When Lu Guanyi escorted Ye Yaming to the bridal chamber, a group of female relatives followed behind, eager to witness the occasion.

The bridal chamber was set up in the inner courtyard, an area where men from outside the family were not permitted to enter. But today was the Lu family’s wedding day, and female relatives could come to observe the ceremony and see the bride’s face when her veil was lifted, to get a glimpse of what the bride looked like.

The Marquis Zhenbei’s wife hadn’t yet seen the bride. When someone took her by the arm, she turned her head to see it was An Jingning, and asked in a lowered voice of surprise, “Why are you here?”

“Why shouldn’t I be here?” An Jingning said huffily, jerking her chin toward the front. “I want to see what she looks like.”

The Marquis Zhenbei’s wife’s expression darkened slightly. “Ning’er, you’re a grown woman now, you should know your boundaries. This is a marriage bestowed by the Emperor himself, not something you can make trouble about.”

An Jingning pouted. “I understand.”

The Marquis Zhenbei’s wife glanced at her daughter and firmly gripped her hand as they walked toward the bridal chamber.

She knew that unless her daughter saw the bride’s face clearly, she wouldn’t be satisfied. Regardless of whether the bride was beautiful or plain, once she had seen her, the matter would be settled.

Putting aside the fact that this marriage was arranged by Lu Guanyi himself, since it was bestowed by the Emperor, the marriage was unalterable. No matter how stubborn her daughter was, she would have to let this matter go.

Meanwhile, Lu Guanyi wasn’t as nervous as those men who had never seen their wives before, but he held the veil-lifting rod with great force, clearly very excited.

“Young Master, quickly lift the veil so we can see the bride’s beauty,” some of the female guests urged.

Today was a joyous occasion, better rowdy than quiet. In the past, when Lu Guanyi got married, there would have been female acquaintances of the Marquis Xuanwu’s wife to liven up the ceremony.

But Lu Guanyi’s birth mother had passed away early, and he had no close connections among the noble ladies. As for those who were close to Lady Shi, who would dare approach the Marquis Xuanwu’s residence now? They’d rather everyone forgot they had ever been friendly with Lady Shi.

Lu’s Third Old Lady was worried that no noble ladies would come to the inner courtyard, making the occasion seem inauspicious in its quietness, so she specially invited women from the Lu clan to create a lively atmosphere.

Madam Qi knew that many young women in the capital had been attracted to Lu Guanyi’s looks and wanted to marry him. But they had all been rebuffed by Lu Guanyi, not even receiving a pleasant look from him. Most of these women, now nineteen or twenty years old, like Lu Guanyi, were already married. But many still harbored resentment and wanted to see what kind of beauty Lu Guanyi had married.

These people might come to make trouble at the bridal chamber. If just a few came, along with their maids and servants, the bridal chamber wouldn’t be quiet. But whether they would say anything nice was another matter. Although this was a marriage bestowed by the Emperor, and they wouldn’t dare say anything too offensive, some might still make snide remarks to create an awkward atmosphere.

Therefore, she didn’t object to Old Lady Lu’s proposal.

For this reason, several of the female guests present had been specially invited by Lu’s Third Old Lady, all known for their glib tongues. The one who was urging him on was one of the Lu clan relatives.

“Brother Yi has been wielding spears and swords at the frontier; surely he can manage a simple veil-lifting rod,” another teased.

This made everyone laugh.

The room was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Lu Guanyi took a deep breath, moved the rod horizontally in front of Ye Yaming, and slowly lifted the veil.

A beautiful face, slightly bowed, appeared before everyone.

Though the bride kept her head lowered, her forehead was full, her nose high and straight, and her eye lines were exceptionally long. One glance was enough to tell her bone structure was excellent—with almond eyes and peach-like cheeks, she was undoubtedly a beauty. Only, with her head lowered and eyes downcast, people couldn’t see her.

The onlookers could hardly wait for Ye Yaming to raise her face so they could get a better look.

The bride’s relatives who had escorted her had turned back halfway, and now the matchmaker in the bridal chamber was hired by the groom’s family. This matchmaker had been specially invited by Old Lady Lu and had received a generous red envelope. She had been repeatedly instructed by Old Lady Lu, Madam Qi, and Lu Guanyi.

She had already been stunned by Ye Yaming’s beauty when she went to welcome the bride.

She also knew exactly what everyone was thinking. At this moment, who wasn’t curious about what the bride looked like?

With a smile, she said, “Please, bride and groom, drink the ceremonial wine.”

On the wedding table covered with red silk, there were wedding candles, fruits, wedding candies, and two cups of wine. Someone was about to reach for the wine, but Nanny Xia moved exceptionally quickly. She had somehow already prepared a tray with two halves of a gourd fashioned into wine vessels, already filled with wine.

She brought the ceremonial wine before the couple.

Normally, this behavior might have caused a small ripple of attention, but at this moment, no one was paying attention to such details. Even those who noticed her actions were distracted by the collective gasp from the crowd.

Ye Yaming had raised her face.

The first thing that captured everyone’s attention was her pair of exceptionally beautiful eyes. How beautiful they were, no one could quite describe—only that they shone brilliantly, glittering like stars, captivating the soul. All such words would not be excessive to describe those beautiful eyes, not to mention her exquisite, three-dimensional face without the slightest flaw.

It was a face of incomparable beauty, capable of causing kingdoms to fall and bewitching all living beings.

Her demeanor was also outstanding—untainted by a speck of dust, floating like an immortal.

“Heavens, she’s so beautiful.”

“So gorgeous…”

Those who had harbored resentment, hating Lu Guanyi for not choosing them and hoping to mock Ye Yaming, all fell silent.

Someone murmured, “No wonder.”

Lu Guanyi had seen Ye Yaming before and had even gone to Huizhou with her. He had thought he wouldn’t lose his composure at this moment of lifting the veil.

But now he stood stunned, staring at Ye Yaming, his mind completely blank, feeling as if he were floating on clouds.

He knew Ye Yaming was beautiful, especially those eyes of hers that one could never forget after seeing them once.

But he wasn’t a person who valued appearances; what he liked about Ye Yaming was her exceptional intelligence and broad vision. He had never seen a woman so clever, with such foresight and such an open mind.

Yet at this moment, he was fatally attracted by Ye Yaming’s beauty. He felt that in this lifetime, apart from Ye Yaming, he would never see another woman. She was so beautiful, so beautiful that her beauty had penetrated his heart and was deeply engraved in his soul.

An Jingning, who had been staring at Ye Yaming, bit her lip tightly and clutched the hand of the Marquis Zhenbei’s wife with a death grip. Beyond the pain from her daughter’s grip, the Marquis Zhenbei’s wife also noticed her daughter’s slight trembling.

She quickly patted her daughter’s hand, warning her with a severe gaze.

If she lost her composure here, it would be a huge joke that would quickly spread throughout the noble circles. And her daughter was not yet married.

An Jingning, warned by her mother’s gaze, finally came to her senses.

She released her mother’s hand, bit her lip, and lowered her head, her mood extremely downcast.

She couldn’t compare. At least in terms of beauty, she couldn’t compare.