The wedding ceremony ended quickly. Mingyu was led by the matchmaker to the main courtyard bridal chamber, while Xueying was taken to the east courtyard bridal chamber.
Mingyu sat on the edge of the bed, still trembling with excitement from the wedding ceremony. After settling Mingyu in, the matchmaker instructed the maidservant beside her, "The groom must lift the bride's veil; don't let the princess lift it herself..." The maidservant nodded repeatedly, watching the matchmaker leave. Remembering the note in Hongli's hand at the door earlier, Mingyu asked fearfully, "Do you think the Prince will come to my house tonight?"
The maid quickly comforted her, "Princess, don't think such things. You are the Prince's primary consort, bestowed upon him by the Emperor and Consort Xi. The Prince will definitely come to see you... Just wait to enter the bridal chamber with him..." Mingyu felt her face burning, and she looked forward to the night even more. Little did she know, Xueying in the East Courtyard shared the same anticipation...
After the wedding ceremony, Hongli invited everyone to sit down. The Fourth Prince and Lanqin, along with several concubines and other princes and nobles, were seated at the innermost part of the main courtyard. Seeing that they were all family, the Fourth Prince shed his imperial demeanor and acted like an ordinary husband and father, having everyone sit around two tables.
Outside, guests were still jeering and clamoring to drink with Hongli. The Fourth Prince told Hongli to go and entertain the guests first. Hongli dared not neglect this and instructed the maids to serve him carefully before leaving. Because the Fourth Prince was present, no outsiders dared to easily enter without permission. Soon, the maids brought out various dishes and filled the table. The Fourth Prince even generously suggested, "Today is Hongli's wedding day, I am happy. Prepare some good wine; I will go and you will all have a drink..."
Lanqin was slightly startled. The Fourth Prince was an emperor; if he got drunk at the Prince's residence, wouldn't he become a laughingstock? Lanqin gently tugged at the Fourth Prince's clothes, and he turned and grasped her hand, nodding with a smile. Lanqin could tell that the Fourth Prince was very happy today. Since his ascension to the throne, he hadn't truly had a day of peace and joy. Hongli's wedding had relieved him of a worry, so Lanqin didn't stop him.
Upon hearing this, Lady Wu happily stood up and said to the Fourth Prince, "Your Majesty is in high spirits. I will accompany Your Majesty to drink until we are drunk to the bitter end..."
"Good...good enough, let's drink until we drop..." He then burst into laughter. The aroma of wine filled the air, and as cups clattered and toasts were exchanged, everyone's faces flushed after a few rounds. Even Ushiha and Biechu had drunk quite a bit, leaning on their husbands' shoulders with beaming smiles.
Looking at the long-lost harmonious scene, Lanqin didn't feel awkward at all. As a modern person from the 21st century, she had long accepted the monogamous social system. She never imagined that she could share a husband with another woman and still be so happy. Things in this world are truly unpredictable; Lanqin had almost forgotten what she was like before.
Lanqin quickly cleared her mind of the distractions. At this moment, the Fourth Prince stood up, looked around the room, and slowly said, "Today is Hongli's wedding, a joyous occasion for the palace. I hereby grant permission for everyone to drink and celebrate. We are all family here, so there is no need for formalities..."
Seeing the Emperor's words, the atmosphere in the room became noticeably more relaxed, and the voices gradually grew louder. The imperial relatives and princes, along with their wives, began to take turns toasting the Fourth Prince.
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