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On one side, the First Branch was shrouded in gloom due to the disturbances caused by the Matriarch, while on the other side, the atmosphere in the Wen Residence was filled with joy. Everyone in the household was delighted for the young lady's Grand Wedding.
The relatives of the Wen Family had long known that Qing Wu was raised by the Liu Family, and they were very close to them. After carefully inquiring about the customs and traditions from the He Family, the women gathered together to help decorate the courtyard.
Master Wen wanted to participate in the preparations. However, decorating the courtyard required constant back and forth. Once or twice was fine, but after several trips, the younger generation worried that he might not be able to handle it due to his age, so they tried to gently refuse him.
Master Wen, however, became unhappy and coldly huffed, "What? Do you all think I'm too old and useless?"
Although he guessed correctly about the first part, everyone felt it was unfair regarding the second part. It wasn't that they thought he was useless; they were just concerned he might fall and get hurt.
But everyone knew the temper of the Marquis. The more they argued, the more troublesome it would become.
Just as they were unsure how to persuade him, a soft and sweet voice from a girl nearby chimed in, "There are many people today; we need to add more dishes. The Cooks are at a loss about what else to prepare, which is truly troubling."
Following the voice, they saw Qing Wu standing there with a charming smile, subtly signaling to everyone.
Qing Wu had a point. The Wen Family and the Liu Family had different dining preferences; one was accustomed to living in the Southwest, while the other was used to life in the capital and northwest. The Cooks were indeed hesitant about which direction to lean towards.
Upon hearing this, Master Wen laughed heartily, "What's so difficult about that? Just make some from both sides. However, we need to bring out each side's specialty dishes."
After thinking for a moment and feeling a bit uneasy, he waved his hand and said, "I'll go check in the kitchen. You all keep busy." With that, he walked towards the kitchen.
After taking a couple of steps, he turned back and called out loudly for Qing Wu, "Come along and see what you want to eat!"
Everyone watched as the old man and young girl walked away together, unable to suppress their smiles.
After several days of intense preparations, the date for the Grand Wedding was approaching.
On June 18th, officials from the Ministry of Rites arrived first, bringing with them the Queen's ceremonial gown along with the Phoenix Crown and Cloud Robe. Following them were numerous eunuchs carrying boxes. The large red boxes were carried two at a time from the palace to the Marquisate, creating an unending procession. People in the city rushed out to watch, all marveling at the spectacle.
Today, Qing Wu's good sisters all gathered. It was a time for makeup, but it was also the last gathering of the daughters before her Grand Wedding. After Qing Wu enters the palace, she will officially become the Empress, and it may not be so easy to meet again.
Shen Shuihua cried like a child, holding Qing Wu's hand, reluctantly saying, "It will be hard to find someone to talk to in the future."
Although she and Qing Wu had not spent many years together, their personalities matched well, and they always had endless conversations when they were together.
Seeing her so upset made Qing Wu feel bad as well. Holding her hand, she choked back tears.
Lu Pingting and Zou Kefen, noticing this, hurriedly pulled the two to sit down beside them. "Before long, you two will be sisters-in-law. Shuihua will definitely find it easier to see Qing Wu than others."
Their words made Qing Wu unable to help but smile through her tears.
Shen Shuihua's face turned red as her thoughts were drawn elsewhere by their words; she couldn't cry anymore. Finally, she shot them an annoyed glance.
Everyone found her shy demeanor quite adorable and burst into laughter.
While they were laughing and joking, Xia Rusi walked in.
She was now a daughter-in-law of the Liu Family, dressed as a woman. Her previous straightforwardness was now mixed with a touch of charm.
Seeing everyone in high spirits, Xia Rusi also smiled. After greeting the Young Ladies, she said to Qing Wu: "The palace sent a matron; you might need to go over."
There were many ladies present today. As the bride-to-be, Qing Wu did not need to greet anyone personally. Not wanting to force herself to smile at those she wasn't familiar with, she decided to hide away and indulge herself for once, avoiding guests and girls to have some fun here.
Having been through this herself, Xia Rusi understood that Qing Wu must be very nervous today. Instead of scolding her, she helped cover for her so that no one would notice their whereabouts. She found a quiet courtyard, had someone bring fruits and snacks, and sent people to serve them well.
Earlier, many had sought excuses to meet Qing Wu, but Xia Rusi had blocked them along with the He Family. However, when the matron from the palace arrived, Qing Wu could not refuse anything. She could only bid farewell to her friends temporarily and head towards the Flower Hall.
As Qing Wu walked and thought, she couldn't understand why people from the palace had come at this time. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, prompting her to quicken her pace toward them.
The visitors were several Shang Gong from the Six Bureaus, specifically from the Department of Craftsmanship, Department of Rites, Shangfu Bureau, and Chamber of Sleeping.
Seeing them, Qing Wu was quite surprised and hurriedly stepped forward to ask, "Is there something happening in the palace?"
The Shang Gong before her were in charge of various matters within the Six Bureaus. The fact that they had all come together must mean there was an important issue in the inner palace.
Noticing Qing Wu's anxious expression, the matrons realized she had misunderstood and quickly said, "Lord Liu..." They had originally spoken without thinking but wanted to reassure her upon seeing her worry. After a pause, they changed their words, saying, "Miss, there's no need to be nervous. We are indeed here for an important matter, but it’s not because something has gone wrong in the palace."
Qing Wu was puzzled. "Then what is it?"
Seeing her genuine concern akin to that of a daughter made it difficult for the matrons to speak up.
Granny Lu was the first to react; she waved her hand for the accompanying maidens to close the door. Only then did she slowly take out a book from her sleeve, looking at Qing Wu with a troubled expression.
Qing Wu regretted glancing at it as soon as she saw what it was. She never expected to see such a book under these circumstances. Fortunately, her resolve was strong enough that she didn't immediately cover her eyes in shock. The thought of having to look at this openly in front of so many people...
It was too much to ask.
"You came here for this matter?" she asked, forcing herself to remain calm.
"Indeed," another matron replied gently. "Whenever the Emperor marries, all the ladies must go through this." After saying that, she glanced at Qing Wu's expression and hesitated.
"How about we explain it first?"
One of the Shang Gong lightly cleared her throat and opened the book in her hands, putting on a serious and sincere expression as she began to speak.
She is the Consort Ling of the Imperial Sleeping Bureau. From now on, the Chamber of Sleeping will be responsible for the Emperor and the Queen's sleeping arrangements, so she feels it is better for her to take the lead in this matter.
Hearing those words, Qing Wu was too shy to lift her eyes to look at the illustrations in the book, and the redness on her face deepened.
If it were about something else, she would have pretended to listen with her eyes open while thinking about other things, and it would have passed in time.
But how could one face such a situation?
In the palace, all the maids were under Qing Wu's supervision. Usually, to maintain her authority, Qing Wu presented herself as a high and mighty figure in front of the palace maids, resembling a white lotus that could only be admired from afar.
Now, with her embarrassed demeanor and her desire to speak yet holding back, the several maids looked on in astonishment but couldn't help but sigh.
No wonder the Emperor has seen all kinds of beauty yet remains focused on Lord Liu.
Such looks are unmatched in the capital. It would be hard to find a second one below.
Although the future Empress was extremely shy, the maids had been ordered to come, and they also thought that tomorrow night would be extremely important for both the Emperor and the Queen. The more the Queen heard, the less pain she would feel and more joy she would experience. Upholding their belief in taking good care of the Empress, they spoke every word without omitting anything.
Thus, the maids sincerely continued speaking while Qing Wu listened with great embarrassment. After more than an hour of this, they finally resolved the matter.
Watching expressionlessly as the maids bowed and walked away, Qing Wu felt like crying without tears.
What about the private conversation between mother and daughter on the eve of the Grand Wedding?
Before leaving the palace, when they were entwined together, Huo Yun'ai had sighed softly in her ear: "You are so nervous; you probably don't know what this is all about. Why not send someone to teach you when the time comes?"
Upon hearing this, Qing Wu immediately understood what he meant. How could she possibly agree? She promptly refused: "No need; just do it like an ordinary family."
In ordinary families, it is usually the mother or a close female elder who teaches the newlywed bride. Moreover, this happens the night before the Grand Wedding, when they quietly visit the bride's room.
Huo Yun'ai softly responded with a low "mm," and Qing Wu thought he had agreed. Who would have thought...
Qing Wu stood stiffly at the door, unsure of what to do.
Liu An Ting happened to come by, saw her, and smiled as he called out, "Qing Wu, why not go take a look at the rouge sent from the palace?"
The three brothers had taken leave for today and tomorrow specifically for Qing Wu's Grand Wedding.
Originally, both the Marquisate and Liu Residence had prepared a set of cosmetics needed for Qing Wu's wedding, thinking that she could choose whichever she liked when the time came. However, when the officials from the Ministry of Rites delivered the ceremonial attire, they also brought along a set of internally made cosmetics.
Internally made items are certainly unmatched by those from outside. Not only in terms of variety of colors and styles but also in their luster; even the best shops outside cannot replicate them.
Qing Wu, being a girl who loves beauty, was delighted to hear that Huo Yun'ai had specially sent these over. She felt happy and curious, so she called her sisters to try on the cosmetics together in her room.
Before dawn, Qing Wu had already gotten up early to groom herself.
On the Imperial Path in the capital, red felt had been laid down overnight. As far as the eye could see, everything was festive red. This red path wound its way to the palace, waiting to lead the charming bride seated in her palanquin deep into the palace.
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