Chapter 155 The Storm Is Brewing
Hearing the Emperor's laughter, Wen Zhiming became even more submissive and almost cried.
"I want to see my father and mother. It would be wonderful if my uncle would allow them to attend. If my uncle is unwilling, that's fine too."
"Your Highness Wen's filial piety is truly admirable, how could I possibly disagree?" The Emperor smiled and patted Wen Zhiming's shoulder. "Not only your father and mother, but all the people from the Prince of Anshun's residence are permitted to witness this joyous occasion. However, since they are prisoners, considering their attendance at the banquet, their handcuffs can be temporarily removed, but their leg irons must still be worn."
"That's wonderful. Thank you, Uncle Emperor. Everything will be decided for me by you." Wen Zhiming's face was full of excitement and gratitude.
The emperor really enjoyed the feeling of manipulating people.
He secretly wished that everyone in the world was a fool like Wen Zhiming, who couldn't distinguish between good and bad. He thought that if he were given a slap and then a piece of candy, he would still be grateful.
Even when given a slap and a candy at the same time, he would eat the candy while bringing his face close to the candy.
He ran his fingers over the bruises on Wen Zhiming's face and said sarcastically, "The saying 'fools are lucky' is especially true for my good nephew. As long as you continue to be obedient, I will always stand up for you."
Wen Zhiming seemed not to understand, and after a moment of stunned silence, he continued to kowtow and thank the emperor for his grace.
The Emperor laughed heartily and kept Wen Zhiming in the palace for lunch before letting him leave.
The news that the Prince of Anshun's son, Wen, was about to get married quickly spread throughout the court and the country. The civil and military officials did not pay much attention to the marriage of a foolish prince with no one to rely on. However, after hearing that the marriage was personally bestowed by the emperor and that a grand banquet would be held in the palace, everyone began to speculate in private.
Those who understand the Emperor's temperament know that his actions have a deeper meaning.
Those who don't know much about it mostly praise the emperor for his benevolence and kindness in treating the son of the rebel king well.
Of course, the happiest person after hearing the news was Li Yan'er. Although she had previously considered herself the mistress of the mansion, she couldn't act freely because she didn't have a formal title. Now that she had learned of this, she immediately summoned all the servants in the mansion and, as the heir apparent's wife, gave them a good scolding.
Although it is unknown what the servants are thinking, on the surface, the situation in the mansion is relatively better than before, and at first glance, there is no major problem.
All departments within the palace are making preparations for Prince Wen's wedding day, and everything is proceeding in an orderly yet tense manner.
On the surface, it was a lively and festive occasion, but underneath, a storm was brewing.
Ten days later, the auspicious day chosen by the Emperor arrived as scheduled.
Early in the morning, the palace sent people to deliver jewelry and fine clothes. Li Yan'er looked at the large box of precious jewelry and wished she could wear it all. The nanny who delivered the things smiled very happily: "Miss is so lucky. These were specially bestowed by the Emperor. The more you wear, the more you can show your gratitude to the Emperor."
"Can I really wear this?" Li Yan'er carefully stroked it, hesitatingly asking, "Wouldn't it be a bit too formal?"
She is of low social status, and these things look very expensive. Wearing too many of them might not match her temperament.
The nanny pinned various gold and silver hairpins into her hair bun. "Miss, they say clothes make the man. From today onwards, you are the Crown Prince's consort. So what if you dress up a bit? The important thing is that you can't let people look down on you."
Li Yan'er thought about it and realized that this made sense.
Previously, the people in this mansion looked down on her simply because of her lowly status and lack of money. Now that the Emperor is willing to give her this respect, she naturally wants everyone to know that she, Li Yan'er, has turned the tables and is no longer a lowly palace maid who can be bullied at will.
Looking at the woman in the bronze mirror, dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with jewels, Li Yan'er felt a surge of dazed confidence. She was sure that her splendid appearance would impress everyone at the banquet and make them think that she was no less impressive than the former princess consort.
This confidence gave her voice a lot more weight.
"What you say is absolutely right, Granny. Then I'll have to trouble you."
"You're too kind, young lady. It's my honor to serve the Crown Princess."
The old woman smiled even more respectfully, and after adorning Li Yan'er with the entire box of jewelry bestowed by the Emperor, and then covering Li Yan'er with the bridal veil, her eyes revealed undisguised mockery.
But her words were still incredibly considerate.
"Miss, you'll have a long and tiring day today. According to custom, you shouldn't eat before entering the bridal chamber. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle going hungry all day. I took a few eggs and steamed buns with me when I left. Please keep them safe. If you get really hungry, you can eat something to fill your stomach."
Li Yan'er was wearing a whole box of jewelry, which felt a bit heavy. She didn't want to accept any more food, but then she remembered that she was pregnant and couldn't let her unborn child go hungry, so she accepted it and put it in her sleeve.
"Thank you so much, Granny."
The old woman saw that she neither thanked her nor gave her any reward. Moreover, she really thought highly of herself and acted like a master.
He felt utterly contemptuous of her.
A pheasant is a pheasant; even if it flies to the top of a tree, it can never become a phoenix.
Since the Emperor's orders had already been fulfilled, the old nanny was too lazy to even bother with any more pleasantries. Taking advantage of Li Yan'er's reverie, she turned and left.
Since Wen Zhiming and Li Yan'er had been living in the same mansion for a long time, and Li Yan'er had no family home, the wedding ceremony was skipped.
Wen Zhiming led the bridal sedan chair directly to the palace, where they held a wedding ceremony. After the banquet, they returned together, and that was considered the completion of the marriage.
Wen Zhiming's mansion is now far inferior to that of the Prince of Anshun's mansion, and the steward is a newly promoted one. It's inevitable that he's a bit flustered as he's handling such a big matter for the first time.
The servants in the mansion were busy running around, and the courtyard was decorated with festive decorations, with bright red everywhere.
When the auspicious hour arrived, Wen Zhiming, dressed in a noble red outfit, came over and said, "We have to go to the palace. Let's go."
Li Yan'er gripped her sleeve tightly, anxiously waiting for Wen Zhiming to take her hand.
Logically speaking, given how intimate she and Wen Zhiming were at night, and the fact that everyone knows she is pregnant, no one would say anything even if Wen Zhiming carried her to the bridal sedan chair.
But she knew that Wen Zhiming was rather resistant to her advances during the day, so she dared not entertain such fantasies. However, since she was currently covered by a bridal veil, she should at least be leading her by the hand.
Even if Wen Zhiming squeezes her hand until it's swollen on this occasion, she'll accept it.
Li Yan'er waited and waited, but Wen Zhiming didn't come to take her hand. Instead, she heard hurried footsteps leaving the room. Li Yan'er's face, hidden behind her bridal veil, showed anxiety and helplessness. She quickly chased after him.
Fortunately, there was a little girl beside her, who immediately went over and took her hand to follow behind, which barely allowed her to keep up with Wen Zhiming's pace.
When they arrived at the bridal sedan chair, it was still the little maid who led her into it.
Wen Zhiming rode his horse outside, stopping from time to time to admire the scenery and pick some flowers and grass by the roadside. He would only continue forward if his subordinates came forward to remind him not to miss the auspicious time.
Hearing the commotion outside, Li Yan'er felt both aggrieved and helpless.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
