Chapter 296 The Grand Wedding (Part 2) ...
Tao Jiang blushed slightly in the dim candlelight: "I don't have a given name yet. Your Majesty, please... give me one."
Remembering what Qi Chengming had just said, she changed how she addressed him.
"My courtesy name is Wuyou. You can call me Wuyou or Husband from now on. Calling me Your Majesty is too formal. As for my nickname... my nickname..." Qi Chengming mumbled for a moment. Of course, what he wanted to see most was Miss Tao blushing and calling him Husband, but he also needed a name for everyday use.
But what word should I use...?
Qi Chengming fell into deep thought.
Having already given the precedent of naming Huang Yonglan, Qi Chengming had some ideas. After a moment's thought, he tentatively asked, "How about the characters 'Yizhen'?"
Tao Jiang silently repeated the two words, then asked curiously, "Does it have any meaning?"
Qi Chengming recalled the time when the Ministry of Rites finalized the marriage agreement; the Imperial Observatory had matched the horoscopes, and he had glanced at the results and inquired about them as well.
Because Tao's mother came from a family in the Guanzhong region, sharing the same ancestry as Tao's father, the couple named their daughter "Jiang." This name subtly alludes to the inheritance of the Jiang River bloodline, and also represents resilience and survival. It signifies that no matter what circumstances their daughter faces, she will be able to survive strongly, reflecting the parents' deep love for their daughter.
Therefore, the character "姜" (Jiang) represents the love and expectations her parents have for her, and Qi Chengming then thought of the character "意真" (Yi Zhen).
"Literally, it means being consistent in word and deed and treating others with sincerity." Qi Chengming looked at his future wife, with whom he would spend a long time, and said solemnly, "But I hope even more that you can remain as unrestrained in the royal family as you were in your boudoir, and retain your true self. May you continue to be as sincere as ever."
This is my best wish for her.
“…I understand.” Tao Jiang nodded thoughtfully, accepting the new name.
She finally understood: how afraid Young Master Qi was of her putting on a false persona every day in the palace. Half an evening after their wedding, he had repeatedly told her three times not to be restrained, to say whatever came to mind, and to start their daily interactions. The question was, did she have that ability?
Tao Jiang can put on a convincing act in front of outsiders, but after a while, her true colors will be revealed. She would never compromise herself for the sake of some reputation!
Tao Jiang then smiled boldly and said, "Wuyou, let's eat. If we keep talking, I'll get starving."
"Yizhen, try this. I love the ones made by Zhang Dajian the most. They're also sweet and sour."
For a moment, there was no other sound in the main hall except for the sounds of the most distinguished newlyweds in the world eating tea with their chopsticks.
"..."
Xiao Dezi and Xiao Chengzi, who were waiting outside to change the hot water pipes, looked utterly dejected.
Xiao Chengzi sighed, looking troubled, and hesitated to speak.
His Majesty… is he still so clueless! Newlyweds in love usually give their wives a pet name, a nickname they use daily. Why is His Majesty discussing this so formally and seriously?! That doesn't sound like a term of endearment; it's too much of a formal blessing.
It's like naming a daughter.
Only Gan Tang still harbored a secret, unspoken expectation and optimism.
Although the Emperor and Empress seemed more like playmates when they ate together than romantic and ambiguous, only she knew how delightful and innocent the exchange of glances between the Emperor and the Empress during their wedding ceremony had been.
What is this? This is what a young couple should look like, experiencing the first stirrings of love!
It's best to maintain the status quo. Those two troublesome eunuchs, De and Cheng, should be given a few words of advice over the next couple of days. They shouldn't rashly reveal your feelings or offer any unwarranted bad advice that could jeopardize His Majesty's important plans…
With that thought in mind, Gan Tang discreetly whispered a few words of advice to them during a quiet moment in the night.
The two chief eunuchs' expressions changed from confusion and bewilderment to great joy, then to fear and shame, and finally to gratitude and thanks.
Even the personal maidservant who accompanied Tao Jiang to the palace this time, named Lüla, who had been listening to the whole thing without keeping it a secret, looked shocked and enlightened. In the end, she thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, sister. Lüla has remembered it!"
The aunt who was raised by Tao Jiang was originally surnamed Wang and was known as Aunt Wang. But this time, since she was allowed to return to the palace with him, she solemnly acknowledged her master and was specially given a new name, "Bai Song". Everyone had to respectfully address her as Aunt Bai Song and also express their gratitude.
Gan Tang nodded steadily in agreement, resuming his guarding posture, secretly making plans in his mind.
To find out the specifics, just observe how many times His Majesty and the Empress request water tonight; many things will become clear then.
After a turbulent night, the waves surged, and dragons and phoenixes sang in harmony.
The palace staff called for water twice, then went to bed early.
Xiao Dezi's face was almost frozen in the cold wind, but he just kept smiling so wide that his eyes were almost closed, and he sighed in a low voice, "Now Steward Song doesn't have to worry anymore. The matter he entrusted to me can finally be taken care of!"
Not to mention their worries, Xiao Dezi had observed that His Majesty had instructed him over the years to secretly wash his undergarments and bedsheets, and he hadn't been near any women whatsoever, chasing away all the maids and eunuchs who tried to seduce him. He and Xiao Chengzi were also deeply troubled!
The wedding went smoothly.
Xiao Dezi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, slowly settled down.
...
early morning.
Qi Chengming habitually reached under his pillow for his phone to check the time. The soft warmth he was holding made his arm stiffen, and suddenly memories flooded back.
By the way, starting today, he will no longer be living alone.
Recalling the unbearable memories of last night, Qi Chengming endured it with great difficulty, silently thinking: Today I have to pay respects to my ancestors and see the Empress Dowager... I can't delay.
But the feeling of being held in someone's arms calmed Qi Chengming down, and he quietly started scrolling through his phone.
Of all the novels he downloaded on his phone back then, even though he cherished reading them, after all these years, he still only has a few dozen left unfinished. He'll probably have to spend the rest of his life repeatedly rewatching classic movies and TV series.
Qi Chengming made up his mind and showed no intention of avoiding it.
Tao Jiang: "..."
The moment His Majesty moved, she, who was not yet used to sleeping with others, woke up. At first, shyness made her unable to move. But when she saw His Majesty holding a strange-looking little cube and looking at it, with a faint, eerie blue light shining on the young man's face, the atmosphere became so stiff.
Tao Jiang was so frightened that she dared not utter another sound.
Suddenly, all the rumors about the new emperor that she had heard but had previously ignored came flooding back to her mind.
Before the new emperor ascended the throne, various strange phenomena seemed to occur in the palace, all revealing that the new emperor was the rightful heir to the throne and the one favored by Heaven. That night, the Tao family also vaguely heard some noises, not to mention that afterwards, the half-sister rushed over anxiously, vividly recounting what her third cousin had found out, describing the new emperor as if he were a celestial being descended to earth…
Tao Jiang had never seen the emperor, so she both believed and feared him, vaguely feeling that the emperor was an extraordinary figure whom she both revered and feared.
It wasn't until she personally met Young Master Qi, spent so much time with him, and even got engaged that things changed. Young Master Qi treated her with kindness, took her out to have fun, praised and admired her, always thought of her, and never showed his temper in front of her…
How could Tao Jiang be afraid of a young master like Qi?
So she put all those rumors out of her mind, thinking that... she thought that it was just that other people had distanced themselves from the emperor, and that misunderstandings had led to all sorts of rumors.
But now...
Tao Jiang pursed her lips tightly, feeling a little trembling, but she held back.
While playing on his phone, Qi Chengming felt something was off. After thinking for a moment, he realized it was the irregular breathing beside him. He looked down and saw his newlywed wife nestled in his arms, her almond-shaped eyes wide with slight fear—she had been awake for who knows how long.
"Husband... what is this?" She looked frightened, her voice barely audible, yet she still dared to ask.
This is because she firmly remembered that Qi Chengming liked people to speak their minds, and that her own nature was not one to be good at pretending.
"I thought you wouldn't ask."
Qi Chengming showed Tao Jiang what the phone looked like with the screen off, tucked the blanket around her, and said, "There are many mysterious things about me that I can't explain. As your husband, I won't hide them from you, but I can't explain them to you either—just know that these things won't harm us and that they are useful."
Qi Chengming couldn't abandon modern items, nor could he hide his true nature from his wife after getting married.
Sometimes when I eat, I get KFC, hot and sour noodles, instant noodles, roast goose, and all sorts of other things from the rewards I get.
The beverages are also varied.
He scrolls through his phone for a little while before going to bed in the morning, as a way of commemorating modern life.
When faced with important matters, he would use his mobile phone to contact other officials or summon the backup drones to fly. If there was an emergency at night, rather than illuminating the main hall with candlelight, Qi Chengming preferred to turn on several flashlights to write on his desk.
And there's the generator that's used frequently in the Ice Drinking Palace...
"So you...you really are a celestial being descended to earth?" Tao Jiang's eyes widened with excitement, half-believing and half-doubting. Meeting the Emperor's gaze, she wisely swallowed her words. "I know, I won't ask anymore."
"Have His Majesty and the Empress woken up?" Gan Tang's voice sounded softly from outside the door.
"Get up," Qi Chengming said, hiding his phone under his buckwheat hull pillow.
Green Wax and Sweet Pear then led the second-class palace maids behind them into the room, ready to serve their masters as they washed and dressed.
Before they got too close, Tao Jiang leaned down and whispered, "Is it okay to hide here?"
She knew this at home too; the personal maids were in charge of the bed, and they would notice if there was an extra needle or thread or if a pendant was missing.
“Of course Gan Tang knows too.” Qi Chengming winked at her.
Tao Jiang indeed paid special attention during the subsequent washing up. The head palace maid named Gantang deliberately gave the important task of carrying away the bridal veil to Lüla. The silly girl Lüla thought she had gotten a prestigious job, and happily thanked the maid before leaving with the tray.
The bed was wrinkled and messy, so Gan Tang cleaned it herself, not letting anyone else touch it. The other palace maids were used to it and didn't come close. Aunt Bai Song, who followed Tao Jiang, was low-key and mature, just staying at a distance to receive orders, and didn't come over to squeeze in.
After paying respects to the ancestors at the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the morning, Qi Chengming only took Tao Jiang to the Empress Dowager's palace for a brief meeting. The old woman was kind and the new bride was shy. Since they didn't have much of a relationship before, they just had a formal meeting, putting on a show of smiling and harmonious words.
The Empress Dowager also opened her private treasury and bestowed upon Tao Jiang a complete and precious gold and jade nine-phoenix headdress, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.
As for the retired emperor...
On the way, Qi Chengming only gave a subtle hint: "Father is busy cultivating Taoism and it is inconvenient for him to see us. We can just pay our respects to him at the door."
“…Okay.” Tao Jiang replied, her mind already filled with surprise for what felt like the umpteenth time.
Because she was so surprised, she adapted to it much sooner.
This royal family was completely different from what she had imagined.
“From now on, you don’t need to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager every day, so as not to disturb her rest. We can just pay our respects once every ten days,” Qi Chengming said gently.
The timing was perfect; any more frequent and not only would he be unable to bear it, but the Empress Dowager would also be unable to bear it. After all, the Empress Dowager usually enjoyed chatting and playing with her old friends who had entered the palace, and when she occasionally wanted to enjoy the company of her grandson, she had Prince Ning, her beloved eldest grandson, to dote on her.
What surprised Tao Jiang even more was that as soon as the two returned to their palace, Aunt Zhenhua from the Empress Dowager's quarters brought them the palace tokens and carefully explained all the pairs of tokens and account books before leaving.
"Am I going to be in charge from now on?" Tao Jiang was caught off guard.
Although she had made preparations, the Empress Dowager relinquished all power on the very first day after the wedding, which was too fast!
"These are nothing, Yizhen. I have something more important that I need your help with," Qi Chengming said solemnly, holding her hand.
Tao Jiang: "...?"
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