Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 480 The Grand Wedding of the Crown Prince
Red silk was laid out on the ground in the East Palace, and joyous music filled the air, as if the fighting and bloodshed in the Zichen Palace had never happened.

Zhang, the palace maid, redrew Xue Sui's makeup.

Her fingers were rough but steady as she combed her hair from the top to the bottom with a wooden comb coated with osmanthus oil.

"Please bear with it, young lady. These stray hairs need to be combed clean before you can wear the phoenix crown properly."

Xue Sui clutched her handkerchief, her gaze fixed on the mirror...

The heavy phoenix crown pressed down again, the pearls on it swaying gently with her movements, obscuring her serene eyes. She was dressed in layers of elaborate and magnificent wedding attire, the wide sleeves reaching the ground, the trailing skirt brushing against the gold bricks, each step accompanied by a soft rustling sound, so beautiful it took her breath away.

"So beautiful—" the two palace maids couldn't help but exclaim.

Granny Zhang was very satisfied.

"Young lady, try walking a few steps. Your skirt is long and your shoes have soft soles, so don't trip..."

The ceremony was held in the main hall of the East Palace.

Li Zhao, dressed in the auspicious robes of a crown prince in black and crimson, possessed a stern and naturally dignified appearance. Beneath the wedding attire, the wound on his shoulder still throbbed faintly, yet he remained unfazed.

When Xue Sui, holding a fan and supported by the matchmaker, slowly walked into the main hall, the entire hall fell silent for a moment.

Her elaborate red makeup and glittering jewels only served to accentuate the cold desolation in her eyes, making her appear like a red plum blossom blooming in the snow—breathtakingly beautiful.

Li Zhao reached out his hand to her, grasped it firmly, and gently squeezed it, as if to comfort her.

The clerk standing next to the master of ceremonies immediately handed the two of them the red silk flowers that had been prepared beforehand.

The master of ceremonies took a deep breath and loudly announced the ceremony.

"The auspicious hour has arrived. Li Zhao, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace of the Great Liang Dynasty, and Princess Xue of Xizmayila... by the grace of the Emperor, in accordance with Heaven's mandate and in accordance with human relations, respectfully announce to Heaven, the ancestral temples, the court, and the people that they are now united in marriage and will hold their grand wedding ceremony—"

"Worship the heavens and the earth-"

Xue Sui and Li Zhao turned around and bowed slowly side by side.

Outside the palace, the setting sun casts its blood-red glow upon the layered eaves of the palace, as if gilding them with a tragic yet tender halo.

"Second worship high hall..."

The official's voice echoed in the main hall.

In the grand hall, the dragon throne hangs empty.

Empress Xie sat to the side, dressed in an elegant court robe, receiving the greetings with dignified composure.

She forced a smile, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes widening into shallow grooves, her dignified and delicate face revealing a visible stiffness and fatigue.

"May you and your husband be of one heart and mind, and carry on the family line. Never forget your original aspirations..."

Empress Xie's voice was slightly hoarse, and her blessings were delivered with a dryness.

Xue Sui and Li Zhao knelt down together and bowed respectfully.

A palace maid came forward carrying a gilded lacquer tray.

Empress Xie gently handed the white jade clasp on the lacquer tray to Xue Sui, her eyes slightly reddening...

"This is the jade pendant of harmony bestowed upon you by the late Emperor when you married into the Prince's Mansion. May you two be like this jade, of one heart and mind, dependent on each other year after year, never to be separated."

Xue Sui held the jade clasp in both hands, bowed, and said, "Thank you for the gift, Mother."

Li Zhao also looked at Empress Xie, his brows furrowing slightly: "Mother, you are not feeling well, why don't you go back to Jiaofang Palace to rest?"

Empress Xie shook her head, raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, and forced a smile.

"Mother is alright. Today is your wedding day, and we must be mindful of the proper etiquette."

The guests, all high-ranking officials, imperial relatives, and nobles, understood the Empress's implied meaning. They were acutely aware of the situation, yet also felt a sense of unease...

Although Li Zhaoqiang forcefully suppressed the incident at the Zichen Palace, the news had already spread like wildfire.

The emperor died suddenly.

Prince Duan was imprisoned.

Despite this earth-shattering turn of events, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess still went through with their wedding ceremony as scheduled, completing every ritual and every act of kneeling meticulously.

Their composure, bordering on coldness, sent chills down one's spine and inspired awe.

"Husband and wife bow to each other—" the master of ceremonies chanted again.

The two stood opposite each other.

Li Zhao's deep gaze seemed to pierce through the beaded curtain, revealing all the emotions in her eyes.

Xue Sui's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the jade buckle.

Li Zhao smiled silently at her, then slowly bowed, his posture solemn.

Xue Sui paused for a moment, then also curtsied.

"The ceremony is complete—send them to the bridal chamber!"

Cheers and congratulations rang out at just the right time.

The bride was surrounded by palace maids and nannies as she was led to her newly decorated bedroom.

The red ribbons meandered, the joy remained, yet an air of heaviness and unease lingered. Many exchanged glances, their thoughts varied, but no one questioned the situation.
-
Red candles burned brightly in the bridal chamber, filling the room with warmth.

After the banquet ended, the palace servants retreated to the outer rooms, holding their breath and keeping their eyes closed, leaving the inner palace quiet...

No one dared to disturb the Crown Prince's wedding night.

Li Zhao leaned lazily against the headboard, looking at Xue Sui, who was standing alone by the window.

She had removed her phoenix crown, and her short, gray-black hair fell over her shoulders, making her neck appear even more slender and white. Her cool, aloof face was vaguely reflected in the window, and she seemed lost in thought. Her figure was thin and solitary.

"Peace," he whispered.

Hearing the sound, Xue Sui turned around, walked slowly closer, and stopped beside the couch.

"Is Your Highness going to rest?"

"Will you take off my clothes?" Li Zhao's voice was very soft, his eyes showing a gentle smile, but brooking no refusal.

Xue Sui remained silent for a moment, then stepped forward as instructed and reached out to untie the complicated sashes of his wedding robes.

Although Jing Shan's knife did not hit a vital spot, it was deep enough to see the bone. Li Zhao's injury was not light, and his inner garment was stained with dark red blood.

Xue Sui carefully and with some effort removed his outer robe and inner garment, revealing his chest wrapped in gauze...

This wasn't the first time she had seen Li Zhao's body exposed.

In the past, when she was treated and had her dressings changed, she never showed any unusual behavior.

But tonight, with the candlelight flickering red, this familiar body appears especially different due to the change in identity. Even though there are still bloodstains seeping from the gauze and old and new wounds on the firm muscles, they cannot stop the throbbing in her heart, as if it were being roasted by charcoal fire, making even her breath hot.

Li Zhao suddenly chuckled softly, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Is it pretty?"

Xue Sui looked up and reached out to press the gauze at the edge of his wound.

"Injured like this, you still have the mind to joke around?"

“I’m not joking.” Li Zhao raised his hand, his fingertips touching the back of her hand. “If you like, I’ll show it to you every day from now on.” Xue Sui’s cheeks flushed, and she lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze: “Next time we encounter danger, you’re not allowed to stand in front of me again.”

Li Zhao smiled, his eyes filled with tenderness: "Silly Ping'an, I am willing to die for you..."

Xue Sui glared at him: "If you keep talking nonsense, I'm not going to take care of you anymore?"

Li Zhaowan gently grasped her hand with his uninjured right hand, his fingertips caressing her slightly cool skin as if he were coaxing a child.

"Enough of the jokes—may I ask you, my lady, may I remove your mourning sash?"

Xue Sui's gaze sharpened as he met his deep eyes.

There was no mockery in those dark eyes, only a calm that understood everything.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said calmly. “But today is our wedding day, and I don’t want my bride to wear a wedding dress while her heart is tied to white linen.”

Xue Sui subconsciously pressed his hand to his waist, where a thin strip of white linen was indeed tied.

It clung tightly to her skin; it was her final tribute and farewell to her master.

"Your Highness..." Her throat tightened slightly.

"Call me husband." Li Zhao smiled and looked at her.

Their eyes met, the candlelight flickering.

Xue Sui remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised her hand and untied the heavy waist sash of her wedding robe. The robe opened slightly, revealing her snow-white waist wrapped in a plain undergarment...

A thin white hemp mourning band was tied conspicuously on it.

She remained silent, carefully untied the mourning sash, gently folded it, and put it into the bottom drawer of her dressing table.

“I can choose not to wear mourning clothes,” she said softly, “but I cannot be unfilial.”

A complex emotion flashed in Li Zhao's eyes: heartache, helplessness, and understanding of her stubbornness.

How could one easily sever a ten-year bond between teacher and student?
"I see."

He wanted to offer some words of comfort, but when he opened his mouth, all that came out was a faint smile.

"Please help me change my dressing."

Xue Sui brought over the medicine box and untied the blood-stained old gauze for him.

The old gauze was soaked in blood and stiffened; she gently lifted the edges with tweezers…

The wound, still gruesome after being treated, with raw, exposed flesh, the applied wound medicine mingling with it, creating a cruel contrast with his well-defined, muscular chest...

"It will hurt a little, please bear with it for a moment..."

Gently apply a cotton ball soaked in warm saline solution to the adhesions in the wound...

Xue Sui moved with focused and gentle movements, as if afraid of hurting him.

Li Zhao remained motionless, his dark eyes fixed intently on her lowered brows. His muscular chest rose and fell slightly with his breath, outlining a firm and sensual silhouette in the light and shadow, exuding immense tension.

Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her busy wrist.

Xue Sui paused, then looked up at him.

"Not ready yet? What are you doing?"

“That’s enough. It’ll bleed anyway, so we might as well save some effort.” His voice was low and husky, carrying a burning heat. “On our wedding night, I can’t let my wife just act as a doctor…”

Xue Sui glanced at him, her ears burning slightly. "Your Highness is injured and should not... act rashly."

The red candle crackled softly.

Something restless, hidden beneath the gentle words, clung to the two of them with each breath…

Li Zhao suddenly wrapped his right arm around her waist and, with a little force, lifted her up in his arms.

"Your injury..." Xue Sui exclaimed, placing her hand on his chest, but not daring to exert any force.

"Don't worry, you won't fall." Li Zhao lowered his head, his nose brushing against hers, his warm breath caressing her cheek. "Even though I'm injured, I won't let my wife down." He chuckled softly, his tone a mixture of desire and tenderness. "My wife can see from my performance..."

He gently laid her on the soft quilt, propped himself up on his arms, and leaned down to look at her...

The red curtain then lowered...

Two figures were cast on the curtain by candlelight, making it impossible to distinguish one from the other.

He leaned down and kissed her, gently touching her lips, then tracing his way down her chin and neck...

Tender and burning...

Her body trembled slightly, whether from the cold or something else, it was hard to tell.

"Don't be afraid..." Li Zhao kissed her earlobe, his warm breath falling on her ear, "Leave it to me."

Unlike his eager plundering after the Gu poison took effect in Zichen Palace, he was gentle and patient this time.

The wedding dress lay scattered on the floor beneath the bed...

Like peeling away layers of hard armor, revealing her softest and most vulnerable truth.

His smooth back and slender waist were so delicate that each stroke of his calloused fingertips seemed to play a captivating melody, igniting clusters of unfamiliar flames.

Xue Sui looked at his sweaty face so close to hers. At first, she was a little stiff, but gradually, she gave in to his gentle advances. She let out a very soft sob, like a trapped little animal murmuring in his cage. All the bloodshed, scheming, betrayal and loss were stripped away, crushed and swallowed up in the intertwining of their lips and teeth... leaving only the most primal fusion and confirmation.

"Peace..." Fine beads of sweat slid down his forehead, soaking the gauze and faintly seeping blood, but he seemed oblivious. He simply murmured the name softly again and again, amidst the intertwining pain and pleasure.

"You are my wife."

Xue Sui felt a tightness in her chest when he called her name.

She closed her eyes, slowly loosened her grip on the quilt, wrapped her arms around his neck, ran her fingertips through his thick hair, and tilted her head back to meet his gaze... as if she wanted to draw warmth from this most intimate distance.

If he doesn't die, she will.

At the height of passion, the fateful love potion seemed to surge wildly through his blood, a subtle tremor spreading from his tailbone to every part of his body...

She instinctively tightened her arms around him, holding him even closer.

Is this ultimate pleasure perhaps the final revelry before death?
Li Zhao noticed her sudden tension and unusual behavior, slowed his movements slightly, and his dark gaze fell on her face: "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

Xue Sui shook her head, buried her face in the crook of his neck, and said in a trembling voice, "...Hold me tight."

He did as she asked and held her tighter, his affection growing even more tender and tender, as if she were a fragile treasure.

The red candles burned until midnight, and the wind outside the window gradually subsided.

A grand wedding that began with conspiracy and was tempered by bloodshed finally came to an end in the dead of night, amidst a mix of joy and unease.

He was thoroughly satisfied, but also utterly exhausted. Li Zhao held Xue Sui, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, gently stroking her hair with his fingertips. His gaze, as soft as the moonlight outside the window, lingered on her slightly furrowed brows, never leaving her.

The road ahead is long and fraught with difficulties.

But at this moment, inside the red tent, they had only each other, breathing in each other's ears, their flesh and blood intertwined.

(End of this chapter)