Five Phoenix Coronet (Part Four)
With Princess DanYang’s and Kun YuYang’s weddings gradually approaching, less and less focus was placed on the war at the border.
Eastern Ling’s court never focused too much on the situation at the border. After so many years, Gu HuaiJiang had never lost before, so there was no need for them to worry.
Rather than worry about the situation at the border, it would be better to think about how they should congratulate Gu HuaiJiang when he returned.
There were also some who were worried. Before their triumphant return, the Gu family already had five people with ranks and titles. If they returned victorious, would His Majesty not confer titles to the other three sons?
Gu HuaiJiang had a good life. He only took one wife, yet his six sons were all capable. Even the daughter that he had adopted was intelligent and observant. She also had the support of the Deity of Medicine.
The life of this princess was sure to be better than the lives of the two princesses who were about to get married.
In a small courtyard at the posthouse, the candles burned bright in the night in preparation for the grand wedding ceremony that was to take place after the sun rose.
“May your marriage last a lifetime. May your marriage be blessed with happiness and harmony. May you be blessed with many children and grandchildren. May you be blessed with a long life.”*
The wedding nanny who had come from Western Kun brushed Kun YuYang’s hair. While brushing her hair, she recited these blessings. While doing this, she also helped her put on her jeweled earrings and a heavy red and gold phoenix coronet.
Kun YuYang lifted her face with her red lips and smiled, “Nanny, it’s so heavy. Be a little gentler.”
A look of pity flashed through the eyes of the middle-aged palace servant who had been called nanny.
“My dear princess, what are you calling heavy? Did you know that the phoenix coronet worn by the princess born of the empress has a total of eight phoenixes and weighs a total of eight jin and eight taels. Initially, your phoenix coronet also had eight phoenixes, but…”
“It’s fine, nanny.”
Her coronet and cape were brought over from Western Kun. Normally speaking, it was common to give the princess who was coming over in a political marriage a bit more standing. In Western Kun, she was a princess born of a concubine, and the Board of Rites provided her with a phoenix coronet with eight phoenixes, putting her on the same level as a princess born of the empress.
At present, the coronet that the nanny placed on her head only had five phoenixes. It was put her below the status of even the princesses born of concubines, who would often have coronets with seven phoenixes.
Kun YuYang smiled and said: “His Majesty of Eastern Ling is kind. He clearly knows that Western Kun is using me as a cover for their plans, yet he is still allowing me to marry young sir Ning. Their treatment of me has not changed, so what is there for me to complain about?”
Naturally, the nanny understood that Emperor Ning was kind. She too was grateful, “His Majesty of Eastern Ling is kind and generous, and this servant naturally understands it. But that Princess DanYang is a little too domineering. Fearing that princess wearing the same number of phoenixes as her while sharing a wedding day, they actually had princess remove three phoenixes! By removing one phoenix, it would have been enough to show her status as princess born of Eastern Ling’s empress, so why remove three?”
If Kun YuYang was told to remove one phoenix, that would be Princess DanYang improving her own status.
But having her remove three phoenixes was clearly just an attempt to humiliate her!
Western Kun’s people were belligerent and placed great importance on face. To the nanny, this sort of humiliation was even more difficult to accept than death!
“Nanny.”
Kun YuYang straightened her coronet and cooly said: “We will be going into the palace shortly. Nanny must remember. Today is a day of celebration for me, and as someone who is coming to get married from Western Kun, nobody must show any unhappiness. Do you understand?”
The nanny froze. She had thought that Kun YuYang was a lively person who did not care much about how many phoenixes were on her coronet, but she seemed to be quite profound with what she said.
“Princess…”
Kun YuYang looked at her sternly through the mirror, “During these days in Eastern Ling, I have received all kinds of suspicious glances and heard all kinds of rumors. Nanny, do you still not understand? Just how many people there are waiting for us to show any displeasure, so they can use that to have His Majesty of Eastern Ling kill me. Your displeasure is precisely what the enemy wants!”
The nanny shuddered, never expecting Kun YuYang to think things through so thoroughly. She immediately nodded with respect.
Kun YuYang’s gaze softened, “Nanny, regardless of whether you believe it, I am currently very satisfied. My future husband is just a normal son of the imperial family, but he protected me before we got married. I also have Yu Fu and the people of Marquis Gu’s Manor. They don’t disdain me for being a sacrifice sent by Western Kun. They even treat me quite kindly. Isn’t this better than when I was being bullied in Western Kun’s imperial palace?”
She looked herself over in the mirror and revealed a beautiful smile, “Even if I can only wear a coronet with five phoenixes, so what? Yu Fu is right. The one who should feel humiliated is Princess DanYang. She will be marrying a man she does not love and who does not love her. Today, she will wear three more phoenixes than me, but in the future, I will be much happier than her. Nanny, do you believe it?”
“I do. Of course, I do!”
The nanny’s eyes were filled with tears, as she draped a goose-yellow cape on Kun YuYang’s shoulders. Paired with the broad-sleeved red wedding dress, she looked radiant. She was like a sunbeam that shone down from the sky.
Kun YuYang was dressed neatly and was just waiting for the sunrise when the gates to the palace would open. At that time, she would be able to enter the palace to wait for the grand banquet.
With a palace maid rushing her, Princess DanYang finally got up. Her face was completely devoid of any joy; it was completely blank.
Dian’er brought out the phoenix coronet and checked how it would look on her head, “Princess needs to quickly get dressed and put on makeup. It’s not for the sake of improving your husband’s image but for princess’ own image! This servant heard that the princess from Western Kun got up before the sun came up to get her makeup done. Our princess is a natural beauty, but how could any good come from being pushed down by her beauty?”
These words immediately made Princess DanYang alert, as she glared at Dian’er, “Nonsense. Even if this princess wore my usual formal clothes, they would be better than what that lowly Kun YuYang could wear. She is just a sacrifice sent by an enemy country to serve as a distraction. Loved by neither her father nor her mother, will she not also need to pay her respects to this princess?”
Palace maid and wedding nanny stood to the side, respectfully holding up a horn comb, “Princess, please come and get your makeup done. May your marriage last a lifetime. May your marriage be blessed…”
“Alright, alright, there’s no need to recite such meaningless stuff. This One does not want to grow old together with Yin Shuo. You just need to concern yourself with making me look beautiful. Don’t let that seductress from Western Kun steal my glory.”
The wedding nanny hesitantly said: “But princess, this must be recited whenever a girl gets married for the husband and wife to have a harmonious…”
Dian’er gave the wedding nanny a look and received the horn comb, cutting her off, and the wedding nanny quickly retreated.
While brushing Princess DanYang’s hair, she coaxed her into a good mood, “Our princess is noble beyond compare. Even if those words are not recited, would her husband dare to bully the princess? Princess, don’t worry. By having that princess from Western Kun only wear five phoenixes on her coronet, she will suffer a great humiliation. How could she possibly steal your glroy?”
Princess DanYang joyously looked into the mirror, “You really know how to make me happy.”
Five Phoenix Coronet (Part Four)
With Princess DanYang’s and Kun YuYang’s weddings gradually approaching, less and less focus was placed on the war at the border.
Eastern Ling’s court never focused too much on the situation at the border. After so many years, Gu HuaiJiang had never lost before, so there was no need for them to worry.
Rather than worry about the situation at the border, it would be better to think about how they should congratulate Gu HuaiJiang when he returned.
There were also some who were worried. Before their triumphant return, the Gu family already had five people with ranks and titles. If they returned victorious, would His Majesty not confer titles to the other three sons?
Gu HuaiJiang had a good life. He only took one wife, yet his six sons were all capable. Even the daughter that he had adopted was intelligent and observant. She also had the support of the Deity of Medicine.
The life of this princess was sure to be better than the lives of the two princesses who were about to get married.
In a small courtyard at the posthouse, the candles burned bright in the night in preparation for the grand wedding ceremony that was to take place after the sun rose.
“May your marriage last a lifetime. May your marriage be blessed with happiness and harmony. May you be blessed with many children and grandchildren. May you be blessed with a long life.”*
The wedding nanny who had come from Western Kun brushed Kun YuYang’s hair. While brushing her hair, she recited these blessings. While doing this, she also helped her put on her jeweled earrings and a heavy red and gold phoenix coronet.
Kun YuYang lifted her face with her red lips and smiled, “Nanny, it’s so heavy. Be a little gentler.”
A look of pity flashed through the eyes of the middle-aged palace servant who had been called nanny.
“My dear princess, what are you calling heavy? Did you know that the phoenix coronet worn by the princess born of the empress has a total of eight phoenixes and weighs a total of eight jin and eight taels. Initially, your phoenix coronet also had eight phoenixes, but…”
“It’s fine, nanny.”
Her coronet and cape were brought over from Western Kun. Normally speaking, it was common to give the princess who was coming over in a political marriage a bit more standing. In Western Kun, she was a princess born of a concubine, and the Board of Rites provided her with a phoenix coronet with eight phoenixes, putting her on the same level as a princess born of the empress.
At present, the coronet that the nanny placed on her head only had five phoenixes. It was put her below the status of even the princesses born of concubines, who would often have coronets with seven phoenixes.
Kun YuYang smiled and said: “His Majesty of Eastern Ling is kind. He clearly knows that Western Kun is using me as a cover for their plans, yet he is still allowing me to marry young sir Ning. Their treatment of me has not changed, so what is there for me to complain about?”
Naturally, the nanny understood that Emperor Ning was kind. She too was grateful, “His Majesty of Eastern Ling is kind and generous, and this servant naturally understands it. But that Princess DanYang is a little too domineering. Fearing that princess wearing the same number of phoenixes as her while sharing a wedding day, they actually had princess remove three phoenixes! By removing one phoenix, it would have been enough to show her status as princess born of Eastern Ling’s empress, so why remove three?”
If Kun YuYang was told to remove one phoenix, that would be Princess DanYang improving her own status.
But having her remove three phoenixes was clearly just an attempt to humiliate her!
Western Kun’s people were belligerent and placed great importance on face. To the nanny, this sort of humiliation was even more difficult to accept than death!
“Nanny.”
Kun YuYang straightened her coronet and cooly said: “We will be going into the palace shortly. Nanny must remember. Today is a day of celebration for me, and as someone who is coming to get married from Western Kun, nobody must show any unhappiness. Do you understand?”
The nanny froze. She had thought that Kun YuYang was a lively person who did not care much about how many phoenixes were on her coronet, but she seemed to be quite profound with what she said.
“Princess…”
Kun YuYang looked at her sternly through the mirror, “During these days in Eastern Ling, I have received all kinds of suspicious glances and heard all kinds of rumors. Nanny, do you still not understand? Just how many people there are waiting for us to show any displeasure, so they can use that to have His Majesty of Eastern Ling kill me. Your displeasure is precisely what the enemy wants!”
The nanny shuddered, never expecting Kun YuYang to think things through so thoroughly. She immediately nodded with respect.
Kun YuYang’s gaze softened, “Nanny, regardless of whether you believe it, I am currently very satisfied. My future husband is just a normal son of the imperial family, but he protected me before we got married. I also have Yu Fu and the people of Marquis Gu’s Manor. They don’t disdain me for being a sacrifice sent by Western Kun. They even treat me quite kindly. Isn’t this better than when I was being bullied in Western Kun’s imperial palace?”
She looked herself over in the mirror and revealed a beautiful smile, “Even if I can only wear a coronet with five phoenixes, so what? Yu Fu is right. The one who should feel humiliated is Princess DanYang. She will be marrying a man she does not love and who does not love her. Today, she will wear three more phoenixes than me, but in the future, I will be much happier than her. Nanny, do you believe it?”
“I do. Of course, I do!”
The nanny’s eyes were filled with tears, as she draped a goose-yellow cape on Kun YuYang’s shoulders. Paired with the broad-sleeved red wedding dress, she looked radiant. She was like a sunbeam that shone down from the sky.
Kun YuYang was dressed neatly and was just waiting for the sunrise when the gates to the palace would open. At that time, she would be able to enter the palace to wait for the grand banquet.
With a palace maid rushing her, Princess DanYang finally got up. Her face was completely devoid of any joy; it was completely blank.
Dian’er brought out the phoenix coronet and checked how it would look on her head, “Princess needs to quickly get dressed and put on makeup. It’s not for the sake of improving your husband’s image but for princess’ own image! This servant heard that the princess from Western Kun got up before the sun came up to get her makeup done. Our princess is a natural beauty, but how could any good come from being pushed down by her beauty?”
These words immediately made Princess DanYang alert, as she glared at Dian’er, “Nonsense. Even if this princess wore my usual formal clothes, they would be better than what that lowly Kun YuYang could wear. She is just a sacrifice sent by an enemy country to serve as a distraction. Loved by neither her father nor her mother, will she not also need to pay her respects to this princess?”
Palace maid and wedding nanny stood to the side, respectfully holding up a horn comb, “Princess, please come and get your makeup done. May your marriage last a lifetime. May your marriage be blessed…”
“Alright, alright, there’s no need to recite such meaningless stuff. This One does not want to grow old together with Yin Shuo. You just need to concern yourself with making me look beautiful. Don’t let that seductress from Western Kun steal my glory.”
The wedding nanny hesitantly said: “But princess, this must be recited whenever a girl gets married for the husband and wife to have a harmonious…”
Dian’er gave the wedding nanny a look and received the horn comb, cutting her off, and the wedding nanny quickly retreated.
While brushing Princess DanYang’s hair, she coaxed her into a good mood, “Our princess is noble beyond compare. Even if those words are not recited, would her husband dare to bully the princess? Princess, don’t worry. By having that princess from Western Kun only wear five phoenixes on her coronet, she will suffer a great humiliation. How could she possibly steal your glroy?”
Princess DanYang joyously looked into the mirror, “You really know how to make me happy.”
