Chapter 93: The Great Wedding

…

Li Lin, having tasted the sweetness, refused to let Zhang Chun have him.

These past two days, she and Zhao Yu had unlocked many wondrous positions, and her curiosity was at its peak.

Moreover, she realized Zhao Yu greatly favored her.

Put plainly, Zhao Yu was hungry for her body; she could clearly feel he adored her sculpted muscles.

This was the perfect moment for her to conceive.

Li Lin was straightforward, not foolish—how could she not understand that once Zheng Xiansu, Wang Yisu, and Guo Ting arrived, for a long time ahead—specifically until Zheng Xiansu became pregnant—Zhao Yu would likely not touch any other woman, but instead devote all his efforts to making Zheng Xiansu conceive first, prioritizing the succession of the Zhao-Song dynasty.

This was truly a matter of great importance.

If Zhao Yu named a Crown Prince, his brothers, such as Qi Jiguang, would never again have a chance to seize the throne; they could only humbly remain as princes.

Moreover, once Zhao Yu named a Crown Prince, his imperial position would essentially be secured.

—At that point, others would dare not easily plot to replace Zhao Yu, for even if they happened to succeed in replacing him, it would be Zhao Yu's son who became emperor, and Zhao Yu's son, even merely to preserve his filial reputation, would most likely avenge his father; thus, such an act would be utterly futile and self-defeating.

Precisely because of this, when an emperor had a clear heir, his throne was essentially secure.

Though Zhao Yu already had many concubines pregnant, legally speaking, even if Ma Xiao Jiao and the others bore sons, they could not be named Crown Prince unless Zhao Yu deposed Zheng Xiansu as Empress and replaced her with the woman who bore him a son.

This was also one of the reasons Zhang Chun had long desired to be the first to bear Zhao Yu a son.

But as of now, Zhao Yu had no intention of replacing the Empress.

Thus, Zhao Yu would certainly prioritize ensuring Zheng Xiansu's pregnancy, to solidify both his own throne and Zheng Xiansu's position as Empress.

Under these circumstances, every woman in Zhao Yu's harem, one by one, must yield to Zheng Xiansu.

At that point, trying to attract Zhao Yu's attention through any means and earning his favor would be pure fantasy.

To put it bluntly, anyone who dared do such a thing would be making a mortal enemy of Zheng Xiansu.

In other words, if you could conceive before Zheng Xiansu arrived, then conceive; if you couldn't conceive before Zheng Xiansu arrived, you might never get another chance.

This was truly a moment that would not come again.

Therefore, Li Lin also wished to seize this final opportunity.

Based on this, Li Lin said to Zhang Chun: "I'm sorry, I can't agree. The chance to conceive Zhao Yu's child is equally invaluable to me. Let me be honest—I've already taken this step, and I'm determined to succeed, or all my sacrifices would be in vain. So let's each rely on our own abilities."

Zhang Chun's face darkened at Li Lin's blunt refusal; she forced a smile: "Very well. Competition breeds motivation. It's rare for us to be so candid with each other—it's better than stabbing each other in the back."

With that, Zhang Chun took her leave.

To this day, Li Lin had fully come to terms with it: the women in this harem could never avoid competing for favor.

After all, there was only one Emperor, and the favor was scarce; affection was the sunlight and rain upon which they depended to survive in this gilded yet lonely, icy palace. To not compete meant withering, meant being forgotten in the dust of history.

And for her, not competing meant abandoning self-worth, abandoning her dreams, even meant her entire reincarnation had been in vain.

There was nothing more to say: what she could not yield, she would never yield.

The facts proved Zhang Chun had chosen the wrong opponent, and Li Lin had wrongly played the villain.

In the final three days before Zhao Yu's wedding, Pei Sui used her official position to seize two nights, and the two female officials who had previously helped Zhao Yu change clothes and been favored by him teamed up to steal another night of service; Zhang Chun got not a single night, Li Lin got not a single night, and Ye Shi Yun could only stare helplessly.

Only then did the women realize their rivals were not just each other, but also the natives of this era.

Moreover, they had apparently misunderstood one thing: when it came to competing for favor, they were truly no match for these natives who spent every day thinking of ways to win the Emperor's affection.

Here are a few small examples:

Didn't Ye Shi Yun nearly succeed in being summoned by wearing a qipao?

Soon after, Li Lin, by wearing a qipao, successfully earned summoning—and was favored by Zhao Yu for three consecutive nights.

This made the qipao wildly popular in the harem.

Now, if anyone didn't own a qipao, she felt too ashamed to greet others.

Also, the hairstyles "invented" by Ye Shi Yun and Zhang Chun had spread beyond them.

Crucially, whether the qipao or the new hairstyles, all had been improved; some pirated versions were even more beautiful than the originals.

Furthermore, Zhao Yu liked physical training and admired Li Lin's lean, muscular physique—so many women had secretly taken up fitness, and somehow, they had learned The Prisoner's Workout and Yoga; even the Daoist health practices Zhao Yu trained with Daoist Priest Zhang Xubai were now being practiced by others.

Without exaggeration, whatever Zhao Yu liked, women rushed to emulate.

Learning this, the women finally believed the saying "The King of Chu favored slender waists, and many in the palace starved to death" was absolutely true.

The women gathered together, faces filled with helplessness.

Zhang Chun smiled bitterly: "I thought our knowledge would let us easily win Zhao Yu over; who would have thought these natives are so fiercely competitive!"

Ye Shi Yun sighed along: "Yes, we planned to stand out with novel things, but now they've all been copied—and improved upon."

Even Li Lin said: "Have you noticed? They're especially skilled at using their own power. Take those two female officials who helped Zhao Yu change clothes—they asked him, while dressing him, whether he preferred to put his left leg in first or his right, played off each other, and stoked his desire, thereby securing the chance to 'put out the fire.'"

Here, Li Lin smiled bitterly: "I thought if we just let go, they couldn't possibly outdo us—but I greatly underestimated these natives."

"You've become much better informed lately—even about those two female officials," Zhang Chun said.

Li Lin didn't hide it: "My maid—Cui Nianyue—is exceptionally capable inside and out, and excels in dancing, poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I previously overlooked her, treating her as an ordinary maid. Only after she made me the qipao did I realize what a talent she was."

Zhang Chun thought to herself, 'Cui Nianyue? Could she be the Cui Nianyue who was famous during the Zhenghe era, once ranked alongside Li Shishi?'

Didn't Zhao Xu shut down Fanlou because of Qi Jiguang's visit to a brothel?

That incident had further consequences.

At the time, the court, seizing the Emperor's wrath, launched a crackdown, purging all major brothels and sending countless young women to the Jiaofang Si.

Later, when Zhao Xu died and Zhao Yu ascended the throne, after the storm passed, the brothels spent heavily to redeem their girls.

In truth, the court was short on funds and used Zhao Xu's anger as an excuse to extract money.

During this process, many unclaimed courtesans were sent to the palace by Ministry of Rites officials eager to please the new Emperor Zhao Yu.

Li Shishi and Zhao Yuannu entered the palace this way.

'Cui Nianyue must have entered the palace the same way—but when did Li Lin choose her? How did I miss it? Hmm… probably because I was too busy competing with Ye Shi Yun for Li Shishi.'

'By the way, there's also Wang Zhongduan, who ranks alongside Li Shishi and Zhao Yuannu. I'll have Li Shishi find out for me—if I can truly gather these Four Great Courtesans, let's see how Zhao Yu escapes my grasp.'

At this moment, Ye Shi Yun said: "Actually, the biggest problem still lies with Zhao Yu—if he weren't so fickle, these women could fight all they wanted, and we wouldn't have to join in."

Li Lin spoke up fairly: "From Zhao Yu's perspective, he wants his own freedom and happiness, and he wants his descendants to flourish—he's not Sun Wukong, pinning down the Seven Fairies just to steal peaches. To be honest, if I were him, I'd scatter my seeds everywhere too. Besides, the facts prove his strategy works: how long has it been, and already five women are pregnant with his imperial seed? He won't repeat Zhao Xu's mistakes."

Recently, another palace maid became pregnant—one of the two who snatched Zhang Chun's chance to spend the night with him.

Li Lin silently added in her heart: "If you count me, that's six."

Li Lin had a hunch she'd likely conceive.

After Li Lin spoke, all the women fell silent.

From a self-interested standpoint, Zhao Yu's actions were indeed beyond reproach.

…

The course of events unfolded just as Zhang Chun had predicted.

In the end, Empress Dowager herself intervened, and only then did Zhao Yu agree to hold the imperial wedding—for the sake of the state, the subjects, and filial piety—but since Emperor Song Zhe had just passed away and the treasury was empty, everything must be kept simple.

During this era, an emperor's wedding still followed the traditional "Six Rites": Nai Cai, Wen Ming, Na Ji, Na Zheng, Gao Qi, and Feng Ying.

Before Zhao Xu's death, the first four steps had already been completed.

Now only Gao Qi and Feng Ying remained.

Gao Qi meant Zhao Yu, through the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and other institutions, selecting an auspicious date for the wedding, then sending envoys to the bride's family to announce it. The envoys carried edicts and documents, informing the bride's family of the exact wedding date, which the family had to accept and approve.

Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu were both from Kaifeng; their ancestral homes lay within Dongjing Bianliang.

Guo Cheng had already arrived at court to report his duties, and his entire family had moved with him to Dongjing Bianliang.

Thus, this step required no wasted time—just follow the established rituals, and all would be fine.

Soon, Zhao Yu's wedding reached its most critical phase: Feng Ying.

On the wedding day, as dawn broke, the entire Dongjing Bianliang was immersed in festivity.

Zhao Yu did not go in person to fetch the bride; instead, the Ministry of Rites carefully selected several high-ranking ministers—men with both sons and daughters, virtuous and respected—as envoys to receive the bride.

These envoys, dressed in wedding robes, led vast processions of ceremonial guards and music troupes, heading toward the Zheng, Wang, and Guo households to receive the Empress and the two Imperial Consorts.

The wedding processions were enormous; the imperial orchestra played vigorously, creating spectacular scenes wherever they went.

Lanterns hung along both sides of the streets, red lanterns raised high, swaying in the wind.

Along the way, commoners stopped to watch, whispering that the Zheng, Wang, and Guo families had struck lucky.

At Chen Hour, the wedding processions arrived at the Zheng, Wang, and Guo households.

Each envoy read out the imperial edict.

Zheng Xiansu, dressed in the Empress's ceremonial robes, wearing the phoenix crown and embroidered veil, slowly knelt and respectfully received the golden scrolls and golden seals—the symbols of her status as Empress.

Somewhat later, Wang Yisu and Guo Ting each donned the Imperial Consort's ceremonial robes and, with equal reverence, knelt to receive their investiture.

At the auspicious hour, Zheng Xiansu, surrounded by the wedding procession, boarded an elaborately decorated phoenix palanquin and slowly moved toward the palace.

Though today was also Wang Yisu and Guo Ting's great day, how could they possibly compete with Empress Zheng Xiansu for the spotlight?

After receiving their investiture, they were quietly carried to the palace and entered the inner court through the side gate.

When the procession escorting Zheng Xiansu reached the palace, she was carried through the main gate into Daqing Hall.

There, under the guidance of the ritual officers, Zhao Yu and Zheng Xiansu performed the solemn rites of bowing to Heaven and Earth and the grand wedding ceremony.

After the ceremony, Zhao Yu and Zheng Xiansu entered the bridal chamber according to imperial protocol and performed the hejin rite.

Candlelight flickered, illuminating the bridal chamber with warmth and festivity. Red silk hung low, sheer veils fluttered gently, incense filled the air. Zheng Xiansu sat upright on the wedding bed.

Zhao Yu lifted Zheng Xiansu's veil with a measuring rod.

With the veil removed, Zheng Xiansu's exquisite beauty was revealed before Zhao Yu.

Beneath the candlelight, Zheng Xiansu's cheeks blushed crimson, like blooming peach blossoms in spring, dewy and radiant. Her eyes were bright and clear, like a pool of autumn water, glancing with tenderness and shyness. Beneath her high, refined nose, her cherry lips were naturally red. At this moment, her gentle face radiated a blend of modesty and dignity.

Zhao Yu looked at Zheng Xiansu and said: "From this day forward, may I, Empress, share wind and rain with you, stand united, never betray each other, and grow old together."

Beyond the matter of Zhao Xu's final edict, Zhao Yu still kept his promise to marry her as Empress—Zheng Xiansu knew she owed Zhao Yu, for this life, and for all lives to come.

So Zheng Xiansu softly opened her Zhu Chun and spoke with solemn gravity: "Your Majesty's boundless favor moves me to the core. From now on, I shall exhaust every thought and effort, obey Your Majesty's teachings, uphold virtue and propriety, manage the inner court with diligence, ensure its peace and quiet, relieve Your Majesty of all rear worries, and help you multiply your lineage."

Zhao Yu said no more. He drank the wedding cup with Zheng Xiansu, then proceeded to the core act of entering the bridal chamber…

Now, some loves cannot be spoken—they must be…

…

(End of Chapter)