Chapter 607: Wedding Contract

Chinese wedding ceremonies are solemn and elegant!

Actually, it's impossible to determine exactly what a traditional Chinese wedding should look like—folk customs vary by region, and imperial courts had their own customs.

Customs also differ by region, and every dynasty certainly had its own variations.

What matters is the atmosphere of traditional culture!

If we were to strictly adhere to ancient rites, many elements would be improper—for instance, Liu Tianxian wearing the phoenix crown and Xiapi right on the spot; she should have put them on beforehand.

But Liu Xiaoli felt sorry for her daughter, so she let her put them on live.

Yet some elements were properly observed—for example, Liu Tianxian covering half her face with a fan upon entering, known as queshan; and the ritual of bowing to each other across the distance is called the queshan rite.

But at this moment, Liu Tianxian wasn't holding the queshan fan.

Queshan covers the head and face—first to conceal modesty, second to ward off evil, much like a red veil.

So the ceremony didn't strictly follow ancient rites, yet the attendees still felt it was proper, because modern people simply don't know the exact rituals.

Few people could clearly explain how a Chinese wedding should properly be conducted.

If we were truly to observe tradition, we'd need the Three Documents and Six Rites—the Three Documents being the betrothal letter, the gift letter, and the wedding invitation letter.

The Six Rites include nacai, wenming, naji, nazheng, qingqi, and qinying—many were omitted, since they're so familiar already, and many steps are unnecessary.

These rituals existed in ancient times because the bride and groom had never met or fallen in love.

Nacai means sending a matchmaker to propose; wenming means asking for the bride's name; naji means retrieving the girl's name and birth details to perform divination at the ancestral shrine.

Nazheng means the groom's family sends betrothal gifts; qingqi means setting the wedding date; qinying means the bride's family sends dowry.

These things are largely inapplicable in modern society—it's certainly not feasible to rigidly follow ancient protocols; we must evolve with the times.

As guests watched, Fang Hong walked in small square steps, followed by several groomsmen dressed in Hanfu—Liu Yin, Li Anran, Tu Yiran, among others.

These men were Fang Hong's film crew; each held a tray bearing the Five Golds and Ten Treasures.

The Five Golds: one pair of earrings, a ring, a necklace, one pair of Bracelets.

There was no pink heart as before—just pure gold ceremonial items, used for show.

The Ten Treasures: a gold thimble, gold scissors, a small ingot, a large ingot, a small life, a large life, a gold fish, copper coins, a tray, and a red cloth—each one included.

Also, a large red silk ribbon.

Fang Hong ascended the stage, walked to Liu Tianxian's side, and stood facing her.

They gazed deeply into each other's eyes; Liu Tianxian's gaze shimmered, brimming with affection—after all these years, they were finally becoming husband and wife; this man would be hers for life.

Fang Hong's eyes held equal tenderness, filled with adoration.

In this silent moment, they both knew what the other was thinking, both moved.

"Let the groom and bride perform the Three Bows and Three Refusals!"

The Three Bows and Three Refusals meant Fang Hong bowed, while Liu Tianxian slightly inclined her body—once with her hand on her left waist, once on her right waist—repeating this three times, their ceremonial greeting.

Liu Tianxian's bow was precise, clearly practiced—she took everything seriously.

As the ceremony proceeded, the two sides of the stage faced each other; Liu Yin and Li Anran stepped forward and handed their trays of Five Golds and Ten Treasures to the other side.

Zhang Jingying and Shuchang stepped forward to receive the trays, then returned to their positions.

Another bridesmaid, Tang Yan, stepped forward, took the red silk ribbon from Tu Yiran's tray, then delivered it to Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian.

Each held one end, with the bright red silk between them!

The entire process felt solemn and dignified; Tang Yan and Zhang Jingying had been pre-trained and were experiencing such a wedding for the first time—it was novel.

The audience below watched, observing the ceremony, their eyes filled with admiration and curiosity—having seen so many Western weddings, a Chinese one felt fresh.

Jing Tian watched the ceremony unfold; though a hint of sadness lingered inside her, she showed none—seeing them happy was enough.

She too would find her own happiness, she thought.

Onstage, Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian held the red silk ribbon, then walked side by side up the steps toward a higher platform.

As they stepped onto the stairs, the music playing suddenly shifted—becoming "Peaceful Moon," its grand, majestic tone filling the air with solemn grandeur, evoking awe.

"One red silk ribbon, two hands holding the colored ball, the Matchmaker binds three lifetimes"—that grand voice echoed again.

Ahead, on the higher platform, sat three figures: Xu Liyun, Liu Xiaoli, and An Shaokang, seated in solemn dignity.

Watching their children walk steadily toward them, growing ever closer, their hearts swelled with joy and excitement.

Especially Xu Liyun—her face betrayed unmistakable delight and emotion; Liu Xiaoli and An Shaokang were calmer, yet still wore gentle smiles.

Behind them loomed a massive LED screen—so many guests, such a vast venue, some might not see otherwise.

Of course, some held up phones, recording the entire wedding procession.

Beside the palace, an elderly man in a Daoist robe, his hair white, bent over a desk, brushing ink with a calligraphy brush—as if writing something; if you looked, you'd see it was Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian's wedding contract.

The paper was a red scroll; the characters were gold!

Standing still was fine, but as soon as they moved, Liu Tianxian felt the Xiapi dragging heavily—normal, given its length trailing on the ground; not just weight, but significant resistance.

Liu Xiaoli still felt sorry for her daughter, so she didn't make her walk from the very end of the red carpet.

Still, it was manageable—Liu Tianxian exercised regularly and could handle the Xiapi; she just had to persevere, no great strain.

But the phoenix crown on her head was uncomfortable—she had to keep her neck stiff; it was heavy, and tilting or lowering her head risked it falling off.

If it fell, how inauspicious!

Soon, they reached the summit, halted before the palace, and faced their parents.

"Perform the Washing Ritual!"

Liu Yin and Zhang Jingying each brought a basin to wash their hands—this step was simply hand-washing.

After washing, they dried their hands with red handkerchiefs.

As Liu Tianxian dried her hands, she glanced at Zhang Jingying; they exchanged a smile.

She wanted to say something, but the occasion wasn't right—Zhang Jingying had wanted to say: Your wedding is too grand.

Yet it made her envious—this was precisely the sense of ceremony girls dream of.

"Please the groom and bride turn to face each other and bow to Heaven and Earth!"

Following the grand voice's instruction, Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian turned in unison, facing all before them, looking down from above at every guest attending their wedding.

They were also the most prominent figures, with everyone watching them, witnessing their wedding.

Because Liu Tianxian's Xiapi was too long, turning would tangle it grotesquely, so several staff members had to hold it, placing it beside her and smoothing it out.

"Thank Heaven for this blessed union—first bow!"

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian, holding the red silk ribbon, bowed toward the empty air.

During this, Liu Tianxian merely inclined slightly, as her attire made bending difficult; Fang Hong bowed deeply.

"Thank Earth for this beautiful match—second bow!"

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian bowed again!

"Thank Heaven and Earth for bringing you together—third bow!"

"The ancestral rites endure for a thousand autumns; parental grace must never be forgotten. Please the groom and bride turn toward their parents and perform the gratitude ceremony!"

The bowing to parents began.

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian turned to face their parents; Liu Tianxian's attire was troublesome, so the staff had to hold her Xiapi again and reposition her.

This robe was simply so inconvenient—guests watching all found it annoying!

"Wish your parents abundant blessings and long life—first bow!"

Facing their parents, the two performed the three bows again, just as before.

With each bow, the grand voice of the master of ceremonies rang out; Xu Liyun, Liu Xiaoli, and An Shaokang watched them, their faces filled with relief and emotion.

Xu Liyun, moved, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away tears—this wish had finally been fulfilled; her son's marriage was her greatest desire.

As the couple prepared for the mutual bow between spouses, Xu Liyun said to Liu Xiaoli beside her: "Mother-in-law, this wedding owes everything to your efforts—you've truly worked hard."

Xu Liyun had done almost nothing to organize this wedding; everything was handled by Liu Xiaoli alone, so she still felt guilty for not helping at all.

"Why say such things? We're family now. As long as we see them start a home, all our hard work is worth it, isn't it?" said Liu Xiaoli.

"Yes, yes!" Xu Liyun nodded repeatedly.

Beside them, An Shaokang glanced at the two but said nothing; Liu Xiaoli never spoke to him anyway—just being seated here as a parent was enough.

He had done nothing to organize this wedding.

"Respect each other as guests—third bow! Ceremony complete!"

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian faced each other and performed the final mutual bow; the crowd erupted in loud "clap-clap-clap" applause, offering their blessings.

Everyone watched silently, with little interaction—just observing something novel.

After the ceremony, the parents stepped down, and several staff members brought forward a wooden table, flanked by two chairs.

"Please the newlyweds take their seats!"

Liu Tianxian sat down, supported by Zhang Jingying; Fang Hong, unencumbered, sat beside her.

Both sat upright; from afar, or on the large screen, they looked like ancestral portraits.

"Perform the ceremony of cutting hair and tying the red cord!"

Liu Yin and Zhang Jingying each held small scissors, cutting a few strands of hair from behind Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian, then tying them together with red silk cords, like a tiny Chinese knot.

This required time—it was made live, and several staff members bustled about.

"It's quite tedious."

"The more tedious, the better—it proves ritual depth. I envy such weddings," said Zhao Xiaodao.

"Exactly. Compared to Western weddings, these are too simple—no ritual, no weight."

Below, whispers spread; above, the red silk knot was completed and placed into a prepared brocade pouch, displayed to the crowd and shown on the large screen.

"Please the two newlyweds perform the hejin ceremony!"

This ritual is the wine-sharing ceremony: using two gourds split in half, the groom and bride each drink from one.

That was ancient times; here, they used wine cups instead of gourds, with red or green silk threads connecting them.

The meaning: bride and groom each hold one end, symbolizing their union leading to the bridal chamber.

Staff handed each of Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian a cup of wine; they covered them with their sleeves and drank in one gulp.

After drinking, they passed the cups to the staff beside them.

The next ritual was "scattering the bed," tossing jujubes, peanuts, and other items onto Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian, symbolizing early birth of noble children.

"First scatter: glory and wealth!"

Shuchang tossed jujubes and peanuts onto Liu Tianxian, who sat perfectly still, unperturbed!

The audience watched the ceremony in silence,

"Second scatter: gold and jade fill the hall!"

Liu Yin tossed items onto Fang Hong.

"Third scatter: three virtuous sons pass the imperial exams!"

"Fourth scatter: prosperity in all four seasons!"

"Fifth scatter: five sons achieve official rank!"

"Sixth scatter: harmony in six directions welcomes spring!"

"Seventh scatter: fairy maidens grow old together!"

"Eighth scatter: eight horses return home!"

"Ninth scatter: ninety-nine blessings of longevity!"

"Tenth scatter: perfect fortune and prosperity!"

"Ritual complete! May all things bring great luck!"

Throughout, groomsmen and bridesmaids kept tossing things onto them—the whole process felt silly, and some in the crowd couldn't help laughing.

But it was perfectly normal — Chinese tradition is all about "propriety"!

"If I were to get married, I wouldn't make it this elaborate. Just the basics would do," said Nazha.

"Wait until you actually have a man, then talk!" said Jiang Shuying.

The ceremony had now nearly reached its end; only the final hand-binding rite remained.

"Bride and groom, face forward! Please perform the hand-binding rite!"

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian rose, faced each other, and clasped each other's hands, a warmth blooming in their palms!

Tenderness and affection still lingered in both their eyes.

Just as the two joined hands, the white-haired elder in the Daoist robe raised the marriage certificate high with both hands and read aloud to the assembly:

"A union ordained by Heaven, a bond forged by Earth; Heaven and Earth are set, and the qin and se shall play in harmony.

"With Heaven and Earth as witness, sun and moon as mirror, mountains and rivers as covenant, rivers and streams as oath, today a blessed match is made by Heaven, a perfect pair joined as one. This document is hereby drawn up to proclaim to the four seas and to announce to all the people.

"The groom, Fang Hong, courtesy name Principal, born in 1988, native of Hubei, descendant of the Yan Emperor, of illustrious lineage, of noble character, gifted in both virtue and talent, accomplished in both literary and martial pursuits, truly a hero of our age, a dragon among men.

"The bride, Liu Yifei, courtesy name An Feng, born in 1987, native of Hubei, daughter of Emperor Yao, gentle and virtuous, blessed with both talent and beauty, graced in both conduct and bearing, truly a flower of the boudoir, a phoenix among women.

"Today these two, their fate sealed across three lives, their love bound for one lifetime, a union ordained by Heaven, a bond forged by Earth, on this 18th day of June, 2015, in the land of Beijing, hold the great wedding ceremony. With Heaven and Earth as witness, sun and moon as mirror, mountains and rivers as covenant, rivers and streams as oath, may they in this life and this world be forever of one heart, hand in hand till their hair turns white.

"This document is hereby drawn up as witness, to proclaim to the four seas, to announce to all the people. May all lovers under Heaven be joined as spouses; may every blessed match in the world find its perfect end."

The elder's voice rang high and resonant, every word striking like steel!

Amplified by the speakers, the sound echoed throughout the entire Royal Garden, as if piercing through time and space, reverberating between Heaven and Earth, striking the heart of every guest present.

As if it left some kind of imprint on their hearts, so that from then on Liu Tianxian and Fang Hong would be seen by them as a couple forever of one heart.

It struck Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian's hearts as well, like a brand drawing them closer, binding them tighter!

(End of this chapter)