Chapter 358 Negotiating Details
After leaving Cui’s house, Xiao Xia went to the Princess’s house. When Yang Lihua heard that Xiao Xia had arrived, she was so happy that she hurried out to greet him.

“Mother, I’m back!”

“Why do you come to see me now, kid?”

When Yang Lihua heard Xiao Xia calling her mother, her heart blossomed with joy.

Xiao Xia took out a box of tonic medicine and handed it to his aunt, saying, “This is the most famous Lushan Huangjing in Liang County. It only produces a dozen pounds a year. These three pounds are given to you as a filial gift. It is very good for replenishing your energy.”

“Good boy, thank you for your kindness!”

Yang Lihua brought Xiao Xia to the inner hall and said with a smile, “Hurry up and sit down. I have something to tell you.”

Yang Lihua asked Xiao Xia to sit down and told the maid to serve tea.

“I like Miss Cui very much. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also virtuous, gentle, and kind-hearted. However, she is also very principled and has the demeanor of a mother of the country. Don’t dither like that and marry her quickly.”

“My father also meant this. My next step might be to go to Helong. My father wanted me to go to Hexi after I get married.”

“This is the best. A man should start a family and build a career. This is the right path. What do the Cui family think?”

“Reporting to mother, I met Cui Yu’s mother today and talked to her. They seemed a little confused.”

“What’s the confusion?”

“The difference between a royal wedding and an ordinary family’s wedding. Now my status is different. He is confused. How should the wedding be held?”

Yang Lihua laughed, “It’s not quite the same, but it’s more or less the same. I’ll talk to Madam Cui about it in a couple of days.”

Xiao Xia added: “There is another problem. My house is being rebuilt, so it is not convenient for us to get married!”

Yang Lihua rolled her eyes and said, “This is the difference between a royal wedding and an ordinary family wedding. The six rites and other things are the same, but the final ceremony is different. Think about it, your father is the emperor, your aunt is the queen, and your brother is the prince. Would they watch you get married in an ordinary house? It must be a wedding in the palace. It is not as festive as folk activities and pays more attention to the sense of ceremony. You have to understand that you are marrying the Princess of Chu, not a concubine.”

Xiao Xia nodded gently, “I understand!”

“Also, are you sending someone to Mount Qingcheng?”

Xiao Xia shook his head. “She won’t come to the wedding, but I want to take my wife to Qingcheng Mountain next spring. Time is too tight this year, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to go in time!”

Yang Lihua hesitated for a moment and said, “We should go. Life is short and we don’t have much time to spend together.”

The next morning, Crown Prince Yang Zhao personally came to Cui’s house to perform the fourth ceremony of the wedding, which is also the most important ceremony besides welcoming the bride, namely, sending the betrothal gift and financial gift.

The betrothal gift is relatively simple. According to the rules, dozens of pieces of black silk, two pairs of white jade bi, and two good horses are the betrothal gifts for the prince to marry. The dowry is given according to the wealth of each family.

Yang Guang was very generous to his third son in marrying a princess. He directly gave 10,000 taels of gold, a bushel of pearls, and 3,000 pieces of top-quality silk as a betrothal gift, and sent someone to deliver them to the Cui family.

The Cui brothers were all in front of the mansion gate to welcome the arrival of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Of course, Crown Prince Yang Zhao was also Cui’s son-in-law, so he was a little less restrained, especially since his father-in-law Cui Hongsheng was also there.

Yang Zhao was a little embarrassed and said, “My elders, you are too polite!”

Cui Hongsheng whispered to Yang Zhao: “My dear son-in-law, you are the crown prince now. Your status is different from before. You don’t have to be too polite, otherwise it will be difficult for us to live like human beings!”

Yang Zhao nodded silently. He was led into the hall by the Cui brothers like the moon surrounded by stars. Dozens of eunuchs also carried in the betrothal gifts and financial gifts, and also brought in two high-quality white horses. The boxes filled the courtyard.

Yang Zhao sat in the main seat and said with a smile: “Today, I am here on behalf of my father to deliver the betrothal gifts and dowry to the Cui family, and to discuss the wedding date.”

Cui Hongzhou bowed and said, “Thank you for your kindness. Today’s gift plus the ten thousand strings of cash I gave my daughter will be taken to her husband’s family as a dowry. In addition, according to tradition, the Cui family has also prepared a new set of clothes and a jade pendant for the new son-in-law.”

Yang Zhao nodded, “It’s a waste of money for the Cui family!”

“Of course. As for the date of the wedding, what does the emperor think?” “My father wants the wedding to be completed this month. My third brother will leave for Hexi in September. Time is very tight. Today is the seventh day of August. The eighteenth day of August is my father’s coronation ceremony. Then let’s do the twenty-fifth of August! It’s a good day.”

Everyone agreed, and Yang Zhao added: “As for the details of the wedding reception, my aunt will discuss it with the bride’s mother. This is an invitation to Madam Cui!”

Yang Zhao took out Yang Lihua’s invitation and handed it to Cui Hongzhou. Yang Lihua invited Zheng to have tea at Baiyutang of Wencui Restaurant tomorrow afternoon, and the two elder women would discuss the details of the wedding.

The next afternoon, the Cui sisters accompanied their mother to meet the eldest princess Yang Lihua. Although Zheng was a little nervous, her two daughters were very familiar with the eldest princess, which slightly eased Zheng’s nervousness.

The carriage stopped at the side of Wencui Restaurant. Zheng and her two daughters got off the carriage, but unexpectedly saw Princess Yang Feiyan and two maids waiting in front of the side door.

Cui Yu smiled in surprise and asked, “Why is Third Sister here too?”

Yang Feiyan smiled slightly and said, “I guess you two will come too. I’ll accompany you two and let your mother and aunt have tea.”

Yang Feiyan bowed to Zheng and said, “Madam, please come in!”

Zheng quickly returned the gift. This girl was Princess Nanyang, not an ordinary girl, so she couldn’t be rude to her.

Everyone went upstairs and Yang Lihua was already waiting there.

Zheng saluted quickly, and Yang Lihua supported her and said with a smile: “We are relatives from now on, so don’t be polite. I have been wanting to talk to you for a long time, but I have been putting it off until today.”

“Thank you, Princess, for saving my two daughters last time. I am always grateful in my heart.”

“It’s just a small favor. Besides, I like Yu’er and Xiaomei very much. I like this daughter-in-law who has not yet married into the family.”

Zheng was a little surprised. How did she become the eldest princess’s daughter-in-law?
Yang Lihua saw the confusion in Zheng’s eyes. She smiled and asked her to sit down. Yang Feiyan said at the door: “Aunt, I’ll take my two sisters out for a walk!”

“Go! Don’t go too far.”

The three of them left chatting and laughing, and the maid served them tea and snacks.

Yang Lihua then smiled and said slowly: “Xia’er’s biological mother is Empress Xiao’s cousin, named Xiao Chunyu. In fact, she could have been taken as a concubine, but my mother did not allow her son to take a concubine, and only monogamous, so Chunyu had no status. Chunyu became pregnant, and the Prince of Jin asked me for help. I was in Luoyang at the time, so I asked him to send Chunyu to Luoyang and I took care of her. Soon, Xia’er was born.

The mother and son lived with me in Luoyang for six years. Later, I returned to Chang’an, and they stayed in Luoyang until the Twin Kings Case broke out and King Jin was demoted. I desperately begged my mother to let Chunyu and her son go, and my mother finally gave in. Chunyu became a nun in Qingcheng Mountain, and her master was also in Qingcheng Mountain. Xia’er stayed with me, but because my mother did not allow it, I sent Xia’er to Luoyang half a year later.

It was not until five years later that Xia’er returned to Chang’an. You also know that I have no son, only a daughter, so I have treated Xia’er as my own since she was a child. Her mother asked her to call me mother. Just now I said that Yu’er is my daughter-in-law. Do you understand now? “

Zheng suddenly understood. She smiled and said, “No wonder Her Royal Highness the Princess gave half of her property to Young Master Xiao. We didn’t understand it at first. It turns out there is such a deep connection. Now I understand. Young Master Xiao is indeed Her Royal Highness the Princess’s son.”

Yang Lihua asked again: “Are you sure you want to get married on the 25th of this month?”

Zheng nodded, “They all agreed yesterday.”

Yang Lihua nodded and said, “Then let me tell you a little bit. Normal families would start their wedding procession from the bride’s home in the afternoon, tour the city, and then go to the husband’s home at dusk for the wedding. After the wedding, they would enter the bridal chamber, and everyone would leave after spreading the tent.

But because this time the wedding was held in the imperial palace, it would normally be held in the Baifu Hall, and the bridal chamber would be in the Qinqin Building at the back, which was the place specifically for the prince’s wedding.

So the day couldn’t be too late, and the wedding was held after the court session. The emperor, the empress, the royal family, important ministers, etc. had to attend, but there was no banquet, only the wedding ceremony, and the wedding was relatively simple, in fact, there were only three parts, the first was the hair-tying ceremony, the second was the wedding ceremony, and the third was the ceremony of worship. There was also the canopy in the kinship building. As for the folk entertainment activities, there were none of them, and there was no turning of the felt.”

Zheng said, “I have two main questions. The first is how to make the bed? The second is how many people from the bride’s family are allowed to enter the palace to attend the wedding?”

Making the bed means decorating the bridal chamber, which is very expensive and is part of the dowry. It is usually made by the bride’s mother and aunt.

Yang Lihua smiled and said, “You and I don’t need to worry about making the bed. The palace ladies will be responsible for it. There are indeed many restrictions on attending the wedding. How about this! The Cui family will first draw up a list and submit it to the Ministry of Rites for review.”

(End of this chapter)