Chapter 495: The Grand Wedding

Chapter 495: Chapter 495: The Grand Wedding

People always say that the common folk in the Imperial City have the biggest mouths and love to gossip the most, but honestly, you can’t really blame them. Mainly, it’s because there’s never a shortage of spectacles happening in the Imperial City. From the start of the year to the end, year after year, every day there’s something lively to see, something to chatter about.

Not long ago, didn’t a bigwig from the Ministry of War just get his whole household raided? The Three Barbarian Races—overnight, that prominent household was left deserted, as if they’d never existed at all; nobody knows where they went or where they died... Secretly executed by the Xuanqing Guard? I wouldn’t dare say, wouldn’t dare ask...

And then there was the hoopla at the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue’s house. A perfectly good maiden, dragged off to Fengri City for a trip and ended up being hauled into the Xuanqing Guard, held for days before finally being let out. Several of her attendants died, and she was scared out of her wits—nowadays just sits at home crying all day.

What’s that? Not willing to mess with the Xuanqing Guard? Forget it! Is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue so impressive? Bigger than the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War? Even he got his whole clan wiped out—what’s a Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue worth?

Also, I heard the Qin Family’s girl was engaged to the Fifth Prince. Looks like that’s all going down the drain now, huh?

Noble families like the Qin Family, the average person wouldn’t waste a drop of pity—most are too busy enjoying their misfortunes, anyway. Of course, the more kindhearted folks won’t gossip about the misfortune of some innocent maiden.

One spectacle after another, and still it never seems enough. Now, here’s a brand new excitement today. And this time, not only is it fun to watch, but there’s something in it for the crowd too.

Early morning, at seven, drums and gongs rang throughout the city in a grand commotion. An endless, festive wedding procession skirted Junhou Street, wound its way from the west side of Changhong Street all the way out the East Gate, putting on the kind of ostentatious display that left everyone gaping, before finally getting on the main road outside the East Gate and heading off into the distance.

Anyone with half a brain could guess, that’s the marriage party heading out to the Tea Mountain Manor on the eastern outskirts.

Anywhere else? Apart from the fat-cat officials and high-borns in the Tea Mountain Manor, what ordinary family could stage such a spectacle? See that huge gold pig carried by six men? The goldsmith next door swore it’s the real deal, solid gold—not some hollowed-out fake to put on airs. Just that one foot-long gold pig—hardly seen even in the Imperial City!

And look at those sumptuous betrothal gifts carried in baskets behind them—which one doesn’t turn heads? Every single thing is top-notch!

The finest silks, the best fruits, the choicest tailor-made clothes... and those dazzling silver ingots gleaming in the sun...

Even as folks swallowed their drool, no one dared try anything shady. There were a dozen governmental officials tagging along, plus dozens of garrison soldiers, all wearing red sashes on their arms and serving as guards outside the line—who would dare cause a scene?

People obediently followed behind, all heading together to the Tea Mountain Manor. Come time for the wedding, you could bet there’d be money tossed out for the crowd. With hospitality like this, no way would they cheap out with little copper coins—much more likely, red paper packets of broken silver! A few congratulations could net you a handful of tip money—who’d want to miss out on such an easy windfall?

So the wedding procession trailed a swarm of hundreds, and not only did the hosts not mind, they actually smiled as they tossed out handfuls of dried fruit, promising that the real cash rewards would come when they reached the bride’s home.

That’s status for you—the more people, the grander the scene. That’s just the custom in the Imperial City; too few and you look down and out.

They moved at a leisurely pace, and by early 7 a.m., the procession finally arrived at Tea Mountain Manor—a sprawling estate with "Xu Mansion" hung over the main gate.

"The son-in-law has arrived!"

With a shout, this extravagant betrothal officially kicked off.

Both sides of the match were heavy hitters.

The bride’s side, the Xu Family—wealthy and influential. Ancestral home in Jingxi, based below Fengri City, at Hao City. This time, sending off not one but two daughters: Xu Zhiyuan and Xu Zhidi.

The groom’s side? Even bigger—none other than Bai Changqing, Minister of Revenue himself!

Bai Changqing is seventy-six this year, but with Gathering Spirit Realm First Layer cultivation as his base, his body is sturdier than most young men. Now that his wife had passed and his concubines grown old, his heart remained young. Now, he was marrying two sisters at once, living proof that "snow-white hair can marry rosy cheeks." It sent shock waves through the entire upper-tier society of the Imperial City—envied by all.

Welcoming the bride, returning home, exchanging bows, tying the knot, the wedding feast, bridal chamber, ancestral rites, entering the family genealogy—none of these formalities could be skipped. If Bai Changqing weren’t so old and lacking elders at home, there’d be even more to go through. As for bowing to the "elders" of the Xu Family, that part was quietly waived by both parties. The Xu Family couldn’t claim that status, and Bai Changqing was more than happy to skip that step. Still, the wedding was thrown with tremendous extravagance. Rumor had it even the Emperor had granted a golden flower in person, and the Empress gifted the Xu Sisters an official Third Grade title to boost their prestige.

Talk about a spectacle—save for a Prince’s wedding to a Main Consort, no one else’s match could hold a candle to this.

There was even gossip that on the wedding day, Bai Changqing rented out the two best restaurants in the Imperial City for the feast, and threw a banquet with rare wines for his inner circle at his own mansion.

And then there were the tales of "eight or nine out of every ten Imperial City officials were dead drunk"—who knows if that’s even true.

Such a sensational wedding, of course, stole everyone’s thunder—even all the hot gossip about "Miss Qin of the Qin Family" was totally overshadowed today.

Especially after all those "congratulations seekers" who’d been following since dawn finally came back, the wedding was talked up to the heavens. Everyone pocketed twenty taels of silver as tips! Ten from the Bai Family, ten from the Xu Family, plus two meals of hearty pork stew over rice! Anyone who’d missed out was kicking themselves.

Twenty whole taels! For just tagging along on a walk! That’s a massive haul! Not to mention two big meals—people were literally smacking their thighs in regret.

The two rented restaurants were packed and rowdy, showing off the grandeur and wealth of these upper-tier families. As for the level of opulence and merriment within those red walls? The commoners could only imagine. Today, only top ministers were admitted to the Bai Mansion—anyone below Junior Fourth Grade had no chance of getting in.

But with so much excitement, the talk quickly spread beyond the Imperial City—like wings, the rumors rode the Teleportation Array, carried across the Jingjiu Dynasty. By nightfall, anyone with their ear to the ground anywhere knew that Minister of Revenue Bai Changqing had just married, taking a pair of sisters as wives in one swoop, staging a real-life "snow-white hair marries rosy cheeks."

This wedding, from planning to execution, was watched from start to finish by a certain pair of eyes; if anything, those eyes knew as much as anyone involved. In fact, the entire drama of "snow-white hair marries rosy cheeks" was orchestrated from behind the scenes by the dark hand attached to that gaze.

Soon after the wedding procession set out in the morning, a message transmitted via Thousand-Mile Sound was laid upon Wang Jian’s desk. By noon, as the wedding feast was in full swing and the three newlyweds had completed their rites, Wang Jian had already compiled the series of reports into a single document and delivered it personally into the hands of Shen Hao at the Thousand Households Station.

"So you’re saying they really went all-out on the spectacle?" When Shen Hao received the report, he’d just returned from lunch and was lounging in his chair, grinning ear to ear. He was in a good mood—first, his cultivation was progressing at lightning speed; second, the two important seeds he’d planted in the Imperial City were just about ready to sprout.

"Yes, sir. Other than major weddings within the Royal Family, it’s the grandest affair in recent years."