"It was the love between His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess that moved Heaven and saved Da Yuan!"
"May His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess enjoy a long and happy marriage, and be forever united in heart!"
"May you grow old together in harmony, like a zither and a lute playing in perfect accord!"
Someone took the lead and shouted loudly. The people, basking in the sunlight, were overjoyed and joined in the shouting.
On the high platform, the emperor was initially very excited, but after hearing the blessings, the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
"Your Excellency, the wedding is just one step away from completion. Please continue, or the sun will have already risen and then retreated again!" Ye Jingchen whispered a reminder to the excited Minister of Rites.
The Minister of Rites looked at Ye Jingchen with a somewhat bewildered expression.
Actually, this was his first time officiating a wedding, and he wasn't really familiar with the steps involved in the ceremony. He didn't immediately realize which step was missing.
"The ceremony is complete; escort them to the bridal chamber," Ye Jingchen kindly reminded them.
Seeing his little gestures, Xie Chang'an couldn't help but smile.
How come he never noticed that Ye Jingchen had such a cute side before?
"The ceremony is complete! Send them to the bridal chamber!" The Minister of Rites shouted out unconsciously.
"Wu Youcheng, what nonsense are you spouting?!" the emperor shouted angrily.
He can't stand these sensitive words!
However, only the court officials on the high platform could hear his voice. The common people below were too happy, and the noise grew louder and louder, making it impossible to hear what the person on the high platform was saying.
"Your Majesty, the wedding is over." The Minister of Rites said, coming to his senses, on the verge of tears.
His Highness the Crown Prince harmed him!
"Father, now that the sun has risen, shouldn't we let the people below the stage disperse and go about their business?" Ye Jingchen said with a smile.
"You seem quite happy today?" The emperor asked, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Ye Jingchen's undisguised smile.
"The sun has risen, the crisis in Dayuan is over, isn't Father Emperor happy?" Ye Jingchen asked with a smile.
The emperor felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure it out.
"You don't seem to be hiding anything from me, do you?"
"Your Majesty has arranged for people to protect me all around me. What could I possibly be hiding from you?" Ye Jingchen said without batting an eye.
The emperor looked wary and skeptical.
However, the sun has already risen, and it's time for today's farce to come to an end.
"Bang bang bang!" Three gongs sounded from the high platform, and the noisy crowd quieted down.
"The sun has risen, the curse is broken, everyone may return home," the emperor said to the excited people below the platform.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Crown Prince! The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are a match made in heaven, a perfect union!"
"A match made in heaven, a perfect union!" The voices of tens of thousands of people converged into a thunderous roar, resounding throughout the heavens and earth, and the sunlight grew brighter and brighter amidst the shouts.
"Let's return to the palace!" The emperor, with a cold face, left, escorted by palace servants and imperial guards.
The court officials also left with complex expressions.
Given the emperor's attitude, they didn't dare to even glance at Ye Jingchen and Xie Chang'an.
"Today is my wedding day, after all. Is there no one willing to come to the East Palace for a celebratory drink?" Ye Jingchen asked loudly, deliberately, after everyone had left.
The court officials immediately quickened their pace, and soon only Ye Jingchen, Xie Chang'an, and the people from Wenhua Hall remained on the high platform.
Ye Jingshu looked gloating. "With Father Emperor's face so grim, who would dare stay and provoke him!"
"A bunch of opportunists, they don't even dare to say 'congratulations,' they're not even as good as ordinary people!" Ye Jingchen said indignantly.
“Insincere blessings are useless, and we don’t need fake sentiments either,” Xie Chang’an said, as he tentatively reached out to take Ye Jingchen’s hand.
He was prepared for Ye Jingchen to shake off his hand, but this time Ye Jingchen not only didn't shake off his hand, but also took the initiative to open his palm and interlock his fingers with his.
In front of everyone in the Wenhua Hall, Ye Jingchen openly and boldly took Xie Chang'an's hand.
"Your Highness, you—" Ye Jingshu was speechless with surprise upon seeing this scene.
"Royal sister, Xie Chang'an and I are already married, so holding hands is perfectly normal!" Ye Jingchen said with a smile.
"Is this normal?" Ye Jingshu asked blankly.
Why do the two grown men, the Emperor's younger brother and Xie Chang'an, look so harmonious standing together in their wedding attire?
Why do they look so relaxed with their fingers intertwined?
What's with Xie Chang'an's expression? Is that a smile? Xie Chang'an can actually smile?!
Ye Jingshu felt like she was hallucinating.
She looked away and glanced at her brothers and sisters beside her. Seeing the same shock and confusion on their faces as she did, she confirmed that her eyes had not been wrong.
"I knew Your Highness was destined for love, and I was right!" Yun Shu said excitedly.
The expressions on everyone's faces immediately became even more complicated.
Apart from Ye Jinghe, who knew the inside story.
He stared at Ye Jingchen and Xie Chang'an's clasped hands, feeling a void in his heart.
When he was little, his older brother loved to hold his hand wherever they went.
The seat next to his brother was also his; no one could take it from him.
But from now on, all these special treatments belong only to Xie Chang'an.
No wonder I found Xie Chang'an annoying from the first moment I saw him!
"Congratulations, brother, on getting your wish and being with the person you love," Ye Jinghe said to Ye Jingchen with a smile.
He tried to put on a sweet smile, but what used to be easy for him became incredibly difficult this time for some reason, and he felt that his smile was forced.
He didn't even dare to look at his brother, afraid that his eyes would betray his true emotions.
"Thank you for your blessings, Jinghe." Ye Jingchen smiled back at him, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to pat his head.
When I was little, I could reach out and touch his head, but now I have to raise my hand.
Because of this familiar gesture, Ye Jinghe's disappointment vanished, and he looked at Ye Jingchen with joy.
This time, my happiness is genuine.
"I just got married, I didn't die, why does Xiao Jing look like she's about to lose me?" Ye Jingchen joked.
"On such a joyous occasion, don't say anything unlucky," Xie Chang'an reminded them, shaking their clasped hands.
"Indeed! It's such a joyous day! Let's go, I'll invite you to the East Palace for the wedding banquet!" Ye Jingchen said with a big laugh, and then pulled Xie Chang'an down the high platform.
Ye Jinghe quickly followed.
The others looked at each other, exchanged glances, and then quickly followed.
Just like when they were welcoming the bride and parading through the streets, they rode back to the palace on horseback.
Along the way, whenever ordinary people saw them, they would offer them their sincerest blessings.
At least today, no one thinks there's anything wrong with two grown men getting married, because together they summoned the sun and saved the abyss!
Amidst the blessings of the people, Hei Mo and Bai Ling grew closer and closer, and Ye Jingchen also grew closer and closer to Xie Chang'an.
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