Chapter 2: Newly Married “That day you used a trick to get close to me, but why can’t I see you…

There was no poem urging her to get dressed, nor any embarrassment from her aunt or sister-in-law, so Lin Meiju hurried out the door.

The wedding sedan moved very steadily and very fast, and the maids and servants accompanying it almost had to jog to keep up. It didn't seem like they were waiting to welcome the bride, but rather like they were in a hurry to report to court.

Dingbei Palace is located at the foot of the imperial city. The Shen family has been a wealthy family for generations. The palace has red railings and jade walls, towering rockery, pavilions and terraces, which are scattered in an orderly manner. It is surrounded by winding water and shaded by green trees. It can be said that every step you take is a scene, and it goes without saying that it is luxurious and wealthy.

Along the way, Lin Meiju keenly felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere. When she arrived at the palace, this feeling became even more obvious.

Through her red veil, she could see the palace decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, red silk and brocade everywhere, creating a festive and peaceful atmosphere. However, everyone in the palace, including the servants and maids, was as if facing a great enemy, holding their breath and frowning, their steps hurried.

The sounds of firecrackers were sparse and weak, and even the wind blowing from the courtyard was chilly. Lin Meiju inexplicably felt that the scene was a bit desolate, but she was always thinking about the ceremony of getting married later, and the tension in her heart quickly drove away the inappropriate desolation.

The bridesmaid was a well-known and blessed woman in the capital. She carefully put Lin Meizhu down, and envy once again flashed in her eyes: in her 30 years of career, she had helped with so many brides, and Lin Meizhu had the best figure.

Exquisite curves, and a well-proportioned body. Even a woman like her would love her from the bottom of her heart, let alone a hot-blooded prince?

Lin Meiju stood still on the ground, her red veil blocking her vision, but she could vaguely see two people sitting in front of her.

The man was wearing white and black boots embroidered with golden dragon and tiger patterns, sitting with his horse and sword in his hands. It was expected that he was Shen Zhongda, the King of Dingbei.

On the other side is a half-pair of brocade peony and phoenix-head shoes, and there is also the lingering aroma of tea. This person must be the Princess of Dingbei, the current Princess Jingyi, Li Jieyi.

Lin Meizhu did not dare to be negligent in the slightest. She moved slowly and gracefully, taking lotus steps lightly and standing respectfully. According to the etiquette, she would then perform the wedding ceremony with Shen Changfeng.

However, the ceremonial officer's voice of "hello" was still not heard. Lin Meizhu's calves were slightly numb from standing. She also saw Shen Zhongda in front of her stand up from sitting, and then pace back and forth.

In a place where no one could see, Lin Meizhu's face turned pale, and she understood why the atmosphere along the way was weird and depressing, because Shen Changfeng did not go to pick up the bride at all!

If she could have found some lame excuse for being late to welcome the bride, like accidentally getting drunk, she could no longer deceive herself. Shen Changfeng didn't just dislike her; he loathed her to the core! He was even trying to humiliate her in this way!

The veins on Shen Zhongda's forehead throbbed, and he asked his attendants, "Where's that kid? Have you found him?"

The results brought back by the palace guards obviously did not satisfy Shen Zhongda. He gradually lost his patience and said, "Search! Search for me! This evil creature! Search him to death!"

"Beast, he's going to piss me off to death!"

"That bastard, I'm going to break his legs sooner or later! Break his dog legs!"

Shen Zhongda was furious, apparently unaware that every word he cursed was a reflection of himself. He was so irritated that he almost flipped the table, but his wife, Li Jieyi, remained calm, sipping her tea.

Suddenly, there was a noisy sound of footsteps coming from the ceremonial gate.

Lin Meiju immediately looked up, and when she saw the big red sleeves flashing among the flowers, she felt a little grateful in her heart, but the next moment her smile froze at the corner of her mouth.

After seeing the man's appearance clearly, Shen Zhongda was so angry that he slammed the rosewood black lacquer desk with all his might, "Rebellious son, take off your mask! Why are you playing tricks on me?"

The bridesmaid's face froze with laughter. She looked at the groom, wearing a green-faced, fang-toothed Nuo opera mask, and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, calm down. It's good that the prince has arrived. It's good that he has arrived. The auspicious time has arrived. The newlyweds should bow to heaven and earth. Please take your seats."

In fact, the lights were already on, and it was far from the originally scheduled time. But the bridesmaid was no longer able to care about so much. For some reason, Shen Zhongda's originally sullen face suddenly turned black.

The matchmaker followed his gaze, and even though she was very versatile, she was so shocked that her mouth was stiff and her tongue was blocked.

The good news is that the groom has arrived, the bad news is that eight grooms have arrived.

They were similar in build, wearing the same wedding dress and mask, reeking of alcohol, acting in an unruly manner, and staggering towards the hall.

Shen Zhongda shouted angrily, "You bastards, are you going to die?! Capture them! Capture them all! Go get my whip!"

Seeing the guards approaching with sticks, the group of hooligans started shouting and yelling.

Some shouted, "Who dares to take me? My father is the young master of the current dynasty!"

Some hugged Shen Zhongda's thighs and cried, "Uncle Shen, you said I rode the horse well yesterday at the horse farm, you can't hit me!"

There were also a few who rushed around recklessly, scaring the guests into fleeing in all directions.

A "groom" followed the scent and came to Lin Meizhu. At that time, she was furious, angry, and ashamed. She picked up the three-legged pot and smashed him with it, making him scream. A group of maids hugged her waist and dragged her back to her room, pleading, "Princess, please calm down, please calm down!"

Needless to say, these people must be the rich and powerful young men who are on good terms with Shen Changfeng, but Shen Changfeng is the only one missing here.

Li Jieyi threw the teacup onto the table, looked at Shen Zhongda and sneered, "What a loving father and filial son!"

A flash of unnaturalness crossed Shen Zhongda's face, but almost no one noticed.

In the bridal chamber, the wedding candles glowed softly, and the dragon and phoenix candlesticks were soaked with a pool of red amber-like candle wax. Occasionally, a crackling sound could be heard, and the halo of light swayed, lengthening the graceful figure sitting on the bunk bed.

Qing'er cried non-stop. Looking up, she saw the desolate Lin Meizhu, and her heart ached. She thought, "It's so late, and the prince hasn't come back yet. How will those people make fun of me tomorrow? How will I live after all this trouble today?"

"Qing'er?" Lin Meiju suddenly called out.

Qing'er walked closer while wiping her tears, "What do you want, young lady?"

Lin Meizhu said gently, "Go to the kitchen and ask if there's any hot food ready, preferably thick porridge or noodle soup."

Qing'er asked tentatively, "Miss, we don't need to wait for the prince anymore?"

Lin Meizhu said, "We have to wait because we still have to wait for him to come, so we need some food."

Lin Meiju couldn't bear it any longer. Her stomach was burning with hunger and her palms were shaking uncontrollably. She was afraid that she would faint from hunger.

When Qing'er heard Lin Meizhu say that they had to wait, she was both happy and worried. But why did Lin Meizhu seem so sure that Shen Changfeng would come?

Lin Meizhu was filled with bitterness. Today had been full of twists and turns, and now she had seen through Shen Changfeng's attitude. However, she also knew that this marriage was granted by the emperor, and no matter how dissatisfied Shen Changfeng was, he could not go too far. If he didn't show up for the whole day, it would mean that he really didn't take the royal family seriously.

However, she wasn't sure whether he would return at three or five o'clock. She didn't want to wait on an empty stomach any longer. Besides, if she happened to faint when he came, it would be a disrespect to him.

She urged, "You never know when he'll come. Go quickly."

Qing'er had gone, leaving Lin Meizhu alone in the bridal chamber. She finally relaxed a little after a day of tension. She pulled off her red veil and gazed at the empty bridal chamber. The "囍" characters scattered throughout the room seemed like a cold irony, and a sudden sense of bewilderment washed over her.

Her stomach growled, and her hearing and smell became sensitive. Lin Meiju looked around and saw longan, red dates, peanuts and melon seeds on the bed.

As if she was starving in her heart, she impatiently grabbed a handful and put it in her mouth. Without tasting anything, she just mechanically repeated the chewing action.

She felt empty, like a bottomless pit that could never be filled.

Turning her head, she saw lily cakes stacked like a pagoda beneath a red candle. She stuffed two more lily cakes into her mouth, trying to add some weight to her body so her feet would feel more stable.

This lily pastry was superficial and tasted like chewing wax. In addition, the cake was very hard. Although it was small, it was very difficult for her to eat. She choked and cried, and started coughing violently.

When she raised her head again, she saw a tall figure flash past in the corridor outside the room.

Lin Meizhu's heart skipped a beat. She had thought Shen Changfeng's arrival would be as tumultuous as it had been during the day, but when he arrived, no one informed her. She looked around in panic, sweeping the scattered fruit shells into a corner.

The bride's joyful voice came from outside the door, "Greetings, my Lord!"

Lin Meiju quickly covered herself with a red veil, sat up straight in an instant, and placed her hands lightly on her lower abdomen, but her heart began to beat wildly uncontrollably.

The bridesmaid waited patiently for Shen Changfeng to arrive, but before she could see him clearly, he had already strode into the room. Seeing that he had taken the jade ruyi and was about to lift the red veil, she hurriedly chased after him.

Lin Meiju held her breath and concentrated, only to hear the steady and heavy footsteps of the person approaching, and then a pair of golden soap boots embroidered with cloud patterns stopped three inches in front of her.

It was already dark under the red veil, and when he covered it like this, it was like thick shade blocking the sun and dark clouds covering the city.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and the dragon and phoenix veil was blown away without warning. Lin Meiju felt a pain in her scalp, and the long string of pearls on the picking card fell on her face, causing her to almost scream in pain.

The Zhai Guan was tilted, and Lin Meiju's black hair fell down. She fell on the bed in shock, with a buzzing sound in her ears. It took her a long time to catch her breath.

The bridesmaid's face turned pale, and her hand holding the wedding wine trembled and remained suspended in mid-air.

Shen Changfeng stretched out his hand and lifted the cup, which fell to the ground. A cold voice rang out: "Get out!"

All the maids who were accompanying them fled in panic.

Lin Meizhu took off her half-fallen pearl crown with trembling hands, gathered her hair and straightened her clothes. She forced herself to remain calm and bowed to greet him. "I am Lin Meizhu, your Highness."

The person above snorted lightly, and said in a tone that brooked no argument: "Raise your head."

Although she had prepared herself mentally, when she heard the impatience and coldness in his tone, she felt as if something had stabbed her heart.

She had to face the cruel reality: he really hated herself.

She suppressed a sob, her eyelashes trembling, her gaze fixed on the sea and river cliff patterns on the hem of her black robe. Somehow, the scene before her gradually became blurry.

Shen Changfeng looked down at the woman in front of him.

Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, a little messy, cascading down her chest and waist, accentuating her graceful figure. Her skin was as white and tender as milk, highlighted by two red marks on her face. Her eyes were full of water, and she was truly seven parts charming and three parts pitiful, full of charming charm.

Glancing at the tears in her eyes, Shen Changfeng sneered, "Now you're scared."

Lin Meiju smelled a heavy smell of alcohol approaching, and the chill on her back suddenly increased, and then suddenly collided with a pair of dark eyes like a pool.

Shen Changfeng stretched out his hand to grab her jaw, his words as cold as the wind, "When you used a trick to get close to me that day, why didn't you seem afraid?"