Chapter 207
Chapter 207: The Wedding
Luo Ning’s head was covered with a red veil, so she could not see what was happening outside.
Her ears were filled with the sound of guests talking and firecrackers exploding, making her eardrums buzz.
A thought came to her mind: [When a prince of the blood marries, will he come in person to fetch his bride?]
She was not very clear about this part of the ceremony.
It was not very important anyway. If it were important, Luo Ning would not have only thought of it after she had already gotten into the bridal sedan.
No matter who came to fetch the bride, it was enough for her that she could become Princess Consort Yong.
When they reached the front gate, Luo You put her down.
He had carried her out steadily all the way.
The bridal attendant helped Luo Ning into the sedan chair. Luo Ning had no time to look around, because her head felt too heavy.
Her neck was about to break.
She really wanted to lean against the side of the sedan, but she was afraid of messing up her head ornaments or wrinkling her wedding robes.
She comforted herself: [This will only happen once in my life. In the future, even if I marry again, I will not have the rank to wear ornaments meant for an imperial prince’s consort, so I will not have to suffer like this again.]
Aside from the crown prince’s wedding, probably no one’s head ornaments were as heavy as those of an imperial prince’s consort.
Of course, the hardest of all must be the ceremony to crown an empress. That set of clothes and head ornaments was dazzling to look at and unbearably heavy. With no veil to cover the face, she would have to control her expression well and could not frown under the cover of a red veil like Luo Ning was doing now.
That was a real torture.
But it would never be Luo Ning’s turn. She did not even have the right to suffer that much.
In that short time, Luo Ning had already talked herself around.
People were very resilient. Once she accepted it, her neck even seemed to gain the strength to hold everything up, and it did not hurt as much.
The bridal sedan traveled for a long time.
At last it stopped, and firecrackers boomed again. Luo Ning felt the sedan shake a little. Someone had kicked it.
At that moment, the wedding official from the groom’s side lifted the sedan curtain.
As expected, it became a little brighter in front of her, and a length of red silk was stuffed into Luo Ning’s hand.
The bridal attendant held her arm again, and Luo Ning carefully stepped out of the sedan.
During the bowing ceremony, the atmosphere was solemn and completely silent, because they had invited a portrait of the Late Emperor to be present.
After they finished bowing, Luo Ning was surrounded and led to the bridal chamber, and only then did the noise slowly grow louder again.
Luo Ning even heard the voice of her imperial elder sister, Princess Ping Yang.
She sat on the wedding bed for a while before the bridal attendant finally began to say some auspicious words.
When the red veil was lifted, she could see again. She raised her eyes a little and first saw Xiao Huai Feng.
Dressed in his wedding robes, he was still imposing and did not have the slightest air of a spoiled young master. He stood straight and rigid, as if he were wearing armor.
He had a good figure, with broad shoulders and long legs. Even when he stood there at ease, he was as upright as a pine tree, like a red-tasseled spear. In those dark eyes of his, there were no waves of emotion, only the same quiet calm as usual.
Luo Ning’s gaze touched him for a moment and then quickly moved away.
After the bridal attendant finished saying the auspicious phrases, Luo Ning and Xiao Huai Feng drank cross-cupped wedding wine, and the ceremony was complete.
Someone spoke softly: “Princess, please go take your seat at the front.”
Princess Ping Yang rose first, and the female guests left one after another.
Soon, only Luo Ning was left in the bridal chamber.
She let out a soft breath.
A moment later, Nanny Shi, the steward of the inner residence, came in, bringing Luo Ning’s maidservant Chu Shuang and another maidservant.
Nanny Shi said: “Princess Consort, the Prince has ordered that you change your clothes first. The guests will not come into the inner courtyard anymore.”
Joy rose in Luo Ning’s heart.
She could not wait to take off all the head ornaments that weighed several pounds on her head.
Even though she kept encouraging herself, her neck had already gone stiff and numb. Just now, when she lowered her head a little to drink the cross-cupped wedding wine, she had clearly heard the bones in her neck give a cracking sound.
Xiao Huai Feng had probably heard it too.
Anyone with eyes could see how heavy the head ornaments of an imperial prince’s consort were and how much she was suffering.
Luo Ning said in a calm, steady voice: “Help me remove my makeup.”
Piece by piece, the head ornaments were taken off.
Nanny Shi watched personally and told a young maidservant to place each piece neatly into brocade boxes.
As they sorted and stored the jewelry, Luo Ning saw from the corner of her eye that at least eight brocade boxes were being filled one by one. Just a short while ago, all of these things had been on her head, held up by her slender neck for at least two hours.
After they removed all the head ornaments, the maidservants helped her change clothes and take off the extremely heavy wedding robes.
Luo Ning’s wedding robes had a belt, and on that belt there were at least three jin of gemstones. It was extremely luxurious and very heavy. Not to mention that the wedding robes had three layers inside and three layers outside, all embroidered with patterns in gold thread.
Once she changed clothes, it felt like being reborn. In her whole life, Luo Ning had never felt such lightness.
Only after tasting hardship could the sweetness feel this sweet.
She quietly let out a breath and let the maidservants put a simple new outfit on her.
In the past she often disliked how thick and heavy her hair was, but now her hair felt as light as mist, without any weight at all.
Chu Shuang looked at her twice.
In the past half year, Chu Shuang seemed to have grown taller again. Compared to most maidservants, she was a bit plump, with round cheeks and big eyes. Her skin was pale with a rosy glow, and she looked very lovable.
Luo Ning secretly gave her a small smile.
Nanny Shi asked: “Princess Consort, do you have any other orders?”
When everything had been tidied up and Luo Ning was freed from that torture, she sat on the edge of the bed. Nanny Shi asked her this.
Luo Ning said: “Where are my dowry maids now?”
Nanny Shi said: “They have all been settled. For now they are not needed to serve and are staying in the servants’ quarters in the back. If you need them, this old servant can call a few in.”
What were rules? The tastes of the mistress of the house would be the rules of this inner residence.
Luo Ning smiled and said: “No need. You have served me very well.”
Nanny Shi respected the Princess Consort, and Luo Ning would not make trouble for her on purpose.
She had not broken any rules.
As Luo Ning sat there alone, Nanny Shi was afraid she would be bored and specially found a book for her.
It turned out to be a copy of the Heart Sutra.
So Luo Ning read and sat quietly, and waited for a long time like that.
In the middle of this, Nanny Shi brought her a bowl of shredded chicken noodles.
She only ate until she felt about one third full. Luo Ning could bear hunger, but she was sleepy. After such a busy day, she was too tired, yet she could not sleep.
Only when the night watch had begun did the groom return to the room.
As soon as Prince Yong came back, the courtyard fell completely silent. The maidservants even held their breath and did not dare make a sound.
They served him in an orderly way as he changed clothes and washed. Only after everything was put in order did he enter the inner room.
Luo Ning stood up and said: “Prince.”
Xiao Huai Feng had not drunk much wine. At his wedding, Prince Chen and Cui Zheng Qing had drunk in his place, and the two of them were dead drunk. Xiao Huai Feng had only taken a few cups.
He showed no sign of drunkenness.
In the bridal chamber, red candles flickered. In the warm candlelight, Luo Ning wore a red jacket embroidered with gold peonies, which made her face look as white and smooth as jade.
Her long hair had no ornaments and fell from her shoulders like newly opened black silk.
Xiao Huai Feng spoke, his voice calm: “You look good in red. It makes you look noble.”
It was like dust had been washed off a bright pearl, showing her glow so clearly that it was almost dazzling.
Luo Ning returned the compliment and praised him too: “The Prince also looks good in red, handsome and outstanding.”
She meant it from the heart.
Although Prince Yong did not have the carefree charm of an elegant young master, his features were very fine, with thin lips, a high nose, slightly raised brow bones, and especially deep eyes.
Only, from his expression to his words, he was always too serious, making people afraid to look at him for long, much less show any disrespect.
Xiao Huai Feng asked her: “…Are you hungry?”
Luo Ning said: “I am hungry. Just now I ate only a small bowl of shredded chicken noodles, and I did not get full.”
Since early morning she had only had a bowl of bird’s nest porridge, and she had been woken at the beginning of the third watch, so her stomach was growling.
Xiao Huai Feng ordered: “Someone, prepare a late-night meal.”
Very soon, a late-night meal was set out in the side hall.
There were noodles, several kinds of pastries, and different small dishes.
Luo Ning ate another bowl of noodles before her stomach finally felt about seventy percent full.
Xiao Huai Feng had already eaten his fill at the feast and only ate a few bites to keep her company.