Before the Minister of Rites could respond, Lu Xunguang stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, seven days from now will be an auspicious day for all matters!"
The emperor was slightly taken aback, then clapped his hands and laughed, "Minister Lu, I've always known you as a steady man, but I didn't expect you to be so impatient now?"
In a great mood, there was a hint of playfulness in his words.
Lu Xunguang simply nodded generously, thanked the emperor for the marriage bestowal, and said calmly, "Your Majesty, marrying A Ying has been my lifelong wish. Naturally, I've been longing for this day so much that I almost wore out the almanac."
The emperor laughed again, "A wedding night and success in the imperial examinations are two great joys in life. No wonder you're so eager."
Lu Xunguang continued, "Your Majesty, I'm so bold as to ask for one more thing. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request."
The emperor nodded and raised his eyebrows, signaling him to speak freely.
"The jellyfish that Your Majesty tasted the other day is also known as the moon jelly. Apart from the edible varieties, there are many others with graceful postures, which are extremely beautiful and suitable for appreciation."
"I would like to ask Your Majesty to issue an order to hold the 'Moon Jelly Festival' in the fishing village. People can enjoy the beautiful scenery of jellyfish drifting, and it will also make my wedding with A Ying more lively."
He gently held Li Ying's hand. Although he didn't say it explicitly, Li Ying already understood his intention.
Neither she nor Lu Xunguang liked a bustling occasion.
This time, he specifically came to ask for the emperor's grace, clearly planning to take this opportunity of the 'Moon Jelly Festival' to attract people from all over the world to the fishing village for the wedding.
With the emperor in attendance, no bold and reckless person would dare to make irresponsible remarks about their marriage or Li Ying's status as a "remarried woman."
His action was to announce to the world that Li Ying was the only one Lu Xunguang had chosen in this lifetime, and she must not be wronged!
Li Ying felt a warm current in her heart, filled with sweetness.
How could the emperor not know his little plan?
This Lu Xunguang was always concerned about Miss Li. He had no intention of fighting in the court and only revolved around women, which was really a pity for his lack of ambition.
However, he had already handed over many of the Lu family's businesses to Princess Yongning and served her whole - heartedly.
This "lack of ambition" had become "living a peaceful life," posing no threat to the imperial power.
The emperor just sighed softly and waved his hand, "All shall be arranged according to your plan! I'm just waiting to drink your wedding wine!"
Apparently, he didn't want to waste any more time. He called Su Buchi to accompany him and went to see how to promote the miraculous "mulberry - fish pond" in the fishing village.
Li Ying stared blankly at the emperor's sedan chair gradually disappearing into the distance. After a long time, an indescribable joy slowly rose in her heart.
Finally, her marriage with Lu Xunguang was settled!
The joy was like the early sun in autumn, quietly rising on the fish - belly - white horizon. At first, it wasn't very noticeable.
But in just the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the sun jumped out of the sea level, generously spilling its bright light all over the sky, flowing freely.
"Lu Xunguang, we're getting married!"
Li Ying smiled sweetly, grabbing Lu Xunguang's hand. Her bright smile was like that of a child.
Lu Xunguang looked at her tenderly, his eyes full of doting.
Finally, their wishes came true.
Grandma Sun had already prepared Li Ying's wedding dress with her own hands. The peonies in full bloom and the dragons and phoenixes on it were embroidered with gold thread, which was bought with all the silver the old lady had saved. Decorated with rubies and pearls, each one was of the highest quality.
Grandma Sun combed Li Ying's long hair like a cloud with her own hands, lovingly stroking the faint soft light in her hair. Then she took out a set of ruby headdress from the carved camphorwood chest.
"Aunt?"
Li Ying immediately recognized that the headdress was made by a skilled craftsman in the capital. It would probably cost thousands of taels of silver.
When did Grandma Sun secretly buy such precious jewelry for her dowry?
"Sister! Do you like this headdress? Put it on and have a look!"
Just as she was in a daze, the sweet voice of A Man came from outside the door.
Without hesitation, she and Grandma Sun dressed Li Ying up with the headdress. The old and the young looked at Li Ying up and down with satisfaction. Her rosy cheeks were even more radiant and charming, set off by the soft light of the rubies, and her eyes were full of charm.
"Sister, how about it? Do you like it? A Man and I chose this headdress together! The moment I saw it, I thought that sister would be the most beautiful woman in the world when wearing it on your wedding day!"
A Man chattered like a yellow oriole, grabbing Li Ying's hand.
Li Ying was stunned, "A Man? Why did you come back?"
A Man's mountain village was far away from here. Li Ying thought that A Man might not have time to come back, and she couldn't help feeling a little regretful.
"How could I miss such an important event as sister's wedding?"
A Man smiled and stuffed a wedding cake into Li Ying's mouth.
"Sister, eat something to fill your stomach. Getting married is really tiring!"
She added, "Sister, do you think I'm imposing today? I'm going to teach Brother - in - law Lu a lesson. If he treats you badly in the future, I won't spare him!"
She pretended to be overbearing, but Li Ying knew that this little girl was clearly trying to relieve her nervousness before the wedding.
Li Ying endured the heavy wedding clothes that wrapped her tightly like a zongzi and the heavy crown and jewelry that made her feel top - heavy.
Although she was usually a steady person, at this moment, she couldn't help feeling nervous. Her heart was pounding like a drum.
In two lifetimes, although she already had the caring daughter Mianmian, this was really her first time getting married.
Grandma Sun held her hand and slowly walked out of the room.
Li Ying was covered with a wedding veil. Vaguely, she seemed to feel the familiar faces and eager eyes of Yan Lianzhi, Su Buchi, the Li couple... and all the people in the fishing village, seeing her off step by step towards Lu Xunguang.
She lowered her eyes, and in her sight were Lu Xunguang's embroidered shoes.
Grandma Sun gently patted her hand and said softly, "A Ying, go."
She placed Li Ying's hand in Lu Xunguang's warm palm and held it tightly.
The warmth from Lu Xunguang's fingertips made Li Ying's pounding heart suddenly calm down.
She couldn't hear the noisy voices of the guests, couldn't hear Yan Lianzhi's elegant and kind wedding speech, couldn't hear the earnest instructions from Grandma Sun and Mr. Lu, couldn't hear A Man's faint sobs of joy, and couldn't hear Lu Xunguang solemnly hanging a longevity lock on Mianmian, declaring that Mianmian was now his eldest daughter.
The world and all its distractions had nothing to do with her.
At this moment, the only person in her eyes was Lu Xunguang, and he felt the same way.
She was Lu Xunguang's wife, married in a grand and formal way.
From now on, they would share the same quilt in life and the same tomb in death.
The couple bowed to each other, and the wedding ceremony was completed.
A Man accompanied her back to the bridal chamber. As the groom, Lu Xunguang had to be dragged out by the guests to drink.
Li Ying waited until the moon was halfway up the mountain. Finally, Lu Xunguang pushed open the door with a strong smell of alcohol and bleary eyes.
He sat on the couch with her, and they were surprisingly silent.
After a long time, he asked softly, "A Ying... Are you feeling stuffy under that veil?"
Li Ying couldn't help laughing, "I'm really stuffy. Please lift it off quickly."
She looked up and met Lu Xunguang's clear eyes.
She was dumbfounded, "You pretended to be drunk?"
Lu Xunguang admitted calmly, "Otherwise, how could those guests let me go?"
Li Ying burst out laughing again.
Lu Xunguang stared at her. Li Ying's beautiful face was more charming than the flowers under the illumination of the dragon - phoenix candles.
He suddenly sighed softly, "A Ying, you're finally my wife."
Li Ying's face turned red again. In the flickering candlelight, she felt her face burning.
Lu Xunguang just gently pinched her cheek and said softly, "A Ying, the guests have left. How about I take you to see the grand occasion of the Moon Jelly Festival?"
Li Ying nodded eagerly. She took off the heavy phoenix crown and robe, and Lu Xunguang thoughtfully put a cloak on her.
By the seaside of the fishing village, the night was a bit cool.
The lanterns and candles placed for the Moon Jelly Festival were not yet extinguished. From afar, they looked like stars scattered on the silver beach.
In the dim candlelight, on the ink - colored sea, there were clusters of dark blue soft lights flickering.
Those were groups of moon jellyfish, drifting to the inshore to look for food and emitting star - like fluorescent lights, dotting the thick night.
The jellyfish's floating skirts were wandering freely in the sea, like light fairies in the sea, soft, flexible, swaying, and free.
It was like a fireworks display in the sea.
Li Ying chose a clean rock to sit on, holding Lu Xunguang's hand. Her eyes followed the floating jellyfish into the deep blue sea.
There, among the tentacles of the large groups of jellyfish, there were flexible small fish swimming freely.
She said softly, "Lu Xunguang, look."
"Those are the companions of the jellyfish, the shepherd fish."
"The shepherd fish will lure the fish looking for food into the jellyfish's hunting range to provide food for the jellyfish, and the jellyfish will provide safe shelter for the shepherd fish."
Every jellyfish and its shepherd fish are inseparable, accompanying each other hand in hand. It's not only the law of symbiosis in the ocean but also the evidence of my love for you.
She looked up and met Lu Xunguang's deep gaze.
How could she tell him that she was the clownfish living in the anemone fortress he built, the pilot fish following the oceanic whitetip shark, the 52 - hertz whale lonely looking for a companion, and he was her unwavering lover and destination after going through countless sails?
She was filled with mixed emotions. For a moment, she didn't know how to express her tenderness.
She only saw Lu Xunguang staring at her intently.
He knelt down on one knee devoutly and took her hand.
"Then, A Ying, please let me always be your shepherd fish."