I've been really busy but I'm glad I can finally post up the last part of chapter 9 to you all. Anyway I want to thank everyone for being so patient with my slow updates these days. I'm sure there's mistakes in my writing but please tolerate them. [Whisper ~ Pretend they don't exist 😉]
Love you all,
LoveKitten ❤❤❤
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Chapter 9 – The Wedding (Part 4)
The wedding procession entered the imperial palace gate and made its way in the direction of the wedding hall where the wedding banquet was taking place. The sedan stopped outside of the wedding hall, where a long red carpet rolled from the inside all the way to the outside.
Festive noises were everywhere and servants hurried about to perform their duties. The wedding hall was filled with many people of the royal family, the nobilities, and the notable officials. Red silks draped decoratively everywhere and red stickers with the joy characters plastered on every wall and doors. Low tables of food were set in front of each guests while servants waited on them.
Tian Jin leaped down from his horse and opened the sedan entrance curtain. He reached a hand to support Xiao Ming out of the sedan. At first, Xiao Ming resisted but then decided to give in. He was here. Might as well get this over with.
Tian Jin lead Xiao Ming to cross over the threshold and entered the wedding hall. The servants at the door shouted to announce their arrival. Guests filled both sides of the hall and the red carpet lead to the end of the grand hall where the Emperor and the Empress were sitting upon two large golden chair. Noble Consort Wang, Tian Jin’s mother, sat in a slightly lower seat next to the Emperor.
Tian Jin and Xiao Ming stopped in front of the Emperor. There, they were instructed to perform the wedding rituals. First, they bowed once to the heavens and the earth. Second, they bowed once to the Emperor, the Empress, and Noble Consort Wang. Then, they bowed a third time to each other, acknowledging each other as spouses.
As the Empress watched the 3rd Prince perform the three bows that would tie him down like a trapped rat in a cage, she laughed victoriously inside her heart. Outwardly, she had on a doting and motherly smile and twinkling eyes of joy like that of watching a beloved child growing up at last. She turned her head and smiled at the Emperor. The Emperor also had on a smile of joy but the joy in his eyes were somewhat dim. When he saw the Empress glance at him with a warm smile, his heart heated up stiflingly with rage. A slight frown skipped across his continence and disappeared as if it had never appeared. The Empress’s smile drew wider. She knew he was furious despite his poker face. Ever since she came to the realization that he didn’t have any love for her and had only married her to gain his Noble Consort, she had wanted to make him pay. She relished in his helplessness and his failure to protect the son he had with the woman he loves. She sneered at the Emperor with her eyes, mocking and challenging him. Then, she turned her gaze to Noble Consort Wang, who had on an impassive and calm face.You slut, pretending to be calm about this! I know your heart is bleeding! [sneer] It will not be much longer that you and your child will be sent off to the underworld. [Laugh evilly inside.] She turned her attention back to the male bride and groom before her. She smiled with immense joy.
….
After performing the necessary wedding rituals, Xiao Ming was led away by his maid Liu Mei and a palace maid to the 3rd Prince’s manor. There, Xiao Ming was taken to the bridal chamber where he had to wait for his groom.
Xiao Ming sat on the edge of the bed with the red veil still over his head. Liu Mei and the palace maid stood on both sides of him, guarding him.
Five hours passed.
Xiao Ming’s stomach grumbled and he groaned. “I’m so tired!” He pulled the veil off.
The palace maid quickly said in a soft, feminine voice, “Prince Consort Xiao, you mustn’t remove your veil. As per tradition, the husband must be the one to remove the veil from the bride. It is not the thing for a bride or anyone other than the groom to remove the veil.”
Xiao Ming blinked at the palace maid, and thought back to when the 3rd Prince took his veil off outside his home. “The groom has already removed my veil; therefore, tradition has not been broken.”
The palace maid frowned. She did not understand his statement. Considering Xiao Ming’s high position as Prince Consort of her Master, she decided to do nothing further. As for Liu Mei, she stood still and observed. She was unsure of what to do.
Xiao Ming ignored them and took off his headpiece. He gave it to Liu Mei, who quickly put the headpiece away. Xiao Ming stood up to stretch his limbs and rub his neck. The weight of the headpiece was killing him! His hand reached out to comb his hair and felt the hairpin the 3rd Prince had placed on his head earlier. He frowned and bit his lip angrily. Xiao Ming pulled the hairpin out from his hair and cursed at it as if it was the 3rd Prince. “Punk, I’ll teach you a lesson when I next see you!”
The palace maid’s eyes glittered with interest when she heard Xiao Ming speak carelessly about the 3rd Prince. The corners of her lips tilted slightly upward in amusement. The Prince Consort has some spunk to speak in such a tone. Will he still have the guts to do the same in Master’s presence? It will be quite interesting to observe.
Suddenly, Xiao Ming’s stomach growled hungrily. He rubbed his stomach and cursed the 3rd Prince again for making his stomach growl. This made the palace maid chuckled at Xiao Ming’s cursing and a mischievous idea came to him. Liu Mei frowned at the palace maid.
A few feet away from the bed was a table full of delectable dishes and wine. The palace maid slightly bowed at the waist to Xiao Ming and gestured to the table. He said with a sweet smile, “Prince Consort Xiao, there are food and wine at the table.”
“Good,” said Xiao Ming. He walked to the table to sit down and placed the hairpin upon the table.
Liu Mei was worried and said, “Prince Consort Xiao, one must wait for one’s husband to arrive first and then dine together. It is a rule.”
Xiao Ming waved her concern away with a careless gesture of his hand. “It’s fine. It’s fine. I’m hungry. I will not wait for him.” He scoffed and mumbled, “Who wants to wait and eat with that crybaby! I’ll not leave him any!” He began stuffing his mouth with food.
Dismissed by her young lord, Liu Mei bit her lips and became silent.
The palace maid’s lips quirked up and she walked to stand by Xiao Ming. She poured the wedding wine and offered the cup to Xiao Ming. “Prince Consort Xiao, here is some wine.”
Xiao Ming waved his hand to decline the wine. “I don’t like wine and alcohol. Get me some water.”
The palace maid chuckled. “Prince Consort Xiao may not know. This is Nine Layers of Heaven wine. It’s a popular wine used for wedding nights. It is sweet and refreshing unlike many other wine. Please do try some.”
Xiao Ming looked at the cup of wine in the palace maid’s hands. Then his eyes strangely drifted to her hands due to the odd thickness of her hands. Xiao Ming frowned in thought.
“Prince Consort Xiao?” The palace maid’s sweet voice startled him.
“Hm? Uh, okay.” Xiao Ming shook his head and took the cup of wine. He took a sip. It was indeed sweet and refreshing. Xiao Ming actually found it to his liking. He downed the wine.
The palace maid smiled and poured some more into the cup. “Please have some more.”
Xiao Ming nodded and drank some more. He ended up drinking three cups and became drunk. Then, he knocked out on the table. Liu Mei went to him worriedly and tried to shake him awake.
The palace maid frowned. How is he so weak to alcohol? The show won’t be any fun if the Prince Consort fell asleep.
Just as the palace maid thought that, the double doors to the bed chamber opened to reveal a night sky and a tall, imposing figure. It was the 3rd Prince.
Tian Jin saw the sleeping figure of Xiao Ming on the table and then glared at the startled palace maid. “What is the meaning of this, Zeng Fang?”