Grand Wedding
When Qingya learned that Cui Shenzhi had revealed Ping An's identity, she was initially delighted. However, when she heard the news that he was going to marry Ping An, Qingya's joy turned sour.
After all, Ping An clearly had no feelings for Cui Shenzhi, but Cui Shenzhi's outburst made Ping An lose all interest in him, and the two of them were now bound together.
Qingya was a little worried about Ping An, so she quickly went to look for her.
Upon seeing Ping An, Qingya grabbed her hand and eagerly asked, "Ping An, did you marry Cui Shenzhi willingly?"
Hearing this, Ping An smiled.
"Mother, does it matter whether it's voluntary or not? I'm not losing out anyway. Besides, given the current situation, do I have any other choice but to marry him?"
"Of course!"
Ping An looked at Qing Ya with curiosity.
“As long as you give up all your attempts to fake your death like Cui Lingxian did, Cui Shenzhi won’t be able to force you to marry him.”
"Give up everything and fake your death like Cui Lingxian?" Ping An scoffed. "Mother, Cui Lingxian had to give up everything to save Shen Meiwu and Cui Sugong's lives. I haven't committed such a sin, so why should I give up everything?"
"Then...then shall we try to persuade Cui Shenzhi to change the dynasty? That way, as the founding emperor of the new dynasty, he won't have to marry you."
Ping An rolled her eyes dramatically.
"And then what? I became a princess of a fallen kingdom known to everyone? Mother, I beg you, please think about me for once, okay?"
“Now I am a princess of high status. Marrying Cui Shenzhi is a marriage of descent. Although he is an emperor, he is a royal son-in-law. If he changes the dynasty, I will become a princess of a fallen kingdom. At that time, he can do whatever he wants. Even if he treats me as a plaything on his bed, no one will say anything.”
Hearing this, Qingya hesitated and said, "It shouldn't be that bad, right? Judging from Cui Shenzhi's words and actions, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing."
"Oh, really?" Ping An said with a half-smile, "Then why did he pretend to be drunk and ruin my reputation?"
Upon hearing this, Qingya's head went blank, and she felt a sudden darkness before her eyes. She couldn't even sit still and slid to the ground, startling Ping An, who frantically ordered someone to fetch the imperial physician.
Qingya shook her head, grabbed Ping An's hand, and asked with shock in her eyes, "Ping An, didn't you say it was fake?!"
"Yes, he was really drunk that time. I was just pretending to lose my innocence. But the day I cried to you, he was pretending to be drunk, but I really lost my innocence."
Upon hearing this, Qingya groped her way up from the ground, wanting to rush out, but Ping An gently pressed her down into a chair.
"Mother, don't tell me you're planning to cause trouble for Cui Shenzhi."
Qingya nodded with a look of grief and indignation.
"A young woman's chastity is so important, how could he..."
“Mother,” Ping’an interrupted Qingya dismissively, “I’ve already said it, whether he’s innocent or not doesn’t matter. Besides, it’s not entirely his fault.”
Ping An turned her head away, somewhat annoyed, and said, "He was faking being drunk, that's true, but I was the one who took the initiative first."
Qingya was stunned.
"You? Ping An, why did you do this? Didn't you say you didn't like him?"
"Yes, I don't like him, but I don't hate him either. Besides, times have changed."
"Previously, he was a fake crown prince who was destined to be deposed, while I was a real princess who would be honored and wealthy sooner or later. Of course, it wasn't worth it for me to do this. But later, he became emperor, and I didn't know that he planned to restore my status as a princess. I thought that if I wasn't going to be a princess, I could be a favored concubine. That's why I did it. Who knew that he was pretending to be ignorant and taking advantage of me."
After hearing Ping An's words, Qingya's mind was in complete turmoil.
"So... what are you planning to do next?"
“What else can I do?” Ping An sat in front of the dressing table, resting her chin on her hand and looking out the window, her ambition mixed with a hint of uncertainty: “Marry him, coax him, and give birth to a child who can inherit the throne as soon as possible. Then, through the child, I can slowly and subtly extract power from him. That way, I can sit firmly on the throne and never fall from grace.”
"But…"
"Mother, don't worry about it. As long as I'm here, you don't need to worry. Just stay calm and don't go looking for trouble to kill yourself. That's already helping me."
Qingya saw the rare confusion on Ping An's face and wanted to persuade her again, but Ping An left her behind and took a few palace servants to find Cui Shenzhi.
*****
Because of Ping An and Cui Shenzhi's identities, their wedding should be held sooner rather than later. So, according to the calculations of the Imperial Observatory, the two held a grand wedding on the most auspicious day, ten days before the Lunar New Year, amidst the blessings of everyone.
Cui Shenzhi, who had been eagerly anticipating this, was overjoyed. Ping An was also happy, as the situation was much better than she had imagined when she left the Cold Palace. However, in this situation, she couldn't help but think of Fu Yunjin and Cui Sugong, the couple who gave her life but were separated by a blood feud, and a trace of melancholy involuntarily appeared on her face.
Seeing this, Cui Lingxian, who was about to leave, had a sudden thought.
She glanced at Cui Shenzhi, who was talking to Lu Fengping with a wide, toothy grin that made him look somewhat silly, and then quickly walked over to Ping An's side.
“Ping An,” Cui Lingxian said softly, taking Ping An’s hand in her hand, “I know it might seem a bit biased for me to say this, but I still want to tell you that Shen Zhi is sincere towards you. Don’t doubt him because of his previous reckless behavior. He will treat you well, I promise.”
Hearing this, Ping An was stunned for a moment, and then lowered her head in a seemingly shy manner.
Guarantee? What guarantee can Cui Lingxian, now powerless and without influence, offer? Just based on her sibling-like relationship with Cui Shenzhi over the past decade? If that relationship were truly so useful, Cui Lingxian wouldn't have had to sacrifice everything to save Chen Meiwu and Cui Sugong's lives.
Cui Lingxian had no idea what Ping An was thinking; she could only see the shyness on Ping An's face and her somewhat evasive eyes.
Her tender, girlish demeanor melted her heart.
Her younger sister, after enduring so much suffering and hardship, spending over a decade in the cold palace, has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. With Shenzhi's care, she will surely be happy.
Fortunately, the sins committed by her mother and father did not ultimately harm Ping An, otherwise she would never have been able to let go of the sins she carried and find her own happiness.
Cui Lingxian reached out and gently pulled Ping An into her arms.
“Ping An, I’m going on a trip with Feng Ping. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but don’t worry. No matter where I am, as long as I hear that Shen Zhi is treating you badly, I will definitely come back to teach him a lesson. So you don’t have to be afraid of anything. With me… with your sister here, no one can bully you.”
Ping An lowered her eyelids, concealing the emotions in her eyes, and responded softly.
Does that mean no one can bully her?
Stop joking.
*****
Cui Lingxian's departure time had been set long ago, so after talking with Ping An, she saw that it was getting late and left with Lu Fengping, carrying the bundle she had prepared in advance.
After watching Cui Lingxian leave, Ping An felt even more depressed.
It was a wedding, a joyous occasion, something she had expected and longed for, but she just couldn't feel happy.
But this can't go on. After all, they have their wedding night tonight. If she can't adjust her emotions, how will she deal with Cui Shenzhi?
Ping An's eyes darted around and he spotted the pot of wine on the table.
So after Cui Shenzhi saw Cui Lingxian and Lu Fengping off, he saw Ping An, who was drunk and confused.
Ping An had never drunk alcohol before. She had no chance to drink while she was in the Cold Palace, and no one would let her drink after she arrived at the East Palace, so she had no idea how bad her alcohol tolerance was.
Seeing Ping An swaying precariously on the stool, as if about to fall, Cui Shenzhi shook his head, both amused and exasperated. Today was supposed to be their wedding night, but with Ping An like this, he could forget about it.
After instructing Siwei to prepare a hangover soup, Cui Shenzhi went to Ping An's side, helped her sit down on the edge of the bed, carefully removed the phoenix crown from her head, changed her slightly heavy wedding dress, and took off her shoes before letting her lie flat on the bed and preparing to cover her with a blanket.
Just then, a fair and delicate foot pressed against Cui Shenzhi's chest.
He looked over, somewhat confused, and saw Ping An pouting, looking unhappy: "Cui Shenzhi, are you planning to take advantage of me while I'm drunk again?"
Looking at Ping An's unsteady eyes due to intoxication, Cui Shenzhi smiled and denied it, saying, "Ping An, don't worry, I haven't been drinking, and I won't do anything inappropriate to you while I'm drunk."
"Yes, you didn't drink, because you were trying to get drunk and take advantage of me. You're just a beast who lusts after my body~"
Perhaps because he was drunk, Ping An's voice unconsciously rose slightly at the end, like a hook scratching at Cui Shenzhi's heart, causing Cui Shenzhi to feel a little flutter in his heart. However, he sobered up after a while and secretly despised himself.
Choi Shin-ji! Are you even human?! Ping An is so drunk, and you... you're a beast!
He exhaled a breath of stale air and said with some guilt, "Yes, you're right, I'm a beast who lusts after your body, I..."
Before Cui Shenzhi could finish speaking, he was startled and stopped talking by Ping An's rapid approach.
Ping An knelt on the bed, placed her hands on Cui Shenzhi's shoulders, and said excitedly, "How about we make a deal?"
"A deal?" Cui Shenzhi retreated like a virtuous woman being forced, gripping the bed frame tightly, struggling to suppress the desire surging within her, her eyes darting around: "What deal?"
"You can do whatever you want with my body, but you must promise that no matter how much of a girl you like in the future, you will never touch anything I own! Including my power, status, and wealth!"
Hearing this, Cui Shenzhi assumed Ping An was afraid because of Fu Yunjin and Cui Sugong's affair, so he quickly and gently comforted her, "Ping An, you don't need to be afraid. I've said it before, I only want you..."
Before Cui Shenzhi could finish speaking, Ping An moved even closer, almost pressing against him, and wrapped her arms around his neck, saying in a slightly coquettish tone, "Please~"
Perhaps because they were so close, Cui Shenzhi smelled Ping An's breath, which smelled of alcohol, and felt as if he were also drunk, his head spinning and his body out of control.
He responded softly and then kissed Ping An's lips, which were so close to his own. He even used his tongue to pry open Ping An's teeth. As their lips and teeth intertwined, his hand also slipped under the hem of Ping An's clothes, causing a series of shivers to run through her body.
Cui Shenzhi's move, which took the initiative and was aggressive, made Ping An flinch slightly. She loosened her grip on Cui Shenzhi's hand and tried to back away, but Cui Shenzhi pulled her back into his arms by the waist.
She quickly reached out and pushed Cui Shenzhi's shoulder, but Cui Shenzhi ignored her completely, as if he wanted to devour her whole. He kissed her until her already dizzy mind was even more confused before reluctantly letting her go.
After the ambiguous and lingering kiss finally ended, Ping An softly nestled in Cui Shenzhi's arms. After a while, she said somewhat aggrievedly, "No more, I don't want it anymore. You're so scary. I won't make a deal with you anymore."
Cui Shenzhi looked at Ping An, whose face was as red as a peach blossom and who leaned against him with a delicate and boneless appearance. He said in a hoarse voice, "Ping An, I'm sorry. I'm just an ordinary person who married the girl I love. I'm not a saint."
After saying that, Cui Shenzhi laid Ping An down on the bed and climbed on top of her. Soon, the sound of Ping An's plaintive voice and Cui Shenzhi's excited panting filled the room.
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