Chapter 152 The Emperor and Empress’ Wedding
In the blink of an eye, the wedding date has arrived.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival morning light passed over Shengjing, Jinque Street was already wrapped in joy.
A red carpet stretched from the Marquis Zhenguo's Mansion all the way to the palace gate. The warm sunlight shone through the gaps between the leaves, and even the old trees beside the street were decorated with heart-shaped knots and red silk.
Almost all the people in the city gathered on both sides of the road and on street corners, standing on tiptoe to watch this grand event.
The courtyard of the Marquis' Mansion was even more lively. A big red double happiness curtain was hung in the main hall, and brand new red lanterns were hung in the corridor.
There are two rows of celadon pots in front of the steps, with flowers blooming in the pots. When the wind blows, the whole yard is filled with fragrance.
The four elder brothers were dressed in the robes of marquis and baron, with imperial jade pendants on their waists. They were waiting in the front hall early, with an expression of solemnity that could not be concealed between their brows.
The princes and nobles who came to congratulate gathered in twos and threes and discussed in low voices:
"The Marquisate of Zhenguo has produced a queen, two marquises, and two earls. From now on, the Marquisate will have even greater weight in the court of Shengguo!"
"That's right!" The guest next to him smiled and said, "And His Majesty came to pick up the bride in person. This is the first time since the founding of Sheng Kingdom!"
At this moment, there was a sudden commotion outside, and the bright yellow imperial carriage slowly approached and stopped on the red carpet at the door.
Xie Yan stepped down from the imperial carriage. He was wearing a black imperial wedding dress with leaping golden dragons embroidered on the hem. A jade belt was fastened around his waist, making his broad shoulders and narrow waist look even more upright.
The young emperor had an elegant demeanor, but the sharp brilliance in his eyes and eyebrows could not be concealed. He truly had the bearing of a dragon and a phoenix.
Xie Yan's eyes swept across the guests who were bowing and greeting on both sides without pausing for a moment. His usually steady steps now had a hint of unconcealable eagerness.
He walked quickly into the gate of the Marquis' Mansion, as if waiting even a moment longer would be torture.
The four brothers hurried forward, and Ruan Yunce said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, Shengsheng has been spoiled by us since she was a child. In the future, if Your Majesty lets her suffer even the slightest injustice in the palace——"
Before he could finish his words, Ruan Yunjian interrupted him in a low voice: "Don't talk about these things on such a happy day."
He looked at Xie Yan, his eyes full of solemnity: "We will hand Shengsheng over to Your Majesty today. I hope Your Majesty will treat her well."
Xie Yan nodded, his tone solemn: "Brothers, rest assured. From now on, if Shengsheng suffers any injustice, it will be my fault. There is no need for you brothers to do anything. I will take the blame."
Ruan Yunbo waved his gold-sprinkled folding fan and nodded with satisfaction: "The emperor's words are as good as gold. I believe Your Majesty will not break his promise."
Ruan Yunzhu stood aside and smiled: "Shengsheng is ready, please come in, Your Majesty."
Xie Yan took a deep breath and almost subconsciously walked towards Yuehua Courtyard, his clothes lifted by the wind as he walked.
In Yuehua Courtyard, Ruan Yunsheng had already finished dressing up.
In the main hall, Princess An held Ruan Yunsheng's hand and said some auspicious words with a smile. Old friends also came back to Beijing specially to congratulate her. Everyone gathered around Ruan Yunsheng, and chattering laughter floated out from the open doors and windows.
Ruan Yunsheng sat upright on the chair, the beads hanging from the phoenix crown swaying gently. Her red wedding dress made her eyebrows and eyes even brighter, and the corners of her lips were gently curved.
Xie Yan's anxious footsteps suddenly stopped the moment he stepped into the courtyard.
He saw the dazzling red from afar, through a few osmanthus trees in full bloom. His heart seemed to be gently hit by something, and his previous anxiety suddenly faded away.
He subconsciously slowed down his breathing, and even his footsteps became lighter. His eyes were fixed on the red shadow, and his Adam's apple rolled slightly.
The moment he had been waiting for for so long finally arrived, and he actually felt a little cautious and didn't dare to approach it easily.
Xie Yan took a deep breath, suppressed the tension in his heart, and walked towards Ruan Yunsheng step by step...
The congratulations from the guests around him suddenly seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier. All he could hear was his own increasingly violent heartbeat, pounding against his chest and almost bursting out.
His Adam's apple rolled, and for some reason, he suddenly thought of the scene when he first met Ruan Yunsheng as a child.
It was a cold snowy day. After his mother passed away, he became a helpless beggar.
He had nowhere to go and had to beg for a living.
That winter was so cold that it was dark before dusk. There were few people on the streets and many shops on both sides of the street closed early.
He hadn't eaten for several days. His hands and feet were frozen and purple, tucked into his tattered clothes. There were bloody cuts at the corners of his mouth. The wounds he got from being beaten by an old beggar while fighting for food in the morning were still painful. He could only curl up in the corner of the street, waiting to be eaten by hunger and cold.
He felt like he was about to die, his eyes half open, staring blankly at the opposite side.
Across the street was a carriage with a warm lantern hanging on it. The halo of light was so warm that it made it difficult for him to open his eyes.
After an unknown amount of time, a young man in a brocade robe came back holding a delicate little girl. The brother and sister were talking and laughing, and the little girl's face was full of joy.
But just as they were about to take the carriage back home, the little girl suddenly reached out and touched her empty waist, and her delicate brows immediately frowned.
The young man let his sister get on the car first, and he took the servants back the same way to look for the sachet that his sister had dropped.
Snowflakes began to fall from the sky again.
The little girl was sitting in the carriage holding a fluffy little yellow dog, lifting the brocade curtain to look at the snow. The snacks in her hands seemed to have just been taken out of the pot and were still steaming.
He curled up in a cold corner, staring at the snack in her hand, swallowed hard, and wanted to rush over and grab it like crazy.
Anyway, this little lady looks well-behaved and soft, and has no power to resist. Even if he takes away her snacks, she will probably just hug the little yellow dog and cry.
By the time her brother returned with his servants, he had already devoured the snacks and disappeared...
Unfortunately, his hands and feet were so frozen that he didn't even have the strength to lift his fingers.
Unable to eat the snacks right in front of him, he simply closed his eyes and refused to look.
Maybe it was because he wanted to eat that snack so badly, but not long after, he suddenly smelled a sweet fragrance!
His eyelashes fluttered as he opened his eyes, only to see the precious young lady, holding a snack in front of him, with a sweet and soft voice: "You keep looking at it, are you hungry?"
Xie Yan grabbed the snack in front of him as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw, not caring about anything else. He grabbed the snack in front of him and stuffed it into his mouth greedily.
The little lady was startled by his rough behavior and took two steps back, looking at him in surprise with her big watery eyes.
Behind her, the driver said cautiously, "Princess, this little beggar on the roadside is so rude! Please ignore him and get back to the carriage. What if he catches a cold?"
It turned out that she was not a young lady, but a young princess.
Xie Yan knew that the status of a princess was very noble.
No wonder she was so delicate...
The snacks were quickly eaten, without even a crumb left. He was about to say thank you when the little princess blinked, picked up her skirt, turned around and ran back to the carriage.
He looked at her back and curled the corners of his mouth in self-mockery.
The difference between a beggar and a princess is more than just heaven and earth.
The little princess was scared away by him...
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