Jiang Yuanzhi, Huang Tianyu, and Lu Yang nodded frequently, but it was Zhao Yanhao's turn to be a little dismissive: Isn't this nonsense? It was obviously his wife Baidu Tayang and his general Gui Dacheng who killed A Ma and Li.
What does it have to do with you Xuanzu? Moreover, your story is obviously a copycat of the Japanese Noh drama "Yoko Soga"! I saw it at the boat viewing party last month!
However, Zhao Yanhao did not say anything to reveal the truth and continued to read. The next thing he saw was the lion dance: two people in a group, one standing and dancing the lion's head, the other bending down to dance the lion's tail. The gray long-haired lion quilt was really interesting to watch.
It looks a bit like a southern lion. Like the dragon boat, it is most likely introduced from Fujian. There is also a person playing the role of a lion man, holding a hydrangea in his hand to tease the lion, causing the lion to perform flopping and tumbling movements. This Ryukyu lion dance is usually performed during harvest festivals and festivals.
The performance will only be held during the 15th Night Festival, but today is a grand day for Haji Goten, so we made an exception and invited the performer.
This combination is very "Ryukyu", with a "Japanese style" first and then a "summer custom".
"Being bitten by this lion can bring about good fortune and exorcise evil spirits. If you don't mind it, why don't you give it a try?" Mao Taiyun said with a smile.
Jiang Yuanzhi's several elders shook their hands and expressed no interest. "The lion's mouth opens wide" was not a good word in the minds of the elders, let alone being "bitten" again! However, Zhao Yanhao found it very interesting, so he stuck his head out
Next to the lion's head. The "lion" hesitated for a moment, then opened its huge mouth and "swallowed" Zhao Yanhao's head whole. Zhao Yanhao was very cooperative, deliberately twitching his body a few times, and then lowered his hand.
It was so soft that it couldn't move.
Jiang Yuanzhi patted Zhao Yanhao's shoulder and said with a smile: "I haven't had this kind of experience before! There is nothing to be afraid of anymore!"
Huang Tianyu also smiled and said: "Because he is not alone."
Then several elders burst into laughter.
Seeing Zhao Yanhao's "acting skills", several ministers, relatives, and even their wives who were present were trying to hold back their laughter, but when they saw several elders laughing unbridled, they also laughed.
There was only Mao Taiyun and his sons next to him. A little girl was being held in her arms when she saw a strange uncle she didn’t recognize being “bitten off his head” by a “lion”. She was so frightened that she cried loudly. The little girl’s mother—
-A young woman wearing a cloud-dragon-patterned imperial sister's dress, who looked to be no more than twenty years old, quickly stood up and apologized to the elders. Jiang Yuanzhi waved his hand and said it didn't matter. The young woman thanked her and immediately took the child to the corridor to coax her.
Seeing Zhao Yanhao pulling his head out of the lion's mouth in a lively manner, Jiang Yuanzhi pointed at the young woman and asked, "Who is..."
"This is my eldest daughter. She is really a goldsmith." After hearing this, Mao Taiyun took over the conversation. His face seemed a little sad when he said this:
"My daughter was lucky enough to marry Urasoe Prince Kanashi. Unexpectedly, Prince Urasoe Kanashi died of an illness a few years ago. My daughter was left alone in the city with the title of Siganashi. The only child left with a miserable life was
Si Yijin keeps her company... I hope you will forgive me..."
The feeling of being a young man and a widow, an orphan and a widower, no matter how well-clothed or well-fed, is hard to describe. No wonder the old man looked pitiful when he mentioned it.
Jiang Yuanzhi originally wanted to say a few words of comfort, but while he was searching for something to say, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of music. Ryukyu musicians kneeling in a corner of the hall, dressed in variegated red and green clothes and wearing swallow-tailed green turbans, played one after another.
Holding three strings, flutes, gongs and drums, one of them, a young three-string blind mage, sang:
"Outside the screen window, the moon's shadow is slanting. It's reflected on the beam. How about falling asleep? Oh! Sitting alone in silence, missing each other, saying, oh my god! Outside the screen window, the moon's shadow is slanting, reflecting on it. On the beam, how can I sleep? Yeah, yeah, yeah! Sitting alone in silence, thinking about each other, missing each other, saying, yeah, yeah, yeah!"
Accompanied by Sanxian's performance and musicians' singing, the elder Zhu Nu led Wu Xiangxian and Sihu Jin from the corridor on the left front. Wu Xiangxian received permission from King Shangfeng and wore a red gold and five-color floating woven crown. Wearing a big black robe, he followed the elder Zhu Nu; Sihu Jin was wearing a rumored golden phoenix pattern coat, a pleated black skirt, and a long seemingly black satin draped on his head. The "black tent", which has the effect of eliminating evil spirits and eliminating disasters, followed Wu Xiangxian with a light gait.
But following Sihujin, there was a familiar figure that was slim and charming. This young girl wearing a black coat and skirt was none other than Zhenhejin.
Walking into the first room, Mazurujin glanced at the guests present. When his eyes fell on the innermost part of the first room, their eyes met. Suddenly, a blush quietly appeared on Mazurujin's face, and his steps became panicked. I stood up and even almost stepped on Si Hujin's skirt several times.
"Why didn't Maharaja Kanazhi come to my sister and brother-in-law's wedding in person?" Mao Taiyong, the second son of Mao Taiyun, who was sitting diagonally behind Zhao Yanhao, muttered a few words in a low voice.
Mao Taiyun's eldest son, Mao Taijiu, hit his younger brother hard on the head: "Be presumptuous and don't be rude! That boy Sigui (Wu Xiangxian's nickname) complains all day long about what the gods of Ryukyu are like. Mazuru Kaneshi, who was able to be possessed by the sister-god by Junkana Shi, and Taru Kanelai, who has been serving her all year round, have already given our two families a lot of face..."
"Cousin Zhenhejin, why do you look so reckless?" Mao Taiyun muttered, covering his head.
"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let other adults hear it." Mao Taijiu directly covered his mouth.
Just as the two Mao brothers were muttering in a low voice, the blind mage heard the bride and groom enter. He put down the three strings, touched the paddle wood, beat the beat, and sang "Four Great Scenes":
"The spring scenery is beautiful and harmonious, the warmth is warm, and the scenery is fluttering and auspicious. The flowers are blooming in March, the enchanting tender pistils are fresh, the grass is budding, the peaches are like fire, and the willows are like smoke. The queen and grandson are playing on the swing, dark Disabled, spring comes back with tears streaming down my face, my brows knitted with sadness. Butterflies wear flower handles to each other and fan their wings. They go to the Garden during the Qingming Festival, and the people in the Jade Tower fall intoxicated in the apricot blossom sky..."
This was sung in the Ryukyuan dialect. Not to mention Jiang Yuanzhi, Zhao Yanhao could only listen to the excitement. I saw all the Ryukyu people shaking their heads in agreement, so they must have sung extremely well.
Accompanied by the musicians' singing, the bride is on the left and the groom is on the right. They are sitting in front of the small table with the vermilion "pig's blood" lacquerware box on it. Mahejin took a few deep breaths, calmed down his mood, and left. Behind the bride and groom, the "black tent" was draped on the shoulders of Wu Xiangxian and Si Hujin. The bride used her left hand and the groom held a corner of the "black curtain" tightly with his right hand to represent the new couple from now on. Afterwards, we are of one mind and will never give up.
Then, Manazurujin returned to the opposite side of the table and sat down. He picked up a small plate containing the holy water that Izumaki had drawn, dipped his index and middle fingers in the holy water, and touched the foreheads of Wu Xiangxian and Sihujin respectively. There was purification. The two of them wish each other a happy marriage and prosperity in the future.
After the ceremony, Zhenhejin took the lead, together with Wu Xiangxian and Sihujin, put their hands together and bowed their heads to pray to the gods.
After praying, Wu Xiangxian picked up a small red-lacquered wine cup similar to a Japanese butcher's utensil. Zhen Hejin picked up the wine jug and poured the wine into it. Wu Xiangxian picked up the wine glass and took three sips: the first sip represented the past, and the first sip represented the past.
The ancestors in the Dragon Palace express their gratitude; the second mouth expresses the present, representing the lifelong vow of marriage; the third mouth represents the future, representing the good wishes for the prosperity of their descendants in the future.
After drinking, he handed the small wine cup to Zhenhejin's hand. Zhenhejin poured another cup and handed it to Sihujin, who also drank three sips as usual.
After the two drank wine, Manazurujin opened the lid of the vermilion box, and it turned out to be a "host basin". The ingredients in this host basin seemed to be very ordinary, just rice, tofu, miso soup, and brown seeds.
Small pickles (スクガラス) made from the young fish, bayberry, pickled squid, dried island tofu, etc. are far inferior to the supplies of the Angel Hall, but they are the daily food of the Ryukyu nobles.
Wu Xiangxian first picked up the chopsticks, picked up a little bit of each food in the host basin, and put it on the palm of his hand. Then he handed the chopsticks to Sihujin. Sihujin also used the chopsticks to pick up each piece of food and put it on the palm of his hand.
It means to support each other and help each other. After Zhen Hejin gave a few words of advice, the two of them took the food in their hands to their mouths and ate it in one bite.
After the ceremony, Shangwei Fan also ordered the servants and maids to bring the guests' food and drinks. The guests present raised their glasses to express their congratulations to the bride and groom, Shangwei Fan, Mao Taiyun and others.
Wu Xiangxian took the wine cup and walked to several elders to bow: "I have no choice but to go back to Yue Weng's house. I hope you will forgive me."
"No gifts, just go. Well... I wish you and your wife a happy marriage and a long life together." Zhao Yanhao thought about his speech for a long time and finally condensed it into this sentence.
"I wish you and your wife a baby soon and a happy life." Huang Tianyu also continued.
"Congratulations to you and your wife for entering the palace of love. I wish you love each other forever and live a beautiful life together." Lu Yang said.
"The opposite side of the Dragon Palace is your Dragon Palace! I wish you and your wife a happy marriage and a happy life." Jiang Yuanzhi said with a smile.
"Hmm -?" Zhao Yanhao, Huang Tianyu and Lu Yang responded meaningfully.
Wu Xiangxian did not understand most of what the elders said. He only knew that they probably meant blessings. However, he thanked Sihujin together, said goodbye to his parents, and prepared to leave for Fengmi Castle.
"Chaoxian, go and send your brother to Fengjian City Palace." Shang Weifan ordered one of Wu Xiangxian's younger brothers.
The young man responded, quickly stood up, and followed his brother and sister-in-law out of the palace.
Zhen Hejin stood up and followed a few people and was about to go out. Suddenly he seemed to remember something, so he turned around and walked to Zhao Yanhao's table.