When a family marries off their daughter, the common people are happy to share in the good fortune.

After Xu Zaijing and his entourage passed by, the onlookers, having finished admiring the groom, noticed that the Chai family's dowry procession stretched on and on, showing no signs of ending.

Outside Quyuan Street,

Even some distance from the street corner, the area was already packed with people.

Even with the Imperial Guards maintaining order, the surrounding area still felt somewhat crowded.

As the joyful sounds drew near...
A cacophony of congratulatory shouts and well wishes erupted from one place to another.

It's getting closer.

The residents near Quyuan Street only then realized that...

In the Chai family's wedding procession, servants and young men stood on carriages laden with all sorts of small items.

They used gourd ladles to scoop up the contents of the cart and vigorously threw coins, candies, and various dried fruits in all directions.

Quyuan Street intersection

A man was standing in front of a restaurant.
Judging from his complexion and the hand he was holding his wife, one could vaguely tell that this man used to work in the sun and wind.

But he was wearing new silk clothes.

Upon seeing Xu Zaijing approaching on horseback in the distance, the man stopped embracing his wife and instead cupped his hands to his mouth like a megaphone, shouting auspicious words of congratulations with all his might.

After Xu Zaijing and the others turned into Quyuan Street, the man rubbed his sore throat.

Looking at his newlywed wife with a strange look in her eyes, the man said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Hehe, my wife, the reason I, You Haidao, was able to marry you is because the prince threw me three copper coins after he became the top scholar in the imperial examination."

The woman beside him looked at the man with surprise.

"By selling it for three copper coins, I went from being a coachman to a wealthy household in Bianjing!"

"After receiving the copper coins, I was quite worried for a while! But when I sold the first copper coin to a woman surnamed Ruan, I realized what had happened."

"My lord, what do you know?"

"I just realized that not just anyone would dare to covet what this prince has bestowed upon us." As he spoke, the man looked wistfully at the wedding procession.

The woman looked at the man with admiration in her eyes: "My lord, there were so many people at the time, yet that top scholar only gave you copper coins. You are truly remarkable!"

"Hahaha!" The man couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

Quyuan Street,

It's still some distance from the Xu family's main gate.

The servants and maids from each household, dressed in different clothes, had already appeared nearby.

Xu Zaijing had excellent eyesight. After walking a few steps into Quyuan Street, he spotted the figures of the maids Xiaotao, Xique, and Yanghao.

Minglan is not allowed to come to the Xu family today, but she did release Xiaotao.

The closer you get to the Xu family's gate,

Young men and women from noble and official families began to appear in the surrounding area.

Liang Han, one of the best man, followed behind Xu Zaijing, occasionally bowing to those around him.

When Liang Han spotted a girl in the crowd, her expression became even more smug.

No wonder you can see young masters and daughters of various families on Quyuan Street today.
The reason was that Xu Zaijing had previously rescued a boatload of nobles and officials from Jinming Pond, and the number of people was simply too large.

Xu Zaijing was a newly appointed prince, and he married a noblewoman from the Chai family.

Even without the previous act of saving someone, Xu Zaijing is getting married today. No matter how much the nobles and officials in the capital have no dealings with him, they will still come to offer their congratulations as a courtesy.

Moreover, there's the matter of Jinming Pond.

These noble officials didn't just have their own families; they also had all sorts of intricately connected relatives and in-laws.

The bigger the scene, the more people there will be!
This attracts more people who want to join in the fun, find a match for their own children, or have their children admired by others.

As a result, almost all the nobles, officials, noblewomen, and their families from Bianjing came today.

Officials below the fifth rank could hardly sit in the outer courtyard of the Xu family; instead, they had to sit in the courtyards of people like Qingyun and Alan who lived nearby.

Therefore,
After a burst of firecrackers and fireworks...

When Chai Zhengzheng stepped out of the wedding carriage at the Xu family's gate and onto the thick carpet, the onlookers were not Xu family servants or passersby, but rather noble ladies and wives from various families in the capital, adorned with jewels and fine clothes.

Whenever the servants of the Chai family threw out wedding candies, dried fruits, and copper coins, these noble ladies would grab them without regard for their image, reaching out or bending over to catch them.

This surprised the attendants, including Gu Tingye and the other ladies-in-waiting, as well as the maids like Yunmu.

Soon, Chai Zhengzheng stepped over the various auspicious objects on the ground and walked towards the main hall of the Xu family.

As they got closer to the main hall, the rank of the officials' wives and relatives watching along the way gradually changed and rose.

As Chai Zhengzheng was ushered into the main hall and placed in the bridal tent to await the wedding ceremony, she took the opportunity to look out through a round fan.

At this moment, the main hall was filled with the buzzing of guests, and all that Chai Zhengzheng could see were ladies of the third rank or above.

Outside the main hall,
A red canopy was erected to provide shade.

Under the colorful canopy, Wang Ruofu and Rulan, as relatives, were able to stand nearby.

Listening to the surrounding guests' praise for Chai Zhengzheng's pearl-adorned hairpins, and looking at the wives of the noble ladies around her, Wang Ruofu couldn't help but sigh as she fanned herself with her round fan.

"The Crown Prince's presence at the wedding is such an honor! Such a scene is enough to witness once in a lifetime."

“Back then, I should have hardened my heart and sent you to live with the old lady.”

"With the old lady's backing and your maternal grandparents' family backing you up, there's definitely no chance for Sixth Girl!"

As she spoke, Wang Ruofu looked at Rulan beside her.

Seeing that Rulan seemed not to hear and was only standing on tiptoe to watch the commotion without a care in the world, Wang Ruofu tapped Rulan's head in exasperation.

Rulan touched her head, looked helplessly at Wang Ruofu, pursed her lips and said, "Mother, let's forget it! With so many people to welcome and see off in the future, my brain will probably be overwhelmed!"

in the afternoon,

Inside the bridal chamber,
The rituals of scattering the bridal tent, tying the hair together, and drinking from the same cup have been completed.

Xu Zaijing was pulled out of the bridal chamber by the best men and women to go to the banquet to offer toasts.

At the entrance of the bridal chamber,

The tent had been lowered and then closed.

The bridal chamber then became a separate space.

Chai Zhengzheng, dressed in her wedding attire, sat quietly on the edge of the large bed, her round fan placed aside.

After glancing around the bridal chamber, Chai Zhengzheng smiled slightly: "Where's the wisteria?"

"Miss, Zifang, go wait in the kitchen. I'll bring you some hot food later," Yunmu said with a smile.

Chai Zhengzheng continued to look at the house, seemingly trying to find some trace of Xu Zaijing within it.

"Please don't move, young lady. Before he left, the young master said that this flower hairpin is too elaborate and heavy, so I can take it off for you first."

Hearing Yunmu's words, Fuyi couldn't help but laugh: "The young master really dotes on his son-in-law."

"Ah."

After giving a satisfied "hmm," Chai Zhengzheng said, "For the time being, let Miss Wei stay with you."

"Yes, Miss." Fuyi covered her mouth as soon as she finished speaking and laughed, "From now on, we servants will call you Madam."

Upon hearing this, Chai Zhengzheng seemed to think of something and couldn't help but bite her lip lightly.

(End of this chapter)