My father Zhao Kuangyin

When the prince was to be married, he was carried in a gilded and silver-decorated palanquin, with a screen for his procession and a screen for his seat.

Four square fans, ten flower stalks for guiding the screen, and ten colorful lanterns.

In addition, eight girls and boys with high buns and gold hairpins were needed to ride horses on either side of Zhao Dezhao's elephant-drawn carriage, leading the procession of ceremonial guards.

This display was undeniably extravagant, but since it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, the emperor couldn't possibly be stingy with it, could he?

With the outermost layer of imperial guards clearing the streets, the wedding procession did not get stuck in the Imperial Street and arrived at the Grand Tutor's Mansion in a quarter of an hour.

………………

In her boudoir, the maids swarmed around Lady Wang like bees before her.

Because of the imperial decree bestowed upon her by Lady Han, Lady Wang was also considered one of the noblewomen. Although she could not wear dark blue robes, she could still wear light blue ceremonial robes to some extent.

Di should be Zhai.

Zhai Zhi is a name for the queen's attire.

Admittedly, Zhao Dezhao does not have the title of king, but his current status is no different from that of a king.

"My lady, don't move."

Wang Zhaoyun, her face flushed, said, "It's so itchy."

"This is how it's done. It'll be ready in a little while. Oh... and please don't let the wind blow on you later. My lady must stay behind the palm-leaf fan..."

The older maidservant spoke at length, reciting all of what her mother had taught her. Wang Zhaoyun went through it again, reciting it in her mind once more.

For ordinary families, if their circumstances are not good, going through the three formalities is enough. But now that the emperor and all the court officials are present, the pressure is really too great... This made Lady Wang's heart tremble, completely lacking her usual carefree and bold spirit.

After a little touch-up, the maid put up her long, black hair and inserted a nine-jeweled gold hairpin and two sideburns into her cloud-shaped bun.

The gleaming gold and the white pearls complemented each other perfectly, highlighting Lady Wang's noble and beautiful appearance.

After putting on the "crown helmet," Wang Zhaoyun glanced at herself in the mirror, swayed a couple of times, and listened to the rustling sound of the pearls and jade swaying as if she were a child.

"I used to think that gold was tacky and that I preferred the beauty of color, but I never thought that it also depends on the craftsmanship."

"What you say is true, madam. How can the officials of the workshops compare to those in the imperial court?"

After a moment, Wang Zhaoyun looked at it closely, her expression a mixture of bitterness and pride.

"Father is stingy. He usually doesn't even care about gold hairpins, and last year he even said silver was extravagant. He's always buried in his books... Now, we still have to rely on my husband."

Kindness, kindness, kindness comes first, then affection. No matter how you look at it, the transformation from a colorful sparrow to a phoenix may seem like a single step, but it is a world of difference.

Just as Wang Zhaoyun was feeling excited, servants ran around outside the courtyard announcing that the groom had come to fetch the bride.

The maids in the courtyard busied themselves again, fetching embroidered shoes, palm-leaf fans, and other items. They also quickly added some rouge to Lady Wang's face before she went out in full makeup.

At this time, there was no custom of blocking the door and asking for red envelopes. Officials and nobles were all waiting, and there was no time for playing around.

Zhao Dezhao, the groom, was filled with anxiety and kept glancing at Mi Jifeng, who was following behind him, for fear of missing any information.

This unusual occurrence went unnoticed by others, but the astute Lady Wang, with her keen eyes, managed to glean some clues from the gaps in the prayer mat.

What's going on? Has he changed his mind again?

Is it... that you don't want to marry me?

Just moments before she was overjoyed, but suddenly her mind went blank, and her thoughts began to wander.

"My wife?"

"oh."

After Wang Zhaoyun sat down in the golden sedan chair with a slight hesitation, the wedding procession returned home.

………………

After welcoming the bride back, Zhao Dezhao only glanced at the beautiful bride a few times, and then focused all his attention on the banquet.

The three rites of sharing a meal, drinking from the same cup, and tying the knot do not necessarily have to be performed in front of adults and guests. They can also be performed by the young couple themselves after the banquet, with the door closed.

To keep things simple, Zhao Dezhao naturally adopted the latter approach. After sending Wang Niangzi to the bridal chamber, he said a few ambiguous words and then turned to the banquet to entertain the guests.

Inside the main hall, the Emperor's face grew increasingly ruddy. The dishes on the table were barely touched, but a considerable amount of wine had been spilled. However, due to the Emperor's cheerful demeanor and unrestrained manner, the palace servants and maids dared not approach to wipe it up.

Song offered little advice, but instead sat beside him and chatted, behaving very dignifiedly.

The guests, seeing that they had returned after a long and winding journey, all had different expressions.

Zhao Guangyi was naturally not spared, while the civil and military officials were described as having the qualities of an emperor, such as being unhurried, having composure, and perseverance.

Zhao Dezhao responded with a smile and joined the other guests in their merriment.

But his joy wasn't from drinking, but from devouring dishes when he was starving.

The eldest princess of Yan looked over frequently and smiled at the person in the upper seat, saying, "Rixin has really changed. Even I, as her aunt, can hardly recognize him."

Zhao Kuangyin put down his cup and laughed, "Him? He's so good at changing his gender, I'm used to it now."

Zhao Dezhao became more restrained and his behavior became even more reserved.

Zhao Dezhao had to be respectful to this only princess, his only aunt.

Now, the eldest princess first married the military general Miford, who died young, and then married Gao Huaide.

There's not much to say about her ex-husband, but her second husband is a big shot. He's sitting next to the princess, enjoying himself with the emperor, and drinking heartily with him.

His official career began in the Later Jin Dynasty, and continued through the Han and Zhou Dynasties. He achieved great merit and was renowned for his bravery in the army. On the day of Chenqiao, he was one of the leading ministers who followed the emperor.

After Song Li was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Palace Guards.

The value of this position is self-evident, isn't it?

Of course, the title of Du Dianjian is now history. After Gao Huaide became the emperor's son-in-law, he kept a low profile in the court and was quite calm and reserved. After being transferred to the position of Jiedushi of Guide Army in the second year of Jianlong, he never changed positions again.

As he was reminiscing, the Imperial Son-in-Law, driven by his temperament, took out a bamboo flute and played a piece of music for the Emperor on the spot.

"Excellent! It has been a long time since I have heard Zang Yong's (Gao's) music! Now, thanks to Rixin, I am fortunate to hear such fine music again!"

"What are you saying, brother? You're suggesting that Tibet should offer its own customs..."

"How can this be considered vulgar? With me here in this hall, music is the epitome of elegance!"

"Your Majesty's words are wise! Princess, then please have Prince Consort Gao play a tune!"

"Play the tune! Play the tune! Play the tune!" the crowd chanted in a noisy uproar.

The eldest princess was clearly not happy, but she couldn't resist the stubbornness of the emperor and his ministers, and in the end she had no choice but to comply.

Zhao Dezhao observed the expressions of the guests with great care, especially Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Pu. The former was radiant and in high spirits, while the latter was rather reserved and unable to relax.

However, this was in line with the Prime Minister's usual temperament, and everyone took it for granted, not noticing anything amiss.

Just as Gao Huaide was playing the flute, Wang Dong entered from outside, pretending to chat and laugh with Zhao Pu, and whispered a few words to him.

"Found it?"

"As you predicted, sir, the man is not in the countryside, but in the city. Hu Zan has led his men to keep an eye on him."

"Okay, Yan, keep an eye on him."

After saying this, Zhao Pu nodded to Zhao Dezhao, a gesture that was caught by the two of them out of the corner of their eyes.

The first was Zhao Guangyi, a master of theatrical performance; the second was a bright-eyed, white-toothed young lady, dressed in a dark blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), smiling as she looked at the plump groom.

Zhao Dezhao's expression hardened slightly, and just as he was focusing intently, he suddenly felt a strange sensation on his back.

He was slightly startled and turned around to see a young woman secretly poking his spine with her finger.

Yes, in a physical sense, it's like pointing fingers at someone's back.