The sky was bright when she finished dressing up. Because she was pregnant, her phoenix coronet and ceremonial robe were made simpler, lest she gets worn out. It was Xi Jin who came in to carry her on his back out of Zhaoyang Palace.
He Lianhuang wore a bridegroom’s red dress robe. He watched Xi Lin being carried out. Perhaps because it was his first big wedding, he could not help feeling nervous. His palm was sweating as he held her hand and walked her towards the main hall.
Feng Tianlan stood at Si Mobai’s side, her hands interlocked with him. She watched Xi Lin and He Lianhuang go through the wedding rites, thinking that perhaps this might be a good thing.
“Lan’er, you’ve seen other people get married a few times already. When will you let others see you get married?” Si Mobai looked at her with some hidden resentment. He met her when she was 15 years old. Now, three years had passed and she was 18 years old but he still could not marry her.
Feng Tianlan smiled at him. “You can’t wait, can you?”
“Yes,” Si Mobai said, nodding seriously.
“Then you can keep waiting,” Feng Tianlan giggled softly and thought to herself that if she found her parents within a year, then she would be able to get married the year after.
At the thought of the wedding where she would get married to Mobai, she found herself looking forward to it. She was excited. She would be incredibly happy to be able to get married to Mobai!
After the wedding ceremony, they left the palace and were carried out by the marriage sedan. A phoenix carriage was parked outside the palace. It was Dongshu Nation’s phoenix carriage. Red silk muslin was draped over it and the word for double happiness was pasted on it. The emperor and empress wanted to give her the best.
Before leaving, He Lianhuang took one look at Feng Tianlan and turned his eyes away. Since he had married Zhaoyang, he could no longer be hung up on Dai’er because she valued her friendship with Zhaoyang.
He would not let her suffer the betrayal of a sister once again, so he must certainly treat Zhaoyang well. As for his feelings for Dai’er, he would just bury them as if he had never liked her.
Farewell to the girl he had liked for more than ten years!
Watching the majestic send-off procession with its jubilantly blowing Chinese oboes from the carriage, they left. The firecrackers reverberated non-stop all along the way. It was very festive.
The empress leaned into the emperor’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Her beloved daughter was now married to a faraway country. Perhaps it would be difficult for them to see each other again in the future.
The crowd watched until the send-off procession could no longer be seen.
“Your Highness, bad news, something happened.” Xi Jin’s personal bodyguard trotted over and leaned close to his ear to report.
Xi Jin frowned when he heard and then turned to the emperor to say, “King Father, Queen Mother, Yun’er is in Nanyuan and has clashed with Shen Yunya. I’m afraid now the unborn baby is at risk. I’ll need to leave first.”
Having said that, he turned around swiftly and headed for the East Palace at a high speed.
This remark clearly affected the empress with a force of a boulder and she almost fainted.
Feng Tianlan was also shocked. But since this matter had to do with Shen Yunya, she took one look at Si Mobai before following along.
At Nanyuan, they heard heart-wrenching cries coming from inside. Basin after basin of bloody water was carried out by the palace maids. Shen Yunya was supporting the woman as she knelt on the ground like she was asking for forgiveness.
After a while, the bloody water gradually became diluted. The cries from inside also weakened and finally stopped completely.
Xi Jin came out of the room. His icy gaze swept across Shen Yunya. She burst into tears and explained, “I did not do it. She fell on her own. Luo Shiyun wanted to push me and tripped on her own instead—”
“Shut your mouth!” Xi Jin berated coldly.
Shen Yunya bowed her head and cried in a soft voice as if she were wronged. But hidden within her eyes was a hint of pleasure at having gotten away with it. She had deliberately caused Luo Shiyun to miscarry. Only she could give birth to Big Brother Jin’s child. No one else was allowed to do that.
