The wedding procession took another wide detour before finally returning to Prince Qing's Estate. By this time, the afternoon was already well underway.
There were numerous rituals to perform upon entering the gates. Zhao Yi did not pay much attention to the specifics; he simply followed the master of ceremonies’ every instruction. Next came the wedding ceremony itself. Commoners typically followed the sequence of "bowing to Heaven and Earth, bowing to parents, and bowing to each other." However, an imperial prince’s wedding was different. He and his bride were first to bow to Heaven and Earth, then proceed to the ancestral hall to pay respects to the ancestors, and finally complete the couple’s mutual bow. The ritual of bowing to the parents would have to wait until the following morning, once they arrived at the palace.
After the ceremony, the bride was escorted to the bridal chamber, and the groom prepared to receive the guests. The wedding banquet was scheduled for the evening, but guests had been arriving in a steady stream since the afternoon. Zhao Yi had to stand at the entrance to greet every single one. Aside from those he had personally invited, the guests included members of the imperial clan, civil and military officials of the second rank and above, and their wives.
Chapter 258