Chapter 79 The Main Text Has Ended

The events that occurred at the teahouse that day quickly spread throughout the entire city of Jinling.

Almost everyone in Jinling City did not believe that Liu Cangyun would willingly agree to marry Long Diqing.

However, no one dared to criticize this matter in casual conversation anymore, because a few days later, Long Diqing silently lashed out at Minister Cui of the Ministry of Personnel during a court session in Taihe Hall.

Jinling City is at the feet of the emperor, and when a powerful official falls from grace, there must be traces to follow.

A slight investigation into this matter revealed the peculiarities. On that day at Guiyun Teahouse, guards from Minister Cui’s household had appeared in the teahouse.

The sordid details could be easily deduced by clever people with just a little thought.

From then on, the matter of Long Diqing forcing Prime Minister Liu to marry became a taboo subject. Even within one’s own household, no one dared to discuss this matter again.

—

On the fifteenth day of the fifth month in the first year of Yuanguang, a day auspicious for marriage and moving, Long Diqing had her grand wedding.

Traditionally, the Diqing should depart from the imperial palace for marriage. However, due to the death of Empress Mingxing, Pei Yuanshao held the highest rank among the entire Pei imperial clan. It was not appropriate to depart from the imperial palace, so the departure location was changed to Long Diqing’s residence.

Early that morning, Pei Yuanshao was woken up by his personal attendant. After washing up and getting dressed, it took half an hour.

Sitting in front of the bronze mirror.

Pei Yuanshao had never carefully examined his own appearance before. To him, looks were just a facade, only valuable when used to achieve goals.

But at this moment, he carefully scrutinized the person in the yellow mirror. With clear features and perfect facial features, he wore a bright red wedding attire, looking majestic and incomparably handsome.

He suddenly smiled at the man in the bronze mirror, feeling grateful for having such an appearance. Only with such looks could he match that person when standing together. This must be what storybooks meant by “a match made in heaven”.

The corners of Pei Yuanshao’s lips curled up in a lonely smile, his entire body warm and cozy in the bright red inner chamber.

After two lifetimes, he finally had a home! Nervous and expectant, his heart was bursting with emotions. Everything in sight seemed to be as it should be. Perhaps he had waited ten thousand years to marry her, or perhaps he had begged for many years…

Outside the Ming De Long Diqing mansion, the thunderous sound of gongs and drums grew closer.

The lady in bright red celebratory robes dismounted with the support of her friends.

She walked slowly towards the young man who was being supported out by palace servants.

He was still wearing a red robe, but unlike the long robes he usually wore, this intricate wedding attire was embroidered with gold and silver threads, with fine stitching. Under the sunlight, it was a dazzling bright red color – festive, flamboyant, and gorgeous, just like his whole person.

Liu Changning’s lips curved into a smile, her gaze falling entirely on him.

She walked slowly to stand before him, took his hand, and said with a smile, “Ziyuan, your wife has come to take you home.”

Her tea-colored eyes were filled with tender affection. Thirty years of bitter fruit had been exchanged for the fulfillment of this life. At this moment, it felt like a ceremony. She was making a promise to him, one that was ten thousand years late.

“Alright.” The sunlight was dazzling, and Pei Yuanshao squinted as he responded.

The hand hidden in the voluminous wedding robes scratched at her palm.

Their five fingers intertwined, and even more sweat seeped out.

She good-naturedly turned her head to the side, lowered her head to adjust his not-at-all messy hair bun, and took the opportunity to warn him in a low voice, “Be good, Shao’er. Under the public eye, behave yourself, endure it, and listen!”

Pei Yuanshao lowered his head, his ink-black eyes sparkling like stars.

The onlookers who had gathered to watch the excitement waited and waited, but did not see Prime Minister Liu carrying Long Diqing onto the sedan chair.

She simply stood beside His Highness, held his hand, and walked side by side towards the carriage at a slow pace.

There was no flower-decorated sedan chair, only a flower-adorned carriage.

The onlookers’ faces showed complex expressions. According to the wedding customs of the Jin Phoenix Dynasty, when a lady marries a gentleman, the newly-wedded man’s feet should not touch the ground from the moment he leaves his family’s door.

If his feet touch the ground, it means the lady is displeased, implying future marital discord. Prime Minister Liu’s actions today were disrespectful to the new husband.

The bystanders sighed continuously, but Liu Changning did not care about others’ opinions at all.

She held his hand, feeling the warmth of his palm, her eyes filled with indulgence and tenderness.

She wanted to give him the utmost respect and equality. From now on, they would support each other for lifetimes to come. Neither would be inferior to the other. Marrying him was not about carrying burdens for him, but about walking side by side, leaning on each other.

So she gave him this unique wedding ceremony. She wanted to tell him that their fulfillment was not just for this lifetime, but for many lifetimes to come. As long as Liu Cangyun’s soul did not perish, they would have lifetimes of entanglement.

Long Diqing, who had no memories, did not understand the glimmer in the eyes of the woman beside him, but when they boarded the carriage hand in hand, his eyes were filled with twinkling stars of emotion.

Many years ago, in Xiqiao Village.

He had once pointed at a wedding procession in town and casually said to her, “Do you see that? The happiest moment in a man’s life should be his wedding day, but even on that day, he’s still confined in the flower sedan chair, only able to see his wife’s back from afar. Being born a man means many regrets…”

“Oh? You certainly have many opinions. What does someone else’s wedding have to do with you? Why don’t you go empty the night soil bucket at home instead?”

“You!”

Thinking of how he had trembled with anger back then, Pei Yuanshao suddenly laughed out loud, his chest heaving.

He must have accumulated great merit in his past life to have such a special woman appear in this life, giving him unexpected tenderness and emotion.

The flower-adorned carriage traveled through the main streets of Jinling City, with lively suona horns playing and firecrackers exploding all around. Though there was no bride riding a tall horse to lead the way, the wedding procession was still quite grand.

The dowry was carried out of the Diqing mansion one by one, following the carriage and filling the entire main street of Jinling City.

Inside the carriage, amidst the thunderous gongs, drums, and cheers, the two people shed their clothes.