On the third day of the third lunar month, the Shangsi Festival, an auspicious day when all undertakings are favorably timed.
As a representative of the bride's family, Zhang Shen personally managed every detail of Zhu Qingyu's wedding, even drawing on the shortcomings of his own previous marriage ceremony to ensure every aspect was thoughtfully considered.
Everything was in readiness. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the only thing left was to see the bride onto the palanquin at the final moment, and all would be well.
But at that very final moment, an unforeseen circumstance arose—the bride had run off to the Hui Medical Hall to treat the wounded!
Zhu Qingyu made her escape swiftly, but the Zhang household erupted into total chaos.
Though momentarily thrown off her game, the seasoned Nanny Qin quickly regained her composure and issued orders, dispatching people in all directions:
"Hurry to the Governor's mansion and tell His Lordship to come to the Hui Medical Hall to pick up the bride this morning—don't go to the wrong place!"
She then hurried off to find Zhang Shen:
"Lord Zhang, we need to gather everyone and the dowry items and head to the Hui Medical Hall at once!"
It wasn't just the Zhang household in turmoil. Mrs. Zhuang, serving as the wedding's fortune-bringer, had gone to the Governor's mansion the day before to make the couple's bridal bed and was scheduled to apply the bride's makeup and comb her hair this morning.
Mrs. Zhuang had left home with ample time to spare, but no sooner had she stepped out of the government office than she was urgently bundled into a carriage.
It was still dark, and she couldn't see who had taken her. Mrs. Zhuang was terrified, certain she'd been kidnapped by one of her husband's enemies. But when she asked what was happening, she received an even more frightening answer: the bride had run off!
Good heavens, what on earth was going on!
When the shaken Mrs. Zhuang finally arrived at the Hui Medical Hall, she had to drink several cups of tea to calm her racing heart.
Lord Zhu was still in the examination room, with medical assistants coming and going. No one dared to disturb him, and there was no telling when the bride would be available for her makeup and hair. Mrs. Zhuang could only wait off to the side. Dawn broke, and still Lord Zhu hadn't emerged.
As the fortune-bringer, Mrs. Zhuang still had her duties to fulfill, and she was beginning to grow anxious:
"The palanquin is supposed to depart at the hour of the Snake, and combing her hair takes time—how can we possibly make it?"
Nanny Qin stood at the door with a string of maidservants, glancing up at the sky. She had already given up hope of Lord Zhu emerging on schedule and tried to console Mrs. Zhuang:
"If worst comes to worst, we'll just put the red veil on her. No one will be able to tell whether her hair was combed or not."
That nanny certainly had a carefree attitude! Mrs. Zhuang pressed a hand to her forehead:
"Oh, my dear nanny, we might not be able to tell, but once they're in the bridal chamber and the veil is lifted, do you think the groom won't notice? On such a happy day, if the bride shows up with a bare face and Vice Minister Gu takes offense, what then?"
If it were any other matter, Nanny Qin might have worried. But on this particular point, she was absolutely confident, brimming with certainty. She replied:
"Rest easy. As long as the bride hasn't run off and she shows up, even if Lord Zhu has her arrive in a burlap sack, His Lordship will be so overjoyed he'll set off firecrackers."
At the hour of the Snake, as drums and gongs thundered and firecrackers crackled, the bridal procession approached the Hui Medical Hall. Just as Gu Zhao, riding his horse, reached the entrance, the door to the examination room finally opened.
Zhu Qingyu had apparently just washed her hands, drying them with a cloth as she called back inside:
"I'm off to get married first. Keep an eye on him. If anything comes up, come find me at the Governor's mansion."
There was no time to worry about anything else now. Mrs. Zhuang leapt to her feet and quickly spread the bridal gown open for Zhu Qingyu, rattling off the traditional blessings:
"The auspicious hour has come! May the bride and groom enjoy a hundred years of harmony and everlasting love! Quick, quick—the bride is out!"
Nanny Qin and her maidservants swarmed around Zhu Qingyu, slipping on her gown, changing her embroidered shoes, adjusting her veil—all in one fluid motion that made Zhu Qingyu feel as though she were back in the operating room being dressed in surgical scrubs.
A line of people formed by the door in an assembly-line fashion. The moment the veil was lowered into place, Nanny Qin and her assistants stepped back, and Zhang Shen, who had been waiting nearby, reached out his hand:
"Hold on to me. I'll see you out."
According to custom, the bride is to be escorted to the palanquin by her brother from her natal family. As her cousin, Zhang Shen was perfectly suited to escort her. Zhu Qingyu took his hand and let him lead her to the palanquin.
The bridal procession struck up its music once more—drums, gongs, and firecrackers resounding—as it made its way toward the Governor's mansion.
Gu Zhao rode his horse beside the palanquin and quietly lifted a corner of the curtain to ask:
"Are you hungry?"
Zhu Qingyu replied pitifully:
"So hungry. When do we get there?"
The injured constable had been in terrible condition. Zhu Qingyu had worked from the fourth watch until now to save him, not pausing for a single sip of water or bite of food. By now she was nearly starving—so hungry she felt nauseous.
A corner of the palanquin curtain lifted again, and a handkerchief was passed in, followed by a water skin. Gu Zhao said:
"I knew you wouldn't have time to eat. I wrapped up a few pastries for you before I left. Have a little something to tide you over. I'll go tell them to hurry it along so we can get home faster."
His horse's hooves went clip-clop-clip-clop as Gu Zhao rode ahead to urge the procession forward.
Zhu Qingyu, meanwhile, unwrapped the handkerchief to look. The more she examined it, the more familiar it seemed—it was the same handkerchief she had used to wrap pastries for him on the road to the northern frontier.
Inside the handkerchief were several peach blossom cakes, small and delicate—perfect for such an occasion. You could pop one into your mouth without a crumb falling onto the wedding gown.
Since no one could see inside the palanquin anyway, Zhu Qingyu lifted her veil and, setting aside the dignity expected of a bride, held the water skin in one hand and nibbled on a peach blossom cake with the other.
The cakes looked delicious and tasted delicious, but perhaps because she was utterly exhausted, or perhaps because the palanquin was jostling as the procession hurried forward, two cakes in, the nausea returned. She rewrapped the remaining pastries in the handkerchief and spent the rest of the journey just drinking from the water skin, gulping down enough to half-satisfy her hunger.
When they arrived at the Governor's mansion, Zhu Qingyu quickly put her veil back in place.
The fortune-bringer, Mrs. Zhuang, lifted the palanquin curtain, and the groom, Gu Zhao, reached out his hand:
"Careful, now."
She took Gu Zhao's hand and stepped down from the palanquin. From then on, Zhu Qingyu followed orders through the entire ceremony—bowing to heaven and earth, to the bride's and groom's parents, then bowing to each other in mutual respect—until at last, amid all the cheerful commotion, she was led into the bridal chamber.
At this point, according to tradition, Gu Zhao was supposed to go out and entertain the guests while Zhu Qingyu was supposed to sit by the bed and wait for him—a wait that could stretch through the entire afternoon, until he returned after seeing off all the guests that evening, to lift the veil and drink the nuptial cup.
In theory, that was how it went. But no sooner had Zhu Qingyu sat down on the edge of the bed than Gu Zhao lifted her veil, and Nanny Qin, quick as lightning, came in carrying a food hamper.
Gu Zhao said:
"Eat, drink, and sleep as you please. Rest well. I'll come back after I've seen off the guests tonight."
Zhu Qingyu, too hungry to be bothered with modesty, cheerfully hurried over to the table, eyes fixed eagerly on the food Nanny Qin was unveiling, and replied:
"And make sure you don't drink too much."
Since it was prepared for Zhu Qingyu, Nanny Qin had instructed the cook to make dishes in the Sichuan style.
A spread of red-colored dishes was laid out before her. Zhu Qingyu picked up a bite with her chopsticks—it was from the same cook she always used, the same dishes she normally found absolutely delicious. But today, she found them more revolting than appetizing. The very smell made her uncomfortable. She waved her hand quickly at Nanny Qin:
"Nanny, I'm feeling a bit unwell. Just a couple of pastries will do. Could you take these away for now?"
After finishing the pastries, she began to feel drowsy. Since Gu Zhao had told her to eat, drink, and sleep as she pleased, Zhu Qingyu stripped off her wedding gown in a few swift moves and burrowed into the quilt embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks.
Seeing the new bride so at ease, Nanny Qin remained composed the entire time. She took the items, deliberately stationed a maid at the door to keep any troublemakers from barging in to disturb the wedding chamber, and then called over a handmaiden who was in charge of Zhu Qingyu's wardrobe. Drawing her aside, Nanny Qin asked in a low voice:
"Is Lord Zhu's monthly cycle late this month?"
