Chapter 99: Flames in the Chu Du (1)

The day of Jisi in the sixth month of the seventh year of the Eastern Emperor, early morning.

Le Yao Palace, Feng Huan Hall. Ten thousand golden lamps illuminated the calm Jiyun Lake like a golden sea before the dawn arrived. The magnificent palace on the cloud terrace connected to the heavenly gate, as if it were a god far from the mortal world, looking down at the brilliance of the Chu capital Shangying that lasted all night.

The golden lamps were bright, the light and jade dazzling. A Kui Phoenix gold-inlaid auspicious cloud couch reflected the light, and the soft silver fox white blanket extended like clouds in all directions, making the couch look even more magnificent. The woman in plain clothes and clear appearance didn't seem like a real person.

The Nine Princess Zi Rao wore only a flowing cloud silk garment, leaning against the purple sable soft brocade, looking lightly at the grand wedding dress spread out before her.

The deep black, ink-like wide-sleeved dark robes were woven with gorgeous dark silk produced in Tianling of the Kun Kingdom. They were laid out beautifully, as if they were the night sky flowing from the nine heavens. Every gleam of light had the brilliance of stars and the sinking charm of the moon. The edges were decorated with Luan patterns, jade pendants matched each other, and the true red belt was like clouds. The phoenix bird, embroidered with cinnabar gold, rose from both sides of the collar, entering the magnificent jade ribbons, as if cloud flames were flying and trailing, making the eyes bright, with unparalleled magnificence.

A suit of honor captured everyone's eyes, setting off this royal daughter and emperor's princess, reflecting this divine appearance and heavenly color, truly a perfect match.

According to the Yong Dynasty code, the dragon and phoenix dark robes could only be worn by the Emperor and Empress during grand ceremonies. Even as a Princess, one could not overstep, but at this time, no one had any objections. Zi Rao supported her forehead with one hand, her phoenix eyes reflecting the magnificent light, as if smiling and sighing. It was not until the master of ceremony ordered the matrons to kneel and ask the Princess to wear the clothes that she raised her hand and looked around, her cloud sleeves lazily falling, her jade hand pointing to the side.

The maids didn't know what she meant and looked at each other blankly. Zi Rao's fingertips pointed again. A matron looked along her finger at the few betrothal gifts decorated with gold plates and jade boxes, and asked hesitantly, "Princess, are you... wanting this Jade Marrow Wine?"

"That's it." Zi Rao smiled happily.

The colorful maids stepped forward to hold the gold plate and took out the wine. Zi Rao stepped down from the phoenix couch, her bare feet stepping over the thick and soft silver blanket, her long silk robes dragging on the ground like smoke.

Under the eyes of everyone, she reached out and took the wine pot, a line of fine wine pouring into her red lips, deep and fragrant, her cheeks stained with rouge and falling plum fragrance, better than red makeup.

After a pot of wine was finished, seeing the Nine Princess lazily raise her hand, the silk clothes sliding down to her waist like water, a shoulder of soft, shimmering black hair poured down, outlining a graceful and exquisite figure. The golden light in the hall seemed to dim, dim to silence, leaving only a charming back, capturing people's breath and soul.

"The Shao Yuan Jun Mansion has such fine wine. If Huang Fei is not romantic, it would be a waste of heaven's gifts." Zi Rao smiled, sighing charmingly.

Gently reaching out, the matrons and maids woke up and hurried forward, some standing and some kneeling, to serve the Nine Princess with clothes. Zi Rao let them be busy, her cinnabar lips smiling. When the makeup was done, she looked back, and the floor-to-ceiling mirror shone brightly, reflecting the woman's graceful appearance. Everyone felt emotion; only such a peerless beauty was worthy of the Shao Yuan Jun's heavenly appearance, and only such a fairy-like appearance was worthy of the Princess's elegance, looking down on the world.

The vast hall was windless, deep as an eternal night, with only a piece of lamp flame burning gold and jade, separated by thousands of curtains, illuminating the empty and quiet Jiyun Hall.

"Master, it's ready." Li Si lowered her head and stepped back. Zi Hao, who had changed into the black dragon casual clothes, turned around lightly. On the jade table, the cloud-patterned gold-inlaid ink dragon royal decree was spread out, the light jade-colored base blank.

Zi Hao stood alone in front of the table, his face appearing very quiet in the depths of the light. It was impossible to see what kind of expression was in his deep eyes. After a while, he slowly picked up the pen and dipped it in ink. The pure and gorgeous flowing gold cinnabar soaked a strand of cinnabar red color on the snow-white cloud hair pen tip. The hand holding the pen was thin and pale.

Li Si was used to the power of this hand to turn clouds and rain. Under the seemingly weak fingers, with a light flick, it was the joys and sorrows of a city's nobles and commoners, a clan's living beings, a country's princes, and even the world.

One anger, ten thousand bones wither; one smile, the world is clear.

However, at this moment, Li Si felt a trace of hesitation from that clear side profile. This was the first time she had such a feeling in nearly ten years. Even when he ordered Mo Heng to rush to the Xuan State in the past, the young man on the sickbed only left people with indifferent calmness. Li Si thought that hesitation would never appear on the master.

But all this was just a moment. The pen tip touched the gold silk, still steep and elegant, with natural pride. The clear and sharp spirit was like the penmanship he used to copy calligraphy in the snow many years ago, completely different from the deepness of hiding his sharpness since he ascended the throne. Zi Hao put down the pen, gently raised his sleeve, handed the royal decree to Li Si, and said lightly, "Use the seal." He turned and walked out.

Li Si knelt on the ground and took it in her hand. When she looked at the decree, her eyes couldn't help but shake.

The overlapping lamps cast deep shadows on the curtains, jumping endlessly, as if they were about to burn fiercely in the next moment. Amidst the intersection of bright red and bright gold, because of the determination revealed by the turning pen.

Two short lines written by the Emperor himself, appointing Princess Zi Rao as the head of the royal family, to inherit the throne after the Eastern Emperor's passing.

Bells and drums sounded from the horizon, spreading to all parts of the Chu capital.

The inheritance of the eight-hundred-year Yong Dynasty was sealed behind the blood-like cinnabar, dyed into the brilliance of the nine heavens phoenix spreading its wings.

No gold badges or jade ornaments, no gorgeous satin or bright brocade, no thousands of chariots to build a Luan Palace, no thousands of miles of royal land to appoint the heavenly beauty. Forty-three characters of cinnabar red, a solemn royal decree, was the entire dowry for the Nine Princess of the Xiang Emperor to marry the Shao Yuan Jun.

Zi Rao smiled lightly, spread her sleeves, and moved.

The matrons knelt and asked the Nine Princess to sit down, presenting the phoenix crown, hairpins, dangling hairpins, twelve Luan ornaments, and various hairpins and gold pendants to comb the phoenix cloud bun. The Nine Princess just glanced lightly and didn't express her opinion. The maids on both sides didn't dare to make their own decisions, holding their collars and waiting for instructions.

The bright lamps were layered and brilliant, illuminating the nine layers of palace gates and the magnificent deep hall all the way. The palace people under the steps suddenly bowed and saluted in unison, the crimson clothes and red skirts blooming in the hall, like the peach blossom spring on the Jianfang Terrace, more beautiful than precious flowers.

The mirror reflected the clouds and lights, and a person came slowly from the red dust of ten thousand flowers. The dragon pattern on the black clothes was like the floating mist of the heavenly gate, reflecting her smiling eyes like smoke, her soft face like water.

His figure gradually became clear in her charming gaze, and the bitter scent of medicine by his sleeves floated, as if in the clouds. Zi Rao smiled slightly, listening to him wave his sleeves lightly and say lightly, "You all step back for now."

The sound of skirts dragging on the ground rustled, and the women with lowered heads and eyes retreated outside the hall, bowing and waiting, not daring to look up, all because of the heart-pounding sound of that clear and elegant voice.

Zi Hao met the soft gaze in the mirror and sighed softly, "So Zi Rao is so beautiful. For more than twenty years, I didn't know."

Zi Rao sat down with her fingers folded, her black hair and phoenix clothes spread out, her eyes stained with stars. "Regret it?"

Zi Hao smiled silently, his thin figure appearing graceful and cold against the backdrop of the silver dragon black clothes. At this moment, the gentle and calm Eastern Emperor was like the deep sea of the abyss, with no waves for thousands of miles. Even the most gorgeous light and color folded into the deep sea surface, they all settled without a trace.

The faint shadows in the mirror were a pair, with autumn water bones and wind and snow clarity. In the blur, they intersected and reflected, as if overlapping. The clear gaze in the eyes, the clear entanglement on the brows.

"I remember I still owe you something."

He reached out and stroked the hair scattered on her shoulders, the enchanting black hair making those deep phoenix eyes look like cold pools. Zi Rao said softly, "Owed for too long, if you calculate the principal and interest together, you won't be able to pay it back."

Zi Hao smiled lightly, "As long as I don't owe anymore, I can always pay it back."

Zi Rao raised her lashes slightly, a strand of smile slowly spreading across her lips. "Tonight, Li Si and Shi Niang will enter the Jun Mansion as accompanying maids. The Liefeng Cavalry will simultaneously control the Chu Palace, the Helian Hou Mansion, and the Hostage Mansion. The secret prison in the arsenal must be lax. If we can take the opportunity to rescue Su Ying, we will be equivalent to getting a living 'Secret Record of Ye Zi'. Li Si should have reported the plan to you in detail."

Under the lamp, Zi Hao's face was like still water. "Zi Rao is already the head of the royal family. From now on, you can give orders directly for anything, no need to let them ask me specifically."

Zi Rao's fingers retracted inward, her cinnabar fingertips sinking into the deep clothes. Across the illusory universe of the bright mirror, she quietly looked at the clear and indifferent figure standing behind her. After a long time, she picked up a smile and said word by word, "Royal Brother, you owe me a complete and real wedding night. Don't forget to pay me back in the future."

Zi Hao was silent for a moment, then sighed vaguely, gently picking up her hair. "Okay, I remember."

The clear and lingering fragrance in her hair was lingering, thousands of threads, it was her beautiful jade-like years, the feelings of flowers falling and fragrant.

The soft and long cloud silk slid over the jade comb, falling on the dark and charming background of the red phoenix magnificent clothes. The warmth and lingering stayed at his fingertips. A blood jade hairpin was exquisitely carved, the phoenix flying in the cloud temples, tied into thousands of styles.

The jade was icy and clear, crystal-like blood, one carving and one polishing, could it be a previous fate.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 100 =====