Three days later, the city lord's residence was hung with lanterns and streamers!

Ning Chen had had someone pick an auspicious date.

In the morning came the parade, announcing to the whole city that Ning Chen was taking Secondary Princess Consorts into his household!

When he'd married the Ninth Princess, close to ten thousand people had taken part.

Naturally, Zisu and Yudie couldn't have anything on that scale.

But it was still a great deal bigger than an ordinary family's wedding.

Ning Chen wore bright red wedding robes and rode Diaochan—fine clothes, spirited horse, every inch the dashing hero.

Pan Yucheng and the others rode along with him.

There were dozens of musicians, a ceremonial procession more than a hundred strong, and the Ning'an Army escorting them.

Zisu and Yudie each rode in an eight-bearer palanquin.

That was the mark of an equal wife.

Usually, when a man took a concubine, a small sedan chair carried her in through the side gate, and that was that.

But Ning Chen had done everything as well as it could be done.

The An Emperor wouldn't feel he'd overstepped, and Zisu and Yudie wouldn't feel he'd slighted them.

With gongs and drums sounding, the procession made a full circuit of the city.

It was dusk by the time it got back to the city lord's residence.

Ning Chen swung down from his horse, took the bow and arrows a servant handed him, drew, and loosed two shots at the bridal palanquins.

The arrows flew like streaks of light and struck the palanquins, their tails thrumming.

This was called shooting away the evil. (TL Note: 射煞 — the groom shoots arrows at the bridal palanquin to drive off any ill fortune that followed the bride on the road.)

Then, helped by the matrons, Zisu and Yudie stepped gracefully out of the palanquins, both in the phoenix coronet and rosy cape.

Under the laws of the Great Xuan, even a commoner's daughter could wear the phoenix coronet and rosy cape on her wedding day.

Ning Chen stepped over the brazier first and waited at the…