Chapter 107 The Grand Wedding (Part 3)
====================
The last two empty slots for the Joyful Heart Cups disappeared, and with the addition of Sheng Yuanting, Feng Xixue, and Yu Sheng, Mu Meng and Mu Qingheng quickly collected ten Joyful Heart Cups.
Autumn passed and winter came, spring returned and summer went, and the days went by, and their wedding date was fast approaching.
The Heavenly Clan's weddings, aside from other matters, have a long list of rules. A dozen days before the wedding, Mu Meng carefully reviewed all of their Heavenly Clan's rules.
Mu Meng had witnessed firsthand the vast and complex rules of the Celestial Clan. She had helped her sister a great deal with her wedding, but since she wasn't the main character, she hadn't paid attention to many of the rules and details.
After reading a few "prohibitions," Mu Meng couldn't continue. Turning the page, there were still dozens of thick pages to go.
Anyway, after glancing at it a few times, she realized that she and her brother hadn't had a chance to do almost all of the "don'ts" these past few days, so she simply skipped over them all and jumped straight to the "musts" section to study.
"Seven days before the wedding, the betrothed must pray at the Heavenly Shrine for one hour every day; they must seal their daily spiritual artifacts in the Heavenly Box; they must cut a lock of their hair each day and tie it together; they must carry one of each other's daily items with them; they must..."
Sigh, these are all trivial and boring little things. Mu Meng skimmed through the book, turning the pages rapidly. These are all rules that must be observed seven days before the wedding; now they have to wait a few more days.
"On their wedding night, the couple must..." Just like before, Mu Meng read aloud with a calm expression.
However, after reading only the beginning, Mu Meng's voice stopped abruptly. Somewhat incredulously, she leaned closer to the pages and looked at them carefully. Then, her fair face flushed red: "Brother... why do the Holy Ancestors set so many strange rules even for their wedding night?"
Mu Qingheng was sitting next to her. Hearing this, he smiled and said in a doting tone, "You are not allowed to say that the Holy Ancestor's rules are strange."
He was also looking at the Celestial Clan's rituals, but unlike Mu Meng, his memory of them was somewhat hazy. He had already memorized every rule of the Celestial Clan. He was sitting here now partly to accompany Meng Meng, and partly to be extra careful, for fear that he might make a mistake that would ruin the wedding.
Mu Meng raised an eyebrow: "Oh... okay."
She looked back at the paper in her hand: although it was not right to be disrespectful to the Holy Ancestor, it was fortunate that she stopped in time, otherwise, if she had read out many of these rules and regulations in a careless manner... it would have been quite embarrassing.
Mu Qingheng knew what Mu Meng was thinking with just one glance, and reached out to tap her nose: "Mengmeng, as a child of the Heavenly Clan, you cannot object to the rules set by the Holy Ancestor."
Mu Meng stroked his chin, thinking: Yes, she does have some objections.
As soon as she started speaking, Mu Meng suddenly noticed that Mu Qingheng's fair ears had turned crimson, and as she spoke those words, the red deepened, as if it were about to bleed.
“…Mm.” Mu Qingheng admitted in a low voice.
Mu Meng was somewhat incredulous: "But these are the rules for marriage rites, when did you memorize them?"
Mu Qingheng smiled and said, "Naturally, it refers to the lectures given by the Celestial Clan's etiquette officials when I was young. Regardless of what they were teaching, it was all Celestial Clan etiquette, and should be treated with equal seriousness."
That's right, that's what it means to be serious. Mu Meng nodded. When the Celestial Clan's etiquette officials taught them manners when she was a child, she did indeed only focus on daily etiquette and necessary etiquette for important occasions.
However, it wasn't just her; most of the children in the Celestial Clan were like this. Even the adults turned a blind eye. Who would listen to etiquette about marriage, offspring, and arranging marriages for their children at such a young age? Since it seemed too distant at the time, they naturally let it go in one ear and out the other, not paying much attention.
But my brother is definitely different from them.
Mu Meng's bright eyes darted around mischievously. Although she had heard about these things when she was young, she hadn't really taken them to heart. This was the first time she had seen them for the first time. Even though she was shy, she was also very curious and excited.
She cleared her throat and picked up the thick ceremonial book: "Then I'm going to test you."
"On their wedding night, when the husband carried his wife into the wedding hall..."
Mu Qingheng said softly, "It's not carrying you on my back, it's hugging you."
Mu Meng raised an eyebrow: "Brother, you are indeed very meticulous, remembering these details so clearly."
She deliberately gave the wrong answer, intending to test him on the second half, and then tease him for not taking it seriously and not realizing the trap she had set after he gave the answer. But now it seems there's no need to test him on the second half.
Mu Qingheng just smiled and didn't say anything. Little did Mengmeng know that this wasn't just a detail; the point she had casually asked was very important. "Back" and "sorrow" are homophones, which is a major taboo on the wedding night and must not be mistaken.
In this way, Mu Meng knew that her brother could not be stumped by focusing on the words, but she was several times more mischievous than Mu Qingheng. Seeing him so serious, and recalling his previous aloof and innocent appearance, her playful nature was aroused again.
Next, the question is: "What is the first thing a husband should do for his wife on their wedding night?"
“Remove the phoenix crown from her and kiss the end of her hair.”
Mu Meng turned the page and asked in a different phrasing: "What does the eighteenth rule of the wedding night say?"
"...On their wedding night, what is the order in which a husband kisses his wife?"
What is that?
"The tail of the eyebrow, the corner of the eye, the tip of the nose, and the corner of the lips. They must not be mixed up."
It was as if she could already feel the warmth of his lips just from his words.
Mu Meng composed himself and then asked, "On the wedding night, how should the top buttons on both parties' collars be unfastened?"
“Mutual…” Mu Qingheng’s voice trailed off, “…with lips to resolve it.”
This was the rule that Mu Meng had just read and particularly didn't understand. She temporarily stopped the exam and asked, "Brother, why is this rule? I'm not questioning the Holy Ancestor's meaning; I'm just simply curious."
Mu Qingheng smiled slightly, and after his voice calmed down, he said in a low voice, "Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, the Celestial Clan was founded by seventeen Holy Ancestors. One of them lost both arms in battle. After the Celestial Clan gradually stabilized, he soon celebrated his wedding with his beloved wife. The two vowed to grow old together, their love unwavering. However, because he had lost his arms, there were many inconveniences on their wedding night, so they had to use this unfortunate method. Later, to commemorate this illustrious Holy Ancestor, this rule was left in the Celestial Clan's rituals. But after thousands of years of transmission, it has evolved into a custom where both parties simply use their lips to unbutton the top button of their collar, thus seeking a loving and harmonious marriage like that of the Holy Ancestor and his wife."
Mu Meng listened attentively, resting his chin on his hand, and nodded repeatedly: "So that's how it is, it's such a story. I shouldn't have found this strange earlier. My apologies."
Mu Qingheng smiled gently: "It's alright."
After hearing the story, Mu Meng excitedly continued the test: "The wedding night..."
"Alright, Mengmeng, stop testing," Mu Qingheng interrupted her in a low, husky voice, "The next one..."
He had kept his eyes slightly lowered, but now he gently raised them, revealing a pair of dark, intense eyes beneath long, raven-feather-like lashes. They seemed devoid of any light, yet possessed a captivating, lingering tenderness.
*****
Two days later, Mu Meng invited Yu Sheng to the Celestial Clan.
When a woman of the Celestial Clan gets married, she must choose a bridesmaid. This bridesmaid must be unmarried and no older than the bride. When Mu Meng saw this rule, she almost didn't think twice and immediately chose Yu Sheng.
When Yu Sheng arrived, Mu Meng had already been waiting for a while. Upon seeing her, he immediately pulled her to look at clothes and jewelry. The two men following behind them each followed them forward without hesitation.
Mu Meng stopped, turned around, and asked somewhat awkwardly, "...Are you going too?"
Seeing his brother nod, Feng Xixue didn't say anything, but his clingy nature was exactly the same as Mu Qingheng's, speaking volumes without words.
Mu Meng had a bit of a headache: "Why don't you guys not go? Sheng Sheng and I haven't seen each other for quite a while, and we have a lot to talk about. It's a topic between us, and it's not really convenient for you to listen. Besides, if we go to look at girls' clothes and jewelry, you won't be able to give any opinions, and you'll just be taking up space standing there."
Yu Sheng smiled from the side. She didn't care about anything and just listened to Mengmeng. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered. She gently advised, "Brother Feng, don't come along."
Once these two spoke, it was as if they were shackled. No matter how much Mu Qingheng and Feng Xixue wanted to go, they could only restrain themselves and obediently watch the two walk away hand in hand.
Mu Qingheng had nothing to say to Feng Xixue. After saying "Please sit down and have some tea," he sat quietly to the side, waiting for Mu Meng to return.
Feng Xixue sat opposite him, not drinking tea. After a while, she finally asked, "Once Mu Meng's bridesmaid is Sheng Sheng, can it not be changed?"
Mu Qingheng knew perfectly well that he would ask this question, so he answered truthfully: "It's not that it can't be changed, it's just that the choice was made by Mengmeng, and Miss Yu Sheng is indeed suitable."
Feng Xixue still wanted to argue: "Shouldn't this person be the bride's younger sister? At least she should be from the same clan."
“That’s not necessary,” Mu Qingheng said. “According to the rules set by the Holy Ancestor, the bride’s younger sister should indeed serve as the bridesmaid, but the definition of ‘younger sister’ is simply that she is younger than the bride, and there is no requirement that she must come from the Yuantian Clan.”
Feng Xi finally stopped beating around the bush and said in a deep voice, "But according to the rules of your Heavenly Clan, the bridesmaid must stay here for twenty-one days."
Mu Qingheng touched the tip of his nose.
This is true; the bridesmaid does indeed have to stay at Jiutianmen for a full twenty-one days. This is because the younger sister is reluctant to see her older sister get married and must personally confirm that her sister is happy and fulfilled. It is also a way of wishing for this marriage.
However, this etiquette has always been overlooked. Most of the bridesmaids chosen by the Celestial Clan women for their weddings are from the Celestial Clan, so in the past, bridesmaids did not need to move. This was the case with Mu Luo back then. She chose Mu Meng, and it was just a decision. Mu Meng lived in the Nine Heavens Gate, so she only needed to hand over her bridesmaid nameplate, and that was enough for her to complete the ceremony.
Mu Qingheng understood perfectly, but was unwilling to be too direct, so he pretended not to understand Feng Xixue's meaning: "Don't worry, Miss Yu Sheng is Mengmeng's bridesmaid, she is an extremely honored guest, and no one here will dare to mistreat her in the slightest. We will all take good care of her."
Feng Xixue then said frankly, "You know that's not what I'm worried about."
Mu Qingheng paused for a moment.
He could truly understand Feng Xixue's feelings. If it were him, being separated from his beloved for twenty-one days... it would feel like an eternity, every moment agonizing. He thought to himself that Feng Xixue had never been separated from her since finding her lover, let alone for such a long time.
But after only a moment of silence, Mu Qingheng stood his ground: "Mengmeng chose this person; she likes it. I won't try to persuade her otherwise."
After a pause, he turned to Feng Xixue and said, "I think Miss Yu Sheng is also very happy about this."
Feng Xixue gave him a half-smile.
Mu Qingheng touched his nose somewhat awkwardly, realizing that his words were a bit inappropriate: "What I mean is, if it were someone else, Miss Yu Sheng wouldn't be happy either, which is certainly not what you want. Besides, you have already been appointed as a clan minister of the Heavenly Clan by the Emperor, and you have your own residence in the Nine Heavens Gate. You can come and stay for a few days. Although Miss Yu Sheng cannot leave the Nine Heavens Gate for these twenty-one days, she doesn't have to accompany Mengmeng every day. Except for a few important occasions, everything else will be the same as usual, and you can still see her."
Feng Xixue gave a wry smile. If he weren't worried about disappointing Sheng Sheng, he wouldn't have asked such a casual question.
At this point, all he could say was, "The rules of your Celestial Clan are indeed complicated."
Mu Qingheng smiled but remained silent.
The two of them had nothing to say to each other to begin with, and this made it even more awkward for them to talk. On the table lay the Celestial Clan's ritual texts that Mu Meng had been reading these past few days. Feng Xixue, having nothing else to do, picked it up and began to read.
After a moment, Feng Xixue raised her eyes and glanced at Mu Qingheng.
Compared to the Demon Clan, who are heartless and loveless, accepting arranged marriages solely for the purpose of procreation, the Celestial Clan's customs regarding marriage, especially the wedding night, will surely broaden Feng Xixue's horizons.
As expected, Feng Xixue slowly flipped through the pages: "I never knew that the Celestial Ancestor was so remarkable. With these rules protecting you, what need is there to worry about the nourishment of your flesh and heart? In comparison, the ancestors of the Demon Clan were all useless, good-for-nothing, good-for-nothings who harmed others and themselves without ever achieving virtue."
His expression wasn't good, and he cursed his ancestors with extremely harsh and merciless language. Mu Qingheng couldn't help but suppress a laugh and hummed in agreement.
Back when he was at the Desolate Tomb, he had heard many tales of Feng Xixue's past glory and extraordinary talent. However, when he finally met him, the man was no longer the same, but had suffered greatly, looking pale, dejected, and utterly lost. Only today, hearing him relentlessly curse the Demon Ancestor, did he vaguely sense the shadow of his youthful arrogance and recklessness from those rumors.
Mu Qingheng said, "The wedding ceremony of the Demon Clan is always chilling and should never be used. As I just said, since you are a patriarch of the Celestial Clan, it is not impossible for you to marry according to the rites of the Celestial Clan."
Feng Xixue closed the ceremonial box and gently placed it aside: "Of course I will never marry according to the rites of the demon race. I have other plans for this matter."
*
Two hours later, Mu Meng and the others returned. Feng Xixue finally showed a slight smile, and hurriedly got up and pulled Yu Sheng away.
"Hey? Why is Feng Xixue walking so fast? Is there something urgent for him?" After they left, Mu Meng looked back with some confusion.
Mu Qingheng walked over, took Mu Meng's small hands in his, and gently rested his chin on the top of Mu Meng's head like a clingy big dog: "Nothing's wrong. You've been gone for so long."
His words were ambiguous and pointed, and others might not understand them, but Mu Meng immediately grasped the meaning.
So long?
Now it's clear there's no need to ask anymore; these two are equally obsessed. She'll definitely have a good chat with Sheng Sheng another day; she could probably talk for a whole day and night and still not finish complaining.
Mu Qingheng cleverly denied it: "I didn't."
Mu Meng laughed: "You don't have it, so he does? Come on, you two are in the same boat, so stop digging up each other's secrets and trying to put one down while praising the other.
Mu Qingheng stopped talking, and just smiled and kissed Mu Meng's lips.
His kiss was light, filled with tenderness and affection. Mu Meng raised her head to return the kiss, her heart full of tenderness, yet she also felt a little like laughing.
Don't think she didn't know what she and Sheng Sheng talked about after they left. Feng Xixue would definitely try to bring up the matter of Sheng Sheng being her bridesmaid, and as for her brother, he would certainly pretend to be very magnanimous, even righteously advising Feng Xixue.
But she knew perfectly well that her brother, like Feng Xixue, didn't actually want Sheng Sheng to be his bridesmaid. He was worried that he would be neglected by her if she were there for the first twenty-one days after the wedding.
However, those two people only had that much ability; at most, they could say a few useless words in private, but they wouldn't dare to utter a single word in front of the two of them.
...
**
On the eve of the wedding, according to the rules of the Celestial Clan, the betrothed couple must go to the Mountain Isle Pool together to bathe and be perfumed, as a sign of mutual respect and reverence for the wedding ceremony to be held the next day.
The Celestial Clan's Mountain Pool is a huge circular hot spring, nestled in the Star Forest beneath the Milky Way. Normally, people are not allowed to set foot there. Only when the Celestial Clan has a joyous occasion will newlywed couples come here to complete the rituals of the night before their wedding.
However, they were not yet a real couple. All this intimate affection, where they were inseparable, was left unsaid, with a large screen in front of them.
Mu Meng and Mu Qingheng entered the hot spring from opposite ends. They could see the starry sky and smell the fragrant aroma around them. They knew that there was someone else on the other side of the world with them, but they could not see anything.
Mu Meng gently raised her hand, looking at her delicate, soft hand, as drops of clean, clear, warm water slid down. Just thinking about this water... made her feel as if the temperature here had risen a little higher.
But after a brief moment of shyness, she smiled sweetly and happily, her bright and lively eyes seemingly lost in thought.
Mu Qingheng's voice was very low: "...Take a bath."
"Oh dear, that's like saying nothing at all. I know you're taking a shower. What are you thinking about? Why haven't you said anything?"
Mu Qingheng seemed to sigh helplessly, very softly, and said, "Mengmeng, what do you want to talk about?"
Mu Meng patted the water, making a clear splashing sound: "Let's chat casually. I'm almost asleep if we don't talk. Brother, do you think this spring water is hot?"
"..."
"Um?"
"……hot."
Mu Meng said, "I'm fine. The water I usually use for bathing is hotter than this, but it's not cold either."
Mu Qingheng: "Mm."
"Brother, when we come here to bathe again next time, will it be on the ninth day after our wedding? I think it is."
"yes."
"Oh, I'll have to take a look," she said as she slowly walked forward.
Mu Qingheng's voice sounded slightly flustered: "Mengmeng, what... what are you doing?"
“Look at our screen, it’s too far away, I can’t see it clearly.”
As she spoke, Mu Meng had already walked to the screen. This screen of Shanyu Pond was also very important in their wedding ceremony. She touched it with relish. "This screen was embroidered for us by my sister. We can't see it before the day. I've been curious for a long time. Today I finally get to see it. Of course I have to take a good look at it. Otherwise, I'll have to wait nine days to see it again."
She sighed softly, "It is indeed much more beautiful than the one I embroidered for her back then. My sister can not only fight on the battlefield, but her embroidery skills are also unique. I wonder when I will be able to master such skills."
It was extremely quiet on Mu Qingheng's side; there wasn't a sound at all.
Mu Meng waited a while and then asked, "It's really excellent, don't you want to come and see for yourself?"
After a long pause, his voice, seemingly restrained, finally came softly: "I won't go over there. I'll come back to bathe in nine days and retrieve it then. Then... then I'll take my time to look at it."
"That works too."
Mu Qingheng chuckled softly, his voice slightly deep: "You, be quiet for a while. Jumping around like this these past few days, aren't you afraid of getting tired? Tomorrow..."
Mu Meng waited for the rest of the story, and after a long while, asked, "What about tomorrow?"
The person on the other end paused slightly, their voice growing lower and hoarse: "There are still many things to do tomorrow."
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