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Chapter 236: The Bridal Chamber Candles I Owe You, I'll Make It Up to You Tonight
Chapter 236: The Bridal Chamber Candles I Owe You, I'll Make It Up to You Tonight
After the Emperor and Empress entered the Chamber of the Empress, the wedding ceremony came to an end. As for drinking the nuptial wine, that was not for outsiders to witness.
Moreover, no one dared to disturb the bridal chamber of the Emperor and Empress, so the crowd made their way to the Grand Hall to begin the evening's palace banquet.
The Retired Emperor placed a black stone on the chessboard, "You know, I prefer peace and quiet."
The King of Miaojiang said, "Oh, it's your own son's wedding, let's go and have some fun!"
The Retired Emperor placed a white stone and smiled faintly, "Do you know how long it's been since I was confined by your precious grandson and haven't been able to go out and meet people?"
"Cough, cough."
The King of Miaojiang cleared his throat awkwardly, "A true hero doesn't mention past grievances. Besides, you almost killed my grandson too. Thank goodness for the Dowager Empress."
The Retired Emperor corrected him, "A true hero doesn't boast of his past bravery."
The King of Miaojiang waved his hand, "It's the same thing! Come on, what's so fun about playing chess by yourself? I'll play with you later!"
The Retired Emperor shook his head, "Forget it, you'll regret every step you take."
The King of Miaojiang looked wronged, "But I learned it from you, didn't I?"
The Retired Emperor asked, "When have I ever done that?"
The King of Miaojiang crossed his arms and said righteously, "There's an epidemic in the palace, and you're playing chess with my grandson's daughter-in-law. Every time she wins, you make excuses."
The Retired Emperor was taken aback.
The King of Miaojiang managed to 'invite' the Retired Emperor to the Grand Hall.
The officials and generals, who hadn't seen the Retired Emperor in a long time, were all excited and couldn't contain themselves. They knelt down together and said, "Greetings to the Retired Emperor!"
The Retired Emperor spoke gently, "Please sit."
"Thank you, Retired Emperor!"
The crowd knelt back on their cushions.
The Retired Emperor pointed to the slightly lower seat next to him, one of the most honorable seats besides the Emperor's: "King of Miaojiang, please."
Another seat next to Zong Zhengxi was given to Xun Prime Minister by the Retired Emperor.
Zong Zhengxi was currently in the Chamber of the Empress, completing the final ceremony, so his seat was empty, making Xun Prime Minister seem a little lonely.
The King of Miaojiang didn't like the look of him, so he pulled the Retired Emperor and chatted about everything under the sun, occasionally offering a few cups of wine, leaving the Retired Emperor no chance to pay attention to Xun Prime Minister.
When the Retired Emperor wanted to speak to Xun Prime Minister for the third time, but was still interrupted by the King of Miaojiang, he sighed helplessly, "Is it that obvious?"
Aren't the court officials all about conspiracies and schemes? Why are you so direct?
King of Miaojiang: I have no shame, so no one else can have any!
Meng Qianqian, Lu Yuan, and Liu Qingyun also attended the banquet.
The young couple sat at one table, Liu Qingyun and Bao Shu at another, Bai Qingchen and Yu Li at a third, and Bai Yuwei, who was still recovering from the shock, was resting in her mansion.
As for Bao Shu, she was off showing off again.
While showing off, she also recruited some followers, and soon there was a long line of people behind her, each one older than her.
But as they played, her newly recruited two-year-old follower somehow got into a fight with the Second Prince's youngest son.
The Second Prince's youngest son was two and a half years old, a full year older than Bao Shu, but she bravely punched him with her little fat fist, making him cry.
She turned around and went to find the Retired Emperor to complain, "Waaah—my hand hurts!"
The Retired Emperor looked at the little fellow who had turned the tables: You hit my dragon grandson, and you still have the nerve to come to me with your complaints? You say your hand hurts? Couldn't you just not hit him?
Bao Shu's face was serious, she had to punch the bully who picked on her follower!
Inside the grand hall, the music and dance were lively, and the wine cups clinked together.
Taner had no interest in the music and dance, she knelt beside Meng Qianqian, guarding the small table in front of her.
"Braised pork—it's not braised pork."
"Braised pork—it's not braised pork."
"No."
"No."
"No..."
Taner was heartbroken, "Such a big palace, and they can't even afford braised pork? What a shame for the Great Zhou Emperor..."
Your Great Zhou?
Meng Qianqian's eyes glinted, and from the neighboring table came a mocking voice, "Sea cucumber and chicken soup is much more expensive than braised pork, it's like a wild boar can't eat fine bran."
Meng Qianqian turned to look at the speaker.
The neighboring table was the seat of the Baron Changning's mansion, and the Baron Changning's wife was the older sister of Lady Li, the Grand Dowager. The speaker was her.
Taner said, "You're the wild boar! Your whole family are wild boars!"
The Baron Changning's wife spoke coldly, "How dare you! A mere maid, and you dare to be impudent in front of me!"
Meng Qianqian smiled faintly, "You, a mere baron's wife, are also shouting in front of me."
The Baron Changning's wife scoffed, "What are you?"
Meng Qianqian asked, "And what are you?"
"I'm the Emperor's aunt!"
Just as the Baron Changning's wife finished speaking, Zong Zhengxi entered the main hall with Eunuch Qin and Xiao Dezi.
The dancing girls swayed gracefully, and Zong Zhengxi didn't want to disturb the officials' elegant mood, so he signaled for them not to bow.
The voices of the Baron Changning's wife and Meng Qianqian were not loud, and with the music, not many people noticed their argument.
Seeing Zong Zhengxi approaching, the Baron Changning's wife quickly stood up to stop him, complaining that Meng Qianqian and her maid had disrespected her.
She thought Zong Zhengxi would help her get justice, but after listening, he only turned to Taner, "Taner, do you want braised pork?"
"Yes, yes!"
Taner nodded vigorously.
Zong Zhengxi instructed Xiao Dezi, "Tell the Imperial Kitchen to make a bowl of braised pork."
"Yes!"
Xiao Dezi hurried off.
The Baron Changning's wife was stunned, "Your Majesty!"
Zong Zhengxi said, "Aunt, today is my wedding day, please don't cause trouble."
(End of Chapter)The young man still had a youthful appearance, but his eyes already carried a hint of imperial majesty.
Meng Qianqian felt relieved.
This was exactly the demeanor Lu Yuan wanted to see in an emperor.
Speaking of which, where had Lu Yuan gone? He had left soon after arriving and hadn't returned for half a day.
Taner was overjoyed, "Braised pork, braised pork, braised pork!"
The Lady of Baron Changning reluctantly sat down.
Zong Zhengxi greeted Meng Qianqian and took his seat at the emperor's designated spot.
Not long after, Lu Yuan finally returned, carrying a faint hint of alcohol on his body.
Meng Qianqian sniffed, "Husband, were you just drinking?"
Lu Yuan replied coldly, "No."
Meng Qianqian looked at him, "What are you hiding in your arms?"
Lu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, "Nothing."
Meng Qianqian: I don't believe you.
Lu Yuan spoke in a cold tone, "So boring, let's go back to the mansion."
Meng Qianqian asked, "Is the banquet over?"
Lu Yuan: "Headache."
Meng Qianqian quickly reached out and touched his forehead.
Lu Yuan said solemnly, "In public, be more careful."
Meng Qianqian: "..."
Lu Yuan stood up, "Let's go!"
Meng Qianqian was startled, "Now? Now?"
Lu Yuan left the Grand Hall without looking back.
Meng Qianqian had no choice but to follow with Taner.
Taner looked at the braised pork that had just been taken away and cried out, reaching for it, "My braised pork—!"
---
Back at the Governor's Mansion, Taner immediately went to the small kitchen, "Du Niangzi, I want to eat braised pork, wuwu!"
"Come out and eat, come out and eat!"
Mammy Wan pulled Taner out.
Taner looked at the mumbling Mammy Wan, "What's going on?"
Mammy Wan closed the courtyard door, "Shh, don't talk, be quiet."
As soon as Meng Qianqian entered the courtyard, she felt something was amiss. In such a large courtyard, not a single person was in sight.
"Strange, where did everyone go?"
Meng Qianqian pushed the door open in confusion.
A dazzling light entered her vision, dragon and phoenix candles, red wedding characters, jade scepter, red silk cloth... all the decorations were exactly like those of the wedding night.
"Is this... did I go to the wrong place?"
She stepped out of the room and carefully examined the courtyard, "No mistake, how could this be..."
Her first thought was that she had been reborn again, back to the day of her wedding with Lu Yuan.
She would rather believe that she had died once again than to think that Lu Yuan had recreated the wedding night.
Meng Qianqian turned around in disbelief and looked at Lu Yuan, "Grand Marshal."
Lu Yuan spoke in a cold and aloof manner, "I owe you the bridal chamber, let's make it up tonight."
After saying this, he strode across the threshold with his long legs, gracefully approaching the festive wedding bed.
Meng Qianqian was stunned: When did you prepare all these things? You're not serious, are you?
I didn't say you owed me a bridal chamber, you don't owe it, you really don't!
Lu Yuan said calmly, "Aren't you coming in?"
Meng Qianqian hesitated and entered the room, standing far away.
Lu Yuan sat on the wedding bed, "Come closer."
Meng Qianqian took a few steps forward, like a clueless little quail.
Lu Yuan glanced at her, "Sit."
Meng Qianqian slowly sat down beside him.
Lu Yuan took out the wine he had been hiding and poured two cups from the table.
Meng Qianqian was dumbfounded and muttered softly, "You said you weren't hiding anything?"
She secretly examined the wine pot and found that it was made of silver, carved with a dragon and phoenix totem, exquisitely crafted.
Thinking of something, she tentatively asked, "This... could it be the nuptial wine of the Emperor and Empress?"
Lu Yuan neither confirmed nor denied.
Meng Qianqian gasped.
You took the Emperor and Empress's auspicious wedding day, and now you're even taking their nuptial wine?
Lu Yuan sat back on the wedding bed with the two cups of wine, handing one to Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian blinked and lowered her head to drink.
Lu Yuan: "Are you sure this is how you drink it?"
The Grand Marshal, having returned after his studies, was now a mature groom. He knew that the nuptial wine was also the cupped wine, meant to be drunk from the same cup.
Meng Qianqian smiled slyly, "There's no need to be so strict."
Lu Yuan, with no silver to be found here, spoke in an extremely cold manner, "At that time, I just didn't want to, not that I didn't understand. I'm very clear about the wedding process—welcoming the bride, blocking the door, getting on the sedan, getting off the sedan, stepping over the fire basin, stepping on roof tiles, bowing, unveiling, nuptial wine, consummation."
Meng Qianqian: "..."
Seeing her hesitation, Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes, "What's wrong? You don't want to? Before, you professed your deep love for me, were you deceiving me? Do you know the consequences of toying with me?"
Meng Qianqian immediately raised her finger, "Xiaojiu's love for the Grand Marshal is as deep as the ocean, the sun and moon can bear witness!"
Lu Yuan: "Then why aren't you drinking?"
Meng Qianqian: "Xiaojiu just dares not dream of the Grand Marshal..."
Lu Yuan said calmly, "I allow you to dream."
Meng Qianqian looked down at the nuptial wine in her hand and suddenly asked, "Grand Marshal, you wouldn't really... have fallen for Xiaojiu?"
Lu Yuan's eyes flickered, and he said with conviction, "How is that possible? I've said it before, it's my family who likes you, I just find you pleasing to the eye."
Meng Qianqian: "Oh."
She paused, then raised her head and smiled, "Then, Grand Marshal, let's drink the cupped wine!"
---
End of Chapter
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