In the Wentao Courtyard, footsteps sounded outside.
"Miss."
"Father still has guests to entertain, so he asked me to keep Mother company."
The door creaked open, and Jiang Zhiqing lifted her head slightly.
The red wedding veil blocked her vision, and all she could see was the festive red. She could only hear her daughter's cheerful footsteps approaching, and a pair of light red embroidered shoes appeared in her line of sight.
Jiang Mian sat down beside Jiang Zhiqing, wrapped her arm around her mother's, and snuggled close to her. "Mother, how do you feel now? Are you tired sitting like this?"
Jiang Zhiqing shook her head and smiled. "I'm not tired."
Jiang Mian wrinkled her nose. "You're lying. The phoenix crown on your head is so heavy. You've been wearing it since morning until now. You must be tired. Mother, why don't we take off the veil and the phoenix crown first? I'll ask the servants to keep an eye on the outside. We can put them on again when Father comes back."
Jiang Zhiqing's voice was gentle. "How can that be? Since this is the grand wedding of your father and me, we must follow the rules. Don't you want to see your father and me grow old together?"
Jiang Mian quickly said, "Of course I do."
Jiang Zhiqing squeezed her hand and said with a smile, "When you get married in the future, you'll have to go through all this too. You only get to do this once in your life. It's worth it even if it's a bit hard."
Jiang Mian thought of Xiao Tianchi, who was drinking alone in the front hall, looking extremely lonely. "Father should be talking to the Emperor now. I wonder what they'll talk about."
"Mother, do you think Father will accept the invitation from the Emperor of Beisheng and enter the court to become a vassal king and the Chief Minister of Sheng State?"
After asking this question, Jiang Mian waited for a long time but didn't get an answer from Jiang Zhiqing. She looked at her mother curiously, and then Jiang Zhiqing replied:
"No matter what your father chooses, he has his own considerations. You have to believe that everything he's doing now is for you and me."
For some reason, after hearing these words, Jiang Mian suddenly felt her nose go sour.
"Being the Chief Minister is so tiring. You have to take care of so many things. If you're not careful, you'll make enemies on all sides." Jiang Mian swayed her feet and said sullenly.
"I just want him to spend more time with Mother."
"Mujin, when we walked around Luozhou City that day, you should have seen how many good deeds the Li Family did for the people of Luozhou. The 'Li' in the Li Family is the same 'Li' as in 'the common people'. Your father has always had the world in his heart. It's precisely because of him and the Li Family that so many people came here voluntarily to offer their congratulations on the wedding of your father and me today, right?"
"As long as he can bring peace to the world, the people of the world will surely pray for your father to live a long and healthy life, just like they did for the eldest son of the Xiao Family. So, just let him do what he wants."
For some reason, Jiang Mian felt that there was an inexplicable determination in Jiang Zhiqing's last words, and her heart also calmed down.
Yes, only with the support of the people could Xiao Jingcheng wake up with the purple aura.
With the support of the people, Father will surely be blessed with good fortune.
Moreover, didn't the Taoist priest Yuan Zheng say that she was born under a lucky star?
Then their Li Family would surely have a better future.
Just as the mother and daughter were talking, the excited voice of the nanny came from outside. "The groom is back! Hurry up and get everything ready!"
Jiang Mian said happily, "Father is back!"
Seeing the tassels on Jiang Zhiqing's wedding veil tremble slightly, Jiang Mian laughed. She quickly whispered something in Jiang Zhiqing's ear and ran away before her mother could get annoyed.
"Daughter won't disturb Father and Mother on their wedding night!"
This girl!
Jiang Zhiqing's cheeks were burning hot. Her daughter's teasing words still echoed in her ears.
"Mother should have a younger brother or sister with Father so that Father will always be concerned about Mother, and he will surely live a long and healthy life!"
When Jiang Mian opened the door, she happened to bump into Li Zhao. With a big smile on her face, she called out "Father" and then ran away quickly.
Li Zhao couldn't help but smile. He looked back at her cheerful back and gently shook his head.
Looking into the room, a charming figure in red was sitting upright on the wedding bed.
Even though she was covered with a wedding veil, Li Zhao could still feel her gaze.
A surge of warmth and indescribable excitement welled up in his heart.
After so many years, he finally married his Yingniang in a proper way and achieved a happy ending.
He was clearly no longer young, but at this moment, he felt like a shy young man in his twenties, a bit at a loss. It wasn't until the nanny reminded him that he strode into the room.
"Groom, it's time to lift the bride's veil."
Taking the golden weighing rod from the wedding attendant, Li Zhao tightened his grip. He used one end of it to lift the red wedding veil embroidered with the pattern of a phoenix and a dragon in harmony, and then suddenly lifted it off.
A face as beautiful as a rosy cloud appeared in front of him. The woman gently turned her eyes and looked at him. Her gentle and charming eyes reflected his figure, and there was a boundless tenderness hidden in them.
He had expected that his Yingniang would be extremely beautiful in her wedding dress, but the reality was a thousand times more beautiful than he had imagined.
She was more beautiful than all the beautiful scenery he had ever seen in his life.
Li Zhao felt his heart beating faster. His blood seemed to be boiling, and his Adam's apple couldn't help but roll up and down.
There were still many steps to go through in the wedding night, such as drinking the nuptial wine and cutting each other's hair...
Jiang Zhiqing had been hungry all day and was extremely hungry. The wedding attendant brought her a plate of dumplings to eat. Without thinking, she picked up one and put it into her mouth. The next moment, she spat it out with a cry.
Li Zhao immediately asked nervously, "What's wrong?"
Jiang Zhiqing covered her lips with a handkerchief. After hesitating for a moment, she suddenly thought of something. Her cheeks turned red, and she shyly glanced at him. "It's raw."
Li Zhao immediately frowned. "Why did you give the raw dumplings to the lady to eat?"
Seeing the wedding attendant, the nanny, and several maids trying to hold back their laughter, and even Jiang Zhiqing covering her lips and smiling, he finally realized what it meant. Looking at Jiang Zhiqing, whose eyes were moist from laughing, he couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips.
The wedding attendant winked at the others. Everyone understood and left one by one, leaving the room to Li Zhao and Jiang Zhiqing.
Jiang Zhiqing stood up gracefully. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she said softly, "Husband, let me help you take off your clothes."
Li Zhao's eyes were fixed on her, and he couldn't bear to look away. His Adam's apple rolled up and down, and he gently replied, "Okay."
The dragon and phoenix candles illuminated the room as brightly as day, and the shadows of the two people were projected onto the window lattice.
Jiang Mian was lying on a pillar, holding her breath nervously.
Beside her, Suyu and Sulan were extremely excited. "They're hugging each other!"
"They're lying down—"
Jiang Mian turned around and put her finger to her lips. She couldn't hide the smile on her face. "Shh, be quiet. Don't disturb Mother and Father on their wedding night."
After leaving the Wentao Courtyard with several maids and returning to the Baoyue Pavilion, Jiang Mian couldn't help but wonder if her parents would have a younger brother or sister for her.
But Mother was not young anymore. She had heard that it was extremely hard for an older woman to conceive.
But it didn't matter. She knew medicine, and her master was also in the capital.
From now on, she had to improve her medical skills and poison skills. She would try her best to protect her father and mother!