My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, Zhu Cilang and Ning Wanyao walked solemnly along the imperial road into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and then down to the steps of the Danbi.

"kneel--"

"prosper--"

"Kneel again—"

"Revival—"

"Three kneelings—"

"Nine kowtows—!"

As the master of ceremonies announced the ceremony clearly and loudly, the Crown Prince and his wife performed the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony before the Emperor and Empress on the throne.

Every time he knelt and rose, it tugged at everyone's heartstrings. Zhu Cilang's movements were steady and standard, and although Ning Wanyao couldn't see, under Zhu Cilang's guidance, her posture was also impeccable.

After the ceremony, Emperor Chongzhen smiled, his voice booming with a rare gentleness:
"Today, the Crown Prince is married and begins his family life. I am very pleased. I hope that you two will be of one mind and one heart, and treat each other with respect. The Crown Princess should assist the Crown Prince, be diligent, frugal, benevolent, and filial, and ensure the continuation of the nation's foundation, serving as a model of virtue for women throughout the land."

Empress Zhou also spoke gently:
"The Crown Princess's entry into the Eastern Palace is a joyous occasion for the nation and a blessing for the imperial family. I hope you will be respectful and cautious in your conduct, maintain harmony within the palace, and soon produce offspring for the royal family."

Having said that, she gestured for the female official to present the prepared gifts—a pair of jade ruyi scepters, several precious jewelry pieces, and a royal seal and edict symbolizing the Crown Princess's authority.

Ning Wanyao expressed her gratitude at the prompting of the female official.

Although she was covered by a veil, the emperor's gentle words and generous rewards reassured her.

Next came the court audience. Led by the Minister of Rites, thousands of officials inside and outside the hall knelt down in unison, like waves of wheat swaying in the wind. Their shouts echoed throughout the Forbidden City and even reached beyond the palace walls.

"Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress! Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Crown Princess!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live His Highness the Crown Prince! Long live His Highness! Long live His Highness!"

"Long live the Crown Princess!"

The sound waves, like a tsunami, echoed and overlapped in the magnificent space of the Imperial Palace, creating a grand resonance that was awe-inspiring and exhilarating.

This is the highest-level tribute from the empire, the most direct display of power and majesty.

Standing beneath the imperial steps, Zhu Cilang felt the overwhelming sound and countless awe-inspiring gazes. The last trace of personal emotion brought on by the wedding settled in his heart, and a sense of certainty arose that "the position of crown prince is now secure."

As Ning Wanyao listened to the deafening imperial congratulations from beneath her veil, her palms, holding the imperial edict and golden seal, were slightly sweaty, yet she truly felt the immense weight carried by the title of "Crown Princess."

Among the civil and military officials and members of the imperial family and nobility, the princes bowed in greeting, but their thoughts were all different.

Looking at the Crown Prince's imposing figure and contemplating the grand plan of establishing overseas fiefdoms, the King of Chu, the King of Zhou, and others felt even more strongly the importance of currying favor with the future new emperor. The remaining faction, including the King of Rui, had mixed feelings, a mixture of awe for imperial power and a faint sense of melancholy about their own future fate of being "granted favor."

In the area where the ladies of the court paid their respects, Zheng Xiaomei and Qiqige, dressed in the robes of concubines and attendants according to their rank, bowed their heads and followed the others in bowing.

When she heard the shouts of "Long live the Crown Princess," Zheng Xiaomei lowered her head even further, her long eyelashes concealing the tears welling up in her eyes. Only her hands, tightly clasped in front of her with slightly white knuckles, betrayed her emotions.

Qiqige straightened her back and looked through the gaps in the crowd at the two figures standing side by side with His Majesty Dan. She lingered for a moment on the red figure in the phoenix coronet and wedding robes, her lips stubbornly pursed into a straight line before she quickly lowered her eyes. However, the light in her eyes was complex and hard to understand.

There's nothing you can do; watching your man marry another woman, even if you were mentally prepared, the sadness still wells up involuntarily.

The audience ceremony ended after noon.

Emperor Chongzhen was in a great mood and held a grand banquet in the square in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the two side halls, where he bestowed a feast upon all his officials.

Although it was a banquet bestowed by the emperor, the etiquette and rules remained strict, with fixed seating arrangements, dishes, and drinks.

As the protagonist of the day, Zhu Cilang was required to step forward and symbolically toast several important officials, relatives, and elders, accepting their congratulations.

He changed into his more comfortable royal robes and, accompanied by officials of ceremonies and eunuchs, moved among the banquet tables.

Wherever he went, officials hurriedly stood up, bowed respectfully, and uttered auspicious words such as "Congratulations, Your Highness" and "A match made in heaven."

Zhu Cilang responded appropriately, with a gentle smile, neither overly familiar nor distant, demonstrating the demeanor of a good crown prince.

He deliberately stopped to drink a little more wine and say a few more words to British nobles, several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, and senior relatives such as the King of Zhou and the King of Chu, both to fulfill the proper etiquette and to show his favor.

After the ceremony, Ning Wanyao was led into the inner palace by a female official. In a side hall of Kunning Palace, she was personally accompanied by Empress Zhou to receive the homage and congratulations from noblewomen and female members of the imperial family.

This is yet another different kind of test.

Ning Wanyao had removed her heavy jeweled crown and part of her outer dress, and changed into the relatively light but still dignified Crown Princess's everyday clothes, and sat upright in the main seat.

Empress Zhou sat to one side, smiling, occasionally offering a word of advice.

The wives of dukes and marquises, first and second-rank noblewomen, and princesses of the imperial clan and princes stepped forward in order to pay their respects and offer their congratulations.

Ning Wanyao kept her nanny's teachings in mind, maintaining a gentle demeanor, speaking appropriately, and giving rewards in moderation. Although she was a bit inexperienced in this situation, with the Empress's unseen support, she handled it well and gradually won the initial approval of these noble ladies.

As the last wave of clamor subsided and the last palace lantern lit for the celebration was carefully trimmed, the Forbidden City gradually sank from the extreme splendor and clamor of the day into a weary yet contented tranquility.

It was past midnight, but deep within the Eastern Palace, in the newlywed bridal chamber, decorated like a sea of ​​red, the red candles still burned brightly, as bright as day.

The elaborate wedding ceremony has finally come to an end.

Zhu Cilang and Ning Wanyao were led into the newly renovated bedroom by several female officials, eunuchs and palace maids.

Every inch of the hall was filled with festive red: red curtains, red bedding, red carpets, red lampshades... even the candlesticks were gilded and inlaid with rubies.

The air was filled with the faint scent of new furniture, the warm aroma of charcoal, and a sweet, spice-like fragrance.

However, the ceremony was not yet over.

Inside the bridal chamber, there is one last set of rituals to be completed.

"Please, Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Crown Princess, perform the nuptial ceremony—" The head female official in charge of ceremonies spoke in a gentle yet clear voice.

Two palace maids approached carrying a tray with two gourd cups tied together with red thread, each cup filled with clear, cool wine. Zhu Cilang and Ning Wanyao each took a ladleful.

With the female official's praise, the two men intertwined their arms and drank the wine to the last drop.

The gourd is bitter, and the wine is clear and refreshing, symbolizing that the couple will share joys and sorrows in the future.

Next comes the hair-tying ceremony.

The lady-in-waiting used golden scissors to cut a small lock of hair from each of their heads, carefully braided them together, and placed them in an exquisite brocade pouch.

"We became husband and wife, and our love and trust are unwavering."

The female official softly recited auspicious words.

Finally, there was the scattering of the bed curtains. Several palace maids, carrying silver platters filled with dried fruits such as red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds, scattered the dried fruits around the wedding bed curtains while singing scattering songs wishing for "early birth of a son" and "a long and happy marriage."

All these ceremonies were conducted in the flickering glow of red candles and the deliberately soft voices of the ladies-in-waiting. Although they still carried the rigid framework of court etiquette, in this private space, after the grand public ceremony in the daytime, a strange sense of warmth and ritual, belonging only to the newlyweds, was strangely generated.

After the last handful of dried fruit was scattered, the lady-in-waiting led all the palace maids and eunuchs to bow deeply to the Crown Prince and his wife, who were sitting side by side on the wedding bed covered with a large red quilt with a hundred patterns. Then, they quietly filed out of the bedchamber and gently closed the two heavy, carved wooden doors.

"Squeak-"

"Click".

After the soft sounds of the door hinges turning and the latch falling, the bedroom suddenly fell into an unprecedented and extreme silence.

In stark contrast to the deafening ceremonies, clamorous music, and cacophony of voices during the day, at this moment, all that could be heard was my own slightly rapid breathing, the other person's shallow breathing, and the occasional, extremely faint crackling sound of the red candle's wick popping as it burned.

Zhu Cilang remained seated, silent for a moment, and then, as if finally relieved of some burden, he let out a long, almost inaudible sigh.

He raised his hand and stiffly turned his neck, which ached from wearing the heavy crown and maintaining an upright posture for almost a whole day.

After making this small gesture, he turned his head to look at Ning Wanyao, who had been sitting quietly beside him with her hands folded on her knees as if waiting for the next instruction.

Her profile looked exceptionally beautiful in the candlelight, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyelids, but her straight back and slightly pursed lips betrayed her nervousness.

A mixture of weariness and amusement unconsciously crept onto Zhu Cilang's lips. He cleared his throat, his voice gentle and clear in the silence, breaking the suffocating stillness:

Are you tired?

Ning Wanyao seemed startled by the sudden sound, her shoulders trembling almost imperceptibly before she slowly turned her head, raised her eyelids, and looked at him.

The candlelight flickered into her eyes, reflecting a sense of bewilderment and an overwhelming weariness that she had forcibly suppressed.

Before she could answer, Zhu Cilang's gaze fell on the phoenix crown on her head, which, though lighter than the pearl and jade crown she wore during the day, was still quite heavy. His tone softened, becoming more conciliatory:
"This damn crown, I've been wearing it all day, my neck is probably going to break. Let's take it off and feel better."

As he spoke, he stood up and walked to Ning Wanyao. Ning Wanyao instinctively wanted to do it herself, but he gently pressed her shoulder down.

"Don't move, I'll do it."

His movements were not very skillful, even a little clumsy, as he carefully fumbled for the buckles and hairpins on the phoenix crown, afraid of hurting her hair.

Ning Wanyao could feel the warmth of his fingers through her thin clothes, and smell his faint masculine scent mixed with the incense from the celebration.

Her body stiffened slightly, and she dared not move, but her heart began to beat faster involuntarily.

After some effort, the phoenix crown was finally safely removed and placed on the dressing table to the side.

Ning Wanyao immediately felt a lightness on her head, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. She unconsciously let out a soft sigh of relief, and her straight back relaxed slightly.

Zhu Cilang smiled as he watched her relieved expression, and naturally took her hand—Ning Wanyao's hand was icy cold, and it trembled slightly in his warm palm, but she did not pull away—he led her to the table and pressed her down to sit.

On the table sat a warm teapot and several delicate pastries. He poured two cups of perfectly warm tea and pushed one towards her.

"Have a sip of tea to soothe your throat. You've said so much and performed so many courtesies today; you probably haven't even had a proper meal."

He picked up a cup himself, took a big gulp, and then sat down on the embroidered stool next to her, leaning back in his chair and looking at her with gentle eyes.

Ning Wanyao held the warm teacup in both hands, the warmth spreading from her fingertips. She took small sips of the tea, the refreshing aroma melting in her mouth, which indeed made her parched throat feel much better.

She stole a glance at Zhu Cilang and saw that his face showed undisguised fatigue, but his eyes were still bright, and he was looking at her with a smile.

Compared to the dignified and composed Crown Prince who received the homage of the people in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony during the day, he at this moment was more like... an ordinary man who had just completed a major task and could relax a little, her... husband.

This realization strangely eased some of the tension in Ning Wanyao's heart.

She put down her teacup, twisted her hands on her knees, mustered her courage, met his gaze, and spoke softly but clearly:
"Your Highness... has had an even more arduous day. I... am already exhausted just following along, and Your Highness still has to deal with all the officials..."

"It's all in the past."

Zhu Cilang waved his hand, interrupting her self-deprecating words, and his tone became serious.

“Wanyao, there is no ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Your Majesty’ here.”

He paused, looked at her, and said, word by word:
"It's just Zhu Cilang and Ning Wanyao here. We are now husband and wife, destined to spend our lives together. In private, you don't need to be so reserved. Call me by my name, or... 'husband,' either is fine."

Ning Wanyao's face instantly flushed red, the blush spreading all the way to her ears. She hadn't expected him to be so direct.

Call me by my name? Husband? That… is improper. But looking into his frank and earnest eyes, she couldn't bring herself to refuse.

Zhu Cilang saw her shyness and felt a surge of warmth in his heart, then continued:
"I know that from today onwards, you will be the Crown Princess, and you will have to shoulder the responsibility of being the head of the Eastern Palace. You will have to face the complexities of the palace and the pressure will be immense. But you must remember, you are not alone."

He reached out and gently placed his hand on the back of her still somewhat cold hand, his tone more sincere than ever before:
"With me here, the affairs of the Eastern Palace and the future of the Ming Dynasty will require our concerted efforts. I know you are intelligent and sensible. In the inner palace of the Eastern Palace, and perhaps in the court in the future, what I need is not only a law-abiding Crown Princess, but also a partner who can stand shoulder to shoulder with me and share my burdens. Wanyao, are you... willing?"

These words were no longer an admonition from the crown prince to his subjects, but rather a husband's entrustment and invitation to his wife. (End of Chapter)