Di Ming

Chapter 286 Gazing into the Mirror and Paying Homage!

Zhu Yin wrote a poem urging the bride to get married, and was immediately invited into the mansion. Next came the bride's departure from her home, and the two families met.

Inside the mansion's boudoir, the scent of sandalwood mingled with the fragrance of snail-shell incense, filling the room.

Qin Liangyu personally scattered gold foil-cut mimosa flowers into her dressing case. A pair of maids, holding handkerchiefs, sang "The Weeping Wedding Song" in Ning Caiwei's place.

That's right, Ning Caiwei couldn't cry herself, so she had to have someone else cry for her.

The two maids initially pretended to weep in place of the bride, feigning tears. However, as they cried, they became so immersed in the scene that they actually started crying uncontrollably.

Seeing the two crying so bitterly, Ning Caiwei felt a little guilty and quickly comforted them:
"You two sisters cried so well, it must have been really tough on you, I'll give you extra money..."

The two women, who were crying sincerely and feeling sad, couldn't help but burst out laughing at the same time when they heard the words "add more money".

When Ning Caiwei saw the two Tujia women suddenly burst into laughter, their tearful faces turning into smiles, she couldn't help but freeze, abruptly stopping herself from saying "add money."

Are you guys kidding me? You can't handle praise so easily?

No more money!

Qin Liangyu's pretty face hardened, and she scolded, "What are you all laughing at?! This is a wedding lament!"

The two Tujia girls cried out "Ouch!" and slapped themselves before continuing to cry.

But this time, they could no longer find the feeling they had before. No matter what they did, they couldn't shed tears and could only cover their faces and wail.

"Never mind." Qin Liangyu shook her head. "Let's leave it at that. As long as we can hear the crying, it's a proper ceremony anyway. The baby tiger has already arrived, we can't delay any longer."

Soon, the maidservants presented a silk fan and a red ribbon.

Ning Caiwei wore a gold-embroidered robe with cloud and phoenix patterns, a phoenix crown on her head, and a fan in her hand to cover her face. She was dressed in a dignified and elegant manner.

She held up a silk fan to cover her face with one hand and held a red silk ribbon in the other. Led by Qin Liangyu, she was surrounded and led out of the inner room.

At this moment, Zhu Yin, accompanied by his best man, wedding attendant, and Hao Yunlai, arrived at the ceremonial gate.

Once he reached the ceremonial gate, he could no longer enter; he could only stand outside and wait for the newlyweds to descend the steps.

Although he could no longer enter, the matchmaker could continue to enter.

"The bride is leaving home!" Soon the wedding officiant's voice rang out, along with some exaggerated wailing.

Immediately, the musicians outside the ceremonial gate changed their tune to "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate." Amidst the ceremonial music, Qin Liangyu finally led Ning Caiwei, whose face was veiled by a silk fan, out of the ceremonial gate.

Behind her was a wedding attendant, holding a red veil with tassels in her hands.

Zhu Yin was excited to see Ning Caiwei, whom he hadn't seen for more than ten days, even though he couldn't see her face.

The best man announced, "Please, newlyweds, perform the three bows and three yields ceremony!"

Zhu Yin stepped forward, clasped his right fist with his left hand, bowed, and simultaneously pushed both hands out to his chest, saying loudly:

"This junior, Zhu Yin, greets Your Highness. Your Highness is welcome."

Ning Caiwei took a step back, using her left hand to hold a fan to shield her face, her right hand holding her left, and slightly bending her knees to squat down in front of her chest, saying:

"This humble servant, Ning, greets you, sir. Please."

The concept of "left yang, right yin" applies. When men bow, their left hand is on the outside, while when women bow, their right hand is on the outside.

Because this is the bride's home, the bride is the host, and the groom is the guest. Therefore, the bride should take the initiative to step back as a sign of courtesy. In short, the essence of Chinese etiquette can be summed up in one word: yielding.

Zhu Yin stepped forward and bowed again in accordance with the law.

Ning Caiwei took another step back and returned the courtesy in accordance with the law once again.

Then, Zhu Yin stepped forward one more time to pay his respects. These three steps brought him right into the ceremonial gate.

Ning Caiwei took a step back for the third time, returning the greeting and retreating back into the ceremonial gate.

Although Ning Caiwei had rehearsed beforehand, she almost burst out laughing at this moment.

This is the Three Bows and Three Yields ceremony, a grand ceremony for the bride and groom's first meeting. But in reality, the bride covers her face with a fan at this time, and she can only vaguely see the groom through the fan, while the groom cannot see the bride's face.

"Good!" The surrounding crowd cheered loudly when they saw the two perform the three bows and three concessions and enter the ceremonial gate together.

The "three bows and three concessions" ritual originated from the Zhou Dynasty and continued until the Song Dynasty, but was discontinued in the Yuan Dynasty. With the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the Zhou and Han rituals were restored, and the "three bows and three concessions" ritual was also reinstated. However, it was greatly simplified in daily life, and was only observed as part of the Zhou ritual on occasions such as weddings and ceremonies.

After entering the ceremonial gate, Qin Liangyu said to Zhu Yin:
“Young Master Zhu, I entrust my daughter Caiwei to you. Now that we are united in heart and mind, husband and wife are one. I hope you will treat her well and cherish her as always.”

Zhu Yin bowed and said, "My heart is not made of stone, it cannot be turned. Now I marry this beautiful woman, and I will never betray her."

"Excellent!" Qin Liangyu nodded. "I hope you will never betray me."

The best man sang loudly: "The phoenix flies, its feathers fluttering. Together we pull the deer-drawn carriage, our loyal hearts unchanged. We will die for each other, like vines and tall trees."

"Please bid farewell to your elders and relatives, and get into the sedan chair to depart!"

The wedding party shouted in unison, "Get in the sedan chair and let's go!"

Ning Caiwei bowed gracefully to Qin Liangyu and said with a touch of sadness, "Sister, I'm leaving now. Please take good care of yourself!"

Qin Liangyu was also a little sad. She held Ning Caiwei's hand and said, "Sister, go now and take good care of yourself. From now on, Shizhu Xuanfu Division will be your family home."

The matchmaker immediately stepped forward, placed the bright red veil on Ning Caiwei's head, and called out, "Please carry the bride to the sedan chair!"

Then Qin Liangyu's younger brother, Qin Minping, came out dressed in red. The seventeen-year-old boy said to Ning Caiwei, "Sister, let me carry you to the sedan chair."

Ning Caiwei said, "Thank you, brother."

The bride must be carried on someone's back when she leaves the house, and her feet cannot touch the ground. Ideally, the person carrying the bride should be her maternal uncle. If there is no maternal uncle, a brother will do. If there are no brothers, then a cousin or other male cousin will suffice.

Ning Caiwei got married under Qin Liangyu's care, so Qin Minping was considered her brother.

Then, Qin Minping carried Ning Caiwei on his back and walked towards the door, with everyone following.

Qin Minping carried Ning Caiwei out of the mansion and escorted her to the eight-person sedan chair that was waiting at the gate.

Two Tujia women, acting as substitutes for the bride, stood on either side of the bridal sedan chair, crying even louder.

"Lift the sedan chair!" the best man announced.

Eight sedan chair bearers dressed in colorful clothes shouted in unison, "May the sedan chair move safely and joyfully! We're going to the wedding ceremony in this bridal sedan chair!"

They stood up and took steps at the same time as the shouts.

Zhu Yin, also on horseback, led the wedding procession ahead. Qin Minping, as the bride's brother, led the wedding party, surrounding the bridal sedan chair behind.

As Ning Caiwei boarded the sedan chair, she couldn't help but look back at the mansion where she had stayed for more than ten days. On the return journey, drums and music played the "Taiping Ling" in unison, and the best man and the wedding attendant scattered grains along the way to ward off evil spirits, while gold foil-cut "囍" characters fluttered down onto the top of the sedan chair.

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, debris flew everywhere like snowflakes.

The people who lined the streets to watch were all very excited about what they saw.

Decent! Glorious!
Many women envied Ning Caiwei's grand wedding. Hearing the discussions on the street, Ning Caiwei was even happier.

Today, she finally got married in style. From now on, she'll truly be the little tiger's housekeeper wife. As they approached Zhengyang Gate, officials from the Court of State Ceremonial suddenly stopped them with a golden tray—it was the arrival of the golden acacia knot, a special gift from the Emperor. The officials from the Court of State Ceremonial were there on behalf of the Emperor to bestow the golden acacia knot.

There was no new congratulatory letter from the Hanlin Academy, nor were any eunuchs sent to congratulate the couple; only a love knot was presented.

"Your subject Zhu Yin kowtows to express his gratitude for the Emperor's grace!" Zhu Yin dismounted to receive the imperial gift, and then knelt down to face north and kowtow in thanks.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he received some great gift.

Given Zhu Yin's official rank and position, the emperor and the Ministry of Rites should have made some gesture of respect for his wedding. If the emperor were generous, he would have bestowed gold, silver, and jewels, or even presented him with a plaque and inscription, or sent someone to represent him at the wedding to show his favor.

At the same time, the Empress should also send female officials out of the palace to bestow jewelry, tribute silks, and other gifts upon the bride. After all, her official rank is a significant factor.

When Gao Gong's nephew got married, the Longqing Emperor bestowed upon him a gift of one thousand taels of silver, as well as tribute silk, calligraphy, and other items.

But what about himself? He was, after all, the Vice Minister of War and the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince who had achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations. Yet Emperor Baijin only sent a minor official from the Court of State Ceremonial to deliver a golden acacia knot!

This thing is rare outside, but it's common in the palace and only worth a few dozen taels of silver.

As for the Empress, she did not bestow any reward upon Ning Caiwei.

Not only is the Golden Emperor petty, but he is also clearly sending a signal that he dislikes himself, which is an invitation for his political enemies to boldly find fault with him.

Sitting in the bridal sedan chair, Ning Caiwei didn't know what gifts the emperor had bestowed upon her, but she was certain that the emperor wouldn't be generous.

She peeked through a crack in the sedan curtain and saw Zhu Yin kneeling on the ground, kowtowing towards the Forbidden City. The official who had come to deliver the gifts was merely a minor eighth-rank official from the Court of State Ceremonial.

Ning Caiwei gave a soft, cold snort. The official who sent the gift was of such low rank; clearly, the emperor's gift was insignificant.

This is not just about money; it's also about expressing dislike for young tigers and encouraging political enemies to take action against them.

When the matchmaker Hao Yunlai saw the golden silk acacia knot in Zhu Yin's hand, he couldn't help but smile slightly.

Young tiger, you'd better watch yourself. Heh.

After expressing his gratitude, Zhu Yin continued his journey with a beaming smile. In his heart, however, he cursed the money-grubbing emperor a few times.

Where is the magnanimity of an emperor? He exudes a petty and ungrateful air!

Just past Chenshi (7-9 AM), the wedding procession and the escorting procession finally arrived at the gate of the Gongbao Mansion, located in Caomao Hutong.

The nearby pavilions were already filled with sedan chairs and carriages, and the hitching posts were also full of horses, making it a bustling place.

Thousands of people gathered nearby to watch.

Ning Qingchen, Jin Yunniang, and the others were already waiting happily. Even Xiao Hei had a red ribbon around its neck.

Right in the center of the doorway, there was already a three-inch-thick vermilion lacquered saddle with carved decorations. Behind the saddle was a brazier.

Seeing the bridal sedan chair come to a steady stop at the gate, the best man shouted loudly:
"The bride is back! Her carriage has arrived!"

"Please alight from the sedan chair and perform the saddle-stepping and fire-stepping rituals!"

The matchmaker immediately stepped forward, lifted the sedan curtain, and helped Ning Caiwei, who was wearing a bright red veil, to get out of the sedan chair at a leisurely pace.

Then, amidst the attention of everyone, Ning Caiwei was helped by the wedding attendant to step over the saddle.

This symbolizes a safe landing.

However, just as she stepped over the saddle, her bare feet were suddenly exposed beneath her skirt.

Immediately afterwards, a group of women in the crowd booed, and some even laughed blatantly.

It really is Ning Dajiao! The rumors are true!

How could Mr. Zhihu be bewitched by this big-footed woman? A woman who doesn't even bind her feet, how can she be considered a lady of good family? It's truly shameful!

Ning Caiwei returned to her familiar home, feeling even more gratified. Hearing the discordant and unfriendly hissing around her, she felt no anger, only contempt and disdain.

With firm, unbound feet, she stepped confidently across the brazier. This was to dispel bad luck.

"The ceremony is complete! Change to music!" the best man called out. "At the beginning of the hour of Si (9-11 AM), the auspicious time for entering the house!"

The band immediately changed to playing "He Xinlang".

Amidst the music, Zhu Yin and others guided Ning Caiwei into the courtyard.

The newlyweds entered the central courtyard, where a large number of distinguished guests had already gathered. Some had come in person, some had sent family members to attend the banquet on their behalf, and some had only brought gifts.

The gift accountant is chanting the gift list:

"...Grand Secretary Shen, ninety taels of platinum, and a pair of jade ruyi scepters..."

"Grand Secretary Zhang, ninety taels of silver and nine gold coins."

"Duke of England, two hundred taels of silver, two bolts of Shandong silk..."

"Duke Dingguo, two hundred taels of silver, and a golden Buddha statue..."

"Your Highness, Prince of Ryukyu, two feet of red coral..."

These important figures, including several Grand Secretaries, did not attend in person; they only sent representatives to the wedding banquet. It wasn't that Shen Yiguan and others didn't want to come, but rather that they had to work at the Wenyuan Pavilion, and since it wasn't a holiday, they couldn't spare the time.

The Duke of England, the Duke of Dingguo, and other nobles were able to come in person because they had more free time.

In the early years of the dynasty, it was not customary for ministers to hold such ostentatious banquets to celebrate happy occasions.

But now, in the Wanli era, the old ways of the early dynasty were long gone. Congratulations and social interactions among officials were perfectly normal, and the emperor didn't care.

Zhu Yin smiled and bowed to the distinguished guests, saying:

"I am deeply grateful to all of you for taking the time and expense to grace my humble abode with your presence and offer your congratulations on my marriage. This is truly an honor and a source of pride for my family!"

His gaze swept across the room, and he saw a group of nobles and imperial sons-in-law seated at the head of the table, followed by a number of high-ranking officials who had requested leave to attend…

Familiar faces flashed before my eyes. Xiong Tingbi, Li Rubai, Mao Wenlong, Cao Wenzhao, Nurhaci, Feng Menglong... they were all there.

He even saw two old friends he hadn't seen in a long time.

Zhuang Shu and Tang Rong!
The two women sat in the pavilion where the female guest was, looking at him with complicated smiles.

Zhu Yin nodded subtly to the two women and continued:

"However, my parents passed away early, and my relatives have dwindled. Today, as I personally go to fetch the bride, there is no one at home to greet and entertain you distinguished guests. I am ashamed, truly ashamed!"

Everyone nodded in return, saying it was no trouble, and offered their congratulations to Zhu Yin on his wedding day.

Then, the wedding ceremony continued.

The best man said, "The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms are bright and beautiful. This maiden is going to her husband's home, may she bring harmony to her family... Heaven and earth are above, ancestors are before us, and guests are beside us. Please look in the mirror and bow!"

Zhu Yin and Ning Caiwei were led by the matchmaker to the bronze mirror in the main hall to begin the "Mirror-Gazing and Bowing Ceremony"!
The two stood side by side, facing the bronze mirror that had been polished to a smooth, clear surface.

The best man shouted, "Bow!"

The two bowed together in front of the mirror!
P.S.: I was supposed to finish writing today, but I spent too much time outside and couldn't access the computer, which took up a lot of time, so I can only write 4,000 words. The wedding will definitely be over by tomorrow, thank you! Please vote!
(End of this chapter)