The Grand Wedding (Part 1)
The Empress Dowager's funeral had been going on for three days. The officials knelt before her coffin, weeping in collective mourning.
According to the rules, Lu Hexu was required to maintain a vegetarian diet for three years to observe the mourning period for the Empress Dowager.
Especially during these first three days, he was generally not allowed to eat any food, only drink water. Only after these three days passed could he barely have some rice porridge.
Inside the side hall, with the doors and windows tightly shut, Su Zhenzhen scooped out the freshly boiled slices of beef and placed them onto a plate.
Ah, it smelled so good.
As soon as the weather turned cold, she craved hotpot.
She took off her cotton-padded jacket, rolled up her sleeves, and put the remaining plate of beef into the spicy broth on the side.
Although Su Zhenzhen wasn't a huge fan of spicy food, she still craved it sometimes.
As for Lu Hexu, he had a sweet tooth. Su Zhenzhen used a split pot, one side filled with a spicy oil base, and the other with a tomato base.
They each guarded their own side. Lu Hexu watched as Su Zhenzhen ate the spicy food until her lips turned scarlet red, yet she couldn't help but continue eating while gasping for air, displaying a sort of masochistic tendency.
"Is it really that good?" He placed a piece of beef soaked in the tomato broth into his mouth.
The tender and smooth beef had absorbed the sweet and sour aroma of the tomatoes. With a little pepper and cumin added, it was then coated in peanut sauce and sent straight into his mouth.
"It's delicious, hiss..." Su Zhenzhen gasped as she ate.
So spicy.
Lu Hexu took a piece of beef from her plate with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth, frowning at the spiciness.
After eating a spicy piece, he ate a tomato-flavored one, and then went back for another spicy piece.
"Scoop some of your tomato soup for me." Su Zhenzhen was so overwhelmed by the spice that she stuck out her tongue, picking up her bowl and handing it to Lu Hexu.
Lu Hexu used a ladle to scoop her a bowl of the rich tomato soup.
Su Zhenzhen added some dried beef cubes and cilantro into it.
The beef cubes expanded in the liquid. Combined with the taste of cilantro and the aroma of the fresh tomato soup base, it diluted the spicy taste in her mouth.
"Eat some mushrooms. I just picked them from the back mountain this morning."
While Lu Hexu was busy in the main hall mourning the Empress Dowager with the officials, she had been bored and went to the back mountain to pick mushrooms.
"September pine mushrooms are the absolute best."
Su Zhenzhen dropped the pine mushrooms into the hotpot.
The hotpot was boiling vigorously when the door to the side hall was pushed open.
Wei Heng walked in holding a stack of memorials in his arms. Seeing the side hall enveloped in swirling, billowing steam, anyone who didn't know better would have thought they had stepped into some earthly wonderland.
But why did this earthly wonderland smell like a copper hotpot?
Wei Heng fell silent for a moment. He closed the door behind him, sealing the scent inside the side hall, and then placed the memorials on the desk.
"Your Majesty, these are today's memorials."
Lu Hexu nodded and went to fish out the newly cooked pine mushrooms.
"Godfather, do you want to eat with us?" Su Zhenzhen warmly invited him.
Wei Heng replied, "This servant wouldn't dare."
"Come over here," Lu Hexu spoke up.
Wei Heng bowed his head, cupped his hands in respect, and took a few steps forward to sit by the hotpot.
Su Zhenzhen found a clean set of bowls and chopsticks and handed them to Wei Heng.
"Do you eat spicy food, Godfather?"
Wei Heng nodded. "I do."
You couldn't tell by looking at him.
The three of them sat together and ate hotpot for a while. When Su Zhenzhen got tired of eating, she strolled around the side hall.
She noticed the memorials Wei Heng had placed on the desk. The cover of the top one placed right in the center read: A Petition to Appoint Concubines and Expand the Imperial Lineage.
The mourning period for the Empress Dowager had not yet passed. According to the rules, the Emperor could not marry or take concubines for three years. Some who strictly observed filial piety even abstained from sexual intimacy.
Su Zhenzhen glanced at Lu Hexu, who was over there eating hotpot, and reached out to pick up the memorial.
It seemed this official was frantic with anxiety to send such a memorial during the Empress Dowager's mourning period.
Ever since Lu Hexu ascended the throne at the age of fourteen, ten years had passed, and he had never even favored a single palace maid.
Previously, the Empress Dowager had tried to organize a concubine selection for Lu Hexu, only to be chased around the grand hall by him wielding a longsword. She was frightened pale and never dared to bring up the matter again.
This official certainly had a lot of nerve.
-
The hotpot dinner was finished.
Su Zhenzhen sat on the couch, reapplying medicine to the wound on Lu Hexu's neck. Then she checked his back; the cursed markings there had indeed completely disappeared.
Lu Hexu lay resting on Su Zhenzhen's lap.
Having spent the last three days keeping vigil for the Empress Dowager, he had barely closed his eyes. There were faint dark circles under his eyes, and he looked exhausted.
"There's a hot spring on the mountain behind the imperial mausoleum." Su Zhenzhen recalled seeing a natural hot spring when she went up the mountain that morning. "Shall we go soak in the hot spring?"
"Mhm." Lu Hexu nodded.
Su Zhenzhen immediately started preparing the things they needed to bring for the hot spring.
Bath towels, dry cloths, head wraps, a change of clothes, a tea set, snacks... Su Zhenzhen bustled about and prepared a whole pile of items.
Hearing that Lu Hexu and Su Zhenzhen were going to the hot spring, Wei Heng led the young eunuchs ahead of time to surround the area with folding screens.
By the time Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu arrived, Wei Heng had already arranged everything nearby.
Clean clothes were placed on lacquer trays, and a small table sat nearby, laden with fresh fruits and snacks. There were even more varieties of food than she had prepared herself.
Su Zhenzhen reached out, picked up a red date, and popped it into her mouth.
The red dates had been marinated in honey. The skin had softened, and a thin layer of crystallized honey had formed on the surface.
So sweet.
Su Zhenzhen ate half of it and handed the remaining half to Lu Hexu.
The man leaned down and ate the remaining half.
Behind the screen, Su Zhenzhen took off her jacket and entered the water wearing only her undergarments and trousers.
Lu Hexu wore a thin garment as he soaked in the hot spring.
The temperature of the hot spring was just right, slightly scalding.
The moment Su Zhenzhen sank into the water, she felt all her pores open up.
So comfortable.
She leaned back with her eyes closed, her hair completely wrapped up in a cloth, revealing her delicate and pretty face.
The hot spring wasn't deep. Su Zhenzhen found a raised rock, sat against it, and picked up a water dipper to pour water over herself.
A ripple of water surged beside her as Lu Hexu walked over.
He took the water dipper from Su Zhenzhen's hand and slowly poured water over her body.
The hot spring water flowed down the woman's neck and over the lotus-pink undergarment she wore.
Beads of water formed on Su Zhenzhen's skin. She lay there with her eyes half-closed, looking at Lu Hexu's face which was now close at hand.
The man's cheeks were flushed from the steam, and the exhaustion on his face gradually dissipated, leaving only a faint red tint.
[I really want to mess him up.]
Su Zhenzhen stared at Lu Hexu for a moment, lowered her head, and reached out for the wooden tray floating on the surface of the hot spring water.
The tray floated on the water, bearing two cups of cold tea.
It was clearly specially prepared by Wei Heng.
Su Zhenzhen picked up the cold tea and took a sip.
[Calm down, Su Zhenzhen.]
With her body soaking in the warm hot spring, the cold tea sliding down her throat tasted even more crisp and refreshing.
"This tea is good."
"Mhm, let me taste."
Lu Hexu put down the water dipper and leaned over.
Su Zhenzhen was caught in his kiss.
Amidst the rising steam, the man kissed her without letting go.
Su Zhenzhen began to feel it difficult to breathe again.
She tried hard to inhale, but due to the heat of the hot spring, it was very hard for her to draw in fresh air.
[So dizzy.]
Su Zhenzhen's hands, which were clinging to Lu Hexu's neck, slowly slid down, only for the man to firmly support her and lift her into his arms.
"Ugh..."
After letting Su Zhenzhen take a few breaths of fresh air, Lu Hexu continued to kiss the corners of her lips. "Very tasty."
[Is he treating her like a teapot?]
"Zhenzhen is a honeypot."
When the man said this, his eyes were so pure and serious that it was hard to think he was just glibly coaxing her with sweet nothings.
A crimson flush seeped into Su Zhenzhen's cheeks. It was hard to tell whether it was from the steam of the hot spring or the bashfulness induced by Lu Hexu's words.
"I'll help you."
Lu Hexu pushed Su Zhenzhen up, making her sit on the edge of the hot spring pool.
The man grasped her ankles and moved them aside, his face lowering.
By the time Su Zhenzhen realized what Lu Hexu was about to do, she was already powerless to stop him.
Su Zhenzhen lay back on the ground, her toes curling tight as her breathing accelerated uncontrollably.
She could hear her own heavy heartbeat as a delicate pink hue flushed across her skin.
Before them was a sheer white folding screen, the two of them obscured by the steam of the hot spring. Su Zhenzhen's neck suddenly arched taut.
Like a drawn bow, she let out a muffled moan and tried to roll to the side, only to be grabbed by the waist and dragged back into the water by Lu Hexu.
The hot spring water washed over her body. Su Zhenzhen trembled slightly, her toes barely touching the ground. Her body was soft and devoid of strength, relying entirely on Lu Hexu for support.
Her headwrap had fallen off at some point, and her long black hair spread out over the surface of the hot spring, becoming a tangled mess as the water rippled.
The lacquer tray and teacup were pushed by the ripples, bobbing up and down and making crisp clinking sounds.
"The teacup is going to tip over..."
"Mhm." Lu Hexu embraced her from behind, his wet lips kissing her.
What a strange taste.
Su Zhenzhen turned her head to dodge, but Lu Hexu held her jaw and turned her back.
"Isn't it Zhenzhen's own taste?"
-
After coming out of the hot spring pool, Su Zhenzhen found her body covered in deep and shallow marks.
How was she supposed to face anyone tomorrow?
"I'm sorry, Zhenzhen. I'll let you bite me back."
Lu Hexu extended his arm toward her.
Su Zhenzhen narrowed her eyes and, without holding back, lunged forward and gave him a nip.
Lu Hexu held her and chuckled softly.
His laugh was pleasant to hear, but his face was even better to look at.
Wei Heng had left two glazed lamps here, hanging right on the screen.
The man's face was bathed in the lamplight, highlighting his beautiful jawline. Because of the hot spring, his complexion bore a distinct, alluring flush.
Su Zhenzhen once again felt like she was losing her mind to lust.
"When will the bright moon appear? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky. I do not know what year it is tonight in the celestial palace..."
From far away, a drifting song interrupted Su Zhenzhen's infatuation.
She silently removed her paws from Lu Hexu's body, then pushed aside the screen to look out.
The singing came from a distance. Not far ahead, there seemed to be a lantern, casting a pale, fluorescent glow in the night.
"Could it be a ghost?" Su Zhenzhen was both nervous and scared. "Shall we go take a look?"
She had never seen what a ghost looked like before.
Lu Hexu frowned slightly as he looked into the distance. Looking down, he saw Su Zhenzhen's excited yet nervous eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded.
The two changed their clothes and walked toward the spot.
It wasn't far, just a hundred meters away. A white lantern hung on a tree branch, its misty light illuminating a beauty beneath the tree.
Dressed in plain white clothes, the beauty stood there singing.
She sang with extreme melancholy and sorrow, as if she had lost a loved one.
"It's not a ghost, there's a shadow."
Su Zhenzhen peeked half her body out from behind Lu Hexu.
Lu Hexu stood there, his gaze sweeping over the woman expressionlessly.
The woman seemed to just notice someone approaching. She quickly knelt and said, "This subject's daughter did not know it was Your Majesty. Please forgive my offense."
Su Zhenzhen stood behind Lu Hexu, revealing her fair face.
"I was merely thinking of the Empress Dowager's sudden passing, and my heart was so filled with grief that I could not control my emotions..." The beauty shed tears, crying like pear blossoms bathed in rain.
"Since that is the case, you may stay here and guard the mausoleum."
The beauty froze, her expression changing drastically. "Your Majesty, I..."
Lu Hexu took Su Zhenzhen's hand and turned to leave.
Stepping on Lu Hexu's shadow, Su Zhenzhen followed behind him.
The beauty cried even more heartbrokenly.
Earlier, it might have been a bit of a theatrical, hypocritical display, but now it was definitely genuine.
Such a flower-like beauty had originally intended to seduce the Emperor, but unexpectedly, she was forcibly ordered to guard the mausoleum here, doomed to waste her entire life away.
"Wei Heng."
"Your Majesty."
"Thoroughly investigate the people under your command."
Wei Heng had also heard the singing.
He had felt something was wrong at the time, and now it seemed he was right.
Wei Heng immediately knelt on the ground. "Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
For this beauty to appear here, someone must have leaked Lu Hexu's whereabouts.
Lu Hexu didn't make things difficult for Wei Heng any further; he simply held Su Zhenzhen's hand and left.
The little interlude by the hot spring pool didn't ruin Su Zhenzhen's mood.
She returned to the small palace hall with Lu Hexu, who went behind the screen to change clothes.
Su Zhenzhen wandered around the hall, her gaze falling on a memorial titled "Petition to Establish Concubines and Expand the Imperial Lineage."
A single word was annotated on it in vermilion ink: Granted.
Su Zhenzhen stared blankly at the memorial.
She suddenly realized with delayed impact the threat posed by that singing beauty.
Although Lu Hexu had not been moved by her, as the Emperor, he was bound to have three palaces and six courtyards, with countless concubines.
Su Zhenzhen loved Lu Hexu, and she was unwilling to share him with anyone.
-
Today was the Empress Dowager's burial.
Lu Hexu got up early in the morning and led the civil and military officials toward the imperial mausoleum.
White mourning banners stretched to the sky, rustling in the wind. The entire journey was completely silent.
Dressed in mourning clothes, Lu Hexu stood tall as a pine, his expression so calm it bordered on indifferent.
With the master of ceremonies chanting beside him, Lu Hexu bowed, mourned, and performed the rites according to protocol.
After the ceremony, the officials dispersed. Lu Hexu did not stay at the mausoleum to keep vigil as was customary; he went straight back to the small hall at the imperial tombs.
The temperature suddenly dropped, plunging straight into winter.
A charcoal basin was burning inside the small hall. Lu Hexu pushed the door open and saw the messy bedding on the couch. Su Zhenzhen was not there.
Lu Hexu walked over and reached out to touch the bedding. It was still warm.
He stood up, went to the screen to take off his mourning attire, and changed into his casual clothes. Then he continued to the dressing table, inserted the cat-ear gold hairpin into his hair, sat behind the desk, and began to review memorials.
After finishing the memorials on the desk, Lu Hexu got up and pushed the door open. Su Zhenzhen still hadn't returned.
Lu Hexu knew that if she had gone into the mountains, she would definitely be digging all day before coming back.
Lu Hexu ordered Wei Heng to bring out the hotpot.
"Your Majesty, shall we boil it now?"
"Wait until she returns."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Lu Hexu picked up a scroll and continued reading.
After waiting another hour, the sky had grown very dark, and Su Zhenzhen still hadn't returned.
Lu Hexu began to feel anxious.
He stood up and paced back and forth in the hall, holding the scroll.
"Wei Heng, where did Zhenzhen go today?"
"I didn't see Miss Su leave today."
She didn't leave?
"Find her."
The Imperial Guards quickly assembled and surrounded the imperial tombs.
Lu Hexu headed up the mountain.
He went to the hot spring where he and Su Zhenzhen had bathed yesterday.
No one was there.
He went deeper into the mountains.
Still no one.
The imperial mausoleum spanned a hundred miles with sparse population. Han Shuo led the Imperial Guards to search within the mausoleum, then rode out to search the surrounding areas.
They found nothing.
Lu Hexu sat in the small hall, propping his forehead with one hand, his face grave.
"Your Majesty, there are no signs of a struggle or foul play either inside or outside the hall. It's possible that Miss Su left on her own..."
Lu Hexu suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze toward Han Shuo filled with murderous intent.
Han Shuo immediately lowered his head, not daring to speak another word.
"Get out and find her."
Han Shuo immediately retreated outside.
The small hall instantly fell silent. Lu Hexu could hear his own trembling, intermittent breaths.
He covered his face with one hand, his tall figure slumping down, as warm moisture seeped through his fingers.
The small hall was so quiet that Su Zhenzhen could even hear Lu Hexu's extremely faint sobbing.
She sat curled up inside the wardrobe. Through a very narrow crack, she saw Lu Hexu's thin back.
He sat there with his head bowed, blocking his face with his hands, like a helpless child.
Su Zhenzhen could only see his bobbing Adam's apple as he swallowed and his trembling shoulders.
She sighed, reached out, and knocked on the wardrobe door.
The next moment, hurried footsteps approached her.
The wardrobe door was suddenly pulled open.
Su Zhenzhen sat inside, looking up at Lu Hexu.
Her eyes were also unusually red, as if she had been crying.
Lu Hexu's clothes inside the wardrobe were padded beneath her, with some wrapped around her body. The silk everyday wear with gilded embroidery clung to her skin.
Lu Hexu opened his mouth, but found his throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton.
He slowly knelt down facing Su Zhenzhen, then reached out his arms and pulled her into his embrace.
Su Zhenzhen leaned against Lu Hexu's shoulder.
"You didn't leave."
"...Yeah." Su Zhenzhen stretched out her arms and hugged Lu Hexu. "I love you the most."
"I thought you had left." The man's fingertips, pressing against her back, were trembling.
Su Zhenzhen rested her head on Lu Hexu's chest. "I saw a memorial."
"What memorial?"
"A memorial asking you to establish concubines and expand the royal lineage." At this point, Su Zhenzhen's voice lowered. "You approved it."
"I..." Lu Hexu opened his mouth. "I'm sorry."
Su Zhenzhen suddenly gripped Lu Hexu's lapels tightly.
"I didn't tell you because I was afraid you wouldn't be willing. If you don't want to be the Empress, then you don't have to be..."
[Huh?]
The tears brimming in Su Zhenzhen's eyes threatened to fall.
She tried hard to lift her head to speak, but was held tightly by Lu Hexu.
[I'm going to suffocate.]
Lu Hexu immediately let her go.
Su Zhenzhen took a deep breath. "What did you mean by what you just said? Weren't you going to marry other women into the harem?"
"Zhenzhen," Lu Hexu's expression became very serious. "I will not have any other women." He paused, and his voice lowered again, carrying a hint of acting spoiled, "And you are not allowed to either."
"You can only be my Empress."
This year's winter seemed exceptionally cold, but she had a natural heater.
On the way back to Jinling in the carriage with Lu Hexu, Su Zhenzhen hardly ever left the charcoal-heated carriage or his embrace.
It was simply too cold.
Holding a hand warmer, she curled up in Lu Hexu's arms, looking at the rules of etiquette for the Empress's canonization ceremony that Wei Heng had just sent her.
These were the rules and etiquette that Wei Heng had personally handwritten for her.
Su Zhenzhen read them very seriously. In addition, she was also earnestly losing weight and doing beauty treatments, determined to attend the most important grand ceremony of her life with her most beautiful appearance.
"It's so long..." Su Zhenzhen was tired after reading just one page.
How could there be so many rules to being the Empress?
"You don't need to read it. They are all just pedantic rules."
Lu Hexu held her as they sat together in the carriage, feeding her a sip of honey water.
[So sickly sweet.]
"How much honey did you add?"
"Not much." When Lu Hexu spoke, his eyes glanced toward the top left corner.
Su Zhenzhen: ...Liar.
Su Zhenzhen struggled out of his embrace to look at the honey jar, and sure enough, a third of it was gone.
And this was called not much!
"Does your tooth not hurt anymore?"
"...It hurts."
After coming out of the imperial mausoleum, Lu Hexu's wisdom tooth had started to become inflamed again.
Su Zhenzhen had given him some herbal medicine to reduce the swelling, but the medicine didn't work that fast. Right now, one side of the man's face was a bit swollen, while the other side remained as handsome as ever.
"Your Majesty, it's snowing."
Wei Heng's voice came from outside.
As a southerner, Su Zhenzhen truly loved the snow the most.
She immediately lifted the curtain to look.
Fine white snow fell from the sky, rustling as it landed on the eaves and treetops.
Su Zhenzhen reached out her hand to catch the snow.
The snow instantly melted on her fingertips.
The snow in the south was extremely wet and cold, unlike the snow of the north wind, which could be easily brushed off when it fell on the body.
It would only melt like rainwater.
It snowed all night. When Su Zhenzhen woke up in the temporary palace the next day, she found a thick layer of snow had accumulated outside the window.
The snow was very white, dazzlingly white, covering the corners of the eaves and the branches.
Su Zhenzhen pushed the door open and stepped onto the pure white snow.
The winter wind was strong, but amidst this expanse of white snow, it seemed as if even the wind had been forbidden.
The world was a pure and clean white. Su Zhenzhen heard a cat's meow.
"Meow..."
"Sushan?"
Sushan ran in from the courtyard entrance, holding up its big, fluffy tail like a broom. Its four paws stepped on the snow, leaving a string of cat paw prints behind.
Ah, so cute.
Su Zhenzhen held Sushan and squatted down to admire the footprints on the ground.
Over there, Lu Hexu had just returned. He saw the woman in the courtyard wearing a snow-white fox fur cloak and a white felt hat. Her entire person almost blended into the white snow, leaving only her pitch-black eyes and bright red lips visible.
She was currently squatting there, holding Sushan and playing with the snow.
Hearing the sound, Su Zhenzhen looked up and saw Lu Hexu walking over with a plum blossom branch in his hand.
He handed the plum blossom to Su Zhenzhen.
"The first plum blossom to bloom this year."
Pale yellow plum blossoms adorned the branch, and a faint, serene fragrance drifted over. Holding the plum blossoms in one hand and the cat in the other, Su Zhenzhen tilted her head up to kiss Lu Hexu.
The man's face was damp from the snow, and it felt very cold to kiss.
[So cold.]
Lu Hexu leaned in, using his slightly cold cheek to rub against Su Zhenzhen's warm cheek.
"Don't, it's so cold."
Su Zhenzhen stood up to dodge him, but Lu Hexu grabbed her and placed her under the corridor.
The snow fell heavier, rustling down. Unable to hold back, Su Zhenzhen ran out again, circled the courtyard, and then ran back, stuffing her freezing cold hands into Lu Hexu's embrace. The cold made the man shiver, and he scolded her, calling her a little rascal.
The snow had accumulated quite a bit. Su Zhenzhen squatted on the ground and used her hands to build a snowman, ending up with two distorted, lumpy, big fat balls stuck together.
In contrast, Lu Hexu molded two perfectly standard small spheres out of snow, then stacked them together according to Su Zhenzhen's request.
Su Zhenzhen used the plum blossom branch in her hand to write her name on this small snowman, then pointed at the distorted big fat ball she had made.
Lu Hexu: ...
Lu Hexu wrote his name on the distorted big fat ball.
The two small snowmen sat in the courtyard, gently covered by the pure snow.
"There's also Sushan."
"Meow..."
Lu Hexu molded another snow cat.
The little cat was chubby, sandwiched between the two of them.
Su Zhenzhen even used plum blossoms to make two eyes for it.
Sushan didn't seem afraid of the cold at all. With its coat of real fur, it ran wildly in the snow. By the time Su Zhenzhen noticed, it had already flattened the two snowmen with its paws.
Su Zhenzhen: ...Ahhh, you stinky cat!
After more than a month of travel, Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu finally returned to Jinling.
According to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's advice, a day in the spring half a year later would be an auspicious time for the emperor and empress to wed.
"What about other dates?" Lu Hexu sat in the imperial study, looking at the proposed date with great dissatisfaction.
The Director of the Astronomical Bureau, dressed in a scarlet official robe, knelt on the ground. Upon hearing Lu Hexu's words, he immediately picked up the purple sandalwood astrolabe beside him and began to calculate.
"Uh... three months from now..." the Director ventured tentatively, stealing a glance at Lu Hexu.
The emperor sat there, dressed in dark casual attire. His expression remained unchanged, but his gaze toward the Director grew a bit colder.
"Uh... one month, no, half a month from now is an excellent day, Your Majesty! It cannot be any earlier. An imperial wedding involves a multitude of affairs..."
"Make it happen," Lu Hexu finally relented.
The Director breathed a sigh of relief, hugged his purple sandalwood astrolabe, and quickly took his leave.
-
Su Zhenzhen heard that her wedding date with Lu Hexu had been set.
At the time, she was in the palace tinkering with her medicines.
She lived together with Lu Hexu in his bedchamber. The originally cold and dark room had been stuffed with a whole row of medicine cabinets by her.
Sushan squatted on the very top of the medicine cabinet, swishing its tail in its sleep.
Su Zhenzhen saw Lu Hexu returning from the imperial study. He was still wearing his dragon robe, the bright yellow color making him look utterly noble and supreme.
"Have you taken your medicine today?"
Lu Hexu nodded. After taking off his cloak, he walked over and pulled Su Zhenzhen into his arms.
He lowered his head and caught the faint herbal scent on her, feeling his spirits instantly lift.
"I missed you."
"Me too."
The palace doors were gently closed.
Su Zhenzhen stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Lu Hexu held her and kissed back.
"Just half a month left, Zhenzhen," Lu Hexu pulled away with difficulty. "Just half a month."
-
Time flew by, and the half month quickly passed.
Early in the morning, Su Zhenzhen was awakened by the female officials to begin preparations for the grand wedding.
She changed into the ceremonial pheasant robe that the Imperial Household Department had worked overnight to finish. It took nearly an hour of fussing before she was fully dressed and adorned.
She was so nervous.
Su Zhenzhen stood in the hall, listening to the female official speaking by her ear, but the words just went in one ear and out the other.
"Your Grace, it is time to rise."
Su Zhenzhen stood up, supported by the female official.
The hall doors were pushed open, and the warm winter sunlight spilled in.
Not far away, Lu Hexu, dressed in his imperial ceremonial robes and crown, was waiting for her outside the hall.
This wasn't in the itinerary the female official had told her about!
Lu Hexu took long strides toward her.
"Empress." The man walked up to her and held out his hand. "I was in a hurry to see you."
Su Zhenzhen subconsciously raised her hand to grasp his. Her nervousness instantly subsided. Looking at his face, she couldn't help but say, "Me too."
Together, the two of them headed toward Fengtian Hall.
Inside the hall, civil and military officials stood on both sides.
Hand in hand, Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu walked step by step toward the dragon throne and the phoenix seat.
"Long live His Majesty, long live, long long live."
"Long live Her Grace, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years."
The officials knelt on the ground, their voices shaking the hall, echoing endlessly.
Outside the hall, ceremonial music swelled, and bells and chimes rang in unison.
After a day of exhausting and elaborate procedures, Su Zhenzhen finally returned to the bedchamber.
The daytime clamor had long been cleared from the room, leaving only the dragon and phoenix wedding candles burning bright, their warm light washing over the splendid brocade on the floor.
Female officials stood by to continue the rituals.
A serving of meat and rice was brought over on a red lacquered tray.
The emperor and empress shared the same portion of meat and rice, symbolizing sharing both joys and hardships.
Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu shared and finished the meal.
Then, the female official brought over a split gourd dipper, meant for the nuptial wine.
The emperor and empress drank the nuptial wine together, becoming one, never to be separated.
Finally, after scattering auspicious fruits on the bed, the female official cut a lock of hair from both Su Zhenzhen and Lu Hexu, tying them together.
The emperor and empress tied the knot to become husband and wife.
With the rituals completed, the female officials withdrew.
Su Zhenzhen took off the heavy phoenix crown from her head, then stared at the pearls on it. "Such big pearls, are they real?"
Oh dear, what nonsense was she spouting? Of course they were real.
Su Zhenzhen looked up with a smile, her exquisitely made-up face radiating a breathtaking brilliance in the candlelight.
Lu Hexu's eyes darkened with desire. He reached out, his thumb brushing across the corner of her lips, smudging the crimson lip color onto her cheek.
Lu Hexu leaned in, pressing his lips against hers, his Adam's apple bobbing as he spoke. "Zhenzhen, I can't hold back anymore."
Thank you all for the birthday wishes~ Love you all, kiss kiss kiss~
