Chapter 471: The Golden Phoenix Spreads Its Wings, the Investiture Ceremony

The wedding grandma re-styled Ji Qingwu’s hair and lightly applied powder and rouge to her face, all while spouting an endless stream of auspicious words.

On such a joyous day, Ji Qingwu was happy to hear them, though her face was growing stiff from smiling so much.

Just as they finished their preparations, the clamorous sound of drums and gongs erupted outside.

Inside the courtyard, the towering parasol tree was laden with coral glass lamps, a truly beautiful sight. The entire Ji Mansion was draped in red silk satin, with large red lanterns hung high.

Ji Bo Lian and Mrs. Qiao were already waiting in the main hall. Old Madam Ji and Ji Qingyuan sat to the side. When they saw Ji Qingwu enter, they all quickly rose to bow.

Ji Qingwu held a golden silk fan in her left hand to cover her face. It was embroidered with the "One Hundred Sons and One Thousand Grandsons" motif, so exquisitely detailed that the expressions on the figures were incredibly lifelike.

She raised her right wrist, revealing a gold bracelet engraved with a Ruyi Tianhua brocade pattern, and gestured for them to rise.

Mrs. Qiao stepped forward and, with a pair of silver scissors wrapped with twin lotus flowers, made a snipping motion between Ji Qingwu’s hands.

"As you depart for the vast palace, I snip away all trials and tribulations for Her Majesty, the Empress."

Ji Qingwu squeezed Mrs. Qiao’s hand and said, "Thank you, Mother."

Mrs. Qiao’s eyes instantly reddened. Ji Bo Lian’s beard trembled as he said in a hoarse voice, "Empress, the palace is not like home. If..."

Ji Qingwu said softly, "Father, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing."

From the side, Old Madam Ji said, "The Empress should depart now. We mustn’t delay the auspicious hour, lest the Emperor find fault."

Emperor Wu Su was waiting for her in Jiyin Hall at the palace, where they would together receive the congratulations of all civil and military officials.

The hour had been calculated by a master invited by the palace long ago. This imperial wedding, watched by all, could not have any mistakes.

Ji Qingwu turned around, blinked, and forced back the bitter tears welling in her eyes.

’She just couldn’t bear to see Mr. Ji and Mrs. Qiao looking so sad. Even though she was getting married, she was still their daughter. That would never change.’

Outside, red silk ribbons were tied to every tree in the city. Soldiers lined the roads to maintain order as an endless, surging crowd of people stood shoulder to shoulder. Every one of them was craning their neck, eager to catch a glimpse of the Empress’s graceful bearing.

The Empress’s Queen’s sedan chair was already waiting at the gate. Behind it stood thirty-six eunuchs. Small jade bells hung from the eaves of the sedan, chiming on their own without any wind.

Ji Qingwu walked to the main gate. The moment she appeared, the common people erupted in fervent cheers.

In front of the Queen’s sedan chair was a large, reddish-brown horse adorned with red silk. The person sitting atop it was the Imperial Ceremony Officer.

When Ji Qingwu saw clearly who it was, her steps faltered.

’She had thought her eldest brother would serve as the Imperial Ceremony Officer. Strangely enough, she didn’t seem to have seen Ji Changlin at all since she returned home.’

’But even if Ji Changlin was busy and unavailable, the role of Imperial Ceremony Officer for the grand wedding should never have fallen to Wei Ting.’

’Wei Ting’s face was still travel-worn, and his eyes were full of exhaustion. He must have ridden through the night from the Northern Border and rushed to the gates of the Ji Mansion without even a moment to catch his breath.’

The corners of his mouth were curved in a barely perceptible smile. When he saw her appear, he was clearly taken aback for a moment.

But Wei Ting didn’t remain stunned for long. He immediately dismounted, walked up to her, and, with his chest heaving, announced in a loud voice, "This general greets Your Majesty! This general has been ordered to escort you into the palace!"

Ji Qingwu frowned slightly.

’Was he really ordered?’

’There wasn’t the slightest hint of reluctance in Wei Ting’s expression.’

’Did Emperor Wu Su summon him back, or did he volunteer...’

The surrounding crowd was whispering among themselves, and some of their words drifted into Ji Qingwu’s ears.

Her furrowed brow relaxed, and she instantly understood why Wei Ting was here.

"General Zhenbei is truly a good man. Turns out he only proposed marriage to protect the Empress, the little prince, and the princess from being assassinated by Xijin’s assassins. It was all an act."

"That’s right. As soon as the Emperor dealt with those Xijin scoundrels, he rushed back to marry the Empress. And General Zhenbei is here to escort her on the Emperor’s behalf. The relationship between this ruler and his subject must be really good..."

A flicker of light passed through Ji Qingwu’s eyes.

’Emperor Wu Su and Wei Ting have a good relationship, and her marriage to Wei Ting was at the Emperor’s request... who spread such rumors?’

Ji Qingwu was well aware that no matter how they tried to cover it up, they couldn’t hide the fact that she had once married into the Wei Family and lived there for a time.

The history books would surely record it, and she would inevitably be criticized by later generations.

But now, with Wei Ting acting as her Imperial Ceremony Officer on her wedding day and personally escorting her into the palace, these rumors were being confirmed...

Ji Qingwu looked at Wei Ting with a complicated expression.

But Wei Ting avoided her gaze, looking at the red carpet on the ground as he said in a clear voice, "The auspicious hour is approaching. Will the Empress please proceed."

Ji Qingwu straightened her back, stepped out of the main gate of the Ji Mansion, and walked toward the sedan chair.

Before she boarded the sedan, Wei Ting raised his left arm for her to rest her wrist on for support.

Ji Qingwu glanced at Wei Ting and finally spoke, "Thank you, General Wei."

’Was she thanking him for his support, for being her ceremonial officer, or for something else entirely...’

Wei Ting still did not look at her. Instead, he stared at the phoenix embroidery on the hem of her ceremonial cape and said in a low voice, "Between you and me, there is never a need for thanks."

Ji Qingwu took her seat in the Queen’s sedan chair. The golden phoenix on her phoenix crown seemed ready to spread its wings and fly, carrying her along with it toward Phoenix Palace.

*

「Jiyin Hall.」

The glazed tiles shimmered brilliantly. The area outside the great hall was decorated in an extremely festive and magnificent manner.

Aunt Fanghua, acting as the guiding female official, supported Ji Qingwu as she walked to the foot of the high platform.

On both sides of the platform, all the officials stood solemnly. The Emperor, standing before the hall, had also changed into auspicious attire, but it was not the bright red wedding garment that would match hers.

Instead, it was the black court robe an Emperor wears when establishing his Empress.

Ji Qingwu raised her eyes to look at Emperor Wu Su, who stood upon the high platform.

She had seen his imposing figure in court robes before, but this outfit was clearly different from what the Emperor wore for court sessions or ancestor worship.

From his twelve-tassel Xuanyu crown dangled reddish-golden beads. His chest was adorned with bright yellow silk embroidery featuring eight clusters of colorful clouds, dragons, phoenixes, and the double happiness symbol, representing the union of the dragon and phoenix.

This set of clothes could only be worn during the ceremony of investing an Empress.

Because the distance was too great, Ji Qingwu couldn’t see the Emperor’s face clearly and didn’t know his expression. But judging from his tall and straight posture, he seemed as serene and steady as a jade tree or a green pine.

The most important part of the wedding ceremony had arrived.

The Empress needed to ascend the high platform to perform the investiture ceremony, where she would personally receive the golden book and gold treasure—symbols of her status—from the Emperor.

There were five flights of stairs in total, each with nine steps.

Ji Qingwu needed to walk to his side, step by step.

Ceremonial music began to play. Ji Qingwu ascended the steps. The train of her phoenix robe swayed with a controlled swing of three inches. The golden hairpins behind her phoenix crown swayed gently, and not a single one of the dangling East Pearls collided.

Even the third petal of the golden-thread peony on the toe of her shoe remained perfectly parallel to the edge of the steps.

Ji Qingwu took each step with steadiness and grace.

The officials watched her, their gazes following her every move. Lu Juan, dressed in crimson-purple official robes, was on the left, while Duan Mingfeng stood on the right in navy blue. Prince Yong stood at the very front.

Ji Qingwu had no time to see their expressions. Her heart pounded like a drum, and her palms were sweating. ’On an occasion like this, I absolutely cannot make a fool of myself.’

Holding her breath and focusing all her attention, she finally reached the last two steps.