Chapter 46: Before and After the Grand Wedding

The big talk had been said, but it was terribly embarrassing; I have no idea how the wedding the next day went, as I was in a daze, completely clueless.

Over the past month of caring for the sick, I often went several nights without sleep, yet I managed to push through then. But now that I've finally gotten some sleep, I just can't bring myself to wake up.

So the next day, wearing that heavy phoenix crown, I was practically nodded along step by step as they escorted me to face Wei Lingfeng.

He took me from Wu Ye and Xin Hui's arms, his hand tightly circling my waist to keep me from falling, and asked with a teasing tone, "You've slept a whole day and night and still aren't enough?"

"Mm." I replied vaguely, leaning against his shoulder, catching a faint scent of sandalwood and something… fragrant, mm! It's actually quite pleasant.

"Forget it." Wei Lingfeng laughed helplessly and shook his head, tightening his grip on my waist: "Anyway, I'll be with you for the preceding rites, so you can slack off a bit before we see the Empress Dowager."

My eyes wouldn't open, but my ears heard everything clearly, so I eagerly nodded. In fact, those rites went in one ear and out the other for me—now that the Emperor is escorting me, it's perfect.

I don't know whether Wei Lingfeng deliberately avoided extravagance or if the Qi State's royal wedding is inherently simple, but compared to the elaborate ceremonies I'd read about—'the betrothal, the grand procession, the presentation of the scroll, the welcoming, all following tradition'—it's actually a hundred times simpler.

Even someone as dazed as I am managed to pull through under Wei Lingfeng's quiet guidance.

"Your subjects wish the Emperor and Her Highness…"

A shout like thunder suddenly rang in my ears, startling me so much that all drowsiness vanished.

I looked up and met Wei Lingfeng's somewhat teasing smile, my head still resting on his shoulder, making my face flush as I straightened up. Fortunately we were standing on the upper steps of the palace, so the crowd below couldn't see our little movements.

The nearby eunuch loudly announced, "The rites are complete!"

I was about to sigh in relief when Wei Lingfeng's voice, laced with amusement, sounded beside my ear: "I didn't expect you'd actually sleep all the way through."

I forced an embarrassed smile and followed him closely out of the hall.

Only now did I notice that the imperial palace was everywhere decked with lanterns and bunting. Each main palace was stocked with firecrackers, large red gold‑gilded double‑happiness candles, and the imperial road was lined with red carpets.

Wei Lingfeng and I, escorted by a crowd, entered a palace twice the size of Luoying Gong. Looking up, I saw the central plaque inscribed in vigorous clerical script with the three characters "Fengyin Hall," and I thought: this must be the Emperor's bedchamber.

Suddenly a eunuch sang out, "The wedding feast begins—!"

Outside instantly erupted in noise—firecrackers and clamor—as if they weren't even in an imperial palace.

As I was pondering, Wei Lingfeng helped me sit on the bedside. A palace maid half‑kneeled before us, holding a pot of wine and two gold cups, smiling as she said, "Please, Your Majesty and Her Highness, drink the nuptial wine."

"Nuptial wine?" I nearly stumbled, frowning at Wei Lingfeng for help: "How do you drink this ancient nuptial wine? Surely it's not just hand‑over‑hand?"

Wei Lingfeng's eyes flickered with an imperceptible smile, and he mouthed two words to me: "Do as I do."

He then took the pot, poured a cup, and handed it to me. Seeing the maid's slightly surprised expression, I grew more nervous, wondering if I wasn't supposed to start first.

"Take a sip, then pass it to me," Wei Lingfeng's voice reached my ear; the maid showed no reaction either way, apparently well versed in palace survival.

No time to think, I touched the cup to my lips; a light pear‑blossom wine aroma spread on my tongue, and I quickly passed it to Wei Lingfeng.

He gave a light smile and drained the cup in one gulp.

After that, things became much simpler: I poured another cup as he had and passed it to him.

He took a small sip, then passed the cup back to me, and for some unknown reason broke into an extremely strange smile.

I didn't think much of it; I just found the nuptial wine here oddly strange. I took the cup and drank it down, the pear‑blossom fragrance outweighing the wine itself—like drinking sweet spring water, very enjoyable, and I wasn't worried about getting drunk.

"Please, Your Majesty and Her Highness, rest a moment. In half an hour, the attendants will come to help Her Highness change." Having said that, she lifted the wine pot and cups above her head, half‑crouched, and retreated, followed naturally by a group of eunuchs and palace maids.

Thus, in an instant, this vast bedchamber was left with only Wei Lingfeng and me.

He shifted slightly, lounging lazily against the bed's edge, his beautiful eyes rippling with faint water‑like light as he gazed at me without speaking. Since he stayed silent, I did too, and the atmosphere in the chamber grew heavy and… eerie.

Actually, this wedding is rather strange—setting aside the part I slept through—who drinks nuptial wine and then skips the bridal chamber, instead going first to pay respects to the Empress Dowager? It turns out Wei Lingfeng has an Empress Dowager above him; is she his birth mother or…

"What's your name?" he asked, his voice lazy as I was lost in thought.

I hadn't even had time to think before I blurted, "Shui Bing…" My heart jumped; I looked at him warily and said, "Lan Yingruo! You already knew that, didn't you?"

Wei Lingfeng leaned forward slightly, seized my wrist in one pull, brought his face within an inch of mine, curled his lips into a wicked smile, and said, "Are you sure you want to play this little trick in front of me?"

Can this pervert not be so clever? When exactly did he become certain I wasn't Lan Yingruo?

I struggled to break free from his grip, but he only pulled me closer; I couldn't help cursing inwardly, yet there was nothing I could do.

If I hadn't blurted those two syllables, I could have just made up a random name; after all, it's only a name—Shui Bingyi has been "dead" for so long that the wanted notice should have been cancelled long ago.

Besides, I am Shui Bingyi, not Lan Yingruo; being called that every day makes me fear I'll forget my own identity.

"Let me go first."

Wei Lingfeng readily released his grip and leaned back against the bed's edge as before.

I rubbed my sore hand and, somewhat reluctantly, said, "My name is Shui Bingyi."

He gave a light smile; a crystal‑like gleam flashed in his water‑rippled eyes, that smile unusually gentle and beautiful, leaving me a bit dazed. He then said, "When we're alone from now on, may I call you Bingyi?"

"Sure." I smiled faintly in reply, though my heart ached.

How long has it been since anyone called me by that name? So long that those two syllables feel foreign to me, to the point I almost think the happiness of the past was just a dream—and in fact… it really was just a dream.

Time drifted slowly; we both seemed lost in our own thoughts, silent, until he asked, "Do you know the rites for seeing the Empress Dowager?"

"Huh?" I stared blankly.

"As I suspected." He gave a wry, headache‑induced smile and said, "Come closer, I'll tell you."

Twenty minutes later.

"Wei Lingfeng! You're still laughing!" I flew into a rage, staring at the emperor who laughed without any semblance of decorum, on the verge of lashing out: "I told you it was just curiosity! Just curiosity!"

The cause of the matter is as follows.

Wei Lingfeng briefly outlined the etiquette, then said, "Once the Empress Dowager bestows the wedding gifts, you may return to Luoying Gong."

"Huh?" I said, curious and not thinking much, I blurted, "So we don't need to consummate the marriage?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself hard; my face burned crimson, and I stammered, "I… I was just curious…" Good heavens—this is hardly the case of "no silver here, three hundred taels"!

Wei Lingfeng first stared, then burst into an undignified laugh.

I seethed with resentment and muttered inwardly, "Isn't he supposed to keep his emotions hidden? When did he change?"

Until the palace maid brought in my clothes, his lips still curled with a rich smile; such a handsome man of his stature, however he smiles, is devastatingly gorgeous, leaving all the palace maids flushed and shy.

The Empress Dowager's chambers lie at the far western end of the imperial palace, and Wei Lingfeng has already gone ahead to pay his respects.

I took off the bride's phoenix crown and rosy veil, leaned on Xin Hui to my left and had Wu Ye behind me, and amid a crowd's escort we proceeded westward in grand fashion. Upon reaching the hall's outer doors, Wu Ye and Xin Hui were not allowed to follow; I lifted my head and entered alone, stepping slowly.

The inscription of "Changqing Palace" was also written in clerical script and then engraved; it is evident that it was done by the same hand as the "Fengyin Hall."

Almost as soon as I stepped into Changchun Palace, a bone‑chilling cold, mingled with waves of mixed fragrance, rushed straight at me, and I cast my gaze around…

So many beauties! — that was my first reaction.

Then I saw them shift from resentment to astonishment and contempt; I laughed inwardly, for their faces plainly displayed the exact opposite of my first reaction — that they were not beauties?!

In the moment I turned back, I happened to catch a hint of mockery on Wei Lingfeng's face as he sat in the seat of honor, but I ignored it.

My gaze drifted, landing on the languid woman reclining beside him, and the next second—

Oh my God! That's the Empress Dowager?!

I gasped inwardly, slightly opened my mouth, and my mind went blank, repeatedly asking myself:

In this world, there truly exists a woman whose beauty reaches the utmost extreme!

I have seen many beauties in the past—far away, Lan Yan, Zi Xuan, and Princess Yin; nearby, Lan Yingyu and the consorts before me. Yet none have ever been so stunningly beautiful.

Phrases like "a beauty that topples a nation" or "moon‑hiding, flower‑shaming" are insufficient for her; time has only added mature charm without diminishing a iota of allure. Her beauty will not fade with age—it is the kind that can remain forever.

Her brows and eyes seemed familiar, perhaps because of Wei Lingfeng. Yet for some reason there was also an inexplicable, almost friendly feeling.

I guess my expression right now must be that of a lovestruck fool.

"Ahem!" Wei Lingfeng let out a light cough, snapping me back to my thoughts. I turned to see the teasing in his eyes; my face flushed, I quickly knelt, bowed my head, and performed the full audience protocol, saying, "Your servant wishes to see the Empress Dowager."

"Lift your head so I, the Empress Dowager, may look at you." Her voice was soft and pleasant, but those words… I silently thought they really marred her flawless beauty.

I obeyed and raised my head, meeting a pair of calm, unruffled phoenix‑like eyes.

Her glance as she scanned me was irritating; it seemed less like looking at a person and more like inspecting an object, then she indifferently remarked, "You're rather plain‑looking."

"Your Majesty, although she has not yet been formally enshrined as Empress, the rites cannot be omitted."

She slowly propped up her frail, boneless frame and lazily said, "Then… let me be helped up, so the other consorts can perform the bowing ceremony. As for those of lower rank, they may be presented tomorrow."

"Yes." Wei Lingfeng replied, walked to my side, first flashing a grin that begged to be slapped, then reached out to help me up.

As I rose, I glared at him fiercely; turning back, I happened to meet the Empress Dowager's probing gaze, which startled me and made me quickly compose myself. Yet her reaction…

She only showed a brief pause, a thoughtful expression, then lightly laughed and shook her head, saying, "The Empress should also sit beside me, so that they may properly pay their respects. From now on, managing the harem will be your arduous task."

Managing the harem? I staggered and nearly fell again, but Wei Lingfeng held me tightly.

It's a case of wanting to cry but having no tears. I wonder if I can still claim breach‑of‑contract compensation now…?

The so‑called audience simply means each person comes in turn to bow, stating their rank and name, and so on.

As for these beauties, if they were presented one by one before me, I would certainly have a lasting impression.

But now they parade before me, each plump‑and‑slim, chirping like nightingales, as if a horse‑riding flower‑view, their myriad scents of powder and blossoms assaulting my nose, making my head spin.

The only impression I managed to keep was of a stunning beauty in a yellow gauze dress; when she looked at me, the flame of anger in her eyes seemed capable of burning me alive, yet when she looked at Wei Lingfeng it instantly turned into a river of autumn water, a hatred that could melt a person.

I marveled at how quickly the beauty's gaze shifted, and at Wei Lingfeng's unruffled demeanor in the face of such tenderness; I became so absorbed that I remembered there was such a person, yet I still missed hearing her name.

Unfortunately, in the end I didn't even retain a single name.

After a half‑day of hustle, I finally completed all the required formalities, received the Empress Dowager's bestowed wedding gift, bowed in thanks and prepared to depart. Then the Empress Dowager's melodious voice rang out: "Your Majesty, stay a moment; I still have something to ask you."

"Yes." Wei Lingfeng replied, his voice flat and unexcited.

So I, along with the consorts, first stepped out of the main hall.

As we walked out of the hall, the consorts displayed contempt, jealousy, resentment, disdain, pity—indeed every expression except worship.

Yet this is still outside Changchun Palace; they lacked the nerve to be reckless. After exiting the palace, Wu Ye and Xin Hui were outside the gate, and I went my separate way, so I ultimately returned safely to Luoying Gong.

The next day, while I was sound asleep, Xin Hui jolted me awake, explaining that the consorts of lower rank or unfavored ladies were coming to request an audience.

I was so angry my head seemed about to smoke, yet I was at a loss, so I hastily washed, dressed, and met them in the main hall.

Still a group of beauties, their looks no worse than yesterday's; perhaps lacking a patron, they were unfavored.

I still had the unrecorded promises I'd heard, and the basic etiquette and responses Wei Lingfeng had explained yesterday. Yet even just sitting like this, my back and waist ached unbearably.

Xin Hui leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Miss, the last one."

"Really?" hearing that, my spirit instantly perked up; a woman in green knelt before me, bowing her head and saying, "Consort Rong, Yan Jing, wishes to see the Empress." She then slowly lifted her head to look at me.

Consort Rong? Weren't all the titled consorts already presented yesterday? And that voice—why does it sound familiar?

I looked up in astonishment, suddenly widened my eyes and exclaimed, "Xiao Yu?!"

I sprang from my chair, lunged in front of Yan Jing, seized her hand, both startled and elated, my voice nearly choked as I said, "Xiao Yu! Are you okay? Thank heavens! How could I not have thought of this? We fell together, and since I'm wearing…"

"Your… Your Majesty." Yan Jing flinched back a step, puzzled, interrupting me, "Has Your Majesty ever met Jing'er?"

I was stunned, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over my heart, yet I still held onto a sliver of hope, let go of her hand, and said earnestly, "People laugh and people cry, some give up and some always try…"

Yan Jing's slender brows furrowed slightly, and she asked oddly, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? Why can Jing'er not understand a word?"

I sagged, shook my head, and smiled soothingly, "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."

"Xin Hui."

I called softly, "Xin Hui," and she immediately understood, rewarding Yan Jing and ushering the puzzled girl out.

"Some say hi while some say goodbye, some may forget you but never I." I muttered the latter half, feeling a pang in my heart, "Xiao Yu, you must absolutely not…"

"Master." Wu Ye stepped closer, supporting my pallid frame, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, smiled, leaned on the chair and sat down, asking, "Yan Jing, who is clearly Consort Rong, why did she come for the final audience?"

Wu Ye shook his head and said, "She's probably unfavored. If you want to know, you can have Xin Hui inquire."

"Inquire?" I couldn't help laughing, "Wu Ye, do you think I'm idle enough to gossip?"

A smile flickered in Wu Ye's eyes, but he said nothing.

I stared blankly at the iron mask covering his entire face and suddenly said, "Wu Ye, you can only remove the mask when it's just the few of us present."

Wu Ye flinched, a complex expression flashing in his eyes; after a long pause he said softly, "Master, are you really not afraid?"

"Even if you're not afraid, they will be."

I nodded, "They will certainly be afraid, but after a while they get used to it."

"As for me..." I raised my head to look at him, revealing a faint smile. "Although I don't like it. But I'd rather see your face when you smile, your expression when you're angry, instead of now, forever only able to face a cold, icy mask."

I admit I'm very protective of those close to me; for any friend or relative I've acknowledged, I want to give them the best, using every means to make them happy. Anyone who harms them, I will never let off lightly.

Wuye's eyes were still as water, with faint ripples, just gazing at me like that. Then, in a fleeting moment, I seemed to see a light flash in his eyes, alternating between thick and thin, dim and bright.

Suddenly, he raised his hand, took off the mask, and an utterly ugly face, bearing a gentle smile, quietly lay before me.

I felt a bit dazed, yet I showed a sincere smile, raising my hand to brush away the stray hairs stuck to my lips.

Suddenly, narrowing my eyes, I kicked him and laughed, "Really that ugly? Forget it, you'd better put the mask back on!"

His face was hideously awful, yet I could see that his eyes and expression were full of a faint smile.

"Miss, the palace ladies of Eternal Spring Palace have brought clothing." Xinhui said while carrying a set of clothes into the room.

Wuye quickly turned and put the mask back on. I let out a slight sigh; it seems Wuye still needs time to accept Xinhui and them.

"What clothing?" I got up, walked down the steps, and asked.

Xinhui stared, astonished, and said, "Miss, you don't know? These are the night‑attire for serving the bed!"

"What?!" I staggered, almost falling to the ground, but Wuye caught me, and I exclaimed, "Who are you saying will serve the bed?!"

"You!" Xinhui wore an expression of disbelief. "Miss, what did you hear when we discussed the rites that day?"

"I... I was sleepy then! Wait! That's not the point—why do I have to serve the bed?" I gritted my teeth in anger, "Does Wei Lingfeng want to break the contract?"

"Miss." Xinhui tried hard not to laugh, speaking solemnly, "This is the Qi kingdom's ritual: within the first three days of marriage, the emperor must and can only summon the bride to attend him in bed. Even the emperor can't avoid it!"

"So this counts as a honeymoon?" I muttered glumly. Oh well, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it; after all, it's not Wei Lingfeng's personal intention, so it shouldn't matter.

(End of chapter)