After receiving Shen Ruixue's affirmation, Uncle Chen turned and left with peace of mind.
Firecrackers crackled outside as numerous guests gathered. The sounds of gongs and drums resounded through the sky. The Shen family, a renowned scholarly family in the capital, coupled with their current power and influence in the court, had become a coveted in-law relationship for many.
The eldest and second daughters of the Shen family were exceptionally beautiful and exceptionally talented. Before long, six months after they came of age, matchmakers flocked to their door to arrange marriages.
How shrewd must the emperor be to become emperor? He actually issued an imperial edict, naming Shen Pingjin and marrying her off to Su Xuanmao and Shen Ruixue to Yan Jue.
Yan Jue was a notorious playboy with a bad reputation, which Shen Ruixue was unwilling to accept. So she discussed with her mother and planned to use the story of a substitute bride to marry someone else.
Shen Ruixue had already finished her makeup and wedding dress, and sat in the bridal sedan chair to marry Su Xuanmao.
Aunt He was the instigator of all this, and she smiled as she condoned it all.
Master Shen had been waiting in front of the Shen residence for a long time. He looked at the two bridal sedan chairs and announced loudly, "Lift the sedan chairs—"
The two grooms had two different reactions when they heard the voice.
Su Xuanmao looked at the bridal sedan chair behind him with a penetrating gaze. Today, he could finally marry Jin'er and he was determined to treat her well!
On the other hand, Yan Jue reeked of alcohol and seemed indifferent to everything.
His heart felt empty. His Jin'er... He had to watch helplessly as the girl he loved married someone else.
How could Yan Jue not be heartbroken!
But he knew he couldn't stop it, because the person Shen Pingjin loved wasn't him!
The two women from the Shen family married their ideal husbands: one was the current Crown Prince, who was filial and favored by the Emperor, and the other was the Regent, who was looked down upon by others and loved to indulge in pleasure.
The procession for the two to marry their bride was truly grand, with ten miles of red bridal procession and firecrackers and fireworks going off in unison. However, the direction in which the two couples' bridal sedan chairs and white horses went was completely different.
Yan Jue and his wedding procession stopped. Standing before them was the Regent's Palace, with its gilded plaque.
Upon seeing Yan Jue arrive, Ye Ting hurriedly stepped forward and whispered, "Reporting to the Regent, everything inside has been arranged."
Yan Jue nodded, signaling Ye Ting to leave.
Shen Pingjin was not going to be alone when she got married. Before she was drugged, she specifically instructed her maids Nian'an and Nian Ning, who were accompanying her on her dowry, to keep quiet. She was going to marry the Regent.
Although the two were surprised, they realized that Shen Pingjin had taken her last-minute instructions to heart. So when they saw Yan Jue enter the mansion, they quickly lifted the curtain and helped Shen Pingjin up.
The amount of sleeping pills put in the plum seemed small, but it made people weak. Shen Pingjin had already slowly woken up. When she realized that she was going to be taken to the wedding ceremony, she was somewhat happy.
It seemed that because Shen Ruixue's scheme had succeeded, her journey here was exceptionally safe, unlike in her previous life when she encountered many hardships and unexpected events along the way.
As Shen Pingjin entered the Regent's Palace and stepped over the threshold, she knew that from this day forward, she and Su Xuanmao would be separated forever, like strangers.
The matchmaker's voice rang in my ears—
"First bow to Heaven and Earth—"
The man beside her seemed to be right next to her, so Shen Pingjin carefully bent down and faced forward with him.
"Second bow to the parents—"
The two were to marry by imperial decree; all they needed to do was kneel and bow before the decree.
"Husband and wife bow to each other—"
Hearing that familiar last sound, Shen Pingjin was somewhat dazed. Not long after, she was taken to the bridal chamber by Nian Ning and Nian An.
Yan Jue was dealing with the guests outside, looking nonchalant and unafraid. He would drink with whoever asked him to, without any fear whatsoever.
It was Ye Ting who couldn't bear to watch any longer and advised Yan Jue to hurry back to the bridal chamber.
He didn't know that the person sitting on the soft couch in the bridal chamber with his bottom almost numb was Shen Pingjin. He waved his hand impatiently, but finally decided to go through the motions.
"Smack—"
The loud sound of the door opening echoed throughout the bridal chamber. Shen Pingjin felt the man's presence rush towards her, followed by the bright daylight.
Shen Pingjin just stared at the man in front of her.
She saw Yan Jue's nonchalant pupils contract, his dark, sharp eyes fixed on her. Then, with a "bang," the glass wine cup slipped from Yan Jue's hand, splashing wine everywhere.
Shen Pingjin suddenly recalled Yan Jue's heartfelt confession at her tombstone in her past life. She looked at Yan Jue with a smile in her eyes, "Husband, you've come."
Yan Jue could not believe it.
He quickly suppressed his inner doubts, shock, and overwhelming joy. "How could it be you?"
Shen Pingjin stood up, placed the red veil aside, reached out and picked up the wine that had been placed on the table, her tone very calm, "Husband, the wine you just brought has spilled. Now, Jin'er will have to help you pour it herself."
As the cups filled, Chen Pingjin handed the wine to Yan Jue. Seeing that he made no further move, she asked, puzzled, "Husband, don't you want to drink the nuptial wine with Jin'er?"
As the candlelight flickered, the woman's snow-white hand gently climbed onto the man's shoulder. The warm touch and pleasant fragrance drove Yan Jue almost mad.
He felt like he had a thousand words in his throat, but seeing the woman's captivating appearance, he swallowed them all back down.
"Husband, why aren't you saying anything? Are you disappointed that it's Jin'er in front of you now, instead of Ruixue?" Shen Pingjin took another step closer.
The drinks were handed to him, and Yan Jue met those eyes, feeling as if he hadn't even recognized himself.
He blankly accepted the nuptial wine offered by Shen Pingjin, and when he saw Shen Pingjin's smiling face, the string he had been holding in finally snapped.
Yan Jue stared at Shen Pingjin and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.
Chen Pingjin: "?"
So that's why this man is so easily teased.
Chen Pingjin was secretly delighted.
The future war god regent, who will dominate the battlefield, is now being teased by him until he's blushing. Tsk tsk tsk... How amusing.
Chen Pingjin playfully poured Yan Jue another cup of wine. This time, she took the initiative to wrap her arms around Yan Jue's wrist, her voice sweet and charming, "Husband, you drank that cup too fast just now. This is the proper nuptial wine."
The woman's hands were white and beautiful, and they wrapped around his wrist, causing Yan Jue's heart to flutter.
"Okay," he said in a hoarse voice.
As they drew closer, the enticing fragrance and aroma of wine almost intoxicated him. When his cup was empty, he blushed and finished the nuptial wine.
Yan Jue finally couldn't hold back any longer. He stared intently at the girl in front of him, as if trying to see right through her.
"I married the second young lady of the Shen family, but now it's you who's married into this family."
Unexpectedly, the woman in front of him looked up at him and met his gaze without fear. "My sister drugged me. When I woke up, I was right here. Jin'er thinks that if she wants to switch places, then let her switch."
“After all…” Shen Pingjin smiled slightly, “I feel that marrying you was not a bad deal.”
“But I know that you have long harbored feelings for the current Crown Prince,” Yan Jue said after a moment’s thought.
He was fond of this girl, so he knew all too well what she had been like before.
He thought the girl would turn pale upon hearing this, but to his surprise, she replied softly, "Marrying His Highness the Crown Prince is marriage, so why wouldn't marrying the Regent be marriage?"
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