Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Perfunctory and Coercion
Translator: 549690339
According to the rules of the Great Sheng Dynasty, the wedding of a prince and his main consort was a very complicated affair.
Most people couldn’t remember all the steps involved in the process.
Let alone Jiang Ning.
The nanny sent by the palace to teach her the rules didn’t dare to force her to learn, and she herself was lackadaisical, letting the lessons go in one ear and out the other, never really learning much.
Fortunately, there were people to guide them, and every step had someone whispering instructions into their ears.
Thus, there was no risk of making a mistake and disgracing the royal family.
Although the Prince of Yu was already 18 years old and lived separately from his parents, he was still a prince, and his parents, the Emperor and Empress, were still in the palace.
After going through the ceremony at the prince’s residence, Jiang Ning had to go to the palace and pay her respects to the Emperor, Empress, and other elders by kowtowing.
Wearing a heavy phoenix coronet and robes weighing dozens of pounds, Jiang Ning was pushed back and forth by assistants. Although she didn’t have to walk on her own, she still had to be helped to kneel when performing the rituals.
She was exhausted after a whole day of this, and with all the buzzing in her ears, she couldn’t hear anything clearly.
From underneath her veil, she could occasionally glimpse the red robe and cloud boots of the man standing beside her.
She knew that was the Prince of Yu, but she didn’t have the energy to pay attention to him.
The Prince of Yu also acted aloof and indifferent, following the rules like a mere tool, barely bothering to look at the girl in the wheelchair.
Once they were in the palace, Jiang Ning was at least allowed to remove her veil temporarily.
It would be inappropriate to keep her face covered while kowtowing to the Emperor and Empress.
So, Jiang Ning finally saw the true face of the legendary Emperor.
A chubby body, a round face, a white beard, and a smile directed at her.
Oh my.
Wasn’t that Old Man Li?
Although Jiang Ning had suspected his identity, seeing him dressed in the emperor’s robe, wearing the crown, and sitting beside the Empress left her speechless.
Old Man Li, no, the Emperor, raised his hand with a smile: “Never mind the formalities, please rise.”
A palace maid helped Jiang Ning to her feet.
The Emperor frowned at his fifth son and said, “Don’t you see that your wife has difficulty moving? Why don’t you help her?”
Prince of Yu hesitated for a moment but then quickly reached out and supported Jiang Ning’s arm, saying, “This humble son was concerned that the princess consort might feel shy and uncomfortable, so I didn’t dare to take the liberty.”
Jiang Ning looked up at the Prince and frowned slightly.
Contrary to his gentle expression and warm words, his hand was cold and not gentle at all, but rather forceful and impatient.
It was as if he was reluctantly helping her.
It wasn’t really help; just perfunctory and coercive.
Jiang Ning tried to pull her hand back, but a cold glance from the Prince stopped her. His fingers tightened around her wrist, not allowing her to break free.
Jiang Ning lowered her head and stopped struggling.
The Emperor and Empress sitting above didn’t notice this little exchange.
In their eyes, the tableau of the Prince holding Jiang Ning’s wrist and looking down at her was quite harmonious.
The Emperor chuckled, “She’s already married to you, why worry about propriety? Girls from the Jiang family are good. Fifth son, you must cherish her, understand?”
The Empress glanced at him and uttered a low snort.
It probably wasn’t the Jiang daughters that were good, but their mother!
The Prince bowed his head, “This humble son accepts the decree and will most certainly take good care of the princess consort.”
The Emperor seemed satisfied, and he gave Jiang Ning a meaningful look, “You both must be exhausted from the day’s events. Go on, return to your resting quarters. There will be plenty of opportunities to visit the palace in the future.” Smiling, the Empress added, “Prince of Yu, although you’re both tired, you still need to pay your respects to Concubine Jin.”
Concubine Jin was the Prince’s birth mother, and, of course, they had to kowtow to her as well..