Chapter 233: The Grand Wedding, The End

Dongxun Imperial Palace.

In the Imperial Study, a seven-year-old little emperor wearing a dragon robe held a horse whip, swung it a few times, and produced a series of *crack-crack* sounds.

"Giddy-up!"

"Giddy-up!"

"Fun, fun!"

"Faster, even faster!"

He was tightly surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids, who feared that one careless moment might cause the esteemed little emperor to fall.

Shen Yuxi struggled to carry the little emperor on her back as he crawled around the room; several eunuchs and palace maids crowded too close, and her hands were stepped on several times.

Feeling the pain of the whip lashing her body, she clenched her teeth hard, her face full of humiliation.

Why had it come to this?

She had painstakingly married into Dongxun, clearly to become Empress—how had she fallen to such a state?

After arriving at the Dongxun Imperial Palace, she learned that the Empress Dowager had been born a palace maid, with no maternal clan to rely on, and that the young emperor's ascension to the throne had depended entirely on the support of the Regent.

Now, both the former court and the inner palace could be said to be under the Regent's control.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager says she has prepared your favorite pastries at Cinings Palace. Would you like to go taste them?"

Hearing this voice, Shen Yuxi's body stiffened, her face turned deathly pale, and she trembled uncontrollably all over.

Why has this devil come again?!

The palace servants hurriedly knelt to pay their respects.

"This servant greets the Regent."

The little emperor tossed aside his whip, jumped down from Shen Yuxi's back, walked to the Regent's side, and clapped his hands joyfully.

"Really? That's wonderful!"

"Then I want to go find Mother Empress!"

The Regent stroked his long beard and nodded in satisfaction.

"Your Majesty, go quickly."

"Let's go! Off to eat pastries!"

Shen Yuxi hurriedly scrambled up from the ground, lowered her head, and rushed outside, wanting to follow along.

No, she absolutely could not be left behind!

She was almost at the door when, the next moment, her arm was firmly seized by a pair of large hands, and a sinister voice sounded in her ear.

"Going where?"

"Ah! Let go of me!"

Shen Yuxi struggled desperately, but was still dragged back inside.

Soon, screams rang out one after another in the Imperial Study.

An hour later, the Regent left the Imperial Study thoroughly satisfied.

Inside, Shen Yuxi's body was covered in whip marks, her clothes barely covering her.

She stared at the roof beam, a tear sliding down from the corner of her eye.

Mother Empress, Xier regrets it, Xier truly regrets it…

……

An Luo's dessert shop business grew better and better; she even opened three branch stores, and no longer needed to personally oversee the shop every day.

As winter approached, she found the cooks at the Pingnan Marquis Residence and, after several days of joint research, developed a hotpot base.

Just like that, the Capital's first hotpot restaurant opened, and business was booming.

While An Luo was busy researching food, Cheng Chengxuan, following Cheng Sitao's suggestion, had temporarily set up sugar factories, cement factories, and glass factories.

Take glass alone—it had already been sold to other countries.

And it was being marketed as a high-end luxury good.

According to Cheng Chengxuan, the Ministry of Revenue had calculated that, based on current sales, after deducting labor and costs, it could add one million taels of silver to the Imperial Treasury each year.

Days passed one by one, winter went, spring came.

Another new year, the beginning of spring—everything was auspicious.

The grand wedding of the Emperor and Empress.

The Imperial Palace and the Cheng Family had begun preparations several months in advance.

On this day, after palace attendants arrived to deliver the golden册 and imperial seal, An Luo boarded the bridal sedan at the Pingnan Marquis Residence; a ten-mile-long bridal procession turned the entire Capital festive red, with a red carpet laid all the way from the Pingnan Marquis Residence to Fengyi Palace.

The phoenix crown on her head was unbearably heavy, and the ceremonial gown was extremely elaborate—long and heavy—and had there not been palace maids supporting her on either side, An Luo would not have been able to keep walking.

In Taiji Hall, Cheng Chengxuan sat on the Dragon Throne wearing a ceremonial crown; Imperial Officials of the fifth rank and above stood on both sides of the hall, while the remaining officials waited outside.

After climbing the long flight of steps, An Luo let out a sigh of relief.

It really was too exhausting.

Upon reaching the doorway, the palace attendants could no longer follow; An Luo slowly stepped into the hall.

Thinking carefully about what the palace etiquette matron had taught earlier, it seemed she was supposed to pay respects to the Emperor first?

Cheng Chengxuan stepped down from the Dragon Throne and, before she could bend her knees, took both her hands and said softly.

"No need to kneel."

Then he led the somewhat dazed An Luo up the High Platform for the wedding bows, after which they together received the kneeling homage of the Civil and Military Officials.

"Kneel—"

At the Eunuch Chief's loud proclamation, the Civil and Military Officials all knelt together and shouted in unison.

"Long live Your Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

"Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress a thousand times!"

Afterwards, An Luo was sent to Fengyi Palace.

By the time Cheng Chengxuan stepped into the room, the sky had already gone dark.

The nannies and palace maids finished their auspicious words and withdrew.

Looking at An Luo sitting ramrod-straight with an expressionless face, Cheng Chengxuan asked softly.

"Are you very tired?"

The moment he finished speaking, An Luo deflated like a punctured ball — her shoulders slumped, her back no longer straight, looking utterly listless.

"Cheng Chengxuan, I'm really so tired."

"My neck hurts, my shoulders hurt, my back hurts, my waist hurts too."

Cheng Chengxuan hurried to help her take off the phoenix crown, his face full of doting affection.

"Alright, alright, the Empress has worked hard. Shall I massage it for you?"

At first An Luo would still point left, right, up, down to guide him, but later she fell silent.

Listening to the creak-creak sounds, Cheng Chengxuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Is it good?"

"I'm starving. All day I only had two pieces of pastry and a cup of water."

An Luo turned around and opened her palm — a few peanut kernels lay on it.

"The flavor's not bad. Five-spice flavored."

Saying so, she picked up a red date and took a bite.

Cheng Chengxuan's deep, dark eyes fixed on those crimson lips, and he only felt his throat go a little dry.

"You eat. Have more. I'll eat later."

"Oh."

An Luo didn't think much of it and ate a few more red dates. Just as she was about to eat the peanuts, the man before her suddenly reached out and flicked her hand — every peanut in her palm scattered to the floor.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

A slightly husky voice sounded by her ear.

"You've eaten enough, haven't you?"

"My turn now."

"Mm!"

An Luo was startled.

So that "eat" meant a different "eat."

"Ouch!"

Her back landed squarely on the jade ruyi, and An Luo, in pain, shoved him away angrily.

"Straighten up the bed first! It's so lumpy, there's no way I'll sleep well like this!"

The lips lingering at her neck found their way to her lips. Their breaths tangled together, and Cheng Chengxuan let out a soft laugh by her ear.

"Wouldn't that be perfect, then?"

An Luo: "?"

Cheng Chengxuan casually tossed the jade ruyi into a corner, his movements never pausing.

"What I mean is, you probably won't get the chance to sleep."

As his words fell, he bent down and pressed his lips to hers.

Red waves rolled across the bed. The peanuts and dried longans that kept falling to the floor rolled a few times, and finally rolled to the edge of the table…

Six years later.

The lands within Da Yin had taken on an entirely different scene.

Three years ago, Da Yin had sent troops to annihilate Nanjiang, and the Cheng Family's grudge could finally be considered fully avenged.

The promotion of high-yield fine seed varieties had greatly increased grain output, and the factories built in various places had given the common people an additional source of income during the slack farming seasons.

Within Da Yin's borders, prosperity reigned and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.

It's just that, well, the Emperor of Da Yin was currently quite unhappy.

Yu'an, clad in a dragon robe, stormed into the farm in a fit of pique.

A year ago, the Civil and Military Officials had jointly submitted a memorial, earnestly requesting that his little uncle select consorts and establish a harem for the sake of continuing the imperial bloodline.

His little uncle, in a fit of anger, abdicated.

His father didn't want to manage things either, so he simply pushed Yu'an onto the throne.

At this moment, the previous Emperor and Empress — that is, his little uncle and little aunt — were swinging on swings in the garden, flirting and talking sweet nothings.

His very own father and mother were at the seaside in the farm, leisurely sunbathing.

The veteran minister of several reigns, now a pillar-of-state official — Grand Tutor Sun and his great-great-grandfather — were by the pond, drinking tea and fishing with his great-grandmother.

Elder Aunt and her husband had left the capital to travel the world.

Aunt and Little Aunt were utterly focused on the weapons camp, researching and developing new weapons.

Grandmother and Uncle-Grandmother were at home, overjoyed, helping to look after little uncle's son, who wasn't yet a full year old.

His Ancestors — every single one of them seemed to be at leisure, or doing things they liked and were passionate about.

Everyone except him!

The worst part was that his arrival hadn't drawn anyone's attention in the slightest!

Yu'an took deep breaths, gradually moving from anger to calm, and finally making peace with himself.

"Brother Yu'an!"

A soft, milky little voice rang out from behind him.

Yu'an turned his head with a smile—it was his little uncle and little aunt's eldest daughter, given name Cheng Qiwu, nickname Nuonuo, five years old this year.

"What is it, Nuonuo?"

Little Nuonuo walked over, took his hand, and shook it, acting clingy in a soft, mushy way.

"Will big brother come play with me?"

"Sure."

Before leaving, Yu'an turned back to glance at the crowd once more, shook his head helplessly, and let out a heavy sigh.

In the end, it was he who bore the weight of everything.

(End)