Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 150 The Concubine Enters the Mansion and the Grand Wedding

As dawn broke, Donggua walked towards the cleaned stove for the last time. Looking up, she saw two rows of wooden shelves against the wall on the east side of the small kitchen, filled with jars and pots of various fruits she had pickled.

Unfortunately, I can't take it with me.

The familiar figure was no longer seen beside the tall steamer basket in the corner. The cook hired from the north yesterday, along with the remaining kitchen maids, had been incorporated into the large kitchen of the public school.

Only when she could faintly hear rustling voices did Donggua close the door slightly, walk out of the back room along the pebbled path, turn a corner, and enter her and Huayan's bedroom.

Hua Yan is not here. At this hour, she should be busy dressing up the second young lady in the embroidery room. The room is empty. Her clothes, jewelry, luggage, and valuables were packed into two boxes yesterday.

Donggua roused himself, sealed the box, and instructed the old woman outside to move it to the side gate. Someone would then deliver it to the second young lady of the Prince's mansion.

Just as the boxes were being carried away, Mengzhu led people into the courtyard. Upon seeing Donggua, she said urgently, "Come quickly to the storeroom to help. After the wedding ceremony, come with me to the madam's courtyard to inventory the dowry."

Mengzhu has a heavy task today. She doesn't need to serve the young lady. Aunt Mei and Huayan asked her to take Donggua as the main person in charge of taking care of the young lady's dowry. She will enter the palace with the wedding procession.

As for the storeroom, Mengzhu had already followed her mistress's instructions and taken the frequently used items to the Prince's mansion, sealing away the rest so they wouldn't need to be taken. But Mengzhu was meticulous, so she pulled Donggua along to check everything again.

On the second floor of the embroidered building, four second-class maids, led by Yu'er (who was promoted to second-class in the small kitchen in Lin'an), stood guard outside the boudoir.

Inside the room, Hua Yan and Rui Zhu helped the second young lady bathe and change her clothes.

The bright moon guarded the wooden tub, occasionally adding a ladle of hot soup.

"Ruizhu, bring the wedding dress you will wear during the wedding ceremony."

Ruizhu responded and took out clothes from the rosewood wardrobe in the inner room. "The incense I burned last night was lily incense that the Sixth Miss specially sent."

Hua Yan gently wiped the Second Miss's long, flowing hair, and together with Rui Zhu, helped her put on a light-colored dress embroidered with cloud patterns. Ming Yue obediently opened the door, and Yu'er, along with her maids, entered one after another, each carrying something.

The maids had clear divisions of labor: some tended the heater, some tidied the bed, and Yu'er helped Ruizhu tidy up her wedding dress.

While tying her hair up, Hua Yan said softly, "Miss, you'll probably be a little tired today. We'll be going to the Fu'anju Buddhist Hall to participate in the initiation ceremony later. After the ceremony, you'll need to change into your everyday clothes before noon. All of you ladies, come to our courtyard to add some makeup. At dusk, Granny Quanfu will help you with your facial hair removal and makeup, and then you'll change into your wedding dress and wait for the auspicious time before you can leave home."

The second young lady nodded slightly, and hearing the commotion outside, she said nervously, "Hurry up, the elders from the Marquis's Mansion and my maternal grandfather's Mansion who are attending the ceremony should be arriving soon."

The ritual of bestowing blessings was a ceremony held by the concubine's family (the family of the woman who was about to become a princess or imperial concubine; here, the concubine's family refers to the Tang family) for the second young lady, a ceremony to pray for divine protection. It was also a ceremony to inform the ancestors that a woman from the family was about to enter the royal household.

The topknot is solemn and is the most suitable hairstyle for participating in ceremonies. Although this is the first time Hua Yan has formally worn this hairstyle, she has practiced it many times with a winter melon in private, so she is quite skilled at it.

After a flurry of activity, Aunt Mei, dressed in a festive padded jacket, led the way, followed by the Second Miss, along with Hua Yan, Rui Zhu, and Ming Yue.

As soon as they entered the gate of Fu'an Residence, Mother Wei and Hua Ying greeted them with smiles on their faces. The group walked through the flower hall and into the back hall, where the incense table, candlesticks, and offerings for the ritual had already been set up.

Under Han Jing's supervision, the second young lady lit incense and candles and performed a grand kowtow to the ancestral tablets.

Hua Yan stepped forward carrying the offerings, and the Second Miss solemnly placed them on the incense table with her delicate hands.

Then, amidst the blessings, the second young lady raised her wine cup and poured wine on the ground as an offering to her ancestors, thus completing the first sacrificial ritual.

This is followed by a lengthy 'admonition,' which is also the last item in the ritual.

The second young lady greeted the old lady and the elders of the Hou and Yun families in turn.

The old lady, struggling to hold back her tears, choked out some words of advice such as "gentleness is fundamental, harmony is essential." The Marquis and the old lady of the Marquis's mansion then slowly said something like, "Your words and actions must conform to etiquette and rules, and you must not lose face for the family."

Tang Xian and Madam Yun had a lot to say to each other, and they had already discussed it all with the Second Miss these past few days. Now, they couldn't help but bring it up again.

Hua Yan followed behind the second young lady and, seeing that the second young lady's eyes were slightly red, handed her a handkerchief at the right time.

The ceremony ended close to dawn. The second young lady returned to Yunyi Courtyard to change her clothes. The main kitchen of the public hall brought breakfast, which was spread out on the table. The second young lady had little appetite, and Hua Yan persuaded her to eat a bowl of lotus seed porridge.

Before noon, the Fifth Miss led the Seventh Miss to help the Second Miss with her makeup.

The seventh young lady hugged the second young lady tightly, reluctant to part. The second young lady was already five years old and was gradually beginning to understand what separation meant.

Before long, the eldest young lady, the sixth young lady, and the third and fourth young ladies arrived together, each presenting a prepared gift. The third young lady's dowry gift was particularly eye-catching, consisting of half a box of Bohai pearls.

"Third Sister has brought out all her most treasured possessions." The Fifth Miss was surprised. What she had prepared for the Second Miss was a purse she had made herself, filled with gold melon seeds.

"Second sister certainly has no shortage of pearls, but I heard that she made some jewelry to reward the servants before the New Year. Since my pearls are just sitting idle, I might as well use them to add to your dowry. They can also be used as rewards after you enter the Prince's mansion."

This thought coincided with that of the Fifth Miss. The Fifth Miss smiled slightly, took the Third Miss's arm, and chatted for a few words, becoming even more intimate.

The fourth young lady's eyes flickered. She disapproved of her elder sister's obsequious flattery, and seeing the many precious items on the table, she felt even more displeased.

The second young lady saw this but didn't say anything. With her mother around, her half-sister couldn't cause any trouble.

Besides the young ladies of the manor, several young ladies from the Marquis's manor, including Miss Sun, also attended. Even Miss Qin from Lin'an and the young ladies who were close to Miss Er sent congratulatory gifts. Hua Yan wrote a separate list of these gifts, sealed them in a chest, and instructed the servants to carry them to the outer room and give them to Mengzhu.

The day seemed exceptionally long, only suddenly quickening in the latter half of the day.

After having her face shaved and makeup done, the second young lady changed into a light blue straight-collared, double-breasted wedding dress. Amidst the sound of firecrackers, she walked step by step to Yun Gui Courtyard to bid farewell to her parents.

According to the ancestral system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a prince or a member of the imperial family must follow certain rules when marrying a concubine into his residence. According to the system, a prince must also personally go to the Tang residence to welcome her.

Today is also the day the princess enters the palace, so the Imperial Clan Court proposed a compromise: the prince and his entourage will first go to General Jiang's residence to welcome the principal wife, while the princess's ceremonial tent will wait in Chongrenfang, and then the Prince of Jin will go to the Tang residence to welcome the concubine.

At that time, they will enter the Prince's Mansion one on each side, one after the other. Since the Second Miss was betrothed by the Emperor, she may also enter the mansion through the main gate.

When the Prince of Jin, dressed in a bright red auspicious robe, arrived at the mansion with his personal guards to personally welcome him, the guests naturally dared not stage a scene of blocking the gate.

Those inside Yun Gui Courtyard had received the news beforehand. Tang Lin personally covered the Second Miss's bridal veil, and the Second Miss choked out, "Take care, brother."

Soon, the eunuch announced loudly, "The Prince of Jin has arrived."

Hua Yan helped the second young lady kneel down with the others, and through the crowd, she saw Prince Jin enter the flower hall with a leisurely air.

(I'll post one chapter first... I got stuck on naming the various parts of the Prince's mansion, which wasted a lot of time and resulted in the second chapter not being finished.)