Chapter 236: Wedding Night
Jinsui glanced at Yan Jiu, and Gu Changxiao squeezed her hand: “See someone you know?”
Jinsui looked straight ahead: “Everyone is familiar.”
Gu Changxiao choked. That was true; anyone waiting at the palace gate would be either a powerful person or an official. Jinsui would naturally have met them all.
The ceremony at the Hall of Longevity was different from the ordinary couple’s three bows to heaven and earth; they had already bowed countless times. Jinsui had heard the Ministry of Rites officials explain this entire process many times, but only when actually performing it did she realize how tiring sacrifices were.
Especially when holding the jade pendant, it was incredibly heavy. If this thing were accidentally dropped, it would be a more serious offense than her dropping the Phoenix Coronet.
She was focused the entire time, her expression solemn, causing Gu Changxiao to feel uneasy when he looked at her. He felt as if Suisui was about to say, “I regret this, I won’t marry.”
When offering incense before the cauldron, the Ministry of Rites officials were far away, shouting instructions like ‘kneel’ and ‘bow.’ They didn’t have to kneel here; it was the officials who knelt.
Gu Changxiao actually took this opportunity to whisper to Jinsui: “Are you tired?”
Jinsui was startled, afraid of being noticed by the officials. She didn’t dare move her lips and uttered a few words from her throat: “Don’t talk!”
Gu Changxiao raised his hand and smiled under the cover of his wide sleeves. This was more like Suisui! It seemed she wouldn’t elope.
After the entire process was completed, the two entered the Moyang Palace, which was also the Empress’s main residence. Chang’an called it the Daming Palace, but Jinsui disliked it, so she changed it to Moyang Palace, used during the Han Dynasty.
The Ministry of Rites officials could not enter here; female officials and matrons carried out the subsequent rituals. Like ordinary couples, they drank the cross-cupped wine and cut the hair ties. The auspicious matron spoke a great deal of good wishes.
Jinsui’s neck was sore from holding up the Phoenix Coronet. She signaled to Gu Changxiao, who understood and waved his hand: “You all may withdraw. I and the Empress will speak for a while.”
The matrons were all stunned. It was too early for the bridal chamber! Was His Majesty so impatient? He still had to go to the front hall to receive the salutations of the officials; it wasn’t time for the bridal chamber yet!
But they dared not say anything. This Emperor and Empress could not be bound by outdated rules.
Saying “Yes,” they all retreated. Jinsui specifically called out to a female official named Qiu Wan: “Wait a moment, please take off my Phoenix Coronet.”
Qiu Wan quickly stepped forward to help her remove the Phoenix Coronet, and then removed the heavy jade ornaments from her waist and the necklace from her neck.
She whispered: “Your servant is at the palace gate. If His Majesty and Her Highness have any commands, please call for Your servant.”
When only the two of them were left in the room, Jinsui rubbed her neck with one hand and her waist with the other: “I’m so tired!”
“What’s next?”
Gu Changxiao quickly replied: “Eating, bathing.”
For some reason, he felt that Suisui was not quite right today. It was as if she was holding back something, and he dared not provoke her.
Jinsui said “Oh,” and seeing that he was also dressed heavily, she asked again: “Do you want to take yours off too?”
Gu Changxiao chuckled: “I still have to go to the front hall.”
Jinsui waved her hand: “Then hurry up. Do I have to wait for you to eat? Can I eat by myself first?”
“I’ll be back soon. If Suisui wants to eat anything, she can order the palace servants to prepare it.” He wanted to have dinner with Jinsui.
Jinsui glanced at the white snow outside the window: “It’s so cold, the dishes will be cold by the time they arrive. Let’s have hot pot!”
Gu Changxiao straightened his clothes and went to the front hall. The matron heard Jinsui’s instructions and came to persuade her: “Hot pot has a strong smell. Tonight, Her Highness still has to perform the grand ceremony, so it’s not suitable to eat.”
Jinsui looked at her: “Are you saying I can’t even decide what to eat for dinner?”
The matron shivered in fright and quickly knelt to beg for forgiveness, explaining that she didn’t mean that, only to remind Her Highness.
Jinsui snorted coldly: “Don’t give such unnecessary reminders in the future! Go and prepare.”
The double-sided pot was quickly brought, and Jinsui changed out of her eight layers of auspicious robes into casual wear. She couldn’t help but wonder what she would wear if she got married in the summer. If it was eight layers like this, the bride would surely die of heat.
Gu Changxiao did return very quickly. The hot pot was just bubbling, and the side dishes hadn’t been fully served when he came back, bringing a box of dim sum to cushion Jinsui’s stomach first.
Jinsui didn’t touch it. She said her first bite would be reserved for the lamb slices dipped in rich sesame paste.
A group of palace servants were arranging the side dishes artistically, and heating the food like kung fu tea. This time, without Jinsui reminding them, Gu Changxiao asked them all to leave.
It was more delicious to eat hot pot by oneself. Jinsui took two bottles of cola from her space and handed one to Gu Changxiao.
Gu Changxiao pointed to the Yuquan wine beside him: “Does Suisui want to drink this?”
Jinsui said coldly: “No alcohol during the preparation for pregnancy. It’s bad for fetal development.”
Gu Changxiao: …
He silently put away the wine and picked up the serving chopsticks to cook lamb for Jinsui. To be honest, both of them were very tired, and coupled with Jinsui’s obvious awkwardness today, Gu Changxiao didn’t say much.
Jinsui didn’t eat too much, fearing she would feel uncomfortable during the hot spring later. The palace servants were prepared, and they were supposed to take a sedan chair. Jinsui didn’t want to: “It’s a good opportunity to walk and digest.”
Gu Changxiao naturally agreed. A walk on a snowy night was also something he had always wanted to do with Jinsui.
Along the way, he introduced Jinsui to the sights of the harem. The gas street lamps were very bright, with no dark corners. In the future, there would be no murders and bodies dumped in the harem at night.
Watching palace intrigue dramas in her previous life gave her the feeling that the harem was full of buried corpses: cold palaces, dry wells, rockeries, lakes… This led her to have the same feeling about the Imperial Palace in Chang’an, which was why she insisted on not going to Chang’an.
“That’s a plum grove. We can come to admire the plum blossoms tomorrow. Does Suisui like to make tea with snow from plum blossoms?”
Jinsui shook her head: “I don’t have the leisure for that, and I think mountain spring water is best for making tea.”
They arrived at Huaqing Pool. This was not the Huaqing Palace built on Mount Li in Chang’an, but the bathing palace exclusively for the Emperor within the palace. A group of palace maids entered like a school of fish, preparing dozens of items.
When undressing, Jinsui refused their help with her underwear. She took off her outer clothes, wrapped herself in a bath towel, and entered the pool. She found that Gu Changxiao had already undressed and was waiting for her in the flower-petal-filled bath.
Jinsui slowly leaned down and sat. The palace servants withdrew, leaving only the two of them. Under the misty vapor, their faces were a little unclear, but the sounds could be heard. Gu Changxiao walked slowly to her side with very light steps.
Jinsui asked directly: “This is just for bathing, right? The ritual of the Duke of Zhou still needs to be done back at Moyang Palace, correct?”
Gu Changxiao: …
He couldn’t hold back any longer and asked directly: “Did I do something that made Suisui misunderstand?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I always feel like Suisui’s words are barbed, unlike how close she used to be to me. Or, does Suisui dislike this wedding?”
Jinsui splashed water and played with flowers, not looking at him, and said coldly: “I’m just too nervous. After all, I have no experience. When I listen to the matrons’ lessons, I always feel like I haven’t learned well, unlike Your Majesty who is very experienced.”
Gu Changxiao was stunned. Was Suisui talking about learning palace rules?
He quickly comforted her: “We are different. I learned from a young age. Suisui, you only started learning recently, so it’s okay to be slow. If anyone dares to mock you, I will discipline them for you!”
Jinsui glared at him. She knew ancient men were precocious, but you’re too early! Learning from childhood? It affects development!
Gu Changxiao was confused by her expression and quickly said: “If Suisui doesn’t like learning, we won’t learn. Anyway, I just like you the way you are. Those rules can be skipped!”
“Rules?”
“Didn’t Suisui mean learning palace rules from the matrons? I already told the Ministry of Rites matrons that if you don’t want to learn, don’t force it. Did they bully you into learning?”
That shouldn’t be the case. Given Suisui’s personality, who in the world could force her?
Jinsui finally realized she had misunderstood. She coughed lightly and continued to splash water: “I wasn’t talking about palace rules, I was talking about *that*.”
“Which one?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. The matrons told me that your royal descendants were arranged to have guiding palace maids at fourteen or fifteen to teach them about marital relations.
Hmph, are the palace maids who taught you in the harem? How well did Your Majesty learn? Let me state upfront, I have no experience. If Your Majesty feels uncomfortable tonight, please bear with me.”
Gu Changxiao first looked at her in surprise, then his eyes continued to shine like brilliant stars as he smiled. First, he chuckled softly, then burst into laughter.
He laughed so hard that Jinsui became angry and splashed water at him:
“What’s so funny? Do you want to marry an experienced Empress?”
Gu Changxiao grabbed her wrist, finally understanding why she had been so barbed all day.
“So Suisui is jealous!”
Jinsui kicked him: “Not jealous! Disgusted!”
Gu Changxiao spoke to himself: “It’s always been me who’s jealous. In the Northern Frontier, there’s King Batel who wanted to lock Suisui in the Divine Palace. In Yanzhou, there’s someone who Suisui gifted poems and New Year’s gifts to, an intimate friend.
The bitterness in my heart cannot be told to outsiders; I can only bear it silently. Who asked for the girl I want to marry to be the best girl in the world? It’s understandable that other men would desire her.
Now that I hear Suisui is jealous for me, I am very happy.”
Jinsui wanted to scold him, calling him crazy. What was there to be happy about in such a matter?
Before she could speak, Gu Changxiao suddenly exerted force, pulled her wrist, and directly pulled her into his arms. He whispered in her ear:
“To tell Suisui the truth, I actually have no experience either, and I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you tonight.”
Jinsui didn’t believe him: “Who are you kidding? The matrons said you all had guiding palace maids!”
Gu Changxiao said softly: “There were indeed guiding palace maids, but I dared not touch any of the ones the Empress sent. After she sent people to the Eastern Palace, I went to the Northwest Army.
If Suisui doesn’t believe me, she can take my pulse. Cough, cough, I am indeed still a virgin.”
“How can you tell that from taking a pulse! Forget it, I’ll reluctantly believe you.”
Gu Changxiao suddenly picked her up and spun her around in the flower-petal water: “It’s not reluctantly believing me, it’s must believe me. You are my wife, and you must believe me for a lifetime.”
Jinsui, to prevent herself from falling into the water, had to hug his neck and repeatedly say: “Okay, okay, I believe you! Put me down quickly.”
Gu Changxiao put her down. Before he could calm his emotions, he suddenly cupped Jinsui’s face and gave her a long and tender kiss.
After a long while, he released Jinsui and held her tightly: “It feels like a dream, Suisui, we’re really married!”
“From now on, we will share a bed in life and a tomb in death. Holding your hand, growing old with you.”
Jinsui covered his mouth: “It’s our wedding night, don’t talk about death. You are the Emperor, why are you so excited like a young boy?”
“I am the Emperor, and also a man. Any man who marries the woman he loves will be this excited.”
“Has Suisui finished bathing? Why don’t we go back to the sleeping quarters? Since neither of us has experience, the long night ahead is a good time to learn.”
Jinsui finally showed the shyness of a bride, her face blushing redder than the flower petals in the pool as she leaned into his embrace.
Gu Changxiao carried her ashore. Palace servants entered to help them change clothes. Before changing, there was a ritual of applying essential oils and scented cream, making even their heels soft and fragrant.
The palace maids gently dried Jinsui’s long hair with cotton towels, also applying hair nourishing essential oil.
They were indeed fully prepared! Huaqing Palace and Moyang Palace were connected by a long corridor, so they didn’t have to walk through the outer garden, preventing them from catching a cold after bathing.
At first, they walked side by side. In the middle, Gu Changxiao took her hand. They looked at each other, smiled, and ran towards the sleeping quarters.
The palace servants left behind were full of surprise. Was His Majesty and Her Highness so impatient?
Layers of red curtains fell. As they were undressing, Jinsui held Gu Changxiao’s hand: “I don’t want the palace servants outside to listen, it’s too embarrassing.”
Gu Changxiao strongly agreed and immediately asked the palace servants to wait outside the hall, only to come in to serve when water was needed.
Flowers have fragrance, the moon has shade. A moment in spring is worth a thousand gold.
This kind of thing seemed innate, requiring no practice at all. Her warm and jade-like body met his fiery kiss, and Jinsui melted.
Softly collapsing onto the luxurious Phoenix bed, all she could do was hug Gu Changxiao and softly call his name.
The hibiscus tent was warm, and the warm jade hanging from the tent swayed gently. When it was held by a jade hand, it began to sway violently.
Veins bulged on Gu Changxiao’s bronzed back, like a leopard poised to strike its prey.
As their bodies intertwined, Jinsui’s fingers traced his nose, lips, and chin, her eyes like silk as she called out: “Gu Changxiao, it hurts.”
“Suisui, bear with it.” His voice was hoarse, his eyes full of suppressed love.
Her plea for mercy did not bring gentleness; instead, the hand holding her slender waist tightened, as if he wanted to strike her heart…
This night was exceptionally long. They asked for water three times in the first half of the night and fell asleep embracing each other. Unexpectedly, Gu Changxiao had already developed a biological clock for the morning court.
And today, there was no morning court. The wedding night had not yet passed, so naturally, they continued.
Although Jinsui was very tired and sleepy, she had to admit that this matter was indeed quite enjoyable. If Gu Changxiao was insatiable,
then she was gradually getting into it, savoring another kind of pleasure. It was their wedding night, after all, why not enjoy it?
The result was that they asked for water twice more before dawn. The Department of Records of Marital Affairs would record this in detail. Hopefully, the historical records would not contain accounts of a tyrannical emperor and a seductive empress indulging in love.
“Suisui, wake up. Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Hiss~”
Gu Changxiao’s back was scratched with bloody marks. He didn’t want to call an Imperial Physician for this matter, so he applied the medicine himself. Suisui’s strength was truly great.
He quickly checked Suisui’s body. Fortunately, apart from some bruises, there were no external injuries.
He tenderly applied medicine to her, thinking they needed to be more restrained in the future.
“I’m uncomfortable everywhere. What else is there to do today? Can I sleep until I wake up naturally?”
Gu Changxiao coaxed her softly: “We still have to go and worship the Ancestors. Can we sleep in again after we come back?”
If it were the Imperial Palace in Chang’an, then today they would also have to meet the elders of the palace. Even without an Empress Dowager, they would have to meet the Imperial Concubines and so on according to custom.
Fortunately, the Imperial Palace here only had the two of them. They only needed to worship the Ancestors with the Ministry of Rites and write Suisui’s name into the jade register.
