No wonder her parents had been looking at her strangely these past two days; it must have been Xie Lang who secretly instructed and tried to smooth things over, giving her a huge surprise.
"I said, you shall be of equal status with me." Xie Lang's smile held a hint of triumph. "I never joke."
He was willing to make even more concessions for Wen Hemian.
Wen Hemian didn't scold him. After thinking it over, she smiled slightly and said, "I like it very much."
The conversation lasted only a moment.
From dawn till dusk, until the sun sets in the west and the stars and moon shine, the ceremony is finally complete.
Of course, no one came to make a ruckus during the emperor and empress's wedding night. As soon as they returned to their bedchamber, they felt a sense of peace and quiet.
Wen Hemian rubbed her neck and urged Xie Lang to remove the phoenix crown for her. It was too heavy; she felt like her neck wasn't even her own anymore.
Sure enough, His Majesty the Emperor was exceptionally skillful in these matters. Before we could even see how he did it, the magnificent phoenix crown had been removed and placed into the box.
Getting married is really tiring.
As soon as Wen Hemian finished speaking, Xie Lang turned to massage her shoulders, quite considerately saying, "Wait a little longer, I've asked someone to get some food."
They were so busy that they were dizzy and didn't have time to eat, but they still managed to eat some pastries to tide them over.
Wen Hemian's heart softened immediately: "...But I'm also very happy."
I used to only watch other people get married, and I never thought that one day I would get married myself. Naturally, the feelings are completely different.
The palace servants quickly brought over food, which was light, appetizing, and very delicious.
After washing up, she changed from her heavy wedding attire into everyday clothes, still in red to suit the joyous occasion.
They looked at each other and smiled simultaneously.
"What is the Grand Tutor laughing at?"
Xie Lang raised his hand and gently pinched her earlobe, his voice gentle and husky.
"Laugh, we still have one last step to complete."
Wen Hemian pointed to the table, where the veil, the wedding scale, and the nuptial wine were placed.
"It's not too late to get it done now."
Xie Lang gently pushed her to sit on the bed, which was covered with a bunch of random things like red dates, peanuts, and longans, making her shudder.
Before Wen Heming could brush it aside, her vision was enveloped in a sea of red—it was a veil.
She knew exactly what was going to happen, but her heart still skipped a beat. She blinked and slowly watched Xie Lang lift the veil with the wedding scale.
The red candles flickered, and those deep, pool-like eyes were incredibly soft.
Xie Lang smiled and said, "There's also the nuptial wine."
Wen Hemian pursed her lips and raised her hand: "Give it to me."
Xie Lang poured the wine and obediently handed one of the cups to her. Then, as if he couldn't wait, he leaned over, intertwined his arms with hers, and drank the wine.
It has a light, sweet taste with almost no alcohol content.
But, it's not the wine that intoxicates, it's the person who gets drunk.
Having held back all day, Xie Lang had long wanted to kiss those lips. Now, he finally didn't need to restrain himself and pressed his lips against hers with irresistible force, exchanging breaths.
The heat spread silently, reddening the corners of her eyes. Xie Lang's breathing became heavy. After the kiss ended, he pulled away slightly and gently stroked her cheek with his fingertips, almost tenderly.
"Han Shuang, you have no idea how long I have been waiting for this day."
Perhaps everything was foreshadowed from the very beginning when he had that dream. He never regretted striving for it, even though he suffered for three years as a result, he never changed his original intention.
"I really, really love you."
After thinking for a long time, I realized that no word could carry as much weight as this one: pure love.
He loved Wen Heming until his death.
The woman's lips were moist from the kiss, but upon hearing those words, she couldn't help but smile, her voice gentle yet firm: "Me too."
In life, we have many choices to make. If we can't guarantee that all our choices are right, then at least we should be able to face our conscience without regret. She and Xie Lang went from being ruler and subject to husband and wife. Although it may sound absurd, it was a choice they made without regret.
Xie Lang kissed her cheek with great joy: "Let's not talk about that anymore. Anyway, from today onwards, we are husband and wife in name and in fact. Han Shuang, call me by my name."
Wen Hemian looked up and met his gaze: "...Huaichuan."
Xie Lang's heart tingled at that call.
He was still worried about whether he would hurt Wen Hemian, so when he pulled her into his arms, he didn't forget to brush away the messy things on the bed, which fell to the floor with a clatter.
In a short while, sweat billowed out, and the woman's cloud-like black hair spread out, staining her snow-white neck. However, the shimmering light in her eyes surpassed any other beauty.
And tonight, this color belongs to him.
The red silk curtains shielded the noise; the night was still long.
-
After the emperor and empress got married, the biggest change was probably that there was an extra position in the court, and the people the courtiers had to shout "Long live the emperor!" to had two people instead of one.
That's very irregular.
But to say it's against the rules, the marriage of these two teachers and students isn't exactly a good thing either. His Majesty and Lord Wen don't care what the history books say about them, and the Ministry of Rites is numb to it, feeling that there's no need to make trouble for themselves.
As for the censors, they continued to impeach those who needed to be impeached. They felt they had no sense of existence if they didn't impeach a few people every day. Xie Lang always listened only to what was useful; the useless stuff was automatically filtered out by him.
In conclusion, nothing can overcome His Majesty's desire.
One shock after another followed, and the ministers were far more accepting than before. Now that this matter was over, they had much more to discuss, and other things would always occupy their attention, from the bustling capital to all corners of the country.
The emperor and empress were deeply in love, and no one should interfere; they should just observe quietly.
"I said that the tasks assigned to them were still too few."
After reading the memorial presented to him, Xie Lang's lips curled slightly, revealing a hint of dissatisfaction.
Wen Heming put down his pen, propped his chin on his hand, and looked over: "Take it step by step, and don't put too much pressure on the ministers."
This year has been full of joyous events. First, there was a great victory over the barbarians, and the two tribes made peace and exchanged goods. Then, local government offices reported on the situation, predicting a bumper harvest. The prosperous era of peace and tranquility is beginning to take shape...
As for the ministers, their salaries have also increased considerably.
In any case, everything was better than Wen Hemian had imagined.
"I know." Xie Lang hummed softly, then suddenly remembered, "The Qixi Festival is almost here again. Shall we leave the palace on that day?"
Xie Lang enjoyed the moments when he was close to Wen Hemian in the noisy crowd, which made him feel that their hearts were infinitely close.
Wen Heming had no objection: "Okay."
With something to look forward to, the days pass by exceptionally quickly.
On their wedding day, many people had seen what they looked like. To avoid trouble, the two wore masks and looked like an ordinary couple, walking hand in hand down the street.
Everywhere you look, there are lit lanterns, bustling with people, and a lively atmosphere. Shedding their noble status during the day, they are just one of the masses, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
Xie Lang had his guards buy lanterns, and together with Wen Hemian, they found an open space, wrote their wishes on them, and then put them into the river. They watched as the two lanterns floated and drifted, eventually merging into the thousands of lanterns on display, forming an even brighter light.
It's like a bright river overflowing with snow, dazzling to the eye.
Wen Hemian looked at the scenery before her, a gentle smile in her eyes.
Xie Lang carefully protected her to prevent her from being bumped by passersby, and he muttered in a low voice, "Hanshuang, you seem very happy?"
"Everything went perfectly this year, so of course I'm happy." Wen Hemian turned to look at him and added in a coaxing tone, "But what makes me happiest is that my boyfriend and I got married."
Xie Lang asked in confusion, "My little boyfriend?"
"That's the name used on the other side."
Wen Heming didn't say it outright, but Xie Lang understood instantly.
This is a secret that belongs only to the two of them.
“That world is quite wonderful. I’ll tell you about it slowly when I have more free time.” Wen Hemian smiled and spoke gently. “You don’t need to worry, I won’t leave again.”
Xie Lang's eyes nearly overflowed with laughter: "Okay."
At that very moment, fireworks exploded in the sky, trailing tails as they gradually scattered across the heavens, illuminating the streets in a breathtaking display.
Countless men and women cheered, the crowds thronged, and the scene of a prosperous and peaceful era began to take shape.
In a daze, Xie Lang recalled that many years ago, someone picked him up in the cold palace and told him that they could not only feed him, but also feed all the people in the world.
At the time, it seemed like a joke, but now it all seems to have come true. Fate has come full circle, silently rewarding them.
He told Wen Heming about it, and Wen Heming couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Who would have thought that little boy back then would not only be taller than me now, but also become so audacious and reckless?"
Xie Lang insisted: "You were the one who reached out to me first, so you should be prepared to be held by me for life."
Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, Wen Hemian gazed intently at the person before him.
From adolescence to youth, aside from the days that were missing, the past was crystal clear in her mind. Xie Lang was no longer the Xie Lang of the past, and she was no longer the person she once was.
After the ups and downs, only peace and stability remain.
Looking at each other, it feels like just yesterday, so many years have passed.
But what does it matter? From now on, they will be together forever.
So she smiled and held out her hand to him: "Then hold on tight."
(End of text)
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