At 9:45 a.m., the gilt clepsydra in Taiye Pavilion ticked rhythmically. Jiang Wan stared at the cinnabar annotations in the Wedding Ceremony Ledger, her fingertips tracing over the characters for "Nuptial Cup Ceremony." "Steward Zhang, why has the auspicious time been moved from 9:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.?"
The middle-aged man standing under the veranda trembled at the question; his bunch of copper keys struck the pillar with a sharp clatter. "R-returning to the Heir's Consort, it was a new time approved by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. They said... they said 1:00 p.m. is more favorable for the ceremony."
Jiang Wan looked up, noticing the cold sweat beading on his temples and the fresh thread at his collar—the clear mark of a hurried repair made overnight. She signaled for Lüluo to pour tea and said softly, "Trouble yourself to make a trip to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and bring me their official approval document for review."
Chapter 247