A few days later, a happy event caused a sensation in Luoyang.
With the support of the Empress Dowager Bian, Emperor Cao Rui finally formally granted marriage to his cousin, Changling Changshi and Changling Marquis Xiahou Xuan.
The person whom the emperor granted marriage to Xia Houxuan was an unknown girl from Qi. This is a strange thing. After all, everyone in Luoyang City knows that the Xiahou family is the first noble family with different surnames in this dynasty, and all the outstanding children in the family have been married to royal princesses for many years.
For example, this is the case with Xiahou Mao, the military minister of the current dynasty, and Princess Qinghe, and Xiahou Shang, the former general of the southern expedition, and Cao Jue, the princess of Deyang Township.
The marriage between the Cao and Xia families has been established in this dynasty for many years. However, we never expected that this established practice would be broken in the hands of this young new head of the Xiahou family of the Changling Marquis lineage.
After the emperor granted the marriage, Xia Houxuan personally started arranging the wedding arrangements. Although Xia Houxuan is smart and capable, he still knows little about hosting weddings. Therefore, the housekeeper Gu Ting began to work hard.
Since Huigu's parents died young, she was raised by her master Wu Pu and her uncle Fan A, so Xia Houxuan sent the letter of appointment to Dayan's pair and sent someone to the homes of Fan'a and Wu Pu in Langya, Qingzhou as a token of " The gift of "acceptance".
As for the ritual of "asking for names", commonly known as the ritual of combining eight characters, Xia Houxuan made careful preparations without any mistakes.
[Note 1: First, the matchmaker sends the woman's horoscope to the man's home. The man needs to put it in front of the ancestor's case for inspection for a few days. If there is nothing wrong at home these days, the man's horoscope will be sent to the woman's home. During these days, if there is something unlucky like theft, damage to items, or illness in the family of either party, the marriage will be aborted. 】
Immediately afterwards, the "Naji" ceremony, the "Acceptance" ceremony, and the "Applying Date" ceremony were all prepared in an orderly manner under the arrangements of the owner Xia Houxuan and the housekeeper Gu Ting.
According to etiquette, the Changling Marquis Mansion and the Shaoling Marquis Mansion each prepared the following betrothal gifts:
A mouthful of white sheep, two pieces of broccoli, fifty pieces of silk, two pieces of animal skins, one hundred thousand coins, one piece of jade, twelve hugs of wine, and twelve husks of white rice.
[Note 2: "Naji" is also called "Xiao Ding" or "Wen Ding", which is the engagement ceremony. The man chooses an auspicious day to go to the woman's house and gives the bride a token of love. "Na Zheng" is commonly known as the big engagement or the final engagement. The man selects an auspicious day to hold an engagement ceremony at the woman's home. The collection is usually carried out from ten days to one month before the wedding. In addition to the bride price, six or twelve gifts must be prepared. The names of the bride gifts have auspicious connotations, and the number is an even number, which means pairs. "Requesting date" is commonly known as date selection. The groom's family selects the wedding day and asks the bride's family for approval. 】
In the blink of an eye, the most complicated and important step among the six rites has arrived: welcoming in person.
A few days later, it will be an auspicious day.
On this day, the streets of Luoyang were crowded with people, and the people passing by were like a surging tide. It was bustling and lively.
Today's Luoyang is probably more lively than the civil and military weddings at Luoshui River and Xuanwu Field a few years ago.
Because today is a special day - Xia Houxuan, the Sanqi Changshi, the owner of Changlinghou Mansion, and Cao Xi, the deputy general of Wuweiying, the third son of Shaolinghou Mansion, will marry their brides at the same time today.
Naturally, there have been weddings of important people in Luoyang City, but such lively days where several big families organized weddings together are really rare.
Because of this, everyone in Luoyang wanted to see the two famous young talents in the capital and the two brides with their own eyes.
Many people even thought that it would be great to just take a look at the luxurious honor guard motorcade welcoming them from a distance.
The auspicious moment has arrived. On the Long Street of Qingshiguandao in the inner city of Luoyang, dozens of soldiers of the Xuanjia Guards of the Xiahou Mansion, dressed in red costumes and riding horses, are crowding around with a group of servants who are playing and playing. There was a sedan chair carried by eight people, followed by the bride-welcoming ceremonial convoy escorted by fifty chariots of the head of the family Xia Houxuan [Note 3], with gongs and drums beating, and it was very lively.
[Note 3: During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the number of carriages for the first-grade official titles and weddings was one hundred for the prince, fifty for the first-grade officials, thirty for the second and third grades, twenty for the fourth and fifth grades, and ten for the sixth and seventh grades. There are five carriages for the eighth grade and even common people. Xia Houxuan's Marquis of Changling was of the first rank. 】
The groom, Xia Houxuan, was dressed in a red wedding dress, with a red headband on his hair. He was riding a white horse with an elegant gait and an extraordinary steed. He looked very handsome and eye-catching.
The bride is waiting for the groom to welcome her in the gauze tent of Qinglu in the eastern suburbs outside the city. Li Huigu wears a phoenix crown and Xiapei, sitting in the green gauze tent. [Note 4] She was obviously a little nervous and couldn't help but hold on to her red sleeves. He is waiting for marriage in a green house, and a white horse welcomes him. Moreover, the person he is marrying is not a stranger he has never met, but a lover with a deep friendship. This makes me less uneasy and anxious, and my heart doubles with joy and happiness.
[Note 4: "In the ancient wedding customs of the northern dynasties, the bride had to wait in a green gauze tent (i.e. Qinglu) to be welcomed. From the Eastern Han Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty, the ancients held weddings in tents made of green cloth. "Qinglu" The "hut" is usually located on the "auspicious place" in the southwest corner of the house. The bride getting off the sedan walks on the specially prepared felt mat and finally enters the green house. "New Ode to the Jade Terrace·An Ancient Poetry Written by Jiao Zhongqing's Wife": "On the day of cattle and horses Hiss, the bride enters the green house. "Youyang Zazu·Etiquette" written by Duan Chengshi of the Tang Dynasty: "For weddings in the Northern Dynasties, green cloth curtains were used as houses, inside and outside the door, called Qinglu, where people worshiped. " Pu Songling's "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio - Goddess" of the Qing Dynasty: "The young master said goodbye and said: 'Tomorrow night, on the ninth day of the seventh lunar month, the new moon will appear, and a girl will get married. It is an auspicious day, so we can prepare for the Qinglu. 'In addition to using "Qinglu" as the wedding room for couples to get married, the ancients sometimes also called the wedding "Qinglu". This has the same meaning as how we now use "bridal chamber flowers and candles" to refer to marriage. In modern times, some people still refer to "Qinglu" as a wedding venue. ”]
After a while, the distant music and voices outside the tent got closer and closer, and she knew that it was his personal welcome guard who was coming.
"Bride, please come out... Bride, please come out... Get on the sedan chair and come in..." Outside the tent, the accompanying servants of Xiahou Mansion, Xiahou Xuan's relatives and friends, and the people on the roadside who were watching all began to say They shouted nonsense about "pressing makeup" [Note 5]. The shouts of Xun Can, He Kuan, Sima Zhao, Zhuge Dan, Wei Lie, Yu Huan, Guan Qiu Jian and other relatives and friends were particularly loud, so that Hui Gu's already red makeup blushed even more.
[Note 5: This is an ancient wedding custom, urging makeup, also called urging makeup. According to the old custom, when a bride gets married, she must be urged many times before she starts dressing up and leaving. Or it may be said that this is a custom left over from the ancient plundering of marriage traces. Duan Chengshi of the Tang Dynasty, "Youyang Zazu·Etiquette" states that at a wedding in the Northern Dynasties, the husband's family led people in a carriage to the bride's house, shouting "Bride, please come out", which lasted until the bride got on the carriage. 】
And today, Xia Houxuan, wearing a red wedding crown, a heroic red wedding dress, and a bowl of big red flowers on his chest, came riding with a white horse, followed by dozens of chariots, he was so high-spirited, It even made the people of Luoyang who were watching marvel with joy.
The two maids Xiniang who came to welcome the bride slowly came to the Qinglu tent amidst the cheers of the crowd, carefully supported the bride, and drove slowly towards the groom's car. Huigu and Wei Yuan The bride just got into Xia Houxuan's and Cao Xi's sedan chairs, and then headed towards Jiuhua Terrace in the southern suburbs.
Originally, according to wedding customs, the groom should take the bride back to his home for a ceremony, but this time His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress Dowager Bian wanted to witness with their own eyes Xia Houxuan and Cao Xi as elders. It was a wedding, so the two families decided that Jiuhua Terrace would be the auspicious place to attend the ceremony.
As a prince of the royal family, Cao Xi was accompanied by ninety ceremonial vehicles, which was only ten fewer than the ceremonial convoy for the prince's wedding. This grand occasion made the people of Luoyang cheer for it, and many young scholars secretly vowed to seek fame in the future so that they could be so high-spirited on their wedding day.
The two people's welcoming motorcade left the two city gates in the city: Pingchang Gate and Jinyang Gate almost at the same time, beating gongs and drums, and slowly headed towards Jiuhua Terrace on the outskirts of the city.
[Note 6: In the wedding etiquette of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the prince's wedding convoy numbered 100 vehicles. Cao Xizhi's father, Cao Zhen, was the adopted son of Emperor Wu Cao Cao who entered the Cao family genealogy, and his status as a prince was only one step away. 】
Xia Houxuan and Cao Xi each carefully welcomed their brides from the sedan chair and climbed up the stairs.
According to the wedding customs at this time, the two brides did not wear hijab, but each held a folding fan and covered their faces with their hands. It is said that only the bride can meet her husband after paying homage to the church, so that it will be auspicious.
[Note 7: This is the wedding custom of Quefan in the south of Han and Wei dynasties. 】
Si Lilang and Gu Ting, the housekeeper of Xiahou Mansion, were already in place at this time. Seeing that the two newlyweds were ready, they were extremely excited. He silently said to his deceased master Xia Houshang in his heart: General, look, Xuan'er will finally get married today. At the same time, Gu Ting shouted according to etiquette: "Bride price!"
Xia Houxuan, the groom's official, and Cao Xi's matchmaker and servants immediately presented the betrothal gifts they had prepared.
After Gu Ting saw that the ceremony was completed, he continued to shout: "Welcome the bride!"
Xiahou Xuan, Huigu, Cao Xi and Wei Yuan each held a handkerchief (i.e. a hydrangea ball or a concentric knot, which was called a handkerchief in the Han Dynasty). In the presence of Sima Shi, Sima Zhao, Xun Can, Fu Gu, He Kuan, and Zhuge Under the guidance of their relatives and friends, Dan and Yu Huan entered the wedding hall together.
The two newlyweds finally arrived in front of the family elders under the guidance of the visitor.
On the high platform, in the Xitang, Emperor Cao Rui and Empress Dowager Bian were facing the south and sitting on rattan couches at the foot of the steps. General Shaoling Hou Cao Zhen, Princess Cao Jue of Deyang Township, and Minister of Civil Affairs Wei Zhen, etc. The elders, sitting on the left and right, watched the festive ceremony slowly approaching from a distance. At this moment, everyone's face was filled with expressions of happiness, joy and relief.
Seeing that the newlyweds were already seated, Gu Ting, the chief minister, continued to preside over the wedding. He praised loudly:
"Although the ceremony is simple, the ceremony is magnificent; heaven is superior to the earth and the earth is humble, and the king, the village, and the ministers are respectful. When a man and a woman marry, the phoenix and the dragon follow the dragon; there is no need to establish a marriage, the family is prosperous and the country is prosperous. The newlyweds both worship heaven and earth!"
At this time, Xiniang, who was waiting for the newlyweds, took away the handkerchiefs held by the two newlyweds, while Si Lilang continued to shout:
"kneel!"
Xia Houxuan, Hui Gu, Cao Xi and Wei Yuan were overjoyed at this moment.
They joined hands with their loved ones and kowtowed three times to the center of the Hall of Happiness.
Si Lilang saw that the ceremony of worshiping heaven and earth was completed, so he continued to shout: "Get up! Bow to the high hall!"
Xia Houxuan took Huigu's hand and slowly turned to the seats where his grandmother, the Queen Mother Bian, and his mother, Cao Jue, were sitting, and slowly bowed down. In this way, the two newlyweds kowtowed three times and knelt down in the high hall.
Cao Rui, Empress Dowager Bian, and the newcomer's elder parents Cao Zhen, Cao Jue, Wei Zhen and others looked at Xia Houxuan, Li Huigu, Cao Xi, and Wei Yuan as they knelt down and worshiped, their faces filled with relief.
Gu Ting was so filled with joy at this moment that his voice had an imperceptible tremor. He continued to shout in praise: "Get up! Pay homage to the matchmaker!"
At this time, the two newlyweds turned to the east of the wedding hall and bowed to the matchmaker. The ceremony of bowing to the matchmaker was completed.
When Gu Ting saw that the ceremony was completed, he shouted loudly: "Husband and wife, bow to each other!"
With a smile on his face, Xia Houxuan gently held Huigu's hand and returned to the center of the wedding hall. Xiahouxuan looked at Huigu's red hijab, and even his breathing became rapid. The two newlyweds knelt down in front of each other and kowtowed three times again.
Gu Ting looked at the tall and handsome Xia Houxuan and Cao Xi, and then recalled those innocent and lovely children back then. He could no longer hide the relief and joy in his heart. He shouted at the top of his voice: "Get up! The newcomers are coming in." The bridal chamber!".
At this point, the wedding is finally over.
After the emperor and the empress dowager witnessed the wedding of the couple, the couple's two teams of vehicles resumed carrying the bride towards their respective mansions in the city.
The Changling Marquis Mansion is now decorated with lanterns and festoons, and new red silk and lanterns are hung on each eaves.
"Please invite the newlyweds to perform the wedding ceremony."
In the wedding room, the maid held a lacquer plate in her hand. On the plate was a jar of new wine and two wine glasses tied with red thread. Under the guidance of the ceremonial maid, Xia Houxuan and Li Huigu each picked up half of the wine glasses and filled them with wine to drink.
[Note 8: In the Zhou Dynasty, a planed gourd was used to make Henuo wine, while in the Han Dynasty, a wine cup was sufficient. 】
"I want to know you and live a long life." Li Huigu looked at her husband Xia Houxuan with affection and recited this Yuefu love song involuntarily.
"Mountains have no mausoleums, and rivers are exhausted. Winter thunders tremble, and summer rains and snows. Heaven and earth are united, so I dare to be with you." Xia Houxuan held his wife Huigu in his arms, and the feeling of happiness came over him like a tide. He felt that everything was wonderful. Like a dream, he said silently in his heart:
I hope that I can shoulder the heavy responsibility of this family in the future and love Huigu all my life.
After night falls, the brilliance of the colorful lanterns and red cages in Luoyang City is reflected on the Luoshui River, making it look extremely gorgeous. On this day, the city of Luoyang was filled with joy, and even the clouds in the sky seemed to be stained with a layer of blush.
