Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 447 Wedding Night, Nighttime Emperor

In early February, a slanting wind swept through the streets, and the entire area was deserted as everyone flocked to the red street.

A motorcade slowly drove along the wide street. The spring breeze brushed against the willows along the street, and the soft branches swayed gently, following the wind's path like thousands of ribbons pointing towards the motorcade.

A gentle breeze stirred the thin veil of the palanquin in the center of the procession, and also tugged at the red rope bells hanging around the necks of the horses on either side.

Beside the palanquin were more than twenty palace guards, tall and strong, with their heads held high and chests out, but they were not wearing armor, only red clothes, with long swords at their waists.

Within the thin veil of the palanquin, the Empress of Dali, draped in a phoenix-embroidered crown and with a touch of rouge between her brows, sat upright, her posture elegant, her expression solemn, and her presence full of majesty.

The Empress was present, yet her guards numbered only about twenty, but none of the common people on the street seemed worried about any unusual events or assassinations.

They glanced sideways at the leader of the convoy.

A man dressed in a red python robe rode on horseback. He was tall and slender with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, but he did not show any sharpness or ruthlessness. Instead, he had a refined and noble air, like a reclusive immortal on a high mountain or a cold and aloof king in a temple.

"That's Marquis Weiming? So young..."

"His Majesty doesn't look very old. I heard he's not even twenty yet."

"Your Excellency is so handsome!"

"Shh! This is His Majesty's consort, the Emperor Chen Yu..."

"His Majesty has been in power for a year and has not imposed heavy taxes or strict laws. He must be a good-tempered man and wouldn't care about such a trivial matter... But the Marquis is really handsome, his martial arts are so high, and he's so young..."

The streets were teeming with people, so densely packed that from a distance it looked like a black curtain, with red lanterns and ribbons draped all over the street, as if draped in a rosy robe.

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, but Zhao Wumian and Luo Chaoyan seemed oblivious to it all.

Zhao Wumian thought Luo Chaoyan looked really beautiful today and couldn't help but want to turn around and take a few more glances. However, he had to maintain the demeanor of a marquis in public and could only secretly restrain himself and keep his eyes straight ahead.

Song Yun sat on the side of the street, watching the convoy approach from afar with a sigh in his eyes. But on this festive day, he took out his wine flask, poured wine into a cup, and drank it by himself.

Suddenly, she noticed a man in a blue robe standing at the end of the alley, holding the hand of a little girl, watching the motorcade intently.

Song Yun narrowed his eyes and stared at the father and daughter.

The man in the blue robe seemed to sense something and turned around to look.

Anyone who can sense Song Yun's gaze must be a highly skilled martial artist.

The two stared at each other for a long time. Then the little girl tugged at the sleeve of the man in the blue robe, and the man looked away and turned to leave.

"Let's have a drink..." Song Yun suddenly spoke up, and she smiled, "On such a festive day, we should have a drink."

The man in the blue robe remained silent for a long time before finally leading the little girl through the crowd and sitting down opposite Song Yun.

The crowd was bustling and noisy, but the two people sat in a corner of the tea stall, clearly out of place amidst the merriment and noise.

Gululu————

Song Yun poured a cup of wine for the man in the blue robe and asked softly, "Lord Lan of Wuchang City... where have you been making your fortune lately?"

"To grow crops," Lan answered truthfully.

"Grow crops?" Song Yun was slightly taken aback. "With your martial arts skills, why would you want to be a farmer?"

"It's not just farming, hunting, brewing wine... I can do all of those. I'm skilled in martial arts, so I can not only kill people, but I'm also quick and agile when it comes to these kinds of jobs."

After saying that, Lan raised her hand and beckoned the waiter to bring a few plates of snacks for the little girl beside her, then looked at Song Yun.

"Officer Song will be treating us to a meal... right?"

Song Yun chuckled again, nodded slightly, and turned to look at the little girl beside Lan.

"who is she?"

"My daughter, Gu Yuehan."

"Nice name."

The former number one assassin in the martial arts world, and the number one assassin a year ago, are sitting at a tea stall, drinking and chatting.

One of the two had been wandering the martial arts world for over ten years, and then imprisoned in the Zhaoyu Prison for over twenty years. Now, he has regained his freedom and is rising to prominence.

Another man, who had terrorized the martial arts world for decades, was defeated in one move, faked his death, and retired from the martial arts world, never to be involved again.

Song Yun pushed a bowl of wine towards Lan.

Lan didn't answer, but asked softly, "You're not going to kill me?"

"It's all in the past, it's all in the past..."

Song Yun held his wine bowl, glancing sideways at the bustling street, red lanterns and silk ribbons fluttering in the wind. "What if I kill you? What if I don't?"

Before she finished speaking, Song Yun looked at Gu Yuehan again, watching her pinch a peanut with her small hands and put it in her mouth. She smiled slightly and said:
"If I don't kill you, it's simply because I have someone to drink with right now; if I do kill you, it's simply because there are several martial arts figures who hold a grudge against me."

"I've killed quite a few people, and I've never cared about children... When did the number one assassin in the martial arts world start to feel compassion?"

"That's because you've never killed anyone close to me."

After they finished speaking, the two returned to calm.

The caravan slowly approached from a distance. Zhao Wumian rode at the head of the procession, a tall horse. He glanced at the two men, then looked away and continued on his way.

Lan suddenly smiled.

"We're just old-timers in the martial arts world, it's truly the past..."

Only then did he pick up his wine bowl and drink with Song Yun.

Red lights fill the streets, fluttering for miles.

After entering the palace, there were many more rules. They had to go to the ancestral mausoleum with the Ministry of Rites to worship their ancestors, and they also had to worship heaven and earth. After returning, they had to hold a banquet with songs and dances, and they were not allowed to run around.

Most of the time, I just sit there doing nothing; it's boring and dull.

Luo Chaoyan thought Zhao Wumian would get impatient and leave halfway, but on the contrary, he was very patient. He did whatever the Ministry of Rites said without any deviation from the rules.

Luo Chaoyan knew that while she was tossing and turning, unable to sleep day and night, Zhao Wumian was also taking this matter very seriously.

The only thing Zhao Wumian didn't cooperate with was when they went to the ancestral mausoleum to pay respects to their ancestors.

All the civil and military officials in the court, even the emperor and empress dowager, had to kneel in obeisance, except for Zhao Wumian.

All the officials knelt, but Zhao Wumian stood still, looking at them coldly.

If it weren't for Luo Chaoyan's sake, he probably would have dug up Emperor Taizu's grave and left the founding emperor's body to rot in the wilderness.

No one in the Ministry of Rites dared to say anything more, but they kept hinting to Luo Chaoyan to persuade the Marquis to cooperate.

Luo Chaoyan neither asked Zhao Wumian to cooperate nor got angry or upset.

Empress Dali realized she liked him more... When Zhao Wumian married her, he did not forget Xiao Yuanmu and Xiao Lengyue.

Unlike most women, she wasn't jealous or possessive; she simply thought my man was wonderful.

Because at this moment, Zhao Wumian did not forget Tai Xuan Palace, which proved that at some point in the future, he would not forget Luo Chaoyan either.

A man's character is more important than anything else.

The noise continued until late at night, when the night sky was clear and the silver moon hung high.

Dong Dong————

With the sound of evening drums and morning bells, the palace gates were locked, the court officials withdrew, and the inner palace returned to tranquility.

The area outside the palace remains bustling, but it has no connection to the palace itself.

The palace was adorned with red lanterns, but due to the sparse population, apart from a few palace maids passing by, it was deserted and still desolate. But today, the palace will have one more resident.

Inside the palace, palace maids dressed in red carried trays of fruits and snacks, such as longan, pomegranate, and grapes, which symbolize good fortune, into the room.

Although Luo Chaoyan was the emperor, she never truly regarded herself as such in front of her lover. At this moment, she sat obediently on the bridal bed, her posture far more upright than when she was parading in the streets. Her demeanor was undoubtedly that of a demure young lady waiting for her husband to come.

Wearing a deep red wedding dress embroidered with auspicious dragons and phoenixes, Tuan'er, though not as voluptuous and alluring as the Empress Dowager, still had a curvaceous figure with a prominent bust and hips. Her taut body accentuated the captivating curves between her waist and hips.

It makes one imagine how warm and tender it would feel to hold that slender waist in one's arms.

Her martial arts skills were not high, and she had been working hard all day, her whole body aching. But she still sat upright and motionless, unwilling to break the rules even though she was extremely uncomfortable.

She had been waiting for this day for a very, very long time.

Guan Yunshu sat at the table, also dressed in a festive new dress, holding a drawing board, her nose twitching as she painted, her expression serious.

No matter how good the painting skills or how professional the brushwork, they could not capture even a fraction of Luo Chaoyan's beauty at this moment.

Luo Chaoyan knew what Guan Yunshu was doing. Her voice, soft and barely concealing her nervousness, emanated from beneath her red veil. She could only try to ease the tension by chatting with her.

When did you start liking to draw?

"It's not that I like painting, it's that I like painting me and Zhao Wumian."

"Then how should I draw me now..."

"From tonight onwards, you are his lawfully wedded wife..."

"Oh..." Upon hearing this, Luo Chaoyan smiled happily, but she was too nervous to ask any more questions.

Su Qingqi touched her small hand and noticed that she was sweating. She herself felt a little nervous, probably because she was thinking about the day she would marry Zhao Wumian.

She said softly, "Don't let the sweat soak your makeup... How about I fix it up for you before the young master arrives?"

"No... only he can lift my veil tonight."

"If your makeup gets smudged, you won't look pretty anymore..."

“That won’t do either.” Luo Chaoyan was very stubborn, and Su Qingqi had no choice but to give in.

The Empress Dowager also sat inside, taking advantage of the fact that Zhao Wumian had not yet arrived to spend more time with the Emperor and ease his tension.

At this moment, she held a round fan in her hand, leaning against the armchair, her eyes lost in thought, the fan swaying gently, the candlelight flickering, casting indistinct shadows.

According to the discussion among Zhao Wumian and the others, after the wedding... that is, tomorrow, they should honestly and sincerely apologize and tell the whole story, so as not to delay any longer and act as thieves day and night.

Once this matter was exposed, the Empress Dowager estimated that she would be unable to be intimate with her lover for at least a month, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself.

But after tonight, the Marquis and the Emperor will be newly married and should spend some time together, so she didn't have many opportunities to be intimate with the Marquis anyway.

The Empress Dowager silently comforted herself, when she heard Luo Chaoyan ask nervously:

"Mother, Your Majesty, if I close my eyes and ignore everything later, would that seem impolite?"

"There's nothing impolite about it..."

The Empress Dowager rose and sat beside Luo Chaoyan, just like a mother and daughter in an ordinary family, whispering in her ear and teaching her how to do this kind of thing.

It all boils down to one sentence... No need to take the initiative, just wait for Zhao Wumian to bully you.

Luo Chaoyan listened for a while, and her delicate hand gripping the hem of her skirt tightened even more, revealing her slender fingers and white knuckles.

"How about we call Master over too? So we can consummate our marriage together?"

Luo Chaoyan's voice trembled and she stammered, showing that even the emperor was no different from a common girl in the face of such matters.

"That won't do. The Emperor is in the first half of the night, and the Imperial Tutor is in the second half. That was all agreed upon. If we go together, wouldn't that steal the time we have to be alone with the Marquis?"

As the Empress Dowager gently admonished her, she heard the sound of footsteps echoing from the palace corridors outside.

The women present were all too familiar with their lovers' footsteps. The three women immediately paused, then quickly stood up and prepared to leave.

Luo Chaoyan panicked and hurriedly said, "Qingqi! Qingqi! I regret it, should we touch up our makeup again..."

Before the words were finished, a creak was heard, and the three women had already left the bridal chamber. In the corridor outside, they saw Zhao Wumian and could hear them greeting each other.

"The Empress Dowager..."

"You didn't drink much, did you, Lord Marquis?"

"Drinking is usually just for the atmosphere, and although I still need to have a drink now, I'll just use martial arts to get rid of it, so it's no problem..."

"Go in quickly, the Emperor has been waiting for you for a long time..."

Amidst a few idle chatter, and then with a creak, Zhao Wumian entered.

Clang.

The doors and windows are locked.

Luo Chaoyan's body tensed even more. She tried her best to appear calm and wanted to ask softly, "You've come," but when she opened her lips, no sound came out.

She knew that if she opened her mouth, her voice would tremble uncontrollably. So she remained silent, simply sitting obediently on the side of the soft couch covered with deep red sheets.

Quiet and virtuous.

Zhao Wumian glanced at her sideways.

A strand of hair was tied with a red string, falling on her shoulder and hanging down in front of her chest, adding to her gentle and virtuous appearance.

No one who saw her would have guessed that this woman, sweating with nervousness, was actually the ruler of a vast territory, the current Empress.

But Zhao Wumian knew that only in his presence would the Empress of Dali be so flustered.

This favoritism and contrast only made him cherish the woman in front of him who had waited for him for a year even more.

Zhao Wumian picked up the golden scale beam and slowly walked over. His exceptional senses, being among the best in the martial arts world, told him that as he approached, the girl's delicate body became increasingly tense.

Zhao Wumian did not speak, but simply sat beside Luo Chaoyan and slowly lifted the emperor's red canopy with the scale rod.

The dim candlelight illuminated her fair and pretty face, adorned with a touch of rouge on her forehead. A few strands of hair fell slightly messily across her forehead, and her chubby little face was flushed, as if she could be pinched to release water droplets. Her thin and lovely pink lips were moist and tightly pursed.

Luo Chaoyan didn't dare to look up, her eyes lowered as she stared at her embroidered shoes. She wanted to wait for Zhao Wumian to speak to ease the awkward atmosphere, but after a few seconds, she didn't look at Zhao Wumian and said nothing.

She became even more nervous, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of her throat. After waiting anxiously for more than ten seconds, she slowly raised her head and looked at Zhao Wumian.

Upon seeing Zhao Wumian's smiling eyes, the Empress immediately felt a surge of anger, knowing that he was deliberately teasing her, and couldn't help but punch him in the waist.

"You are talking."

"Prefer not to say."

"Why?"

"You are so beautiful. I wanted to see you when we were parading in the streets today. Now that we finally have a chance to be alone together, I must take a good look at you."

Luo Chaoyan couldn't help but smile, then quickly pursed her pink lips, adopted a dignified demeanor, and nodded slightly towards the table, signaling him to get the wine.

Unable to contain herself any longer, she lifted her skirt and quickly brought over two cups of wine, placing one into Zhao Wumian's hand, saying, "Come, let's drink the nuptial wine."

Her initiative made it seem as if she was eager to marry Zhao Wumian, and she took on the preparations that should have been made by Zhao Wumian herself.

The two sat on the edge of the soft couch, holding wine glasses, their arms wrapped around each other, and Luo Chaoyan continued to chatter on.

"You're just messing with me. I knew you weren't a decent person from the start. Back then, when you were tricking the assassin in the dilapidated temple, you suddenly yelled at me without saying a word..."

...Now that we're finally married, you just sit there watching me get nervous, not even saying a few words to ease the tension..."

"You've held this grudge for a year?"

"A year is nothing... I remember everything about you."

"Why?"

"When you are not in the capital, I often think back to the times we spent together."

Luo Chaoyan raised her index finger and said with a smile, then realized that her words were a bit cheesy, blushed, lowered her head and pursed her lips, feeling shy.

Zhao Wumian knew that he was always running around, leaving Luo Chaoyan alone in the capital, making her lonely all her life.

But now that the two of them are married, no matter how far apart they are, they are still family.

I will never be lonely again.

He didn't say it aloud, but rather chuckled softly:

"cheers."

"Um……"

The two leaned closer and drank their wine in one gulp.

Luo Chaoyan didn't drink often, and after one cup, her pretty face immediately flushed. She whispered something to Zhao Wumian:

"Ms. sir..."

She quickly lowered her eyes, unable to tell whether her face was flushed with wine or blushing with embarrassment.

Emperor, Imperial Censor, Marquis, Martial Champion... the two have many identities.

But who would have known that a year ago, the two met in the snow in Shanxi.

She was just a princess in distress, and could be killed by Luo Shuzhi at any time.

The other person lost their memory, their martial arts skills were greatly reduced, and they didn't even know who they were.

Everything they have now, all their identities, is the result of their mutual support.

Without Zhao Wumian, there would be no throne for Luo Chaoyan.

There was no Luo Chaoyan, nor was there Zhao Wumian's identity as the Marquis of Weiming.

Without the backing of the imperial court, Zhao Wumian might not have been able to find the gold-inlaid Boshan furnace and regain his memories so easily.

If it weren't for Zhao Wumian, Luo Chaoyan would have been trapped in Luo Shuzhi's schemes and tricks long ago, unable to escape.

No one can live without the other... nor do we need to leave.

The two have many identities, but now that they have drunk the nuptial wine, they are simply husband and wife.

Therefore, Luo Chaoyan simply called him "husband," and she didn't care about his status as the emperor or empress.

Zhao Wumian also softly called her "wife".

Luo Chaoyan's pretty face turned even redder. Then, remembering what the Empress Dowager had said, she knew what was going to happen next. She immediately closed her eyes and pretended to faint, and even seemed to have no strength left, lying straight back.

Zhao Wumian was taken aback, then found it cute.

He got up and blew out the candle and extinguished the lamp, which helped Luo Chaoyan relax a bit.

As he walked back to the couch and took off his embroidered shoes, he suddenly realized that his smooth, fair legs, which should have been exposed above a pair of pure white silk stockings, were now covered with black silk stockings...

?

After wearing black pantyhose under her skirt, she put on white socks on top... Zhao Wumian didn't know how Luo Chaoyan knew about his preferences.

But at this moment, he was already quite fond of it, playing with the emperor's warm feet.

Luo Chaoyan's neck was flushed, but she followed her mother's instructions and didn't even lift her eyelids, continuing to pretend to be unconscious and leaving everything to Zhao Wumian.

Zhao Wumian slowly moved his hands up from the feet, caressing the emperor's long, beautiful legs wrapped in black silk, before slowly bending down.

As their breaths drew closer, a soft "pop" was heard as Zhao Wumian tasted the Emperor's lips.

The night was clear and bright. Suddenly, a short, sharp tearing sound rang out from inside the bridal chamber.

Luo Chaoyan was burning up, and even though the room was dark, she didn't dare to open her eyes.

As she closed her almond-shaped eyes, anxiously awaiting her wedding night, she suddenly felt Zhao Wumian pause in his movements.

She thought her husband was in the dim light and couldn't find him... so she gently swayed her hips and lightly kicked Zhao Wumian with her small feet in white socks and black stockings.

"here……"

But Zhao Wumian asked blankly, "Why are you here? Yuanmu..."

Luo Chaoyan suddenly woke up with a start, her eyes widened, and she looked to the side. The hateful Palace Master of Tai Xuan Palace was sitting by the bed on her wedding night, having come over at some unknown time.

Xiao Yuanmu, dressed in a red dress, was looking at Luo Chaoyan with great interest, meeting her gaze.

"Xiao Yuanmu!? What do you want to do?" Luo Chaoyan was not afraid at all. Her anger flared up immediately, and she shouted angrily.

Xiao Yuanmu wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he took off his shoes, climbed onto the dragon bed, pulled down the curtain, and smiled slightly.

"I'm bullying you...can't you tell?"

Although the words were brief, Luo Chaoyan and Xiao Yuanmu had argued many times, and just from hearing one sentence, she understood why this woman had come.

He wanted to see her make a fool of herself on their wedding night.

She was about to kick Xiao Yuanmu out, but what happened next made her swallow her words, and her beautiful eyes widened in shock.

Xiao Yuanmu, surprisingly, unbuckled his belt, and his dress slid down his smooth skin, revealing a deep red bodice and slender, snow-white shoulders.

The bulging curve made Luo Chaoyan's eyes twitch, and she blurted out a sentence instinctively.

"so big……"

"Yuanmu, what are you thinking..."

Zhao Wumian knew her childhood sweetheart much better than Luo Chaoyan. Judging from her appearance, she knew that she wanted to make love to him in front of Luo Chaoyan on her wedding night, on her joyous occasion.

In this way, even anger could kill Luo Chaoyan.

No wonder Yuanmu was so reluctant to go to Wushan properly back then... it turns out he'd been preparing for tonight all along.

He immediately said, "Yuanmu, you should go back quickly, this matter is over..."

Before Zhao Wumian could finish speaking, Luo Chaoyan immediately understood his meaning and pounced on him, grinding her teeth.

"Xiao Yuanmu, you've gone too far!"

But Xiao Yuanmu didn't actually intend to hurt Luo Chaoyan, otherwise Zhao Wumian would definitely be angry. So he didn't take it seriously and casually held Luo Chaoyan down and patted her buttocks lightly.

"Oh~ the Emperor of Dali, so majestic, ruling over a vast territory, yet possessing such a lewd body... It feels quite nice to touch."

Zhao Wumian dared not let the Empress of Dali, who knew no martial arts, fight with the rebel leader, so he quickly stepped in to stop them.

"Alright, Yuanmu, it's your big day, so don't bully her."

But Zhao Wumian thought too much of his little female doctor.

Seeing Zhao Wumian help her restrain Xiao Yuanmu, the Empress of Dali immediately turned over and pinched the rebel leader's breasts, returning the favor without any politeness.

"Hmph, the Palace Master of Tai Xuan Palace is quite the figure too~"

Xiao Yuanmu's expression showed a hint of surprise. No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, a woman with such a delicate body cannot be touched casually in that area.

It didn't matter to Luo Chaoyan whether she touched her or not, since she didn't like women anyway.

But in front of Zhao Wumian, she felt inexplicably weak all over and immediately lost all her strength.

Zhao Wumian was trying to stop the two women when he saw Luo Chaoyan exert a lot of force, and Xiao Yuanmu's full moon even jumped out of her bodice, trembling precariously, which made him pause.

He suddenly realized that the two women's playful bickering seemed to be the one who benefited.

Empress Dali discovered that the Palace Master of Taixuan Palace was so sensitive that she would lose her strength at the slightest touch. Immediately, her eyes lit up and she pounced on her to hold down her legs.

"Look at that old woman, Xiao Yuanmu, her body is so tender, just like a teenage girl..."

"You're asking for death!" Xiao Yuanmu's pretty face immediately turned red. She was about to break free, but if she exerted force, Luo Chaoyan would probably vomit blood immediately.

Zhao Wumian could not stand idly by and raised his hand to stop Xiao Yuanmu again.

"You!" Xiao Yuanmu, realizing he had seemingly gone too far, glared at Zhao Wumian, his face flushed. "You, let go! I'll just stop bullying this little wench, but let me go..."

"Leave? Did I allow you to leave?" Luo Chaoyan sneered, and was about to continue when she saw Xiao Yuanmu glaring at her. She got angry and turned over to harass him.

"Oh! My lord, save me..."

Luo Chaoyan was simply laughing at someone else's shortcomings; her virgin body, untouched by human hands, was far inferior to Xiao Yuanmu's with the slightest touch.

Seeing the Emperor of Dali and the rebels of Taixuan Palace fighting on their wedding bed on their wedding night, Zhao Wumian couldn't help but recall a sentence his master had once said.

Sigh, if they want to fight, let them fight. At worst, you can marry them all and let them fight it out in bed.

Thinking of this, he certainly wouldn't let Yuanmu leave, but silently pulled the curtains tighter.

Behind the curtain, shadowy figures moved about, and clothes fluttered in the air. The crisp sounds of Xiao Yuanmu and Luo Chaoyan fighting could be heard, followed by Luo Chaoyan's triumphant voice.

"Husband, get her! Let her know she always bullies me! Today I want to see what kind of shameful expression the Palace Mistress of Tai Xuan Palace will have under a man's crotch. This is simply the best wedding gift!"

"Zhao Wumian, how dare you... *sobs*"

Suddenly, the two women screamed in unison, "Zhao Wumian!!"

Gradually, the bridal chamber fell silent again, with only a few rhythmic, soft sounds remaining...

The night sky is clear, the air is filled with the warmth of spring in February, and the moon hides shyly behind the clouds.

(End of this chapter)