CHAPTER 416: CHAPTER 413: WEDDING ESCORT

Xie Liangchen was still checking accounts with Tian Huizhen the night before. Suddenly, she put everything aside, and the empty space in her heart was filled with tension and shyness.

As she got up to bathe and dress, Xie Liangchen heard the outside growing more lively. Everyone knew she was almost ready, and the women came in to talk. Soon, the room was too crowded for people to stand.

"Sister Chen looks so beautiful."

Someone said with a smile, and everyone couldn’t stop talking.

"Do I need to put on so much powder?" Xie Liangchen asked the wedding maid.

Perhaps she was used to being at ease every day, and layers of powder made her feel strange.

"This is fine," the wedding maid observed carefully and said, "The Commandery Princess is naturally fair, no need for so much powder."

A little girl from Fan Village said, "Sister needs no decoration at all."

Xie Liangchen pursed her lips, looking at the piles of assorted boxes on the table. If she used them all from head to toe, she feared powder would fall off as she walked.

The wedding maid said, "The Song Family specifically instructed that the wedding procession should come according to the hour. The head ornaments are too heavy, wearing them too early will be tiring, and you won’t be able to move freely. We’ll put them on when the time comes."

The final layer of the big-sleeved jacket and wedding cape were not worn yet. Xie Liangchen looked at the golden pendants beneath the wedding cape, adorned with lotus, mandarin ducks, full pool beauty, given by the Empress at the time of the wedding decree in the Capital City. The timing seems close as if the wedding decree still lingered in front, yet in a blink of an eye, it was the auspicious day, and it really came quickly.

When almost done with preparations, Mrs. Gao let everyone come forward to speak with Xie Liangchen.

Many women from the Chen Family Village weaving house had been led away by Zheng to the eight states. At this moment, they were busy spinning thread tassels and naturally couldn’t return, so several village women from Zhenzhou came early to help.

Boiling water, cooking meals, helping with all kinds of chores, everyone was bustling around, but hearts were filled with joy.

This was a significant event in Zhenzhou.

Song Jiedu is getting married, the bride being Princess Jia’an, Sister Chen from Chen Family Village.

The surrounding village people not only came to help but brought many foods, all their good things stored, including big fat pigs left unbutchered after New Year.

Early in the morning, the road to Chen Family Village was bustling. People chatted, urged livestock along, and all of Zhenzhou knew about such a joyous occasion, with no surprise at such sights.

Visitors from elsewhere inevitably asked, "What’s happening here?"

Any Zhenzhou villager could tell them, "Zhenzhou is celebrating today."

"What celebration?"

"A girl is getting married."

Even New Year wasn’t this lively, especially not for Chen Family Village. During New Year, Old Mrs. Chen and others weren’t around, so the village just celebrated haphazardly, storing up all their joy for today, cooking smoke curling from the kitchen, the entire village enveloped in fragrance.

When the Song Family comes to escort the bride, Chen Family Village will hold a feast, long tables joined together, dishes continually laid down, with people from surrounding villages coming to congratulate.

Old Mrs. Chen wandered through the village, seeing everyone busily engaged in fervor. If unknown, one might think it was Chen Family Village marrying off a daughter.

Mrs. Gao came from Liangchen’s place, finding Old Mrs. Chen wandering with hands behind her back, pulled her into a room and placed the flower on her head. The flower was made of gauze, Mrs. Gao had bought it in the Capital City, spending a considerable amount of silver, but thought of the look on Aunt wearing it on her head, felt no hesitation.

"Why would I wear this?" Old Mrs. Chen looked at the red flower, rejecting, "What kind of look is this."

Mrs. Gao ignored it, putting it on straight away. When her mother-in-law was alive, she’d heard that Old Mrs. Chen loved beauty, always wearing attractive summer flowers on her head, but ever since Uncle passed away, Old Mrs. Chen never wore them again.

Mrs. Gao said, "Today’s different, it’s a good day, your clothes are too plain, wear a flower to celebrate."

Old Mrs. Chen looked into the mirror as she spoke, "The one to celebrate is Liangchen."

"You can enjoy being beautiful too."

"I don’t like this."

Mrs. Gao secretly thought, the flower was a good buy. Though Old Mrs. Chen verbally disapproved, she kept adjusting it on her head, fearing it might fly off at any moment.

Mrs. Gao whispered, "When I was in the Capital, I saw men wearing flowers too, thought about buying one for Brother-in-law, but decided against it. He surely wouldn’t wear it."

Old Mrs. Chen laughed, "After I’ve worn it, I’ll lend it to him, for him to pin when returning home."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law laughed non-stop.

When they walked out again, they discovered more people in the village.

Old Mrs. Chen felt uncertain, just how many people would come today?

While pondering, Chen Zigeng ran over: "Grandmother, Second Aunt, we might need to prepare more food. People from Zhaozhou are coming too."

Uncertain of the count, Old Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Gao felt uneasy and went forth to see.

"Grandmother, don’t worry," Chen Zigeng said, "Uncle is in front greeting guests."

...

Song Xian dressed in the festive attire and walked around several times before Chang An, adjusting his clothes occasionally and touching the items hung at his waist.

Most importantly, the sachet, which Sister Chen had stitched by lamplight at night.

"How is it?" Song Xian asked Chang An several times.

Chang An said, "Not a single extra fold."

Song Xian said, "When I go to Chen Family Village to get Liangchen, will she already have her wedding veil on?"

Though Chang An hadn’t been married, he had asked the wedding maid about this, "She should have."

Song Xian said, "Then she won’t see me immediately." He must protect the festive attire well, so it’s like this when the veil is lifted.

Chang An amused inwardly, rare for the master to concern himself with his appearance so earnestly, but ultimately it was for the Commandery Princess.

"Master," Chang An said, "Today, there are quite a few people in Chen Family Village, we should prepare early." Many from Zhenzhou villages reached Chen Family Village, such a situation never encountered before, unsure how many would block the gate later.

Song Xian looked at Chang An, "Will they block me?"

Chang An pursed his lips, "Hard to say, though villages and the government office have sent congratulations, people have gone to Chen Family Village."

Perhaps villagers think, since the Military Governor sent quite a few gifts, Chen Family Village should exert more effort.

Effort... If used to block the gate, the master wanting to see the Commandery Princess probably wouldn’t be easy.

Song Xian said, "Then let’s go early." Anyway, he couldn’t sit still, his heart already flown to Chen Family Village.

Chang An had someone make arrangements.

Song Xian went to the main hall to salute the Song Family elders. Many of the Song Clan had gathered, all sitting in the hall chatting. Hearing Song Xian was about to leave, Old Mrs. Song said, "Early is better, lest the hour is missed."

Song Xian getting married, those friendly with the Song Family all came to celebrate, and because Song Xian was the Military Governor, the Northern Military Governors either came personally or sent their children to congratulate. Qin Maoxing also came from Yingzhou.

Song Xian picked peers of similar age to join him in fetching the bride, with Qin Maoxing among them.

Song Xian glanced at Qin Maoxing, seeing only him rather than Su Huaiqing, it was clear that Su Huaiqing went to Chen Family Village.

Although, in front of Xie Liangchen, Song Xian claimed to be "magnanimous," in fact, as long as he thought of Su Huaiqing, Young Song felt uneasy, not reduced one bit by the impending marriage.

Actually, Su Huaiqing was quite restrained. Since seeing Xie Liangchen board the Song Family carriage, he didn’t use personal ties between the families as an excuse to visit her again.

Let’s hope Su Huaiqing acts like an ordinary guest this time.

"Let’s go!" Song Xian announced.

The wedding procession of the Song Family set off in great splendor toward Chen Family Village.