A bear of a man came charging toward me.
“Young Master!”
My Escort Guards came in behind him.
“How did all of you get here?”
The person who answered that question was Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin, at the very back of the group.
“It would be a great disappointment if the people who are always with you couldn't attend such a happy occasion.”
She smiled.
“So the Palace Lord has granted them temporary permission to enter.”
“To be honest, the thought that they might not be able to attend had been weighing on my mind. Please tell the Palace Lord how grateful I am for her consideration.”
“I will. Then I'll come to escort you when it's time.”
Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin left my quarters.
“Our Young Master is handsome enough as it is, but dressed in clothes like these, you're the very picture of a fine young gentleman, sir.”
“Really?”
“Of course, sir. Have you ever known me to flatter you just for the sake of it?”
True…
Palgap wasn't the sort to heap empty praise on me just to make me feel good.
“But the silk those clothes are made from is remarkably beautiful.”
I nodded at Escort Guard Lee Pil's words.
“Yes. I've never seen silk like this before, either.”
If I could sell silk like this, I would be able to make a considerable profit from it.
“They asked me to guess what kind of silk it is, but I honestly don't know. Do any of you happen to know?”
They all examined my clothes, then shook their heads.
“I'm afraid I don't know.”
“I haven't the faintest idea.”
Escort Guard Seo Wu changed the subject.
“Where is Deputy Gwak, by the way?”
“She's getting ready somewhere else.”
“You seem to be looking forward to seeing just how beautiful she'll look once she's finished getting ready.”
At Escort Guard Seo Wu's words, I gave a little start and smiled awkwardly.
“You really do understand these things. I suppose that's because you're married yourself.”
“I know exactly how you feel.”
Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am, another married man, nodded as well.
At that, Escort Guard Lee Pil spoke.
“Somehow, I find myself rather envious.”
“If you're that envious, I could introduce you to a young lady.”
Escort Guard Lee Pil smiled as he answered Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am.
“That's all right. I'd rather let a meeting like that happen naturally.”
“If that's what you're saying… is there perhaps a young lady you already have your eye on?”
He waved a hand at Escort Guard Myeong Jong's question.
“Nothing of the sort.”
“That sounds a little suspicious…”
Escort Guard Lee Pil hurried to change the subject, clearing his throat.
“Anyway, on our way here, I noticed they seem to have prepared an enormous amount of liquor.”
While traveling to the North Sea, I had heard some news from the Gwangjun Merchant Group.
The Prohibition Decree had been lifted.
From what I had seen, this year's barley crop had looked quite promising. Apparently, the Imperial Palace's assessment of the harvest was much the same.
Well, even last year, there had been signs that the years of poor harvests were coming to an end.
As a result, grain prices had now recovered almost to the level of an ordinary year.
In my memories of my previous life, this fall had brought a bumper harvest as well.
That was why the merchant groups that bought grain in advance to resell it had suffered considerable losses if they failed to act quickly enough.
Father and my older brother Jeong-ho must be hard at work right now.
They needed to start distributing the liquor from the breweries owned by the Eunhae Merchant Group.
The pleasure houses and taverns I had purchased in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, would be spreading their folded wings again now, too.
I had told them to make their own decisions once the Prohibition Decree was lifted.
It wasn't as though I knew much about running pleasure houses and taverns myself.
They would each have their own way of operating. If I stuck my nose in for no reason, the results would be worse than if I had simply left them alone.
They might be exhausted from rushing about, but they would have smiles on their faces.
For several years, they had known what it was like to struggle because business wasn't bringing in enough money.
I could hear the money piling up, bit by bit.
—Kui!
Seeing how Geumryeong had been wiggling that little rump in delight lately, I was sure of it.
It wouldn't take very long to recover the money I had spent buying those places, either.
After all, I had bought them fairly cheaply in the first place.
Then Palgap caught sight of my bed, and both his eyes began trembling violently.
“B-But, but… why are there two pillows on the bed, sir?”
“Ah… the Palace Lord only gave us one room. She said that since we're having an Ice Palace Wedding anyway, we're already husband and wife, aren't we?”
His eyes still trembling, Palgap asked another question.
“And there's only one quilt, too. Have the two of you already… you know, a-already…”
“No. Nothing happened.”
Then a puzzling thought struck me, and I tilted my head.
“But Palgap, why are you more embarrassed than I am?”
“Kui?”
See? Even Geumryeong thought it was strange.
.
.
.
A little while later, some disciples came to my room.
“The wedding preparations are complete. We will escort you.”
“Those attending as guests, please follow me.”
I parted from my companions and followed two disciples toward another part of the palace.
Soon, I arrived in front of a room. I could sense Lady Seohyang's Qi inside.
“Please go in and bring the bride out with you.”
“All right.”
The door opened, and I went inside.
Lady Seohyang was seated there, looking demure.
Her clothes seemed to be made of the same silk as my ceremonial outfit. But the instant I saw her dressed in that splendid bridal gown, with her makeup done as well, I could only stare in a daze.
The Lady Seohyang I'd seen up to this point had either been sick and frail, or simply dressed in the modest clothes she wore while serving as my deputy.
She had been beautiful even when I saw her like that. But now that she had put so much care and effort into dressing up, her beauty was dazzling.
“Do I… look very strange?”
Seeing the way I was looking at her, Lady Seohyang asked anxiously.
“Not at all. You're so beautiful that you took my breath away for a moment.”
At my words, her face turned red.
Beside her, the disciples who had helped her get ready smiled in satisfaction.
“It was worth finally putting our skills to use again.”
“Go on, hurry outside before you give all of us goose bumps, too.”
“Now put these red shoes on her, place the red floral crown on her head, and take her out with you.”
I put the shoes on her, took the red floral crown, and placed it on her head.
“Then she won't be wearing a veil?”
The disciple beside me answered my question.
“With only women here, is there any need?”
“I see.”
“Instead, the red floral crown carries our blessings.”
I offered Lady Seohyang my hand. She took it and rose from her seat.
“The door to the ceremony is this way.”
They showed us to a different door from the one I had entered through. We stood side by side in front of it.
Then the door opened.
“…!”
I was astonished.
Disciples stood in long rows on either side, congratulating us.
I had sensed the Qi of a great many people, but I had never expected them to put so much care into celebrating our marriage.
A disciple waiting directly ahead of us began playing a lively tune on the instrument she held and led the way.
The disciples showered us with red flowers as they offered their congratulations.
“Congratulations!”
“May you enjoy every blessing!”
“May you grow old together!”
The flowers the disciples were scattering over us were actually flower petals made from pieces of red silk.
Red was considered a lucky color in the empire, too. But I had heard that here in the North Sea Ice Palace, it held even greater meaning.
The Ice Palace was white wherever you looked. And for various reasons, they weren't free to use colors as they pleased.
Red was a color permitted only on special days.
Every disciple wore a red ornament in her hair and a red sash around her waist.
The people who had just been congratulating us began following along behind us.
When we had passed down the long corridor, I saw the people waiting at the far end and smiled.
The Palace Lord and the Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace.
“My congratulations on your marriage.”
“Congratulations on your marriage.”
“Thank you.”
“Then let us begin the Ice Palace Wedding in earnest.”
The Palace Lord and the Young Palace Lord led us to the seats that had been prepared behind them and had us sit down.
Below us stretched a great many steps made of ice.
At the foot of those steps, dozens of dining tables had been set out. They were laden with food that looked delicious.
“These are actually the seats reserved for the Young Palace Lord and me.”
“Pardon?”
Lady Seohyang and I looked at the Palace Lord in surprise.
“But for today alone, they belong to the two of you who are celebrating your Ice Palace Wedding.”
“This is rather embarrassing. I never imagined it would be such a grand occasion.”
“It's a little early to be surprised yet.”
Meanwhile, the disciples who had followed us split into two lines again, went down the steps on either side, and took their places at the tables.
Palgap and my Escort Guards, who had come as my wedding guests, sat at the front. Behind them, all the disciples of the Ice Palace took their seats.
The Palace Lord took my hand and Lady Seohyang's hand, placed one over the other, and spoke.
“Today, as the ruler of the North Sea Ice Palace, I declare the two of you joined in marriage. And as a witness to this marriage, I promise that I will not forgive anyone who tears the two of you apart.”
“…”
In one sense, the Palace Lord's words were rather frightening.
What she was saying was that if anyone came between Lady Seohyang and me, the Palace Lord would put them to death herself.
“Today is also a festival for our palace, in celebration of this couple's marriage. Everyone, raise your cups.”
At her words, all the disciples raised their cups.
“May the two of you enjoy a hundred happy years together.”
Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin followed her words.
“May the two of you enjoy a hundred happy years together.”
With Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin leading them, everyone called out the same wish.
“May the two of you enjoy a hundred happy years together!”
“Then eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves.”
The banquet began in earnest.
Watching everyone enjoying themselves, I suddenly thought of my master and his wife.
It would have been wonderful if they could have attended as the family elders at our wedding.
And as the Palace Lord of Snow Wind Palace and his wife, they were fully entitled to an Ice Palace Wedding of their own.
But circumstances hadn't allowed it. After the previous Palace Lord, my master had been passed over, and Lady Seohyang and I were enjoying this luxury instead.
Someday, I would rebuild Snow Wind Palace without fail. Then I would make sure my master and his wife could have their Ice Palace Wedding, even if it came late.
Just then, Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin approached us.
“I've prepared some gifts.”
She held out a pouch made of white silk to me and another to Lady Seohyang.
“May I open it?”
She answered my question.
“Surely you don't need to ask.”
I opened the pouch. Inside were five gold taels.
“I gave it some thought, and what you like best of all, Young Palace Lord, is money. So I decided to give you money as your gift.”
That hit a little close to home.
“And I thought it would be best to give the same thing to both of you. That's why I prepared an identical gift for the Divine Maiden as well.”
I was grateful that she had given us gifts like this, but five gold taels?
The number five could signify moderation. But it could also signify nothingness, the absence of anything at all.
And it was customary to give an even number of taels as a wedding gift.
Was she teasing me?
“I'm telling you this so you don't misunderstand. Put the money from the two pouches together, and you have ten gold taels. Ten signifies completeness, so it means that the two of you come together to make something complete.”
“So that was the meaning behind it.”
“So don't get the wrong idea.”
“The wrong idea? I haven't gotten any wrong ideas. Ha ha ha.”
“Once again, congratulations to you both on your marriage.”
After her, the disciples of the Ice Palace came to see us one by one.
They congratulated us on our marriage and each gave us two taels as a gift.
The Elders gave two gold taels. Those below them gave two silver taels.
The disciples still in training gave two copper taels.
Little by little, the wedding gift box placed in front of us began to fill with money.
“Kui! Ku!”
Watching it, Geumryeong was delighted, drooling all the while.
I'd known this would happen, so I'd quickly asked them to bring a bowl. Heh heh heh.
That saliva of Geumryeong's was far too precious to let go to waste, after all.
Once the gift giving was over, it was time to settle in to eating and drinking.
Looking down, I saw my companions eating, drinking, and having a wonderful time as well.
Even so, they kept glancing up at me. They must have been keeping an eye on my safety all along.
Come to think of it, how much longer were we supposed to stay seated here?
With that question in mind, I looked beside me.
The Palace Lord sat next to me, and Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin sat next to Lady Seohyang. Both were enjoying the banquet.
I asked the Palace Lord in a low voice.
“Um, when does this banquet end?”
“It continues for nearly two days.”
“Then do I have to sit here for two whole days?”
“Of course not.”
The Palace Lord smiled gently.
“Ah! It's just about time.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the drum announcing the time sounded.
It was the signal for the two hours from eleven at night to one in the morning.
“Now it's time for the bride and groom to have some time alone together. Both of you, stand up.”
“Pardon?”
Just then, two disciples with red flowers adorning their hair approached us.
“We will escort you to the bridal chamber.”
We followed them, and the place they took us was…
“Over there?”
“Yes. Over there.”
There were dozens of steps, with a small detached house standing at the top.
It was a beautiful little house made of snow. All around its sides, there was nowhere for anyone to cling to it.
It looked difficult enough just to climb up there in the first place.
“The steps are designed to collapse as soon as the two of you have entered the house.”
She continued.
“No one must be allowed to interrupt your private time together. Please, go on up.”
“All right. Shall we?”
I offered Lady Seohyang my hand, and she took it.
Together, we climbed the steps made of snow and went inside the little house.
The moment we did, the steps we had climbed crumbled away with a rattle, collapsing in an instant just as the disciple had said.
Inside, a simple spread of food and liquor had been laid out. A silk quilt covered the bed.
Red lamps stood here and there, creating a curious atmosphere.
So it really did seem that we would have this time entirely to ourselves, without anyone coming to see us.
I sat down facing Lady Seohyang.
“May I pour you a drink?”
“Yes.”
Lady Seohyang answered shyly, and we shared a drink.
Whew. Well, now…
“Geumryeong. Go outside for a little while.”
“Ku…?”
Pretending you didn't know a thing wouldn't help.
You think you're going to sneak a peek?
Not a chance.
–TL Notes–
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