In the Princess’s chambers, silk curtains hung low as sandalwood incense wafted through the air.

The bedroom doors were thrown wide open as palace maids from Shaoyin Palace bustled about. Before the dressing mirror, Lin’an sat with a straight posture, gazing at her reflection in the bronze mirror.

The face that looked back at her was full and smooth, like a perfectly shaped goose egg. After the application of powder and the drawing of eyebrows, her features became even more exquisite and spirited.

Additionally, the skilled hands of the palace maids had painted plum blossom makeup on her forehead, giving the already charming Princess an air of elegant allure—beautiful without being garish, enchanting without being seductive.

In a woman’s life, there is one chance to see herself adorned in a phoenix crown and ceremonial robes.

Her time had come.

Even more fortunately, her groom was her true love—a romance coming to its rightful conclusion.

“Your Highness has grown much quieter lately. Has it been difficult to endure?” the head palace maid asked with a smile as she dressed the Princess’s hair.

Her Highness, usually chattering and lively, had become increasingly reserved as the wedding day approached, learning to be the dignified imperial princess.

“The Empress Dowager said that once married, one cannot act willfully anymore.”

Lin’an sighed. “I’ll put on an act for now, and gradually reveal my true nature later.”

Just then, the elegant and noble Empress Dowager entered with her attendants. She glanced at the phoenix crown on the table and spoke softly:

“How are the preparations coming along?”

The head palace maid attending Lin’an bowed and respectfully replied:

“Once this servant finishes styling Her Highness’s hair, all will be complete.”

The Empress Dowager approached the dressing table and looked at the alluring Lin’an, suddenly frowning:

“Why hasn’t her face been prepared?”

The “face preparation” referred to using five-colored cotton threads to remove facial hair from the bride, making her appear more fair and beautiful.

The head palace maid looked uncertainly at Lin’an.

The latter’s meticulously drawn eyebrows furrowed, “Mother, it… it hurts too much…”

The Empress Dowager gave a slight nod, surveying the palace maids in the room, her tone neutral:

“If Her Highness’s face is not prepared, each of you will receive twenty strikes. If we miss the auspicious time, you’ll all be sent to the laundry bureau.”

The palace maids blanched.

Thus, they removed the Princess’s makeup, and several maids worked together, finally completing the task after much effort.

The Empress Dowager examined Lin’an, whose skin was flushed and eyes teary, nodding with satisfaction:

“Much better. Now this is truly skin-like congealed cream, delicate as if a touch could break it.”

As the auspicious hour approached, the maids placed the phoenix crown on Lin’an’s head. The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, observed for a moment, and sighed:

“Truly beautiful!

“You were born to be a princess, adorned in gold and silver to highlight your noble grace and beauty.”

The Empress Dowager had seen many beauties, being one herself of kingdom-toppling caliber. But among the thousands of beauties, each had its distinct charm, requiring different ornaments to fully display their beauty and temperament.

Among all the beauties she had seen, including herself, most would have their radiance somewhat diminished by elaborate ornaments and clothing.

Only Lin’an became more beautiful the more ornately she was dressed.

The Empress Dowager continued:

“Since your brother and birth mother cannot attend the wedding, I, as your mother-in-law figure, should teach you how to live in your husband’s household and interact with your in-laws.”

Lin’an sat properly, listening attentively.

“Though you are of imperial blood, a princess of high status, Xu Yinluo is no ordinary husband. So after entering the Xu household, you must first learn to temper your nature.”

For many years, the Empress Dowager had remained uninvolved in palace affairs, paying little attention to the princes and princesses, but she knew of Lin’an’s frequent troubles with Huaiqing.

If she had half the cunning and skill of Consort Chen, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t bother saying these things. But she was just a girl who liked to cause trouble without the corresponding ability to handle the consequences.

If she didn’t restrain herself in the Xu household, who knew how badly she would be bullied, and worse, she would be in the wrong.

The Empress Dowager continued:

“Among the Xu family women, you need not worry about Second Madam. Though I’ve had little interaction with her, from our few encounters, I can tell she’s straightforward without hidden schemes. As for that woman from Yunzhou, though she’s Xu Qi’an’s birth mother, the mother-son bond cannot be deep.

“If she knows her place, she won’t try to control you but will treat you courteously, and you should do the same. The eldest daughter of the second branch is quite clever, but she’s of little concern to you, as she’ll be married off in a few years.

“What you truly need to mind is your husband’s heart and the women he attracts outside.”

Second Aunt Ning is straightforward. But Simu said this aunt was an extremely formidable and frightening figure. Did the Empress Dowager misjudge her, or was she deliberately speaking this way to put my mind at ease… Lin’an pondered, but her eyebrows shot up when she heard “women he attracts outside.”

“Mother, please don’t worry. Lin’an knows how to handle them. I’ll make sure they’re all properly subdued.”

The Empress Dowager gave her a look, swallowing back a “hmph” that had risen to her throat, and nodded:

“Mother’s advice is to listen well to Wang Simu’s opinions. She and Er’lang are already engaged, and will likely marry into the Xu family this year or next.”

That makes sense… Lin’an nodded.

“When issues arise, don’t just lose your temper. You and Xu Yinluo have a foundation of feelings between you. When he was of humble status, you helped him considerably. If you feel wronged, bring up these matters, and he will naturally feel guilty.”

…

On the main road leading to the imperial city, Xu Qi’an sat atop a mare, letting it carry him toward the palace. The sound of hooves echoed “clip-clop” as they proceeded.

Behind him were Li Yuchun, Zhu Guangxiao, Song Tingfeng, and other familiar colleagues, as well as trusted followers like Miao Youfang, forming a sizeable wedding procession.

The city guard lined both sides of the street, keeping the watching crowds at bay.

The common people cheered “Congratulations to Officer Xu” and “May you have a hundred years of happy marriage,” extremely excited.

In their view, Officer Xu marrying the imperial princess was a powerful alliance, permanently securing the Great Feng dynasty.

Moreover, who besides the noble princess could be worthy of Officer Xu?

But some people felt deeply disappointed.

“Officer Xu is marrying the princess. Ah, my daughter can’t be the primary wife now.”

“With your daughter’s looks, Officer Xu wouldn’t even want her as a maid. Keep dreaming. My sister is just eighteen, beautiful as a flower, and still unmarried. Alas, Officer Xu won’t see this pearl buried in the sand.”

“That’s easy enough to solve. Send your sister to the courtesan house. If she’s that beautiful, it shouldn’t be hard for her to become a top courtesan. Then wouldn’t Officer Xu notice her? Everyone knows Officer Xu loves to spend time with courtesans.”

The surrounding crowd burst into laughter.

Then those two started fighting and were quickly subdued by the city guard, restoring order.

Zhu Guangxiao looked at the tall figure in casual clothes ahead and whispered to Song Tingfeng beside him:

“I used to think Ning Yan would marry Princess Huaiqing.”

When Xu Qi’an was still a lower-ranked officer, whenever he went to the palace, it was always under the pretense of seeing Huaiqing. Though he secretly spent plenty of time with Lin’an, in Zhu Guangxiao’s view, Xu Ning Yan had a closer relationship with Princess Huaiqing.

When investigating cases before, he was always running to Huaiqing’s residence every few days.

Yet unexpectedly, he chose the younger sister instead of the elder.

Song Tingfeng waggled his eyebrows, snickering:

“Not marrying Her Majesty doesn’t mean things are purely platonic with Her Majesty.”

Zhu Guangxiao was startled and whispered:

“Don’t speak rashly about Her Majesty.”

“What’s there to fear? Ning Yan doesn’t even mind,” Song Tingfeng jutted his chin toward the groom ahead.

“Their words surely won’t escape Xu Ning Yan’s ears. Since he doesn’t mind, there’s no need to worry about Her Majesty’s punishment,” Song Tingfeng said.

However, his next words weren’t suitable to be spoken openly, so he transmitted them:

“I’ve heard that recently, some court officials have raised the matter of establishing a Crown Prince. This concerns the foundation of the nation—those scholars care deeply about such matters.”

Zhu Guangxiao replied coolly:

“With Her Majesty’s capabilities, such voices can easily be suppressed.”

“Fool!” Song Tingfeng shook his head:

“The court officials’ true intention lies elsewhere. Think about it—Her Majesty has only recently ascended the throne, so having no heir is perfectly normal. But now that the rebellion has been quelled and peace reigns across the four seas, shouldn’t Her Majesty’s marriage be the next consideration?

“Establishing a Crown Prince is merely a pretext—the officials want to urge Her Majesty to marry soon and produce an heir.”

Zhu Guangxiao’s eyes lit up with sudden understanding, and he transmitted back:

“Why are you bringing this up out of nowhere?”

Song Tingfeng transmitted:

“Many people laughed and clapped with joy when Ning Yan chose to marry Princess Lin’an. As long as he remains unmarried, no one dares to covet the position of ‘Master of the Inner Palace.’ Understand now?

“But Her Majesty will have to consider heirs sooner or later. There’ll be interesting developments to watch.”

Though Her Majesty was female, she possessed a pure royal bloodline. Her heir, with sufficient backing, would have no difficulty inheriting the throne.

After entering the imperial city, they meticulously followed protocol. First, following the ritual official’s guidance, they rode to the South Gate, where Xu Qi’an changed into his Prince Consort’s formal attire. Then he presented the betrothal gifts including wild geese and precious silks.

This was called the “Wild Goose Ceremony,” where the geese symbolized fidelity—one life, one world, one pair.

After the ceremony, Xu Qi’an and the wedding party sat down for drinks and rest, waiting for the auspicious hour.

From dawn until the sun hung high, they waited until finally the ritual official approached and softly said:

“Prince Consort, the time has come.”

Xu Qi’an thought to himself, finally time to fetch the bride, my bladder…

He immediately followed the ritual official to Shaoyin Palace, where he saw the Princess’s ceremonial guard and Lin’an herself, resplendent in her phoenix crown and ceremonial robes.

She wore the wedding dress, crowned with the phoenix headpiece, her beauty dazzling and brilliant.

Supported by palace maids, she gracefully stepped out of Shaoyin Palace. Though separated by distance, their gazes met.

A thousand words passed between their eyes.

Without speaking, Lin’an gave him a gentle look before lowering her head and entering the ceremonial carriage.

The carriage was primarily red, decorated with pheasant feathers, and adorned with red and purple silk brocades woven into elaborate patterns.

The crossbeam held incense cabinets with dragon-patterned censers and precious aromatics.

The overall style was magnificent and brilliant, exceptionally beautiful.

Pretty smooth, with no red envelope demands or shoe-hunting or door-breaking nonsense… Xu Qi’an thought sarcastically.

Of course, this was mainly because the bride fetching wasn’t the main event, and they didn’t have the customs of his previous life.

Leaving the palace, Xu Qi’an led the ceremonial guard and wedding party out of the imperial city, retracing their path.

Their destination should have been the Prince Consort’s mansion, but after discussing with his Second Uncle, Xu Qi’an had decided to remain at the Xu residence, buying several neighboring houses to expand it into a grand estate with multiple courtyards.

The family would stay together.

Returning to the Xu residence took another half hour. Along the way, music played continuously while flower-crowned palace maids carried incense burners with delicate steps, and imperial guards swept the path ahead, so they couldn’t move quickly.

Among festive, grand musical accompaniment, Xu Qi’an led Lin’an through the gates and straight to the main hall.

The hall was filled with observers, all members of the Xu clan, with no outside guests.

Second Uncle and Second Aunt sat straight-backed in the hall. When Second Aunt saw Lin’an in her phoenix crown and ceremonial robes, her eyes lit up.

She loved elaborately dressed young ladies, and Lin’an’s attire thoroughly impressed her.

The Tiandi Society members aren’t here, and those Celestial Observatory fellows haven’t arrived yet, good… Xu Qi’an surveyed the hall’s occupants. Except for the Flower Deity’s stony expression, everyone wore smiling faces.

Especially Xu Lingye, who beamed with genuine happiness for her big brother!

Under the Ministry of Rites official’s guidance, the newlyweds performed the ceremony.

The ceremonial process was extremely intricate—three kneels, nine kowtows, and six ascendant bows.

During this, Xu Qi’an noticed Lin’an’s quickening heartbeat and transmitted:

“Don’t be nervous!”

Lin’an indeed calmed down.

After methodically completing the ceremony, two young palace maids carried the dragon-phoenix candles to lead the way, with Xu Qi’an and Lin’an following.

Watching the newlyweds retreat to the inner hall, birth mother Ji Baiqing quietly wiped away her tears.

Xu Yuanshuang looked at her mother and gently held her hand, about to offer words of comfort.

At this moment, she saw Lü’e approach and whisper:

“First Madam, please come with me.”

Ji Baiqing frowned slightly, clutching her handkerchief as she followed Lü’e out.

Through corridors and courtyards, they arrived outside the newlyweds’ chamber. Lü’e opened the door and smiled:

“First Madam, please enter.”

Ji Baiqing’s heart stirred, already guessing what was to come. She stepped over the threshold into the bridal chamber to see Lin’an and Xu Qi’an standing side by side, having waited for her.

“Ning Yan, this is…”

Xu Qi’an said softly:

“Second Aunt and Second Uncle raised me as their own; in my heart, they are like birth parents. I bowed to them before the guests to show my respect. But you are my birth mother, my flesh and blood. On my wedding day, I should properly bow to you.”

He and Lin’an exchanged glances, then knelt and performed three kowtows.

Ji Baiqing smiled:

“Mother is very happy, very happy indeed.”

She bent down to help her eldest son and daughter-in-law up.

Xu Qi’an said softly:

“Mother!”

Ji Baiqing’s body suddenly stiffened.

She nodded imperceptibly, not lingering long before leaving the bridal chamber.

After walking a distance, she leaned against a corridor pillar, head lowered, shoulders shaking violently.

…

Xu Yuanshuang saw her mother return with reddened eyes and slightly smeared makeup, looking somewhat disheveled, but upon closer inspection, noticed that the melancholy that had lingered at the corners of her mother’s eyes and brows for twenty years had completely vanished.

In the bridal chamber, Lin’an nestled in Xu Qi’an’s arms, nibbling on a piece of butter cake. After a while, she looked worried:

“Will the Imperial Preceptor burst in and kill me with a sword?

“I acted confident in front of the Empress Dowager, but I’m quite scared.”

You’re already cowering? Xu Qi’an comforted her:

“If the Imperial Preceptor tries to strike you with her sword, I’ll stab her with my spear.”

Lin’an immediately felt reassured, then said:

“Help me take off this headdress. My neck is sore from wearing it half the day.”

Xu Qi’an helped remove her phoenix crown, then held her slender waist and smiled:

“These wedding clothes are complicated too. Let’s take them off first, so we won’t have trouble later. Hmm, and we might as well consummate the marriage now, so I can focus on entertaining the guests afterward.”

“No, no!”

Lin’an pushed against his chest with reddened cheeks.

Though they were now married, she was still innocent and shy.

After some playful resistance, Xu Qi’an glanced at the water clock in the corner and rubbed his brow:

“I should go out to receive the guests.”

There would surely be countless complications today, but it didn’t matter—he had already planned for every contingency.