The sun has not yet risen from the alley, the sky is just getting slightly brighter, and the red lantern has been hung high above the Wang's gate. Wang Xiaoer used the existing ladder to lift the Wang's gate from top to bottom, inside and out. It was wiped spotlessly, and finally a big red flower was hung on it, and two big "囍" characters were pasted on it. After looking at the perfect position, he nodded with satisfaction and opened the door.
There were various busy figures in the yard. Even six-year-old Wang Hang was staggering behind the maid Huan'er, moving things around.
Xiao Ling'er tied a beautiful flower on the red satin around her waist, and excitedly ran to Mrs. Zhong and asked her, "Mom, does it look good?"
Mr. Zhong was directing his servants to play with various wedding objects. He didn't bother to talk to her, so he just said casually, "It looks good, it looks good. Go hurry up and hurry up your second brother."
Xiao Ling'er pouted and trotted to the ancestral hall without entering the door. She lay on the door frame, stretched her head and shouted inside, "Second brother, second brother, are you okay? Come on, come on, my mother-in-law is urging me."
"knew!"
There was a response in the ancestral hall, and a tall young man walked out after a moment.
The young man wore a solid crimson dress, a black laurel crown on his head, and a gold and jade belt around his waist. Other than that, he had no other ornaments. It was the consistent Song style of simplicity.
Wang Erlang came out of the ancestral hall and saw the word "囍" all over the courtyard, but he didn't show any joy on his face.
"Second brother, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Ling'er stepped forward and gently shook her second brother's sleeve, "Didn't you always want to marry the Cao family sister? Why are you unhappy today?"
Wang Zhi rubbed her head and smiled, "I'm not unhappy. My brother is very happy."
Xiao Ling'er shook her head in disgust and avoided his big hand. She had just asked Sister Huan'er to comb her little balls in the morning. She couldn't mess up her little balls. "You're talking nonsense. I clearly heard you sigh just now."
"I'm happy." Wang Erlang took her hand and said, "Let's go."
Wang Zhi took his girl to the front yard and greeted the early guests with his mother-in-law.
The first to arrive were relatives of the Cao family, some of Miss Cao's aunts, who came to make Miss Cao's bed and brought part of the dowry to decorate the new house.
Mrs. Zhong welcomed them warmly, and after Wang Zhiyi and his entourage bowed to each other, Mrs. Zhong led them to their new house.
Behind them came Zhao Huan and his group of book historians.
This is Wang Erlang's best man group. They are going to accompany him to welcome the bride, so they naturally have to arrive early.
Of course, the best man at this time is not called best man, but is called "royal" and "groomsman". Most of them are the groom's waiters or younger brothers or juniors, but they are not particularly particular. Brothers of the same generation are also However, as long as he is not married, it will be fine, so Prince Zhao Huan cannot accompany his cousin to welcome the bride. He is just here to see her off. He will have to go back to the mansion for work later and will come over after the wedding ceremony.
Qin Abacus was the first to jump up, pulling Wang Erlang and looking around, his admiration beyond words, "Haha... Aba, you are the youngest among us, but you are the first to get married. You let me Why are you so embarrassed, brothers?"
"Then I don't want to. Once you get married, you will be as free as the sea. I really envy you. Without the shackles of marriage, you can do whatever you want." Wang Erlang pretended to sigh, his lips almost grinning to his ears. Posterior roots.
Qin Abacus spat in his face directly, "You can pull it off, I don't know who keeps talking about 'my wife' all day long, tell me yourself, what have you been doing during this time, no one can be seen. Not."
"Why else should I go..." Wang Erlang muttered, then took Zhao Huan's arm and went to the side with a few people and asked, "Cousin, what do you say from the north? Is there any news?"
The smile on Zhao Huan's face suddenly froze, and he shook his head and said, "We are not optimistic. The Jin soldiers gathered at the border in two groups a few days ago. The imperial court has sent envoys to the Jin Kingdom to question, but there is no news today."
Wang Zhi grabbed his arm and stared blankly ahead without saying a word.
Chen Xiucai stepped forward and patted his shoulder and said: "Aba, don't worry too much. Taiyuan is the most important city in Hedong. There are more than 100,000 people stationed by the Forbidden Army alone. Your father and brother will be fine. "
"Yes, Brother Wang, Tong Guan will not make fun of his own life. He is now in charge of Taiyuan, and nothing will happen to Taiyuan. Otherwise, the child thief would have run away with his timid and cautious character."
Chen Dong was naturally very familiar with the "six thieves" he listed, so he concluded: "As long as Tong Guan is still in Taiyuan, it means Taiyuan is fine."
Wang Zhi reluctantly showed a stiff smile under the comfort of these brothers and friends, "Well, I understand, we won't talk about this today. Come on, follow me to welcome the bride."
Wang Zhi hugged a few people and before leaving the house, Xiao Ling'er hugged her thigh, "Second brother, I have to go pick up the bride too."
Xiao Ling'er has arrived, can the follower be far behind? Sure enough, a little head came out of nowhere and hugged his other thigh, "Uncle, I want to pick up the bride too."
Wang Erlang touched the back of a baby's head with one hand and said, "You don't know how to ride a horse, how can you go to pick up the bride? Just wait for me at home and I will pick up the bride soon."
After all, Xiao Ling'er has grown up and become sensible. She no longer needs to spend time trying to deceive. She let go after hearing that it made sense, "Then you must come back soon."
"Well, look at the sun." Wang Zhi pointed to the sun that had already reached the eaves on the east side and said to her, "I will be back when the sun reaches the eaves on the west side."
"Uh-huh."
Xiao Ling'er nodded, pulled over the follower, and waved goodbye to her second brother.
Outside the door, Mrs. Zhong had already arranged the wedding team. Watching her son go out, she came over and straightened her son's clothes, "I can't accompany you to the wedding. Remember all the etiquette."
Wang Erlang said "hmm" and nodded.
"Don't blame your father and your eldest brother. They also want to come back to attend your evening ceremony, but this plan can't keep up with the changes. Children's personal affairs have to be put aside in the face of national events."
Her son was so tall that Zhong had to raise her head to see her son's face.
Facing Grandma's gaze, Wang Erlang shook his head and said, "Well, I know Grandma, and I don't blame them."
"It doesn't matter that your father and your eldest brother are not here. When your father and I got married, your grandfather was away fighting and had not returned. We don't talk about this in our military family. When your father comes back, just ask your wife to make up for the tea. "
"When you arrive at the Cao family, remember to bow to the elders when you see them, and don't hug them when you come up. I, the Song Dynasty, don't have this etiquette."
Mrs. Zhong was not a trivial woman, but she took the trouble to tell her son over and over again, and her crimson dress was neatly arranged by her.
Wang Erlang was not as impatient as usual, but listened patiently to every word of his mother's instructions.
"Okay, let's go." Mr. Zhong finally dusted his son's sleeves and waved.
Wang Zhi walked to the front of the wedding team, turned over into Dabai with a big red flower on his head, and waved goodbye to his mother-in-law.
In the Song Dynasty, weddings were held in the morning and at dusk. In the morning, the man went to the bride's house to marry the bride, and at dusk the wedding ceremony was held at the groom's house.
The groom mounted his horse and the gongs and drums cleared the way. At the front were two boys holding placards. The wooden sign wrapped in red flowers said "Welcoming the Bride" on one side and "Marriage between Wang and Cao" on the other side.
Behind the wooden sign is a drumming band, including suona players, gong players, drum beaters, lantern holders, basket carriers, and box carriers. They are equipped with flags, gongs, umbrellas, fans, and red sedan chairs. There are also dozens of maids holding various objects. As they move forward with the team, they are as good as anyone before and after them in terms of appearance. If someone from his family is getting married in Bianjing City today, they will probably have to retreat three streets away from the Wang family.
At this time, the wedding team was surrounded by people watching the excitement, and they were all loudly congratulating Little Sage Wang on his wedding.
The groom on the horse straightened his sleeves and bowed to passers-by in return, with a proud look on his face.
Among the people, there were wise men from the Juxian Hall scattered in an orderly manner. They looked around vigilantly, observing all the actions of the people under their gaze.
If Wang Erlang were given another rotten egg today, the joke would be so big that he would never be able to wash it away in his lifetime.
This is also the reason why Wang Zhi no longer insisted after seeing that there was no hope of moving the capital.
Fortunately, after the idea of moving the capital had passed, the people no longer embarrassed Wang Erlang. With the tireless propaganda from the government office and the imperial students, they all knew who the little sage Wang had been proposing to move the capital for.
Except for a few conspiracy theorists, most of the people have forgiven him. As long as there is no mention of moving the capital, Wang Erlang is still the little sage Wang who prays for the people in the hearts of the people, and the new generation of gods in the Song Dynasty.
Under the watch of Chen Guang, Wang Erlang led the welcoming team towards Cao Mansion in Beicheng.
…
As popular as the Wang family is the Cao family in Beicheng. Although the main lineage of the Cao family is small, with only Cao Ji, the eldest son, remaining in this generation, and only Cao Xi in the next generation, branches are indeed spread throughout the Song Dynasty. , although there is no core leader, they are all in high positions. They are not in decline at all as Cao Ji said when he deceived his daughter into getting married.
You must know that the Cao family originally came from the "Zhending Cao family" of the Gao family. Although it is not as immortal as the Langya Wang family, it has been a prominent family since the Tang Dynasty.
Cao Jina's great-grandfather Cao Bin, who was posthumously named the King of Jiyang County, had seven sons, all of whom held high positions of power. His great-grandfather Cao Can was also in the position of prime minister, and his great-uncle Cao Wei was as high as the great-grandfather. A general worthy of enjoying the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
During the more than three hundred years of the Song Dynasty, there were only five military generals who were entitled to enjoy the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The Cao family occupied only two of them, so one can imagine their status.
In the third generation, there was Empress Cao, who was regarded as a generation of virtuous queen after three dynasties and sixteen years of behind-the-scenes administration. More than 200 people were appointed, promoted, and had their salaries increased for the Cao family.
How powerful was the Zhending Cao family during the Renzong period? It can be summed up by a sentence from Song Xiang, the prime minister at that time: "Today, among the princes and families, Cao is the head."
