Chapter 68 (End)
Recently, a piece of news has been circulating among the women of the capital: the Empress's brother, Duke Zheng, has adopted a daughter, who has recently been granted marriage to the Crown Prince by the decree of the Holy Emperor.
When this news came out, everyone was shocked.
The palace put a lot of thought into selecting a Crown Princess. They originally thought that Miss Shi from the Duke of Yingguo's mansion was the most likely candidate. But who would have thought that the adopted daughter of the Duke of Zheng, who appeared out of nowhere, would get the upper hand.
In recent days, the prince's marriage has been progressing in an orderly manner, and people are becoming more and more curious about who this adopted daughter of Duke Zheng is and how she could actually defeat the legitimate daughter of Duke Ying to become the prince's consort.
However, on the day of the prince's wedding, some royal relatives and high-ranking officials who were watching the ceremony discovered that the woman standing beside the prince to receive the enthronement ceremony was none other than the former Princess Pingyang, Chu!
At this time, everyone finally realized that King Huai was not lying. Not only was Chu not dead, but she had now become the Crown Princess!
However, at this time, she was no longer from the Chu family of Pingzhou, but the adopted daughter of Duke Zheng.
The Crown Prince's audacity to act in this way indicated that several people in the palace were aware of this. Even if they wanted to bring up old scores now, it would not only be too late, but it would also risk angering the Sage and the Crown Prince.
People in the palace said that she was Tang's daughter, and that was Tang's daughter. Don't make random accusations about her being from the Chu family.
This is what is meant by "the victor is the king and the loser is the bandit."
Chu Miaomiao was now so tired that she didn't care about anything. Her original nervousness and anticipation now turned into prayers for the ceremony to end as soon as possible.
Today is her wedding with Wei Zhen. Even if she wants to make simple decorations like usual, the etiquette does not allow it.
The fact that she was wrapped in layers of dresses restricted her movements and was slow, which was something she could still overcome. What made her most uncomfortable was the high bun with many and gorgeous decorations.
My head feels so heavy, my neck feels like it's collapsing under the weight. Just before leaving the house, I'd just finished decorating, and a bunch of people around me were praising my beauty, saying it was like a fairy descended from the heavens. Oh, when fairies descend, their heads are piled high with so many golden hairpins and phoenix hairpins, like they're building a garden on their heads?
Just as Chu Miaomiao was lost in thought, she felt Wei Zhen beside her tap her arm, signaling her to accept the imperial edict and express her gratitude. She hurriedly knelt down to accept the edict, expressing her gratitude for the emperor's great grace.
With a sharp eunuch's call of "The ceremony is over!", and amidst the solemn and powerful sound of drums and music, the crown prince and his wife, the protagonists, accepted the congratulations of the ministers on their knees, then leisurely withdrew under the gaze of the crowd. They boarded their sedan chair and departed for the Eastern Palace.
Chu Miaomiao, who could barely pretend in front of others, revealed her true colors the moment she entered the East Palace. She staggered onto the couch as soon as she entered the bedroom, and only felt a little more comfortable when her neck rested on the soft pillow.
Seeing Wei Zhen walking towards her with a smile, Chu Miaomiao pointed at her hair and asked, "Can I take my hair off now?"
Wei Zhen reached out and pulled her up: "Of course you can. Chu He, come and help the Crown Princess remove her makeup."
Chu He walked into the inner room and bowed to the prince and his wife: "Yes."
Chu He was brought back from Pingzhou half a month ago.
When the Prince of Chu's mansion caught fire in the middle of the night, Chu Miaomiao threatened Chu He with her own life to force him to flee. However, after escaping the palace, Chu He never left Pingzhou. After learning that Chu Miaomiao had died, she even followed Wei Zhen's burial team to find Chu Miaomiao's tomb.
A thin coffin and a dirt pit were used to hastily bury the princess. Chu He wept bitterly. After the imperial army left Pingzhou, Chu He used the money Chu Miaomiao had given her to find someone to rebuild her tomb. Only then did she realize that the coffin she had buried was empty.
The princess is still alive!
Chu He cried with joy. After calming down for a while, she realized that the news that the princess was still alive must be kept secret. Just in case, the empty coffin should be moved to another place. So she found a deep mountain forest and moved the empty grave there.
This was also the reason why King Huai's men went to Pingzhou to look for Chu Miaomiao's tomb but returned empty-handed.
After the Chu family confessed their crimes, Chu He felt much safer and planned to stay here to do some small business and also to guard the princess's tomb. Unexpectedly, one day she ran into someone sent by the prince to look for her. She was so scared that she thought they were going to send her to the capital to be punished, but it turned out that they were taking her to the capital to meet the princess!
It was also after meeting Chu He that Chu Miaomiao realized that she was guarding her grave. She was so moved that she hugged Chu He and cried.
After Chu Miaomiao was safe, she always missed Chu He. She was afraid that she would have a hard time wandering around the world alone, so she wanted to bring her to Beijing, give her a small property there, and let her live a stable life.
Unexpectedly, Chu He was still willing to be her maid and stay by her side. So this time, Chu He also entered the palace and became the head maid beside her.
Chu Miaomiao, standing in front of the dressing table, looked through the mirror at Chu He who was taking off her hair accessories, and raised the corners of her lips slightly.
Chu Miaomiao thought that she was the happiest at this moment.
After changing into their casual clothes and freshening their makeup, the newlyweds went to Qingyuan Hall together to attend a banquet to congratulate them on their wedding.
During the banquet, there was singing and dancing, drinking and chatting, the atmosphere was harmonious and both the guests and hosts were having a great time.
Royal relatives and high-ranking officials toasted the newlyweds one after another. Wei Zhen could drink quite well, so he didn't get drunk.
Chu Miaomiao is not doing so well anymore. Although she liked to drink a little wine when she was a playboy, that was just to pretend to be coquettish. If it really came to a competition of drinking, she would just surrender.
"Ah-Lun, A-Ying, why are you both so unstable that you can't stand still like a tumbler?"
When Wei Yan and Jiang Yingyue came to toast and heard Chu Miaomiao say this, they looked at each other.
It seems that the Crown Princess is already drunk.
They both put down their wine glasses, each holding Chu Miaomiao's arms as they went to the side hall to rest. Chu He wanted to follow, but Wei Yan told her to quickly get some hangover soup.
Helping Chu Miaomiao sit down on the couch, Jiang Yingyue looked at Wei Yan: "Since he's so drunk, do you still want to send us our gifts?"
"Gift?" Chu Miaomiao's ears twitched, and her eyes, which had been drooping, suddenly brightened. "What gift?"
Jiang and Wei looked at her in confusion: "Sober so quickly? Are you really drunk or are you just pretending to be drunk?"
Chu Miaomiao cleared her throat. "I'm mainly dizzy, but I'm conscious. What gift do you want to give me?"
Wei Xun took out a small notebook from his arms, while Jiang Yingyue looked around vigilantly, fearing that someone might eavesdrop or peek.
"It's just a pamphlet, why are you two so secretive—"
Before he could finish his words, Chu Miaomiao, who had just opened the booklet and glanced at it, quickly closed it. The blush on her cheeks, already stained by drunkenness, deepened even further.
"Where did you two unmarried girls get all this mess from?"
"If you don't want it, just give it back to us." Wei Yan reached out to take it, and Chu Miaomiao hid the thing behind him.
"There's no point in returning something you've given to someone else." Chu Miaomiao muttered softly, "Besides, this book might still come in handy. But then again, this isn't a serious book for girls. You two are truly amazing."
Jiang Yingyue blushed and smiled awkwardly, but Wei Yan remained calm: "Isn't it okay to take a look out of curiosity?"
Chu Miaomiao gave a thumbs up: "As expected of Ah Lu, a heroine. I admire you."
As they were talking, Chu He arrived with some hangover soup. Chu Miaomiao drank it, and the three of them chatted for a while, finally bringing up Wei Zhen's marriage.
Jiang Yingyue happily congratulated him, "It's great that Prince Yu agreed to your marriage with Cheng Zi. Congratulations, Ah Lu!"
Chu Miaomiao also praised: "Congratulations!"
Wei Yan smiled warmly, a rare gesture. "Thank you." Then he looked at Jiang Yingyue and said jokingly, "Looks like I have to embroider your wedding dress with you."
Speaking of this, Jiang Yingyue's excitement faded a lot. Wei Yan, who was always very sensitive to Jiang Yingyue's emotions, asked, "What's wrong?"
"Now I seem to have something more I want to do than embroidering wedding dresses."
Chu Miaomiao asked: "What's the matter?"
Jiang Yingyue smiled calmly, "I've been busy with the academy's anniversary celebrations lately, and have been compiling a lot of stories about our predecessors. Some of them wrote books, some served as officials, and some even became prime ministers and marquises."
Envy flickered in her eyes. "I also studied at the White Deer Academy. I took the same courses as the men, but in the end, only men could take the imperial examinations. I really want to put my knowledge to use and do something for the people and the court."
"But there's no precedent for women serving as officials in all dynasties." Chu Miaomiao patted Jiang Yingyue's shoulder to comfort her. "Aying, although women can't serve as officials in the court, I think women are the teachers of the family. The kind of person you are will also affect the people around you, especially your children. But I'm a special case. After all, my mother, such a typical lady from a noble family, didn't influence me, but she did teach my brother very well."
Jiang Yingyue smiled in relief: "I know. In fact, no matter which path you choose, the most important thing is to find a way to live a good life."
The three of them chatted for a while, and Chu Miaomiao returned to the banquet after feeling that she was in good condition.
At this time, it was Wei Zhen's turn who could hardly hold on. He felt dizzy and had to be supported by Chu Miaomiao to avoid being rude in front of others.
Therefore, the prince and his wife, who were not good at drinking, had to leave the table first.
Wei Zhen seemed to be really drunk. He fell on Chu Miaomiao and couldn't get up all the way back to the East Palace. In the end, two or three eunuchs carried him back to the bedroom.
Looking at Wei Zhen who was already fast asleep on the bed, Chu Miaomiao pounded her sore and painful shoulders.
If this man hadn't been drunk, Chu Miaomiao would have suspected that he was deliberately making fun of her.
It was already dark at this time, and the lights were on in the hall, illuminating the decorated bridal chamber with a spring atmosphere.
After helping Chu Miaomiao to wash and change her clothes, Chu He left with the palace maids. Before leaving, she gave her an ambiguous smile, which made Chu Miaomiao feel a chill.
What are you laughing at? Tonight's protagonist is already drunk and unconscious. What is there to look forward to?
But it was okay that Wei Zhen was drunk, she wasn't nervous anymore. While Wei Zhen was sleeping, she could secretly "study" for a while.
Chu Miaomiao chuckled twice, took out the booklet she had hidden away, and read it carefully under the candlelight.
Wei Yu was truly impressive, having managed to acquire such high-end goods. Compared to this, the books she'd bought in Pingzhou were so crude they were unbearable to read. Look at how meticulously the figures in this booklet were drawn.
Because she was so engrossed in watching, Chu Miaomiao didn't even notice that the person lying on the bed had gotten up and was standing quietly behind her.
"Hmm, so you like looking at this kind of picture album."
The sudden sound startled Chu Miaomiao so much that she threw the booklet in her hand away, and she regretted it the next second.
It was just caught by Wei Zhen!
Wei Zhen opened it and glanced at it for a few seconds, then looked at Chu Miaomiao with a half-smile: "Does a dandy like the Crown Princess also need to see these?"
"That's right." Chu Miaomiao managed to calm down and said with all her might, "Even a playboy needs to keep up with the times. I'll just do some simple learning."
Listening to Chu Miaomiao's nonsense, Wei Zhen even nodded in agreement. He took a step forward, almost close to Chu Miaomiao, and opened his arms to embrace her. His warm breath gently sprinkled on Chu Miaomiao's ears, startling her body and trembling.
"Then let me test the Crown Princess's learning achievements."
"Eh? So fast? I—"
Before Chu Miaomiao could finish the rest of her words, she was blocked by Wei Zhen's passionate kiss. Chu Miaomiao was also a loser. She would only surrender when facing Wei Zhen. After a while, her head was already dazed and confused.
Chu Miaomiao, who was in a daze, now had a charming look in her eyes. After a while of rubbing her lips, she opened slightly, as if inviting Wei Zhen again.
Wei Zhen's eyes darkened, and when he wanted to grab that softness again, its owner avoided him.
"Wait a minute." Chu Miaomiao finally regained some consciousness and tried to push Wei Zhen away, "I haven't finished learning yet."
Wei Zhen curled his lips and kissed the corner of her lips affectionately. His voice was slightly hoarse, as if he was suppressing some danger that was about to burst out: "This kind of thing is faster to learn by doing it yourself than by reading books."
After saying that, he picked up Chu Miaomiao and walked towards the bed.
The pair of dragon and phoenix candles in the room burned all night long. The man's low moans and the woman's gentle sobs intertwined together, creating a picture full of spring.
Don’t waste the beautiful spring night, let’s go to Wushan together to make love.
(End of text)
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