Xianggong, Please Divorce Me!

Ch. 6: Untitled

Translator's Notes:  I am translating from the JJWXC site which is the novel's official publisher.  This chapter as well as several others have the same name which seems to be a placeholder rather than a chapter name.

[1] The original text has □□.

[2] By asking for a bath on one's wedding night, Su Tang is seen as undignified, preening herself. This is not in line with the idea of a modest chaste virtuous young bride.

[3] "春宵一刻值千金"; This phrase is originally from a Song dynasty poem and is often used as a metaphor for the first night of marriage.

Chapter 6: Untitled

A kind of twist, Su Tang was under the "protection" of the black riders, who converged together with the original bridal escort party. Su Tang got into the carriage and began to tidy up.

The phoenix coronet was stained with blood, so there was no choice but to not put it on again. Su Tang might as well just coil up her hair into a bun and cover that with a red piece of cloth.  The auspicious clothing was wrinkled and furthermore, it was still somewhat dusty. However, this much already had to be disregarded. Xi Que looked at the sorry figure of her family's young miss, her deflated mouth grumbling.

This trip consistently shook one to the core. Su Tang also had no free time to listen to Xi Que's long-windedness. Not forgetting that scene just a short while ago, Su Tang's face again burned somewhat hot—just a moment ago indeed that cold noodles carried her in his arms into the carriage, those arms, truly powerful!

Entering the city, they weren't not far from the generals' manor. The hubbub of voices during the entire journey were exceptionally lively.  Su Tang (mistakenly) thought that it goes without saying that the capital is this lively, never thinking that all those people came to see the general get married.

Again, after a good while, gongs, drums, and horns started to ring out. Strings of firecrackers also began to pop and crackle. Xi Que eyes peeped out the window. She turned around and happily said "Miss, we've arrived at the general's manor! Wow, so many people!"

Su Tang naturally couldn't see the spectacle of the gathered crowd of visitors. She only saw both sides thick with the tops of feet and was also able to roughly guess (the types of people there).  She thought to herself that in the end Song Shi An is a very important person, very likely all the guests have connections!

What Su Tang thought was quite right. Song Shi An was Song country's highest ranking general and  furthermore just recently returned triumphantly from a victorious battle.  He was grandly situated in the middle of the limelight.  Moreover this marriage was also considered to be personally overseen by His Majesty.  And as a result, regardless whether originating from sincerity or something else, the royal court's cabinet ministers as well as the capital's middle-sized and small functionaries all had to attend.  Prime Minister Li, who was usually disagreeable towards other officials, went to the extent of ordering everyone to give congratulatory gifts.

Even though Su Tang had discussed the Confucian doctrine of marriage many times, but really doing the bride and groom ritual wedding ceremony, this step, this one time. So hearing that voice (say) "Husband and wife pay respect to each other", she somewhat actually didn't dare to believe.

When the master of ceremonies loudly shouted "The ceremony is completed, escort (them) into the bridal chamber", Su Tang actually exhaled a breathe—OK, she this bowl of old water that was put aside for 20 years, finally spilled out.

Supported into the bridal chamber, getting on the wedding bed, Su Tang tore off her head covering and exhaled a breath, "Ok, everything is finished." After speaking, she looked at Song Shi An's hand extended in midair, somewhat uncertain. "What is this that you're doing?"