Lin Muhan smiled slightly and grasped Zhao Zhi's hand: "Your Majesty flatters me. I am but a humble servant, how can I compare to even a fraction of Your Majesty's virtue?"

Zhao Zhi gently withdrew her hand, then grasped his in return, teasingly saying, "Oh, Your Majesty, your face is like a jade crown, your appearance is absolutely stunning. If even such a face is considered plain, how can my concubines and attendants in the harem possibly face anyone?"

Lin Muhan was aroused by her teasing, feeling both jealous and itchy. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, gritting his teeth, "If you dare touch them, I'll make you—"

At this moment, the palace maids brought out the nuptial wine. Lin Muhan stopped talking, and he and Zhao Zhi each picked up a cup, crossed their wrists, and gently clinked their cups together.

"My royal consort, may we never be apart in this life, and grow old together." Zhao Zhi's voice was filled with endless tenderness.

"I feel the same way." Lin Muhan looked at Zhao Zhi with deep affection and drank the wine in one gulp.

After the two finished drinking the nuptial wine, Zhao Zhi suddenly leaned close to Lin Muhan and whispered, "Royal Consort, do you know why I chose you?"

Lin Muhan smiled slightly, a sly glint in his eyes: "I do not know, but I would like to hear the details."

Seeing this, Cuiyun smiled and bowed her head, gesturing for everyone to leave together.

Zhao Zhi chuckled softly, leaned close to his ear, and said in a voice only he could hear, "Because... not only are you handsome, but you also know how to make me happy in bed."

Upon hearing this, Lin Muhan was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter. "So, Your Majesty has been thinking of me ever since the first time you saw me."

He placed the cups and saucers in their hands on the table and skillfully began to peel off Zhao Zhi's bright red wedding dress.

Half an hour later, the red candle, as thick as a child's arm, had burned down to about half its original size. The candle wax dripped down, covering most of the candle body, and the flame had become much shorter.

Although most of Zhao Zhi's hair ornaments had been removed, some small decorations remained in her hair. Helpless, Lin Muhan could only blush and ask Cuiyun to come in and help.

With the help of several palace maids, Zhao Zhi and Lin Muhan finally got to change into bright red nightgowns.

The red candle suddenly made a "pop" sound and burst out with a flame.

A pair of slender, pale hands reached out amidst a soft laugh, gently peeling off the gilded hooks. The crimson curtains slowly fell, enveloping the two people on the dragon bed, as if a blazing flame were burning within them.

In the heart of Jisheng Lake, amidst the lotus blossoms, a small boat is moored.

Yunzhang lay on his back in the small boat, using his arm as a pillow. The boat was filled with stars, the sky reflected on the water. He listened to the faint moans of a woman coming from the opposite bank, and idly counted the stars in the sky all night long.

No, it's more like the middle of the night.

In the middle of the night, he vaguely felt the small boat rock slightly, and someone jumped onto it. Yun Zhang suddenly opened his eyes, about to shout, "Who dares to be so bold?!" but found that the person was Feng Jun, Li Jing, dressed in a moon-colored brocade robe.

The other person was carrying a pot of carved wine and warmly invited him to drink with them.

Yun Zhang hesitated for a moment, but still accepted the wine cup and drank with Li Jing. At first, the two were just drinking in silence, gazing at the crescent moon hanging obliquely in the sky and the tiny stars.

Before they knew it, Yun Zhang and Li Jing had both become somewhat tipsy.

They began to talk about each other's lives, dreams, and confusions, sharing their deepest thoughts and feelings.

In the end, it's unclear who got drunk first, or who started talking nonsense.

"In my entire life, I've only taught one student, and now, she's my proudest masterpiece. Anyone, Li Jing, you remember this!" Yun Zhang, clutching his wine cup, stood swaying at the bow of the boat, muttering, "No one can harm her in the slightest. She's mad, you're mad, child," just as Li Jing thought he was about to fall, he slowly sat down and whispered, "I'm willing to be mad with you. I'm willing to endure the pain of termites gnawing at my bones to prolong my life..."

"Your Highness, you are drunk." Li Jing tentatively reached for the cup in Yun Zhang's hand. But Yun Zhang held the cup tightly, and Li Jing tried several times without success.

Later, perhaps mistaking the cup for someone in the bridal chamber, he began to gnaw and suck on the rim.

It's truly unbearable to look at.

Li Jing turned his hazy, drunken eyes away and stared blankly at the shimmering waves in Jisheng Lake, where the long reflections of palace lanterns were mirrored.

Beyond the palace lanterns and river reflections, his handsome face can still be seen in the crystal-clear waters of Jisheng Lake.

His father, a high-ranking official, told him, "You must serve His Majesty well. The honor of our entire Li family rests entirely on your shoulders!"

"Hehe." Li Jing lay weakly on the small boat. His father probably didn't know that on his first day in the palace, His Majesty had made it clear to him, "Li Jing, I know you didn't enter the palace willingly. You have your ambitions, and I need your talents to assist me. I've heard that you are exceptionally skilled in painting. Why not use this talent to redraw a map of the Yun Dynasty for me, to showcase your abilities?"

Now that Your Majesty has said this much, is there anything else you don't understand?