Chen Hai immediately stepped forward holding a box.
Xie Junlin opened the box, revealing a pair of exquisitely beautiful jade Ruyi scepters.
Accompanying the jade Ruyi was a calligraphy scroll.
Xie Junlin picked up the scroll bearing bold, powerful strokes brimming with imperial majesty and told Xiao Lingzhao, “I personally wrote these words for you and your wife—’A Happy Marriage, Eternal Union.’ The jade Ruyi symbolizes auspiciousness and fulfillment. I hope you two will be blessed with happiness and have a satisfying life together.”
Xiao Lingzhao stared blankly at the calligraphy before quickly kneeling to kowtow in gratitude.
“Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for this great honor! With the imperial blessing, my wife and I will surely enjoy eternal union and a fulfilling life!”
Xie Junlin placed the box in his hands and bade him rise.
Glancing at the sun, Xie Junlin asked, “Has the auspicious hour arrived?”
The Old General and Xiao Lingzhao exchanged glances.
The auspicious hour hadn’t yet come.
But the Emperor, burdened with state affairs, couldn’t wait here indefinitely.
Then—they would proceed with the wedding ceremony immediately.
Xiao Lingzhao bowed and replied, “With Your Majesty presiding over the ceremony, all evil retreats. Every moment becomes an auspicious hour.”
Xie Junlin smiled faintly.
Xiao Lingzhao turned and instructed his guard Xiao Yun, “Go prepare immediately. Bring my wife here for the wedding ceremony.”
Xiao Yun accepted the order and departed.
The Xiao family dared not neglect the Emperor and eagerly invited him, “Please take the seat of honor, Your Majesty—”
Xie Junlin froze momentarily upon hearing this, then his eyes darkened slightly.
Take the seat of honor?
Xiao Lingzhao wasn’t his son—how could he occupy the parental seat to receive the newlyweds’ bows? As a man without sons, why should he partake in such festivities and add to his own sorrow?
Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, Xie Junlin calmly straightened his sleeves with slender fingers and declined politely, “That won’t be necessary. The newlyweds should bow to their parents during the ceremony. I’ll simply sit to the side today. The seats of honor should remain for the Old General and Old Madam.”
The Old General wouldn’t dare.
Having the Emperor sit below while he and his wife took the seats of honor would surely give him nightmares.
His eyes shifting thoughtfully, he hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, as you mentioned earlier, you held Ling Zhao when he was born and watched him grow up. You are practically his elder. Being both sovereign and elder, what harm is there in having the young couple bow to you? In my humble opinion, why not have my wife and I sit on the right, and Your Majesty on the left? We can all take the seats of honor and witness their ceremony together.”
Xie Junlin had no wish to overshadow the hosts, but he knew that if he insisted on refusing the seat of honor, the Old General would likely feel uneasy.
He said, “Very well. Since the Old General insists, I will join you in the seats of honor.”
Only then did the Old General and Old Madam feel relieved.
The three took their seats on the left and right respectively.
Xiao Lingzhao joyfully bowed to all three, then eagerly went out to greet his bride.
Not far from the hall, Xiao Lingzhao saw the Wedding Matchmaker leading the bride by a red silk ribbon, accompanied by a crowd of servants approaching.
Xiao Lingzhao stopped in his tracks, gazing intently at the bride.
He had known Yuan Wei was beautiful, but he never imagined she could become even more breathtakingly stunning after careful adornment.
Adorned with jewels, radiant and exquisite—her beauty was peerless.
His eyes filled with awe.
The thought that this beautiful, kind-hearted maiden would become his that very night, accompanying him for life, made even his normally reserved self curve his lips into a sweet smile.
Shen Yuanwei also spotted her handsome, captivating fiancé Xiao Lingzhao from afar.Seeing Xiao Lingzhao smile, she also smiled.
Beside them, the Wedding Matchmaker tapped the fan in her hand and whispered, “Bride, stop smiling now. Quickly raise your fan to cover your face.”
Shen Yuanwei chuckled softly and immediately grasped the exquisite round fan with both hands, lifting it to cover half of her face, leaving only a pair of bright eyes gazing at Xiao Lingzhao.
The tassels adorning the fan swayed gently, and with half her face concealed, she suddenly appeared even more lively and spirited.
The Wedding Matchmaker laughed and said, “Bride, you should cover your entire face.”
Shen Yuanwei raised the fan a little higher, covering her eyes.
However, upon hearing Xiao Lingzhao’s footsteps approaching, she couldn’t resist lowering the fan slightly. Her beautiful eyes fixed on Xiao Lingzhao as she whispered—
“Never mind, I won’t cover my eyes after all. If I cover them, I won’t be able to see my husband… What if such a wonderful husband of mine gets secretly swapped out? What would I do then?”
Xiao Lingzhao paused mid-step.
He lifted his gaze to Shen Yuanwei.
He had assumed Yuan Wei married him merely to save him, without much affection for him. Yet, was she truly worried he might be secretly replaced?
His ears flushed slightly with shyness, but the corners of his eyes and brows were brimming with laughter.
Quietly tucking the sweetness into his heart, he gazed tenderly at Shen Yuanwei and said softly, “Then don’t cover your eyes. I’ll walk ahead of you so you can always see me. Keep a close watch on me, and don’t let anyone secretly replace your husband, alright?”
Shen Yuanwei nodded gently. “Alright.”
Seeing the young couple so inseparable, the Wedding Matchmaker refrained from further comments.
The fan ceremony was merely a ritual; what truly mattered was the couple’s own happiness and joy.
Smiling, she handed the red silk ribbon to Xiao Lingzhao. He gripped one end firmly and walked ahead to lead the way, while Shen Yuanwei held the other end and followed gracefully.
After a few steps, Shen Yuanwei thought of the Emperor who had suddenly arrived and asked softly, “What is the Emperor here for?”
Xiao Lingzhao replied in a low voice, “He’s here to attend the wedding banquet and has brought us gifts.”
Shen Yuanwei asked curiously, “What gifts did he bring?”
Xiao Lingzhao said, “A pair of jade Ruyi scepters and a calligraphy scroll written by the Emperor himself.”
Before Shen Yuanwei could speak, Xiao Lingzhao smiled and told his curious little wife, “The scroll bears eight characters: ‘A Joyful Union, A Hundred Years of Harmony.'”
Hearing these words, Shen Yuanwei fell into thought.
It seemed she had been overly suspicious.
The Emperor likely hadn’t sensed her good pregnancy constitution and hadn’t come for her sake. He had sincerely come to offer gifts and celebrate the wedding out of respect for the General’s Residence.
With that, she felt relieved.
As long as the Emperor remained unaware of her miraculously good pregnancy constitution, she could peacefully spend a few happy years with her God of War husband. Other matters could wait for another decade or so…
However…
The Emperor’s gifts… amused her somewhat.
Now that the Emperor wished her and Xiao Lingzhao a hundred years of harmony and perfect happiness, wouldn’t it be contradictory and self-defeating if he later tried to take her away from Xiao Lingzhao?
If the Emperor ever attempted to seize his subject’s wife, she and Xiao Lingzhao could produce the scroll inscribed by the Emperor himself with “A Joyful Union, A Hundred Years of Harmony.” Wouldn’t the Emperor be deeply embarrassed?
Shen Yuanwei concealed her mischievous smile and followed Xiao Lingzhao forward as if nothing were amiss.
Soon, they arrived at the front hall, which had been decorated as the wedding ceremony hall.
Xiao Lingzhao walked ahead and was the first to step across the threshold.He walked while glancing back and speaking softly, “The threshold is a bit high, be careful.”
In the main hall.
Xie Junlin, seated solemnly in the high seat, raised his eyebrows slightly upon seeing Xiao Lingzhao being so gentle and considerate.
Ling Zhao had always been a cold and reticent general, aloof and indifferent to women. Having known Ling Zhao for many years, he had never seen him treat any woman with such tenderness and attentiveness.
Could it be that this bride was truly the one Ling Zhao had secretly admired for several years?
He grew increasingly curious about what kind of peerless beauty this bride was, to have captured Xiao Lingzhao’s heart so completely.
Under Xie Junlin’s gaze, the bride in her bright red wedding dress slowly appeared outside the door.
A sky full of magnificent sunset clouds spread out behind her. Standing there against the light, her slender fingers held an ornate fan, gracefully covering half of her lotus-like face.
She slowly lifted her gaze, her clear and bright eyes looking toward the high seat.