Xiao Che's deep yet proud words were like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in Lin Wanwan's heart.
"Look, this is the empire I conquered for you."
The sound drowned out the thunderous worship in the square, reaching her ears clearly and uniquely.
Lin Wanwan's heart was struck hard by these simple words, and an indescribable warm current instantly flowed through her entire body.
She turned her head to look at the man beside her. He still looked straight ahead, his chin slightly raised, accepting the magnificent scene of all nations paying tribute, maintaining the dignity and demeanor befitting an emperor.
However, the way he held her hand tightly, and the way he spoke in a voice that only she could hear, tinged with a hint of pride, revealed his truest feelings at that moment.
With the country as his dowry, the promise he once made was, at this moment, fulfilled in the grandest and most awe-inspiring way.
The sounds of worship echoed across the square, pushing the atmosphere of the entire celebration to an unparalleled climax.
Everyone thought this was the most glorious moment of the ceremony. The emperor and empress stood side by side, reigning supreme over the world, receiving the homage of all people and nations. This scene was worthy of being recorded in history books with the most magnificent words and passed down through the ages.
Lin Wanwan thought so too. She took a deep breath, calming her turbulent emotions, and prepared to cooperate with Xiao Che to complete the final leg of this grand ceremony.
However, just as the cheers subsided and the ceremonial music was about to resume, the chief master of ceremonies standing below the steps suddenly stepped forward again and, in a voice higher and clearer than ever before, loudly proclaimed:
"The grand ceremony is complete—His Majesty has a congratulatory gift to present to the Empress!"
This announcement, like a thunderclap, suddenly exploded in the square that had just calmed down!
The entire Taihe Hall Square fell into an eerie silence.
Everyone was stunned.
The civil and military officials exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion. A congratulatory gift? What congratulatory gift? Today was the Empress's investiture ceremony; it was only proper for officials and vassal states to present gifts to the Emperor and Empress. They had never heard of the Emperor presenting gifts to the Empress on such an occasion! This was against protocol, utterly unheard of!
The envoys from the vassal states stared wide-eyed, craning their necks in curiosity. They had come specifically to catch a glimpse of this legendary empress, and this unexpected turn of events only heightened their excitement. The Emperor of Liang's favor towards his empress seemed a hundred times more exaggerated than the rumors suggested!
Even Lin Wanwan herself was completely stunned.
She looked at Xiao Che with a puzzled expression, asking him what was going on this time. She had no idea about this beforehand.
Xiao Che simply gave her a reassuring smile with a hint of slyness. He released her hand, turned around, and walked down from the terrace himself.
Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of people, two senior eunuchs, with small, quick steps, carried a huge sandalwood tray out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The tray was covered with a piece of bright yellow brocade, obscuring the contents.
Everyone held their breath, their hearts filled with endless curiosity.
What kind of precious treasure could it be that His Majesty would personally present it to the Empress in such a solemn manner during this grand ceremony where all nations pay tribute? Is it a legendary ancient artifact, or a priceless rare treasure?
Xiao Che didn't let anyone do it for him. He walked to the tray, reached out his hands, and pinched a corner of the bright yellow silk.
His movements were unhurried and deliberate, with the solemnity of someone opening a rare treasure.
When he abruptly lifted the silk, the crowd in the square did not see the expected glittering jewels. Lying quietly on the tray was only a neatly folded…cloak?
The cloak looked extremely thin and was a deep, dark blue, seemingly nothing special.
Just as many people were feeling confused or even somewhat disappointed, Xiao Che had already taken the cloak into his hands and unfolded it himself.
"hiss--!"
The moment the cloak was fully unfurled in the sunlight, a chorus of gasps of astonishment filled the entire Taihe Hall Square!
That's not a dark blue cloak at all!
That was clearly a deepest and most dazzling starry sky cut off from the heavens!
The cloak was as thin as a cicada's wing, almost transparent, yet it was woven from some kind of mystical silk thread. Under the sunlight, it shimmered with billions of tiny, exquisitely scattered points of light, which converged to form dazzling, shimmering galaxies, flowing and shifting slowly across the fabric as if they possessed a life of their own.
It wasn't a blinding light, but a gentle, profound radiance, as if from the very edge of the universe. Just one glance was enough to make one feel as if their soul was being drawn in, becoming intoxicated by that boundless sea of stars.
"Heavens...heavens! Could that be...the legendary Star River Feather Robe that only exists in the ancient myths of the Western Regions?!"
A prince from the Western Regions exclaimed in disbelief, his voice trembling. He stared intently at the cloak, his eyes burning with the fervor of a devout believer witnessing a miracle.
Starry Feather Robe!
The mere mention of this name caused an even greater stir among the crowd. Legend has it that it was a divine object woven from the silk of ice silkworms from the summit of Mount Tianshan and the light fragments left behind when stars fell; it had only ever appeared in mythology, and mortals had no chance to ever see it!
But now, this mythical garment has actually appeared before everyone's eyes!
What was even more astonishing than the artifact itself was the emperor's subsequent actions.
Holding this "galaxy" in his hands, Xiao Che walked back to Lin Wanwan step by step. He did not let any palace servants come forward, but personally, gently, and with infinite reverence, draped this unparalleled wedding dress over her phoenix robe.
The moment that dazzling galaxy draped over her shoulders, Lin Wanwan felt a lightness wash over her. The feathered garment felt weightless, with a slightly cool touch, as if she were truly draped in moonlight.
She subconsciously looked down and saw that her magnificent phoenix robe was now covered with a flowing galaxy. The brilliance of the billions of stars and the hundreds of birds embroidered with gold and silver threads on the robe complemented each other, making her seem to be enveloped in a dreamlike halo, so beautiful that she seemed otherworldly and so noble that people dared not look directly at her.
The square was completely silent; everyone was speechless, stunned by the ultimate romance and luxury before them.
Lin Wanwan raised her head, her eyes shimmering as she gazed at the man before her, her heart filled with immense emotion and shock. She opened her mouth, her voice trembling slightly, "This... Xiao Che, when did you..."
She wanted to know when he had prepared this earth-shattering gift.
Xiao Che straightened the collar of her cloak, gazing at her breathtaking beauty draped in starlight, his eyes filled with tenderness and contentment. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, in a voice only they could hear, answered her question.
"I have been searching for you for three years."
boom!
These six simple words shook Lin Wanwan to her core more than any grand scene!
Three years!
Does that mean that from the moment she first arrived, when they were still testing each other and wary of one another, he had already begun searching for this legendary wedding dress for her?
This was not a surprise prepared on short notice for this grand ceremony; it was the final chapter of a promise he had long planned and that had run through their entire past.
For his hasty wedding to ward off bad luck, she didn't have a decent wedding dress. This was her regret, and it had always been his too.
Her eyes instantly burned, and a layer of mist blurred her vision. Lin Wanwan looked at him, at the deep affection and pride in his eyes, and a thousand words stuck in her throat, unable to utter a single one.
Xiao Che smiled. He straightened up, took her hand again, and stood side by side with her, facing the civil and military officials and envoys from all over the world who were already stunned by the sight.
Sunlight poured down, illuminating his dark robes, making him appear as majestic as a mountain; it shone on her starry feathered robes, making them appear as dazzling as a dream.
At this moment, time seemed to stand still.
Lin Wanwan, draped in starlight, stood beside her emperor, becoming the most dazzling and radiant light of this era.
From this day forward, history will record this momentous event. Emperor Xiao Che of the Great Liang Dynasty, at a grand ceremony, captivated the heavens and the stars, all for the sake of making the most beautiful wedding dress for his empress.
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