Chapter 99 The Eve of the Wedding
As dusk fell and the lights began to light up, the whole of Kyoto seemed to be immersed in golden honey wine, with lights and decorations everywhere, and a festive atmosphere was rising.
Tomorrow is the wedding day when Prince Yong Nangong Ye marries Princess Fuxing Dongfang Yuning.
The event was unprecedented in grandeur. Even distant countries such as the Western Regions, Northern Di, and Southern Zhao sent high-level delegations. The post stations were already overcrowded, just to witness the grand wedding of the legendary Princess Fuxing.
The Taifu Mansion was brightly lit, and servants were busy making final preparations for tomorrow's wedding.
However, in the warm room of Songtao Garden, which was specially used to entertain the most distinguished male guests, the atmosphere was somewhat stagnant, mixed with a few subtle resentments.
Emperor Nangong Yu, even in his low-key black casual clothes, could not hide his imperial bearing. However, on his handsome face, the four words "dissatisfaction" were clearly written.
He condescended to sit on the rosewood couch covered with white tiger skin, tapping the armrest with his fingers from time to time, and looking out the window with a dim gaze - that was the direction of Yuning Pavilion.
His queen, Dongfang Qiwu, had gone back to her parents' home yesterday under the pretext of accompanying her soon-to-be-married sister and teaching her the ways of being a wife, leaving him all alone in the huge Fengyi Palace!
Next to him, Chen Xiaoyun, the son of Marquis Xuanping, was dressed in a crimson brocade robe and sipping tea in a respectable manner.
But the gentle smile that usually hung on his lips, like the spring breeze blowing on the willows, was now so faint that it was almost invisible, and the fox's eyes were also covered with a layer of resentment of being a fellow wanderer in the world.
His newlywed wife, the eldest princess Nangong Yue, followed in the Queen's footsteps and refused to leave the Taifu Mansion under the pretext of accompanying her aunt and sharing her newlywed experience!
He was left alone in the empty room, sighing at the huge mansion.
The two men of noble status and great power now looked like abandoned large dogs, exuding a low pressure.
"Aye,"
Nangong Yu retracted his gaze and looked at Nangong Ye, who was sitting opposite him, calmly brewing tea.
The groom-to-be, dressed in a black suit with cloud patterns, stood tall and straight like a cedar. His handsome face, frozen for thousands of years, showed no trace of nervousness or anxiety. Instead, he seemed more calm and composed than usual, and even... a hint of anticipation for the upcoming harvest of victory.
This calm and composed look deeply hurt the eyes of the two "resentful husbands".
Nangong Yu decided to give him some trouble:
"Tomorrow is your big day. How is it? Too excited to sleep, right? Could you share some experience with me?"
He had a mischievous look in his eyes.
Chen Xiaoyun immediately put down the teacup, his fox eyes curved, and he said playfully:
"Yes, Uncle! Although I may be dull, I have at least just experienced it. This wedding night requires the right time, place, and people, and even more so... well... sufficient physical strength and endurance. If you have any concerns, I will tell you everything I know!"
He smiled sincerely and harmlessly, but his eyes flickered with a malicious intent to see how long you could keep your composure.
The two of them are planning something bad tonight, and they want to create some tension for this royal brother/uncle who is usually cold-hearted and has everything under control, but is now about to step into a new battlefield in his life!
Nangong Ye lifted the small purple clay teapot and slowly poured boiling water into the three jade cups before him. Steam rose in the air, and the fragrance of tea filled the air. His movements were smooth and graceful, as if he were not dealing with two "malicious" relatives, but rather performing a tea ceremony.
He raised his eyes, his deep gaze swept across the two people opposite him calmly, his thin lips slightly parted, and his voice was as cold and clear as a jade chime:
"Thank you, my brother, the prince, for your concern. Experience is not necessary. Physical strength and endurance are not necessary."
He paused, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a very faint arc, but full of absolute confidence.
"Not a problem at all."
The tone was as calm as if he was stating that the weather was nice today, but it carried a kind of confidence that looked down on the world.
System 118 broadcasts this in real time in Dongfang Yuning's mind:
[Beep! High-energy alert ahead! 'Resentful Husband Alliance' (Emperor + Blackhearted Fox) vs. 'Iceberg War God·Future Groom'! Battle Level: Shura Field! Host! Your brother Aye is as steady as a rock! His aura is fully on! (System is frantically displaying 666 comments.jpg)]
Dongfang Yuning was being pressed into the tub at the moment, being marinated in various fragrant dews and flower petals by the palace maids, wailing inwardly:
[118! Stop brushing! I'm almost being smothered! What's this "resentful husband alliance"? What's going on with my brother-in-law and Shen Huli? Did Aye's brother get into a fight?!]
Nangong Yu and Shen Xiaoyun were choked by Nangong Ye's stubborn and confident attitude. Nangong Yu rolled his eyes and a plan came to his mind.
He waved his hand to dismiss the palace servants waiting in the warm room, stood up himself, and took out a jar of old fine wine sealed with mud from the rosewood cabinet beside him. He broke the mud seal, and the rich and mellow aroma of the wine instantly spread.
“Good wine!”
Shen Xiaoyun praised with discerning eyes.
"A century of flames burning in tribute from the Western Regions! The aftereffects..."
Nangong Yu smiled like an old fox,
"Aye, the big day is coming soon. How about having a few drinks with my brother tonight and wishing everything goes well tomorrow?"
He personally held the pot and poured the blood-red, overbearingly fragrant wine into the three people's jade cups.
Nangong Ye remained expressionless as he accepted it calmly. Nangong Yu filled up Chen Xiaoyun's and his own glasses again. The three of them raised their glasses. After several rounds of toasts, the aroma of wine in the warm room grew stronger, and the atmosphere seemed to warm up considerably.
Nangong Yu's face flushed, and his eyes became blurry. He patted Nangong Ye's shoulder, as if he was drunk, his voice was unclear but every word was clear:
"Aye...hiccup...brother...I'm really happy for you..."
He came closer, with a strong smell of alcohol, and lowered his voice mysteriously.
"Do you know... do you know why Wu'er and Yue insisted on moving in early? They... they were plotting... to prepare a... earth-shattering wedding gift package for you!"
Nangong Ye's hand holding the wine glass paused almost imperceptibly, and his deep eyes stared at his royal brother who had "spoken out of turn after drinking".
Nangong Yu continued to talk big and gesture with his hands:
"Golden nanmu wood... such a huge box! Carved with phoenixes... inside... are all treasures! That girl Yue'er... lost eight pieces in the battle! They were so heartbroken! So... this time... they put all their efforts into preparing a full thirty pieces for your little princess! Each one... is a unique piece! The Jiangnan embroiderers worked themselves to death to make them! They are worth... priceless!"
As he spoke, he secretly observed Nangong Ye's expression.
Chen Xiaoyun added at the right moment, his tone carrying the sorrow of someone who had experienced this, and a hint of hidden boasting:
"Uncle, I'm warning you from personal experience... that material... may look light and thin, and beautiful, but in reality... it's completely useless! Even the slightest... letdown... will tear... and it'll become tattered! Thirty pieces? I doubt it!"
[Aunt, I lost eight pieces of equipment in the battle! And the Emperor's uncle's battle physique... Sigh, your little princess will have to endure twice as much!]
Nangong Ye's icy face still showed no emotion, but his knuckles holding the wine glass tightened slightly, and his joints turned white.
Nangong Yu saw this and laughed in his heart. He moved closer, almost close to Nangong Ye's ear, and lowered his voice to a very low level with an ambiguity that all men understand:
"And... there's something even more amazing! Worry-Free Cream... you know? That hidden gem from Yueji Pavilion... they've made an upgraded version! Ten boxes! With some powerful ingredients... the effect... hehe..."
He let out a low, obscene laugh.
"It's said... that it can turn fine steel into something soft and flexible... and it can melt your bones and make you feel intoxicated..."
Shen Xiaoyun also lowered his voice, with a look of "you know what I mean":
"Anything produced by my aunt must be top-notch! The advanced version... I was lucky enough to try it... The taste... Tsk... Yue'er... the next day..."
He braked in time and gave Nangong Ye a look that said, "You know what I mean, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."
Finally, Nangong Yu played his "trump card". He seemed to be really drunk, and staggered out from his arms (actually he had prepared it in advance) a palm-sized secret box made of rosewood, with a five-clawed dragon carved on it, and emitting an ancient and strange fragrance.
He opened a crack mysteriously, and in an instant, a rich, pure, invigorating scent of herbs and trees mixed with a faint golden light emanated!
Lying quietly inside were three pills the size of longan, completely round, flowing with red gold, and containing tremendous vitality!
"this!"
Nangong Yu's voice was filled with the excitement of presenting a treasure and a "drunken" boasting.
"Nine-transformation Golden Crow Revitalizing Pill! The treasure trove held by that old man in the Imperial Hospital! A divine doctor's secret formula! Draws upon the essence of heaven and earth! Take one pill... and instantly restore health! Resurrect to full health! Energy... endless! Dragon-like vigor and tiger-like strength! Golden spear... uh... anyway!"
He slammed the secret box into Nangong Ye's hands, his eyes filled with the deep love of "brother is like father" (and the excitement of watching the fun without minding the big things),
"A wedding night... an essential medicine! Use it sparingly! Remember! Remember!"
Nangong Ye lowered his head, looking at the red sandalwood dragon-patterned secret box in his hand, which exuded a domineering medicinal fragrance and the emperor's evil taste, listened to the "drunken truths" of his royal brother and niece-in-law, singing in unison and vividly describing, and felt the heat emitted by the elixir in his palm, which seemed to ignite his blood.
Deep within his frozen eyes, the calm was finally over. Beneath the ice, it was as if lava, dormant for millennia, had suddenly ignited and surged forth!
A very faint but extremely hot glimmer of excitement and determination belonging to a top predator flashed across his deep pupils, so fast that it was impossible to catch.
He slowly closed his fingers and held the small secret box tightly in his palm, as if holding the key to victory.
He raised his eyes and nodded slightly to his drunken brother and his concerned niece-in-law. His voice was low and calm, but it contained earth-shattering power and promise:
"Royal brother, the prince... has good intentions. Ye, keep it in mind."
System 118 issued a shrill alarm in Dongfang Yuning's mind:
[Beep! Nuclear-level alert! Top secret leaked! 'Thirty Battle Suits', 'Worry-Free Cream Pro Max Plus', and 'Nine-Turn Golden Crow Revitalizing Pill - Imperial Edition' have all fallen into Prince Yong's hands!]
Host! The difficulty of your wedding dungeon has been upgraded from Abyssal Nightmare to Ragnarok! May you be blessed! (The system plays the climax of "Symphony of Fate")
Dongfang Yuning was being pulled out of the bathtub by a palace maid, wrapped in a soft, absorbent brocade towel. She was covered in powder and smelled delicious. She was confused.
[Nuclear explosion? Ragnarok? 118, you got a virus? And the Nine-Transformation Golden Crow… sounds like an elixir for a divine mount? Is your brother-in-law feeding Brother Aye's horse?]
Yuning Pavilion: "Physiology Class" under the Red Candle
Inside Yuning Pavilion, red candles burned brightly, and the air was filled with warm fragrance. Unlike the clamor outside and the surreptitious battles in Songtao Garden, the air here was filled with an atmosphere of "boudoir whispers"—a mixture of tension, shyness, and excitement.
Dongfang Yuning was wearing soft pajamas, with her long black hair cascading down like a waterfall. Her little face was steamed pink by the heat, like a freshly peeled boiled egg.
She sat somewhat awkwardly on the edge of the bed covered with a bright red quilt, looking at the three women sitting around her - her mother Li Zhener, her sister the Queen Dongfang Qiwu, and her niece and best friend Nangong Yue.
The three beautiful women, each of distinguished status and distinct temperament, cast aside their usual dignity, their faces adorned with gentle yet mischievous smiles. The palace maids and nannies had long since been dismissed, and the heavy door shut out everything from the outside world.
"Ning'er,"
Queen Dongfang Qiwu held her sister's slightly cold hand, her voice as gentle as water.
"Tomorrow is the most important day of your life. I know you're smart, but there are some things that require some advice from experienced people like us."
A blush also appeared on her dignified face.
As a mother, Mrs. Li felt even more distressed and worried. She stroked her daughter's soft long hair, her voice choked with sobs and filled with infinite love:
"Damn Ning'er...she's getting married in the blink of an eye...this is a girl's business..."
She paused, lowering her voice even more.
"Mother, I'm telling you, this first night... women always... have it harder... Prince Yong... looks like a man of strong physique... You... you shouldn't let him go too far. If you feel uncomfortable, be sure to speak up... Don't put yourself in a difficult position..."
She spoke in a subtle way, her face flushed red.
Nangong Yue was the most "bold". She sat cross-legged next to Dongfang Yuning, her big eyes sparkling, with the excitement of a veteran and a secret expectation of "Auntie, you also have this day"
"Oh! Mother! Grandma! You are being too reserved! Aunt!"
She grabbed Dongfang Yuning's hand, put it close to her ear, and whispered:
"Here's the point! I'm telling you, this man, no matter how cold and cruel he usually is, once the door is closed, especially when he first starts eating meat, he's like a wolf that's been hungry for eight hundred years! My fox is like that! Gentle on the surface, but inside... ahem, ferocious! Don't be fooled by his icy face!"
She began to share her extremely private practical experience:
"Relax! You have to relax! The more tense you are, the more painful it will be!"
"Cooperate! Cooperate with him a little... and you'll get twice the result with half the effort!"
"Aunt, your 'Worry-Free Cream' is a magical item! Don't skimp! Apply it liberally! Apply wherever you need it! The effects... are incredible!"
She winked at Dongfang Yuning.
"As for the posture... uh... well... you'll have to adapt to the situation! Putting a soft pillow under your waist can save a lot of effort!"
"As for the screams... don't scream like a pig being slaughtered... but don't be stifled either... a moderate amount... well... can add to the fun..."
"The most important thing! What if... what if he lasts too long... and you can't hold on any longer... just pretend to be asleep! Pretend to faint! Or... beg for mercy! I think this trick might work on the Emperor's uncle!"
The amount of information and the scale of Nangong Yue's words left the inexperienced Dongfang Yuning dumbfounded. Her face instantly turned red all the way to the tips of her ears. She looked like a cooked shrimp and she wanted to bury her face in the quilt!
She felt like her CPU (brain) was completely burned out by these vicious words!
[Ahhh! Help! Yueyue, what are you talking about! What hungry wolf! What posture! What's that cry! And the Worry-Free Cream... That's something I developed to enhance the boudoir and sell at a high price!]
No… No… Help! My ears are ringing! Mother! Sister! Please take care of her! 118! Mute her! Mute her now! Or just knock her out with a stick!]
Dongfang Yuning was scrolling through the screen frantically in his heart, feeling extremely ashamed and angry, and even used his toes to dig out a picture of three bedrooms and a living room on the quilt.
System 118 laughed so hard in her mind that the code got tangled up:
[Beep! The host is receiving a VIP private speeding lesson from three veteran drivers! Incredibly informative! Speeds reaching 300 mph! Please fasten your seatbelts, stow the tray table, and straighten your seatbacks!]
Friendly reminder: Your 'new car', the Prince Yong, has been refueled with 'Nine-turn Golden Crow' nuclear fuel! It's about to break through the atmosphere! (The system plays the "Drift" background music)
And the three women surrounding her——
Queen Dongfang Qiwu smiled dignifiedly, thinking:
[Pfft… Ning'er is screaming so hard… the roof is about to fall off! So cute! But Yue'er's words are true… With Aye's physique… Ning'er is afraid that tomorrow night will be very difficult. Luckily, I have enough plasters and… those 'tonic pills'. Shouldn't he be able to handle it?]
Li Zhen'er was heartbroken and wiped away tears, thinking:
[My son...you are saying these words from your heart...your heart is broken! It's so embarrassing...but what Yue girl said is the truth!]
My uncle's physique... looks like he could kill a tiger with one punch! Ning'er is so delicate... ah! That ointment... needs more preparation! Apply it thickly!]
Princess Nangong Yue rubbed her hands excitedly, thinking:
[Hahaha! My aunt's inner comments are flooding the screen! I'm so embarrassed! Yes, yes, yes! That's it! Uncle! Bring out your battlefield killer prowess!]
Don't hesitate! Thirty pieces of armor are prepared just for you to tear... ahem... apart! Auntie! Hang in there! I'm rooting for you! Try not to have to drink the ginseng soup!]
They maintained the care and guidance of their elders on the surface, but in their hearts they were overjoyed because they "heard" Dongfang Yuning's collapsed and ashamed voice. Their shoulders were shaking slightly from trying to hold back their laughter, and they had to try their best to maintain a serious expression, which was extremely difficult.
Just when Dongfang Yuning was so overwhelmed by Nangong Yue's "physiology class" that his soul left his body and was about to ascend to heaven, the long sound of the night watchman's clapper was faintly heard outside the window.
"Boom!—Boom! Boom!"
It's already three o'clock in the morning.
The Queen stood up at the right moment and adjusted her sleeves gracefully:
"Okay, it's late. Ning'er has to get up early tomorrow to dress up, so it's time to rest."
She gave Li and Nangong Yue a look.
Li quickly tucked the quilt for her daughter and said softly:
"Ning'er, have a good sleep and get enough rest."
Nangong Yue quickly kissed Dongfang Yuning on the hot cheek, leaving the ultimate "blessing":
"Aunt! A night of love is worth a thousand gold! Enjoy it! Strive to... become famous! Let the emperor's uncle... uh... come out tomorrow with support from his waist!"
Then he hopped away like a rabbit.
Dongfang Yuning: "..."
[Nangong Yue! I'm irreconcilable with you! What's with the idea of becoming famous in one battle? What's with the idea of supporting my waist? 118! I feel like I'm not going to get married tomorrow, I'm going to be executed! Help! Is it too late to escape now?!]
System 118 quietly lit the virtual beacon tower:
[Beep! Midnight has passed! The wedding countdown begins! Prince Yong has completed final inspection! Target: Yuning Pavilion! Host, your wedding dungeon, 'Twilight of the Gods'... is about to load! Wishing you... great military luck!]
The red candle flickered as Dongfang Yuning was forcibly tucked into the soft quilt. Before him was a tent ceiling embroidered with images of his descendants, and in his ears, the sound of Nangong Yue's shocking "teachings" and the gloating electronic tones of System 118 still lingered.
Facing her husband, who was about to arrive, armed to the teeth and equipped with nuclear power, and those thirty battle suits that seemed like "death warrants"... She was now filled with only endless shame, indignation, confusion, and a fear of impending disaster.
In Songtao Garden, Prince Yong Nangong Ye, who held the nuclear weapons codes and had lava surging in his eyes, was facing the bright moon outside the window, slowly stroking the warm yet powerful rosewood secret box in his palm.
The determined curve on his icy face was extremely clear under the cold moonlight.
The hunt is about to begin.
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