The Virtuous Concubine

At the hour of Hai, the moon is bright and the wind is gentle.

The Nalan Mansion was decorated with lights and was extremely bustling at this moment, simply because the auspicious time had arrived. The wedding procession was as long as a gorgeous dragon, and it set off in a mighty procession amid the sound of gongs and drums, winding its way towards the bride's home.

At the front were the witnesses on horseback and the matchmaker sitting in a large saddle cart.

After that, there came four "bride-giving masters" riding on tall and fine horses. They were all handsome and heroic, and were all young talents carefully selected by the Nalan family.

The handsome faces and upright figures attracted passers-by to stop and watch, and they whispered in admiration for the demeanor of these young talents.

Behind them was a long line of deacons, holding "ox horn lanterns", various percussion instruments, umbrellas, flags, incense, stoves, etc. It was very lively.

In the center of the procession is the bride's big red sedan, with fluttering red silk and shining gold ornaments.

Finally, there were two large saddle carriages at the rear, on which sat the two bridesmaids, the two who delivered the dragon and phoenix invitations to the noble lady of the Lu family on the day of the ceremony.

Everyone had a rosy face and was smiling.

Soon, after the wedding party arrived at the bride's house, the groom was locked outside the door and had to start "begging for the door".

I saw those talented young men outside the door reciting poems, writing essays, practicing archery and boxing, trying their best to make the bride's family smile so that they would open the door.

The bride's family inside the door did not make things too difficult for her. They just walked around twice before opening the door.

The bride walked out slowly surrounded by the crowd, and everyone exclaimed as soon as she appeared.

She was wearing a bright red wedding gown, the brocade as brilliant as the sunset glow, and embroidered with exquisite auspicious designs in gold and silver threads.

This was not the most luxurious part of her wedding dress. She wore a dazzling phoenix crown on her head, inlaid with countless round and full pearls and dazzling gems.

However, the bride's face was covered by a veil and pearl necklaces, so everyone could only see that she had a petite and delicate figure, but no one could see her true appearance.

The bride did not stay outside for long, but quickly got into the bridal sedan as her mother and others watched.

The wedding procession, with the bride, would deliberately take some detours to show their pomp and circumstance when returning. But no matter how far the route was, they would make it, and the procession soon arrived at the Nalan family's residence.

The groom symbolically shoots three arrows at the bride's sedan chair to drive away evil spirits.

Rong Ruo was wearing a bright red groom's suit, his posture was as straight as a pine tree, his hands tightly grasped the jujube wood bow, he raised his arms, aimed at the golden bead on the top of the sedan chair, but his eyes were in a trance.

The bright lights and the pearls, jade and brocade illuminated by the lights suddenly turned into a blurry halo before his eyes.

During the day, the image of Malu holding the letter and looking at it carefully through the window, and then lowering her head and gently stroking the golden phoenix hairpin quietly appeared before his eyes.

He wanted to escape so badly.

He just couldn't fit in with the noisy and festive scene before him.

Rong Ruo tried hard to bring his mind back to the present, but the blurry halo seemed to still be swaying before his eyes.

The laughter of the guests echoed in his ears. He took a deep breath, narrowed his eyes slightly, then loosened his fingers lightly, and the arrow flew out with a whoosh, drawing a graceful arc in the air and accurately shot towards the golden bead.

The guests around burst into cheers, and the atmosphere was instantly pushed to a climax.

Lu Yuchan, who was waiting in the sedan chair, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the sound of the arrow.

She had changed into her "wedding shoes" early in the sedan chair, and after the groom finished shooting arrows, she would step on a small red stool and then over the fire basin, implying a prosperous married life.

I don’t know if I was too nervous or too excited... Lu Yuchan always felt that the time she spent waiting in the sedan chair was extraordinarily long.

Soon, she was led to the tent, where a highly respected maid came to do a face-cut and change her hair bun, and then she would go to the hall to worship the Big Dipper.

Worshiping in the hall is naturally about worshiping heaven and earth, while worshiping the Big Dipper is a Manchu custom.

The groom's family will set up a table in the courtyard, with altars and offerings on the table. The newlyweds will kneel on the left and right of the low table to worship Changbai Mountain and their ancestors, and they will exchange cups of wine three times.

When everything is over, it’s time for the bridal chamber.

Rong Ruo and Lu Yuchan were like two puppets, being arranged by the singing nanny. Following the ritual movements, it was finally time to make a fuss in the bridal chamber.

Jueluo was afraid that Nalan would go crazy again in front of everyone. After all, when they were shooting arrows before, she felt that her son was becoming obsessed again and was reluctant to shoot arrows.

So, she immediately stepped forward and drove everyone away. Everyone knew that Jueluo was fierce, and everyone tactfully went to the front to continue drinking.

The surroundings gradually became quiet, and Lu Yuchan clearly felt that there was someone sitting next to her. She knew in her heart that this was her future husband.

Her cheeks were so red that they seemed to be dripping with blood. However, time passed by minute by minute, and she didn't know how long she had been waiting. He remained silent and did not lift the red veil.

Lu Yuchan couldn't help but feel a little uneasy and confused. She moved her body slightly, trying to remind him, thinking that maybe her husband just wasn't mentally prepared yet.

But as time went on, the silence continued, and the atmosphere in the room became increasingly solemn, as if even the air had become stagnant.

Lu Yuchan twisted her hands together unconsciously. Before she could say anything, Nalan suddenly stood up and walked out.

The new son-in-law's action really shocked everyone around Lu Yuchan.

Everyone looked at each other, secretly wondering what this meant.

Lu Yuchan was also stunned for a moment. She could no longer suppress the doubts and uneasiness in her heart, so she simply lifted the veil herself.

Seeing that there were only servants in the room, she asked, "What's going on? Husband...where is he?"

The maid of the Nalan family came up to smooth things over: "The eldest young master has gone to the front to drink with his brothers and friends, so please be patient, young lady. After all, today is a big day, and there are many guests, so it is inevitable that there will be some social events that are difficult to refuse. Young lady, you can wait here with peace of mind, the eldest young master will be back soon."

After hearing what the nanny said, Lu Yuchan still had some doubts in her heart, but she also felt a little relieved. She sat down again, but her eyes kept looking towards the door.

Time passed quietly, the night grew darker, the red candles in the room flickered, illuminating Lu Yuchan's slightly lonely figure.

I don't know how long it took, but there was finally a noise ahead.

When Lu Yuchan took a closer look, she saw that it was a young man who looked somewhat like Rong Ruo, carrying the drunk and unconscious Nalan back.

The young man was Rong De. Following his mother's instructions, he kept a close eye on his brother all day, and knocked him out and brought him back before he could say anything nonsense.

Seeing his new sister-in-law, he felt a little embarrassed: "Sister-in-law, my brother is drunk, so I'll leave it to you--"

After saying this, he threw the person to the ground and quickly ran away.