Chapter 33 The Wedding "Why didn't you think of me first..."
The Eastern Palace.
When Jiang Chen returned from court, he heard about Shen Yujiao and He Zhiju going out for a walk. Mu Nan saw that he looked unhappy and thought that the Crown Prince was angry about this. Just as she was about to make an excuse for Shen Yujiao, she heard the Crown Prince say in a normal tone, "Go down. I will wait here for the Crown Princess to return."
Having heard the Crown Prince's words, Mu Nan had no choice but to retreat anxiously. She had intended to send someone to deliver a message to the Crown Princess, but seeing Zhu Yu standing in the courtyard, she dared not rush out. She could only wait with bated breath for the Crown Princess to return to the East Palace.
Unexpectedly, they waited until evening.
He Zhiju helped Shen Yujiao down from the carriage. Just before Shen Yujiao entered the mansion, he hesitated and asked, "Should I go in and explain things to His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Shen Yujiao shook her head and smiled faintly: "There's no need. It's just a small matter of going out for a walk to clear your head. Be careful on your way back, brother."
"Alright." Seeing her composed expression, He Zhiju did not insist any further. After watching Shen Yujiao enter the mansion, he mounted his horse.
"Your Highness, you're back."
As soon as Shen Yujiao entered the main courtyard, she noticed Mu Nan's extremely unnatural expression. When she saw Zhu Yu behind her, she understood immediately. She turned her head and instructed Mu Jin, "Take your people down. Don't come over unless you've called for them."
"yes."
After Mu Jin led everyone away, Shen Yujiao sighed deeply, then stepped into the main hall.
"Why did you come here? Weren't you staying in the study these past two days?"
Jiang Chen watched as she entered the room and took off her cloak. Then she picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup of water, her movements practiced and natural, as if she were having a casual chat with him. He gave a silent, self-deprecating smile and looked at Shen Yujiao in silence.
"Are you feeling unwell? Should we call Physician Wang?"
"Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Shen Yujiao turned to face Jiang Chen, her eyes calm. "What did you say?"
"You and He Zhiju went on a spring outing in the suburbs?"
"Yes, I just went out for a walk to clear my head, what's wrong?"
What's wrong? Jiang Chen was speechless for a moment. He stood up from his chair and walked step by step to Shen Yujiao. "You want to go out for a walk, why won't you let me go with you?"
"You need to go to court; the morning court session is the most important thing."
“Okay,” Jiang Chen took a deep breath and nodded. “Then can’t you wait for me to come back from court? It’s not like I can’t go with you.”
Shen Yujiao was getting tired of his questions. "How am I supposed to know if you have anything else to do after court today? Am I supposed to wait for you in the East Palace all day long and have all my schedules revolve around you?"
"So you found someone who can always be around you?"
“Jiang Chen—” Shen Yujiao raised her voice, “Watch your words. Even though he’s not Zhiju’s brother, he’s still Miss Shen’s brother. I was just in a bad mood and wanted to go out for a walk. Don’t take it out on others.”
"I took my anger out on others? What about you? Didn't you take your anger out on me?" Jiang Chen's voice was a little unsteady. "You weren't in a good mood when you came back yesterday, and I didn't dare to ask, but today you were in the mood to go out with him?"
He took another step forward, bringing them within an arm's length of each other. "You said we shouldn't hide anything from each other, but when you're in a bad mood, the first person you think of isn't me, it's him?"
Sensing that Jiang Chen's mood was worsening, Shen Yujiao remained silent for a while before turning around and walking into the inner room: "This is not the same thing. You should go back first. I'm tired today."
"Shen Yujiao!" Jiang Chen stepped forward and grabbed her, his hand trembling slightly as he held her. He took another deep breath to calm himself down, and then asked with a pleading tone, "Jiaojiao, what's wrong with you?"
“I’m fine,” Shen Yujiao said, struggling with the wrist he was holding. “Jiang Chen, I’m really tired.”
Jiang Chen watched her retreating figure without saying anything more, but the hand that was gripping her wrist never let go. After a long stalemate, he sighed softly, "Besides, you shouldn't be wasting your time here with me right now."
"It seems the Crown Prince will have no chance of escaping this election—"
Before she could finish speaking, Shen Yujiao felt a sudden tug from behind, forcing her to meet Jiang Chen's gaze. He said, "I'll go tell the palace not to let anyone unrelated in."
"Be rational!"
Shen Yujiao exerted a sudden force, causing both of them to stumble. She looked at Jiang Chen and said, "The Empress informed me beforehand that the one to be selected for the Eastern Palace this time is the eldest granddaughter of the Grand Tutor. This old Grand Tutor was also the teacher of Crown Prince Chen."
She paused, looked at Jiang Chen's 'so what' expression, and continued, "The second young lady of the Chu family is named Chu Rou."
The pressure on her hand suddenly loosened, and Shen Yujiao pulled her hand back, lowered her head and looked down, a bitter smile on her lips: "It's ridiculous that the emperor didn't tell this groom."
“But…” Jiang Chen looked somewhat confused, “She might not necessarily be Chu Rou, just like He Zhiju isn’t necessarily He Zhiju.”
"Regardless of whether she is or not, we cannot refuse this marriage. If she really is Chu Rou, then we will have one more ally."
"What if she isn't? You just let her in like that?"
"What else can I do?" Shen Yujiao retorted. "Jiang Chen, what kind of question is that...?"
"Okay, even if we can't decide this, why didn't you tell me sooner? You encountered something unpleasant, but you didn't tell me either."
Why would I tell you?
After she finished speaking, the room fell silent. The two looked at each other speechlessly. In the end, Shen Yujiao asked Jiang Chen to leave, citing that she was tired. Jiang Chen didn't say anything and turned back to the front yard.
Watching the Crown Prince's departing figure, Mu Jin's heart sank. It was all over. She had originally hoped that the Crown Prince would coax their young lady, but now it seemed that the two of them had not reached an agreement.
"Sister, should we still send this dress as a gift?"
Mu Jin turned her head and glanced at the tray that Mu Nan was holding. On it was the gift that their young lady had given to the Crown Prince. Now that the gift was ready, the birthday had passed, and there was no longer an opportunity.
"Take it and keep it safe."
"yes."
Zhu Yu originally thought that this quarrel between the two masters would be the same as before, and they would make up in a few days, but this time he felt something was different.
In the past, although the Crown Prince and Crown Princess would quarrel, he would still think about the Crown Princess during the cold war, asking about her daily life, fearing that something might have gone wrong on her side. But this time, the Crown Prince didn't ask anything.
Not long after the argument that day, an imperial decree was issued from the palace—Chu Rou, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Chu, was to be married to the Crown Prince.
As the granddaughter of the Grand Tutor, Chu Rou could have easily become the Crown Princess if not for the Emperor's decree. However, since the Crown Prince was already married, she had to settle for second best. The rumors were about Bao Lin, but the imperial edict listed her as Liang Di.
Within the Eastern Palace, below the Crown Princess, the highest-ranking concubine was the Liangdi. Originally, the Empress thought that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess would definitely be affected by this incident, but unexpectedly, the two acted as if it were none of their business, to the point that the Empress suspected something sinister was behind it all.
The Crown Prince continued his daily routine of going to court and returning to his residence, but no longer went back and forth between the two places. He began to associate with some officials in the court and no longer refused the princes' gatherings. In a short period of time, he also made friends with many noble families.
The Crown Princess also didn't interfere much in the affairs of the front courtyard. Apart from the fixed days for paying her respects to the Empress, she would also have small gatherings with Princess Han, Princess Zhao, and others. During this time, she also took the time to attend Princess Yongshou's birthday banquet, Grand Princess Changjing's spring appreciation banquet, and some top-level banquets hosted by noble ladies in the capital.
During this period, the Crown Prince's network of connections outside the capital expanded, and the Crown Princess also gained considerable favor among the noble ladies and members of the imperial family in the capital. However, the Eastern Palace, despite its glory and success, seemed to be divided, with a clear boundary between the front courtyard and the main courtyard, and neither side would cross that line.
This day was the wedding day of King Kangyan of Thailand, and it was also the first time this month that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had appeared together in public.
The festive red silks adorned the Prince's Mansion for hundreds of miles. Even though Shen Yujiao and Jiang Chen were sitting in the carriage, they could hear the lively sounds around the Prince's Mansion. On this joyous day, the Prince's Mansion was filled with guests.
After today, the King of Thailand will officially be married and establish his career. Like the King's mother, Queen Qi De, Lady Liu comes from a military family. Because of their backgrounds, some people in the capital have been jokingly saying that this is a marriage between the top military families in the capital. With the Liu family as a backer, the King's future path will only be smoother.
Even the Crown Prince and his wife have come to attend the ceremony today on behalf of His Majesty and the Empress.
"The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have arrived!"
The sedan chair door opened, and Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao stepped down from the carriage one after the other. The two walked side by side into the Thai King's Palace under the watchful eyes of everyone.
"May Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Crown Princess be well."
After everyone had paid their respects, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess walked slowly forward with polite smiles on their faces and wearing matching formal attire.
"Oh my, this is the first time I've ever seen the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. The two princes are truly a perfect match."
"Indeed, today is the King's wedding banquet. Seeing the two princes dressed in their finest attire, it must be because His Majesty values our princes."
"Keep your voice down, are you out of your mind? But... the Crown Princess's smile is really beautiful."
Even though the wedding banquet was quiet, it was still a bit noisy. Shen Yujiao overheard half a sentence from the left and half a sentence from the right, and sighed inwardly. She was right. If it weren't for the Thai King's wedding and her and Jiang Chen's cold war, they would never have come to such an occasion where they had to force a smile and act affectionate.
The Thai King's wedding today was exceptionally grand. It could be said that among all the princes, only the Crown Prince's wedding could not compare. The weddings of his other brothers were all overshadowed by his. This was partly due to the current imperial favor he enjoys, and partly due to the Liu family's impressive scale. The Thai Queen Consort can be said to be the one with the best background among all the princes' consorts.
Surrounded by a crowd, Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao stood on the left and right respectively. On the left were princes, relatives, and some high-ranking officials, while on the right were the queen, royal wives, and court ladies. Soon, the King and Queen of Thailand would complete their ceremony in their presence.
Once Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao were in place, the slight commotion subsided. When the auspicious hour arrived, the master of ceremonies announced the wedding rituals from the inside out. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the newlyweds walked hand in hand toward the main hall.
Amidst the joyous red carpet, the endless silk ribbons, and the blessings of the guests, Shen Yujiao felt a little dazed as she watched the King and Queen of Thailand approach. Months ago, she and Jiang Chen had performed the same ceremony, walking hand in hand down the same path, only then did she not know that the person beside her was Jiang Chen.
"bye--"
The master of ceremonies' chanting brought Shen Yujiao back to her senses, but when she saw the newlyweds in front of her, she suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Today is clearly the Thai King's joyous day, but there is not a trace of joy on his face. He mechanically completes the wedding ceremony, but his expressionless face and the gloom in his eyes make him look like he is being tortured.
"The ceremony is complete—"
Shen Yujiao was not mistaken. Even after the wedding ceremony in the bridal chamber, the King's expression remained indifferent. However, after the ceremony, he suddenly became interested again. Before his brothers could even cheer, the King stood up and walked towards his brothers. With his left arm around the Prince Huan and his right arm around the Crown Prince, he loudly addressed the guests who had come to witness the ceremony:
"Today is my wedding day, Jiang Yan. Everyone must enjoy themselves to the fullest!"
His actions were extremely improper according to etiquette. It was inappropriate for an elder brother and a crown prince to be embraced like that, but since it was his wedding day, neither of them made a big deal out of it.
The crowd quickly cheered and ushered them out. Shen Yujiao, along with her female relatives, couldn't linger any longer, so she led them out. But when they reached the door, she turned back and glanced at the bride sitting on the wedding bed.
No matter how grand the wedding is today, it's hard to say whether such a marriage and such a husband are good or bad.
The little incident of teasing the newlyweds quickly passed. At the wedding banquet, Shen Yujiao sat in the seat of honor among the female relatives and chatted happily with her sisters-in-law and other noblewomen. Apart from the occasional remarks from Princess Huan to annoy her, the atmosphere at the table was quite harmonious. Fortunately, Shen Yujiao now knew about the past, so she would not react excessively to Princess Huan's attitude when she saw her again.
Ultimately, he was a pitiful person.
"Your Highness," a eunuch from the front courtyard came over as the group of people were talking, his face full of anxiety: "This servant greets Her Highness the Crown Princess and all the princesses. Prince Huan asked this servant to come and tell you that he would like to invite the Crown Princess to come over."
"What is it?" Princess Huan asked, her expression somewhat displeased.
The young eunuch gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and replied, "His Highness the King of Thailand drank too much while toasting earlier, and right now... he's arguing with His Highness the Crown Prince."
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Author's Note: This is the third update. Thank you all for your support, and Happy Lantern Festival!!!
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