050. The Bridal Procession

Madam Yang’s words became a prophecy fulfilled. Although she had long anticipated that marriage was no trivial matter and had been careful not to treat it lightly, although numerous well-meaning neighborly matrons had already helped oversee the ceremony’s finer points, although the steward of the Cui household, Yang Fu, Mu Yaxin, and others managed the household affairs, and though Cui Yudong, Old Li the Third, and Liu Motong had mobilized all their connections—enlisting the Divine Strategy Army, the Jingzhao Prefecture, and dozens of officials from both Chang’an and Wannian Counties to maintain order in the streets—and though Guo Zhonggong, Mei Rong, and their associates had given prior warning to the city’s rogues and rascals not to seize the occasion for mischief, still, the wedding of Yang Zan of Pingshan was beset by one commotion after another.

In the early Tang Dynasty, it was customary for the bridegroom to fetch his bride at dusk, but by this time, the custom had shifted to broad daylight. Just after noon, Li Xi dressed in full ceremonial attire, accompanied by musicians and banner-bearers, carrying three measures of millet, three jin of reeds, and three arrows, mounted a tall and spirited steed. Surrounded by Guo Zhonggong, Mei Rong, and a lively cohort of Brocade-Clad Guards, he set out with high spirits. The moment he passed through his threshold, a wave of heat hit him full in the face.

Crowds of onlookers packed both sides of the street, three or four people deep, jostling noisily in the festive atmosphere. Steward Liu Wan of the Liu household walked along tossing candies from a cloth bag, sending flocks of children scurrying after him in pursuit, making the mood all the more exuberant.

Neighbors called out greetings to Pingshanzi, and Li Xi could only respond with endless nods and waves, making himself feel like a celebrity parading through the streets. As the saying goes, the pleasure is for others to see, but the weariness is one’s own; by the time they’d left Fengyi Ward, Li Xi’s hand was tingling with fatigue and his neck had grown stiff.

But his troubles had only just begun. When the procession passed outside the south gate of Yankang Ward, a pair of children caught up in the excitement were jostled by the Brocade-Clad Guards; one even scraped his skin against a saddle. The child's mother immediately burst into tears, while the father, veins bulging with anger, rolled up his sleeves and rallied his brothers and uncles, brandishing sticks to demand justice.

The Brocade-Clad Guards, accustomed to swaggering about Chang’an, turned up their noses and sat their horses impassively. Among the crowd, someone recognized Guo Zhonggong and quietly informed the child’s father. The man’s bravado vanished at once, and just as he was wondering how to resolve the situation, his blind old mother, upon hearing that her grandson had been knocked down by a horse, hobbled out with a fire fork, threatening to drag the groom from his horse and beat him soundly—though, of course, she had no idea which rider was Li Xi.

Her words, however, only fanned the flames. The Brocade-Clad Guards had been itching for trouble but had restrained themselves for Li Xi’s sake; now, with someone openly threatening their charge, they were not about to back down. They leaped from their horses, rolling up their sleeves, ready for a brawl. With matters at such an impasse, the family from Yankang Ward could do nothing but steel themselves for a confrontation.

At this critical moment, two bailiffs from Wannian County arrived. The child's parents, not understanding the situation, rushed to the officials, weeping and pleading for justice, but the burly bailiff berated them mercilessly. “It’s a day of great joy, and here you are making a scene. Cause more trouble and you’ll all spend the day in jail!”

Once the fat bailiff had finished berating them, the thin one stepped in to “mediate.” With a few words, the tension subsided; the child’s father apologized profusely to both the officials and the groom, insisting that his son’s fall was due to his own poor supervision, and that his earlier threats had been nothing but emotional outbursts—mere words, not to be taken seriously. Both parents even offered to kneel before the groom’s horse and beg forgiveness if necessary.

The bailiffs were satisfied with this contrition and hastened to report their success to Li Xi, who handed each of them a string of coins, sending them off delighted. Only then did he dismount to offer comfort and apologies to the family, compensating them with two strings of coins for medicine and inviting the children to serve as page boys and flower children in the wedding procession—though, discovering they were both boys, he let the matter drop.

Pingshanzi’s gentle approach worked wonders: the incident was peacefully resolved. The child’s parents, feeling honored, rallied their relatives to clear the way for the wedding procession. At first, twenty or so people ran alongside; as the procession advanced, the crowd swelled. By the time they reached Daning Ward, over a thousand townsfolk were escorting the wedding party.

Most of these people had never met Yang Zan of Pingshan, nor the couple from Yankang Ward, and Guo Zhonggong and Mei Rong were strangers to them as well. They’d simply noticed a crowd running through the streets and, out of curiosity, had joined in; the more they ran, the more excitement and energy the throng acquired, until they’d swept across half of Chang’an.

With over a thousand people converging on Daning Ward, the place was packed to bursting. The officials of Jingzhao Prefecture and Wannian County were alarmed: Daning Ward bordered the mansions of the Ten Princes and lay near both the Daming Palace and Xingqing Palace—a place of importance and sensitivity. So many people gathered together—what if unrest broke out? That would surely be the end of their careers.

Yet faced with such numbers, the officials were at a loss. Their few dozen bailiffs were utterly inadequate to the task. To call in the garrison would only invite censure from the imperial censors. Concealment was the only course.

With no other options, they appealed to Li Xi to pare down his wedding procession and disperse the hundreds of idle followers.

Li Xi was incensed. What did their presence in Daning Ward have to do with him? He hadn’t invited them. But what could he say? The officials of Jingzhao, Chang’an, and Wannian were all assisting him as a favor; to wash his hands of the matter would be the height of ingratitude.

Matters having reached this point, he had to find a way to send the crowd away. If the censors caught wind, not only would the officials of Jingzhao and the two counties be implicated, but he himself would not escape blame. Yet what was to be done? Gazing out over the surging sea of people, Li Xi felt his eyes ache.

He summoned Guo Zhonggong and asked how the crowd might be dispersed.

Guo Zhonggong smacked his forehead. “There’s no help for it. We’ll have to buy our way out. Give every man, woman, and child ten coins, and send them off.”

Li Xi glanced at the heaving crowd and exclaimed angrily, “There are over a thousand people! At ten coins each, that’s ten thousand strings of cash! You might as well kill me now.”

Guo Zhonggong, seeing his desperation, laughed. “You may be broke, but the Cui family is not! Three thousand strings is nothing to them. If you’re too embarrassed to ask your mother-in-law, let me do it.”

With that, he made to leave, but Mei Rong grabbed him, speaking in a teasing tone: “If you handle things this way, do you want the Yang family to survive at all? Besides, even if you had a hundred thousand, it wouldn’t be enough. These folks have come all this way—ten copper coins each? Hmph, that wouldn’t buy a cup of tea.”

Guo Zhonggong retorted, “If you have a better idea, let’s hear it.”