It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for, after 230 chapters. Gongxi, Liu Zhao and Gu Jiu!
Unlocking a new map! Ning wang fu, ladies and gentleman.
On the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, everything was auspicious.
At the first quarter of the hour of the Tiger, while the entire capital was still asleep, Gu Jiu was woken up by Qing Mei.
She wasn’t fully awake, still groggy and very sleepy.
She told Qing Mei to bring a basin of cold water and washed her face, waking herself completely.
Bathing, dressing, and makeup followed.
Maids came and went, and the matchmaker bustled about. Dawn was approaching.
The entire Gu residence was already busy preparing for the wedding banquet.
Gu Shan, Gu Lin, and Gu Jun, the three sisters, had arrived early at the Zhilan Yuan to keep Gu Jiu company.
“Er jiejie, you look so beautiful today.”
Gu Jiu looked at her face in the mirror, caked in layers of makeup, and could see no beauty at all.
She asked the matchmaker if it was really necessary to wear makeup like this.
The matchmaker smiled warmly. “Er guniang, don’t worry. All brides dress like this.”
Gu Shan and the others also persuaded Gu Jiu not to overthink, it was just bridal makeup, and it really did look beautiful.
Gu Jiu resigned herself. She would follow local customs.
Less than two hours remained until the auspicious time. Qing Mei was very anxious, feeling there wasn’t enough time and many things hadn’t been done.
Gu Jiu reassured her, “Don’t worry. Take it slow; we have plenty of time.”
Gu Shan covered her mouth and laughed. “This Qing Mei girl looks even more nervous than er jiejie.”
Gu Lin asked curiously, “Er jiejie, you’re about to get married. Are you nervous?”
Gu Jiu smiled, her eyes flashing with confidence.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror and said, “I’m not nervous.”
“If it were me, I’d be extremely nervous. Just thinking about marrying into a strange household and living under the same roof with a bunch of strangers makes me feel uneasy.”
After speaking, Gu Lin’s arms were covered in goosebumps. She had successfully made herself nervous.
Everyone laughed good-naturedly.
A young maid came in to report that san gu nainai had arrived.
Last night, Gu Yue had successfully stayed over and lodged at the early Zizhu Yuan.
Now, she had come to send off Gu Jiu, and Gu Jiu had to thank her.
Gu Shan and the other two sisters, however, looked displeased. They did not like Gu Yue.
“San jiejie is here. She looks well today.”
“Today is er jiejie’s big day. I wish er jiejie and her husband a long and happy marriage, and may you have children soon.”
Gu Jiu relaxed her brows and smiled at Gu Yue. “Thank you for your kind words, san meimei. Please sit wherever you like.”
Gu Yue looked around the Zhilan Yuan, noting it seemed emptier. Most of the items had been sent to the wang fu as part of the dowry.
Especially the books in the study, three entire desks’ worth.
Rare editions, ancient texts, and unfinished books, all were sent as part of the dowry.
Gu Yue pursed her lips and smiled. “Er jiejie is really nostalgic. Even the things she’s used to are going with her to the wang fu. Aren’t you worried they might mock you for being frugal?”
Gu Jiu lowered her brows and smiled. “Why worry? People can say whatever they want; I can’t control them. I only care about living comfortably myself.”
Gu Yue lowered her head and smiled, eyes full of mockery.
Gu Shan intervened, defending Gu Jiu. “Today is er jiejie’s big day. San jiejie, are you deliberately making things difficult? Don’t you know what is appropriate to say on such an occasion?”
Gu Yue’s expression darkened. “Si meimei, this household isn’t yours to lecture me.”
Gu Shan snorted. “You talk so rudely. You’re not welcome here.”
Gu Yue sneered, her attitude firm. “This is Zhilan Yuan. You don’t get to decide.”
Gu Jiu smiled faintly. “San meimei, if you have nothing else to do, go have tea in the flower hall. Some things need to be discussed between me and my sisters; it’s inconvenient for you to stay here.”
Gu Shan laughed heartily, enjoying Gu Yue’s humiliation.
Gu Yue’s expression kept changing, eyes blazing. She gritted her teeth and, without another word, turned and left.
“Ugh!” Gu Shan scoffed. “She’s deliberately looking to cause trouble. She has no shame; we don’t need to give her any face.”
Gu Jiu said, “Enough. Don’t let her upset you.”
The auspicious hour approached, and the wedding party arrived.
Gu Ting led the group, blocking the main gate.
It wasn’t easy to marry his sister off.
Last time, they didn’t get far under Liu Zhao’s supervision, but now was their chance. He intended to make things very difficult.
He and Gu Cheng, one civil, one martial, threw challenge after challenge at Liu Zhao.
Liu Zhao handled each one without issue.
The matchmaker hurried back to the bedroom. “The auspicious hour is near, er guniang. Hurry!”
Gu Jiu, dressed in her red wedding gown, sat beautifully on the bed.
The matchmaker squatted. “I will carry er guniang out.”
“Thank you, xi-niang.”
[T/N: 喜娘 (xǐniáng): A traditional female marriage broker and wedding attendant. In imperial China, a xiniang arranged introductions between families, negotiated marriage proposals, and guided wedding rituals.]
Carried by the matchmaker, Gu Jiu arrived at the main hall.
Here, she would bid farewell to her family. Once she stepped through the door, she would no longer be the er guniang of the Gu residence, but the wife of the imperial grandson, the er gu nainai of the Gu family.
Gu Jiu, dressed in red, bowed deeply before Gu daren.
Gu daren was very pleased. “Rise.”
Xie shi, who had long used illness as an excuse to avoid public appearances, finally showed herself.
She sat beside Gu daren, her expression solemn.
Gu Jiu bowed slightly to her, fulfilling formal courtesy.
Gu daren’s heart was full. “Good child. At the wang fu, be sure to strictly observe rules, respect wangye and wangfei, and maintain marital harmony.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Daughter will follow Father’s instructions.”
Xie shi lightly cleared her throat. “Er yatou, at the wang fu you must strictly observe womanly duties, support your husband, teach your children, respect your husband as heaven, and not act spoiled.”
Gu Jiu lowered her head and smiled. “Thank you, taitai, for your guidance.”
Afterward, Gu Jiu bid farewell one by one to her da bofu and bomu, her brothers, and er jiujiu, Su er laoye.
Su er laoye, seeing Gu Jiu in her red wedding gown, was so happy his eyes teared up.
He reminded her, “Live well. If there’s anything difficult, don’t let yourself suffer.”
Gu Jiu smiled sweetly. “Er jiujiu, I will remember your words.”
Xie shi frowned, clearly about to lose her temper.
Gu daren’s eyes narrowed. It was a joyous day, whoever caused trouble would be making an enemy of him.
Xie shi held back.
The matchmaker reported that the groom’s party had arrived and er guniang should go out.
Gu Ting ran in from outside. “Meimei, I will escort you out.”
Gu Jiu smiled gently at Gu Ting and bowed to Gu daren again.
Gu daren was unusually reluctant to let her go, voice choked with emotion. “Go, go. Don’t delay the auspicious time.”
The matchmaker covered Gu Jiu with her bridal veil.
Gu Ting carried Gu Jiu and stepped out of the room.
“Meimei, I’ll escort you.”
“Gege, don’t be sad. No matter when or where, I am always your sister.”
“I will always be your gege. If Liu Zhao treats you badly, tell me and I’ll beat him up.”
“Beating him up would be too easy on him. If he treats me badly, you don’t need to lift a hand. I have my own way of dealing with him.”
“Hmm, I believe in your methods, meimei. That Liu Zhao will wish he were dead.”
The siblings, who should have felt sentimental on the way to the wedding, instead had a strange, almost eerie air about them.
The matchmaker, overhearing their words, thought, “Good heavens, are these siblings crazy? On the wedding day, and before even entering the house, they’re already plotting how to deal with the groom.”
She shed a tear of sympathy for the groom.
Liu Zhao was excited, but he kept his excitement hidden.
His nose was a little itchy, but he didn’t care.
Gu Jiu must be cursing him quietly in her mind. No matter; soon she would marry him and assert her authority.
No matter how long the road, all roads eventually reach the end.
The bridal sedan chair arrived.
Through the red veil, Gu Jiu glimpsed Liu Zhao.
She said to Gu Ting, “Gege, take care.”
“You take care as well. At the wedding banquet, I’ll try to get Liu Zhao drunk so he won’t be able to move properly.”
Gu Jiu chuckled softly. Her brother always had the most creative ideas.
“Gege, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, and you take care of yourself too.”
Gu Ting escorted Gu Jiu into the sedan chair.
The sedan lifted.
It rocked as it left the Gu residence, moving farther and farther away.
Awakened from a nap by the noises outside, Gu Jiu knew the sedan had arrived at the wang fu and that it was almost time for the ceremony.
She took out her small hand mirror to check her makeup, it was intact.
She put the mirror away and covered her face with the veil again, turning the world into a blur.
Music played joyfully, and the sedan came to a stop.
The matchmaker lifted the veil and carried Gu Jiu into the wedding hall.
There were many people around.
Through her veil, Gu Jiu could barely make out details, but she sensed that there were probably over a hundred people in the hall.
The mingling of so many voices and the music was almost deafening.
“Don’t be nervous. It’ll be fine soon.”
A low male voice spoke in her ear. Though the sound faded, the warmth lingered.
It was Liu Zhao.
The officiant shouted, “First, bow to Heaven and Earth!”
The people nearby moved.
With the matchmaker’s support, Gu Jiu bowed.
“Second, bow to your elders!”
Gu Jiu bowed again. She thought she heard the voice of the wangfei and the laughter of Ning wang.
Had Ning wang returned from the imperial mausoleum?
“Now, husband and wife bow to each other!”
Supported by the matchmaker, Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao bowed to each other.
“Ceremony complete. Escort to the bridal chamber!”
Handing her the red silk ribbon, the matchmaker reminded Gu Jiu, “Follow the ribbon forward.”
Listening to the sounds around her, Gu Jiu knew she had left the wedding hall.
Many people flanked them as they proceeded to the bridal chamber.
It felt like a long journey, then suddenly short; finally, they arrived.
She was led into the chamber and seated at the head of the bed.
The matchmaker, smiling, handed the veil stick to Liu Zhao. “Groom, please lift the veil.”
The room was noisy. Many people cheered, urging Liu Zhao to lift the veil quickly.
For the first time, Liu Zhao felt nervous.
Holding the veil stick, he took a deep breath and slowly lifted the veil from Gu Jiu’s head.
As the veil was lifted, Gu Jiu looked up slightly and gave him a shy smile.
Liu Zhao was instantly stunned; in that moment, it felt as though his breath had stopped. The sounds around him faded; in his eyes and heart, there was only Gu Jiu.
“Haha, the groom is dumbstruck!”
“The groom is completely mesmerized by the bride.”
“Never thought da ge could be so silly.”
Many people surrounded the bridal chamber, teasing Liu Zhao good-naturedly, and praising the bride’s beauty.
Gu Jiu glanced around. There were many speakers, yet she recognized no one.
Liu Zhao, coming back to himself amidst the laughter, did not mind being teased.
Indeed, he was mesmerized and thrilled.
That day, when deciding the match, Gu Jiu’s name had been circled.
It had proven to be a wise decision.
The maids brought two cups of wine. The matchmaker spoke a string of auspicious words and handed one cup each to Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao.
The bridal chamber was crowded; cheers erupted, eager to watch.
Holding the cup, Liu Zhao’s gaze glued to Gu Jiu’s face.
Gu Jiu gave him a gentle, shy smile.
Liu Zhao murmured to himself: truly, a woman becomes tender after marriage.
Gu Jiu thought: in front of everyone, she must perform perfectly, maintaining full dignity.
Faced with the teasing and cheering, the bride naturally looked infinitely shy.
But today, Liu Zhao was very handsome, truly striking.
Gu Jiu felt her cheeks flush. She reminded herself not to be distracted by his looks.
Following the matchmaker’s cue, Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao intertwined arms and drank the ceremonial wine.
For the first time, they were so close they could hear each other’s heartbeat.
His heart raced.
Her heart raced.
They both thought the same thought.
Their eyes met. Gu Jiu blushed and lowered her gaze.
Liu Zhao leaned closer, whispering, “I’ll try to come back early.”
Gu Jiu gave him a shy smile, and Liu Zhao felt a surge of energy fill him.
“Oh, look at the newlyweds, they don’t want to be apart.”
“Groom, let’s go, let’s go! Let’s drink.”
“No returning sober today.”
The men dragged Liu Zhao away.
Before leaving, he specially instructed them to take care of Gu Jiu.
The other female guests gradually left.
Finally, only the wang fu’s er furen, Ouyang Fu, remained.
“Don’t be formal, dasao. I had the kitchen prepare a table of food; it will be brought soon. Are you hungry?”
Gu Jiu quickly adapted to her new identity and gave Ouyang Fu a gentle smile. “Thank you, er dimei. I overate earlier, so I’m not really hungry now.”
Ouyang Fu covered her mouth with a smile. “It was the same when I first got married, skipped three meals in a row and wasn’t hungry at all, held on until night. Finally, my husband and I ate a full banquet. Afterwards, I went straight to bed and slept until morning.”
Gu Jiu chuckled in agreement.
Ouyang Fu continued, “Dasao, take this chance to rest properly. Who knows how long the commotion outside will last.”
“Thank you for the reminder, er dimei. My maids…”
“Don’t worry, they’re all here. I’ve sent for them.”
Ouyang Fu took her leave. Soon after, Fang mama arrived with Qing Zhu and Xiao Cui, coming into the bridal chamber.
The three of them were excited. “Guniang, you’ve finally come in!”
Fang mama scolded them. “From now on, you must address her as ‘furen.’ Do you understand?”
“Yes!” Qing Zhu stuck out her tongue playfully.
Gu Jiu ordered the bridal chamber door to be closed.
Now, only she and her attendants remained inside.
Gu Jiu relaxed completely, flopping onto the bed in total disregard for etiquette.
Fang mama fretted. “Furen, sit up! Be careful not to mess up your hair ornaments.”
Gu Jiu sat up and called Qing Mei. “Quick, take off the phoenix crown. It’s far too heavy.”
The bride’s phoenix crown weighed three to four jin. After wearing it so long, Gu Jiu felt her neck was about to snap, as if her head no longer belonged to her.
Qing Mei quickly removed the crown, placing it gently on the dressing table.
Gu Jiu twisted her neck. “Finally freed.”
Then she collapsed onto the bed again. Exhausted, her muscles protested her every move.
Fang mama urged, “Furen, gongzi hasn’t returned yet. It’s not proper for you to lie down like this.”
Gu Jiu waved her off. “Don’t worry, mama. I’ll deal with gongzi; it’s fine. Tell me about the situation in the wang fu first. During the ceremony, I think I saw the wangye. Has he returned from the Imperial Mausoleum?”
Fang mama bowed slightly. “Reporting to furen, wangye returned last night.”
“Oh!”
Gu Jiu sat up and took a sip of hot tea.
“Will wangye return to the Imperial Mausoleum again?”
Fang mama shook her head. “This time, wangye won’t go back. Nubi inquired, and according to protocol, gongzi can have eight senior maids, twelve second-class maids, twenty-four third-class maids, eight huangmen officers, and two inner attendants.
“All have been carefully selected and trained by the shaofu, sent to serve gongzi. There are also several book boys and guards. From what I know, all positions for maids and huangmen officers at gongzi’s side are filled.”
“So gongzi has over forty maids attending him?” Gu Jiu said, secretly impressed. Imperial offspring certainly lived in style.
Fang mama nodded. “Exactly so.”
Gu Jiu asked directly, “Are there any tongfang maids*?”
Fang mama shook her head. “None. The palace assigned attendants, but all were sent away by gongzir.”
Gu Jiu then asked, “Any shiqie, meiren, or lovers?”
“None. As for lovers, the time was too short, so I didn’t inquire.”
Qing Mei and the other maids felt their worldview shift while listening to Gu Jiu’s conversation with Fang mama. It was the first night of the wedding, in the bridal chamber, yet they were discussing such serious matters, totally at odds with the room’s atmosphere.
Gu Jiu thought for a moment. “Out of the eight senior maids, who personally attends the gongzi?”
Fang mama bowed. “It’s said that the gongzi is always personally attended by inner attendants and book boys.”
Really?
Gu Jiu wondered if Liu Zhao had any unusual habits. Stimulated by the messy affairs of Zhao erlang and Gu Yue, she had become a little suspicious.
Qing Mei whispered, “Furen… are you worried?”
Gu Jiu laughed. “I’m not worried, just gathering basic information.”
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