Chapter 301: The First Month
Even if the Li family poured all their strength into it, they couldn’t afford a wedding that was a suitable match for the Prince Rui’s Mansion. The wedding date was chosen for the twelfth lunar month to let the hustle and bustle of the New Year celebrations dilute the wedding.
The day after Li Jinzhu’s recognition of kinship, she set off to return to Pingjiang City.
Staying here would offer no help to A Nan and would only give A Nan more to worry about. Besides, after Yuzhu’s marriage, she and Sister-in-law Yin were already incredibly busy. With her departure, Sister-in-law Yin would surely be overwhelmed, and she couldn’t delay for too long.
Her younger brothers and sisters were all married now; from now on, they would each look after themselves. Business was her own affair.
Li Shikuan and Old Master Hong stayed for a few more days, paying visits to the Wei Family, the Yang Family, and other affinal relatives and old friends of the Prince Rui’s Mansion. They also received visits from the Liangzhe Circuit merchant associations and prominent families from Jiangnan in the Capital City. They were busy until the Kitchen God Festival. The two old masters then took a large boat and rushed back to Pingjiang City day and night.
Li Xiaonan marrying into the Prince Rui’s Mansion with Wan Jing, Yu Ting, and A Wu meant that only on their wedding night were she and Gu Yan together. Even that wasn’t quite right; that night wasn’t just the two of them, as there were on-duty old women and maids outside the curtain.
The next day, they rose before dawn for the wedding ceremony and recognition of kinship. The relatives of the Prince Rui’s Mansion were recognized with the Imperial Clan Court holding a booklet. This process lasted from before dawn until after dawn the next day.
The following day was ancestral worship, where her name was written after Gu Yan’s. Then they went to the imperial tombs outside the city for worship, followed by sacrifices to the gods, both outside the city, inside the city, and within the mansion…
Next was the visit to the Palace. The Heir Consort of Prince Rui had to pay respects, and besides, the Emperor’s family was also relatives of the Prince Rui’s Mansion.
This series of sacrifices, visits, and meetings made Li Xiaonan truly understand that marriage was not about marrying one person, but marrying into a family.
Li Xiaonan alighted from the carriage outside Donghua Gate, looking up at the majestic city gate.
“You didn’t see me?” Gu Yan leaned over to look at Li Xiaonan.
“I saw you. I saw you first, then the city gate.” Li Xiaonan couldn’t see the top of the city gate; she was too close to it, right at the entrance of the gate archway.
“Let’s go, it’s windy here.” Gu Yan reached out to tighten Li Xiaonan’s cloak and gestured for Li Xiaonan to hold on.
“Mm. Before coming, Mother instructed that the Emperor’s energy was not good, so she told me not to delay too much,” Li Xiaonan said softly.
“With me accompanying you, why would you need to worry about that? You don’t need to concern yourself with this,” Gu Yan said with a smile.
“Then won’t you give me any instructions?” Li Xiaonan asked.
“Just answer when asked.”
“You always say that.”
For the past ten days or so, no matter who he met, Gu Yan’s instruction was always the same.
“Before the New Year, it’s just the usual etiquette. I’ll properly instruct you during the New Year wine after the New Year,” Gu Yan paused his steps, lowering his head to look at Li Xiaonan carefully.
In the sunlight, Li Xiaonan’s skin was fair and delicate, but it lacked some color.
“Have you been tired lately?” Gu Yan asked.
“I’m tired day and night.” Li Xiaonan watched the officials and clerks who had moved aside.
She could manage to bow and lower her eyes as she passed their avoidance, but she couldn’t pretend not to see them. To be able to treat them as if they were invisible, like Gu Yan, probably required cultivation from a young age.
Gu Yan chuckled, “Last night I asked if you were tired, and you said no.”
“Where do you work?” Li Xiaonan changed the subject.
“Over there.” Gu Yan pointed behind him. “After the audience, shall I take you to see it?”
“Okay.” Li Xiaonan craned her neck to look.
Gu Yan chuckled aloud; she was curious about everything.
After entering the Palace gates, Li Xiaonan followed a step behind Gu Yan, her eyes lowered, not daring to look around anymore.
A young eunuch was already waiting at the Palace entrance and led the two inside.
Li Xiaonan followed behind Gu Yan into the Ning’an Hall. When Gu Yan knelt, she knelt too; when Gu Yan kowtowed, she kowtowed. They performed the grand ceremony and heard a weak voice devoid of energy say, “Get up. Come closer, let me see you.”
Gu Yan gently nudged Li Xiaonan, and she walked to the couch. The Emperor was half-sitting, half-lying on the couch. She slightly lowered her head, and he was within her line of sight.
Li Xiaonan paused slightly, wondering if she should kneel, when the Emperor gently gestured, “Sit.”
The young eunuch very quickly placed a brocade stool in front of the couch.
Li Xiaonan curtsied her thanks and sat on the brocade stool. She looked at the Emperor again, meeting his gaze as he scrutinized her.
“She’s a brave little girl,” the Emperor said with a smile. “Yan Ge’er says you often act like a teacher to him?”
“I didn’t act like a teacher; I taught him lessons.” Li Xiaonan was a bit unsure how to answer, as she hadn’t expected the Emperor to speak to her like this.
The Emperor laughed, “Live well from now on.”
“Yes.” Li Xiaonan stood up instinctively.
“Your Majesty, rest assured,” Gu Yan replied with a bow.
The Emperor leaned back against the cushion. Gu Yan took Li Xiaonan’s hand and quietly tiptoed out of the grand hall.
After leaving the grand hall, Li Xiaonan looked back, just as two imperial physicians carrying medicine chests came running over.
Alas, the Emperor was already so unwell. No wonder Princess Consort Wei had instructed her that way.
After the New Year, there would likely be no New Year wine.
Before the New Year arrived, on the morning of the Kitchen God Festival, Gu Yan and Prince Rui were urgently summoned to the Palace by arriving eunuchs.
Princess Consort Wei watched Prince Rui rush out, unable to finish saying, “Let’s sacrifice to the Kitchen God,” her throat catching.
Li Xiaonan looked at Princess Consort Wei, who was unable to suppress her grief, and thought of the Emperor, who was so ill that his features were almost unrecognizable. Her heart was also filled with sadness.
The impermanence of life.
The Kitchen God Festival was observed peacefully in the Prince’s Mansion, just as it was throughout Jianle City. The next day at noon, the long bell announcing the collapse of the imperial mausoleum rang out from the Palace, spreading throughout Jianle City and then across the Empire’s north and south.
Upon hearing the bell, Princess Consort Wei immediately sent someone to deliver the mourning clothes, which had been prepared long ago, to Prince Rui and Gu Yan.
Li Xiaonan stayed by Princess Consort Wei’s side. Amidst the tolling of the bells, she changed into mourning clothes. The stewards in the mansion distributed stacks of mourning clothes, directing the pasting of white and red lanterns and the pasting of white, vibrant door lintels…
Li Xiaonan followed Princess Consort Wei, watching as the festive decorations transformed into mourning attire, like water overflowing.
She stayed close to Princess Consort Wei but was merely an observer. She couldn’t help with anything.
Princess Consort Wei simply had her follow along; it wasn’t that she wanted to reprimand Li Xiaonan. Amidst such a major event, she had no time to reprimand Li Xiaonan. Besides, she was so sad that she had no mood to reprimand anyone.
Li Xiaonan was like she used to be when following her Eldest Sister and Second Sister, watching them work. She tried her best not to be in the way, only marveling, “If Princess Consort Wei were a general, she would undoubtedly be an extremely outstanding one.”
Soon, the eunuch who had been sent to summon them to the Palace for mourning arrived.
Li Xiaonan, as the Heir Consort, received her imperial decree on her wedding day, along with other imperial grants. She rushed to the Palace with Princess Consort Wei to mourn.
The Emperor was now the late Emperor. The late Emperor had been ill for a long time, and preparations for the mausoleum had begun long ago. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, yet the busy and tedious rituals were not omitted. Li Xiaonan didn’t even realize which day was Lunar New Year’s Eve as the year passed.
When it finally concluded and she could return to rest properly, Li Xiaonan went straight to her courtyard and fell asleep.
In the month since marrying into Prince Rui’s Mansion, she had spent the first half of the month performing sacrifices to the gods and the latter half in mourning. Every day was from morning till night; even a corporate slave wouldn’t be this tired.
