Chapter 65
【65】/First release
For the next seven days, Xiao Jingting personally taught Lu Zhiwan what other fun there was to be had in bed—
Although Lu Zhiwan already had a wealth of theoretical knowledge about these "funs", he only realized after actually putting them into practice that the physical exertion was no less than that of real combat.
On the eighth day, the imperial physician took Lu Zhiwan's pulse again to confirm that he had rested enough. At nightfall, the preparations of the previous seven days reached their climax between the bed curtains.
On the second day, the emperor fell ill and adjourned court.
On the third day, the emperor suspended court as usual.
On the fourth day, the empress had her period, and the emperor finally went to court.
Looking at the emperor sitting on the high platform, his bearing majestic, his face rosy, his handsome features radiant with contentment, all the civil and military officials understood the situation clearly, but they said nothing more. They simply congratulated the emperor, "The empress's recovery is a blessing from heaven and a blessing for the people."
These congratulations made the emperor feel at ease, and he smiled more. He discussed the ceremony of consecrating the queen with the court officials in a friendly manner.
This court meeting can be said to have the most harmonious and relaxed atmosphere in the past three years.
After the court was dismissed and they returned home, the officials could not help but sigh with their wives and wives, "If we had known His Majesty would become so amiable after the Empress regained consciousness, we should have burned some incense to the Bodhisattva, praying for her to awaken soon."
The concubine replied, "It's not too late to burn incense now. Didn't Your Majesty appoint the former nun Princess Yuzhang as the abbess of Jingxin Temple a few days ago? There's a small statue of the Empress and a perpetual lamp in the temple, specifically for praying for her."
Speaking of this matter, people are full of emotion. Who would have thought that the daughter of a traitor would become the abbess of a nunnery dedicated to the queen.
Putting aside the recent surge in popularity of Jingxin Temple, ever since the Queen's coronation ceremony was mentioned at the court meeting, it has become the most important event in the 21st year of Tianfeng.
After an agreement between the Imperial Astronomical Observatory and the Ministry of Rites, the ceremony of conferring the empress was scheduled for November 23rd, an auspicious day suitable for weddings, praying for blessings, offering sacrifices, and laying the bed.
Once the date is set, time seems to pass exceptionally quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it was the wedding day.
The entire Daxing Dynasty was shrouded in joy. It has been twenty-one years since His Majesty ascended the throne at the age of five, and there is finally a grand happy event in the palace!
Even the common people relished the story, praising the beautiful tale of the emperor and empress finally getting married. The atmosphere was particularly intense in the capital, where several major streets were festooned with colorful banners and double-happiness lanterns. In the streets and alleys, the common people also took the initiative to hang red lanterns and red satin to celebrate, making the entire capital a vibrant red and extremely lively.
The outside of the palace was decorated like this, and the inside of the palace was even more decorated with colorful decorations everywhere. The palace servants all changed into new clothes and robes, and each of them received two light red silk flowers. The palace maids pinned them on their hair buns, and the eunuchs put them on the brims of their hats for good luck.
Before dawn that day, Lu Zhiwan was woken up from bed by Xia He and Aunt Qiu Rong.
According to the rules, newlyweds cannot see each other for the first three days, so Lu Zhiwan slept in Lifeng Palace for these three days.
Without Xiao Jingting's nighttime pranks, she actually slept soundly for three nights. However, she was still a little dazed when she was woken up early in the morning, and she couldn't open her eyes.
"My Lady, today is your big day, please get up and dress up."
"Yes, I will also cut your face."
Lu Zhiwan hugged the quilt and looked out the window in a daze, "It's not even dawn yet. Do we really have to get up so early?"
Aunt Qiu Rong bowed and said, "Yesterday, this old servant already told Your Majesty the wedding agenda. Has Your Majesty forgotten it again?"
After hearing this, Lu Zhiwan had an impression in his mind. In addition to worshiping heaven and earth today, he also had to go to the Temple of Heaven to worship his ancestors and pray for blessings. There were also a lot of complicated rituals in the evening.
As expected, whether in modern times or ancient times, getting married is very stressful.
After a while, Lu Zhiwan finally felt better. Xia He helped him get up, and after a quick wash and breakfast, he was surrounded by a group of palace servants and taken to the dressing mirror with a rosewood carving of a double happiness dragon and phoenix.
When Aunt Qiu Rong was kneading noodles for Lu Zhiwan with silk thread, she hissed and gasped in pain.
"Your Majesty, please bear with it. It will be fine after a while." Aunt Qiu Rong comforted her.
"Okay." Lu Zhiwan nodded, thinking, it's a good thing we only get married once.
After twisting the face, she put on makeup, combed her hair, put on clothes, and put on a crown... After a group of skillful palace maids worked for nearly two hours, the sky outside the window was completely bright, and Lu Zhiwan finally finished her makeup.
"Your Majesty is truly stunningly beautiful, a beauty that can eclipse the moon and shame the flowers."
"Yes, yes, she is truly as gorgeous as peaches and plums, and her complexion is as red as cinnabar. Even the fairies in heaven are no match for her."
"If His Majesty saw this, he would surely be delighted."
The palace maids in Lifeng Palace praised happily.
Looking at the elegant figure in the mirror, wearing a phoenix crown and a bright red wedding dress embroidered with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, Lu Zhiwan was also a little dazed.
She is really going to marry Xiao Jingting.
From then on, she became his legally married wife, the empress of the Daxing Dynasty, and the mother of the country.
An indescribable feeling of unreality came over her, and she suddenly thought of her modern parents and sister. How wonderful it would be if they could see her wearing a red wedding dress.
They should be very happy too.
"What's wrong with you, Your Majesty? Today is a good day, so don't cry." Aunt Qiu Rong noticed her red eyes and hurriedly handed her a handkerchief.
Tears flickered in Lu Zhiwan's eyes. She took the handkerchief, tried her best to suppress her longing, and forced a faint smile: "Nothing, I just suddenly thought of my family."
When Aunt Qiu Rong heard this, she didn't know how to comfort her for a moment.
After all, the Queen's biological mother died young, and her heartless father, evil-minded stepmother, and adopted brother all died of illness on the way to exile in Lingnan - so when you count it this way, the Queen's family is really left with no one.
However, Lu Zhiwan did not need Aunt Qiu Rong's comfort. She knew in her heart that her modern relatives hoped that she could live a happy and healthy life. As long as she was well, they would be relieved.
She adjusted her expression in the mirror, and soon a ceremonial officer came forward and invited her to the Hall of Supreme Harmony for the enthronement ceremony.
The autumn light is bright and the sky is blue and boundless.
Sitting on the phoenix sedan chair carried by sixteen people, one could hear the deafening sounds of drums and music, the sound of salutes, and the congratulations and worship of the ministers.
When the procession stopped in front of the long red carpet, Lu Zhiwan was helped down by the palace servants. As her feet touched the soft red carpet, she instantly remembered Aunt Qiu Rong's instructions -
Look straight ahead, keep your head up, chest out, and back straight, with a kind and dignified smile on your face, and be sure to be elegant and calm.
She walked forward step by step, towards the emperor on the high platform, who was also wearing a bright red wedding dress with a dragon pattern.
Under the bright and pure sunlight, Xiao Jingting stood tall and graceful, his handsome face no longer showing his usual aloof and cold expression, but revealing a sense of contentment and joy.
From the moment he saw his queen, his dark eyes sparkled like gemstones, and he looked at her passionately and sincerely.
Watching her walk towards him step by step, the fingers hanging on the edge of her robe tightened slightly, and the heart in her chest began to beat violently, thump, thump... as if it was about to burst out of her chest at the next moment.
She was about to marry him, become his legitimate wife, be enshrined with him in the Taimiao, and have her name recorded with his in the history books of later generations.
I have never felt such excitement and joy before.
When the bride in gorgeous attire stood before him, he couldn't wait to reach out his hand to her.
Looking at the broad palm, Lu Zhiwan pursed her lips and smiled, then raised her hand and placed it in his palm.
Xiao Jingting squeezed her hand, his thin lips curled up slightly: "My queen is so beautiful."
Lu Zhiwan stood beside him, his eyebrows and eyes curved like crescent moons, "Your Majesty is also very handsome today."
The two of them praised each other, and the look they gave each other was full of undisguised love.
The ceremonial officer unfolded the imperial edict and read a long speech of enthronement.
After the announcement, all the civil and military officials in the audience, as well as the concubines, wives of the imperial edicts, palace servants and guards, all knelt on the ground and shouted in unison—
"Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor! Thousands of years, thousands of years, long live the Empress!!"
Amidst the constant homage, Xiao Jingting glanced sideways at his own queen, "Wanwan, from now on, you are my wife... I am very happy."
Lu Zhiwan traced his palm with her fingers, her dark, lustrous eyes shone like stars, her dimples light: "Me too."
I am so happy to be able to hold hands with him and spend the rest of my life with him.
***
After the worship in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, there were ceremonies such as ancestor worship and parades. Until he was sent to the dragon bed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation at night, Lu Zhiwan really wanted to collapse.
Helplessly, there was still a large group of ceremonial officials in the hall, so she had to comfort herself that she had already endured the whole day, so a little longer wouldn't make a difference.
Perhaps sensing her torment, Xiao Jingting did not stay in the front hall for too long. He entrusted the matter to Empress Dowager Gu and rushed to the bedroom.
I saw Lu Zhiwan sitting on the edge of the bed with his head drooping, looking like a wilted cabbage.
Thinking that she must have been very tired during the day, Xiao Jingting strode forward and took off the heavy phoenix crown from her head with his own hands. He then touched her head and asked, "Are you exhausted?"
Lu Zhiwan wanted to nod, but thinking about the many people around her, she was now the queen after all, so she had to pay attention to her face, so she shook her head and said, "Not bad."
Xiao Jingting saw through her duplicity at a glance. He probably said that she was fine, but she was already wailing in her heart.
想起她以前那些稀奇古怪的心声，萧景廷眼神轻晃，从前听她在心里骂自己，总想揪着她揍一顿。现下听不到了，反而有些遗憾。
"Your Majesty?" Seeing that he didn't speak, Lu Zhiwan tugged at his sleeve.
Xiao Jingting came back to his senses and saw her expression, and guessed what she was going to say. So he turned around and glanced at the ceremonial officials with a cold expression, "Any other etiquette? Do it quickly."
The ceremonial officials naturally heard the impatience in His Majesty's tone, and did not dare to waste time talking, so they hurriedly got ready.
After a while, after witnessing the emperor and empress drinking the wedding wine, the ceremonial officials said auspicious words and withdrew one after another.
Palace servants came forward to help Lu Zhiwan and Xiao Jingting wash and dress.
When Lu Zhiwan came out of the cubicle, Xiao Jingting had already changed into his pajamas and was half lying on the bed, with a relaxed and lazy look on his face.
Hearing the noise, he looked up at Lu Zhiwan.
She had cloud-like black hair pinned up with a pure gold phoenix hairpin, and was wearing a red silk nightgown. In the hazy light and shadow, her black hair and red dress made her skin look as crystal clear as snow and sparkling like a pearl.
Xiao Jingting narrowed his eyes slightly, with a dark color surging in them.
When Lu Zhiwan met his gaze, her heart began to beat wildly.
Although she told herself in her heart that it was not the first time they slept in the same bed, why should she be nervous!
But perhaps because today was a particularly special day, and the surroundings were all festive red, she became nervous and her heart beat faster.
The palace maids on both sides had left early, and now there were only the two of them in the bedroom.
Seeing her standing a few steps away, hesitating to move forward, Xiao Jingting sat up straight and looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "You can't walk anymore? I haven't even touched you yet."
This bastard is becoming more and more reckless!
Lu Zhiwan's cheeks burned hot, and he clutched his collar with his fingers. He stepped forward and feigned composure, saying, "I've been busy from morning till night, and I'm exhausted. Now I can finally have some peace and quiet."
Seeing her approaching, her waist swaying under her silk brocade robe, Xiao Jingting's eyes became more profound, and he hummed nonchalantly: "Since you are tired, go to bed and rest."
Lu Zhiwan pursed her lips, tried her best to avoid his burning gaze, bent down to take off her shoes, and climbed onto the bed.
Xiao Jingting didn't move much, but even moved his body forward to make it easier for her to sleep inside.
Seeing this, Lu Zhiwan was surprised. Could it be that he didn't have that intention tonight? This was not like his style.
The moment the thought came to mind, the tall figure beside him pressed down like a mountain.
Lu Zhiwan was caught off guard and pressed under him, his eyes wide open.
That’s what she said!
Xiao Jingting stared down at her condescendingly. Perhaps because of the alcohol, her fair cheeks were flushed, making her look like a soul-sucking fairy. The charm and seduction in her eyes made his throat dry.
Lu Zhiwan leaned against his muscular chest, his voice tense, "Aren't you...aren't you tired?"
"Not tired." Xiao Jingting leaned over and put his thin lips to her ear, "If you are tired, just lie down and I will move."
What a vicious word!
Lu Zhiwan's face suddenly turned red as if blood was dripping.
The man inserted his slender fingers into her thick black hair, and his nose was filled with her sweet fragrance. His breath was hot and a bit hoarse with a bit of suppression. "Wanwan, today is our wedding night..."
Lu Zhiwan's shoulders tensed slightly, and her eyes were misty. "I know."
"Since it's our wedding night, we should do what newlyweds do."
Xiao Jingting's body was very hot, and he kissed her eyebrows with deep eyes: "What do you think?"
Lu Zhiwan was kissed so hard that her whole body went limp, and her head turned into a mess. She couldn't think and could only mumble "hmm".
After getting her response, Xiao Jingting's eyes darkened. He pinched the small chin with his long fingers and lowered his head to kiss her.
The dragon and phoenix wedding candles were burning brightly, and two figures were entangled in the tent, inseparable.
After a long time, the long kiss that almost made people breathless ended.
Looking at the charming bride with rosy cheeks, Xiao Jingting looked at her affectionately and kissed the corner of her mouth again: "Lu Zhiwan, I love you."
Lu Zhiwan was dizzy from the kiss and gasped for breath. When he heard this sincere and solemn confession, his heart felt like it was soaked in warm honey water, full and swollen, yet soft.
She raised her arms to hug his neck and kissed his lips, shyly responding to his love: "Me too."
"Um?"
"I love you too."
"The sound is too soft, I can't hear clearly."
“…I said, I love you!”
"I still can't hear clearly."
Lu Zhiwan was so angry that he hit him: "Don't push your luck..."
Xiao Jingting slowly untied her robe and coaxed her in a low voice: "Good Queen, say it again."
"I-hate you...Ah, don't touch that!"
The red lips were covered by a big hand. The man leaned over and raised his thin lips slightly: "It doesn't matter if you hate it now, you'll like it later."
With a stretch of his long arm, a bright red silk curtain embroidered with a pattern of hundreds of children playing hung down. On the table, two bright red candles painted with colorful dragons and phoenixes were burning, and the night was long.
===
=End of Text=
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
