GTB Chapter 252

Chapter 254: The Emperor and Empress’s Grand Wedding

Seeing Jiang Jiuchu’s relentless demeanor, Shí Yan’s eyes flickered. He leaned closer to her, “You want to see it that much?”

Jiang Jiuchu, sensing Shí Yan’s willingness to concede, suppressed the excitement in her heart and nodded with a straight face, “Yes.”

Shí Yan sat beside her, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and set it down:

“Since Jiuchu wants to see it, what’s the harm in me dancing for you? However, I didn’t really pay attention that day. Let me learn it again, and I’ll dance it for you on our wedding day, okay?”

“There’s no need for the wedding day. It’s still you anyway, no need to get married again.” Jiang Jiuchu felt that marrying the same person twice was like playing house.

Shí Yan felt uncomfortable hearing Jiang Jiuchu’s words, no matter how he listened to them.

He suddenly remembered Shí Yuanchen saying he was a second-hand choice, not as fresh as that Sun Ce.

Disregarding whether Jiang Jiuchu would get angry, he stretched out his long arm, pulled her over, and sat her on his lap.

“Does Jiuchu find marrying me uninteresting, lacking in novelty?”

“If Jiuchu thinks there’s no need to get married, then tonight… come back to the palace with me.”

As he said that, he moved to kiss Jiang Jiuchu.

Jiang Jiuchu pushed away Shí Yan’s approaching lips, “You’re thinking too highly of yourself.”

Shí Yan paused, then hugged Jiang Jiuchu tightly, burying his face in her neck, greedily inhaling her scent, and said:

“Five days later is an auspicious day. How about I come to marry you then? To make up for our incomplete wedding night from last year.”

Jiang Jiuchu paused, and wrapped one arm around Shí Yan’s shoulder, “Can you make it in five days?”

Shí Yan felt Jiang Jiuchu’s movement, and his eyes were filled with smiles as he hugged her even tighter.

“Yes, from the moment I ascended the throne, I ordered the Ministry of Rites to start preparing. Everything is already in place, just waiting for my Jiuchu to calm down and nod.”

Jiang Jiuchu pushed away from Shí Yan’s embrace, “You’re quite confident, thinking I’d definitely nod?”

Shí Yan shook his head slightly, looking at Jiang Jiuchu’s eyes with unwavering affection, “No, it’s just that I will never give up.”

“You brought it on yourself, you deserve it.” Jiang Jiuchu recalled the heartless words Shí Yan had said to her before, and couldn’t help but get angry again, feeling like she had forgiven him too easily.

“Jiuchu is right, I deserve it. In front of Jiuchu from now on, I am willing to be a slave, serving you for the rest of my life.”

As he said that, he tentatively moved towards Jiang Jiuchu’s lips again.

Jiang Jiuchu pursed her lips, watching the approaching lips, and quickly stood up.

Shí Yan was caught off guard, and the weight on his lap instantly disappeared. He looked at Jiang Jiuchu with resentful eyes.

Jiang Jiuchu picked up the white porcelain bottle on the table and opened it, “Come on, apply the medicine, it looks ugly like this.”

Shí Yan paused, then asked with a pained expression, “Jiuchu finds me ugly, that’s why you won’t let me kiss you?”

“Just think of it that way.” Jiang Jiuchu didn’t know why, but she just didn’t want him to kiss her. She felt like if she let him kiss her, she would be at a great loss.

Shí Yan looked dejected. If Jiang Jiuchu hadn’t personally taken care of him last night, he would have thought this woman really didn’t feel anything for him.

After Jiang Jiuchu helped Shí Yan apply the ointment, she said, “If you have nothing else to do, go back to the palace.”

Shí Yan got up and lay down directly on the daybed that was still covered with bedding.

“I’m not going back. I can’t approve any memorials even if I go back, I have a headache.” As he said that, he pretended to cough.

At this moment, Lǜluó’s voice came from outside the door, “Miss, the Emperor’s medicine is ready.”

Jiang Jiuchu got up, opened the door, handed the medicine to Shí Yan, picked up a book and went to the courtyard.

Seeing this, Shí Yan quickly finished the medicine in one gulp, quickly rinsed his mouth, and chased after her.

Seeing Jiang Jiuchu lying on a lounge chair under the crabapple tree reading a book, he quickly had someone move a lounge chair over as well, placing it next to Jiang Jiuchu.

The little fire fox, who was lying leisurely on the stone table in the courtyard basking in the sun, immediately jumped onto Shí Yan’s body.

Shí Yan seemed disturbed and picked up the little fire fox by the scruff of its neck and threw it aside.

The little fox stumbled, looking at Shí Yan with a grievance, and whimpered at him.

Shí Yan seemed not to hear it, turned his head to look at the book in Jiang Jiuchu’s hand and asked:

“What interesting storybook are you reading? Let’s read it together.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that what Jiang Jiuchu had in her hand was not a storybook, nor an interesting travel journal, but some books on Taoist enlightenment.

His eyes trembled, his handsome face stiffened slightly. Before, he only knew he was wrong, but now he regretted it.

“Jiuchu…”

Jiang Jiuchu covered her face with the book, interrupting Shí Yan, “I didn’t sleep well last night. Your Majesty, play a soothing melody for me.”

“Okay.” Shí Yan heard the request and ordered Lǜluó to bring the zither table.

The zither music was ethereal, soothing and gentle.

Jiang Jiuchu didn’t expect Shí Yan’s zither playing to be no worse than hers.

She removed the book from her face, looked at Shí Yan playing the zither, and thought to herself, hoping that their remaining lives would be as peaceful and tranquil as today.

The five days passed quickly. On this day, red silk and brocade stretched from the Phoenix Palace in the palace, past the bustling East Magpie Street, all the way to the entrance of the Jiang residence.

Inside Crabapple Courtyard, Jiang Jiuchu looked at her reflection in the mirror, adorned in a phoenix coronet and ceremonial robes, feeling somewhat dazed.

She never thought she would wear a wedding dress a second time, and still for the same person.

“Chuer looks so beautiful today.” Madam Ye helped Jiang Jiuchu insert the last phoenix hairpin inlaid with rubies, praising her with a smile.

Looking at her daughter’s priceless wedding dress and phoenix coronet, she knew that Shí Yan had put a lot of thought into it.

She was comforted, knowing that through this incident, she could be sure that although Shí Yan was the emperor, he would not let her daughter down.

“Chuer, are you ready? Brother will carry you onto the bridal sedan.” Jiang Jiuche stepped in from outside the house.

Shí Qingya, who was beside him, asked, “Has the wedding procession arrived?”

Jiang Jiuche nodded with a smile: “They’re here, the Emperor himself is leading the ceremonial guard to welcome you.”

Everyone was surprised to hear this. Since ancient times, there had never been an emperor who personally welcomed the bride.

Xipo, who was beside her, quickly helped Jiang Jiuchu put on the veil.

All the procedures were almost exactly the same as last time, the same liveliness, the same joy, the same groom…

The only difference was probably the eighteen-carried phoenix palanquin that Jiang Jiuchu was sitting in.

The people cheered on the streets, and the officials greeted them at the palace gates.

No one had ever imagined that the Emperor would marry a daughter of the Jiang family twice. If the first time was a marriage bestowed by the Emperor, then this second time was due to deep affection.

The people sighed at the deep affection between the Emperor and Empress, and the officials also extinguished their thoughts of hoping their daughters would become phoenixes.