Chapter 131

Qin Cheng felt as if the Heavens were mocking him. Even if Qin Cheng liked to be close to Su Jingmo for as long as he could, that didn’t mean he would like to watch the person he loved marry someone else.

However, Qin Cheng had no say in what he could or could not see. The Heavens, at this moment, were urging him to witness every little detail of the wedding.

‘ I thought Su Jingmo’s wedding ceremony would pass as quickly as the other moments. But this time, it seemed as if everything was happening extremely slowly. ’

As the rules dictated, at his wedding ceremony, the Crown Prince was required to kneel three times and kowtow nine times ¹ very early in the morning before the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress. Therefore, after getting dressed in his ceremonial wedding robes, Su Jingmo hurried to the Palace.

Qin Cheng sighed slightly, and simply followed Su Jingmo to the Imperial Palace of the Grand Xu Dynasty.

The Grand Xu Imperial Palace was located in the heart of the Capital. There, at that very moment, the Emperor and Empress were waiting for Su Jingmo in the Xuanzhi Hall ² .

The architectural style of the Imperial City was similar to the Han and Tang Dynasties. However, the buildings of the Han and Tang periods had long since disappeared. As such buildings cannot be found in modern times, for archaeologists, being able to see the ancient buildings with their own eyes was like a dream. After all, they could only sketch the beauty of the Epang Palace ³ and Weiyang Palace ⁴ from fragments of historical records.

Although Qin Cheng’s attention was primarily focused on Su Jingmo, as an archaeologist, he couldn’t help, but feel fascinated by the ancient city before his eyes. According to his own calculations, Qin Cheng estimated that this Imperial City was at least five times larger than the Forbidden City ⁵ . How could he not be distracted by something like that?

When Su Jingmo took a step towards the main entrance of the Palace, he had to dismount and walk on foot. The Main Hall wasn’t far away, so after half a quarter of an hour, he reached the gate. There were pavilions, towers and terraces with landscapes resembling vast rivers and mountains. Three tall buildings with wave-like eaves connected by a staircase of a hundred steps, along with bridges crossing over a vast expanse of water decorated the surroundings, giving off a grandiose and majestic atmosphere.

The Xuanzhi Hall was surrounded by four corridors tiled with white marble. The roof had a single eave, four corners with upturned edges, covered with ink-black tiles, and delicate strokes drawn with red lacquer. In the center, there was a beautiful golden ornament on the roof, made out of copper.

Even when the doors to the Hallway were opened, Su Jingmo didn’t walk straight in. Instead, he bowed at the door and shouted the greeting: “Er-Chen ⁶ pays his respects to Imperial Father and Empress Mother.”

The Emperor and Empress, seated on a high platform inside the hall, heard Su Jingmo’s voice from outside and nodded: “The Crown Prince should enter. Don’t miss this auspicious occasion.”

“Yes.” Su Jingmo replied respectfully, and only then did he enter the hall.

The Qin Tianjian ⁷ Officials were already standing to the side, reciting auspicious words such as ‘beauty bestowed by Heaven ⁸ ‘ and ‘Dragon and Phoenix thriving in the river ⁹ ‘. Once they finished, Su Jingmo knelt down and paid his respects.

The Emperor and the Empress would receive the ceremony of the three kneelings and the nine kowtow separately, being a total of eighteen reverences. In the past, when the Crown Prince paid his respects to the Emperor, the Empress would show compassion for her son and forgo the ceremony. Then, the Qin Tianjian Official would loudly proclaim the great benevolence of the Empress.

However, when Su Jingmo finished bowing to the Emperor, the Empress at his side remained silent.

Su Jingmo wasn’t upset. Instead, he prepared to perform the prostration ceremony once again, performing three more sets of three kneelings and nine kowtows.

Suddenly, the words already prepared by the Qin Tianjian Official at the side of the Empress became useless. After hesitating for a moment, the Official stammered: “Empress …… um …… Empress ……”

“Mother Empress has raised me for twenty-two years, so these three bows and nine prostrations aren’t enough.” Su Jingmo didn’t stand up even after finishing with the ceremony, even his eyes seemed to have turned slightly red. Borrowing Qin Tianjian Official’s words, Su Jingmo looked at the Empress seated on the high platform with reverence, raised his hand, and wiped the edges of his eyes. In a slightly trembling voice, Su Jingmo said: “Mother Empress has always been very kind to me, but on this auspicious wedding day, I’m afraid I’ll miss the auspicious time. Therefore, I will bring the Crown Princess to pay her respects to Mother Empress another day.”

When Su Jingmo uttered these words, everyone present in the hall lowered their heads even further, afraid to witness the expression on the Empress’s face.

The Qin Tianjian Official standing next to Su Jingmo closely observed the Third Prince. Generally, the Third Prince’s demeanor tended to be ruthless, but now, he was displaying a deeply affectionate and touching demeanor. The Official’s heart couldn’t help, but tremble at this. ‘ Raised by the Empress for 22 years? Who doesn’t know that the Third Prince isn’t the Empress’s son, and was even expelled by her from the Palace as a child? ’

The Empress was the Mother Consort of the Eldest Prince, the former Crown Prince. When the deceased Crown Prince went out on patrol with the Third Prince, the two ended up falling off a cliff. The only one to die was the Crown Prince, while the Third Prince was merely injured. Since then, the Third Prince replaced his older brother’s position, thus gaining the position of the Crown Prince. With all this in mind, how could the Empress even treat the Third Prince well?

Of course, the Third Prince was feigning ignorance, as no one understood the situation better than he did, to the point of pretending to have a deep mother-son relationship with the Empress…..

The Empress, having been humiliated in this way, had her heart filled with hatred. However, since Su Jingmo was still kneeling on the ground with tearful red eyes, the Empress had to grit her teeth and feign a loving attitude. Thus, she said: “Then, Yunzhi, I shall wait for you to bring the Crown Princess another day to accompany and pay her respects to your Empress Mother. Today is a joyous occasion, and it’s time for you to go to the Lin Residence. You may leave.”

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Su Jingmo also had no interest in dealing with the Empress any further today, so after a final bow, he withdrew.

However, unnoticed by the others, Qin Cheng stood next to Su Jingmo, so he was able to witness everything clearly. ‘ I know he noticed the Empress’s forced calm demeanor, and it was evident that Su Jingmo had almost burst into laughter…. ’

Nevertheless, Su Jingmo didn’t leave the Palace immediately after emerging from the Main Hall, but headed West instead. Qin Cheng, still feeling a bit puzzled, naturally followed after him.

When he saw the incense, Qin Cheng understood where Su Jingmo was headed to.

Qin Cheng once heard Su Jingmo mention to him that his birth mother had passed away shortly after his birth, so Su Jingmo must have come to pay respects to his Mother Consort.

According to ceremonial rules, if a Prince’s birth mother was a Consort, he must perform the ritual of kneeling two times and kowtowing six times before the mother’s tablet. Since Su Jingmo’s birth mother had died shortly after giving birth, there was really no need for Su Jingmo to perform the ceremony to pay his respects.

However, Su Jingmo came anyway.

When the Palace servants, who were guarding the Ancestral Hall, saw Su Jingmo coming, they quickly bent down and greeted him. Su Jingmo simply nodded, and told the servants to wait outside as he walked alone into the hall.

In the large and spacious Ancestral Hall, the tablets of the former Emperors were enshrined right in the center, while the tablets of the former Empresses were placed to one side. As Concubines were not main wives, they were not allowed to occupy a distinguished position, and therefore, their tablets could only be placed at the back.

Su Jingmo, ignoring the ceremonial order that he should pay his respects first to the former Emperors, walked directly to the back.

When Qin Cheng saw this, he hurried to chase after him.

Unlike the superficial attitude he showed in front of the Emperor and Empress, Su Jingmo personally offered incense to ‘Consort Rong’, followed by slowly kneeling on a soft carpet.

‘ So, this is Jingmo’s mother….. ’ Qin Cheng looked at Consort Rong’s tablet and felt a throb inside his heart. Qin Cheng then knelt beside Su Jingmo and faithfully performed the ceremonial reverences of respect. Qin Cheng completed three sets of two kneelings and six kowtows, just as Su Jingmo did, without missing a single one.

Su Jingmo remained silent for a while, but then got up and left. Qin Cheng, on the contrary, remained on his knees for a little while longer.

As he knelt on the soft carpet, Qin Cheng pondered for a long while, not really sure on how to express himself. In the end, Qin Cheng bent down once more, and said, “I pray for you to bless him.”

After saying those words, Qin Cheng got up to reach for Su Jingmo again.

Regardless of how reluctant Qin Cheng was about the wedding, when the appointed time finally arrived, the Residence of Crown Prince Su Jingmo echoed with fireworks and music as they departed to pick up the bride with a bridal sedan chair. The Crown Prince, with extraordinary charm and confidence, was surrounded by the Imperial Guards, who had already prepared a colorful sedan chair adorned with red satin drapes, carried by eight bearers. The procession was accompanied by a band and ceremonial escorts.

The Head Steward of the House of Internal Affairs ¹⁰ , who ensured that the compatibility of astrological signs as well as the birth years coincided without any unfavorable elements, led a group of twenty Officials, while a Military Officer led forty Imperial Guards, who paraded in the grand procession full of vigor and in an orderly manner.

The Crown Prince of the Imperial Family went to personally greet the bride with an extraordinary parade that shocked the entire Imperial City. The streets throughout the Capital were crowded with countless bystanders, so had it not been for the Imperial Guards clearing the way, the crowd would have crashed against the wedding procession.

The maidservants accompanying the procession carried baskets filled with cakes and fruits in their hands, handing them to the children along the way as they went. All these cakes were prepared the night before by the most famous pastry shop in the Capital.

Since the Residence of the Lin Family was located northwest of the Capital, Su Jingmo left especially early from the East Palace to take a big detour through the Capital to the northwest, so that the pastries and fruits could be handed out to the inhabitants of the Capital, thus creating quite the lively atmosphere.

In spite of that, the wedding procession arrived at the Lin Residence at the auspicious hour.

After receiving the bride, and safeguarding the Lin Family’s dowry, the return journey ended up being even grander than before.

By the time the sun was about to set in the West at You hour ¹¹ , the wedding procession arrived outside the East Palace. As soon as the ceremonial procession stopped in front of the Palace, it disbanded, and everyone dismounted to begin walking into the Palace.

Since Su Jingmo had a close relationship with Prime Minister Ning, his eldest son, Ning Yunze, appeared alongside Su Jingmo’s other good friend, Zhang Jing, assuming the roles of ‘Yinzan ¹² ‘ and ‘Tongzan ¹³ ‘ respectively.

Upon seeing the bridal sedan stop in front of the East Palace at the appointed time, Ning Yunze shouted aloud: “The groomsman stands before the sedan chair.”

When Zhang Jing saw Su Jingmo dismount and stand before the sedan chair, he shouted: “Open the sedan chair, the betrothed shall proceed.”

Ning Yunze added: “The groomsman pays his respects!”

After welcoming the bride and groom to the hall, the groomsmen took their seats.

The Emperor and Empress were already seated at the head of the hall, while Lin Qing’s parents could only sit to the side. High-ranking Civil and Military Officials were seated on the right, while those of lower ranks could only stand. Decorated with beautiful flowers, the East Palace was crowded with people.

“The Bride and Groom may now offer incense. Kneel and offer incense.”

After the couple were done offering the incense, it was time for them to worship Heaven and Earth ¹⁴ . Zhang Jin, thus, cleared his throat and loudly proclaimed: “Kneel…..”

Since Su Jingmo was the Crown Prince, under no circumstances could he be the first to kneel. He had to wait for Lin Qin to kneel first before he could do the same. However, even after waiting for a while, Lin Qing didn’t kneel before the Emperor and Empress. Time seemed to pass slowly, to the point where the Officials in the hall began to whisper among themselves. At that moment, Su Jingmo’s lips curved into a smile as he whispered: “Do you still wish to save him?”

As soon as this was said, Lin Qing actually fell abruptly to her knees. Su Jingmo shook his head somewhat helplessly, and knelt down as well.

“Kowtow….”

Zhang Jin uttered. Su Jingmo didn’t even look at Lin Qing beside him, he simply slowly kowtowed to the Emperor and Empress.

However, the bride didn’t kowtow, and Zhang Jin didn’t know if he should wait for her. Upon hearing the renewed murmurs in the background, even Zhang Jin couldn’t help, but feel a shiver run down his spine.

“Lin Qing!” Lin Qing’s mother became so anxious about her daughter’s attitude, she couldn’t help, but shout. However, no matter what, the kneeling bride on Su Jingmo’s right remained motionless.

Qin Cheng watched all this from the shadows, and his hands clenched tightly into fists.

‘ Is the man I love worthless in your eyes?! ’

At that moment, Qin Cheng was able to hear the whispers of the other people around him. The young masters from wealthy families were particularly envious of Su Jingmo, so upon witnessing Lin Qing humiliate Su Jingmo in this way, they were naturally delighted.

“What is the use of exceeding in literary skills and military strategies? Or to be the bearer of extraordinary beauty? No matter how much he boasts, he’s not even capable of charming a single woman.”

“Hey, hey, I heard that Lin Qing was the former lover of that sickly Su Jingyan, so it is certain that she may not be pure. Even so, Su Jingmo is willing to make her his Crown Princess? Does he not mind that she’s tainted?”

“Tainted? Ah, I don’t know, let’s just say he only appears brave and fierce on the outside. But tonight….hehe, just look at Miss Lin, she clearly doesn’t like him. Who knows, maybe he has a hidden disease.”

Right after discussing this topic, the rich young men felt a sudden pain on their faces. Although they almost roared in protest, for some reason, the skin on their necks froze, causing them to shiver.

‘ How can it be cold when the sun is burning high in midsummer?! ’

The young men quickly turned their heads, but were unable to see anyone. At that moment, their hearts trembled with fear, and they no longer dared to speak.

As Qin Cheng heard these rich young men talking, every word they uttered made him increasingly angry. In the end, Qin Cheng was unable to restrain his frustration, thus impulsively slapped them, without even worrying about the reaction they might have.

But more than that, Qin Cheng hated Lin Qing the most.

‘ Ling Qing….Lin Qing…. that damn gifted woman! ’

‘ The person I treasure from the deepest part of my being, who’s engraved into my very soul, how can you treat him like this?! How can you allow others to speak ill of him?! I can’t even bear for him to suffer even the slightest aggravation, and yet…. Who do you think you are?! How dare you humiliate him like that?! ’

Qin Cheng took large steps forward and knelt between the two. With trembling hands, Qin Cheng slowly took Su Jingmo’s hand.

Qin Cheng turned to look at Su Jingmo’s profile, smiled softly, and said: “If she’s not willing to cherish you, I will worship Heaven and Earth with you. Alright?”

Before the words could fully come out of his mouth, Qin Cheng firmly bowed down.

Since Lin Qing hadn’t bowed, and the auspicious hour was almost coming to an end, Su Jingmo was about to speak to Lin Qing again. However, a sudden freezing breeze swept through the hall, and Su Jingmo felt a chill run through the tips of his fingers…. For some reason, Su Jingmo felt a slight pain inside his heart, and the threatening words he had prepared for Lin Qing faded from his mind.

By a curious coincidence, Su Jingmo looked up at Zhang Jing and said: “Continue.”

With the order given from Su Jingmo’s own direct mouth, Zhang Jing no longer cared all that much. After all, it was a mere formality. Even if Lin Qing didn’t bow, she would still become the Crown Princess.

Zhang Jing nodded, and loudly declared: “Kowtow again.”

At that instant, Qin Cheng and Su Jingmo bowed together at the same time.

“The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess shall bow to each other!”

Su Jingmo stood up, and Qin Cheng followed suit.

Su Jingmo knelt, and Qin Cheng knelt with him.

Somehow, at some unknown moment, Qin Cheng’s casual clothes took the form of a wedding robe that perfectly matched Su Jingmo’s ceremonial wedding attire…..

As the evening wind rose, the robes of the two men fluttered up into the air, causing the red and black of the robes to intertwine with one another. When the last bow came, Su Jingmo felt a strange sensation that caused him to breathe unevenly, leading him to abruptly raise his head. However, the only one he found in front of him was Ning Yunze serving as his ‘Yinzan’…..

Su Jingmo’s heart felt empty for some reason…..

⭐🌟💫✨Extra Chapter thanks to the Ko-fi Goal✨💫🌟⭐ [2/2]

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE:

Hello!! Sorry it took me almost a week to update this extra ch, I was supposed to update last sunday but I got sick sjsjsjsj lmao right when I want to have a proper update schedule, life says ‘no bish’ 😂😂😂

Anyways~~ here it isssss !!! Can you all believe Qin Cheng and Su Jingmo are married??? Their souls are married aaaaaaa (I actually forgot this, since it’s been a long while since I read this novel for the first time sjjsjs it was a surprise for me too hahaha)

And as you can see, this is the chapter with the most footnotes I’ve ever tled. It took me longer to do all the footnotes than to translate the actual chapter lmao

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Ko-fi Goal for Extra Chapters~~ (*≧ω≦*)

Footnotes

<ol><b>三跪九叩</b> <b>sān guì jiǔ kòu</b> ; A traditional ceremonial ritual performed in ancient China as a form of respectful greeting or homage to the Emperor or high-ranking Officials. It involves three sets of kneeling down ( <b>跪</b> <b>guì</b> ) and nine sets of kowtowing ( <b>叩</b> <b>kòu</b> ) in a sequence. It was a way to demonstrate utmost respect and submission to the authority of the Emperor or high-ranking figures in the Imperial Court. <b>宣知殿</b> <b>xuān zhī diàn</b> ; It refers to a specific Hall or Palace within the Imperial Palace in ancient China where important announcements and proclamations were made to the Officials. In the Xuanzhi Hall, the Emperor would often receive Officials, conduct important ceremonies, meetings, exercise his authority and communicate his decrees to the Imperial Court. <b>阿房宫</b> <b>ē fáng gōng</b> ; It refers to a magnificent Palace constructed during the reign of the first emperor of China, (秦始皇 qín shǐ huáng) Qin Shihuang [259-210 BC]. The Palace was located in the city of Chang’an (now Xi’an) and served as the primary residence for the Emperor. It was named “ <b>阿房</b> ” ( <b>ē fáng</b> ) after the hill on which it was built. <b>未央宫</b> <b>wèi yāng gōng</b> ; Another grand Palace built during the reign of Qin Shihuang, located in the city of Chang’an (now Xi’an), which served as the Capital of the Qin Dynasty [221-207 BC]. The name “ <b>未央</b> ” ( <b>wèi yāng</b> ) means “never-ending” or “infinite”, indicating the vastness and magnificence of the Palace. <b>紫禁城</b> <b>zǐ jìn chéng</b> ; A majestic Palace located in the heart of Beijing, China. It served as the Imperial Palace during the Ming Dynasty [1368-1644] and the Qing Dynasty [1644-1912]. The name “ <b>紫禁城</b> ” ( <b>zǐ jìn chéng</b> ) literally translates to “Purple Forbidden City”, as the color purple bears the meaning of Royalty and power in Chinese culture. <b>儿臣</b> <b>ér chén</b> ; A term used in Imperial China as a humble and respectful way of addressing oneself when speaking to one’s parents or superiors, indicating one’s subordinate status and loyalty to the higher authority. It can be translated as “your humble child”, “your obedient servant”, or “your loyal subject”. <b>钦天监</b> <b>qīn tiān jiàn</b> ; It refers to an institution in ancient China, which was an Imperial Astronomical Observatory responsible for observing the celestial phenomena, predicting auspicious and inauspicious signs, as well as offering advice to the Emperor based on astrological interpretations. Qin Tianjian played an important role in matters related to Imperial Ceremonies, rituals, and the overall governance of the Country. <b>天赐之美</b> <b>tiān cì zhī měi</b> ; It’s a phrase often used to describe natural beauty or exceptional qualities that are considered to be a divine gift. It implies that beauty is beyond human creation, meaning is bestowed upon by a higher power. <b>龙凤达江</b> <b>lóng fèng dá jiāng</b> ; This phrase is often used to describe a grand and auspicious scene or a harmonious and prosperous situation. The Dragons and Phoenixes symbolize power, prosperity, and good fortune in Chinese culture, while the “river” represents a significant and influential place. Therefore, this phrase signifies the convergence of auspicious and influential forces, suggesting a favorable and prosperous outcome. <b>内务府</b> <b>nèi wù fǔ</b> ; A Department responsible for managing the daily operations and affairs of the Imperial Palace and the Imperial Family. The department oversaw matters such as the management of the Palace grounds, staffing, provision of supplies, organization of ceremonies, and maintenance of Imperial Residences. It played a crucial role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Imperial household as well as supporting the needs of the Emperor and his family. <b>酉时</b> <b>yǒu shí</b> ; 5 to 7pm in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in ancient China. <b>引赞</b> <b>yǐn zàn</b> ; It refers to the role of “Praising the Groom” during a wedding ceremony, a ceremonial position where a person, usually a close friend or relative of the groom, speaks highly of the groom’s virtues, accomplishments, and qualities to express congratulations and blessings. <b>通赞</b> <b>tōng zàn</b> ; Another ceremonial role during a wedding ceremony, which means “Congratulating the Groom” or “Offering General Blessings” (to the groom). The person assigned to this role delivers a speech or offers well wishes to the groom by praising the groom’s family background, virtues, along with future prospects, serving as a way to celebrate and acknowledge the groom’s entry into married life. <b>拜天地</b> <b>bài tiān dì</b> ; In traditional Chinese wedding ceremonies, after the bride and groom offer incense, the next step is to perform the ritual of worshiping the Heaven and Earth. The couple would stand in front of the altar representing Heaven and Earth, then, the couple would kneel down three times together, side by side, facing the altar. The first bow is to the Heavens, expressing reverence and seeking blessings from the Divine Realm. The second bow is to the Earth, symbolizing gratitude and respect for the nurturing and supportive forces of nature. The third bow is to their ancestors and parents, honoring their lineage and seeking their blessings and approval for their union.</ol>