"I originally said I wasn't coming. What will you do if I really don't come?"
“Of course I still have a way out, but—” he looked at her with disbelief, “would you not come at a time like this?”
The wedding of Emperor Taihao was about to take place, attracting the attention of gods from all corners of the world. Emperor Taihao, an ancient deity, had always been detached from worldly affairs, yet he had suddenly become engaged to a fairy tens of thousands of years his junior. Naturally, the ever-gossipy gods were extremely curious and eager to catch a glimpse of the young empress at the wedding. However, the emperor, always known for his low-key nature, was extremely discreet even for a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, inviting only a handful of ancient emperors and a few close friends. As a result, the wedding... Invitations were already incredibly rare and highly sought after, with prices soaring. Even after going to great lengths, Si Ming Xing Jun couldn't obtain a single one. In the end, through the introduction of the West Sea Water Lord, he visited Bai Qian, the goddess who claimed, "This year, I won't accept gifts for the festival, except for luminous pearls," carrying a luminous pearl the size of a millstone. Only then did he manage to get one. He felt it was well worth it, considering how much gossip the gods would have had if Si Ming Xing Jun hadn't been there. And how could he live up to his title of "the walking encyclopedia of gossip in the Nine Heavens"?
No sooner had Si Ming Xing Jun left with the invitation than Bai Qian delivered the luminous pearl to Dongyang Palace through the back door. That night, when Taihao Dijun strolled into his study, he found it unusually bright. Looking around, he noticed a luminous pearl the size of a millstone under the window. At first glance, it looked like a small moon, its bright light illuminating the floor. He couldn't help but smile and ask, "Where did this thing come from?"
The young girl from Wenchang, who was sitting idly drinking tea, looked at the bead with great pride. "It was given to me by the goddess Bai Qian. I think it's most suitable to put here. It's much more useful than candlelight when you're reading or reviewing documents at night."
The Emperor smiled and said, "The High Goddess Bai Qian is still the same as she has been for tens of thousands of years, only giving luminous pearls as gifts. That's quite convenient."
“But this is not what my aunt wanted,” Wenchang explained. “When she sent it, she said it was a gift from the Star Lord of Destiny in exchange for an invitation to our wedding. She probably wanted to see my face, which is why she went to such great lengths. The High Goddess Bai Qian said that since that was the reason, she couldn’t keep it for herself, so she specially sent it to me.”
The Emperor pondered for a moment and said, "Why go to such lengths for the God of Fate? I remember I prepared an invitation for him."
"I didn't send it out." Wen Chang stuck out his tongue, still somewhat annoyed. "What kind of lousy fate book did that Siming write? It made me die four times in front of you. Since he dared to mess with you like that, I'll mess with him too. I heard he's a big gossip, so I deliberately didn't invite him, leaving him no way to gossip and no fun." He then smiled slyly.
"I remember you said before that you wanted to thank him for arranging for you to meet someone as fortunate as me, so that's why you prepared an invitation for him." The Emperor felt that his wife still had the heart of a child.
"Well, from my perspective, I should thank him, but from your perspective, don't you think the fate he arranged for you is too tragic?"
The Emperor smiled calmly, "That's all in the past. Besides, according to his plan, you would have died on the day the Wei Kingdom was destroyed. Only the first time was arranged by him. I remember that the subsequent times were all caused by your own actions."
"Why do you say that..." she glared at him angrily.
He moved behind her and embraced her, counting on her fingers as he went, "The second time, at Afei's, you clearly faked your death for three days, but you didn't tell me beforehand, making me heartbroken for three days; the third time, you fell off the cliff, clearly not dead, but you didn't come to find me, making me heartbroken for forty-three days; the fourth time, you returned from your tribulation, clearly becoming an immortal, but you didn't tell me, making me heartbroken for seven years." He looked at her with some resentment, "Isn't it you who deserves the most punishment?"
She immediately looked guilty, her eyes reddening, and with a resolute expression, she said sadly, "It's my fault. What do you want me to do to make amends?"
He tilted his head slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "Then make me a bowl of bird's nest porridge."
He always felt that all the hardships he had experienced were nothing, because they were all in the past. If it was necessary to endure such unforgettable pain to achieve this moment of being together, then even if the waiting days were twice as long and the pain of separation was ten times greater, he would be willing to endure it.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she threw herself into his arms and solemnly declared as if making a vow, "Okay, from now on I'll cook bird's nest porridge for you, the most delicious bird's nest porridge in the entire world, every single day!"
He couldn't help but chuckle, "That doesn't have to be. If it's like this every day, even if I don't get tired of it, won't you?"
After a pause, he examined the moon-like luminous pearl. "Si Ming went to so much trouble to see you. In return, wouldn't you like to disappoint him even more?"
She looked up at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
He smiled and whispered a few words in her ear.
On their wedding day, Emperor Taihao, dressed in his auspicious robes, was as handsome and dashing as ever. The Empress, veiled in red, never revealed her face. After a solemn and respectful bow to Heaven and Earth amidst music and ceremony, Emperor Taihao calmly announced that he and the Empress would be studying the laws and cultivating their minds, thus entering seclusion for three months. This left the expectant Star Lord of Destiny watching their departing figures with a heavy heart, tears welling in his eyes. Feng Jiu sighed, looking at Emperor Donghua, "I only knew you, Your Majesty, were a model of single-minded cultivation of the laws, but I never imagined Emperor Taihao would be the same. On such a joyous day, the two of them are cultivating their minds together—is this the realm of a profound ancient emperor?"
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