Chapter 280: The Grand Wedding

The Emperor’s wedding was a massive undertaking. Even before she had issued the official decree, the various ministries had already begun their preparations.

This was especially true for the female officials and embroideresses in the Imperial Palace, who were responsible for the wedding attire. Their needles were practically smoking from overuse.

The Emperor’s own wedding robes were already complex and luxurious. Now, they also had to create four sets for the Imperial Consorts, causing the workload to multiply.

The Ministry of Rites bustled about, preparing the various ceremonial regalia and vessels. Meanwhile, ingredients for the wedding banquet were being sourced from all over the land. The process of selecting the menu alone took a full month.

There were also repairs to be made throughout the Imperial City, widespread renovations, and the construction of the Imperial Consorts’ new residential quarters.

For this series of tasks, the better part of a year was just barely enough time.

And that was with ample manpower and abundant funding.

In truth, it was because the four Imperial Consorts had high standards, and the courtiers also wished to stage the grandest wedding ceremony possible for the first Empress in history.

In contrast, the Emperor herself was the most hands-off of all. No matter what she was asked, her answer was always, “That’s fine.”

At the Regent Prince Mansion, Rong Yin was the sole master, so the decorations were naturally his decision. The usually cold and somber mansion welcomed an uncharacteristic liveliness for the first time, with dazzlingly bright red decorations hung everywhere.

Although Rong Yin would be moving into the Imperial Palace after the wedding, he still decorated his mansion with great care.

After his marriage to Her Majesty, he would live with her in the Imperial Palace, but he wanted to keep a place of his own.

‘If he had the chance, he wanted to bring Her Majesty back for short stays. Only here could the two of them truly be alone with each other.’

Mu Yunlian’s mansion was new. At first glance, it was all white walls, teal tiles, and blooming flowers. It possessed a bright, splendid, and almost excessive vibrancy, steeped in luxury.

His mansion didn’t require much special decoration; he simply had it cleaned from top to bottom and hung with red silk.

He focused most of his energy on the Imperial Palace, pouring in vast sums of money. He even had expensive gems and treasures dismantled to be used as decorations, all to create an incomparably luxurious “nest” to entice Her Majesty into his arms.

He was far more excited about entering the palace than he was about his own Mu Mansion.

Li Wei wasn’t particularly skilled at such matters, but he was so popular that a whole host of military generals showed up to help him.

The marriage of the Great General to Her Majesty could not be taken lightly. Everyone pitched in with ideas. They not only cleaned the entire General Mansion but also re-plastered the walls, replaced the roof tiles, and repaved the floors. After hanging various decorations, the place finally looked the part.

To put it nicely, the four Imperial Consorts were marrying Her Majesty. In reality, they were marrying into the Imperial Family.

Mother Li was a traditional woman who believed a wife’s life revolved around her husband. She could not accept Li Wei marrying into another family, even if it was the Imperial Family. To her, the moment Li Wei took that step, the Li family line would be severed.

Li Wei knew she would object, so he adopted two boys from a collateral branch of the family. He had them formally placed under his father’s name, making them his brothers in lineage.

He then built a small nunnery next to his father’s tomb, arranging for servants to attend to his mother as she lived a life of quiet spiritual seclusion. Finally, he promised that after she passed away, she would be buried together with her husband.

The condition for all this was Mother Li’s consent to his marriage.

The imperial decree had already been issued, so Mother Li’s disagreement was futile. He was simply trying to manage the fallout to ensure the wedding could proceed smoothly.

In the end, Mother Li chose to leave. The already weak bond between mother and son was now all but gone. ‘But perhaps that’s for the best,’ he thought. ‘Now I can enter the palace without any attachments.’

Xu Xingchen was the only Imperial Consort who had elders to manage his wedding preparations.

Grand Tutor Xu was getting old and lacked the energy for such tasks, so he petitioned the Emperor to recall Xu Shikai and his wife to the capital.

Although they were his uncle and aunt, they had cared for Xu Xingchen since he was a child and treated him as their own son. To Xu Xingchen, they were no different from his own parents.

Grand Tutor Xu gave them full authority. The couple worked together to manage everything without a hint of resentment for their previous “exile,” wanting only to ensure the wedding was a grand and splendid affair.

After all, Xu Xingchen was the boy they had watched grow up; it was impossible for them not to help him.

Besides, they both knew that their own chance to remain in the Capital City hinged on how well they handled this task.

After more than half a year of preparations, the day finally arrived. The thirteenth of the fourth month: a most auspicious day, perfect for a wedding.

Red silk carpets unfurled from the four mansions, stretching all the way to the main thoroughfare where they converged, leading directly to the Imperial Palace.

At the auspicious hour, the four Imperial Consorts, dressed in their wedding finery, departed from their mansions. They rode on horseback toward the Imperial Palace, where Her Majesty awaited them.

The four mansions were not far apart, so the processions emerged onto the main road at almost the exact same moment.

The four men exchanged a look. Though not a word was spoken, they suddenly spurred their horses onward in a silent, mutual understanding, ultimately galloping nearly the entire way to the Imperial Palace.

They charged all the way to the palace gates, only to find them shut.

In front of the main gates of the Imperial Palace, four figures stood waiting, dressed in fine brocade: Xiao Hong, Xiao Lan, Xiao Cheng, and Xiao Qing.

“Imperial Consorts, please dismount. The rest of the way must be traveled on foot.”