His older sister deserves the best in the world.

The Qingyan wedding ceremony had its own set of rituals and customs, especially the rituals and customs for the royal consort to welcome the princess, which were particularly elaborate. These rituals were mostly established for the consort.

As for the princess...

In the center of the enormous and astonishing procession at the palace gates, inside a grand, luxurious, and incredibly comfortable bridal sedan chair...

Shang Changge, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, rested his hands on the edge of the sedan chair in a relaxed and casual posture, his head spinning from the noise outside.

However,

I also know that these processes are necessary and there is no way to skip them with a single click.

"Qingyao".

Qingyao knew without Shang Changge even asking what her princess wanted to ask:

"Princess, it will take about another quarter of an hour. You can take a nap a little longer. I will wake you when it's almost time."

Shang Changge was awakened by the joyous sound of gongs and drums; how could she possibly fall back asleep?

Having just woken up, she had no interest or mood to do anything else, so she simply listened to the sounds outside and waited for Xiao Ji to come to her side.

Qingyan has a wonderful custom: after the groom has completed all the wedding rituals, he must come to the bridal sedan chair, extend his hand, and call out "Madam!"

If the bride is willing to marry, she will reach out and call out to her husband; if she is not willing, she will neither reach out nor call out.

Similarly,

If the man is unwilling to marry her, he will neither extend his hand nor call out to anyone.

Once the crowd makes a fuss and the news reaches the ears of the authorities, they will intervene.

In this way, outdated customs such as "arranged marriages by parents and matchmakers, blind marriages, and forced marriages" are greatly avoided.

And this custom,

It was during the 150th year of the founding of the Qingyan Dynasty that fifty female officials worked together to petition the Qingyan Emperor for the sake of the people of Qingyan, which is truly admirable!

"lady."

Just as Shang Changge's thoughts were drifting further and further away until they seemed to have no end, a familiar, mature, and steady sound came from in front of the bridal sedan chair.

With the sun high in the sky, the bright light made it clear that Xiao Ji's hand was resting in front of the curtain.

Shang Changge's red lips unconsciously curled up. She stood up and took a few steps to the front of the sedan chair curtain, extending her hand and placing it in her broad, warm palm.

"My husband."

Instantly, a chorus of congratulations erupted outside the bridal sedan chair.

"Congratulations on the wedding of the Princess and her husband! May the Princess and her husband live in harmony, be forever united in heart, have many children, and stay together until old age!"

A large group of people bowed and congratulated him three times in a row, which shows the impressive scale and pomp of the event.

Xiao Ji bent down and, under the watchful eyes of countless people, placed a tender and cherished kiss on Shang Changge's fingertips:

"I love you, you little rascal."

Many people witnessed this scene; almost everyone present took it in, but few heard the words spoken—only a dozen or so people nearby around the bridal sedan chair.

Behind the curtain, under the veil.

Shang Changge's smile deepened; what were once commonplace words sounded different today than before.

"Me too."

Qingyao and Zhuque, who were closest to their masters, saw everything most clearly.

Qingyao: I didn't know you could do that. I've learned something new.

Suzaku: ...What will we get to eat at the banquet later?

A moment later, the wedding procession returned. With the addition of the princess's wedding entourage, the scale of the event was breathtaking.

The joyous sounds of gongs and drums echoed throughout almost the entire capital city, because the imperial palace was very close to the general's residence.

The wedding procession cannot go directly back to the General's Mansion; instead, it must circle the streets in all directions before it is considered complete.

"They're here! They're here!!"

"Look at this! My goodness, this is quite a spectacle! Marrying a celestial maiden wouldn't be any better than this..."

"Hey, this looks so impressive! Such a big scene with so many people. If it weren't for the festive red decorations, I would believe it if you said that a general was leading his troops into battle today."

"Shut your mouth, you who can't speak properly! You've turned a simple wedding into a war, what are you trying to fool? You're just ignorant and spouting nonsense..."

"My goodness, the princess's dowry can be described using the phrase 'ten miles of red bridal procession' from the books..."

"Of course! This is far more than ten miles!"

"Congratulations on the wedding of the Princess and the General!!"

In the crowd, Jing Xiuming listened to these words, his gaze passing over all obstacles and landing on the extremely luxurious and spacious bridal sedan chair.

A forced smile appeared on his gentle, refined face as he reached out his hand as the bridal sedan chair passed by, though he grabbed nothing.

"You will have a wonderful life, sister."

The clamor of the onlookers instantly drowned out Jing Xiuming's not-so-loud shout, which eventually dissipated in the summer breeze carrying the heat.