Chapter 260 Wedding Night
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the year begins and everything is renewed.
On this day, the imperial city was bathed in the rare, brilliant winter sun, its vermilion walls and golden tiles gleaming.
Everywhere was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, and the solemnity and joy of the royal family filled the air.
In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the imperial road paved with white marble was spotless, and the guards on both sides were solemn.
Civil and military officials, members of the imperial family and nobles, as well as ladies of the court and the nobility, all dressed in their official robes and formal attire according to their rank, stood solemnly in formation, awaiting the momentous scene that would soon be recorded in history.
As the bells and drums sounded in unison, the auspicious time had arrived!
In an instant, solemn and dignified ritual music resounded through the sky.
Under the watchful eyes of countless people, and amidst the long, resonant chants of the master of ceremonies, the Empress's carriage slowly arrived.
Shui Xian wore a bright red embroidered phoenix and peony twelve-symbol patterned empress's robe. The red color was as fiery as fire against the winter background, symbolizing the supreme honor of the empress's rightful position.
On her robe, a phoenix with outstretched wings, woven from gold thread, seemed poised to take flight, while layers of peonies, elegant and luxurious, reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight that was almost blinding.
She wore a crown adorned with nine dragons and nine phoenixes, with golden dragons soaring and phoenixes flapping their wings, and pearls and gemstones embellishing it. At the very center, a large pearl from the East China Sea hung down with a tassel that swayed gently with her steady steps, its brilliance shimmering.
The narcissus's face was slightly obscured by the beaded curtain, but her carefully drawn eyebrows and eyes could still be clearly seen.
Calm, dignified, with a composed and firm demeanor that comes from having weathered many storms, the majesty of an empress was fully displayed at this moment.
She walked step by step along the long white marble imperial road, to the solemn rhythm of ceremonial music.
Beneath their feet lies the road to the pinnacle of power.
Behind him were countless gazes filled with awe, envy, or disgust.
She ignored everyone's gazes and walked step by step toward Emperor Zhaoheng on the white marble steps.
Emperor Zhaoheng, dressed in a robe with twelve imperial symbols and wearing a crown with twelve tassels, was already standing in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
His gaze was deep, as if burning with flames, as he closely followed the dazzling red figure that was walking towards him.
The emperor's eyes shone with pride and admiration that he could not conceal even in this solemn ceremony; his intense emotions made her the only one in his gaze at this moment.
Finally, Shui Xian stopped in front of Emperor Zhaoheng, following proper etiquette.
The master of ceremonies chanted loudly: "Kneel—and bow—"
Narcissus slowly knelt down, performing the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows to her emperor, who was now her rightful husband.
Privately, Narcissus had already been trained by her nanny many times, and her movements were elegant and standard, without the slightest awkwardness.
After the ceremony, the master of ceremonies announced again: "Proclaim the imperial edict—"
Feng Shunxiang held a sandalwood tray with a gold book and a gold seal made of gold foil, symbolizing the Empress's authority, and bowed before Emperor Zhaoheng.
Emperor Zhaoheng personally picked up the heavy treasure book, stepped down the jade steps, and walked to the narcissus.
He did not have the eunuch do it for him, but instead bent down and personally placed the precious book into Shui Xian's raised hands, and then extended his hand to her again.
Narcissus raised her eyes and met his gaze through the swaying beaded curtain.
The moment their eyes met, a faint smile flashed across Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes.
Narcissus raised her hand and placed it in his palm, feeling its warmth and strength, carrying the unwavering resolve unique to an emperor.
Emperor Zhaoheng gently lifted her up, then held her hand tightly, turned around, and faced the mass of officials and noblewomen kneeling below.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!"
The deafening roar of worship, like a tidal wave, swept across the entire square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, soaring into the sky!
Faintly, one could even hear the spontaneous sounds of people kneeling and praising from outside the palace!
Shui Xian stood beside Emperor Zhao Heng, feeling the warmth from his palm, listening to the deafening worship around her, and looking down at the crowd kneeling like a tide. She felt an unprecedented sense of peace and vastness in her heart.
The despair of being reduced to dust in a brothel in her past life, the trepidation of entering the palace for the first time in this life...
Those conspiracies and schemes, those slanders and framing...
At this moment, everything seemed to fade into the distant background.
She finally stood at the pinnacle of power that any woman in the imperial harem could attain, and seized this supreme power in the most open and aboveboard way.
The grand ceremony lasted for an entire day.
That evening, the newly renovated and decorated Lihe Palace became the center of the imperial city.
This place is no longer the oppressive and somber Kunning Palace where Empress Liu once lived; instead, it is filled with joy and happiness.
Inside the hall, red candles burned brightly, casting a warm, crimson glow over everything.
A brand-new dragon and phoenix auspicious carpet covered the floor, and the curtains were all made of festive red brocade, embroidered with a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons in gold thread.
The air was filled with the delicate and sweet fragrance of mimosa, which contrasted sharply with the biting cold outside the hall.
From then on, Lihe Palace replaced Kunning Palace and became the center of the six palaces in the inner palace.
This was no longer the palace where the emperor visited his concubines, but the bridal chamber where the emperor and empress held their wedding.
Emperor Zhaoheng arrived at Lihe Palace first.
He had changed out of his heavy court robes and was now wearing only a dark red dragon-patterned casual robe. He looked less imposing in court and more like a gentle, ordinary husband.
Narcissus, accompanied by palace maids, slowly stepped inside.
She had removed the incredibly heavy nine-dragon and nine-phoenix crown and the elaborate robes, and changed into a soft satin nightgown that was also bright red but lighter and softer. The nightgown was embroidered with delicate intertwined lotus patterns in gold and silver threads, symbolizing the couple's love and eternal union.
Her long, ink-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, held up with a simple red-gold phoenix-tail hairpin.
The rich gold color made her skin appear even whiter than snow, and her delicate and beautiful eyebrows and eyes, devoid of the dignified and majestic demeanor of the day, gained a more breathtaking and charming allure.
Emperor Zhaoheng waved his hand, and all the palace servants who were standing there held their breath and quietly withdrew, gently closing the palace door behind them.
Inside the vast hall, only the emperor and empress remained. The red candles crackled, creating a quiet yet ambiguous atmosphere.
Emperor Zhaoheng walked up to Shuixian and his gaze fell on her hair, which was still adorned with some delicate hairpins and ornaments.
He reached out and, with extremely gentle movements, began to remove her jewelry.
"These things are too heavy."
Emperor Zhaoheng spoke softly, his fingertips occasionally brushing against the delicate skin of her neck, bringing a slight tingling sensation.
The narcissus stood quietly, letting him do as he pleased.
Seeing his focused and earnest expression, and the unprecedented sincerity in his eyes, Narcissus felt a slight stirring in her heart.
When the last hairpin was removed, and her cloud-like black hair was completely loose, Emperor Zhaoheng looked at her face, which was tinged with rouge under the lamplight and was exquisitely beautiful, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
He took a deep breath and gazed intently into her eyes.
The man's voice unconsciously became hoarse: "Xian'er, in the past... it was I who summoned you to serve me in bed."
"Tonight, it is my wedding night with you."
For the first time, he so clearly set aside his identity as an emperor and approached her simply as her husband.
Narcissus met his expectant gaze, which for some reason also contained a hint of nervousness.
A faint, yet alluring smile slowly curved her lips.
That smile no longer held the pretense of gentleness, submissiveness, or grievance of the past, but rather the confidence of someone in control after weathering countless storms.
She didn't lower her head shyly as usual, nor did she wait passively.
Instead, she raised her hand, her slender, fair fingertips gently caressing the lapel of Emperor Zhaoheng's everyday clothes, landing on the exquisite jade belt buckle.
Narcissus's fingertips were nimble and gentle, yet precise, as she slowly unfastened his jade belt buckle.
The gold-inlaid jade belt fell to the ground with a crisp sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet hall.
As she moved, she raised her eyes, which were as shimmering as spring water, carrying a subtle allure, as she drew closer to him.
A warm, sweet voice brushed against his ear like a feather.
"Your Majesty," she paused, then changed her words, her voice becoming even more tender and seductive, "No, my husband... you have always been in charge before, but tonight, on our wedding night... let me... take the lead, shall I?"
Emperor Zhaoheng felt an indescribable heat surge from his ears throughout his body, and his heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, then suddenly released, pounding wildly.
He looked at her alluringly flushed face so close to his, at the aggressive allure in her eyes, and all his reason almost crumbled at that moment.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and he suddenly scooped her up in his arms, striding toward the dragon and phoenix wedding bed covered with a bright red brocade quilt.
The red silk curtains were hastily torn down, obscuring the spring light from the room.
The brocade quilt churned and breaths mingled.
This time, it was no longer a one-sided favor and demand from the emperor, but a complete fusion between him and her.
Narcissus no longer concealed her feelings; her response was passionate and bold, like the most alluring vines, tightly entwining her.
Emperor Zhaoheng was even more excited. Seeing Shui Xian's slightly panting and surprised expression, he leaned down and pushed them both to the peak of passion.
In the throes of intense passion and pleasure, Emperor Zhaoheng embraced her passionately, whispering her name in her ear again and again, expressing his love and making promises.
The red candles burned out, and dawn broke. Yet the warmth of the wedding night lingered within the Lihe Palace. The Emperor and Empress's newlywed bliss was far from over…
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