That very day, Yu Jingchen's betrothal gifts were delivered to the Southern Mansion, staying there from morning till night. It was said that the General's Mansion couldn't contain the sheer volume of the gifts His Majesty had sent. "Your Majesty, are you using the entire national treasury for this betrothal gift?"

March 11th, the third year of the Tiansheng era

The only daughter of the General of the Nation is getting married!

In the capital, the entire distance from the General's Mansion to the Imperial Palace was covered with thick red carpets. Every household in the capital was draped in red silk, making it even more grand than the Spring Festival.

Nanfu

Nan Zhiyun sat in front of the dressing mirror. The Nan mansion was very lively today. Almost all the powerful officials and nobles had come. Although these noble ladies did not usually interact with Nan Zhiyun, their status was there, so everyone congratulated her and even came to add to her makeup.

The Empress Dowager is doing Nan Zhiyun's hair and makeup.

"My Yun'er is getting married today, and she'll be an adult from now on. But I still hope that our Yun'er will always live like a little girl." The Empress Dowager said as she combed Nan Zhiyun's hair, her eyes filled with tears, her heart filled with an indescribable bitterness... She had returned here, placing herself in the position of Nan Zhiyun's maternal family, not as the Empress Dowager.

"When Yun'er was little, she would call me 'Mother.' Today, I will act as Yun'er's mother and send her off to get married, okay? Is Yun'er willing?" The Empress Dowager's eyes were red, and her voice was soft yet heavy.

Nan Zhiyun turned to look at the Empress Dowager, seeing her red-eyed expression. She gently hugged the Empress Dowager, pressed herself against her, and slowly said, "Empress Dowager... I've always considered you my own mother... You've been so good to me, raising me from a young age, always doing everything for me, spoiling me, protecting me. I don't have a mother, but you've always been like one to me... With you by my side, I've always felt so lucky. I realized I do have a mother." Nan Zhiyun smiled, remembering all the kindness the Empress Dowager had shown her.

"My dear child... come, let me help you with your makeup." The Empress Dowager wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Today she had to be happy and couldn't cry.

"Combing your hair... once, you'll have wealth and no worries. Once, you'll be free from illness and sorrow. Once, you'll have many children and a long life." The Empress Dowager kept chanting this. Nan Zhiyun looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Today, she was getting married...

When she entered the palace before, although it was a grand affair, there was absolutely no atmosphere of a wedding. She was simply carried in a sedan chair from the palace gate to the He'an Hall, wearing a scarlet palace dress; there were no such ceremonies.

After Nan Zhiyun finished dressing and getting ready, servants helped her to her feet and adjusted her wedding dress. This wedding dress was personally designed by Yu Jingchen, featuring a rainbow-colored robe, a swaying crown, and numerous jeweled ornaments.

The wedding dress was bright red, embroidered with gold phoenixes. Underneath the wide-sleeved skirt was a bright red pleated skirt with gold-embroidered phoenixes and peonies. A little bit of red peony-embroidered shoes were visible at the feet. The collar and cuffs were decorated with phoenix and dragon patterns. The long hem of the dress fell behind her like moonlight.

Adorned with gold and jade, the phoenix crown features nine golden phoenixes spreading their wings and soaring into the sky. Each phoenix holds a string of jewels in its beak, standing atop a peony adorned with jade and pearls, exuding nobility, elegance, and unparalleled splendor.

Five tassels adorned with red gemstones dangled from her forehead, reaching to her brow. Two more tassels cascaded down her shoulders, swaying and turning with her movements, adding to her delicate and captivating beauty. The scattered necklaces, the pleated skirt with its hundred flowers, her sculpted shoulders, and her slender waist made her appear graceful and elegant. Her wedding dress, luxurious and opulent, perfectly complemented Nan Zhiyun's stunning beauty.

Beneath her magnificent and elegant attire, her jade-white face was even more captivating, almost too dazzling to look directly at. The nine-tailed phoenix on her dress seemed poised to take flight at any moment, soaring high above the heavens.