Сhарter 25: The First Dау of Mаrriage (Rеvisеd)
Lu Yun Juе wаs аwаkenеd bу thе voiсe оf the matrоn оutside thе roоm.
“Рrinсess Соnsort, it’s gеtting lаtе. It’s timе tо sеrvе teа to thе Grаnd Princess… Prinсess Сonsоrt?”
Lu Yun Juе орened his еyes.
Наving bееn uncоnsciоus for sevеrаl dауs, hе had еxpeсtеd tо wаkе up to the fаmiliаr hеavinеss in his limbs, but to his surрrise, he fеlt соnsidеrably mоrе relaхed than bеfоrе.
Еven thе сhronic tightness in his chest seemеd to hаvе еаsеd slightly.
Lu Yun Juе propрed himsеlf up оn his arms аnd sat up, only to discover, to his astonishment, that someone was sleeping beside him.
He froze for a moment, his consciousness gradually returning.
His gaze swept around the room—everything in sight was a vibrant red: the bed curtains, the bedding, even the desk was adorned with large red double-happiness characters.
Lu Yun Jue immediately realized that yesterday must have been his wedding day.
A wave of regret and guilt suddenly washed over him. To have slept through such an important day… his body truly was utterly useless.
Ning Heng was still asleep. Having been kept up late last night and feeling naturally drowsy due to her pregnancy, she was now sound asleep.
Her sleeping appearance was quite different from her usual self. If in her waking hours she exuded an ethereal, aloof, and often distant aura, then in sleep, her features softened, taking on a gentler quality, almost like a lazy, curled-up cat.
Even though they had no emotional foundation, Lu Yun Jue’s heart felt as if it had been gently brushed by something.
Outside the room, the matron, hearing no response, gently knocked on the door again. “…Princess Consort? Are you awake?”
It was already mid-morning, and the bride’s tea-serving ceremony was long overdue. If there hadn’t been absolutely no movement from inside the room, she wouldn’t have dared to urge them repeatedly.
But she never expected that it would be her own prince who came to open the door.
Lu Yun Jue, draped in an outer robe, still looked pale, but his spirits seemed surprisingly good.
He lowered his voice and said, “Matron, A Heng is still asleep. Please inform my mother that the tea-serving ceremony will be delayed for a while. There’s no hurry.”
It had been a long time since he had felt so light and comfortable, and he even spoke with a bit more strength.
After all, the Grand Princess’s residence was right next door, and he had no father. With just family around, there was no need to stand on ceremony.
“Your Highness, you’re awake?!”
Matron Liu could no longer care about tea-serving or anything else. Her eyes widened like copper bells as she stared in disbelief at Lu Yun Jue—the prince had actually walked from the inner chamber to the door without needing anyone’s support!
Matron Liu was overwhelmed with excitement. She had thought that the wedding to ward off misfortune was merely for psychological comfort, but it seemed to have actually worked!
His Highness looked… as if he had improved significantly.
“Your Highness, how are you feeling? This old servant will go report to Her Highness immediately… if Her Highness knew you were awake, she would be overjoyed!” Matron Liu stammered in her excitement.
Lu Yun Jue smiled helplessly. “Matron, keep your voice down.”
Matron Liu nodded repeatedly, suppressing her ecstatic tone. “Yes! Yes! This old servant understands. Your Highness, please go back and lie down, rest a little longer.”
“This old servant will go tell Her Highness this wonderful news right away!”
Though Matron Liu was already of grandmotherly age, at this moment, she seemed as if she had been given a shot of adrenaline, striding briskly toward the direction of the Grand Princess’s residence.
Lu Yun Jue, however, had no desire to lie down again.
His frail body had spent more than half of the year in bed, and he was long tired of lying down.
He gently closed the door and returned to the inner chamber, but instead of getting back into bed, he simply sat down on the soft couch beside it.
Picking up an unfinished book, he quietly waited for Ning Heng to wake up.
…Ning Heng didn’t actually sleep until the sun was high in the sky—mainly because she had a pressing need to relieve herself.
The child in her belly was otherwise quite considerate, not causing much fuss, but as it grew day by day, her trips to the restroom increased accordingly.
When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the enlarged, handsome face of her sickly, beautiful husband. He was leaning against the soft couch by the bed, morning light filtering through the window lattice and casting a soft glow around him.
“A Heng, you’re awake?”
Seeing her open her eyes, Lu Yun Jue set down the book scroll and spoke gently.
Ning Heng felt her mother was right—seeing such beauty first thing in the morning was indeed a delight to the eyes.
She sat up and stretched. “What about you? Are you feeling better?”
“Much better,” Lu Yun Jue replied gently. “Last night, did you trouble yourself to give me acupuncture again?”
Although he had been unconscious, he vaguely remembered the sensation of silver needles piercing his acupoints, and the lingering scent of the medicinal bath still clung to him.
He had initially thought it was the imperial physician, but now it occurred to him that none of the previous imperial physicians had such refined medical skills.
Ning Heng: “Mm.”
She nodded, acknowledging it without saying more.
Their exchange, question and answer, didn’t resemble the interaction of newlyweds but rather that of long-time friends or an old married couple already accustomed to each other, exuding a peculiar harmony.
Watching Ning Heng rise from his bed in her sleepwear, Lu Yun Jue’s ears grew slightly warm, and he pursed his lips.
“Yesterday was our wedding…”
“Mm-hmm.” Ning Heng, eager to attend to her physiological needs, responded casually and bent down to find her shoes.
Seeing her distracted demeanor, Lu Yun Jue continued, “I’m sorry. It’s my body that’s failing me, unable to personally go to the marquis’s residence to fetch you…”
He hadn’t even seen how she looked in her wedding attire—she must have been incredibly beautiful.
Ning Heng hadn’t expected him to care about such things. As she slipped on her shoes, she waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Your cousin, the Emperor, helped you fetch the bride. The ceremony was quite grand.”
“Cousin?” Lu Yun Jue was somewhat surprised, though not overly so.
Given his severe illness and inability to rise, it made sense that his cousin, true to his nature, would personally step in to fetch the bride and uphold the occasion on his behalf.
“Then… the wedding ceremony?” he hesitantly asked again, unable to imagine how that had been accomplished.
“Also your cousin,” Ning Heng said. “You two brothers really have a strong bond. The dignified Son of Heaven helped you complete all these rituals.”
Lu Yun Jue felt a tinge of regret but smiled faintly. “Yes, Cousin has always been like that.”
Ning Heng glanced at the sky. “Shouldn’t we go to serve tea now? Wait a moment, I need to visit the restroom first.”
Lu Yun Jue said, “There’s no rush. I’ve already sent word to Mother.”
Truly a considerate sleeping companion—he’s quite thoughtful.
…
Lu Yun Jue’s courtyard was exceptionally quiet, devoid of any charming, beautiful maids, with only a few efficient young attendants.
The two maids who had waited outside the bridal chamber last night were temporarily assigned. Although Ning Heng was only accustomed to having A Chan by her side, A Chan was only skilled in killing and poisoning; for daily tasks, she really needed two deft maids around.
On the second day of marriage, one’s attire shouldn’t be too plain, lest it be seen as disrespectful.
However, Ning Heng had never liked anything too elaborate, so the maids simply tied her hair into a bun, and the hairpins and ornaments were elegant and understated.
By the time all the preparations were done, it was nearly noon.
The tea-serving ceremony was already as late as it could possibly be.
If it had been any other new bride acting so improperly, the Grand Princess would certainly not have given her a pleasant look.But everyone has their weaknesses, and she knew her son’s physical condition all too well. Countless imperial physicians and renowned doctors had examined him, yet all were at a loss.
They either sighed or frowned and shook their heads, having long hinted that she should prepare for the worst.
The so-called “auspicious wedding” was more of a formality, fulfilling one last hope.
If such rituals were truly effective, her plague-ridden father would have taken ten or eight young concubines for an auspicious wedding back then. How could he have kicked the bucket so early?
Now, not only had her son awakened, but his complexion and energy seemed even better than before he fell unconscious. The Grand Princess pondered briefly and guessed the reason.
It was likely because she had examined Huai Jin last night.
For this alone, even if she were merely late to serve tea, or even if she tore the roof off the manor, the Grand Princess could calmly praise her for doing it well.