Chapter 8 2. Preparing for the big wedding

Emperor Guangxu started preparing for his wedding. The actual process is divided into three steps: First, accept and ask for names.Last year (the fourteenth year of Guangxu), on the second day of November, Nacai, the royal family did not send matchmakers, but envoys and deputy envoys to the future queen's home to propose marriage and name.The future queen of Emperor Guangxu is Yehenara Jingfen, the niece of Empress Dowager Cixi and the daughter of her younger brother Guixiang.The envoy issued an edict: "I hereby select a certain official and a certain woman as the queen, and order the ministers to accept and ask about her name." After receiving the order, the woman's family said: "What is the age of the minister, and I would like to report it. "Nacai gifts: 4 horses (with saddles and bridles), 10 pairs of armor, 100 pieces of satin, 200 pieces of cloth, 100 tables of cakes, 100 tables of banquets, 100 bottles of wine, etc.

Second, Najib and Nazheng.Last year (the 14th year of Guangxu), on the fourth day of December, the Great March was to send principal and deputy envoys to engage in engagements, give gifts and inform the date of marriage.Among them, the big levy gifts include 200 taels of gold, 10,000 taels of silver, a gold tea pot, 1,000 pieces of satin, 60 horses, etc. However, the fate of the emperor Guangxu is too bad!Originally, Nacai, Wenming, Najib, and Nazheng had all been done for the big wedding, and the wedding date was set, so it was time to hold the big wedding ceremony and marry the bride and queen.There are unpredictable things in the sky, and people have misfortunes and blessings.On the night of December 15th, there was a fire at the Taihe Gate, and the gate was completely burned down.The Qing Dynasty stipulated that when the emperor got married, the queen must enter the palace through the middle gate of the five gates - Daqing Gate, Tiananmen Gate, Duanmen Gate, Meridian Gate, and Taihe Gate.How can we do without the Supreme Harmony Gate?The emperor's wedding has been announced to the world, how can it be changed?The fire is only forty-two days away from the auspicious day of the big wedding. It will take ten and a half months just to clean up the scene. It is too late to rebuild the Taihe Gate, and the date cannot be changed. What should I do?In desperation, the Qing government ordered Beijing shed craftsmen to tie up the color and work day and night to speed up the construction. It turned out to be a realistic color shed for the Taihe Gate for the wedding.

Craftsmanship, ingenious workmanship!Let's look at the Gate of Supreme Harmony in "Emperor Guangxu's Great Wedding Picture", which turned out to be a temporary colored gate.This temporary Gate of Supreme Harmony, which was built temporarily, can be completely faked. Even the eunuchs of the inner court could not distinguish the authenticity. It turns out that the Gate of Supreme Harmony that Emperor Guangxu passed through with his wedding sedan chair was made of paper!

Third, tell the deadline and please.After confirming the wedding date, on auspicious day, welcome the bride (queen) to the bridegroom (emperor) home.But the emperor does not go to the future queen's house to marry in person, but greets the bride (queen) at the Meridian Gate. The wedding room of the emperor's wedding, that is, the bridal chamber of the wedding, is in Kunning Palace. The day before, the 26th day of the first lunar month, there are three main things to do: First, give and receive book treasures.The book is the gold book, which is the official document for the canonization of the queen, made of 529 taels of gold; the treasure is the seal, which is the seal, made of 550 taels of gold.On the same day, at Weishi (Weizheng 14:00), Emperor Guangxu went to the Cining Palace to salute the Empress Dowager Cixi, then went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, read the books and treasures, and sent envoys to book and welcome the Queen.

Second, prepare the palanquin.Early in the morning, the leader of Luan Yiwei led people and respectfully invited the Queen Feng Yu to put it under the stone steps of the Taihe Gate.At that time, the minister in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will receive a gold Ruyi with dragon characters from Qianqingmen, and please place it in Fengyuli.At the same time, two dragon pavilions, one carrying the gold book and the other carrying the treasure seal, have been displayed under the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Placed in the Dragon Pavilion, the school captain carries the pavilion, the ceremonial driver leads the way, and the phoenix attends. From the middle gates of Taihe Gate, Meridian Gate, Duanmen Gate, and Tiananmen Gate, go out from the Daqing Gate to the Queen's Mansion (Vice Dutong, Guard Army) Commander, Cheng Engong Guixiang's residence, located in the South Street of Chaoyangmen Inner Street (now Fangjiayuan Hutong).The Ministry of Industry pre-sets the festival case in the middle of the front hall, and sets the book and treasure cases on the left and right sides of the front hall.The chief envoy holds the festival and presents it in the middle case, and the deputy envoy holds the book and treasures and presents it in the left and right cases.

The third is to carry out the sacrificial offering.Send officials to report and offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, Taimiao, and Fengxian Hall. Ready inside and out, it's move in ready.When the auspicious day arrives, a big wedding ceremony will be held.