Chapter 183: The Wedding Ceremony

Chapter 183

The Wedding Ceremony

Initially, the Emperor had planned to build a palace on the large piece of feudal land that he had granted to An Le, but she declined.

"Our region has just emerged from a war, and the treasury is still empty. At a time like this, it is inappropriate to use royal funds on unnecessary matters. Constructing a palace would be costly and wasteful. Father, it would be better to allocate the funds to more urgent matters. The Yong An Hou Manor is spacious and beautiful. The residence of the Second Young Master is well-separated. I have no issue living with the Song family."

The Emperor was deeply moved by his daughter’s maturity and praised her with many kind words. An Le playfully stuck out her tongue and confessed with a smile,

"These ideas aren’t mine, Father. I told Sister Nie that the Hou Manor was lively and bustling. Moving to a newly-built palace would be lonely. Sister Nie then invited me to stay with them in the Hou Manor and advised me about the disadvantages of building a new palace during this time. I thought it was a good idea, so I presented those thoughts to you."

Hearing this, the Emperor was impressed with Nie Shuang’s wisdom and the positive influence she had on his daughter. Feeling relieved, he decided that, since a new palace wouldn’t be built, he would expand the Hou Manor as a token of appreciation. He ordered the purchase of neighboring properties and granted them as additional land for the Hou Manor.

The wedding ceremony of Princess An Le was grand, as befitted the Emperor’s beloved daughter. The bridal sedan procession stretched from the royal palace to the Yong An Hou Manor. Song Ren, dressed in bright red wedding attire, sat astride a horse, looking handsome and dignified, causing many young women to sigh with envy. Princess An Le was indeed fortunate to have such a gentle and attractive groom.

When the bridal procession arrived at the manor, Song Ren parted the curtain and helped his bride down from the sedan chair. Upon seeing her graceful figure in the bridal gown, his face flushed with warmth. Though he couldn’t see her face, he couldn’t help but imagine that beneath the red veil, the princess’s gaze must be as fiery as ever. He carefully assisted her across the brazier into the main hall for the ceremony. An Le, with her face covered, couldn’t see anything. Though she longed to lift her veil and take in the atmosphere, she restrained herself. Today, the large Hou Manor was packed with guests. Even the Emperor himself attended the ceremony.

After the couple completed the traditional bowing ceremony, the guests celebrated joyfully. The Emperor didn’t stay long and soon departed. Song Ren, on the other hand, was plied with wine by his friends, his face turning red from the drinks. They teased and joked with him as the imperial son-in-law. None of them knew that Princess An Le herself had requested the royal marriage; they all assumed the Emperor had personally chosen the son-in-law.

After only a few drinks, Song Ren was so intoxicated that he had to be helped to the bridal chamber. Song Qilin smiled as he watched his younger brother stumble. Seeing her husband smile, Nie Shuang curiously asked,

"Why are you smiling?"

"Second Brother may seem simple, but he’s more cunning than you’d think. He regularly goes out drinking with his friends, yet he doesn’t usually get drunk so easily."

Hearing her husband’s words, Nie Shuang immediately understood.

"Second Brother has been waiting for this day for so long. There’s no way he’d let himself get drunk on his wedding night."

The couple chuckled together.

Meanwhile, in the bridal chamber, An Le didn’t have to wait long. Song Ren entered the room, though there was still some commotion outside from his rowdy friends. Despite being surrounded by many companions, they dared not cause too much trouble, knowing that the bride was none other than Princess An Le. Soon enough, they withdrew.

Song Ren closed the door and turned back to look at the delicate figure seated on the bed. A pleased smile curved at his lips as he picked up the weighing rod to lift the veil, revealing the beautiful face of the princess. They stared at each other in silence for a while. At first, An Le didn’t feel anything, but as she noticed the intense gaze of the imperial son-in-law, she began to feel shy.

“I’m hungry,”

She blurted out to ease the awkwardness, quickly rising from the bed and heading to the table where the meal was prepared. Song Ren smiled and followed her. She looked incredibly beautiful today—only a few months apart, and she seemed to have matured even more. He poured wine into a cup and handed it to her.

“Your Highness, we haven’t had the wedding wine yet.”

An Le glanced at his slightly flushed face from the alcohol and reached out to take the cup. Song Ren poured wine for himself and then linked arms with her as they both drank. An Le sat down and picked up the chopsticks, taking a few bites of the food. After just two bites, she was already full. In truth, she wasn’t hungry at all—she had just said it to avoid the awkwardness. When she put down the chopsticks, Song Ren asked with concern,

“Are you full already? Why not eat a little more?”

An Le shook her head, the weight of the jeweled phoenix crown on her head causing her slender neck to wobble slightly. Seeing this, Song Ren smiled softly.

“Let me help you take off the headdress,”

He offered, getting up to stand behind her. His large hands carefully began to unfasten the crown, which was tightly secured to her soft, fine hair. Afraid to hurt her, he worked slowly and gently, but it wasn’t fast enough for An Le’s liking. Impatient, she raised her hands to pull off the crown herself, hastily combing through her hair, which ended up becoming a tangled mess. Seeing her frustrated expression, Song Ren laughed.

“Go sit on the bed. I’ll take it out for you.”

“Just call the maids. They’re used to dealing with my hair; it’ll be done in no time,”

An Le suggested as she sat at the edge of the bed. Song Ren sat beside her, leaning slightly behind her as he whispered in her ear.

“From now on, your husband will take care of your hair.”

Hearing his gentle, deep voice, An Le felt her heart flutter. Her small face flushed a deep red, and the lively chatter from earlier fell silent.

With skilled fingers, Song Ren began untangling her hair. In no time, he had successfully removed the phoenix crown. He stood to place it on the vanity before returning to sit beside her again. The two stared at each other once more. An Le suddenly asked him directly,

“Have you ever done this before?”

Song Ren, already flushed from the alcohol, turned an even deeper shade of red. He gazed into her large, clear eyes and swallowed hard before answering.

“The Song family doesn’t permit taking concubines or bed-warming maids before marriage.”

Seeing her husband replied in a hushed, raspy voice, clearly embarrassed, An Le felt emboldened. She burst into laughter and said,

“Then we’re equal, beautiful one. Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle with you.”

An Le, seeing his inexperience, returned to teasing him as if she were a playful flirt, just as before. She straightened herself on her knees atop the bed, lifting his chin gently. The well-formed lips of the second young master were flushed, and every time she saw them, she had the urge to kiss him. So, she leaned down and pressed her soft lips against his.

Song Ren’s mind went blank, overwhelmed by her fragrance and the softness of her kiss. Inexperienced with the kiss, An Le only pressed her lips against his. She then moved to plant a big kiss on his pale cheek before laughing and saying,

"So refreshing. I’ve been wanting to do that for so long."

She then flung herself into his arms, hugging his waist tightly, realizing his chest was broader than she had imagined. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his erratic heartbeat. Song Ren’s previously fiery gaze softened into one of fondness. He reached out to gently stroke her head, still nestled against him, and spoke softly.

"Are you tired, Your Highness? Perhaps we should rest early tonight."

"The wedding night is worth a thousand jin of gold. How can we waste it by sleeping?"

An Le quickly looked up and retorted, making Song Ren blush even harder.

"In that case...then..."

His large hands trembled slightly as he raised them to rest on her slender shoulders. But before he could even touch her, An Le straightened up, kneeling taller than him now as he sat on the edge of the bed, leaning toward her.

"I won’t take advantage of you. I’ve already had my fun. Now it’s your turn."

She closed her eyes and leaned her face toward him. Song Ren smiled and leaned in to kiss her. Before he could deepen the kiss, she pulled away.

An Le opened her eyes and then turned her cheek toward him. Song Ren looked at her smooth, peach-colored cheek that seemed to glow, and smiled. When he didn’t act, she glared at him before pressing her cheek to his nose herself.

"That’s it...what are you waiting for?!"

With that, her delicate hands started fussing with her clothing. In no time, her bright red wedding dress slipped off, leaving only a thin inner garment. Song Ren sat frozen, unable to take his eyes off her.

"Aren’t you going to take off your clothes? How are you going to sleep like that!? Sigh...you’re a man, but why are you so slow?"

Then, she moved in to help untie his sash and remove his robe. Soon, their red wedding garments were piled together beside the bed. Song Ren felt as though his soul had left his body.

"A’Ren...come to bed already."

An Le crawled under the blanket, her little face peeking out to call him adorably. Song Ren’s mind was in turmoil. One part of him longed to touch her, but another part wanted to keep her as his innocent little bride for just one more night. He sighed and obediently climbed into bed beside her.

Oh well...no need to rush. Let things unfold naturally.That night, the bride slept soundly, rolling around happily beneath the blanket, while the groom lay wide awake for most of the night.