Chapter 146 The Giant's Wedding
Zhen Huan left the palace, without a single person by her side. Watching the lonely wheels roll forward, only Consort Hui came to see her off, and also took away the dejected and heartbroken Xiao Yunzi.
Consort Hui brought a lot of silver notes, thinking that Zhen Huan was still ill and had no one to serve her. Even the Ganlu Temple required spending money everywhere, but Zhen Huan had left the palace completely disheartened, so she naturally refused to get involved in any of it again.
Apart from the "Longing for You" gifted by the Emperor, she took nothing else.
——
She was heartbroken, and the emperor was probably not much better off.
Even though Hongzhao spent every day by his father's side, he couldn't help but sigh. Being the emperor really meant that even the time he had to be depressed and frustrated was so precise that it could be calculated in seconds. The other day, his father was so happy during the military review that he bestowed many rewards on many people, and he himself also received a lot of good things.
However, seeing that Consort Zhen's actions had left Father Emperor sullen for several days, he must have been quite distressed. Even so, with the Third Prince Hongshi's wedding date fast approaching, he had no choice but to pull himself together. After all, even the slightest change in the Emperor's attitude was seen as a cataclysmic event by others.
Hongshi had not yet been granted a princeship and established his own residence, so the wedding ceremony had to be held in the palace. Fortunately, the emperor had few sons, and Lü Jiayingfeng brought her two sons to Yongshou Palace to stay temporarily, clearing out the entire princes' quarters to prepare for the wedding. Dong E's princesses entered the palace in a bridal sedan chair from outside, first going to Consort Jing's Xianfu Palace, and then waiting for the auspicious time to be sent to the princes' quarters.
Hongshi looked even more dashing in his red python robe. Hongzhao watched his third brother pacing back and forth in the princes' quarters, rubbing his hands together. He couldn't help but laugh and stepped forward to stop him. "Third brother, don't walk anymore. You're making my eyes blurry. Today you're the groom, you won't make any mistakes. Don't worry."
The younger Hongzhou and Yunxi joined in the teasing, making Hongshi's face turn bright red with laughter.
His appearance inherited the best features of his birth mother, Consort Qi; his eyes were bright and expressive, and upon closer inspection, he was extremely handsome. "Fifth brother, is Father Emperor coming soon? I'm afraid I might not remember... Perhaps the master of ceremonies could repeat the procedure again!"
He clutched the hem of his clothes, looking troubled. Hongzhao quickly stopped him from raising his hand and chuckled, "Third brother, you've had the master of rites by your side every day these past few days. Not only me, but even Hongzhou has memorized it. We all know how to get married, so why haven't you learned it yet?"
Hongshi wasn't angry at his teasing; he just lowered his head and looked like he was admitting his mistake.
"Third Brother, don't worry. Even if you really did something wrong today, Father Emperor won't scold you on your joyous occasion. I'm here for you, and besides, we've already met the Princess Consort. What did Consort Jing say again..."
Hongzhao didn't want to miss this rare opportunity to tease her, which was just like his mother. Hongzhao pretended to think for a moment and said, "Hmm... Oh! Your Majesty said that 'refined and elegant, pure and beautiful' is the perfect description of Third Sister-in-law. What else is there for Third Brother to worry about?"
Even honest people have their limits. Hongshi's ears turned bright red, and he pretended to pinch Hongzhao's face. The two brothers dodged and made a fuss, and the people around them joined in the teasing.
Amidst this joyful scene of brothers frolicking, a cold, damp gaze from the shadows followed closely the apricot-yellow figure in the crowd.
The Empress Dowager granted an extra favor, allowing the Fourth Prince Hongli to be brought back to the palace from the Yuanmingyuan to attend the wedding ceremony of the Third Prince. He was only to stay overnight at the Shou Kang Palace after the ceremony before being sent back to the Yuanmingyuan.
Because he was not raised in the palace since childhood, he naturally had few friends and was not close to his brothers. Now, when he saw Hongzhao, he thought of the miserable punishment he had been in a few days ago. Seeing them all in harmony, his resentment and anger rose even more, and his eyes became increasingly cold.
"The bride has arrived! The bride has arrived!"
The sound of gongs and drums outside gradually became clearer. Wenyi and Hongjin had run to the prince's residence in advance and were clapping their hands in anticipation. Naturally, several of Hongjin's companions also came with them.
Hongzhao glanced back and his eyes fell upon a piece of blue jade pendant hanging from his waist, swaying with his steps. The silver thread tassel hanging below shimmered with movement, truly befitting the fine blue jade, showing that the wearer had put thought into it.
Seeing the blush creeping onto her cheeks, Hongzhao knew there were many people around, so he quickly glanced at her and looked away...
It wasn't completely taken back either.
He spotted quite a few interesting things in the corner.
"Brother Hongli, how is your injury? Is it fully healed?" Qingying, abandoning her usual haughty and taciturn demeanor, stepped forward and tugged at Hongli's sleeve to examine him from all sides.
Seeing her approach, Hongli's expression changed completely. He looked at the person beside him with a wronged and forlorn gaze—"You're the first person to ask me this. Skin wounds will eventually heal, but..."
Qingying followed his gaze to the two figures in the center, one in red and one in yellow. She watched as the bride was guided forward step by step by the master of ceremonies, and as the emperor and empress changed their clothes to attend the ceremony. The atmosphere was harmonious and peaceful, and the scene was very lively.
Amidst such festivities, Hongli's sense of loneliness became even more pronounced—"The Third Prince's wedding is so beautifully arranged, and the palace is filled with joy. I wonder if anyone will be in charge of my wedding, and how many people will attend."
Qingying raised an eyebrow, her gaze towards the crowd revealing indifference and disdain. She shook her head and said in a pretentious manner, "I heard that the former Eighth Prince also had a mother of humble origins, but he married a consort of the Guo Luo Luo clan, who was of the highest social standing. Brother Hongli will naturally be the same, no less than anyone else."
Her words were practically a declaration of self-recommendation. Hongli looked at her with deep, affectionate eyes.
He knew perfectly well that if he waited for his father to arrange a marriage, an arranged marriage would mean he might end up with a wife from a random family, perhaps even the daughter of a low-ranking official, leaving him with no hope of advancement. The best person he could get close to now was Ulanara Qingying. Marrying her as his wife would be tantamount to gaining the Empress Dowager's support.
Ulanara was a prominent Manchu family, and more than one empress had come from that family. This was something he was determined to snatch away from Hongzhao.
No matter how intelligent his Fifth Prince is, or how much the Emperor favors him, what difference does it make? His future wife will still follow him around! Just thinking about this, Hongli could hardly suppress the sense of satisfaction that welled up in his heart, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.
The mind-reading device relayed his thoughts to Hongzhao word for word.
Hongzhao: ? Brother, I really didn't know you had this hobby.
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