Jin Heng slowly walked towards the inner room, carefully examining the furnishings of the bridal chamber.
Everywhere you look, there's a festive red hue: large red "囍" characters, red silk decorations, gently flickering red candles, and plates of longan, peanuts, and red dates on the table, along with a jade nuptial cup. Wisps of smoke rise from the incense burner, adding to the warm and cozy atmosphere.
At this moment, Wei Yinqiu, dressed in her wedding attire, sat quietly on the edge of the bed, her red veil still on her head.
Jin Heng walked up to her and stopped.
Neither of them spoke.
Wei Yinqiu lowered his eyelashes, staring at the black brocade boots that had stopped in front of him, and a corner of dark red fabric. He rarely wore dark-colored clothes, and usually looked like an immortal who was untouched by the world. He must be good-looking, so he should look good in any color.
Just as she was lost in thought, a jade ruyi lifted her veil, and the red before her eyes faded.
She slowly raised her head, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes reflecting the man's incomparably handsome face.
"Grand Tutor..." The voice was low and alluring.
Jin Heng stared at her, momentarily stunned. It is said that the most beautiful moment in a woman's life is her wedding day.
He couldn't help but think of the lines, "A smile that could launch a thousand ships, a figure as graceful as a swallow, delicate and charming. A gentle breeze sways her jade sleeves, her Xiang skirt trails askew, revealing her golden lotus feet. Her eyebrows are like emerald feathers, her skin like mutton fat. Her face is like peach petals, her hair piled high like golden phoenix threads. Her eyes are like autumn waves, her figure enchanting, her slender legs like spring bamboo shoots, delicate and charming. A red silk sash hangs askew, its colors vibrant, her high-set hairpin adorned with pearls and jade, gleaming brightly." This probably describes the scene before him.
"Grand Tutor, do I look good today?"
“Beautiful.” He paused, then added, “The princess is beautiful not only today, but every day.”
It was rare for him to be so sweet-talking, and Wei Yinqiu felt very pleased and pleased.
Jin Heng walked to the side, poured wine into the nuptial cup, and brought it over.
"Tonight should have been your wedding night with Song Changrun, but instead you're drinking the nuptial wine with me. In this way, we've become a couple who can't see the light of day. Will you regret it?"
Wei Yinqiu shook her head almost without hesitation, "Jin Heng, the only person I've ever truly wanted to marry is you."
Jin Heng smiled, his eyes crinkling, "Princess, from now on we're embarking on a path of no return."
"As long as I can be with you, I don't care about anything else."
Before the Empress Dowager arranged the marriage, she had said that she wanted to elope with Jin Heng, but Jin Heng said that all the land under heaven belongs to the king, and they had nowhere to escape. Besides, he did not want Wei Yinqiu to suffer with him.
She was a princess, born a mountain, not a stream; she should stand atop the peaks, overlooking all things. How could Jin Heng bear to let the mountain crumble and fall because of him?
But now...
Jin Heng gazed at her quietly, then handed her the nuptial wine. Wei Yinqiu took it, and the two looked at each other and drank it down.
The smoke from the incense burner drifted over, and the two sat together on the edge of the bed, their hands clasped tightly together.
Jin Heng clearly felt a surge of heat coursing through his body. When he turned to look at Wei Yinqiu, he noticed that her face had turned as red as a ripe peach.
"Grand Tutor, I feel so hot and my head feels so heavy. Could you please help me remove the phoenix crown from my head?"
"Hmm." He concealed the strange look in his eyes without making a sound, leaned closer, and removed the intricate ornament from her head.
As she got closer, Wei Yinqiu smelled the familiar scent of cedar on him. Before her eyes was his fair skin, his smooth neck, and the prominent Adam's apple in the center.
When the warm touch landed on his neck, Jin Heng froze.
After a while, he managed to suppress the turmoil in his heart, barely regain his composure, and took off the heavy phoenix crown and set it aside.
"Grand Tutor, I feel so bad, what's wrong with me?" Wei Yinqiu looked at him with red eyes.
Jin Heng frowned, stopping her next move, and almost instantly locked onto the burning incense burner on the table not far away.
After a moment's thought, he knew who was responsible.
The meaningful smile Liu Qingying gave him before leaving flashed through his mind. So the wedding night she spoke of wasn't as simple as he'd thought; originally, he'd only intended to lift the veil and drink the nuptial wine...
"Grand Tutor, you're hurting me..." Wei Yinqiu's hand was gripped so tightly that she couldn't move it. She struggled to pull it away, her wrist turning red, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Seeing her tears, Jin Heng's heart softened instantly, and he had no choice but to let go of her hand.
The next second, he was pinned down by Wei Yinqiu. She looked down at him with a sly smile, like a triumphant little fox.
He tilted his head slightly to look at her, his jaw taut and gracefully curved. His eyes were deep and his voice was slightly hoarse. "I'm afraid this is not a good idea for the princess."
"What we did today was appropriate?"
"But...this is different."
Wei Yinqiu frowned in displeasure. "Do you expect me to do these things with Song Changrun?"
"No, no, but you are only husband and wife in name only. I'm afraid the Song family will make things difficult for you."
"What are you afraid of? Do you think I'm really stupid enough to act without considering the consequences? Jinheng, there's no turning back once the arrow is released. I need a child to establish myself in the Song family. Only you can help me, and only you, will I be willing to help you."
Jin Heng looked at her persistent eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally gave in, letting out a long sigh as if from his lungs, "You know, I can never refuse you. Actually, you didn't need to tamper with the incense burner; that might hurt you."
“It wasn’t me; I didn’t know she did it beforehand,” Wei Yinqiu smiled. “But I should thank her.”
As soon as she finished speaking, there was a soft sound of a hidden clasp being unlocked. Then, Wei Yinqiu felt dizzy and the world spun before her eyes. When she came to her senses, they had switched places.
The man's hot breath brushed against her neck. "Princess, you are mine."
The curtains fell, the red candles flickered, and outside, the guests' noise and laughter still drowned out the joyful atmosphere in the bridal chamber in the backyard.
...
Seeing that the time was right, Qingying got up to take her leave and was seen off by her host at the gate.
The carriage smoothly drove away from the Song residence, and then gradually accelerated towards the General's Mansion.
Upon arriving at the General's Mansion, she hurried back to her quarters, closed the door to visitors, put on a black cloak, and quietly left.
It was thanks to being neglected in the mansion during this period that she was able to do these things so smoothly.
As she emerged from the side gate of the General's Mansion, guards who had been arranged in advance were already waiting with fast horses. Upon seeing her, a guard bowed and said, "Miss Liu."
"Let's go."
"I'm sorry for the offense."
The guards helped her onto the horse, and then they also mounted it.
She was not good at riding and could only rely on others, so at this moment she could not care about the difference between men and women.
When she returned to the Song residence, it was only through the back gate, where people were already waiting to greet her and take her inside.
The location was secluded, and since everyone was gathered in the front hall, no one noticed her return.
As night deepened and the moon rose above the willow branches, Song Changrun was helped toward the bridal chamber. At the door, he was stopped by a maidservant from Princess Yongning's side.
"Young Master Song, the princess does not like crowds."
The implication was that those who wanted to cause trouble during the wedding night should go back to where they were going.
They all knew that this was someone the Empress Dowager had assigned to the princess, so they dared not be presumptuous. After leaving Song Changrun behind, they all bowed and took their leave.
Song Changrun had drunk quite a bit of alcohol and was so unsteady on his feet that he was about to push the door open when he almost tripped and fell. Luckily, a pair of hands reached out and caught him just in time.
"Sanlang, are you alright?" A woman's soft voice came from above.
He raised his head in a daze, and what came into view was an extremely beautiful face. He stared at it blankly and couldn't help but call out, "Fairy Sister."
"Runlang, you're drunk. I'm Yongning."
"Princess?" He was dazed, his eyes unfocused, his mind a jumbled mess, and he muttered, "So the princess is this beautiful..."
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