CXD - 95

When the news of their wedding today spread, the entire household was stunned, each person doubting if they had misheard.

After repeatedly confirming and inquiring, it became clear that neither master cared for elaborate wedding ceremonies or abided by the traditional rule that prohibited the bride and groom from meeting before marriage—they were set on proceeding with the wedding today.

Everyone looked up at the sky; the sun was already nearing its zenith. If being suddenly informed of a wedding today wasn’t startling enough, realizing that only half the day remained made it even more overwhelming.

As soon as they snapped out of their shock, everyone sprang into action, bustling about without a moment’s rest.

Jiang Zhiyi had brought many of her dowry items specifically prepared for her previous planned marriage to Yuan Ce, which proved perfect for today’s occasion. The experienced matrons of the household drew up a list of remaining items that should be provided by the groom’s side—most of these were already prepared at the Shen Manor in Chang’an. While purchasing them last minute was feasible, crafting the groom’s wedding attire would take days, no matter how simple it was.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhiyi magically produced Yuan Ce’s wedding attire.

With this settled in her mind, the matron sent people to purchase other items from the streets while asking Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce to quickly return to their respective chambers to dress.

Mu Xinhong brought the Xuan Ce Army, skilled in setting up tents, and erected the ceremonial bridal chamber, known as the “Qinglu,” in the southwest corner of the Shen Manor according to northern wedding customs.

Guyu and Xiao Man led the maidservants to prepare the bridal chamber, changing the bed and hanging the red wedding curtains.

By midday, the household bustled with activity, people rushing back and forth. One after another, strong male voices rang out—

“Report—the Qinglu is complete!”

“Report—the bridal chamber is ready!”

“Report—the auspicious hour has arrived!”

For the first time, the reporting sounds typically reserved for urgent military situations echoed with such celebratory tones.

Most assumed this sudden wedding was due to the termination of the marriage alliance, with the young general unwilling to delay any further, hence the swift actions. Only Jingzhe knew it was the princess’s idea; the day after returning to Guzang, she had secretly sent someone to tailor the young general’s wedding attire.

The young general wanted to give the princess a grand and complete wedding ceremony, unwilling for her to feel slighted. But now, compared to those external trappings, the princess hoped that when the young general headed toward peril, he would remember that his wife awaited him a thousand miles away.

At dusk, joyful music played, and the crowd who had been busy all day gathered noisily around both sides of the Qinglu.

Yuan Ce stood tall in front of the Qinglu, dressed in a bright red long robe with a straight collar and large lapel, cinched with a leather belt, his hair tied with a golden crown. He gazed toward the end of the carpet where the bride would appear.

Jiang Zhiyi, clad in a floor-length golden-red wedding gown, her phoenix crown adorned with gently swaying golden tassels, held a fan to cover her face, stepping slowly along the carpet toward him.

The splendor of the phoenix crown and the vibrant colors of the carpet, rich with embroidery, created a dazzling spectacle. Yet none of it could compare to the radiant beauty of his bride.

Once Jiang Zhiyi reached him, stepping over the symbolic saddle that represented peace, Yuan Ce turned to walk alongside her into the Qinglu. Noticing her stealing glances at him amidst the joyous music, he tilted his head toward her: “What are you looking at?”

“I’m looking at—” Jiang Zhiyi blinked softly, gazing at him, “how good you look in red.”

Seeing Yuan Ce in such a bold and vivid red, Jiang Zhiyi still felt a sense of unreality. Although this was a decision she had long planned, at this very moment, it still felt like a dream. From dressing to walking along the carpet, her steps had felt light and unsteady all along.

“Have we really gotten married?” Jiang Zhiyi peeked through the fan at the sea of celebratory colors around her. “Am I really married to you?”

Yuan Ce’s lips curved into a smile as he whispered in her ear, soft enough for only the two of them to hear: “Yes, Jiang Zhiyi truly belongs to Yuan Ce now.”

After performing the bowing ceremony in the Qinglu, they moved to the bridal chamber, drank the ceremonial wine, unveiled the fan, and exchanged vows, completing the rites.

Since the guest banquet was omitted, Jiang Zhiyi and Yuan Ce were able to have dinner early and change out of their heavy, multi-layered wedding attire.

The bathhouse was first given to Jiang Zhiyi. After bathing, she donned a bright red nightgown. While Yuan Ce entered the bathhouse, she stealthily retrieved a book Jingzhe had hidden under the bed earlier, deciding to cram one last time.

Jiang Zhiyi lay on the bridal bed, legs raised, burying her head as she pored over the pages. Lost in thought, deeply immersed in her studies, she suddenly heard a familiar male voice behind her: “Do you like this page?”

Her heart skipped a beat, nearly causing her to leap off the bed. Turning around, she saw Yuan Ce bending over with his hands clasped behind his back, resembling a visiting teacher scrutinizing a student’s work.

Jiang Zhiyi gasped, clutching the book and rolling to the inner side of the bed: “How can you walk so silently!”

“If I made noise, how could I tell which page you liked?”

Jiang Zhiyi slowly lowered her head, glancing at the book in her arms. The page she had been looking at just now was titled—”Harmony of the Zither and Flute”?

…No, no, absolutely not!

“No, it’s not that—I just happened to flip to this page…”

“Then—” Yuan Ce glanced at the book in her arms. “The next page, ‘Catering to One’s Whims’?”

Jiang Zhiyi looked down and widened her eyes.

Yuan Ce climbed onto the bed, picked up the book from her lap, flipped through it casually, and pointed to another section: “Or how about this one—’Fish Gliding in Shallow Waters’?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes grew even wider.

He flipped two more pages: “Or this one—’Riding the Dragon and Attaching to the Phoenix’?”

Jiang Zhiyi nearly passed out from embarrassment.

Yuan Ce closed the book and laughed so hard his shoulders shook as he lay back on the bed.

Jiang Zhiyi frowned and pushed him: “What are you laughing at?”

But Yuan Ce couldn’t stop laughing.

“If you keep laughing, I’ll bite you!” Jiang Zhiyi leaned over and pretended to bite him.

Finally, Yuan Ce stopped laughing and pulled her into his arms: “If you find it difficult, don’t force yourself. We can do it another day.”

“No, today’s tasks must be completed today. It has to be today,” Jiang Zhiyi muttered, lying on top of him with a soft huff. Her voice dropped shyly: “Actually, I think ‘Dragon Playing with the Phoenix’ seems simple enough…”

Yuan Ce blinked, recalling the image, and gazed at her face, still radiant even after removing her makeup. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly: “What if it hurts you later?”

“…If it hurts me, then you’ll never be able to leave me.”

A shadow flickered in Yuan Ce’s eyes. The hand resting on her back moved upward, gently pressing against the back of her head as he kissed her lips.

On this winter night, snowflakes swirled in the air, drifting lazily onto the window sills, melting under the warmth emanating from inside the room.

Inside the bridal chamber, the flickering light of the wedding candles danced alongside their intertwined breaths.

Jiang Zhiyi lay on her back on the bed, her neck arched, half-closed eyes gazing upward as she clung to Yuan Ce’s scarred back. She felt his kisses trail down inch by inch, wandering delicately across her skin. Like a snowflake dissolving into water under the heat, she melted completely beneath him.

Though they had only taken a single sip of the ceremonial wine earlier, the delayed intoxication now spread through her limbs, making her feel as though she were floating amidst the clouds.

Outside the window, the fierce winds howled, causing the delicate branches of the plum tree in the courtyard to sway gently, the stamens trembling.

He was like the wind, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably. With each shiver, her grip on his scarred back tightened, her fingertips occasionally grazing over his scars, eliciting an even fiercer response from him.

In her daze, Jiang Zhiyi didn’t know how to hold him closer, only wanting to possess more of him, to be possessed by him more fully.

Amidst the haze of her thoughts, both of them shuddered simultaneously at the moment of contact—one raising their eyes, the other lowering theirs.

Jiang Zhiyi opened her misty eyes and saw a drop of sweat hanging from the edge of Yuan Ce’s temple, poised but not yet falling.

Yuan Ce’s dark, turbulent eyes locked onto hers, silently asking a question with his gaze.

Jiang Zhiyi’s heart raced as if it would leap out of her chest, but she still tilted her head up and kissed his chin softly.

As the drop of sweat fell heavily, a muffled groan sounded, and the wind outside the window suddenly ceased.

Yuan Ce rested his forehead against the hollow of Jiang Zhiyi’s shoulder, closing his eyes as he recovered from the wave of sensations.

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyelids fluttered, her mouth agape in silent astonishment.

Feeling her stiffness, Yuan Ce lifted his head, gently kissing away the fine beads of sweat on her nose. He gazed deeply into her eyes, his voice hoarse as he spoke: “I promise you—I will return alive.”

Tears instantly brimmed in Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes, her heart swelling with pain: “This time, if you break your promise, I won’t live alone.”

“All right.”

Outside the window, the snowstorm raged violently, sweeping through with a force capable of destroying everything in its path.

On the bed, the two clung to each other tightly, as if trying to meld their bodies into one, sinking into the swirling vortex of intense heat.

Deep into the night, the storm subsided, and all sounds faded into silence.

Yuan Ce quietly watched the sleeping figure in his arms, unable to close his eyes for a long while.

His gaze traveled from her naturally dark brows, to her plump, dewy red lips, to her snow-white, slender neck, and downward to the graceful curve of her collarbone.

Suddenly, a whistle pierced the air. Yuan Ce’s eyes snapped open, instantly clearing as he gently laid the limp figure in his arms back onto the bed. He got up, put on his clothes, and walked outside.

In the courtyard, Mu Xinhong hurried over with a secret letter: “Young General, someone from the marriage alliance entourage sent this. Could it be that there are—”

“People working for Qi Yan.” Yuan Ce took the letter without surprise.

Qi Yan knew he wouldn’t sit idly by and let Jiang Zhiyi marry into Xiluo, but he also feared that Yuan Ce might destabilize the border. Naturally, he had planted his own people within the marriage alliance delegation to cover any gaps should Yuan Ce’s plans falter.

“The fourth prince didn’t oppose you earlier, which means he likely approves of your plan.”

Presumably, the fourth prince understood the emperor well and anticipated what awaited Yuan Ce. Before the marriage alliance delegation left the capital, he had given instructions to his men embedded within the group. If things truly reached this point, they were to send word to Yuan Ce.

Yuan Ce unfolded the letter and skimmed through it quickly.

“Young General, are you really going alone, without a single soldier? All the brothers are ready to mobilize at your command. Just give the word, and I’ll gather the troops immediately to follow you!”

Yuan Ce glanced up at him: “I’ve spent ten years in the Xuan Ce Army, eight of them acting independently. Why would I need you causing trouble for me?”

Mu Xinhong, a tall man, lowered his eyes, tears welling up: “I’m just afraid that the Xuan Ce Army will lose its Young General forever…”

“What about you?” Yuan Ce smiled faintly. “I’m finishing my last task in the name of my brother. Then I’ll return this name to him. Afterward, the Xuan Ce Army will be in your hands.”

Mu Xinhong shook his head: “The Xuan Ce Army only recognizes strength. I’m not qualified. Even if you’re no longer the Young General, you’ll always be Ji Zhu, and Ji Zhu’s place will always wait for you!”

Yuan Ce raised an eyebrow: “Do I really need a position? Am I destined to toil endlessly?”

Mu Xinhong scratched his head, turning his tears into laughter.

“All right, I’m newlywed,” Yuan Ce waved him off. “Go back quickly. Don’t disturb me while I hold my wife and sleep.”