The life of a man in Chu can be summed up in four words.

Adulthood, starting a family, starting a business, and establishing an heir.

Regardless of status, whether rich or poor, it is nothing more than that. If there is any difference, it is just that the richer you are, the more you attach importance to the sense of ritual in it.

August 26 is the day when Su Lan is twenty years old. As early as March, Su Jin invited Qin Tianjian to divination, which was auspicious, so it was also the day of her crowning.

Coronation, for men of this era, is the most important ritual in their lives, and there are almost no of them. This ceremony, almost exclusively about a man's self, marks his coming of age, marks that he will leave the house and officially begin his life in his own identity.

Adulthood, what a ritual thing it is, but that's not it.

Su Lan, who was picked up from the bed when she was ugly, was carried to the courtyard by Su Jun to solemnly clean her face, and there was only one thought.

The Chu people have been established for more than 200 years, and the rules and regulations are perfect, which is very rare in this troubled era. As for the crown ceremony of the Su family, it is natural that it should be carried out according to the most complicated etiquette.

Su Jun saw that Su Lan was much more sober, so he carried her back to the house. The gowns were displayed under the west wall of the east wing, and several large dresses were stacked on top of each other in a large box with the collar facing east. Su Lan wore her hair loose and dressed in clothes, and sat in the room, letting Fuyue fiddle with her face.

The face in the mirror, the black hair pours down the back, the red lips and snow skin, and the long and upward phoenix eyes. It's just that she looks playful, and the undisguised sharpness in her eyes adds a touch of juvenile to this charming face for no reason. The person in front of him is a beauty like a cloud, a beautiful young man who is indisputable, beautiful and ambiguous.

Su Jun looked at the person in front of him, his heart was sour but full of joy, he sighed, but his tone was still dry and unfazed: "Today's guest is Mr. Ming'an, you have a big face." ”

"Yu Anqi has been my master for nine years, a teacher for one day, a father for life, and it is my duty to be my guest. Su Lan pursed her lips, took the pen in Fu Yue's hand again, and drew a few more strokes on her eyebrows before she said slowly, "Ah Jun, you don't have to be grateful to Dade, although you don't have it either." ”

Su Jun shook his head with a smile, and secretly scolded himself for really having nothing to say, so he stood up and opened the door, and it was the gentle but solemn-faced eldest prince: "Please sons, come in." ”

The male and female beauty, with a few changes, the facial features became cold and deep, and when Qiao Anyi walked in first, what he saw was Su Lan smiling like a mask, sitting on the chair, and the momentum between his eyebrows frightened him, and he easily forgot the age of the person in front of him.

Qiao Anting, who was following behind, smiled slightly, slapped his younger brother, and said, "Don't you want to give your brother the Su family a blessing?" Qiao Anyi hurriedly put the two gift boxes in his hand forward, and said: "Ah Lan, these two gifts are prepared by me and my brother, and they are different from those given by my family." ”

When Su Lan heard this, she wanted to make fun of him, but when she saw that all the sons and brothers walked in behind, her brother's eyes roamed back and forth on her face, so she had to continue to maintain an elegant and reserved face, showed a smile, and said, "Thank you." ”

This plain clothes, thin body, clearly just a teenager, why is it so scary to look at. Qiao Anyi looked at everyone for a moment, then burst into laughter, and then covered his mouth unconsciously, God, he, how did he say it?

The son, who had a little friendship in the past, had already filled her room, and everyone said congratulations, and the voice of the housekeeper Su Yu also sounded outside: "The eldest son, the second son, the hour ahead has arrived, and the grandfather of the country has called, it's time to go to the ancestral hall." ”

Su Lan, who was talking to Shen Yi, looked at Su Jun and smiled, then stood up and said slowly: "Then Brother Lao will greet you on my behalf." Lan, one step ahead, out of company. ”

Su Lan was accompanied by Qiao Anting and Xiao Wenyuan to the main hall of the mansion, and in the early morning, the ancient trees in the mansion were forested, but they did not feel the heat of the summer. The Su family's house pays attention to the simplicity and magnificence, not like the nouveau riche in the city, who loves glazed tiles, gray stone mahogany, and bucket arches and cornices, but it has its own style. It stands to reason that the crown ceremony should be held in the main hall of the family temple, but the Su family temple is far away in Qingyuan, so it has to be made do in the ancestral hall. The front hall of this ancestral hall is the place of the family's major events, in the old days, it was called the Mingde Hall, to the sixth family master, a big stroke of the pen, but it was to go to the middle of the word, it was called the Ming Hall, the plaque on the hall is the sixth family title, so far it has been passed on for a hundred years. The front of the hall is full of guests, but the hall is dignified, the morning sun through the ancient cypress in front of the hall, projected inside, shining on Su Lan, who is kneeling and sitting, Rao is plain clothes is also demeanor. Qiao Anting, who had changed into a black robe, and Xiao Wenyuan also knelt beside her, and the people who were usually square also secretly stretched their necks at this time, looking at the person outside the door who was wearing a black vermilion dress like Su Jin.

Su Lan showed a playful smile and looked at Qiao Anting, Qiao Anting did not hide his admiration, and said unhurriedly: "Mr. Ming'an is a model for scholars in the world, and his demeanor is really admirable." When Xiao Wenyuan heard what he said, he also nodded and said, "I still want to thank Ah Lan for inviting me to be a praiser, this is an opportunity for Mr. Ming'an to be crowned, maybe only once in this life." ”

"Lord Xiao, aren't you crowned for me?" Su Lan sighed exaggeratedly and looked at Xiao Wenyuan, "You said that, it broke my heart. ”

"When will you be able to cultivate Mr. Ming'an's demeanor, I also admire you. Xiao Wenyuan patted Su Lan on the shoulder, "But you're not bad, after all, you're a gentleman." ”

"Linyuan envy fish, it's better to retreat and close the net. Su Lanfeng's eyes narrowed slightly, her eyelids half drooped, her red lips moved, and she spit out a few words, then slowly stood up, straightened her back, and stood facing south.

"Wonderful. Qiao Anting was stunned for a moment, then showed a smile, muttered, and pulled Qiao Anting to stand in the hall, his hands folded on his abdomen, and his face was solemn as the wide-sleeved robe slowly fell.

"The auspicious time has come. ”

"Please come in. Su Jin and Yu Anqi bowed their hands in front of the hall, invited the guests to enter, and then turned around and walked into the Ming Hall. Su Jin was the master, sat in the hall, first thanked the Su men in Xuanyi in the west, thanked the guests, and finally thanked the Zhengbin Yu Anqi, and the hall resounded with elegant music.

Yu Anqi stood in the hall, Su Lan knelt in front of him with her hair draped, Qiao Anting sat behind her and combed her hair, and Xiao Wenyuan on the other side picked up the hair towel and tied up the shoulder-length hair. Yu Anqi slowly sat down in front of her, put the crown on Su Lan's head, a pair of eyes, deep but full of relief, and said slowly: "The auspicious moon and the day, the first plus yuan service, abandon the young ambition, Shun Er Chengde, Shou Kao Weiqi, to introduce Bifu." Su Lan lowered her eyes, bowed down to thank you, and was helped up by Qiao and Xiao, turned into the wing room at the back of the hall, changed into deep clothes, increased the belt, and slowly walked out.

Yu Anqi snapped, Su Lanfu knelt on the seat again, the dark dark clothes were very magnificent, with wide robes and wide sleeves, scattered behind him, and spread all over the hall. Xiao Wenyuan picked up the hat plate and presented it in front of Yu Anqi, Yu Anqi said: "Jiyue Lingchen, Nai Shen Erfu, Jiner Weiyi, Shushun Erde, Meishou Yongnian, enjoy Hu Fu." ”

When she stepped out of the wing room at the back of the hall again, Su Lan had already changed into a second dress, with a soap shirt and leather belt, and suddenly made people feel much more mature. Qiao Anting presented his head again, and Yu Anqi slowly recited: "With the righteousness of the year, with the order of the month, the Xiangar suit, the brothers are here, and the virtue is to become a virtue, and the astragalus is boundless, and it is celebrated by the sky." ”

Because Su Lan is in the official position, this crown ceremony is a little different, and finally needs to be added to the virtuous crown, and Su Lan is crowned with three green tassels, which is already the highest. This is also the dignity that Nalan Rui deliberately gave, the day before yesterday, Su Lan was promoted to the front of the palace, and he was stuck in the third grade, so he also had more green tassels. And the Jinxian crown on Su Lan's head is also an old thing, and its last owner is Su Lan's father, Su Yin. Coincidentally, Su Yin's official position when he was twenty years old was also the commander of the Soldiers and Horses Division in front of the palace. Su Lan, who was dressed in a black robe and a vermilion pattern, wore a virtuous crown on her head, and her red lips and snow skin were hidden in it, but she didn't see the charm of the young man in the past, and her face seemed to be condensed and matured in an instant.

Qiao Anting served wine, Yu Anqi's action of holding the cup was also elegant and good-looking, he walked a few steps slowly, and toasted facing the north: "The wine is clear, recommend Lingfang, worship and accept the sacrifice, to set Erxiang, inherit the rest of the sky, and never forget the longevity test." Su Lan also took the wine glass in Xiao Wenyuan's hand, drank all the wine, and bowed to the east first, and then to the south.

Su Jin got up and left the table, facing west, opposite Yu Anqi. Su Lan turned around and faced south, and listened to Yu Anqi's loud voice give her the words: "The instrument is prepared, the moon is auspicious, the word is announced, the word Kong Jia, the fashionable person is appropriate, it is suitable for it, it is always protected, and it is hidden." The tone was as low and warm as ever, and only Su Lan, who hung her head slightly, heard a little trembling. Su Lan's tone was flat, and she said politely: "Although you are not sensitive, you dare not come at night." ”

There was another incense case in the hall, Su Jin stood in front of the case, and said slowly: "Su Lan, the second son of the nineteenth Changfang of the Su family, has finished the crown ceremony today." ”

After the crown ceremony, now, I can be regarded as a real adult. Ah Lan, if you were still here, what would you look like?

Su Lan slowly knelt on the ground, thanking Su Jin for his nurturing and teaching. She has no parents, and she is the concubine of the Su family, and her title is precious, which saves a lot of trouble, and she only needs to worship Su Jin alone. She bowed and knelt quietly on the ground, very solemn, her eyes swollen and dry.

"Licheng!"

"Sir. Su Jun pulled the two brothers of Su Cheng and Su Qi, and brought the two brothers of the Qiao family, the Shen family brothers and Xiao Wenyuan to block the wine for Su Lan, and Su Lan was able to get out for a while, "Thank you, Mr. for coming from afar." ”

"Ah Su's crown ceremony, I will be the guest, it's your turn, you can't favor one over the other. Yu Anqi smiled jokingly and patted Su Lan's shoulder, just a pair of eyes, which made people feel sad when they looked at it.

Su Lan half-lowered her eyes, but she grinned and said, "Now that you are crowned, you are an adult, and there will be a lot less constraints in your actions in the future, and Mr. should celebrate me." ”

"I, the heart of my life, have been cast on you both. Yu Anqi heard her words, but his expression changed as usual in an instant, and he felt relieved that his old heart was sad, "I don't want you to carry forward the teacher, as long as you cherish yourself, everything will be fine." ”

"Just the three of us, can we barely be called a teacher?" Su Lan laughed and shook her head, "It's just that I'm leaving Beijing tomorrow, so I'm neglecting the teacher." ”

"No hindrance, now that I have seen you, my journey will be complete. It's time to go, too. ”

"Teacher, can you stop in Chujing for a few days?"

"What's the plan?"

"Chu is rich, and people want to learn. The teacher sets an example for the scholars, and there are many people in Changping City who admire you. I heard that the West Mountain of the National Temple has obtained a batch of Persian documents from the Western Regions, but I am afraid that I will come to you in the next few days. ”

"Your trip is dangerous, the situation in Longxi, don't be impatient, you have to plan it slowly, in order to take advantage of it. The job you found for the teacher, I am afraid that it will be a while, and you will not be able to get out. ”

"When the snow first falls, my husband and I warm wine, okay?"

"Naturally. ”