Dramatic changes in the movies and TV shows

Chapter 1492 Wedding
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, before dawn, the area in front of the Six Nations Hotel was already bustling with activity.

The hall was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, with large red lanterns hanging from the lintel all the way to the corner of the stairs.

Red silk tassels hang from the Western-style crystal chandelier, and golden "囍" characters are pasted on the French windows. Waiters carry trays and move back and forth.

By noon, the lobby of the Six Nations Hotel was packed.

Almost all the prominent figures in Beiping were present, including ministers, heads of various departments, and representatives from foreign embassies, filling more than sixty tables.

Vice Minister Shen of the Beiyang Army sat in the front row, slightly to the left, holding a teacup and speaking softly to the person next to him, his face showing an undisguised gloom.

Bai Xiongqi stood at the door to greet guests, dressed in a dark blue Zhongshan suit, his hair neatly combed.

At a table in the corner of the hall, several young staff members were chatting over drinks, their conversation shifting from official business to Lin Hao's marriage.

The conversation wasn't about anything else; everyone praised Lin Hao for his brilliant "double inheritance" strategy, marrying both the Jin family's daughter and the Bai family's sister, thus offending neither family and securing a firm bond with both.

One of them lowered his voice and said:

"So, he can become a chief of staff, while we can't even get married. He can marry two wives at once, and they're both properly married. Look around in Beiyang, who else has that ability?"

Hearing this, many people inevitably had some thoughts in their minds, such as having more brothers or having a second wife.

Amidst the murmurs of envy and resentment, noon arrived before everyone knew it, and the voices in the hall suddenly fell silent.

Someone walked in from outside, dressed in a dark blue suit, his steps were not fast but very steady. It was none other than the President.

As a close confidant of the President, Lin Hao even brought two hundred tons of gold to support him. Faced with such a confidant who wholeheartedly supported him, he naturally had to stand up for Lin Hao, personally participate, and offer his blessings.

The well-informed few had already stood up, and the others followed suit, with the sound of chairs being moved echoing in the hall.

Lin Hao stepped forward from the crowd, and the President patted him on the shoulder, saying in a hearty manner, "Congratulations."

Lin Hao bowed slightly in return, and then led the President to the main seat.

The eyes of those around them followed the president, all weighing the importance of Lin Hao and Bai Xiongqi.

The fact that the President could attend Lin Hao's wedding not only showed his respect for Lin Hao, but also gave Jin Quan and Bai Xiongqi a lot of face.

Many people, holding their wine glasses, secretly plotted to change their approach to dealing with the Ministry of Finance in the future.

At this moment, a white carpet was laid out on the stage, and red roses were placed on both sides.

The pastor stood at the front of the altar, wearing a black robe, with the Bible in his hand turned to a certain page.

The hall door slowly opened, and Bai Xiongqi, arm in arm with Bai Xiuzhu, walked slowly from the doorway onto the stage.

She wore a white wedding dress, the satin fabric and the skirt were all designed by Lin Hao himself, and the foreign tailors in the Tianjin Concession made it according to his design.

The main reason is that I attended Jin Yanxi and Leng Qingqiu's wedding before, and Leng Qingqiu's wedding dress was so ugly and simple that it was a disaster.

So Lin Hao redesigned a wedding dress in a modern style, taking into account Bai Xiuzhu's figure.

The waistline is cinched very high, and the skirt cascades down from the waist, flowing smoothly like a waterfall, making the waist appear extremely slender.

Bai Xiuzhu stood on the stage, and at that moment, a hostess carried a Western-style crown inlaid with pearls and diamonds.

Bai Xiongqi picked up the crown and personally put it on Bai Xiuzhu. Originally, a veil should have been placed over her head at this time, but the etiquette lady did not bring it up.

Just then, a hostess came to Lin Hao with a veil.

Lin Hao picked up the veil, flicked it upwards with a little force, and then the veil spread out and slowly flew towards Bai Xiuzhu.

That's right, this is the most romantic and beautiful flying veil ceremony in later generations.

The veil was specially requested by Lin Hao to be made of ultra-light and ultra-thin gauze fabric and cut to knee length.

A veil descended from the sky, slowly floating to the top of Bai Xiuzhu's head, as if someone had plucked a cloud and draped it over her.

Bai Xiuzhu watched as the veil floated from Lin Hao's hand and covered her head. Overwhelmed by the romantic scene, Bai Xiuzhu's eyes were filled with love that almost overflowed again.

"Wow~~~~!" This romantic scene immediately brought cheers from the entire wedding.

Hearing the jeers from the crowd, Bai Xiuzhu froze, her face turning red to the roots of her ears.

She reached out and touched the veil that had fallen onto her shoulder; it was thin and transparent, like it was woven from moonlight.

She looked up at Lin Hao, her eyes shining, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

She had never seen such an entrance before, nor had she ever heard of such a romantic way of making an entrance.

Lin Hao certainly didn't tell her beforehand, otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise.

The image of a bride being covered by a flying veil is not unusual in later generations, but in the early years of the Republic of China, it was enough to make everyone present remember the moment.

At this moment, Bai Xiongqi took the bouquet from the etiquette staff and placed it in his younger sister's hands, then gently hugged Bai Xiuzhu and said:
"Go!"

"Okay!" Bai Xiuzhu then walked towards Lin Hao at the other end of the stage.

She walked very slowly, step by step, with a boy and a girl as flower girls holding her skirt behind her.

When she walked up to Lin Hao, he took her hand and then personally lifted her veil over the crown on her head.

"You...!" Bai Xiuzhu exclaimed excitedly, her voice trembling slightly. "You arranged all of this?"

Lin Hao smiled at her, looking for praise, and asked, "Do you like it?"

"I like it!" Bai Xiuzhu lowered her head, pinched a corner of the light gauze with her fingers, and said in a soft, sweet voice.

When she looked up again, her eyes were red, but the corners of her mouth were turned up.

Then, under the guidance of the pastor, they exchanged vows and rings. When the pastor said that he could kiss the bride, Lin Hao lowered his head and kissed Bai Xiuzhu, who had her eyes closed.

"Wow!" Applause erupted from the audience.

Hearing the cheers from the crowd, Bai Xiuzhu blushed to the roots of her ears.

The President, seated at the head table, clapped his hands and turned to the several high-ranking Beiyang officials beside him, smiling as he said:

"Lin Hao has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. It's true that young people's brains work better."

The people behind him clapped and joined in the praise.

Deputy Chief of Staff Shen sat in the front row, slightly to the left. He clapped his hands, put them down, and clapped again. He repeated this action twice, his smile remaining gentle and courteous throughout.

No one knew what he was thinking, but the director of the Ministry of Transport sitting next to him noticed that the deputy chief of staff was gripping his wine glass tighter than usual.

After the luncheon and wedding banquet ended, everyone stayed and played cards and mahjong together, with Lin Hao keeping them company. There was another traditional Chinese wedding ceremony scheduled for the afternoon, where Jin Meili would be married.

However, Lin Hao didn't stay with them for long. He mainly spent time with the President and several high-ranking Beiyang officials, discussing important military and national affairs.

As afternoon approached and it was almost time, I went upstairs in the restaurant to change my clothes, taking off the suit I had just worn.

He was dressed in a bright red wedding robe with cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread, and a red silk flower pinned to his chest. He rode a tall horse toward the Jin Mansion.

At the Jin Mansion, Jin Meili, dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, was sitting in front of her dressing table.

The phoenix crown was custom-made by Jin Quan, adorned with kingfisher feathers and jewels, and weighed heavily on his hair.

The wedding dress was bright red, embroidered with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns in gold thread, and the skirt was covered with peony flowers.

Standing to the side, Mrs. He watched her daughter put on her wedding dress, her eyes reddening.

"Mother!" Jin Meili called out, and Madam He quickly wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

After Lin Hao stormed through the gates and distributed countless red envelopes, he finally carried Jin Meili from the Jin Mansion onto a sedan chair carried by eight men.

The suona band played "Dragon and Phoenix Bring Auspiciousness" as they set off from the Jin Mansion, and the eight-bearer sedan chair was carried into the street amidst the sound of firecrackers.

The sedan chair was bought by Lin Hao from the old prince's mansion. It was painted in vermilion with gold trim, and large red tassels hung from the four corners of the top. The curtains were embroidered with patterns of hundreds of sons and thousands of grandsons.

The bridal sedan chair was preceded by a deafening gong and drum, followed by a line of horse-drawn carriages carrying the dowry chests. The procession circled half of the eastern part of the city before finally arriving at the Six Nations Hotel, making it a truly magnificent procession.

When the bridal sedan chair landed, it was just past 3 PM, the perfect time for the wedding ceremony.

The hotel lobby has been redecorated; the white carpet has been replaced with a red carpet, and the roses have been replaced with peonies and red candles.

The suona band sat in a corner of the hall, their drums beating deafeningly, a world completely different from the deep, solemn organ music played at noon.

Jin Meili wore a phoenix coronet and a bright red wedding gown, with a red veil covering her face.

Mrs. He stood beside her, using a handkerchief to shield her face from the wind so that her veil wouldn't blow off. Mrs. Jin led the way, and several people surrounded her as they walked inside.

Lin Hao stood at the end of the red carpet, wearing a bright red wedding robe with golden dragon patterns that shimmered under the lights.

Before the ceremony, Lin Hao walked up to the President, bowed slightly, and whispered a few words.

The president listened, glanced at him, smiled, stood up, straightened his collar, and walked to the side of the high hall.

The emcee was stunned for a moment, and Jin Quan was also stunned. He originally thought that Lin Hao's side had no elders, and according to the original arrangement, only he and Mrs. Jin would sit in the seats for the elders.

However, now the President is actually sitting in the high seat in Lin Hao's room, which means that he represents Lin Hao's elders.

Thinking of this, Jin Quan was so excited that his heart skipped a beat, and he almost took him away with him.

Then the President spoke:
"Lin Hao's elders are all gone, and he is an indispensable pillar of our Beiyang Army. Jin Meili is the apple of Chief of Staff Jin's eye."

"Today, as the two of you are married, I, as Lin Hao's elder, offer my blessings. May you grow old together and be forever united in heart!"

Jin Meili stood under the red veil, unable to see anything, but she heard a deep voice in front of her, speaking words of blessing.

She immediately recognized who it was—it was the President sending their blessings, and he was even Lin Hao's paternal uncle.

Thinking of this, Jin Meili's heart skipped a beat, and she tightened her grip on the red silk.

The President, the President of the Beiyang Army, came to give her his blessings. This made her feel that everything was worthwhile, even though she had felt a little wronged at first.

Jin Quan sat in the high seat, holding a teacup, his face expressionless, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

The President's blessing to Kim Mei-li is a gesture of respect not only for Mei-li, but also for the Kim family and, more importantly, for Lin Hao.

His move was indeed the right one.

Lin Hao invited the President without informing him beforehand; this was a surprise for him and also to save face for the Jin family.

Bai Xiongqi sat in the family and friends section below the stage, watching the President speak beside him, his smile unchanged.

However, he felt that if Lin Hao could bring the President to the Jin family, he could naturally bring something else to the Bai family as well.

The Bai family has already received enough benefits. If he were to fight for even this little bit, he would become a target for criticism.

Next, the emcee continued to preside over the wedding, following the rituals of bowing to heaven and earth, bowing to the parents, and the couple bowing to each other.

Jin Quan sat in the high seat, watching his daughter and son-in-law bow to each other, and his eyes finally reddened.

Both weddings were completed, guests took their seats, and the banquet began.

There were 120 tables in the hall. The two events were held together, with Western food for lunch and Chinese food for dinner. The guests came and went in waves.

There were 120 tables set up in the hall, and the two events were held together, with guests coming and going in waves.

Inside the Six State Guesthouse, amidst the clinking of glasses, several powerful figures from the Beiyang government discussed the extravagance of Lin Hao's wedding, and their conversation drifted to deeper topics.

Deputy Chief of Staff Shen leaned back in his chair, holding a cup of freshly brewed Longjing tea. He didn't drink it, but stared blankly at the unfurling leaves in the cup.

Sitting next to him was Chief of the General Staff Zeng of the Ministry of Transportation, and opposite him was Deputy Chief of the General Staff Chen. There was also a special envoy who had just returned from the south, surnamed Cheng, wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit with the collar buttoned up tightly.

"Chief of Staff Shen, what do you think of today's wedding?" Chief of Staff Zeng spoke first, his tone casual, as if he were talking about something unimportant.

He was in his early fifties, with graying hair and a round face that always wore a smile, but those in the industry knew that there was never anything simple beneath that smile.

Deputy Chief of Staff Shen withdrew his gaze, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said as if it wasn't that serious, "Quite the spectacle."

"Quite the spectacle!" Vice Minister Chen remarked. He was a lean man in his forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"But what's interesting isn't the extravagance, it's that one wedding was Western-style and the other was Chinese-style, and there's a lot more to it than meets the eye!"

General Zeng laughed, tapped the table with his finger, and said with a smile:

“Deputy Chief Chen has a keen eye. I’ve been thinking about this too. Based on my understanding of Chief of Staff Lin, he never does things carelessly!”

Envoy Cheng, who had not spoken until now, put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly.

"Gentlemen, I spent three years in the South and met many foreigners and compradors, as well as many old-fashioned families."

"It's really rare to see someone like Chief of Staff Lin who can keep both sides firmly in his grasp!"

Deputy Chief of Staff Shen glanced at him, but didn't reply. He picked up his teacup and took another sip.

"What does Special Envoy Cheng mean?" Vice Minister Chen asked.

“What I mean is…!” Envoy Cheng paused, and seeing everyone looking at him, he calmly explained:
"At the noon ceremony, Miss Bai wore a wedding dress, a pastor officiated, and Western-style ceremony was used. This was not the first time in the Beiyang government, but it carried a different weight when it was performed by Chief of Staff Lin."

"He has two hundred tons of gold in his hands, and he has dealings with Citibank and HSBC. He is also pushing forward fiscal reforms with great success."