“You little girl, why are you dressed so flashily today? You’re not the bride!” Yun He shouted as he leaped down from the flower-covered wall and darted through the window. He circled Ah Jiao, sizing her up.
Ah Jiao smiled and gave her skirts a gentle shake. This was her former Empress’s ceremonial robe from the mortal realm. She had brought it with her to Longmen Palace, and after her death, Liu Che had placed it among her funerary goods.
Today, her mother and Lord Shen were going to the Marriage Pavilion. Ah Jiao had happily unearthed this set of robes, surprised to find them perfectly preserved.
“It is my mother’s wedding day, after all. Of course I must dress with due solemnity.”
Yun He stroked his chin and nodded. Ah Jiao gathered her skirts, walked over, and gave his sleeve a tug. “Lord Yun He, do me a favor?”
Yun He tilted his chin up, signaling her to speak.
Ah Jiao spun in a circle, holding her hem. “This was made as a ceremonial temple robe. It was crafted with such opulence back then, and the train is far too long. Wearing it today feels overly cumbersome, and it’s difficult to walk in. Could you help me trim the hem?”
Yun He crouched down and pulled at the fabric of her skirt.
Ah Jiao sighed. “Don’t just look at it; the train trails for twenty feet!” She let out another sigh. “Mother oversaw the craftsmen herself. Tsk, tsk. I never even got to wear it many times.” *Well, now I can wear it however I like, hee hee!*
Yun He stood up and clapped his hands. “I’ll give it a try.” He pinched a finger in a spell gesture, and Ah Jiao felt a sudden lightness as the long train detached from the floor-length hem.
Yun He gathered the discarded fabric and smoothed it out. “How’s that?”
“Thank you, Lord Yun He.” Ah Jiao spun around with a beaming smile.
“Let me change the color for you as well. This deep violet and black are far too somber. Why would a young girl wear such lifeless colors?” Yun He reached out a hand.
Ah Jiao laughed. “What do you know? Is this a matter of color? This is a matter of status.”
Yun He was unimpressed. “Those are your mortal rules. We have no such rules here in the Underworld. Come, come, let me change it for you. How about aquamarine for the top? And moon-white for the bottom—that would look lovely. I saw Lady Nüyi wearing something like that a few days ago, and she looked wonderful.”
Ah Jiao thought about it and decided he was right. “Fine, go ahead and change it.”
Yun He waved a hand and circled Ah Jiao. The colors of her clothes shifted instantly. He then looked at the casket on the table, which was filled with step-shake hairpins, earrings, and other ornaments. “Do you have to wear all of these? It looks like a hassle.”
Ah Jiao crouched down to fiddle with the items. “No, I’ll just wear a pair of earrings. Lady Bo sent over some fresh flowers Lady Nüyi just picked; I’ll just wear those.”
Yun He listened, feeling a bit lost, but nodded anyway. “Do you still want this train?” He held the fabric out to her.
Ah Jiao frowned. “It’s useless now. Just toss it on my bed.”
Yun He threw it, and Ah Jiao watched the massive piece of silk drift lazily toward the floor. Yun He’s voice rang in her ear: “Oops, didn’t use enough strength.”
Ah Jiao selected two Jasper Roses from the flowers sent by the Nüyi Department and pinned them into her hair, adding a few Green Plum blossoms as accents.
The Underworld had this one great advantage: thousands of varieties of flowers from the mortal realm could bloom simultaneously within the Nüyi Department.
Once she was finished dressing, Ah Jiao dragged Yun He toward the Nüyi Department.
The Marriage Pavilion was located within the Nüyi Department and was overseen by Lady Nüyi. Originally, the Marriage Pavilion had been under the Department of Judgment, but Lady Nüyi had grown bored in the Underworld and forcibly demanded its transfer to her jurisdiction.
Ah Jiao had thought she would see her mother’s wedding soon after returning to the Underworld, but once the various affairs of the realm were arranged, it had somehow been delayed for two years.
During those two years, Ah Jiao had been assigned as Yun He’s assistant. She followed him every day, organizing the records of the Reincarnation Department, and the two had become quite close. The Reincarnation Department dealt with the "whence they came" and "whither they go" of souls, resulting in a mountain of paperwork. They now needed to transcribe copies of all these documents to keep in the department. Ah Jiao felt that she might spend her entire life in the Underworld transcribing books with Yun He.
***
Guantao smoothed her clothes, her heart fluttering with nerves.
She had been married once before, but that time she had been unwilling, lacking any of the shy anticipation of a young bride.
“Mother, has Jiaojiao arrived yet?” Guantao asked, clutching Dou Yifang’s hand.
Dou Yifang smiled and straightened her daughter’s posture. “Jiaojiao will be here in a moment. You, now, don’t be nervous.”
“I’m not nervous,” Guantao said, taking a sip of water.
“If you aren’t nervous, why are your lips trembling?”
Guantao set the cup down heavily and suddenly turned to grab Dou Yifang. “Mother, what if... what if Shen Zhi is just like Chen Wu?”
Dou Yifang stroked her daughter’s face and comforted her. “How could he be? Lord Shen is alone. There is no mother-in-law for you to manage, nor any strange relatives.”
“No... then, what if Shen Zhi wants to take a concubine?” Guantao felt the world go dark. “We can’t even beat him in a fight.”
Dou Yifang’s lips twitched at the words "beat him in a fight," but she continued gently, “Piao’er, don’t overthink it. The rules of the Underworld dictate one man and one woman as a matched pair. There are no wives and concubines like in the mortal world. Don’t worry. Oh, Mother is right here with you!”
Guantao clenched her hands together tightly.
“Mother!” Ah Jiao rushed in from outside, looking delighted. Since taking her post at the Reincarnation Department, she had been forced to move to Laizhan Alley, a residential area built near the department for ghost officials and clerks.
“Jiaojiao!” Guantao pulled Ah Jiao into an embrace. Ah Jiao took her mother’s hand and smiled. “Mother looks so beautiful today. Both you and the dress.”
Dou Yifang laughed. “Isn’t she? I heard Lord Shen specifically sought out something called Twelve-Light Ethereal Silk to make this. It is extremely rare.”
Ah Jiao added, “It is indeed rare. Only one bundle of Twelve-Light Ethereal Silk is produced every hundred years. The fabric woven from it is radiant and shimmering. It takes quite a lot to make a full set of wedding robes. The last time it was seen was for the grand wedding of Ghost Emperor Fei Kang and Heavenly Master Yun Yue!” Come to think of it, none of the great immortals or high deities of the Underworld had married in years.
At their level of cultivation, it was increasingly rare for them to be moved by romantic love. Ghost Emperor Fei Kang had truly been an exception!
Guantao lowered her head, looking somewhat bashful.
The group sat together, chatting and laughing until Shen Zhi arrived in his carriage.
The Underworld had not seen a joyous occasion in a long time, so the two Great Sovereigns had ordered this wedding to be grand and bustling.
Twelve Flame-Treading Dragon Steeds pulled the wedding carriage, their presence illuminating the Underworld as if the morning sun were rising.
Shen Zhi first followed mortal etiquette by going to Yidu to fetch Guantao, then followed Underworld custom by driving the carriage toward the Nüyi Department.
The area outside the Marriage Pavilion was packed with ghost immortals watching the spectacle. Lady Nüyi stood in the main hall of He-yuan Hall, holding a branch of Intertwined Branches she had recently transplanted from the Heavenly Realm, waiting for the couple to come and swear their oaths.
Shen Zhi held Guantao’s hand. Seeing the crescent-moon marks her crimson-stained nails left on his skin, he couldn’t help but squeeze her hand. “Ah Piao, don’t be nervous.”
“Hmm? Oh, oh, oh!” Guantao was in a bit of a daze. For some reason, the closer they got to the Marriage Pavilion, the more frightened she became.
If ghosts could sweat, she imagined her hands would be soaking wet.
Shen Zhi led her to the entrance of the Nüyi Department and stopped before the watchful eyes of the crowd, gently stroking her back. “Are you feeling better?”
Yun He’s face was flushed with excitement, and he kept nudging the person next to him with his elbow. “Tsk, tsk, do you see that? This is just too... sigh, I can’t describe it!”
Guantao wore a veil adorned with pearls, revealing only her bright, sparkling eyes.
She nodded and whispered, “Let’s go in.”
The Marriage Pavilion consisted of five small halls, each handling different types of unions. Yan-er Hall handled marriages between the Ghost Race; He-yuan Hall handled marriages between mortal ghosts; En-yi Hall handled marriages between the Ghost Race and mortal ghosts; Zhen-cheng Hall handled marriages between humans and ghosts; and finally, there was Ai-ming Hall, which handled marriages between the Underworld and the Heavenly Realm.
Lady Nüyi watched the two before her with a smile, lamenting how long it had been since she had presided over a wedding.
They bowed to Empress Houtu, bowed to Lady Nüyi, and then swore their oaths.
“We take the sun and moon as our covenant, the heavens and earth as our witness, the mountains and rivers as our testimony, and the ghosts and gods as our proof. From this day forward, high mountains shall not hinder our resolve, deep ravines shall not sever our path, passing years shall not destroy our intent, and wind and frost shall not obscure our love. Though the road ahead be filled with thorns, we shall walk together with swords drawn, calm and unafraid. In this life and all to come, never to leave or forsake, forever bound, forever following!”
*Never to leave or forsake, forever bound...* Ah Jiao listened, entranced.
Once the oath was finished, Lady Nüyi bent the Intertwined Branches into a ring. The bride and groom each held one side. A verdant radiance emerged from the ring and flowed into their bodies, drawing out a thread of their souls to be tied together.
With a tap of Lady Nüyi’s finger, the ring of branches transformed into two small slips, engraved with their names, the oath, and the pattern of the intertwined wood.
“The rite is complete!” Lady Nüyi handed the slips to Shen Zhi and Guantao with a beaming smile. “These are your marriage slips. Keep them well!”
Yun He took the lead in shouting congratulations.
After celebrating for a while in He-yuan Hall, the crowd moved to Shen Zhi’s residence in Laizhan Alley near the Reincarnation Department—the Guhe Residence. A banquet with wine and food had been prepared, and for a time, the air was filled with joyous clamor.
Ah Jiao was now considered half a host here, and she helped entertain the guests. Yun He egged on several of Shen Zhi’s subordinates to surround Ah Jiao, calling her "Young Mistress" as they toasted her and asked for red envelopes. Ah Jiao was relieved that Lord Shen had given her plenty of items yesterday; they were perfect for this moment!
Guantao and Shen Zhi went from table to table toasting the guests. By the time the guests dispersed, the new bride was already unconscious in Shen Zhi’s arms, dead drunk.
Dou Yifang, Liu Heng, and Bo Ji: “...” What a headache!
Shen Zhi laughed it off. He first carried Guantao into the bridal chamber, then saw Liu Heng and the others back to Yidu.
When he finally returned to Guhe Residence, he saw Guantao, who had already been changed out of her robes and had her makeup washed off, still fast asleep.
This step-daughter of his was quite sensible and obedient.
Covering the night-luminescent pearls that lit the room, Shen Zhi used a spell to dispel the scent of alcohol from himself, then boldly felt his way onto the bed.
In truth, he had died young as a human, and after becoming a ghost, he had focused entirely on cultivation. He was quite ignorant of matters of the bedchamber. He had thought that with Ah Piao there, he wouldn't be so nervous, but now that Ah Piao was dead drunk, Shen Zhi felt a bit of panic.
He thought for a moment, then leaned in for a kiss...
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 姻缘阁 | Marriage Pavilion | A location in the Underworld for wedding rites. |
| 女夷娘娘 | Lady Nüyi | The Goddess of Flowers/Spring, presiding over the Marriage Pavilion. |
| 缥碧 | Aquamarine | A light greenish-blue color. |
| 月白 | Moon-white | A very pale blue-white color. |
| 碧玉蔷薇 | Jasper Rose | A type of flower in the Underworld. |
| 绿梅 | Green Plum | A type of flower. |
| 来瞻巷 | Laizhan Alley | A residential area for Underworld officials. |
| 十二光衍霞丝 | Twelve-Light Ethereal Silk | An extremely rare and radiant fabric. |
| 费康 | Fei Kang | A Ghost Emperor mentioned in the text. |
| 云月 | Yun Yue | A Heavenly Master mentioned in the text. |
| 踏炎龙驹 | Flame-Treading Dragon Steeds | Mythical horses that pull the wedding carriage. |
| 懿都 | Yidu | A city or district in the Underworld. |
| 和缘楼 | He-yuan Hall | Hall for marriages between mortal ghosts. |
| 连理枝 | Intertwined Branches | Mythical branches used to bind souls in marriage. |
| 燕尔楼 | Yan-er Hall | Hall for marriages between the Ghost Race. |
| 恩意楼 | En-yi Hall | Hall for marriages between Ghost Race and mortal ghosts. |
| 真诚楼 | Zhen-cheng Hall | Hall for marriages between humans and ghosts. |
| 爱名楼 | Ai-ming Hall | Hall for marriages between the Underworld and Heaven. |
| 婚笺 | Marriage Slips | Certificates/tokens of marriage. |
| 古河居 | Guhe Residence | Shen Zhi's home in the Underworld. |
| 女公子 | Young Mistress | A respectful term used for Ah Jiao as Shen Zhi's step-daughter. |
