Golden Age Legitimate Fei Chapter 61: The Big Day (2)

The bride went out of the gate with the help of Hua Tian Xiang and Qin Zheng. The phoenix brocade gave off brilliant lights and vibrant colors in the sun which attracted the exclamation and admiration of the crowd.

That day was no doubt the capital's most terrific time. It was not clear if it was the status of Prince Ding's Manor or the special guests who were going to attend the wedding but the emperor along with the empress and his mother were there to attend the wedding as well, not host the wedding since the one that was going to host it was Princesses Royal Xi Fu, who was the grand aunt to the emperor. The front gate of Prince Ding's Manor which was seldom frequented by people in the past seven to eight years now was filled with distinguished guests. Princesses Royal was sitting high on her seat and greeting the guests who were there to congratulate Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li. Mo Jing Qi as well as the empress was there by Princesses Royal's side, keeping her company. Though Princesses Royal had kept herself away from affairs of the world for over twenty years, the Iron Princess who was once revered by the late emperor was still awe-inspiring.

"Let me report to you, Your Majesty, Your Highness. We've reached the auspicious hour."

The steward of Prince Ding's Manor came in with the report. All of the guests in the hall went silent. Mo Jing Qi looked at Princess Royal, whose head was covered by silky white hair yet still full of energy and laughed: "Then, shall we start the ceremony, grand aunt?"

Princess Royal Xi Fu nodded. She stood up and addressed the crowd: "Your Majesties and distinguished guests, please come with me and attend the ceremony."

The auditorium at the main hall of Prince Ding's Manor was already decorated properly with burning red candles and a cheerful atmosphere. Princess Royal sat upright in the seat of the host, with the emperor on her left and the empress her right. The rest of the guests were seated according to their status. Everyone's attention was on Mo Xiu Yao and Ye Li, who got into the auditorium escorted by the matron of honor. They were supposed to be a perfect couple made up of a talented man and a beautiful woman but the bridegroom happened to be a cripple on a wheelchair, which was a great pity secretly felt by many. Meanwhile, more felt that if Prince Ding wasn't what he was at the moment, he would have already married a woman with both talent and beauty from a family that was well-matched to his in social and economic status, instead of marrying an unknown daughter of Minister Ye.

"Since Prince Ding cannot move freely, wouldn't there be a shortness of sincerity in the ceremony?" A sarcastic voice rang in the hall, like throwing cold water on a burning fire, and the wedding hall went silent at once. Everyone turned their eyes to the source of that voice in surprise. There sat envoys who came to attend the wedding from other countries. Among them, a young man with a robust build was starting at Mo Xiu Yao in complacency. It was obviously him who said that. Apparently, he didn't consider himself impolite, and seeing that all eyes were on him, he became more unbridled.

"That's the eleventh prince of North Rong. I heard that he's an idiot. How come that Emperor of North Rong sent him to a diplomatic mission to Great Chu?" Ye Li was standing silently by Mo Xiu Yao's side while the guests' chitchat in low voice reached her ears.

"Don't you remember? There has been intense and deep-seated hatred between North Rong and Prince Ding's Manor. Though they have conciliated with our country in recent years, I bet that they still bear grudges about what happened in the past, so they sent this idiot intentionally to embarra.s.s Prince Ding."

"How could His Majesty allow someone like that to attend the wedding..."

"He's an envoy of a country and has come all the way here. There's no reason to deny him attendance."

In the midst of all sorts of comments, Mo Jing Qi looked down and said in a loud and clear voice to the Prince of North Rong: "Eleventh Prince, kowtow is not a part of a wedding ceremony in Great Chu. So Prince Ding won't have any problem." However, it was clear that Prince of North Rong wasn't going to show any due respect for the emperor of Great Chu. His frowned his bushy long eyebrows and said unhappily: "I've heard the mighty reputation of Prince Ding from Great Chu when I was in North Rong. Who would have thought that he's a cripple in a wheelchair? Are you fooling with us, Your Majesty?" Once he said that, not only did Mo Jing Qi, but also the civil and military officials of Great Chu looked unhappy.

Lei Teng Feng, the eldest son of Prince Zhennan from Xi Ling, who was sitting beside Prince of North Rong coughed softly and laughed: "Eleventh Prince. This is indeed Prince Ding of Great Chu. Only that he was caught up in an accident seven years ago. Today we are here to celebrate not make troubles. Here, let me offer you a drink." North Rong itself was barbarian enough, however the eleventh prince was even more barbarian by its standard. It was impossible to stop him just with a drink from Lei Teng Feng. He looked up and down at Mo Xiu Yao and chuckled: "It just occurred to me that our Flying General gave Prince Ding his wound. I used to hear him regret that he was that close to take a captive..."

"That's enough!" Princess Royal was so angry that she looked all sullen and didn't care that Prince of North Rong was one of the envoys. She said coldly: "If you are here for the ceremony, sit and keep quiet. If not, you can get out!"

Prince of North Rong was dumbfounded for some time. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something to Princess Royal but he was pressed down by two sharp-eyed and deft-handed companies of his. Though the Prince of North Rong looked gloomy, he didn't say anything after all. Seeing that Princess Royal looked angry, n.o.body else dared to say anything. Mo Jing Qi coughed slightly and said: "Grand aunt, it's time to start the ceremony."

Princess Royal Xi Fu lowered her eyes and nodded to the official of ceremonies.

"First, kowtow to heaven and earth!"

"Then, kowtow to parents!"

"Finally, kowtow each other as husband and wife!"

Ye Li slightly tilted her head under her red veil and could only see the hand of the one that was standing next to her holding tightly to the red silk. She only had a sigh left in her. To be honest, ever since she knew Mo Xiu Yao, she had always had a feeling that Mo Xiu Yao was too perfect to be true. He had been too perfect as a crippled, disfigured man who was said to be in bad health. There was no low self-esteem, remorse or resignation in him. No matter when, he had always sat upright, and looked taller than anyone even he was in his wheelchair. She recalled that youth who was said to resemble the fiercest fire, which made this Mo Xiu Yao at present more illusory and hardly discernable. How much hards.h.i.+p had he been through to become as gentle as a jade from that fierce youth? Only by then did Ye Li truly felt a trace of Mo Xiu Yao's emotion, anger and to kill.

Ye Li had a bitter smile. To feel such a negative feeling of her husband at her wedding in the auditorium, though not towards her, let her feel a bit down after all.

"The ceremony is over. Send the bride and bridegroom to their nuptial chamber."

The nuptial chamber was decorated with joyous red. The dragon and phoenix candles were burning quietly. Ye Li sat in silence on her wedding bed which was embroidered with dragon and phoenix as symbols of good fortune. She knew that Mo Xiu Yao was sitting not far away from the bed, looking at her while without any intention to come closer. "Can I take down my veil?" Since the bridegroom wasn't going to take it down for her, she could only raise the question herself. Moments later, Mo Xiu Yao came up to her slowly. Ye Li felt light before her eyes and her veil was taken away. The two of them stopped for a second after seeing each other. Ye Li wasn't used to seeing Mo Xiu Yao in bright red clothes all of a sudden since he always wore plain and simple clothes. But it seemed that this man looked good no matter what he wore. Mo Xiu Yao was in a daze just for that moment. A pleased surprise flashed across his calm eyes, but it disappeared immediately. They sat face to face in silence and for a moment both felt awkward.

Ye Li leaned forward slightly and took Mo Xiu Yao's left hand. He was stunned for a second then tried to take back his hand that was in a fist.

"Open your hand." Ye Li said lightly.

He gradually extended his fingers. His thick broad hand didn't look like that of a n.o.ble. It had a lot of calluses and scars on it. But it wasn't frightening to look at.

Ye Li remembered a childhood friend once told her how should a man's hand look like. There ought to be some thin calluses on it so that one could tell that the man didn't live a pampered life. It was possible that a man had one or two not unsightly scars on his hand, that showed he wasn't physical weak and didn't grow up among women. And finally, a man's hand must be good-looking. That kind of hand gave women a sense of security as well as an enjoyment to both the eye and the mind. Right now, this palm was colored by startling scarlet. Blood was still seeping slowly out of four deep welts but the man on her opposite seemed that he didn't feel the pain and let her look at his open hand.

Ye Li lowered her head and looked at his bruised palm. She stuck out a finger and touched his palm lightly, then… pressed her finger against it with great strength. She looked up at him, and his face didn't change a bit: "Doesn't that hurt?"

Mo Xiu Yao smiled slightly and to Ye Li's surprise, his looked at her with more warmth: "No, it's nothing. I've had worse."

Ye Li totally agreed. It was nothing for a man who once fought on the battlefield. She stood up and walked to the side. Then she found a familiar little box from her dowry and carried it back. She sat by the bed and took out clean cotton, gauze and medicine to apply the medicine on him. "Even though you are angry, there's no need to hurt yourself, right? I thought by now you'd be well used to that."