Chapter 187: Wedding Dress (Part 1)
Shen Qiu praised everything of Xie Jing Xing in Prince Rui’s face. For ordinary people who was compared like this, they would not look good. Even though Prince Rui wore a mask, making others unable to see his face, everyone could clearly see that the corner of his lips were slightly hooked up and his voice was warm and courteous. The most important thing was that eye expressions could not lie and in Prince Rui’s eyes, there was some delight.
Shen Qiu spoke till his mouth was dry but not only did he not see Prince Rui’s unbearable expression, he seemed to be very agreeable and said, “Since it is so, it is really a pity.”
Shen Qiu was greatly dispirited but his heart was more vigilant towards this Prince Rui.
Luo Xue Yan however was very satisfied. She was after all not as childish as Shen Qiu and not as picky as Shen Xin, this or that was also not good. Seeing that Prince Rui was not even angry at Shen Xiu’s nonsense, Luo Xue Yan felt that in this short time of interacting with Prince Rui, she felt that Prince was was not bad. He looked very clear and gentle and his words were not of an act. Even though there was arrogance, it made one feel good.
It was said that the more mother-in-law looked at son-in-law, the more satisfied she would become. Prince Rui quickly son the top spot at Luo Xue Yan’s side and in Luo Xue Yan’s heart, he was more composed than Su Ming Feng, more straightforward than the Crown Prince and more magnanimous than Feng Zi Xian. Luo Ling was family so there was no need to mention about him.
No only was Luo Xue Yan satisfied with Prince Rui, Luo Tan was also very satisfied with this MeiFu. Her mind was filled with bizarre things and asked Prince Rui a lot of novelty things of Great Liang. This Prince Rui had no patience with Emperor Wen Hui in the tribute banquet and come and leave as he wanted but with Luo Tan, he would answer all questions. Previously Luo Tan considered about Prince Rui saving Shen Miao but now felt that only Prince Rui could match up with Shen Miao, “I see that MeiFu and Youngest Biao Sister are very compatible. Only MeiFu’s good nature would be able to match with Youngest Biao Sister’s character.”
When the word ‘MeiFu’ was spoken, the entire room was quiet. Prince Rui was after all a member of the Imperial family and Luo Tan’s identity was not comparable. Luo Tan had a straightforward personality and did not realise what she had said. Luo Xue Yan and Shen Xin however were unconsciously looking at Prince Rui’s reaction.
The corner of Prince Rui’s lips hooked up and he willingly accept her views, “Many thanks for Older Biao Sister’s profound affection.”
Older Biao Sister.
Shen Qiu was flustered and exasperated, “Who is your Older Biao Sister? Don’t anyhow call!”
“Older Brother Qiu, what are you talking about?” Luo Tan glared at him and said with a smile, “About that, I am younger than you so it is weird for you to call me Older Biao Sister. It is better for you to call me Younger Biao Sister.”
Shen Qiu stared at Prince Rui angrily. This person took advantage of a good looking face and an identity to gain likes from females and Luo Xue Yan and Luo Tan fell into that person’s trap. It was indeed hateful.
Luo Ling saw the chaotic in front of him and felt that it was somewhat funny. However as he smiled, he thought about something and could no longer smile but looked at Shen Miao with bitterness.
Just as Shen Miao was thinking of Luo Tan’s words, her heart felt somewhat unfathomable. Just what kind of wrong impression did Luo Tan had on Xie Jing Xing She did not know that Xie Jing Xing was mocking and ridiculing her in the beginning and every time she encountered him, it was like one was walking on a tightrope as she was not able to grasp the other’s mind at all. If Luo Tan saw that Xie Jing Xing would not even change his expression when assassinating someone, one feared that she would not be able to say those words.
Shen Xin saw that Luo Xue Yan and Prince Rui was getting closer as they chatted and his heart did not feel good. He purposely coughed twice and interrupted their conversation forcibly, asking Prince Rui, “Didn’t you said that you are gifting a wedding dress? Is it now you feel that our Shen family’s tea is good to drink and deliberately come over to drink?”
Luo Xue Yan heard his unkind words and glared at Shen Xin before turning over to Prince Rui and used a gentle tone that she had never use on Shen Xin for decades, “Jing Xing, today you made a special trip over to gift Jiao Jiao a wedding dress?”
“The Imperial decree came down suddenly so I guessed that Jiao Jiao do not have time to embroidery her wedding dress. Fortunately when one came to Ding capital, Imperial Older Brother had allowed me to bring the best tailors along so that if one encounter a young lady that one fancies, one can gift her the best wedding dress under Heavens when one marry her back.” She smiled lightly and his pair of eyes became as gentle as spring, “The wedding dress is completed after three months, thus one brought it over to let Furen take a look.”
Three months? Shen Miao was startled and suddenly thought of a few days back when Xie Jing Xing hugged her and said that he wanted to measure clothes. Now that the wedding dress actually started to be made three months ago, one fear that at that time he had already gotten her measurements so what the need for that action. Indeed he spouted nonsense again and she actually believed him and let him take advantage of her. Shen Miao glared at him angrily and Xie Jing Xing smiled gently.
When Luo Xue Yan saw those little actions, her heart was even more happy. Now that this marriage could not be change, she could only turn it around to comfort herself. Who knew that when she saw Prince Rui today, she felt that he was not bad as a person and was very much relief. Now that she saw the actions of these two people, it was a fight in jest between a coupled. Her daughter put on a matured and elderly air, that there was no innocence and bright personality of a young female. It was only in front of this Prince Rui that she portrayed a young female side and that Prince Rui looked like he was very fond of Shen Miao. Perhaps this marriage was predestined by Heavens.
In Luo Xue Yan’s heart, Prince Rui’s position was a thousand more levels higher than Fu Xiu Yi’s.
Just as she was thinking, Shen Qiu call out from the sides, “Three months? The Imperial decree was clearly handed down recently. You are clearly lying. Could it be that you are a prophet and knew that you will be marrying Younger Sister three months ago? And how do you know of Younger Sister’s measurement? No matter how good a wedding dress is, Younger Sister will not wear an unsuitable wedding dress.”
Shen Miao also looked at Xie Jing Xing. She wanted to hear how Xie Jing Xing would reply to Shen Qiu’s question.
Xie Jing Xing was indeed a master as he only said, “Three months ago one happened to see Jiao Jiao on the streets and barely caught a glimpse of a passing beauty. One was then determined to marry none other than Jiao Jiao. Imperial Older Brother only let me gift wedding dress to the female one fancied but had not request to gift it after marriage. Fortunately one manage to marry.” Speaking. Till the end, his voice was very delighted as he swept a look at Shen Qiu, but it was filled with provocation.
In the area of talking, Shen Qiu was not an opponent of Xie Jing Xing at all. These words made Xie Jing Xing look good and made himself unable to carry on.
“As for the measurements.” Xie Jing Xing smiled gently, “When one have the mind to find out, it would be found.”
He gestured for Tie Yi to step forward. Tie Yi sprinted out and after a while ran in with a large box and place it on the table.
That box was somewhat large and seemed to be made from incense wood, from which a faint scent of pear blossoms appeared, making one’s heart ache. Everyone involuntarily surrounded the table, thinking that the wedding dress was most probably in it.
Although Shen Miao was usually calm, her heart that some expectations.
Every stitch and thread of the wedding dress in the last lifetime, was embroidered by her as she was very meticulous with the marriage to Fu Xiu Yi. She wanted to have brightly coloured decorations and gorgeous designs as a female’s most beautiful moment was when a female became a bride. But Fu Xiu Yi was still hiding himself from others at that time and seek for simplicity and that the marriage not to be publicised. Thus she could only put away the desire to be glamorous and embroidered the wedding dress in a simple style with a plain pattern.
However one was still a female who was filled with yearning for the future and fond of affection. Thus she thought of a way to embroidered lotus with dark red threads on the red outer skirt and sew small peach blossoms in the muslin dress. Because the muslin dress was inside of the outerwear, others would not be able to see it. The lotus on the red skirt were sown with red threads so normal people would not be able to see it at all. The entire clothing was still simple overall.
However in her heart, she was very proud of her little designs. She had thought that at night in the bridal chamber, when the couple were whispering sweetness, she would let Fu Xiu Yi guess and see if Fu Xiu Yi was able to guess what kind of flower designs there were on the wedding dress. Fu Xiu Yi would finally see the dexterous side of her and slowly fall for her.
But till the end, the lamps burned bright and she waiting in the bridal chambers the entire night till the red candles dried out and her heart became icy cold due to the wait but Fu Xiu Yi did not come. On the second morning, she was then informed that on the night before Fu Xiu Yi was druck and spend the night in the study. She did not sleep for the entire night but had to enter the Palace to greet the Emperor and Empress thus making a fool of herself, embarrassing Fu Xiu Yi.
After giving her the cold shoulder for two to three months, Fu Xiu Yi then touched her.
That wedding dress was only the beginning of her suffering. From the grievance she took on first night after marriage, the countless of grievances began to pile up.
Shen Miao had always thought that one’s heart would eventually feel the warm when one treat another well. Even if one did not like another, because of all those things that were done without reciprocation, one would be moved. However there were such a type of people that enjoys everything that others gave to them but also dislike it when others did not do well.
That wedding dress, that consist of all Shen Miao’s youthful hidden intentions, became forgotten at the end. The sentence that she wanted to ask “Husband, look carefully at my wedding dress, do you discover anything” had not be asked in her entire life. She wanted to show others the wedding dress was never seen in an entire lifetime.
She was so distracted that it was only when Luo Tan’s shocked exclamation pulled her out from her memories.
She saw Luo Xue Yan reaching out and slowly took out the clothes from the box so that everyone could take a look.
The action was extremely cautious, as if one was afraid of spoiling it.
It was in a very bright red and the silk was very thin, as if the brocade had thousands of thin silk threads that were intertwined. And after being cut but the best tailor, there was not an inch more or an inch less.
In the bright red fabric, there was fine and dense glittering golden light. One did not know if it was dusted with golden dust or what but these golden glittering things were mixed in it, making the entire clothing seem to be shining.
The red beautiful robes were made from Hai Jiao brocade that was as thin as a cicada’s wind and flows like red crimson clouds. Other than embroidering the red robes with gold, twelve different colours were used to embroider the Dragon and Phoenix design. The golden Dragon was powerful and the colourful Phoenix was charming. If one were to look deeper, the eyes of the Dragon and Phoenix were small black precious stones and the dragon scales and phoenix fathers were all made of thin slices of cat eyes that were sown on individually.
The red skirt and red pants were actually one and the colours were chaste and the width of it was wide that when a slight breeze pass, it would be like an immortal floating. One thoughts were also spend on these as there were lotus that were embroidered along the corner of the robes to represent auspicious wishes.
One could not even mention about the scarf over the ceremonial robe. Filament patterns were embed on the edges and there were hundred of pearls that were sprinkled all over, dazzling everyone eyes. The Zi Sun Dai (Offspring Bag – auspicious wedding bag to symbolise having lots of children) was made of go that it could reflect evil spirits.
The thing that attracted others the most was that Phoenix crown.
Precious jewels decorated the gold crown one round and on the edges of the gold crown, there were twelve precious stones. Each stone was decorated by six pears and each gems were separated by flowered pearls. There were six extended fans and each fan had one golden dragon, two precious stones, three flowered pearls and countless of pears decorating. Shen Qiu even inconsiderately counted and found that there were a hundred precious stones on the entire Phoenix crown and the ruby that were found in the Phoenix’s eyes were even more valuable.
Luo Xue Yan took out that heavy Phoenix crown and one was unable to tell what one’s heart was feeling. Even if this Prince Rui was putting up an act, it was totally beyond one’s expectations. One fear that just this Phoenix crown was what all the females in Ming Qi dreamed of and it was not inferior in any respect to the Empress’s Phoenix crown. She open her mouth in alarm, “Jing Xing, is Jiao Jiao’s Phoenix crown somewhat not appropriate?”