Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 329 Chaos
March 18th of the fifteenth year of Chongzhao was a significant day for the King of Wei to remarry.

Before dawn, the Xue residence was already decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and red silk was laid out on the ground.

The maids carried makeup boxes and brocade boxes as they moved about Nongyu Pavilion, their footsteps extremely light, and even their breathing carefully observed.

Xue Yue'e, dressed in an elaborate and gorgeous bright red wedding gown and wearing a phoenix crown adorned with red gold and kingfisher feathers, sat gracefully in front of her dressing mirror.

A face with exquisite makeup was reflected in the mirror.

Granny Quanfu stood by his side, speaking auspicious words, but her eyes kept glancing towards the door.

"The auspicious hour is approaching, why haven't the wedding procession from the Prince of Wei's residence arrived yet?"

Third Madam Qian paced anxiously around the room, her slightly protruding belly rubbing against her skin…

She was trying her best to take charge today, but her eyelids were twitching badly.

Xue Qingzhi, dressed in a brand-new dark blue brocade robe, sat on the grand master's chair in the outer room with a livid face, his fingers gripping the armrests tightly.

Last night, the Prince of Wei's residence sent someone to deliver a message saying, "The Prince has suddenly caught a cold and has a persistent high fever, which may make it inconvenient to hold the wedding ceremony," and then there was no further news.

This excuse wouldn't even fool a three-year-old, so how could he possibly believe it?

Just as they were wondering what kind of trouble they were going to cause, a servant rushed into the courtyard, panting and shouting.

"They're here! They're here! The entourage of the Prince of Wei has arrived..."

Xue Qingzhi breathed a sigh of relief; the taut string finally relaxed.
The crowd inside the mansion instantly became lively, rushing towards the courtyard gate.

The sound of drums and music grew louder as it approached, creating a joyous and festive atmosphere.

The procession of the Prince of Wei's wedding was extremely grand, with red carriages and canopies, and guards as numerous as clouds, attracting half the city's population to crowd the streets to peek and see.

However, the tall, pure white horse with a red tassel on its forehead was completely empty.

The official in charge of ceremonies from the Prince's Palace stood beside the horse, holding the marriage certificate and seal.

Following closely behind was a vermilion-lacquered and gold-painted bridal sedan chair carried by sixteen men, adorned with pearl tassels, which landed magnificently in front of the Xue family mansion.

The chief secretary of the Prince's mansion stepped forward, bowed deeply to Xue Qingzhi and his wife who were coming to greet him, and put on a perfectly appropriate apologetic smile.

"Lord Xue, Madam Xue, may you be blessed with good fortune and peace. Last night, His Highness suffered from both chills and fever. The imperial physician advised him to rest quietly in the mansion, fearing that his illness might disrupt the auspicious time. His Highness was extremely anxious and therefore specially ordered me to bring this auspicious omen to perform the wedding ceremony on his behalf, thus ensuring the completion of this harmonious union."

As he spoke, he stepped aside to let him pass.

Two eunuchs carefully carried a delicate cage made of golden nanmu wood forward.

Inside the cage, a large rooster with glossy feathers and a bright red comb proudly raised its head, flapping its wings and causing the large red silk flower tied around its neck to tremble.

There was dead silence.

The smiles on the Xue family members' faces froze.

The sound of drums and music sounded extremely jarring at that moment.

Xue Qingzhi's facial muscles twitched violently, a mouthful of blood choked in his throat, and he stared intently at the arrogant beast.

"My Lord Chief Secretary..."

He suppressed his overwhelming anger and forced out a few words through gritted teeth.

"Such auspicious omens are probably neither in accordance with etiquette nor appropriate for the times..."

The chief secretary of the Prince's residence seemed oblivious, still smiling respectfully, but his words were firm and unyielding.

“Lord Xue, the auspicious time must not be missed. The date of the wedding is determined by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau through calculations of the phases of the moon and stars. How can it be changed at will? The Empress Dowager’s decree states that as long as the intentions are sincere and the formalities are observed, that is sufficient… Besides, the Prince is still waiting anxiously at home for the Princess to attend to him.”

He emphasized his words.

They are clearly using the Empress Dowager's name to intimidate people.

Xue Qingzhi's chest heaved violently, and he could barely breathe.

His eyes held humiliation, anger, and even more helplessness.

He understood that the Xue family had to swallow this insult.

I'm definitely going to lose face today.

He waved his hand with difficulty, his voice dry and hoarse.

"Go quickly and tell the bride to get into the sedan chair."
-
Upon receiving the news, Old Madam Cui nearly fainted, her vision blurred, but was held up by the maid beside her to prevent her from collapsing.

Inside the Nongyu Pavilion, there was an eerie silence.

The crimson-gold phoenix crown on Xue Yue'e's head seemed to weigh a ton, making it impossible for her to lift her head.

The maidservant who accompanied her in the dowry covered her mouth tightly to prevent herself from screaming.

A shaky old woman tried to put the red veil on Xue Yue'e's head.

"Get out of my way!" Xue Yue'e shoved him away abruptly, her voice shrill and distorted.

She stared at her face in the bronze mirror, tears rolling down her cheeks and splashing onto the dressing table, leaving a water stain.

"Oh dear, young lady, you mustn't do that! Your makeup is ruined; it's bad luck on such a joyous day..."

“Rooster…hehe…rooster…” Xue Yue’e seemed not to hear the old woman’s words of comfort. She laughed softly, her shoulders shaking violently, her gorgeous wedding dress rustling. Her laughter was full of sarcasm.

“I, Xue Yue’e… am a human being… why should I let a beast come to fetch me as my bride? Why should I bow to a beast in the wedding ceremony?” She suddenly grabbed the rouge from the dressing table and smashed it hard against the bronze mirror.

"It must be Fourth Sister! She's the one who sowed discord before the Prince of Wei, ruining my perfect marriage. If I were to actually marry a rooster today, wouldn't I become the laughingstock of the capital, never to be able to hold my head up again? That wicked woman, she deserves to die a horrible death..."

Outside the courtyard gate, the matchmaker's urging voice came again.

"The auspicious hour has arrived—please, bride, board the sedan chair—"

"Miss." The nanny was anxious and frightened. She stepped forward to support her swaying body and advised, "No matter how wronged you are, you are still the Princess Consort of Wei. Once you marry into the family, you will be a proper mistress... Your status is noble, something that Fourth Miss cannot compare to. The bridal sedan chair has arrived at the door. If you don't get on, do you want the Prince to carry you back?"

Xue Yue'e was startled.

It was easy for the Prince of Wei's mansion to carry the bridal sedan chair back.

It will be difficult to lift it back over.

We've already lost face; we can't afford to lose our dignity too.

Xue Yue'e lowered her head resignedly, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and spoke in a hollow voice.

"Please touch up my makeup."

"Yes." The old woman felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly beckoned someone forward.

A moment later, the matchmaker shouted at the top of her lungs:

"The auspicious hour has arrived—the bride is getting into the sedan chair—"

Supported by two maids on either side, Xue Yue'e, like a puppet on strings, wearing a heavy phoenix crown and dragging a gorgeous wedding dress, walked step by step towards the bridal sedan chair that symbolized wealth and glory.

Outside the mansion gate, the crowd of onlookers whispered and pointed.

Beneath the red veil, no one saw her bitten lips and the tears welling in her eyes.

"Puch-"

A soft, undisguised laugh came from the group of women.

Xue Yueying held two-year-old Gu Yu, laughing so hard she almost couldn't straighten up.

"Ninth Sister is going to have her wedding ceremony with a rooster today. Does that mean she'll be sleeping with chickens from now on?"

Xue Yue'e's body under the veil suddenly stiffened.

Beneath the wide sleeves, fingernails dug tightly into the palms.

The women and servants around them all looked embarrassed and avoided eye contact.

"Who sent her?" Madam Qian came over, her face pale with anger, and whispered to the old woman beside her, "Take this disgraceful thing to the ancestral hall. Be careful, don't let people laugh at us."

After causing a scene at the mansion that day, Xue Qingzhi explicitly forbade Xue Yueying from setting foot in the wedding hall.

Unexpectedly, she ended up hugging Gu Yu and squeezing into the crowd.

Xue Yueying didn't hold back either, looking at Qian Shi without any fear, and retorted sarcastically.

"I really couldn't help it, I apologize for being rude. But didn't Third Aunt say she wouldn't concern herself with the affairs of our eldest son's family? Father has already reprimanded me, so there's no need for Third Aunt to worry about it anymore."

Madam Qian lowered her voice and scolded her in a low voice, "Do you have no respect for hierarchy? You're deliberately causing trouble without considering the occasion. Don't bring shame to the Xue family."

"Why are you angry, Third Aunt? I'm just happy for Ninth Sister. I'll be going now..."

After saying that, she picked up the child, swayed her hips, and walked away amidst the scornful gazes of the crowd.

Amidst the joyful music, Xue Sui stood quietly under the eaves.

His grey cloth robes stood out starkly against the backdrop of bright red tattoos.

She watched the farce with indifference, as if she were watching a shadow play that had nothing to do with her.

"Miss." Ruyi approached silently, having somehow taken a dragon and phoenix wedding cake from the table, and chuckled softly with a hint of schadenfreude.

"The Xue family's reputation has been utterly ruined by that chicken. Princess Xue Jiu has become the laughingstock of the entire capital before she even entered the family. Serves her right for causing trouble for the young lady in the past."

Xue Sui gave a faint "hmm".

"You all should go and eat at the feast."

The bridal sedan chair was carried away, but the wedding banquet had to continue.

To prepare for today's grand occasion, the Xue family set up over a hundred tables, stretching from the main hall all the way to the east and west courtyards. The chefs were busy in the kitchen, the stewards were shouting and serving dishes, and the guests' greetings filled the air.

However, at this moment, the congratulations from the entire household were tinged with a forced warmth and awkwardness.

Xue Sui found a secluded path, avoiding the crowd, and was about to go around to Pear Fragrance Courtyard for some fresh air when he heard a call.

"Sixth Miss! Sixth Miss, please wait..."

She looked up and saw Lady Chun from the Jingyuan Marquis's residence hurrying towards her through the moon gate. Her face was visibly haggard, and even thick makeup couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes.

Not far behind her was a silent man, as silent as a shadow.

Xue Sui glanced at him, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

It's Gu Jie.

(End of this chapter)