In early summer, the warm sun poured down, its dazzling golden glow like melted honey, filtering through the exquisitely carved window lattices of the Fengtian Hall, depicting nine pythons entwined in columns. On the golden brick floor, it cast a mottled, majestic shadow of dragon patterns. The entire court, civil and military officials, stood in awe, their hands lowered, their expressions solemn, as they listened silently to the Minister of Revenue's report on grain transport losses in a rigid, formal official tone. A bronze bell on the corner of the hall's eaves rang out a clear, melodious sound in the gentle breeze, yet the ringing seemed frozen by the hall's solemn majesty, unable to break the stillness.
At this moment, the emperor on the dragon throne gently cleared his throat, and the jade ring in his hand accidentally tapped against the armrest of the dragon throne, making a crisp and pleasant sound, instantly breaking the silence: "Ahem, that...Seventh Prince Xiao Yu."
Xiao Yu, gazing at the sycamore trees outside the palace, his thoughts drifting, wondering if Shen Weiwan was up to some new trick, suddenly snapped back to his senses. The twelve emblems on the jade belt around his waist flickered with his swift movements. Xiao Yu hurriedly stepped forward, his voice clear and resonant: "Your son is here."
The emperor gently twirled his goatee, his eyes slowly moving twice over Xiao Yu's face. Suddenly, his lips widened into a meaningful smile. This smile was like a crack, instantly shattering the solemn atmosphere of the Golden Throne Hall. "You and Shen Weiwan from the General's Mansion, how long are you going to drag your feet like this?" He paused slightly, then deliberately raised his voice, with a hint of teasing and eagerness. "I've heard it all. You two, feeding fish in the Imperial Garden, caused such a commotion that it was like a ten-mile red wedding. Tell me, when are you planning to get married for me?"
At this remark, the necks of the entire court stiffened, as if startled by the sudden topic. Then, they all lowered their heads, the wide sleeves of their court robes quietly covering the corners of their mouths that could not help but curl up. Who in the court didn't know about the hilarious and absurd stories of the Seventh Prince and the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion? From accidentally falling into the Taiye Lake while riding a pigskin raft to accidentally ingesting croton laxatives at the clan house, the deeds of this lively couple were even more fascinating than the stories told by teahouse storytellers. Now, the emperor suddenly urged them to get married, how could anyone not burst into laughter?
Xiao Yu's heart was filled with joy, as if a drum were beating in his chest, yet he maintained the reserved demeanor expected of a prince. He bowed respectfully and said calmly, "Your Majesty, I am preparing to submit a memorial and request your approval..."
"Prepare what?" the emperor waved his hand. The golden dragon embroidered on the cuffs of his bright yellow dragon robe dazzled in the sunlight. His tone was undeniable, a touch of urgency in its tone: "Even my old bones can't wait to hold my grandson!" His sharp gaze swept across the court and the others, and he declared firmly: "This month... no, the third day of next month! The Imperial Astronomical Observatory says that day is an auspicious date for marriage. You two can get married! Do you understand?"
Xiao Yu suppressed the smile that was about to spill out of the corner of his lips and bowed deeply: "Your son obeys your order."
At this moment, Shen Weiwan, hiding behind a palace pillar, was listening with rapt interest. Suddenly, the emperor changed the subject and subconsciously muttered, "Your Majesty, your urging for marriage is even more urgent than when my aunt tricked me into handing over the storehouse keys..." As soon as the words left her mouth, the entire court, civil and military officials, turned their heads in unison, as if they had heard a unified command. Dozens of gazes, like searchlights, shot straight at Shen Weiwan, frightening her so much that she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, preferably a gap between the pillars to avoid the embarrassing gaze.
However, the emperor was not angry. Instead, he laughed so hard that he almost shook the dragon throne: "Oh? Miss Shen is here too? Just right!" He pointed at Xiao Yu and winked at Shen Weiwan, with a playful look on his face: "Did you hear that? You will marry me on the third day of next month. I have asked the imperial kitchen to prepare enough croton cakes for you. You can cheat whoever you want. In this palace, no one dares to stop you!"
Shen Weiwan's cheeks instantly turned red like a ripe pomegranate, and her toes curled unconsciously in her embroidered shoes, as if she was trying to dig out a three-bedroom apartment. However, Xiao Yu smiled, turned around and extended his hand towards her. In his deep, black jade eyes, a smile surged like a tide: "Weiwan, why don't you come over and thank me?"
She reluctantly moved over and was about to curtsey when the emperor spoke again, "What are you thanking me for? Hurry back home and prepare your dowry!" He seemed to suddenly remember something, slapped his thigh, and shouted, "Oh, right! I heard you like pigskin rafts, so I had the Ministry of Works melt down a hundred taels of gold and make a pair of pure gold ones. You can consider them as my dowry gift to you!"
"Puff!" The son of the Minister of Personnel finally couldn't hold it back and burst out laughing. The Imperial Censor beside him quickly poked him hard in the side with his tablet, signaling him to pay attention to the situation. The whole hall was filled with suppressed laughter, surging quietly like a tide. Even the guards standing in the corner of the hall couldn't help but secretly twitch their lips.
When the court was dismissed, the sun was exceptionally bright. The warm light was like a veil, gently falling on the clasped hands of Xiao Yu and Shen Weiwan, coating them with a soft layer of warm gold. Xiao Yu lowered his head slightly, looking at the red tips of Shen Weiwan's ears, his mouth corners slightly raised, and he raised his eyebrows and said, "Did you hear that? Father is waiting to hold his grandson."
"Go away!" Shen Weiwan feigned anger and shook his hand off, but she couldn't help laughing. The pearl tassels in her hair brushed against the back of his hand, bringing a tingling sensation. "Your Majesty is too funny, and even the golden pig raft... I'm afraid you're trying to make me laugh to death so you can save the bride price for the prince's wife?"
"Don't worry," Xiao Yu leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobes like a spring breeze, his voice tinged with mystery, "I've already prepared the betrothal gift, and I'm sure it will be a hundred times more interesting than the Golden Pig Raft."
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