Chapter 1166 - 846: Moonlit Night
Yu Wenye softly asked, "Where did you go?"
Shen Wuzheng leaned down, about to say something, but seeing many people around staring this way, even Yu Wenqian’s often indifferent eyes now appeared deep, with a hint of a smile, intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over here.
Shen Wuzheng said, "Nothing much, just chatted with people over there for a bit."
Yu Wenye glanced at him and said nothing more.
The atmosphere in the hall was very lively, albeit forced by His Majesty the Emperor, everyone did their utmost to squeeze out smiles, telling harmless jokes. As time passed, the shadow cast by the sun slowly tilted, elongated, and gradually faded, merging with the dimming surroundings.
Finally, it was almost 7 PM.
After autumn, night fell quickly. As the sounds of bustling gongs and laughter erupted from the street outside, darkness had almost settled. Yuanyuan, nested in his swaddling clothes, kept yawning and was startled by the noise outside, pouting and on the verge of crying.
Shang Ruyi and Yu Wenye had already stood up, tidying their clothes, ready to observe the ceremony. She turned back to Tushere and softly said, "First take Yuanyuan to the side hall, don’t let him start crying on such a joyful day."
Tushere said, "I understand, my lady."
Then she quickly turned and went down carrying the swaddling clothes.
The lively sounds drew closer, and even the dim sky was illuminated by the torches and lanterns outside, creating a brilliant glow. Shang Ruyi stood at the hall’s entrance, watching the light approach, as the noise grew near. She heard the bride was invited down from the golden carriage, and saw a flash of light as the bride stepped over the fire basin. There was the sound of someone heavy-handedly placing something on the ground, causing people to chuckle, likely a saddle was placed for the bride to cross, as bridesmaids sang in unison.
Amidst the singing, a pair of graceful figures slowly appeared.
On the left, naturally adorned in red, blending into the lively surroundings, was the groom, while the figure draped in green was delicate and beautiful, holding a fan to conceal her enchanting face. But Shang Ruyi could still see the face behind the semi-transparent fan, exquisite in makeup, shining through with an unmistakable joy.
Yu Mingyue finally got her wish.
Although previously at Chengqing Gate, her demeanor was proud, dismissive of the life of bearing a son for Yu Wenye, disdainful of a woman’s married life, nevertheless Shang Ruyi understood she always wanted to marry Yu Wenqian.
Yet, whether she desired to be Yu Wenqian’s wife or the Crown Princess Consort of Dasheng Dynasty, that was unknown.
As these thoughts stirred, the couple had come into view.
At this moment, Yu Wenquan was just like when he watched his second son wed, seated in the grand hall. Despite many hesitations previously, seeing the soon-to-be couple stepping forward together, his face bloomed with a smile of contentment, stroking his beard and nodding repeatedly.
Soon after, the master of ceremonies announced——
"First, bow to Heaven and Earth."
"Second, bow to parents."
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
Even though Yu Wenye and Shang Ruyi weren’t keen on this preordained marriage, they wore broad smiles. When the master of ceremonies shouted "Ceremony complete," they clapped along, the hall bustling with noise, laughter, and cheers threatening to lift the roof, whether sincerely celebrating the couple or begrudgingly pleasing the Emperor.
Then, the couple headed to the bridal chamber.
Normally, after the couple retires to the bridal chamber, bridesmaids and groomsmen proceed to joyfully tease, especially if many distinguished guests are present, the groom should return to the feast for more drinks. But during their wedding, Yu Wenye’s friends spared him, allowing a particularly "peaceful" wedding night.
As for Yu Wenqian... he was always aloof, his friends limited to ministers, so no one dared disturb this important banquet. The officials knew this wedding followed his uncle’s recent death, its significance unspoken yet apparent, thus few went to tease, leaving everyone to sit down to eat and drink, hosted by the steward.
After finishing the ceremonial observation, Yu Wenquan returned to the palace.
Though His Majesty the Emperor typically concealed emotions, everyone understood his feelings about this wedding were complex. Yet even so, faced with a joyous event, especially concerning his eldest son whom he always worried about, he was still pleased. Before leaving, he reminded Shang Ruyi: "Yuanyuan is still young, keep him from being frightened by the noise."
Shang Ruyi quickly replied, "I understand, Father."
Once the royal entourage departed and returned to the Crown Prince Mansion, the company gradually settled. The clinking of glasses and hearty laughter filled the air, even Pei Xingyuan was overjoyed, dragging Yu Wenye to sit and drink, joined by several other ministers to celebrate.
This night, no matter what, he couldn’t escape.
Shang Ruyi could only give a few instructions, cautioning Pei Xingyuan not to take things too far, then looked around — Yu Wenquan’s words indeed prompted her. She had sent Tushere with Yuanyuan away but hadn’t returned in quite a while.
So, she got up and walked toward the side hall.
Compared to the noisy main hall, this place was much calmer, only servants delivering food and drinks busily moving about. Shang Ruyi wanted to ask someone but hesitated to disturb them, so she followed the long corridor forward, soon arriving outside the main hall.
Ahead was the suddenly approaching night.
The brightly lit main hall had almost made her forget it was late, so late it was difficult to see clearly. But in the night, she could just make out a shimmering water gleam ahead. Not only was the Crown Prince Mansion architecturally grand with a pleasant setting, but it also had a moderately-sized lake. An unknown source fed flowing water into it, tranquil under the moonlight, reflecting ripples across the surface.
Could Tushere have taken Yuanyuan here?
Knowing that girl liked mischief, though unaccompanied, Shang Ruyi continued forward, walking while scanning by the lakeside. There, under a willow tree, she saw a shadow, fuzzy from the interplay of moonlight and water.
Shang Ruyi immediately approached: "What are you doing here?"
As soon as she spoke, she felt a lump in her throat.
Upon hearing her voice, the shadow seemed to tremble, eyes that had been gazing at the tranquil water slowly turned towards her.
In the moonlight, those translucent eyes seemed frost-bound.