The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 265 "Husband, have you secretly practiced?"

The wedding attire was passed down from the imperial palace.

Extremely fine and meticulously crafted.

It must have been scented with incense beforehand, because when Jiang Jinshuang wore it, she could smell a strong but not overpowering sandalwood fragrance.

Fragrance is a very powerful thing. Just like now, Jiang Jinshuang's sense of smell was covered by the sandalwood scent on her wedding dress, and she didn't even notice what scent the groom had on him when he picked her up.

She felt somewhat dazed and surprised.

In her view, Lin Qingyan was the kind of delicate and frail scholar from a poor family. Although he wasn't the kind who would collapse at the slightest breeze, he certainly wasn't the kind of person who could be easily picked up and carried.

—Lin Qingyan seemed much stronger and more powerful than she had imagined.

These thoughts were all a reaction that occurred the instant after "Lin Qingyan" picked them up.

Jiang Jinshuang heard the gasps of surprise from the crowd, which were almost drowned out by the suona horns and drums.

The music was too loud, almost jarring.

She wrapped her arms around the groom's arm, unconsciously using a bit of force.

For a moment, the man seemed to freeze, and he tightened his grip on Jiang Jinshuang.

The matchmaker walking beside them saw this, widened her eyes, chuckled awkwardly, and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Um... does the groom intend to carry the bride over the fire basin?"

The man who was holding her must have nodded.

The matchmaker was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Oh my, in all my years of officiating weddings, this is the first groom who is so considerate of his wife right now!"

His tone carried a hint of sarcasm, dispelling the somewhat eerie atmosphere.

According to the rites and laws of Wan Jin, witnessing the marriage ceremony of a man and a woman was something that only close relatives could watch.

Therefore, the wedding procession on Lin Qingyan's side should all consist of people he is close to or trusts.

But Jiang Jinshuang's situation was simpler. Apart from Chuntao, whom she had sent out to deliver messages, there weren't many close people in the princess's residence whom she could call "family."

Although Jiang Jinshuang had good hearing, amidst the cacophony of music and the constant crackling of firecrackers, she could only vaguely discern the footsteps of the people in Lin Qingyan's wedding procession.

—There are one or two skilled martial artists.

Lin Qingyan had previously told her that he did not know martial arts, and that he might hire one or two people with martial arts skills to protect him during their wedding for safety reasons.

Jiang Jinshuang laughed and said, "We're getting married, not trying to guard against thieves. Why would we need someone to protect us?"

Lin Qingyan smiled gently upon hearing this, his eyes softening: "I just feel that... marrying Your Highness might truly be like facing mountains of knives and seas of fire."

Jiang Jinshuang did not understand Lin Qingyan's meaning and thought he was joking.

However, she didn't say anything about it and let him be.

As for the secret of her martial arts skills, she'll tell him when she can completely trust Lin Qingyan.

Thinking this, the two arms holding her tightened slightly, and Jiang Jinshuang was held firmly in the man's arms.

The red veil, which was originally about to fall off, only swayed twice before settling securely on Jiang Jinshuang's head.

Jiang Jinshuang chuckled softly, leaned down slightly, and whispered in the man's ear, "What's wrong? Am I that heavy?"

The voice was soft, with a hint of teasing.

Lin Qingyan hadn't spoken to her since entering the princess's residence, which must have been because he was nervous.

—It's understandable. Anyone who marries Princess Zhaoming, who is considered utterly wicked, would be haunted by gossip and gossip for the rest of their lives.

Jiang Jinshuang said this simply to tease Lin Qingyan and ease his tension.

The man's hands, one slipped under her thighs, lifting her legs together, while the other rested on her waist, holding her securely. Shortly after Jiang Jinshuang finished speaking, the hand on her waist responded, gently pinching her lower back.

—It carries a hint of punishment.

Jiang Jinshuang gasped, "Hiss—Lin Qingyan, how can you treat your bride like this?"

It doesn't hurt. Jiang Jinshuang just likes to tease him and wants to make him relax.

Before she could say anything more, the man finally lifted his foot and carried her steadily across the pulsating brazier.

Sparks seemed to fly up, but the man held her firmly in his arms, without the slightest fear.

Jiang Jinshuang wrapped her arms around the man's neck, the red veil on her head swaying, and even the jade bracelet that Lin Qingyan had given her jingled.

Jiang Jinshuang originally did not plan to wear this bracelet to her wedding. Jade bracelets are fragile, and the wedding procession would be full of stumbles and falls. If she were to bump into or damage the bracelet, that would be one thing, but if the bracelet were to be damaged, that would be even worse.

However, Chun Tao told her that this was a token of Lin Qingyan's mother's goodwill, and wearing it during the wedding would make Lin Qingyan feel more at ease.

Jiang Jinshuang thought it made sense, so she decided to be more cautious and keep a closer eye on the bracelet.

As the person stepped over the brazier, there was a moment of silence, followed by cheers from the crowd, led by someone.

After walking a few more steps, they arrived at the saddle.

"May the bride step onto the saddle and be safe and sound for life!"

With a call from the matchmaker, the man embraced her and easily stepped over the saddle placed on the ground.

Jiang Jinshuang unconsciously shifted her body.

The man paused slightly, letting her adjust.

Seeing this, Jiang Jinshuang smiled and whispered in the man's ear, "That's enough, you must be tired. Put me down."

She never had any trouble walking along a row of red beans and green beans.

Jiang Jinshuang wasn't quite sure what had upset Lin Qingyan about her words. The man didn't say anything, but simply held her and continued walking forward.

"Husband and wife tread on red and green, water and fire are in harmony, red beans bloom in pairs, and green beans grow into intertwined branches!"

The red and green beans were spread along the way.

They're round and chubby, which can actually be a bit of a hindrance when walking.

Jiang Jinshuang was being held by "Lin Qingyan," yet she walked steadily on the red and green bean path, as if nothing was beneath her feet.

Jiang Jinshuang's eyes widened in surprise.

Before the marriage, Jiang Jinshuang had tried it herself. Chun Tao scattered some beans in front of her, and Jiang Jinshuang found it difficult to maintain her balance when she stepped on them.

However, she had studied martial arts, so she could master the knack of this with a little practice. Lin Qingyan, on the other hand, seemed to walk quite steadily.

Jiang Jinshuang chuckled softly, her tone alluring: "Husband, have you been secretly practicing?"

Seeing others being serious makes Jiang Jinshuang always lose her composure.

This habit probably started from the time of Pei Du.

So, when she saw the man walk steadily and seriously across the red and green beans, Jiang Jinshuang couldn't help but tease him a few steps and jokingly called him "husband".

The man stumbled and lost his footing.

He tightened his grip on her slightly, as if he had used some effort to steady himself.

He didn't explain much, seemingly angry or something.

In the end, he simply hummed in response.