Transmigrated to the Northern Song Dynasty as a County Magistrate (GL) - Chapter 7

7: A Wedding Against One’s Will (Part 2)

Of course, the matchmakers’ rewards were substantial. As Fan Zhuzhu explained, every appearance by a matchmaker demanded payment—each time, without exception—culminating in a final red envelope. Combined with other expenses and today’s lavish display, this wedding was far from cheap.

As the procession drew nearer, the crowd could make out the twenty-odd musicians and flag-bearers at the front, followed by an eight-person palanquin (the bridal sedan), flanked by matchmakers. Behind them trailed eighty attendants carrying auspicious items:

– Ornamental vases,
– Lanterns and incense spheres,
– Lavish toiletries and vanity cases,
– Chests of gowns,
– And load after load of dowry.

The suona’s piercing notes dominated the music, though Tian Qingyi couldn’t identify the tune. She scanned for flutes but found none.

She expected the palanquin to halt before her, but suddenly, wedding guests surged forward, forming a human barricade. As she stood frozen, they began reciting obstructive poems—a tradition meant to delay the groom until Steward Liu intervened with a responding verse and distributed red packets.

Only then did the procession resume, the palanquin finally stopping before her. Under the master of ceremonies’ guidance, Tian Qingyi clumsily helped the bride alight.

The bride hid her face behind a round fan, revealing only a delicate profile.

—

Rituals and Resistance

The bride, supported by her maid, walked atop blue felt carpets toward the manor. A woman walked backward ahead of them, holding a bronze mirror. After passing the gate, they crossed a saddle (for luck) before entering the bridal chamber to “sit in wealth.”

Meanwhile, Tian Qingyi was dragged to the central hall’s entrance, where two chairs stood back-to-back on a dais, a saddle placed atop one.

This wasn’t here earlier.

The crowd roared for her to sit. The matchmakers whispered: “You must be ‘invited’ down three times.”

The saddle looked deliberately uncomfortable. Trapped by tradition, she complied, legs straining to maintain dignity. Thankfully, the elderly women “inviting” her down didn’t prolong the torment.

No sooner had she descended than she was herded back to the bridal chamber—only to find another group blocking the door, chanting more poems.

More red packets.

Wei Shier stepped in to distribute them when Steward Liu was nowhere in sight.

—

The Bridal Chamber

Inside, the room glittered with jewelry and gold vessels—like a dragon’s hoard. The bride sat primly on the bed, fan still raised.

Tian Qingyi joined her, awaiting the final ceremony: bowing to the parents.

With the main wife deceased and Fan Zhuzhu (a concubine) ineligible, only Jiufang Xin—wheeled out in his sickbed—received their obeisance.

The crowd cheered, though Tian Qingyi doubted their sincerity.

—

Jiufang Xin: A Villain’s Downfall

Propped up in festive robes, Jiufang Xin looked decades older than his sixty years—gaunt, white-haired, reeking of medicine. Yet triumph glowed in his sunken eyes.

His story was one of opportunism:
– Born to peasant-turned-gentry parents in Kaifeng’s outskirts.
– Failed the exams repeatedly until Emperor Taizong expanded quotas to legitimize his usurpation.
– At thirty-plus, he finally passed, then married into wealth via “groom-catching.”
– His wife’s dowry funded his rise, while he fathered children across postings, abandoning most.

Fan Zhuzhu was his first victim—discarded once better prospects arose.

Of his many offspring, only two survived:
1. Jiufang Qiyu: The obese, dull-witted heir.
2. Jiufang Xiyan: The “disappointing” son now outshining him.

His stroke three years prior—rumored to be Fan Zhuzhu’s revenge—ended his career.

Karma, Tian Qingyi thought. If I’m still here when he dies, I’ll “gift” him a send-off to remember.

—

Final Rites

Returning to the chamber at nightfall, the couple underwent more rituals:
1. Hair-binding: Locks cut from both, braided together, and stored in a pouch (symbolizing union).
2. Cup-exchange: Shared wine from wedding cups deliberately placed upside-down under the bed.
3. Flower-and-knot toss: The bride removed a decorative red flower from her phoenix crown; Tian Qingyi surrendered a button from her robe. Both were flung beneath the bed to signify fertility and harmony.

Harmony? Tian Qingyi scoffed inwardly. If the bride knew my secret, she’d throttle me.

—

The Banquet: A Chance to Escape?

Released to the feast at last, Tian Qingyi’s spirits lifted.

Alcohol. Enough of it, and maybe I’ll wake up modern again.

For the first time that day, she smiled.