Zhurou

Chapter 268 Unity
Hearing the urging of the ceremonial officer behind him, Pei Yong took out the heart-shaped scarf, hung one end on the jade sceptre in his hand, and gently handed the other end to Zhao Mingzhi.

Zhao Mingzhi reached out to take it, and held the two ends with him, walking hand in hand.

Pei Yong was walking backwards, in front, but he walked very slowly, because he was concerned about the phoenix crown on Zhao Mingzhi's head and the heavy dress she was wearing, especially because she had to cover her face with a round fan, and was afraid that she would not be able to see the road clearly.

After a long while, the two finally arrived at the main hall.

The Pei family had no living elders and no ancestral temple nearby, so they placed the ancestral tablets in the hall and the spirit tablets of their parents at the upper seats.

At this time, servants in the hall had brought three kinds of sacrificial animals, namely pork, cattle and sheep. After the two of them ate together, they bowed together, and then took handkerchiefs, scented pancreas and other things to wipe the tablets. Then Zhao Mingzhi placed a set of clothes on the seats of Pei Yong's parents, and also placed name paper and other things. They performed everything according to the words of the ritual officer, and bowed again. Then everything in the front hall was considered ready, and they returned to the back room.

After returning to the house, the two of them bowed to each other and sat on the left and right sides of the bed. Quanfu hurried forward, picked up a lock of hair from each of them, cut it off, and combed it into a bun. He then took out a gourd that was split in half and poured wine into each of them.

Zhao Mingzhi reached out to take half of the gourd, gently touched it with the other half in Pei Yong's hand, and after exchanging them, he drank the wedding wine in one gulp.

The gourd tasted a bit bitter after being dried, and the wine had been kept warm and was now poured into a dry gourd to soak up the flavor. Zhao Mingzhi took a sip and felt the wine had an astringent taste, and the bitterness at the root of his tongue came back and he couldn't suppress it, and he frowned unconsciously.

The man next to him said with a smile, "Please throw the empty ladle under the bed."

Zhao Mingzhi was about to do as he was told, but Pei Yong asked, "Is there anything special about this?"

The blessed man was stunned, then smiled and said, "It means husband and wife are one. If they can look up and down at the same time, it will be the best fortune."

Pei Yong did not give up and asked again: "What is one rising and what is one closing?"

Quanfu had to explain to him in detail how the gourd gourd ladle was facing up and how it was facing down.

Pei Yong asked all the questions clearly, then he looked at Zhao Mingzhi with a sigh of relief and said softly: "You throw first. If you throw it upside down, I will throw it out together."

After saying this, he just stared at Zhao Mingzhi's right hand holding the gourd ladle, so serious that he didn't even blink.

Hearing this, the ceremonial officer and Quanfu people on the opposite side could not help laughing, and even the servants who were serving on both sides had smiles on their faces.

Maybe it was because he had just drunk some wine, or maybe there were some other unknown reasons, but Zhao Mingzhi just felt hot in his heart.

She exerted a little force with her hands and gently threw the gourd ladle under the bed.

Only a series of muffled sounds were heard, and the gourd gourd seemed to roll twice and finally stop.

Pei Yong was about to bend down to look, but a man with a full fortune stepped forward, stopped him with a colorful silk in his hand, and reminded him, "The groom had better not bend down."

Pei Yong couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.

Seeing this, another lucky person was afraid that he would ask more questions and affect the subsequent process of spreading the money, so he hurriedly said, "It's just a lucky sign. As long as both gourds and gourds are under the bed, it's a good omen - just throw it away, sir."

The little incident during the wedding wine ceremony was naturally seen by the people watching the ceremony.

Without the official urging, someone outside had already shouted, "Don't be late, bridegroom!"

Someone else interrupted and said, "Why are you rushing us? You have to be careful when throwing the dipper. If you throw it well, if two dippers touch each other, it's a rare sign of great fortune!"

Hearing the words "good luck", Pei Yong turned to look at the Quanfu man who had spoken earlier.

How could Quanfu dare to be perfunctory towards Pei Yong? She thought to herself: Everyone said that this new husband only became a princess consort for the sake of face, but after meeting him today, I realize that he is completely different from the rumors. He is very concerned about every aspect of the wedding and doesn't want to make even the slightest mistake.

She could only nod her head and say, "As long as the gourd and the gourd are under the bed, it's a good omen. If the two can be placed together, or even one facing up and the other together, it would be even better - but this is too difficult. You may not be able to find a pair of them among ten thousand newlyweds..."

As she spoke, she looked at her companion beside her.

Another blessed person immediately understood and said, "I have seen at least eighty newlyweds, if not a hundred, and I have never seen a pair of gourd bowls that could be thrown together. It is very rare to have one upside down and one together. Besides, when the gourd bowl falls to the ground, we will pick it up and stick it together again. Otherwise, what's the use of us blessed people? As the saying goes, one upside down and one together, the newlyweds throw first, and we arrange it later. Everyone does this. Sir, don't worry. Why don't we..."

She wanted to persuade him, but Pei Yong had already nodded. However, he was in no hurry to move. Instead, he knocked the front and back of the gourd ladle in his hand on the bedside again and again with different strengths. He listened attentively to the sound for a while, and did not speak. He just leaned forward slightly, lowered his hands and head to test the direction. It seemed that he did not use much strength, and just threw it lightly, and there was a "thump" sound.

Then, the room, which had been noisy at first, gradually quieted down, and then there was a burst of cheers and noise. Someone shouted, "What a good hit!", and there were praises and applause everywhere.

The two happy people seemed to wake up at this point, and followed the gaze of the crowd. Although it was not as bright under the bed as outside, the light from the candle was bright enough to see a gourd lying quietly underneath.

The two of them looked at it carefully before they were sure that the two gourd gourds were indeed one facing up and the other facing down, but it was completely different from what they had imagined.

The gourd gourd gourd at the bottom was probably the one thrown by the princess earlier and was lying on the ground. The groom could not even lower his head to see it, so he could not identify its exact position, let alone the shape of the first half of the gourd gourd gourd. For some reason, the other half of the gourd gourd gourd gourd he threw happened to fit exactly on top of the other half.

At first glance, it looks like a complete and round gourd, as if it has never been split into two parts.

Although it has always been known that the groom had outstanding military achievements and was a master of martial arts, even being able to shoot an arrow through a target from a hundred paces away, rumors are just rumors after all, and no matter how powerful they are, they are not as shocking as this casual throw.

The two married people had seen countless weddings, but today was the first time they saw it. They were shocked to know that the wedding could be done in this way. When the curtains were thrown later, they almost mispronounced the words.

However, Zhao Mingzhi was sitting on the left side of the bed. Although he covered his face with a fan, he could sense Pei Yong on the right side glancing at him from time to time. He had no intention of listening to what was being said in the song.

When all the ceremonies were over, the two had become husband and wife, but perhaps because of the wedding wine, or perhaps because of the gazes of the people around her, she only felt that she was slightly tipsy, her head and face were slightly hot, and she was a little unaware of where she was.

As the princess was getting married to the prime minister of the dynasty, no one dared to stay here for long. After everyone had enjoyed themselves, they took Pei Yong out to the main hall to drink. Naturally, the two blessed men also went out to greet them. Soon, only a few followers were left in the house to serve.

Zhao Mingzhi's shoulders and neck were tired, and the taste of alcohol and bitterness was still in his mouth. He looked around and was about to find Mo Xiang when he saw a little maid lifting the curtain of the partition. Mo Xiang came in with a teacup in her hand, followed by several palace servants, some holding copper basins, some carrying hot water, and some holding copper mirrors, scented pancreas, soap beans, incense and other things.

Before Zhao Mingzhi could ask, Mo Xiang quickly came to her, bowed and leaned close to her and said, "Just now, the steward of the Prince Consort came and brought in some drinks and snacks, saying that he had received the Prince Consort's order to bring them to Your Highness to relieve the pain of alcohol."

She continued, "The Prince Consort also said that the Phoenix Coronet that Your Highness is wearing is very heavy. You have an old injury on your shoulder and your neck cannot bear the weight for too long. He has already asked the ceremonial officer and all the people in Quanfu, and they all said that the ceremony has been successfully completed and there is no need to carry it on your head. He specifically asked the maid to come in early to help take it off."

She called him "Prince Consort" very fluently, and her words were full of joy.

No matter how much discussion there is outside, and how much truth there is in those discussions, for Mo Xiang, he naturally hopes that his princess can get a prince consort who is caring and considerate.

This prince consort's background and abilities are impeccable, but the couple lives their lives behind closed doors, and those things are just for outsiders to see. Whether they live a good life or not, the most important thing is actually their temperament and intentions.

What happened in the past doesn’t count. Now that they are married, I can see with my own eyes that Mr. Pei is still as considerate and caring as before, and is willing to put his heart into his own princess. This is a good start.

All things are difficult at the beginning. If you are not given the opportunity to install it at the very beginning, you will be in trouble later.

Zhao Mingzhi naturally would not refuse.

Then three or four palace maids came around and slowly took off the phoenix crown on her head.

Mo Xiang helped everyone put the Phoenix Coronet into a box beside them. She took a few special glances at it before turning back to Zhao Mingzhi and said, "Everyone says this Nine-Phoenix and Four-Phoenix Coronet is very luxurious. When it was worn on Your Highness's head just now, I didn't think it was anything special because I was only focused on looking at Your Highness's face. Now that I've taken it off and am looking at it alone, it is indeed very luxurious."

Zhao Mingzhi had been thinking about other things before and didn't pay much attention to his clothes, but now, upon hearing this, he also looked at the phoenix crown in the box.

I saw that the nine dragons and eight phoenixes in front and behind of the phoenix crown all held pearls in their mouths, looking lifelike. There were also necklaces, gems, and countless pearls. The colors were truly gorgeous and dazzling. But in addition to the countless jewels, there were two South Pearls decorated with gold threads in an inconspicuous place on the back.

The size and color of the beads are quite different from other pearls. They are mixed in thanks to the craftsman's skill. If you look closely, you can tell the difference.

Zhao Mingzhi seemed to be thinking about something, so he asked someone to put the phoenix crown aside.

After she washed up again, she looked at the drinks that Mo Xiang had brought. They were two kinds of cooked water to dispel cold and nourish the stomach, two bowls of millet porridge with lily and lotus seeds, and white porridge, and several salty and sweet snacks. There were not many things, but they were well prepared.

Zhao Mingzhi picked up a few things and ate the porridge, and then used a drink to suppress the bitter taste in his mouth. Thinking that Pei Yong was still feasting at the table ahead, he couldn't help but ask: "Does the kitchen have anything to sober up?"

Mo Xiang smiled and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness, I have already prepared it."

Then he pointed at the food and dishes on the table and said, "These were sent by the steward in front. He said that the prince consort had instructed earlier that since the princess's mansion had just opened and there were many banquets today, they were afraid that they would not be able to prepare in time, so they arranged a group of people to set up a small kitchen in the back, which would be specially prepared for Your Highness today."

While she was introducing him to Zhao Mingzhi, she had another idea in her mind.

——People say that women are more attentive, but in fact, as long as one is attentive, attentiveness does not matter whether one is male or female.

As soon as she entered the mansion today, the manager came to find her to inform her and asked her to arrange one or two people to look after the small kitchen, saying that there were too many people and the princess's meals could not be neglected. The respect he showed for her was not just because of her status.

Zhao Mingzhi naturally didn't know the details, and when he heard that everything had been prepared, he didn't ask any more questions.

However, she had a very low alcohol tolerance. The lily, lotus seed and millet porridge had rock sugar in it, which made it sweet. After she finished a bowl of it, the alcohol in her stomach came back. Her eyes became a little dazed, her cheeks flushed, her ears became hot, and her heartbeat became heavier. She couldn't help but say, "If there's anything to sober me up, take it too..."

As they were talking, they heard footsteps outside mixed with the greetings of the guards and palace servants. In a flash, Pei Yong stepped in and asked, "What's the hangover cure?"

As he spoke, he walked towards Zhao Mingzhi.

He was still wearing the purple robe he had worn at his wedding, and he smelled strongly of alcohol. His eyes were slightly red, but surprisingly bright.

Zhao Mingzhi's five senses were originally more sensitive than those of ordinary people, but due to the smell of alcohol, he involuntarily leaned back a few inches.

Pei Yong reacted immediately, stopped and said, "I smell too much alcohol, don't I?" He was about to leave, and said, "I'll go find a place to wash up first."

Zhao Mingzhi hurriedly stopped him, "We are in a hurry to drink during the banquet. Why don't we eat something to sober up and calm our stomachs?"

After receiving her order, a palace maid brought up a drink to sober up.

Pei Yong hesitated for a moment, but was not in a hurry to answer it. Instead, he went out first, rummaged around outside for a while, and then came back in.

This time, he changed into a new outer garment.

He walked to a place not far from Zhao Mingzhi, then stopped again and asked hesitantly, "Does the alcohol still smell?"

Zhao Mingzhi smiled and shook his head. Seeing that he was still worried, he said, "It only smells a little bit of alcohol - did you spill some wine just now?"

As she spoke, she became somewhat puzzled. She glanced at the clepsydra in the corner and saw that it was not too late. She could not help but ask, "Has the banquet outside ended? If Second Brother is not feeling well, why not drink some hangover soup first?"

"Many guests have gone back, and the rest are mostly my brothers. Chengyan poured half a pot of wine on me and chased me back. He is now fighting at the tables in the front." Pei Yong also laughed as he spoke, and chatted with Zhao Mingzhi for a few more words before taking a hangover soup from the side and drinking it, and going to the back room to wash up.

Mo Xiang hesitated for a moment, looked at Zhao Mingzhi, and when he saw her nod, he arranged for someone to follow her.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

But not long after, Mo Xiang was packing up outside, and the two palace servants and two eunuchs who had followed him out just now had returned. One of them was the first to report: "The prince consort said that there is no need for us to serve him, and asked us to come back to take care of His Highness."

Mo Xiang was stunned for a moment, unsure of what Pei Yong meant. He did not dare to ask him in person, so he had to go out and find the manager today and tell him what had just happened.

The Pei family steward was very respectful and said, "Now that the prince is here, we will naturally follow his usual habits in all matters, but the master has never had anyone to serve him personally. He washes and bathes himself. Even when it comes to serving tea and water, he only assigns them when there are guests."

After he finished speaking, as if he was afraid that he had not said enough and Mo Xiang had misunderstood him, he hurriedly explained, "Fengxiang is located in the northwest, not to mention the Jingzhao Prefecture. The prince consort has been on the march for many years, and every now and then spies would approach him under some pretext, and many of them would lure him with gold, silver, and beauties. That's why he is always on guard day and night, and no one is allowed to approach him. To guard against enemy attacks, he even hides a knife by his bed, so normally, he doesn't need anyone to serve him."

After saying that, he asked Mo Xiang about Zhao Mingzhi's daily routine and preferences.

Mo Xiang was shocked when he heard this.

Naturally, there was a guard every three steps and a guard every five steps in the palace. Especially when the emperor was traveling south, he was protected with great caution.

But compared with him, this prince consort was meticulous in another way, as if the flash of sword and the shadow of saber were right at his throat.

Mo Xiang thought about it, picked up some common taboos in the palace and mentioned a few of them. He went back to his room and reported the matter to Zhao Mingzhi, and then asked in a low voice: "The prince consort is being cautious in doing this, but it is quite scary. Will he really hide a knife under his pillow?"

She was actually a little worried but was embarrassed to say it.

——The court has finally become somewhat stable, and the Di army has been defeated. Will Your Highness end up being dragged down by this governor?

Just saying this would be like killing the donkey after it has done its work, especially since His Highness has always disregarded his own safety when things happen. Besides being useless, she would also appear to be cold-hearted.

Zhao Mingzhi used to live with Pei Yong day and night and had seen a lot. Now, thinking back to the journey he had taken that day, he realized that he was indeed very cautious and self-sufficient, and rarely needed anyone to serve him.

However, she did not want to talk much about their relationship with others, and only said: "The border is different from the capital, especially since the prince consort has been on the march for many years, so we must be more cautious. Unless we encounter a situation that is difficult to deal with, just follow his arrangements."

Mo Xiang nodded and said, "The Pei family also asked about His Highness' daily arrangements. Although most of the people living in the Princess's Mansion are our own, we are now a family after all. Is it okay to tell them about those things?"

Zhao Mingzhi thought for a moment before saying, "If it is a normal arrangement, it would be fine to communicate privately. The rest can be left to nature in the future."

Mo Xiang immediately understood what was going on, and from then on he began to treat the Pei family as his own family.

It only delayed for a moment and there was nothing else to do.

There was a floor heating in the room, and the heat made people drowsy. After washing up, Zhao Mingzhi leaned against the head of the bed to rest for a while, but while resting, his eyes closed involuntarily.

When Pei Yong finished bathing and returned to the room, she was already about 70% asleep. When she heard the sound of the curtain being lifted slightly, she tried her best to open her eyes and struggled to get up.

Pei Yong took a few steps forward, sat beside her on the bed and held her down gently, and whispered, "Just sleep." He looked up at Mo Xiang and others beside him, pointed to the door, and gestured for her to go in.

Mo Xiang hesitated for a moment and saw that Zhao Mingzhi was sleepy and half awake. He wanted to speak but was pulled by another old palace servant and pursed his lips.

No matter how much she hesitated, she thought of Pei Yong's current identity and finally retreated with her men.

Zhao Mingzhi originally just wanted to take a short nap, but he didn't expect that he was already very tired after a day of hard work. He didn't know who selected the wedding wine. When he first took a sip, it tasted light and didn't seem to be that strong. But who knew it would have a long aftertaste. At this time, the alcohol took over his head and he was so sleepy that he couldn't wake up even if he wanted to.

When she heard Pei Yong's voice, she tried hard to understand its meaning, but then she became more drunk and fell asleep again without realizing it.

When she woke up, she felt the bed was warm and it felt like she was leaning against a stove. She couldn't help but move closer. As soon as she moved, she felt an arm coming towards her and a voice asked, "Are you awake? Are you thirsty?"

When Zhao Mingzhi heard the hoarse voice of the person next to him asking questions, he felt as if he didn't know what day it was. However, strangely, he was not panicked. He gradually woke up, but his face, ears and eyes were still hot. He blinked and felt dry in his mouth, so he nodded and said "hmm".

Pei Yong was sleeping on the outside and did not get up. He just got up and brought a cup of warm tea from somewhere.

Zhao Mingzhi drank most of the cup from his hand and became more sober. He pushed the cup away to indicate that he had had enough, but he watched Pei Yong drink up the rest of the tea in one gulp.

Sharing the same bed, quilt, and cup, she instantly had the so-called "husband and wife" feeling. She felt strange and confused. Just as she was about to lie back down, she noticed that Pei Yong had also lay down again.

There were no candles lit in the tent, only the wedding candles were lit in the room. Through the thick tent, everything was naturally difficult to see clearly, and everything was dim. In this dimness, the arm also stopped again.

Zhao Mingzhi was embraced before he could even react.

Soon, the two bodies came together.

She was still drunk and weak, and had no power to resist, let alone the intention to resist. When she heard Pei Yong whispering her name in her ear, she felt warm and sweet in her heart, and even shy for a rare moment. She lazily replied, "Second brother."

This cry seemed to arouse Pei Yong's anger. He pressed closer to her, put one hand around her waist, supported her head and neck with the other, then lowered his head to find her face, kissing her from her cheek all the way to her lips.

Zhao Mingzhi could only raise her head to endure it, her breath entangled with his, but the closer they got, the shorter her breath became, not even enough to breathe. She had no place to put her hands, so she simply put them in front of her. After finally separating for a moment, she couldn't even catch her breath when her earlobe was gently pinched again.

"Ning Ning..."

She heard him repeatedly calling her nickname softly, and her thoughts gradually became distracted. She had originally thought that there was a give and take relationship, but in the end, she didn't know how many calls she had received, let alone how many calls she had responded to. She had no idea what the relationship was.

Zhao Mingzhi woke up and fell asleep. Occasionally he woke up, as if he was dreaming, but also as if he was not dreaming. His mind had no time to think about anything else, and he soon fell asleep again.

She didn't know how long she had slept. She only heard a slight beeping sound. Not long after, there was a "crash" sound from somewhere, as if something heavy had fallen to the ground.

Zhao Mingzhi suddenly woke up, opened his eyes, and saw that there was no one beside him, but the quilt was still very warm.

She drew aside the curtain and saw Pei Yong in a single garment, standing beside the couch, half-opening the window and looking outside.

I don't know what time it was, but when the window opened, a ray of warm sunlight came in from outside, and the faint light and shadow was reflected on Pei Yong.

As if he heard some noise here, he turned around and saw Zhao Mingzhi's face emerging from the tent. He smiled unconsciously and said softly, "It snowed heavily last night. The branches in the yard outside were piled with too much snow, and a few branches fell down. Did it wake you up?"

Then he asked, "Are you still sleeping?"

Zhao Mingzhi glanced at the clepsydra and realized that it was already 9 o'clock.

She shook her head, picked up a coat beside her and put it on, then walked to the window in her slippers to look at the scenery outside.

The courtyard was covered with snow, and the three or four stone steps were all covered. The snow was at least a foot deep. Fortunately, although it was the middle of winter, there was no strong wind, and the sun was shining brightly in the sky for a rare half day. Even if the deep snow could not be melted, the sunlight could at least shine in through the window lattices, bringing a bit of warmth wherever it shone.

Zhao Mingzhi took a deep breath and felt a chill from his nose to his lungs. When he turned around and was about to speak, he was wrapped tightly from head to toe by a cloak from behind.

The cloak was made of some unknown fur, but it felt soft and warm when wrapped around Zhao Mingzhi. Although the embrace from behind was quite hard, it made her relax both physically and mentally.

"Brother, it's snowing so heavily."

She smiled and poked her head out from under the fur of the cloak.

Pei Yong put his arms around her waist from behind and looked at the snow-capped mountains outside the city.

Ruixue is a prosperous year.

(End of text)

That’s the end of the main text. I’ll start updating the extra chapters tomorrow.

I will fill in all the holes I remember, and write about all the things everyone mentioned before. Maybe because there are too many extra chapters to be written, I don’t feel like it’s finished at all...

This has really been delayed for too long, I really can't face you all...