Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 254 - 236: Making up for the Wedding Night We Missed Tonight

Chapter 254: Chapter 236: Making up for the Wedding Night We Missed Tonight

After the Emperor and Empress entered Jiaofang Palace, the grand wedding ceremony formally came to a close. As for drinking the wedding wine, that was naturally something that could not be performed in front of outsiders.

Additionally, no one dared to disturb the Emperor and Empress’s bridal chamber, so the crowd headed collectively toward Taihe Palace, where the evening’s palace banquet would commence.

The Supreme Emperor placed a black piece on the chessboard. "You know I prefer peace and quiet."

The Miao King replied, "Hey, your son’s wedding—go join the fun!"

The Supreme Emperor placed a white piece and smiled faintly. "Since your beloved grandson placed me under house arrest, do you know how long it’s been since I’ve stepped outside to meet anyone?"

"Cough, cough!"

The Miao King cleared his throat awkwardly. "A hero doesn’t dwell on past grievances! Besides, didn’t you almost kill my grandson back then? It was thanks to the old madam we survived!"

The Supreme Emperor corrected him, "It’s ’a hero doesn’t boast about past valor.’"

The Miao King waved his hand dismissively. "Same thing! Come on! What’s the fun in playing chess by yourself? Next time, I’ll play with you!"

The Supreme Emperor shook his head. "Forget it. You regret every move you make, ten times over."

The Miao King looked aggrieved. "Wasn’t I just learning from you?"

The Supreme Emperor asked in return, "When did I ever behave like that?"

Hands on his hips, the Miao King retorted with confidence, "During the palace plague! Playing chess with my grandson’s wife—every time she won, you threw a tantrum!"

The Supreme Emperor choked on his tea.

In the end, the Miao King managed to "invite" the Supreme Emperor to Taihe Palace.

The civil and military officials were overjoyed to see the long-absent Supreme Emperor. One by one, they knelt to pay their respects. "Greetings to the Supreme Emperor!"

With a warm tone, the Supreme Emperor responded, "Rise and be seated."

"Thank you, Supreme Emperor!"

The officials returned to their cushions to sit in proper kneeling posture.

Pointing to a seat slightly below his own, one of the most honored positions next to that of the Emperor, the Supreme Emperor said, "Miao King, take this seat."

The seat beside Zong Zhengxi was granted to Prime Minister Xun by order of the Supreme Emperor.

At that moment, Zong Zhengxi was still at Jiaofang Palace, completing the final rites, so his seat remained empty, leaving Prime Minister Xun looking somewhat solitary.

The Miao King, finding him unpleasant to the eye, pulled the Supreme Emperor into a lively conversation spanning all topics under the sun, frequently toasting him with cups of wine, preventing the Supreme Emperor from having any chance to speak with Prime Minister Xun.

When the Supreme Emperor tried for the third time to converse with Prime Minister Xun but was interrupted once more by the Miao King, he sighed helplessly. "Don’t you think you’re being a bit too obvious?"

Politics is usually full of subtle scheming; why are you so crude?

The Miao King: If I throw caution to the wind, nobody else can keep theirs!

Meng Qianqian, Lu Yuan, and Liu Qingyun also took their seats.

The young couples each shared a table: Liu Qingyun with Bao Shu, Bai Qingchen with Yu Li, while Bai Yuwei, still shaken, remained at home recuperating.

As for Bao Shu, she had gone off showing off again.

While flaunting herself, she also recruited a posse of "followers." In a short amount of time, a whole group trailed behind her, all older than she was.

During their games, one of her new recruits, a two-year-old boy, somehow got into a scuffle with the younger son of the Second Prince.

The Second Prince’s little son, at two and a half years old, was more than a year older than Bao Shu. Yet Bao Shu managed to whack him with her chubby little fist, making the boy cry.

Turning on her heels, she went to the Supreme Emperor to complain, "Wahhh—my hand hurts!"

The Supreme Emperor looked at the little troublemaker, who dared to strike his imperial grandson and then come complain about her own hand: You picked on my dragon-grandson, and you have the nerve to complain to me about your hand hurting? Could you just not swing a fist next time?

With a serious expression, Bao Shu declared, bullies who pick on her little buddies must be punished!

Inside the grand hall, the atmosphere was lively with music and dancing, and cups clinked in celebration.

Tan’er had no interest in watching the performance. Sitting beside Meng Qianqian, she stared forlornly at the small table before her.

"Braised pork—wait, it’s not braised pork."

"Braised pork—nope, not braised pork."

"Not this."

"Not that either."

"Still not..."

Tan’er was utterly devastated. "In this massive Imperial Palace, could it be that they can’t even afford braised pork? Just how poor is your Great Zhou Emperor!"

Great Zhou Emperor?

Meng Qianqian’s gaze flickered with curiosity.

From the next table, a mocking voice interjected, "Abalone and shark fin are much more expensive than braised pork, truly crude tastes from the mountains."

Meng Qianqian turned her head toward the speaker.

Sitting at the neighboring table were members of the Changning Marquis Mansion. The Marchioness of Changning, elder sister of Consort Li, had been the one to speak.

Tan’er retorted, "You’re coarse! Your whole family is coarse!"

The Marchioness’s tone turned icy. "How dare a mere maid be so brazen before me!"

Meng Qianqian smiled faintly. "And yet, here you are, a small Marchioness, loudly barking at me."

The Marchioness sneered, "And what are you supposed to be?"

Meng Qianqian countered, "And what do you count as?"

"I am the Emperor’s maternal aunt!"

Just as the Marchioness’s words landed, Zong Zhengxi entered the hall with Eunuch Qin and Xiao Dazi following closely behind.

Their voices, low and suppressed by the music, went unnoticed by many amid the performers’ melodies.

Seeing Zong Zhengxi approaching their side, the Marchioness quickly rose to intercept him and accused Meng Qianqian and her maid of insulting her.

She expected Zong Zhengxi to stand up for her, but contrary to her expectations, after listening to her complaints, Zong Zhengxi turned to Tan’er instead. "Tan’er, do you want to eat braised pork?"

"Yes, yes!"

Tan’er nodded enthusiastically.

Zong Zhengxi instructed Xiao Dazi, "Have the Imperial Kitchen prepare a bowl of braised pork."

"Understood!"

Xiao Dazi rushed off eagerly.

The Marchioness froze in disbelief. "Your Majesty!"

Zong Zhengxi said calmly, "Aunt, today is my wedding. Please, don’t cause a scene."

Though still youthful and boyish in appearance, his gaze already carried the budding majesty of an emperor.

Meng Qianqian felt a deep sense of relief.

This was precisely the imperial conduct Lu Yuan had long wished to see from him.

Speaking of which, where had Lu Yuan run off to? He disappeared as soon as the banquet began and still hadn’t returned.

Tan’er was overjoyed. "Braised pork, braised pork, braised pork!"

The Marchioness sank back into her seat, flustered but unwilling to push further.

Zong Zhengxi greeted Meng Qianqian and then returned to the Emperor’s seat.

Not long after, Lu Yuan finally returned, smelling faintly of alcohol.

Meng Qianqian sniffed the air. "Husband, did you go out for a drink?"

Lu Yuan, ever composed, replied, "No."

Meng Qianqian glanced at him suspiciously. "What’s that you’re hiding?"

Lu Yuan maintained his impassive expression. "Nothing."

Meng Qianqian: I don’t believe you.

Lu Yuan said flatly, "Boring. Let’s go home."

Meng Qianqian protested, "But the banquet isn’t over yet!"

Lu Yuan: "Headache."

Meng Qianqian immediately reached out her hand to feel his forehead.

Lu Yuan rebuked sternly, "In public, be more reserved."

Meng Qianqian: "..."

Lu Yuan stood up. "We’re leaving!"

Meng Qianqian was startled. "N-now?"

Without a backward glance, Lu Yuan walked straight out of Taihe Palace.

Left with no choice, Meng Qianqian gathered Tan’er and followed him out.

Watching the plate of braised pork she had barely requested being carried inside as they left, Tan’er reached out her little hands in despair and cried out, "My braised porkkkkk—"

-

Back at the Governor Mansion, Tan’er rushed straight to the small kitchen. "Lady Du, I want braised pork, wahhh!"

"Eat outside, eat outside!"

Nanny Wan yanked Tan’er out of the kitchen.

Tan’er looked at the mysterious Nanny Wan. "What’s going on now?"

Nanny Wan latched the yard gate shut. "Shh, don’t talk. Be mute."

As soon as Meng Qianqian entered the courtyard, she sensed something was off. In the large courtyard, there wasn’t a single soul.

"Strange. Where has everyone gone?"

She pushed open the door to her room, puzzled.

A flash of dazzling red filled her vision: Dragon and Phoenix incense candles, bright red wedding characters, Jade Ruyi, red silk decorations—everything was arranged just like their wedding night.

"This is... Did I enter the wrong room?"

Stepping back outside, she carefully checked the courtyard. "It’s the right one. What on earth..."

Her first thought was that she had somehow time-traveled again, back to her wedding night with Lu Yuan.

She would rather believe she had died and been reborn yet again than entertain the notion that Lu Yuan had recreated the wedding night for her.

Incredulous, she turned back to look at Lu Yuan and hesitated. "Grand Commander?"

Lu Yuan, as composed as ever, said coolly, "I owe you a proper wedding night. Tonight, I’ll make up for it."

With that, he crossed the threshold with his long strides, moving gracefully toward the festively decorated wedding bed.

Meng Qianqian stood frozen in disbelief. When did you prepare all this? Are you serious?

I never said you owed me a wedding night! You don’t owe me, really, you don’t!

Lu Yuan said calmly, "Are you going to stand there all night?"

Hesitantly, Meng Qianqian stepped inside, standing at a cautious distance.

Lu Yuan sat on the wedding bed. "Come closer."

Meng Qianqian shuffled a bit forward, looking like a flustered little quail.

Lu Yuan glanced at her. "Sit."

Slowly, Meng Qianqian perched next to him on the edge of the bed.

Lu Yuan retrieved the wine he had hidden earlier and poured two glasses on the table.

Meng Qianqian stared in shock, murmuring, "And you said you weren’t hiding anything?"

Curious, she studied the wine jug. Crafted from silver and adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes, it was exquisitely made.

Something suddenly occurred to her, and she tentatively asked, "That... wouldn’t happen to be the Emperor and Empress’s wedding wine, would it?"

Lu Yuan neither confirmed nor denied it.

Meng Qianqian gasped sharply.

It’s bad enough you hijacked their grand wedding day, but now you’ve taken their wedding wine too?

Lu Yuan handed her one of the glasses he had poured. She blinked and lowered her head to drink.

Lu Yuan stopped her. "Is that how you’re supposed to drink it?"

Freshly returned from his studies, the Grand Commander had become a knowledgeable groom. He now knew wedding wine was to be shared via crossed arms as part of the ritual.

Meng Qianqian grinned stiffly. "We don’t need to be so proper..."

Lu Yuan, clearly trying too hard to sound aloof, corrected her. "When I said I didn’t want to do it then, it wasn’t because I didn’t understand. I know all the wedding rituals—welcoming the bride, blocking the door, lifting the bride carriage, carrying the bride over the fire basin, stepping on tiles, bowing to the heavens, lifting the veil, drinking wedding wine, and consummating the marriage."

Meng Qianqian: "..."

Seeing her hesitation, Lu Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Why? Are you unwilling? Were all your past declarations of undying love for me mere lies? Do you realize the consequence of deceiving me?"

Meng Qianqian immediately held up her fingers in a pledge: "Little Nine’s feelings for the Grand Commander are as deep as the seas and as clear as the heavens!"

Lu Yuan remarked, "Then drink."

Meng Qianqian hesitated. "Little Nine... Little Nine dares not harbor such desires toward the Grand Commander..."

Lu Yuan said indifferently, "I permit you to harbor such desires."

Looking down at the wedding wine in her hand, Meng Qianqian suddenly asked, "Grand Commander... Could it be that... you’ve actually fallen for Little Nine?"

Lu Yuan’s expression shifted subtly, but he retorted confidently, "How could that be? As I’ve said before, it’s my family that likes you. I simply find you pleasant enough to tolerate, that’s all."

Meng Qianqian: "Oh."

She paused, then smiled charmingly. "Well then, Grand Commander, let’s drink the crossed-arm wine!"