Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

"Imperial edict arrives—"

The sharp and drawn-out chant, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly shattered the atmosphere that had just eased in the hall.

One second the officials were toasting each other and secretly rejoicing, the next second they all stopped what they were doing as if they had been held down by an invisible giant hand.

The wine glass froze in mid-air, the smile on their faces was frozen, and everyone's gaze turned in awe toward the entrance of the hall.

Fan Xian's nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up again.

"What trick are they playing now?" Fan Xian muttered to himself.

Issuing an imperial decree on the day of one's wedding is a common occurrence, but at this crucial juncture, he felt it was far more than just a simple "Happy Wedding."

In the center of the hall, the eldest prince, Li Chengru, stood solemnly, straightened his slightly elaborate wedding attire, strode to the front of the hall, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt on one knee.

"Your subject, Li Chengru, receives the imperial decree." Li Chengru's voice was loud and clear, carrying the crispness and decisiveness characteristic of a soldier.

As the eldest prince knelt down, all the officials, imperial relatives, and even Fan Xian, who was mixed in with the crowd wearing a heavy bulletproof vest, knelt down in unison, like waves of wheat being blown by the wind.

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

A deafening roar of greetings echoed through the hall.

Only Li Chengze stood quietly to the side.

Hou Daban wore a warm smile, his fair and beardless face full of kindness. He glanced at Li Chengze but did not say anything.

He first slightly turned his body to avoid the eldest prince's grand gesture, then cleared his throat and unfurled the bright yellow imperial edict in his hand.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: My eldest son, Chengru, is naturally gifted and valiant, of pure and virtuous character. He has served on the frontier for many years, striking fear into the hearts of the enemy and ensuring the safety of our Great Qing territory. His meritorious service is immense. On the occasion of his wedding, I am greatly pleased. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon him a pair of jade ruyi scepters, ten luminous pearls from the East Sea, and one hundred bolts of Shu brocade..."

Hou Daban's voice, rising and falling in cadence, echoed in the hall. The items read aloud were all conventional rewards: gold, silver, jewels, and fine silks. Although they were priceless, they were not considered rare or unusual in the eyes of these worldly nobles.

Fan Xian knelt in the crowd, head bowed, but his ears were perked up like antennas. He knew that the most important part of Emperor Qing's edicts was always at the end.

As expected, after Hou Daban finished reading the long list of rewards, his tone suddenly paused, and his originally warm voice became solemn and dignified.

"...Furthermore, I hereby bestow upon you a set of Imperial-made Mingguang Chainmail Armor! So be it!"

The hall fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

On the wedding day, it is rare to give weapons as gifts, but it is unheard of to give armor as gifts!

What does this mean?

The officials knelt on the ground, their foreheads pressed against the cold blue bricks, but their brains were working at lightning speed.

The eldest prince, Li Chengru, trembled slightly, but he did not raise his head. Instead, he kowtowed deeply, saying, "Your subject accepts the decree and expresses his gratitude! Long live the Emperor!"

Hou Daban smiled and rolled up the imperial edict, stepped forward, and handed it to Li Chengru with both hands. He then slightly stepped aside to let the imperial guards behind him pass.

The guards carefully lifted the bright yellow silk covering the huge tray.

"Whoosh—"

As the silk slipped down, a cold, chilling metallic luster instantly dazzled everyone's eyes.

It was an extremely exquisite and extremely heavy suit of armor.

The entire piece is made of dark gold black iron, and the armor plates are polished to be as fine as fish scales, with each plate embroidered with gold thread.

On the breastplate, a five-clawed golden dragon with bared teeth and claws is carved, so lifelike that it seems ready to take flight at any moment.

The red plume on the helmet resembled a burning flame.

"Your Highness, this armor was crafted by the skilled artisans of the Imperial Treasury at His Majesty's command, taking three years to complete. It was made from a mixture of meteorite iron from outer space and deep-sea cold gold. His Majesty said that Your Highness is the pillar of our Great Qing, and only when Your Highness wears this armor can it truly demonstrate the military might of our Great Qing." Hou Daban said softly, his gaze subtly sweeping over the Second Prince, Li Chengze, who stood to the side.

Li Chengze remained calm and composed, even examining the armor with interest, seemingly oblivious to the deeper meaning in Hou Daban's gaze.

Li Chengru stood up, looking at the bright armor in front of him with a complicated expression.

He reached out and gently stroked the cold armor plates, feeling the heavy metallic texture. As a military general, he could certainly see the value of this armor; it was undoubtedly a rare treasure.

However, on this day, my second brother presented me with a sword, and my father bestowed upon me armor.

"Your subject will certainly live up to Father's high expectations," Li Chengru said in a deep voice after taking a deep breath.

Hou Daban nodded in satisfaction, his smile growing even brighter: "It's good that Your Highness understands His Majesty's good intentions. Today is Your Highness's joyous day, so this old servant will not disturb you any longer. His Majesty is still waiting for this old servant's reply in the palace, so this old servant will take his leave now."

"Please take care, Eunuch Hou." Li Chengru bowed slightly.

Hou Daban turned around, preparing to leave, but his gaze suddenly fell on a figure that seemed out of place in the crowd.

"Oh, young Master Fan, your outfit..." Hou Daban stopped and looked at Fan Xian with some surprise.

Fan Xian cursed inwardly, but immediately put on his signature honest smile and cupped his hands, saying, "You flatter me, Eunuch Hou. I recently caught a cold, and the imperial physician advised me to wear more clothes and sweat it out. So, in order not to miss His Highness's auspicious time, I had no choice but to come bundled up like a dumpling."

Upon hearing this, Hou Daban's eyes flashed with a sharp light. With his eyes that had seen countless people, he could naturally see the unusual thing hidden under Fan Xian's wedding clothes.

But he didn't point it out, only smiled meaningfully: "Young Master Fan is His Majesty's right-hand man, you must take care of your health. A cold may be minor, but if it damages your health, that would be bad."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency. I will certainly keep it in mind." Fan Xian nodded and bowed.

Hou Daban said no more, flicked the whisk in his hand, and led the imperial guards away from the First Prince's residence with light, quick steps.

With Hou Daban's departure, the invisible pressure in the hall finally dissipated completely.

"call……"

Fan Xian let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if he had just escaped death.

He turned to look at Li Chengze and found that Li Chengze was also looking at him with a mocking smile on his lips.

Fan Xian rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay attention to this madman.

"The auspicious time has arrived! The wedding continues!"

The loud voice of the Ministry of Rites official rang out again, pulling everyone's thoughts back to reality.

The musicians played joyful tunes with all their might. They re-entered the arena and began to dance.

The eldest prince, Li Chengru, composed himself, took the bride's red ribbon, and, surrounded by the crowd, began the elaborate wedding ceremony.