When the news spread that the two would marry today, the entire household was startled, each doubting their hearing.

After repeatedly confirming that the two masters didn’t mind a simplified wedding ceremony and weren’t concerned about the custom forbidding the bride and groom from meeting before marriage, saying it would happen today, everyone looked up at the sky—the sun was nearly at its zenith. Even more overwhelming than suddenly learning the household would host a wedding today was the fact that half the day was already gone.

Once they regained their senses, everyone immediately busied themselves, moving so quickly their feet barely touched the ground.

Many of the dowry items Jiang Zhiyi had brought along were originally prepared for her grand wedding with Shen Yuance, perfect for today’s use. An experienced nanny in the household drafted a list of the remaining items that should be prepared by the groom’s side—after all, everything was ready at the Shen residence in Chang’an. These readily available items could be hastily purchased, but the young master’s wedding attire would be impossible to make in time; even at the most basic level, it would take several days.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhiyi produced Shen Yuance’s wedding attire as if by magic.

The nanny was now assured and sent people to split up and purchase the remaining items in the market, asking Jiang Zhiyi and Shen Yuance to hurry back to their respective rooms to dress.

Mu Xinhong brought the Xuance Army, who set about their specialty of pitching tents. Following northern wedding customs, they erected a blue canopy in the southwestern corner of the Shen residence for the wedding ceremony.

Gu Yu and Xiaoman led the household maids to prepare the bridal chamber, changing the bed and hanging festive curtains.

By midday, everyone in the residence was rushing about, coming and going. One resonant male voice after another rang out—

“Report—the blue canopy is complete!”

“Report—the bridal chamber is prepared!”

“Report—the auspicious hour has arrived!”

The reporting calls that usually only sounded in urgent military situations now rang out with festive joy for the first time.

Everyone assumed this sudden wedding was because the marriage alliance had been terminated, and the Young General didn’t want to delay, hence the military-like speed. Only Jing Zhe knew it was the Princess’s idea; the day after returning to Guzang, the Princess had secretly sent someone to tailor the Young General’s wedding attire.

The Young General wanted to give the Princess a grand and complete welcoming ceremony, unwilling to let her suffer any grievance. But now, rather than those external things, the Princess hoped that when the Young General headed toward his deadly mission, he would remember his wife waiting for him a thousand miles away.

At dusk, festive music played as the crowd, who had been busy most of the day, gathered enthusiastically on both sides of the blue canopy.

Shen Yuance stood tall before the blue canopy, dressed in a crimson straight-collared long robe cinched with a leather belt, his hair bound with a golden crown, gazing at his bride at the end of the felt carpet.

Jiang Zhiyi wore a golden-red wedding dress that trailed along the ground. The golden tassels hanging from the phoenix crown on her head swayed gently. Holding a festive fan that concealed her face, she walked step by step across the felt carpet toward him.

The phoenix crown and rosy clouds garment shimmered brilliantly; the felt carpet was embroidered with vibrant, colorful patterns. The world’s most intense colors were all before his eyes, yet they couldn’t compare to even one ten-thousandth of his bride’s captivating beauty.

When Jiang Zhiyi reached him, stepping over the saddle symbolizing peace, Shen Yuance turned to walk beside her into the blue canopy. Noticing her constantly stealing glances at him, he turned his head amid the festive music: “What are you looking at?”

“I’m looking at—” Jiang Zhiyi blinked lightly as she gazed at him, “how good you look in red.”

Seeing Shen Yuance in this bold, vibrant crimson, Jiang Zhiyi still felt it wasn’t quite real. Although this was a decision she had long planned, now that the moment had arrived, she still felt as if in a dream, her feet floating lightly from the time she dressed until she walked across the carpet.

“Are we getting married?” Jiang Zhiyi looked through her fan at the festive scene before her. “Have I truly married you?”

Shen Yuance’s lips curved upward as he whispered in her ear, at a volume only the two of them could hear: “Yes, Jiang Zhiyi has truly married Shen Yuance.”

After completing the ritual bows in the blue canopy, they entered the bridal chamber, drank the ceremonial wine, and bound their hair together, thus completing the ceremony.

Having omitted the banquet for guests, Jiang Zhiyi and Shen Yuance were able to dine early and change out of their heavy, layered wedding attire.

Jiang Zhiyi used the bath chamber first. After bathing, she wore a crimson nightgown. While Shen Yuance was in the bath, she stealthily retrieved an illustrated book that she had earlier asked Jing Zhe to hide under the bed, deciding to do some last-minute studying.

Jiang Zhiyi lay on the wedding quilt with her legs up, burying her head in the pages as she studied intently. After some time, while she was deeply absorbed in this vast sea of learning, a familiar male voice suddenly came from behind: “Do you like this page?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s heart and liver trembled violently, and she nearly jumped off the bed. Turning around, she saw Shen Yuance bending over with his hands behind his back, like a teacher making a surprise visit to an academy, carefully examining a student’s work.

Jiang Zhiyi grabbed the book in shock and rolled toward the inner side of the bed: “How do you walk without making any sound?”

“If I made a sound, how would I know which page you prefer?”

Jiang Zhiyi slowly lowered her head to look at the book in her arms. The page she had been looking at was—”Harmony of Zither and Se”?

…No, no, no!

“No, no, I just happened to turn to this page…”

“Then—” Shen Yuance glanced at the book in her arms, “is it ‘Complying with Desire’ on the opposite page?”

Jiang Zhiyi looked down and widened her eyes.

Shen Yuance got onto the bed, took the book from her embrace, casually flipped through it, and pointed: “Or maybe this ‘Fish Swimming in Shallow Waters’?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes grew even wider.

Shen Yuance turned a few more pages: “Or perhaps this ‘Climbing the Dragon and Clinging to the Phoenix’?”

Jiang Zhiyi nearly stopped breathing.

Shen Yuance closed the book and lay back on the bed, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Jiang Zhiyi frowned and pushed him: “What are you laughing at?”

Shen Yuance continued laughing uncontrollably.

“Stop laughing or I’ll bite you!” Jiang Zhiyi leaned over, pretending to bite him.

Shen Yuance finally stopped laughing and pulled her into his arms: “If you find it difficult, don’t force yourself. Another day is fine.”

“No, today’s matters should be settled today. It must be today,” Jiang Zhiyi lay on him and snorted coldly, her gaze flickering as she lowered her voice, “Actually, I think that ‘Dragon Playing with Phoenix’ seems quite simple…”

Shen Yuance blinked as he recalled, looking at her still radiant face even without makeup, his Adam’s apple moving slightly: “What if I hurt you?”

“…If you hurt me, you won’t be able to leave me behind.”

Shen Yuance’s eyes darkened slightly. His hand, resting on her back, moved upward, pressing her head down as he kissed her lips.

On this winter night, snowflakes swirled in the air, gently landing on the window lattice, melting from the heat emanating from within the room.

In the bridal chamber, the wedding candles flickered as breathing intertwined.

Jiang Zhiyi lay on her back on the bed, her neck arched and eyes half-closed, embracing Shen Yuance’s scarred back. She felt his kisses falling one by one, dense and meticulous, roaming everywhere. She was like a snowflake, melted by the heat into a puddle of water.

Although they had only taken a single sip of the ceremonial wine, a delayed intoxication now spread through her limbs and body, making her feel as if floating on clouds.

Outside the window, the howling winter wind raged, blowing the thin branches of the winter plum in the courtyard, making the flower buds tremble.

He was like a gust of wind, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. With each tremor, her hands, embracing his back, involuntarily tightened a little more. Occasionally, her fingertips grazed his scars, eliciting even more forceful pursuit from him.

In the midst of her spiritual agitation, Jiang Zhiyi didn’t know how to hold him tighter, only wanting more—to possess more of him, and to be possessed more by him.

In the haze of consciousness, they both shuddered simultaneously at the moment of contact, one looking up, the other looking down.

Jiang Zhiyi opened her misty eyes to see a drop of pristine sweat hanging from Shen Yuance’s temple, suspended but not falling as he held himself back.

Shen Yuance’s eyes, filled with surging dark tides, fixed on her intently, as if questioning with his gaze.

Although Jiang Zhiyi’s heart was racing so fast it nearly leapt out of her chest, she still tilted her head up and kissed his chin.

As the bead of sweat at his temple finally fell heavily, a muffled groan sounded, and the wind outside momentarily ceased.

Shen Yuance rested his forehead in the hollow of Jiang Zhiyi’s shoulder, his eyes closed as he recovered from the shock.

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyelids fluttered, her mouth open in silent astonishment.

Sensing her stiffness, Shen Yuance raised his head, gently kissing away the fine sweat on the tip of her nose. Gazing into her eyes, he spoke hoarsely: “I promise you, I will return alive.”

Tears instantly filled Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes, her heart painfully full: “This time, if you break your word, I will not live alone.”

“Agreed.”

Outside the window, the snow and wind raged, sweeping past with the power to crush and destroy everything.

On the bed, the two embraced tightly as if trying to meld into each other’s blood and bones, sinking into a warm, intense whirlpool.

In the deep of night, the wind and snow ceased, and all was silent.

Shen Yuance quietly watched the person sleeping in his arms, his eyes remaining open for a long time.

His gaze moved from her naturally dark eyebrows, to her full, moist red lips, to her snow-white, slender neck down to her jade-like collarbones and the undulating curves beyond.

Suddenly hearing a whistle, Shen Yuance abruptly looked up, his eyes instantly clear. He gently placed the soft person in his arms back on the bed, rolled off, put on his clothes, and walked out.

In the courtyard, Mu Xinhong hurriedly delivered a letter: “Young General, a secret message from someone in the betrothal entourage. Could it be that within this entourage—”

“There are Qi Yan’s men.” Shen Yuance took the letter without surprise.

Qi Yan knew he wouldn’t sit idly by and let Jiang Zhiyi marry into Xiluo, but also worried he might destabilize the border. So naturally, he had placed his people in the marriage procession. If Shen Yuance’s plan failed, he could identify and fix the problems.

“The Fourth Prince didn’t stop you before, so he must approve of your plan.”

Most likely, the Fourth Prince understood His Majesty and guessed what consequences the Young General would face after taking action. Therefore, before the betrothal entourage left the capital, he had given instructions to his subordinate hidden within. If it truly came to this point, the subordinate was to send a message to the Young General.

Shen Yuance opened the secret letter and quickly scanned it.

“Young General, are you going without a single soldier, walking into this alone? The brothers are all standing by. Just give the word, and I will gather the troops tonight to accompany you!”

Shen Yuance glanced at him: “I’ve been with the Xuance Army for ten years, operating alone for eight. What trouble would you add for me?”

The tall Mu Xinhong lowered his eyes, holding back tears: “I just fear the Xuance Army will no longer have its Young General…”

“Don’t you remain?” Shen Yuance smiled. “After doing this final task in my brother’s name, I should return the name to my brother. From now on, the Xuance Army is yours.”

Mu Xinhong shook his head: “The Xuance Army only recognizes the strong. I’m not qualified. Even if you’re no longer the Young General, you’re still Jizhu. Jizhu’s position will always wait for you!”

Shen Yuance raised an eyebrow: “Must I have a position? Am I destined for endless toil?”

Mu Xinhong scratched his head, turning his tears into laughter.

“Alright, I’m on my honeymoon,” Shen Yuance waved his hand, dismissing him. “Hurry back, don’t disturb me from embracing my wife in sleep.”