frightfiction Chapter 1035 He Jin'an's Wedding
Chapter 1035 He Jin'an's Wedding
"Hahaha, just thinking about how all the officials in the court are humiliated and can only watch helplessly as His Majesty suffers is so funny!" Tao Yanyan laughed as she packed Jin'an's clothes from childhood to adulthood.
Seeing her smiling face, He Linzhang stepped forward and hugged her from behind: "After Jin'an gets married, we'll set off. I've calculated it; at each scenic spot, I'll stay with you for two days, and we'll travel all the way to Xia Kingdom. There'll be enough time."
Tao Yanyan put down the small clothes, turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck: "Before we leave, let's go visit the Empress Dowager. It may be more than half a year before we return."
He Linzhang kissed her forehead: "I'll do whatever you say."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a knock came at the door. A moment later, the four little ones came in from outside, three of them in high spirits, and one with a gloomy face.
"Mother, I've made a list of things to take when I go out. Please check it to make sure I haven't forgotten anything." He Yinuo presented a densely packed list, and Tao Yanyan noticed that half of it was food.
"Mother, I asked the tutor for half a year's worth of homework, so even if I'm away from home, I won't fall behind in my studies." He Xiaobao tilted his head at a 45-degree angle, looking like a good boy seeking praise.
"Mother, Mother, and me too, I... I had Xiao Xizi make several toys so I won't be bored in the carriage." He Xiaoliu's eyes were full of excitement for the upcoming tour.
He Linzhang frowned, wondering if he had forgotten to mention something important—the children would not be taking them on this trip.
Is it too late to say now?
He coughed lightly, about to speak, when He Yucheng handed him a list.
"Father, you are about to take the whole family on an inspection tour, leaving me with a lot of government affairs. There are many things I don't understand, so please enlighten me, Father." He Yucheng frowned, his whole body full of resentment.
He Linzhang: “…”
"Actually, my original intention was to keep him..."
"Just let me stay!"
"It's not just you I'm leaving alone, I also plan to keep..."
"Let's leave Uncle Yong and Yan'er's second brother behind..."
"Besides them, I also intend to keep..."
"A noisy and chaotic court of officials..."
He Linzhang: “…”
Seeing that He Yucheng was almost in tears from anger, his half-sister He Yinuo stepped forward and pulled him back: "Don't worry, if you can't see it, I'll see it for you. I'm your eyes; if you can't eat it, I'll eat it for you. I don't mind eating an extra portion. Just take good care of the house, do your chores well, and wait patiently for us to come back. I believe you can do it." He Yucheng's arm was slapped so hard it made a loud thud.
"Brother Crown Prince, don't worry about us. We'll take good care of ourselves. When we come back, we'll be your protectors again." He Xiaobao gave his fourth brother a heartwarming hug, showing their deep brotherly affection.
“Brother Crown Prince, you can keep this frog with the broken leg here. Seeing it will be like seeing Liu Liu Bao Bao. Let the frog keep you company in my place.” He Xiao Liu stuffed the broken-legged frog puppet that he no longer played with into He Yu Cheng’s arms.
He Yucheng's lips curled into a bitter smile.
He Linzhang couldn't bring himself to say what he wanted to say. If he spoke now, it wouldn't just be He Yucheng who was angry; the other three little ones would cry too.
He took a deep breath and quickly adjusted his plans for fun, forcibly adding a trip with his child to his schedule.
Tao Yanyan coaxed the three children back to their room, leaving only a sullen He Yucheng behind: "When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on someone, it will first..."
"Your subject understands, but I will suffer first." For the first time, he felt that the position of Crown Prince was not an easy job.
“You are older than Xiaobao and Xiaoliu, more sensible, and smarter than them. Your father wants to entrust the entire Great Zhou to you in the future, which is why he has such high expectations of you. The reason you are not being taken this time is that the family needs someone who can take responsibility and keep order, and you are the only choice.”
He Yucheng knew that this was his father's trust in him, but he really wanted to be with his brothers and sisters.
"Alright, when we get back from this trip, your mother promises you that she and your father will take you on a short trip, okay?" Tao Yanyan coaxed gently.
He Yucheng wrinkled his nose: "It's a deal."
"It's a deal." Tao Yanyan reached out and made a pinky promise with He Yucheng, then nudged He Linzhang with her arm. He Linzhang had no choice but to reach out and make the pinky promise as well, joining the mother and son in their childish antics.
Before setting off, there was one more important thing to do: He Jin'an's wedding.
Three days in advance, Qingyun Palace and Changle Palace were covered with bright red "double happiness" characters. The Empress Dowager was brought back to the palace, and Mu Yu disguised himself as the Empress Dowager's eunuch and accompanied her.
On the day of the wedding, a red carpet was laid out outside the Zhengyang Gate of the palace. Only then did the civil and military officials realize that a prince's wedding was comparable to that of a crown prince marrying his crown princess. This scale far exceeded the regulations for Prince Jin.
But today is a joyous occasion, and no one wants to be the first to speak out, so they all remain silent, waiting until after the wedding to submit their impeachments.
In the Hua family mansion, Hua Yurong sat before her dressing table, her eyes still somewhat dazed. The maids beside her carefully washed and brushed her teeth, their movements gentle, as if afraid of hurting the young woman who was about to marry into the royal family. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, before applying any makeup, Hua Yurong felt a complex mix of emotions as she thought about how, after this day, she would spend her life with He Jin'an.
Hua's mother came in from outside, bringing with her a perfect woman, who had come specifically to do her hair and makeup.
Various jewelry and cosmetics were laid out in a row. The woman combed her hair while reciting auspicious words: "One comb to the end, two combs to white hair reaching the eyebrows, three combs to a house full of children and grandchildren." With each comb, Hua Yuerong felt a little more shy.
Mother Hua stood quietly to one side, gazing tenderly at her beloved daughter. Her daughter wore a magnificent wedding dress, her figure graceful and her face beautiful as a fairy. Mother Hua couldn't help but exclaim, "It's like a dream! Our ordinary merchant family has actually raised such an outstanding and radiant princess!"
Mother Hua was genuinely happy for this blissful marriage. Compared to her disappointing younger daughter who became someone else's concubine, her eldest daughter was truly remarkable.
"Madam Hua also needs to dress up nicely. You are the happiest mother today!" Madam Shiquan came to do Madam Hua's hair and makeup again, making both mother and daughter look beautiful.
He Jin'an calculated the time and led the grand wedding procession, arriving precisely at the Hua family's gate. At this moment, he was both excited and nervous, as if the blood in his body was boiling.
Behind He Jin'an followed a large group of relatives and friends: cousins from the Tao and Gu families, several other cousins from the imperial uncles' families, and several other friends. This impressive wedding procession instantly attracted a large crowd of onlookers.
Faced with such a large and impressive wedding procession, the Hua family dared not be negligent in the slightest. They opened their gates early and respectfully welcomed the groom. When the auspicious hour arrived, a cousin from the Hua family carefully carried the bride on his back, slowly walked out of the house, and steadily placed her into the ornately decorated royal sedan chair.
Hua Yue Rong's face was covered by a veil, so nothing could be seen. All that could be heard was the sound of cannons firing in unison. People around her received wedding candies and laughed and said auspicious words.
She sat in the bridal sedan chair, followed by 260 loads of dowry, a grand procession escorting her to marry into the most prestigious family in the Great Zhou Dynasty.