The day of canonization arrived in a blink of an eye. Fortunately, the weather was good. There was a heavy rain in the middle of the night and it stopped just after dawn. The rain washed the entire Kyoto spotless and brought a cool half day.
When Chu Miaoer and Fu Yunqi arrived at the East Palace from the side door, Chu Qianqian in the main seat looked rosy and radiant, but Fu Deyou beside him seemed to be lacking in interest.
After taking their seats, the second prince and his concubine, Aryuna and Aryundo, as well as some court ministers and higher-status harem concubines entered the palace one after another.
However, Chu Miaoer looked around for a week, but did not see Chu Xianxue, and no one dared to invite her to watch the ceremony.
His eyes happened to collide with a concubine below Chu Qianqian. Who is this? Chu Miaoer thought for a moment. This person looked unfamiliar, as if he had never seen her before.
While he was in a daze, Fu Yunqi explained in a low voice: "Her second brother's biological mother, Concubine Jing."
It turns out that she is Concubine Jing, with a calm and graceful face. She is indeed a person who worships Buddha all the time and has a kind and compassionate heart.
After smiling and nodding to her, Chu Miaoer moved his gaze outside the palace.
A bright red velvet carpet spreads down from the steps outside the palace gate, like a blooming hibiscus.
I saw Xu Ning wearing a Yunxia silk dress, with her black hair pulled up, a gold phoenix crown on her head, a phoenix gold hairpin inserted sideways, and a bead chain on her forehead swaying with the lotus steps.
She turned around and looked at the handsome man beside her. He had a tall and straight figure, gentle eyes, and a shining blond hair crown. This was the future king, her husband who would stay with her for the rest of her life.
"Let's go." Fu Lilian glanced at her sideways, his eyes flickered, and said.
Xu Ning slowly walked onto the red carpet and stepped up the steps step by step. The long skirt unfolded behind her, which was somewhat inconvenient. Although Fu Lilian didn't say anything, he would slow down and stop to wait for her. Xu Ning's face
It wasn't obvious, but there was a warmth in my heart.
At the beginning of the visit, drums and music were blaring, and incense was wafting. Both of them were dressed in rich clothes and elegant in temperament. Who could see this and not praise this God-given marriage? The prince's marriage is quite complicated. After the ceremony of kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, it is considered a wedding.
The ceremony is over.
"Miaomiao, let's go," Fu Yunqi saw her looking around, glanced at her, and asked thoughtfully, "Who are you looking for?"
I saw someone just now, why is it gone?
"I wanted to ask Al Yunduo to go back with me, but now I can't find him." Chu Miaoer said softly.
"She doesn't need you to worry," Fu Yanshuo said with a smile, "I saw her and her brother leaving first a long time ago."
It turned out that he was being sentimental. Chu Miaoer smiled lightly.
Because of the prince's wedding, the imperial court granted amnesty to the whole country, the fire ban was lifted, and the whole Kyoto was illuminated by fireworks.
In the east palace, the lights were brightly lit, leaving the noisy and bustling front hall, and the inner courtyard seemed particularly peaceful.
When he suddenly saw the woman sitting upright in the middle of the wedding bed, Fu Lilian was in a trance.
"You go down first." Fu Lilian ordered calmly.
The prince was so impatient that he didn't even allow others to see the bride's face. Unaware of him, Xipo stepped back with a smile. For fear of being disturbed by others, she locked the door tightly.
The hijab fell, and Fu Lilian happened to meet her eyes. Even though he knew it wasn't her, he couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion in his heart.
Those eyes were as bright as autumn water, as innocent as a baby, as clear as a mountain spring, and extremely pure, just like the eyes of Chu Xianxue when they first met.
Although he was smiling, Xu Ning still caught the disappointment in his eyes.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince." Xu Ning called softly, raised her hand to take off her phoenix crown, and her beautiful hair flowed down, black and thick.
"What are you doing?" Fu Lilian asked confused.
Xu Ning just smiled and said nothing.
When he followed her to the mirror, he saw her holding gold scissors. With a click, a strand of hair fell. Fu Lilian was shocked.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince," Xu Ning's clear and cold voice was completely different from Chu Xianxue's. She put her hair in the palm of her hand and said softly, "My body, hair, and skin are all inherited by my parents. Since I am the one who belongs to His Highness the Crown Prince,
From now on, I will hand over my heart. I don’t ask for a heart-to-heart exchange, but I only ask that I will live in the same quilt and die in the same hole. This can be regarded as an explanation to my father."
Her worries are not unreasonable. The Queen Empress chose her to sit on the throne of the Crown Princess simply because of her father's position in the court, which is a weak thing. Who can say for sure what will happen in the future? The Chu Mansion is prosperous.
For a while, it was now only supported by the queen and the prince.
Besides, there is someone else he loves in his heart. If that day comes, it is not impossible to depose her.
Hearing this, Fu Lilian also took off a strand of black hair, cut it off at the tip, and gently placed it in Xu Ning's palm to line it up with her hair.
"I, Fu Lilian, hereby promise you that as long as I reign, I will never forget Xu Mansion's great kindness to me, and I will never let Xu Ning down."
The two looked at each other and smiled, as if the iceberg had finally cracked and a trace of warmth leaked out of the crack.
As soon as Xu Ning tied two strands of hair with a red rope, the sound of lingering footsteps came from the door, very subtle.
"Who is at the door?" Fu Lilian looked at the door and asked softly.
"Your Highness, it's me." Xiao Lizi's voice came from the crack in the door. He seemed a little embarrassed and didn't say a word for a long time.
Xiao Lizi has been with him for many years and has always been smart. He would not be so ignorant, fearing that something might happen.
Maybe he hadn't thought about how to speak, but as soon as the door opened, Xiao Lizi looked through the prince and saw the peaceful princess behind him. His mouth moved, and he suddenly didn't know how to speak.
"What's so urgent that you have to talk about it now?" Fu Lilian became impatient when he saw that he didn't speak for a long time.
"Your Highness, it's not my fault," Xiao Lizi's eyes turned again and again on the Crown Princess and then on the Prince, and said hurriedly, "Yes, yes -"
Seeing this, Xu Ning smiled understandingly, fearing that something had happened to that person again.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince," Xu Ning looked at the dignified Fu Lilian and said slowly, "Why don't you go with Xiao Lizi, I'm afraid something is urgent."
Fu Lilian didn't quite agree. There was no reason to leave the bride alone in an empty room on her wedding night, so he prepared to close the door with a cold face.
Rather than making the two masters unhappy by saying it, it would be better for him to be accused of being disrespectful. Little Plum weighed his options and simply took a big step forward and leaned directly into his ear, said a few words quickly and then retreated.
Fu Lilian was shocked and angry. He subconsciously took a step, but then stopped.
He turned his head and looked at the woman with a gentle smile in front of him, and said in a deep voice, "I'll be back as soon as I go."
"Go ahead, I am waiting for you here." Xu Ning nodded and spoke extremely calmly, as if he had already guessed what he would do and who he would meet.
Cloud shadows were across the sky, thick fog hung low beside the moon, and the chirping of insects lingered in their ears, as if they were still wanting to talk, but the two people hidden in the dark night were not in the mood to listen to these murmurs.
There was a woman standing in the pavilion. From her graceful back, she looked like a stunning beauty.
"What is the purpose of Concubine Xue using this method to deceive me?" Fu Lilian stood outside the pavilion and said expressionlessly.
Chu Xianxue turned around slightly and smiled faintly: "If I hadn't asked you to come out, I'm afraid you wouldn't have come to see me."
"Concubine Xue has finally managed to keep the emperor here, so she shouldn't come to me again. If she is discovered, it will be a dead end for both of us." Fu Lilian glanced at her and replied coldly.
"If you can come to the appointment, I will have no regrets." Chu Xianxue sighed softly, took out a golden hairpin from her sleeve and handed it to him, "This is the gift I prepared for you. It's a pity that the emperor is not here today."
Allow me to watch the ceremony, otherwise I will generously give it to the Crown Princess, and I will not give it to you here."
Fu Lilian lowered his eyes and looked at the golden hairpin in silence.
"Now you don't even accept the congratulatory gifts I sent?" Chu Xianxue took a step closer and said with a wry smile, "Are you disgusted, or are you afraid that your princess will think too much?"
Under the moonlight, Chu Xianxue looked at his cold eyes, and suddenly felt an unprecedented fear in her heart.
Thinking of what her mother said to her when her father passed away: Xueer, you have betrayed His Royal Highness now. I am afraid that one day you will be controlled by your inner demons and become extremely miserable.
Is that really the case?
For so many years, Fu Lilian had only her by his side, and he didn't even blame himself for betraying him. But this time, when he heard that he was threatening her with his life, didn't he come too?
Fu Lilian's expression changed slightly, but he did not take it. He just said lightly: "Thank you very much, Concubine Xue, for your kindness, but Li Lian cannot accept it."
Chu Xianxue seemed a little embarrassed, a sad look flashed across her face, and she looked at him for a long time without speaking.
"If Concubine Xue has nothing else to do, Li Lian will leave. It would be inappropriate to leave Ning'er alone in the house on the wedding night."
She knew that one day she would slowly fade out of Fu Lilian's heart, but she still felt sad whenever she thought of someone else's shadow in his heart.
Chu Xianxue stared at the golden hairpin in her hand, raised her head and stared at his retreating back, a hint of heartbreaking mist flickering in her eyes.
The East Palace was decorated with lights and colorful decorations everywhere, and everything was filled with joy. Fu Lilian gently opened the door, and when he saw the people sitting in the room, his worries seemed to disappear.
"His Royal Highness is back so soon?" Xu Ning saw him coming back and stepped forward to greet him with a smile.
"I know Ning'er is waiting, so I don't dare to waste another moment." Fu Lilian held her hand in his palm, his eyes as gentle as water, "I will never see her again in the future."
"Ning'er, I believe you." Xu Ning gently stood on tiptoes and kissed the corner of his mouth. Her shy look with downcast eyes made Fu Lilian's heart ripple. He picked her up in the air and walked towards the back room.
The red candles burned down, the lingering fragrance lingered, and the flowers were blooming once in the spring breeze.
Chu Xianxue, who had just returned to Lingxuan Hall, was sitting at the table in despair, not even knowing that there was someone else in the room.
"Who are you showing this to?"
"Ah!——" Chu Xianxue screamed in fright at the sound that appeared out of thin air.
Xia He, who was standing outside the door and was the first to hear the noise, was about to push the door open and enter.
"Don't come in!" Chu Xianxue looked at the golden hairpin in her hand and said tremblingly, "I just, I just accidentally tripped."
Hearing that there was no movement outside the door, Al Yunduo sat next to her and said with a smile: "This golden hairpin of yours is very beautiful. You just gave it to the prince as a wedding gift? I think you want him to see it every time
It just thinks of you!"
"No!" Chu Xianxue refused to admit her petty thoughts and asked angrily, "Princess Yunduo came to my place in the middle of the night, what do you want to do?"
I heard their conversation in the garden. Chu Xianxue clearly wanted to seduce Fu Lilian, but she didn't dare to admit it. It was so boring!
Al Yunduo curled his lips and said disapprovingly: "Nothing, just here to seduce the emperor."