As the sun sets, the Prince Yi's mansion is brightly lit, with red lanterns casting a warm glow.
The hall was filled with guests, who clinked glasses and exchanged toasts, their laughter echoing throughout the entire Prince Yi's Mansion, which was immersed in a festive atmosphere.
As the representative of the emperor and empress dowager, Xiao Lingchuan, dressed in magnificent robes and beaming with smiles, went around toasting everyone, appearing even more excited than the groom.
He grinned from ear to ear, telling everyone he met, "The Prince Yi's mansion is even more lively than the palace tonight!"
Amidst this joyous banquet, Gu Boyuan felt a deep bitterness in his heart; no matter how fine the wine in his cup, it could not dispel the anguish in his soul.
His gaze kept drifting towards the outside of the main hall, his eyes dark and unreadable. This celebration should have been his, yet he had forcefully pushed Jiang Luoluo out of it.
Seeing this, Xiao Lingchuan laughed even harder, leaned close to his ear, and teased, "General Gu, it's a good thing you were blind back then, otherwise Miss Jiang wouldn't have gotten the position of Princess Yi."
Upon hearing this, Gu Boyuan clenched his fist under his sleeve, gritted his teeth, and glared angrily at Xiao Lingchuan. However, in the face of this favorite of the emperor, he could only suppress his anger.
Lu Anrou, standing to the other side, was equally furious. She had originally planned to get rid of Jiang Luoluo before the wedding, but despite her best efforts, she couldn't find an opportunity to do so, and was even severely reprimanded by her father for her rash actions.
Lu Tingyue warned her that the position of principal wife was no longer possible, and she should not cause any more trouble to ruin the overall situation. If she could enter the mansion as a concubine, it would not be a bad option.
After all, what man doesn't have multiple wives and concubines?
Thinking of this, Lu Anrou felt even more resentful. She picked up her wine cup and gulped it down, one cup after another. The wine was spicy and burned her throat, but it was nothing compared to the frustration in her heart.
Yao Shiyu sat to the side, hesitating several times before finally choosing to remain silent.
Apart from a few individuals with varying expressions, the rest of the guests were all beaming with joy. During the banquet, people would occasionally remark, "Prince Yi and Miss Jiang are truly a match made in heaven, a perfect couple!"
Hearing this, Xie Yizhi felt even more pleased, and the corners of his lips turned up in a smile.
As night deepened and the banquet drew to a close after several rounds of drinks, the feast was nearing its end.
At this moment, a small figure quietly pushed open the door of the new house, carrying an oil paper package in his hand, and sneaked in cautiously.
"Mother, Mother, are you hungry?"
Xie Zhichen toddled over to Jiang Luoluo with his short legs, carefully opened the oil paper package, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, and tiptoed to offer it to her lips.
Jiang Luoluo was slightly taken aback when she heard the child's innocent voice. She quickly removed the red veil and saw a pair of round eyes looking at her expectantly.
She smiled as she accepted the pastry, took a bite, and said, "Thank you, Zhichen!"
She hadn't fully adapted to her role as a mother yet, but she couldn't bear to spoil her child's fun, so she responded gently.
Xie Zhichen opened his clear, big eyes and said earnestly, "Mother, you are so beautiful!"
Jiang Luoluo chuckled and gently ruffled his soft hair. "Thank you for the compliment, Zhichen!"
Seeing that Jiang Luoluo had eaten several pieces of osmanthus cake, Xie Zhichen was satisfied and rewrapped the oil paper package.
He remembered his father saying that tonight was a very important night and that he shouldn't disturb his mother for too long.
So he solemnly instructed, "Mother, you should rest well. I will come to pay my respects to you again tomorrow!"
After saying that, he waved like a little adult and quietly slipped out.
Before leaving, she specifically instructed Dingdang outside the door: "Sister Dingdang, you must protect Mother well!"
Dingdang was amused by his serious expression and patted her chest to assure him, "Don't worry, young master!"
Xie Zhichen nodded in satisfaction before turning to leave.
The night was deep, the bridal chamber was filled with candlelight, and a red veil hung lightly.
As the banquet outside gradually ended, Xie Yizhi, dressed in a bright red wedding robe, strode in, looking radiant.
He pushed open the door, his gaze burning as it fell upon the red figure sitting upright on the bed.
As Jiang Luoluo listened to the footsteps, her fingertips curled slightly inside her wedding robe, and her heart raced.
Although she had seen countless wedding night scenes in movies and TV dramas and knew the general process, she was still a little nervous when the moment actually arrived...
What if she really gets bewitched by Xie Yizhi's good looks and can't control herself? Wouldn't that... lead to a difficult situation?
A hint of ambiguity filled the air.
She took a deep breath, gripped the hem of her dress, and waited quietly for the person to approach step by step.
Xie Yizhi nervously rubbed his hands together, took a deep breath, and then reached out to slowly lift the red veil.
A red veil gently fell, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.
Jiang Luoluo gazed at him quietly, her eyebrows curving upwards, her bright, star-like eyes seemingly filled with the brilliance of the world.
The whole day made Xie Yizhi feel as if everything today was a dream, so beautiful it was unreal.
However, when he met those smiling eyes, he suddenly realized that it was all real.
The usually cold and hard-as-iron Prince couldn't help but smile, his eyes filled with joy, and his voice even carried a hint of excitement: "Luo Luo!"
Jiang Luoluo looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat.
This was the first time she had ever seen Xie Yizhi wear such an eye-catching color; the bright red wedding robe made him look handsome and noble beyond compare.
Nothing much, he's just undeniably handsome, so handsome he melted her heart!
Jiang Luoluo swallowed hard, a sweet smile playing on her lips, her voice softening slightly: "Your Highness."
That address of "Your Highness" was like a spring breeze brushing against his heart, a tingling sensation that seeped into Xie Yizhi's ears, causing his blood to boil instantly, as if he had been struck by an electric current, making even his bones feel weak.
He almost wanted to pull the person into his arms immediately, but reason held him back.
He remembered his promise: this was a marriage of convenience, and if one party disagreed, the other could not be forced to consummate the marriage.
Reason told him to stay calm, to be restrained, and to take things one step at a time; otherwise, if he scared Jiang Luoluo, things would get complicated.
At this moment, Jiang Luoluo shook her neck slightly; the heavy jewels on her head made her feel a little uncomfortable.
Xie Yizhi immediately came to his senses and quickly bent down to gently remove her heavy hair ornaments.
Under the lamplight, the moment his fingertips touched her hair, Jiang Luoluo was slightly startled, and her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
After all the hair ornaments were removed, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked up to meet his gaze.
Xie Yizhi was slightly lost in thought. Without the constraints of pearls and jade, the beauty in her eyes and brows was even more alluring and languid, making her even more beautiful than before.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he still managed to suppress his surging emotions, extended his slender fingers, took her hand, and led her to the table.
The two sat side by side, raised their cups of wine, and drank them down in one gulp.
At this moment, the night outside the window was as dark as ink, while the candlelight inside was gentle. The two sat facing each other, and the atmosphere quietly became enchanting and profound.
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