At this moment, in the Qin Prince's Mansion in the east of the city, the Yi Mansion in the west of the city, and even in the streets and alleys of the entire imperial city, gongs and drums resounded everywhere, and firecrackers crackled, creating a lively and bustling scene.

People, with their families, flocked to the streets to cheer and celebrate the wedding of the King of Qin, who was protecting them.

Yifu in the west of the city.

Inside the Bright Moon Pavilion, Yi Shangyun sat thoughtfully in front of her dressing table. She looked exceptionally beautiful in the mirror today.

After a while, Mrs. Nian pushed open the door and entered.

But the moment she saw the cloud on her clothes, tears instantly blurred her vision.

Mrs. Nian said with great worry, "Such a well-behaved and kind child, why is her fate so tragic? If only she were truly my child! Keeping her alive is fraught with danger!"

Suddenly snapping out of her daze, she realized that it was a joyous day, and had to quickly compose herself, walk over, pick up the comb from the dressing table, and silently begin to do her makeup herself.

Unexpectedly, as she combed her hair, Mrs. Nian couldn't help but secretly wipe away her tears again.

Yi Shangyun seemed to be in a good mood at the moment, but after noticing something in the mirror, she turned to look at Nian Shi's face and asked, "Mother, why are you crying?"

Madam Nian quickly wiped away her tears and said, "Mother is happy, happy for you. The King of Qin is a reliable support, and I believe he will protect you in the future."

Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun seemed to understand the worries in Nian's heart.

After a moment's thought, she looked up, took Nian's hand, and said, "Yun'er knows what Mother is worried about!"

Even now, Nian still held a sliver of hope that Yi Shangyun could be more rational, so she asked again, "Since you know all this, have you really thought it through?"

Yi Shangyun stood up and slowly looked at the weeds in a small garden outside the window. She recalled calmly and said, "When I only knew that I was my father's daughter, everyone in the city said that I was not well received at home. I was a useless, ugly woman who was rejected by my husband's family, which brought shame to my family. If I were a daughter at that time, I would also think that I was vulgar and unworthy of him."

She paused, her brows furrowing slightly. "But one day, I was told that I was actually the only bloodline of the late, highly respected Empress of the wealthy and powerful Dongning Kingdom, lost in Xiqin. If I were her then, I would think that as a noble princess of a nation, how could I entrust my pure heart to a general of an enemy country?"

After a long silence, Yi Shangyun finally raised her head and looked up at the sky for a while before speaking again.

"Then one day, my daughter was told that she was the descendant of the long-lost guardian of the Western Qin Palace, possessing mysterious powers, and that whoever possessed her would gain the world. Although my daughter found this absurd and laughable, she was just an ordinary woman in the world, unable even to protect herself, let alone possess the power to protect a city. But my daughter was timid and cowardly, knowing the power of gossip, and fearing that if her identity were exposed, she would truly become the target of all the nations vying for power, so she had to be careful every day. If it were my daughter at this time, she would think that it would be best for her to stay away from all those who loved her and whom she loved, to find a secluded place, and live a lonely life."

Upon hearing Yi Shangyun's words and seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, Nian Shi finally understood the bitterness in Yi Shangyun's heart and wiped away her own tears with heartache.

After a pause, Yi Shangyun continued, "How could I not know in my heart that, in the past, present, and future, I am never a match for him? It's not that I haven't tried to refuse, but every time I turned away after refusing, my heart ached so much."

Tears finally streamed down her face uncontrollably, and Yi Shangyun gently wiped them away: "No matter when it was, he never abandoned his daughter. Every time they were in danger, His Highness protected her with his own life."

As she spoke, Yi Shangyun silently made up her mind.

She slowly turned to face Madam Nian and said with unwavering determination, "Therefore, this time, I am willing to set aside all distractions, follow my heart, and accept him once."

“But…” Although Mrs. Nian was also moved, she was still clear-headed and wanted to say something more.

At this moment, Yan'er pushed open the door and walked in carrying some tea and fruit. As she walked in, she said happily, "Miss, you have no idea how lively the manor is today. The front and back courtyards are packed with guests. Master and Young Master are almost overwhelmed. Aunt Lan and Second Miss are even busier entertaining the ladies. I thought Miss must be a little hungry, so I managed to squeeze through the crowd to bring you these snacks."

"Miss must be hungry, right?" With that, Yan'er handed a delicate flower cake to Yi Shangyun.

As soon as Yi Shangyun returned to his seat and took the robe, Yan'er couldn't wait to speak again, saying, "The manor was so magnificent today! His Highness Prince Qin was so kind to our young lady..."

Before she could finish speaking, Madam Nian shook her head and interrupted her, teasingly saying, "Yan'er's name really suits you. Sure enough, you chatter on and on all day long. When you come to the Prince's Mansion with Miss in the future, you can't be so unruly and make people laugh."

Helplessly, at this point, the Nian family had no choice but to let Yi Shangyun make his choice.

So she continued to do her hair and makeup while saying, "We originally thought your wedding was too rushed and we hadn't had time to prepare anything for you. Unexpectedly, not long after we returned to the manor this morning, His Highness Prince Qin ordered all the necessary servants to be sent over."

As she spoke, Madam Nian glanced at the courtyard and continued, "The betrothal gifts we gave earlier have nowhere to go. Look at the dowry that has been delivered to the courtyard today. There's no room in the mansion, so it can only be placed on the long street outside the gate. Look at how complete and exquisite everything is; it doesn't look like it could have been prepared in just a few days."

At this moment, Yan'er said anxiously, "That's right. Yan'er heard from the people who came to deliver the gifts that His Highness Prince Qin has been preparing these dowries ever since our young lady left the palace."

Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun was immediately startled and said, "What did you say? When I left the palace, His Highness had already ordered people to prepare these dowries? But at that time, wasn't I originally sent to the Prince's residence to serve Princess Qin?"

Yan'er said proudly, "Even if Miss is willing to serve that spoiled princess, how could His Highness Prince Qin let you suffer such grievances! Also, what do you mean by ordering people to prepare these dowries? I heard from those people that every single item in these dowries was personally drawn by His Highness Prince Qin, personally selected in the shop, and specially made by people."

Yi Shangyun was clearly stunned when he heard all this. He had no idea that Xuan Yuanhan had done so much for him silently and without a word.

By this time, Lady Nian had already finished dressing her up.

Finally, while carefully combing his hair, he muttered to himself:

"A single comb through the hair reveals the deep bond between father and daughter, mother and daughter, and the profound love of raising children."

"After combing your hair twice, remember your parents' instructions."

"Comb your hair three times, respect your parents-in-law, and show filial piety."

"One comb, comb to the end."

"Comb twice, until the white hair reaches the eyebrows."

"Comb three times, and you'll have children and grandchildren all over the place."

Her hair was black and flowing, adorned with jade belts and pearl-embroidered flowers. Her beauty was like springtime, her delicate face flushed with rosy clouds, her lips rouged with crimson. With skillful eyebrows and phoenix eyes, her graceful figure was like a flower in full bloom, a slender and enchanting beauty, like a fairy descended from heaven.

Yi Shangyun looked at her face through the diamond-shaped mirror in front of her one last time, then slowly stood up, turned around, bent down, and knelt down to solemnly bow to Nian Shi.

Farewell: "Daughter bids farewell to Mother!"

Adorned in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, her gentle smile was breathtakingly beautiful.

At that moment, Yan'er came over carrying a plate containing an exquisite peacock fan.

Yi Shangyun looked at her closely, and the mother and daughter held each other's hands tightly.

With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Nian said earnestly, "Life is but a fleeting moment. Thank you for coming into my life and becoming my daughter."

Yi Shangyun said, "Yun'er's life is like a floating duckweed. Thank you, Mother, for keeping me by your side, giving me a home, and protecting me as I grew up. I will always be your daughter."

After a moment, the two reluctantly let go of each other's hands.

In an instant, a voice announced, "The auspicious time has arrived!"

He held a fan to cover his face, his clothes adorned with clouds.

Outside, gongs and drums resounded, and music filled the sky.

After bidding farewell to their parents, Yi Shangyun and Xuan Yuanhan walked slowly out of the Yi family mansion gate amidst the cheers of the crowd.

As soon as he stepped outside, Xuan Yuanhan bent down and picked up Yi Shangyun in his arms, holding her tightly and whispering in her ear, "I've come to pick you up personally."

After saying that, he gently lifted her into the magnificent bridal sedan chair.

He then mounted his horse and personally led his beloved home in front of the entire city.

Horse-drawn carriages carrying dozens of miles of red bridal processions lined up from one end of the street to the other, in an orderly fashion.

Along the way, wherever the wedding procession went, every household was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, crowded with pedestrians, and every household celebrated with firecrackers. Everyone praised it as a match made in heaven.

The whole city was in an uproar that day.

Under the cover of night, at the Qin Prince's Mansion in the east of the city.

Inside and out, dazzling red "double happiness" characters were pasted up, and red curtains and lanterns were hung high. The resulting red glow dyed the entire palace and even the sky red, creating a festive atmosphere.

Tonight, Lin Yuexuan was unusually warm and lively, a far cry from its usual quiet and aloof atmosphere.

Upon entering the bedroom, one sees a large wedding bed with a hundred-child canopy hanging in front of it, and a bright red satin double happiness curtain with dragon and phoenix hanging at the head of the bed.

In the dimly lit bridal chamber, a quilt embroidered with a hundred children in different poses was laid on the couch. The silk quilt was also covered with red dates, peanuts, longans and lotus seeds.

The red candles flickered gracefully, and Yi Shangyun sat quietly by the couch alone.

Memories of every moment between Xuan Yuanhan and me, from the time we first met until now, flooded my mind.

Looking at everything that was both familiar and unfamiliar before her, she thought to herself with joy, "Xuanyuan Han, this journey has truly been difficult. Finally, I've come to marry you."

Little did they know that tonight, some would be happy while others would be sad.