According to custom, this red and white handkerchief will be presented to the Empress Dowager of Western Qin for her personal inspection and approval later.
Seeing that Granny Zhao had carefully put away the handkerchief stained with blood, Mei Xiyuan's dazed eyes gazed at the pot of nuptial wine on the table. She slowly rose and walked over, poured herself a cup, examined it for a while, and then drank it all in one gulp.
Despite being someone who dislikes this kind of thing from birth, she now wore a heartbroken, bitter smile.
“Princess…” Zhao Mama wanted to persuade her when she saw her current state, but she swallowed her words and stood aside, feeling even more distressed.
In the Yunshui Pavilion of the Qin Prince's Mansion, Yi Shangyun lay quietly asleep on the bed.
It seemed that every time she came to the Prince of Qin's mansion, she was covered in wounds. At this moment, Xuan Yuanhan sat by her bedside, staring at her with a worried and self-reproachful expression.
As he looked at her, he suddenly spoke to himself, addressing the woman on the sickbed, "Why did you protect him so desperately? Is he really Wei Mingxuan? Is he really that important to you? Do you know, if my sword had been even half a step faster..."
He was still terrified. He let out a long sigh, paused, and then continued, "I know he's the one you love, so how could I possibly kill him? I'm just very angry... very angry."
But what was he angry about? Was he angry that he hadn't appeared in her life before Wei Mingxuan? Was he angry that she still didn't understand his feelings at all? Was he angry that another man was holding her in his arms? Or was he angry that he didn't have the courage to face whether that man was actually Wei Mingxuan, whom she had murmured in her feverish coma?
He truly lacked courage because he was afraid.
He feared the answer would be one he didn't want. As it was, at least he could pretend he knew nothing and interact with her openly. If he knew it was Wei Mingxuan, how could he possibly continue to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear?!
"Your Highness, the imperial physician says that Miss Yi is out of danger. Your Highness should rest for a while," Cheng Liang said with concern as he walked in and saw his master's distressed expression.
Seeing that his master remained unmoved, he braced himself and continued to persuade him, "Your Highness has been watching over Miss Yi all night, and later you are to go to the palace with the Princess Consort to express your gratitude."
When Xuanyuan Han heard Cheng Liang say "Your Highness the Princess Consort," he blinked slightly, as if he had just remembered that the Qin Prince's Mansion already had a Princess Consort.
Seeing that he was already moved, Cheng Liang cautiously reminded and hinted, "Your Highness, yesterday was the wedding day... The Princess Consort waited for you all night. As for the wedding procession, it was Princess Yue who invited the Empress to come yesterday..." Before Cheng Liang could finish speaking, he saw Xuan Yuanhan's cold and angry eyes and quietly stopped talking.
Cheng Liang was still muttering to himself, "Yesterday was clearly the auspicious day of the master's wedding, but he didn't even wear his wedding clothes. It seems he really doesn't take this imperial marriage seriously. It's a shame the palace even ordered such exquisitely crafted wedding clothes."
Xuan Yuanhan turned back to tuck Shang Yun in, then looked at her intently again. Fortunately, the royal physicians and the medicines were of high quality, and her complexion had improved somewhat. Only then did she seem relieved, slowly getting up and leaving the room. At the door, she coldly tossed Cheng Liang a message: "Tell Zhang Mama to come and take good care of her."
"Yes," Cheng Liang accepted the order, then turned around and looked at Yi Shangyun, who was fast asleep on the bed, with a helpless expression on his face.
He wondered how long his master intended to maintain this ambiguous relationship with this ugly girl. He muttered to himself, "If he likes her, why doesn't he just say so?"
Inside the Chenghua Hall of the Qin Prince's Mansion, Xuan Yuanhan had just dozed off briefly while leaning back on the couch by the desk when Cheng Liang, who was guarding outside the hall, hurriedly entered and woke him up, saying, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan opened his eyes slightly and sat up. He saw Mei Xiyuan walking slowly and gracefully into the hall, her dignified and luxurious appearance showcasing the aura of the mistress of the Qin Prince's mansion.
"Your Highness, I greet you. When did you return to the manor? I waited for you all night last night," Mei Xiyuan said with a smile as she bowed to Xuan Yuanhan in the main hall.
"About yesterday..." Xuan Yuanhan, with his usual serious expression, was about to explain what happened yesterday. After all, she was a princess of Dongning Kingdom, not the daughter of an ordinary nobleman of Xiqin. He had to say some polite words himself, since he had indeed agreed to this marriage in advance.
Unexpectedly, Mei Xiyuan quickly interrupted, "Your Highness need not explain to me. I know Your Highness is the Prince of Western Qin, the only prince of Western Qin, and the Emperor's only younger brother. Therefore, I understand and fully support Your Highness's daily duties in assisting the Emperor for the sake of the people of Western Qin. I only hope that Your Highness will take care of your health amidst your busy schedule."
This woman's attitude towards yesterday's events was so... Xuan Yuanhan was pondering this when Mei Xiyuan spoke up again, "Your Highness, it's getting late. I should accompany you to the palace to pay our respects and express our gratitude to the Empress Dowager."
So the two of them rode together in a luxurious carriage toward the palace, with Xuan Yuanhan sitting upright as usual, closing his eyes to rest.
This was the first time Mei Xiyuan had been so close to her beloved husband. Now, sitting beside him, she began to carefully observe this noble, outstanding, and mysterious man to her.
It turned out that he was a hundred or a thousand times more outstanding and handsome than the dashing and promising King of Western Qin that I had heard about in Dongning Kingdom. Especially when he was quiet now, he was like a god, and his dignity was inviolable.
Mei Xiyuan couldn't help but feel secretly delighted. To be able to marry such an outstanding man in this world, she had no regrets in this life. In the future, she would definitely do her best to cultivate her relationship with him, bear children for him, and become a loving couple.
Soon, the car arrived at the gate of the Western Qin Imperial Palace.
When Mei Xiyuan first saw the Western Qin Imperial Palace, she was surprised to find that the palace was several meters above the ground, giving it a commanding and imposing presence.
Although the Western Qin Imperial Palace is not as large in scale, layout, and decoration as the Eastern Ning Imperial Palace, it exudes a magnificent and profound aura of the Central Plains, inspiring awe and respect.
Soon, she followed Xuanyuan Han to the Empress Dowager's palace—Yong'an Palace.
At this moment, the Empress Dowager, with her kind and gentle face, the Empress, dressed in a dignified and elegant manner, along with other concubines, noble ladies, and important court ladies, were all present in the hall.
Upon learning that the King of Qin would personally bring his new wife and the Queen to pay their respects and express their gratitude, everyone had already made arrangements to gather here and wait, hoping to witness the unparalleled elegance of the Queen, the most aloof and noble Queen of the Western Qin Kingdom.
As soon as Xuanyuan Han entered, he bowed and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty, and may Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
Mei Xiyuan followed suit, saying, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
"Get up quickly so I can have a good look at this great beauty from Dongning Kingdom. Someone, bring her a seat!" The Empress Dowager said with a delighted expression, reaching out to grasp Mei Xiyuan's slender hands. The Empress nodded and smiled in response.
As soon as the two were seated, all the concubines, noble ladies, and wives of officials present rose and respectfully bowed, saying, "Greetings to His Highness Prince Qin, and may Princess Qin enjoy boundless blessings."
Upon seeing this, Mei Xiyuan immediately sensed that the man she was marrying was of exceptionally high status, and a look of pride immediately appeared on her face.
"King Qin, your mother passed away early. Now, the Empress Dowager and I have betrothed you to this great beauty from Dongning Kingdom. Are you satisfied with her?" The Empress Dowager looked at Xuan Yuanhan with a kind expression.
Mei Xiyuan, upon hearing the Empress Dowager's question, also cast a curious glance at him, eager to know the Prince of Qin's attitude towards her. However, Xuanyuan Han remained serious and replied, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your concern, and Your Majesty for your trouble."
"Although you now hold an important position in the country and are busy with many affairs of state, and the emperor has entrusted you with great responsibilities, you should not wrong this princess," the Empress Dowager continued, seemingly reminding her.
The King of Qin did not personally welcome the newlyweds into the palace for his wedding, and the Empress certainly dared not hide such an important event from the Empress Dowager. However, the Empress Dowager also had to consider the safety of the nation, and although her words were not explicitly stated, they were a reminder to the King of Qin not to neglect Princess Dongning.
"Your subject will remember Your Majesty's teachings," Xuan Yuanhan replied in his usual cold tone.
Just then, the old nanny walked up to the Empress Dowager carrying an exquisitely carved square wooden tray. On the tray was the highlight of today's gathering—a white handkerchief covered with fallen petals.
The blood of a virgin is the blood shed by a woman on her first wedding night, representing her most precious chastity. Anyone who does not shed blood on their wedding night is considered unchaste and impure, and may be ridiculed and looked down upon for the rest of their life, or even lose their life.
The red brocade handkerchief was an essential item for the wedding night, used to check whether the newlyweds were still virgins.
At this moment, Xuanyuan Han's eyes widened in surprise, and he was about to say something when the old nanny interrupted him, "This is the white handkerchief containing the newlyweds' blood; please, Your Majesty, examine it."
Upon seeing this, the Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Princess Dongning is of noble birth, with fair skin and delicate features, dignified and virtuous. I believe she is indeed pure and innocent. However, this is an old custom passed down from our ancestors, so I must still go through this formality to avoid giving others cause for criticism later."
After saying that, she reached out and lifted the pure white, sacred handkerchief covered with fallen red petals, revealing a glaring crimson stain to everyone's eyes.
Everyone stared in disbelief, turning their gazes to Xuan Yuanhan and Mei Xiyuan. Mei Xiyuan feigned shyness, sitting quietly with her head bowed.
When everyone's attention shifted away from the two of them after a moment, she looked at Xuan Yuanhan, who was sitting next to her.
"I can't believe that His Highness the King of Qin, such a celibate and abstinent god, would be interested in women."
"He actually favored this foreign princess, who is none other than His Highness the Qin King, a man of eternal ice and coldness!"
"Over the years, many court officials have wanted to send their daughters into the Prince of Qin's mansion, even if it was just to become a concubine or maid, but the Prince of Qin is like a banished immortal who has no desire to descend to the mortal world."
"Could it be that Princess Yongle truly melted the iceberg that is His Highness Prince Qin with her unparalleled beauty? It seems that Princess Dongning is indeed extraordinary."
"If you ask me, every man is a wolf in sheep's clothing; their outward appearances are just a facade."
......
In an instant, the people in the hall began to whisper among themselves and discuss the matter.
Upon seeing this, the Empress Dowager and the Empress nodded to each other and exchanged glances, seemingly quite surprised as well.
"King Qin, since you are so in love and have now officially consummated your marriage, you must do your utmost to ensure the continuation of the Xuanyuan royal family," the Empress Dowager admonished the newlyweds with delight.
Xuanyuan Han, meanwhile, was completely bewildered, his face grave and serious, wondering what the matter was with the fallen red handkerchief. He seemed not to be paying any attention to the Empress Dowager's profound admonition.
The matter of paying respects and expressing gratitude was now considered complete. As the saying goes, three women make a drama, let alone a group of women who were naturally fond of stirring up trouble. He had already had enough of their gossiping and whispering.
At this moment, Xuanyuan Han stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have official duties to attend to, so I will take my leave now. I will come to pay my respects to Your Majesty another day."
Seeing Xuan Yuanhan rise, Mei Xiyuan followed suit, saying, "Your Majesty, I will come to pay my respects another day."
"Your Majesty, you have worked hard; please take care of yourself. Now that you have a princess consort, she should take good care of you in the future," the Empress Dowager said with concern.
Your Majesty, I thank you for your concern.
"Your Majesty's teachings will be obeyed."
After saying that, the two walked out of Yong'an Palace, leaving behind a hall full of astonished women chattering away.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, wait for me!" Mei Xiyuan hurriedly chased after him with extremely fast steps.
What exactly happened with that red-stained handkerchief?
......
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