“Wu Ya, why aren’t you wearing the clothes I prepared for you?” Ye Luosha walked over to Zhan Qingcheng’s side and asked in a low, stern voice.

Zhan Qingcheng did not respond to her question. His gaze was fixed on a certain spot, utterly unmoved.

Ye Luosha followed the direction of Zhan Qingcheng’s gaze downward, and at last she understood what was going on.

She forcefully suppressed the fury rising in her heart. The words that had been on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down with great effort.

Seeing that her handcrafted garment had gone unworn, and that Wu Ya had not come over to question anything, she had assumed he had silently accepted it.

Now it was clear that he had most likely never even glanced at her clothes.

Cold Moon pushed Emperor Ji’s wheelchair forward and came to stand beside Zhan Qingcheng.

Emperor Ji looked out at the common folk gathered below the stage and gave a casual wave of his hand.

Below the stage, what had moments ago been a faint buzzing of admiring chatter now fell completely silent.

Emperor Ji turned his head and looked back, asking in a hushed voice, “Where is Mu’er? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?”

“Mu’er, he…” Just as Ye Luosha found herself in an awkward bind, she finally caught sight of that white-robed figure drifting into view.

Mu Mu was dressed in white, a garment that was also the handiwork of Feng Jiu’er.

Feng Jiu’er had originally intended to design something more novel for him, but in the end she thought it over and decided that Mu Mu was best suited to pure, flawless white, so she made him a white ensemble.

Mu Mu’s arrival did not create quite the stir that Zhan Qingcheng’s had.

Yet even though he had always preferred to come and go alone, he was impossible to overlook.

After all, how could anyone ignore a man whose looks fell only the tiniest fraction short of the Ninth Prince’s?

“Mu’er.” Ye Luosha waved toward Mu Mu.

Mu Mu stepped up onto the stage and walked over with measured strides.

Seeing that Mu Mu had also not worn the outfit she had prepared, Ye Luosha felt a surge of irritation — but at a moment like this, there was nothing she could do with it.

She drew a deep breath, reined in her gaze, and turned with everyone else to look at the people gathered below.

Just as Emperor Ji was about to say something, the corner of Zhan Qingcheng’s lips curved slightly upward.

That smile of his — the one that had bewitched countless souls — left an untold number of people stunned and dazed, and Feng Jiu’er was no exception.

Feng Jiu’er kept her eyes fixed on Zhan Qingcheng, motionless for a long stretch of time.

Had it not been for the expression of pure bliss on her face, Xiao Yingtao and Qiao Mu would surely have teased this woman for being so lost in her own happiness.

Seeing Jiu’er so content, both of them broke into bright, delighted smiles.

Zhan Qingcheng’s smile brought joy to the men and adoration to the women. It seemed as though everyone had been waiting a very, very long time for this moment.

They had finally been fortunate enough to see the Ninth Prince they revered most deeply smile — and what’s more, that smile carried the unmistakable fragrance of happiness.

“Today, this Prince has a matter of great importance to announce.”

Zhan Qingcheng channeled his inner energy, and his voice rang out with clarity, audible to every person within a radius of one li.

His words left Emperor Ji and Ye Luosha visibly taken aback.

“Wu Ya.” Ye Luosha called out softly, “You…”

“Let him make the announcement himself.” Emperor Ji cut off Ye Luosha’s words with a quiet murmur.

Regarding today’s matter of reclaiming the Di family’s imperial identity, Zhan Qingcheng had always maintained an attitude of complete indifference.

Zhan Qingcheng’s actions now were, in truth, rather beyond what Emperor Ji and Ye Luosha had anticipated.

Mu Mu stood to one side, his expression entirely unaffected, as though all of this had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Having let those words hang in the air, Zhan Qingcheng did not continue. Instead, he stepped forward.

At that moment, every person above and below the stage had their eyes fixed on him.

Feng Jiu’er stared unblinking at the man walking toward her, her round eyes going wide.

Before she had a moment to react, the man approaching from the stage leapt lightly and landed steadily right in front of her.

In full view of the entire crowd, Feng Jiu’er found her wrist caught in Zhan Qingcheng’s grasp as he led her up onto the stage.

The stage stood quite high, yet the two of them ascended as lightly as if it cost them no effort at all.

Looking back at the vast crowd gathered below, Feng Jiu’er — who still had no idea what was happening — nearly lost her footing.

Fortunately, the man at her side steadied her, sparing her from making a scene.

The Ninth Prince had stepped off the stage and brought a young woman back up with him — all in the blink of an eye.

A pair who looked like immortal lovers, wearing outfits of the exact same style, appeared before everyone.

No wonder the Ninth Prince’s attire today had been different from usual — the garments were a matched set, just like the two people before them.

The man was incomparably elegant, the woman beautiful as a celestial maiden. Surely, in all the world, no couple more perfectly suited could be found.

The common folk were overwhelmed with excitement. A woman had finally appeared at their Ninth Prince’s side — and one who was truly a match for him.

Feng Jiu’er had not yet returned, yet her deeds had already spread throughout Phoenix City.

Had it not been for her, Mo City and Yamu City might well have already fallen. Had those two cities fallen, the battle for Phoenix City would have been far more difficult to fight.

Feng Jiu’er was the hero in everyone’s hearts — not only did the people of Yamu City and Mo City see her that way, but the people of Phoenix City felt the same.

Seeing the Ninth Prince’s companion appear at his side, even though quite a few women quietly dabbed away tears, their hearts were still filled to the brim with blessings for him.

The Ninth Prince had yet to speak, yet the crowd below was already warm and fervent in spirit — and still quiet, as if they were all waiting for something wonderful to be made known to the world.

Only then did Emperor Ji and Ye Luosha realize that what Zhan Qingcheng intended to announce was nothing at all like what they had imagined.

Before they had any chance to intervene, Zhan Qingcheng’s resonant voice rang out once more.

“Three days from now is the day this Prince and Jiu’er shall be joined in wedlock. Everyone is welcome to attend, should you have the time.”

Announcing his own wedding was something Zhan Qingcheng had not the slightest experience in, and so his words came out a little clumsy.

Yet that one simple sentence had already encompassed everything.

The moment Zhan Qingcheng’s voice fell, applause and cheers erupted from the crowd below — it was as if the whole of Phoenix City were about to boil over.

Feng Jiu’er lifted her gaze toward the man who held her close, her eyes utterly still.

Though countless people surrounded them, she felt as if the whole world had been reduced to just the two of them.

Was all of this real? Was the surprise Ninth Imperial Uncle had spoken of not the lantern festival at all, but the announcement of their wedding? Were they truly going to be married?

To be joined with him for life was what she had longed for — yet she had never dared to imagine it, never thought he would truly bring it to pass.

A single teardrop slipped silently from the corner of her eye, and Feng Jiu’er herself did not even notice.

Her mind had gone completely blank; she could no longer put into words what she was feeling.

Zhan Qingcheng lowered his gaze to look at her. He reached out with his large hand and gently brushed away the teardrop at the corner of her eye.

“Silly girl, why are you crying over something to be happy about?”

The noise from the crowd below drowned out Zhan Qingcheng’s words, yet Feng Jiu’er could hear them with perfect clarity.

She pressed her lips together and had just raised her hands when the man took them in his.

Zhan Qingcheng pulled Feng Jiu’er entirely into his embrace and lifted his gaze to receive the blessings of the crowd.

“We wish the Ninth Prince and Miss Jiu’er a happy wedding and an eternal union!”

“We wish the Ninth Prince and Miss Jiu’er a happy wedding and an eternal union!”

“…”

Gazing at the two figures on the stage, the common folk and their sworn brothers called out as one, their voices growing louder and louder.