Song Xiu

Chapter 43 The True Crown Princess

As the first rays of midday sunlight shone on Zhuque Street in Bianjing City, three hundred elite and imposing guards of the palace had already lined up in formation according to the rites of the Kaiyuan Ceremony.

The guards in front of the palace were the emperor's personal ceremonial guards.

The three hundred guards in front of the palace wore golden-faced helmets and bright armor, the plates of which shimmered in the sunlight.

Zhang Qiong, the commander of the palace guards, stood with his hand on his sword, his blood-red cloak fluttering in the cold wind. Dozens of steps behind him, twelve vermilion and gilded banners bearing the inscription "Great Song" were lined up, their dragon patterns gleaming.

Upon seeing Liu Wensou, the Vice Minister of Rites, holding the imperial edict and boarding the prepared carriage, Zhang Qiong loudly commanded: "Strike three drumbeats to clear the street!"

As the powerful drumbeats sounded, hundreds of Kaifeng soldiers marched forward, clearing away all bystanders.

Following closely behind was the "Crimson Banner" ceremonial guard, with twenty eunuchs on the left and right each carrying a two-zhang-long crimson banner, with silver bells at the top ringing softly with each step.

Behind the banners, twenty-four musicians from the Ministry of Rites stood in two rows, their harps and gongs producing melodious sounds.

On the carriage, Liu Wensou had a dignified appearance. As a royal envoy, he wore a purple robe and respectfully held a gilded tray in both hands.

In the gilded tray, besides the imperial edict and jade tablet, there is also a pair of exquisitely crafted gilded wild geese—these are tokens of the "betrothal ceremony," symbolizing "geese flying in an orderly formation, never leaving each other."

Liu Wensou stood on the carriage, surrounded by three hundred palace guards, and proceeded toward Li Chuyun's residence.

As the large engagement procession set off, the chants of cheerleaders could be heard intermittently within the procession:

"The Song Dynasty imperial family has chosen the daughter of the Right Guard General as a prince's consort!"

The loud chants of the eulogists rose and fell, causing the doors of the prominent houses on both sides of Zhuque Avenue to open one after another.

Surrounded by servants, numerous noble ladies and gentlemen emerged from the vermilion gate to witness this scene, a sight rarely seen in decades.

The engagement procession, consisting of hundreds of people, marched in a grand procession down Zhuque Street. Six pure white northern warhorses were adorned with saddles and bridles embroidered with gold thread and tassels. The carriage was made of sandalwood and covered with magnificent brocade presented as tribute from the Shu Kingdom.

Atop the carriage stood a four-clawed golden dragon, its body adorned with eight strings of pearls. The thirty-six palace maids attending the carriage all wore half-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and had their hair styled in double-looped wangxian buns (a type of traditional Chinese hairstyle), resembling fairies stepping out of a painting.

After the grand engagement procession occupied Zhuque Avenue, the ambergris fragrance emanating from the sachets worn by the thirty-six palace maids immersed the families of high-ranking officials and dignitaries on both sides of the street in this magnificent scene.

Amidst the exclamations of surprise and admiration, a phrase unconsciously surfaced in the minds of some well-versed noblewomen:

The Tang Dynasty's Six Codes records: "When the Crown Prince took a concubine, he ordered the front and rear guards of the Imperial Guard to play drums and trumpets, and the Imperial Guards of the Feathered Forest to line the road. The grandeur of the ceremony was unparalleled in the world."

This is hardly a prince taking a concubine; the standards and etiquette clearly only apply to the crown prince!

How could Liu Wensou, the Vice Minister of Rites, not know something that even noblewomen knew?
When Liu Wensou learned that Zhao Kuangyin intended to arrange a marriage for Zhao Dexiu according to the rites for a crown prince, he subtly tried to dissuade him.

He was met with a cold stare from Zhao Kuangyin: "My eldest son, is he not worthy?"

Zhao Kuangyin's words, along with the sounds of axes coming from the imperial desk, terrified Liu Wensou.

After repeatedly reassuring his uneasy heart with Lu Duoxun's "primogeniture theory," Liu Wensou finally decided to let Zhao Kuangyin take charge.

After all, given the status of the eldest son, it's not unreasonable for him to slightly transgress the established rules of etiquette.

As the grand engagement procession drew closer to Li Chuyun's residence, the streets were already lined with people who had come to witness the spectacle.

Many people set up simple curtains along the street, and young nobles and commoners crowded together to watch through the curtains. Foreign merchants stood on the backs of camels to look around, and even the foreign women's taverns in the West Market suspended business.

Large numbers of imperial guards, armed with weapons, maintained order, preventing the shoving and pushing of the civilians from escalating into a disturbance. Since the late Tang Dynasty, turmoil had raged in the Central Plains for decades, and the people of the Central Plains lived in constant fear.

Since ancient times, participating in weddings has been a way for people to release their tension.

Based on this mentality, more and more people came to watch. When the engagement procession arrived outside the Li residence, the crowd of onlookers had already packed the area to the point of being impassable.

The Imperial Guards could only form a human wall to separate the cheering crowd, creating a passage several meters wide.

When the carriage finally stopped in front of Li Chuyun's house, Liu Wensou came to the door holding a golden platter.

"I, Liu Wensou, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, have come as an envoy of the Emperor to perform the betrothal ceremony for the royal family."

Even before departing from the palace, officials had come to Li's residence to make all the necessary arrangements.

As Liu Wensou finished speaking, the gate of the Li residence slowly opened, and four palace maids with double buns helped Li Duruo gracefully step out.

Li Duoruo wore a dark blue formal dress and upturned shoes. The crimson petticoat peeking out from under the skirt swayed gently with her steps. This outfit made her tall figure even more captivating.

With each light step, the white jade pendants hanging from Li Duruo's waist jingled, echoing the distant bell tolling from Xiangguo Temple, giving Li Duruo an air of grace and tranquility.

Li Duruo was practically led away by the palace maid beside her.

Everything that happened today has left her in a state of confusion.

Early in the morning, a group of eunuchs arrived at the palace to inform her that she had been chosen as the Crown Prince's consort. After that, the eunuchs and palace maids bustled about for her.
Looking back now, even with the grand engagement procession right in front of her, Li Duruo still felt as if she were in a dream.

What Li Duruo didn't expect was that just as Liu Wensou finished reading the imperial edict and she was about to accept the betrothal gifts, someone in the crowd looked at the elegant and graceful Li Duruo and exclaimed, "She's really the Crown Princess!" Instantly, the emotions of the surrounding crowd became even more excited.

For decades, the people of the Central Plains had never heard of the title "Crown Prince," let alone "Crown Princess"!

After decades of chaos, people yearn for stability, and the crown prince, as the foundation of the nation, is the greatest signal of political stability.

Amidst the excitement and anticipation, more and more people in the crowd shouted "Long live the Crown Princess!" and even the surrounding shops spontaneously set off firecrackers to celebrate.

Red paper scraps fluttered in the air, dancing in the wind and landing on the bluestone slabs, like a red carpet.

Upon hearing the repeated calls of "Crown Princess," Li Duruo's helplessness was temporarily set aside, but Liu Wensou was so frightened that he almost fainted.

The title "Crown Princess" is an honorific that should not be used lightly!

Liu Wensou cast a pleading look at Zhang Qiong, knowing that with just one order from Zhang Qiong, hundreds of imperial guards would be enough to suppress the cheers.

Faced with Liu Wensou's pleading gaze, Zhang Qiong chose to look up at the sky—today is a day of great joy for the royal family, and it is not appropriate to kill any living beings.

Zhao Dexiu, standing in the crowd, listened to the lively cheers while looking at Li Duruo not far away.

Yes, her legs are quite long.

Satisfied, Zhao Dexiu was about to turn and leave for the Wei residence when he overheard an old man's sigh:

"Judging from the Crown Princess's demeanor, the Eldest Prince will likely be captivated by her every night from now on!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dexiu nearly tripped and fell—there were bad people among the crowd!

(End of this chapter)