17. The marriage

The wedding was actually bigger that she expected. She went trough all parts of official wedding and felt actually happy.

Even if he divorces her in future, she can still remember such big thing. In past when she was little child, she dreamt getting married grandly. What young woman doesn't dream about it?

But after all things that happened to her, she gave up that idea.

Now she has it all. After talking to him and her aunts, she knew this world is not as frigid and scary as she assumed. Of course, royals and nobles are scary. Their greed got power is even scarier as she saw bunch of ministers sitting there and trying to pull her Elder Lan to their side.

Luckily, Lan family had rules never to be involved to anyone and were solely obedient only to the Emperor. Who the Emperor is, only past Emperor can appoint.

This time there will be bigger undercurrents and they plan to stay out of it.

While she was anyway covered with red cloth, no one could see her being deep in thought. She was anyway silent and everyone knew her speech to be problematic. So she just sat among huge crowd and was still.

As she was helped to leave, she snapped out her daze and passed all the Elders. She could see certain pair of shoes standing in front of her and moved her hand that way. "Father..."

Just that one word was filled with pain and he held her hand tightly. "Live happily. No matter what other think about you, live happily. You deserve it ten, no, hundred times. Do you understand?"

"I understand and I promise. I'll do my best." She could feel his warm hand squeezing hers and he let it softly go.

He stepped back and saw her being held by her servant and one of aunts. As she bowed to the Elders one more time, her servant led her to the carriage and they set off to the other side of town.

Servants slowly left doors with plates filled with her dowry. Gold nuggets, silver nuggets, vases, books, paintings, accessories, rolls of silk, herbs and much more left the Land family home.

Normal scholar girl marriage would have some accessories and some silver. And even that was a lot. But guests brought gifts, Wen Guifei gifted her stuff, Prince Min and Emperor granted her things so she had more.

When other nobles saw just long line but not much worth they snorted and gave up looking, but for anyone who is not that wealthy these things meant a lot.

Lan Lian sat comfortably in carriage and after while they stopped and she heard crowd murmuring outside. As her cloth covered her face she could see light and darkness but nothing more.

She could see the door getting open and warm voice speaking to her. "Give me your hand. I will lead you inside."

Xi Haoming held her soft hand and slowly helped her out of the carriage. Without letting go off her hand, he slowly led her into the house and helped her with all the traditions this world had.

After bowing three times, she was led away by her own servant and finally sat down. Because of make up, she had nothing to eat and was getting hungry. But she had to wait for him.

To her wonder she heard bunch of people gathering in her room and his voice. "Stop bring noisy. Let's finish this up. She is probably hungry. Is food ready?"

" Yes." Few servants could be heard placing something on the nearby table.

Soon she saw his feet in front of her and her cloth was gone. With curious eyes she looked at him and then at bunch of people that stared at her in wonder.

"Brother, who said she is ugly?" One of his cousins asked.

Xi Haoming turned his eyes towards him and waved his hand. "Don't talk to much. Go now."

"Wait, you are not going out?" He gasped. "There are bunch of people that want you to drink with them."

"We are leaving in early morning. Do you think I will drink before leaving? I have forbidden everyone to drink that is going with me. Now leave. You have quite a belly, drink in my name."

After pushing everyone out and making orders no one to bother him, he glanced at the cute woman glancing at him curiously. "Stop looking at me that way. You are too young for me to do anything. Actually, my mother told me that if I marry, I should not let my wife be young as it is bad for female body to give birth to babies in early age."

Babies? Didn't he say he will let her make decisions?

Almost like he could read her mind he chuckled. "I told you before. I will give you time to consider. Now let me help you with that thing on your head so you can eat calmly."

He could see that the wedding crown was just too heavy, so he slowly helped her to get it off and furrowed his eyebrows as he saw that it pressed her on few places so badly that it became red. "Why to people wear such a thing?"

Lan Lian chuckled. "To feel precious for one day. Phoenix crown is made heavy to make commoners get their idea how hard Empress burden is."

That was at least her interpretation and he rolled his eyes. "Who wants to be bothered with bunch of women in the palace? I hate most exactly those bothersome creatures. In future, don't you even dare to appoint me concubines."

Lan Lian smirked. "As long you don't bring them on your own, I won't." Man's heart might change with years.

Even tho her father lived her mother, even he had a concubine. Her uncle's as well. They were all good people, but this is such world.

Why even bother? She promised to live her life happily and she plans to do that.

He saw her smile as she took her spoon and shook his head. Who is crazy to have more than one woman?

Way too bothersome...