Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Wedding Night

Seeing him like this, Chun Zhi could not help smiling: “It hasn’t been that long.”

She had been busy preparing to marry and spending time with her parents and elder brother. With Yu Zhu and Song Wan’er by her side and Little Xing Hui to care for, every day felt full.

The month or so since she moved from the Song Manor back to the Mu Residence passed in a blink.

Although she had not seen Huo Zheng much these days, gifts from the Prince of Chang’an Manor arrived without fail.

With their hearts set on each other, she felt as if they had not been apart.

But Huo Zheng did not see it that way.

“A month and a half. Forty-five days,” he said, eyes locked on her: “They say when love runs deep, one day apart feels like three autumns. Count how many autumns we have been apart.”

Chun Zhi lifted a hand to his face and said: “Imperial Father and Imperial Mother are here, and the guests are waiting for you. Save the rest for when you come back.”

Huo Zheng cupped her hand and brushed his chin against her palm: “Then wait for me.”

She answered: “Mm. Go on.”

“I am going,” he said, leaving but looking back every few steps.

Chun Zhi watched him open the door, tell the maids to take good care of the princess consort, and lead away the crowd outside who wanted to tease the bridal chamber.

The corridor quieted a little; only wedding music and soft laughter drifted from the front hall.

Sitting under the Red Gauze Canopy, Chun Zhi touched her slightly warm cheeks.

A moment later the maids came in and bowed: “Would the princess consort like to wash and change?”

The Phoenix Coronet on her head made her neck ache. Since Huo Zheng had already seen her in full bridal dress, she said gently: “Take off the hairpins and ornaments. I will wash and change.”

“Yes,” the maids answered, helping her to sit before the bronze mirror.

With skillful hands they lifted off the Phoenix Coronet and removed each pin and ring.

Chun Zhi pressed the back of her neck and felt much lighter.

Soon the heavy, ornate wedding robes came off too; she changed into red silk sleepwear.

A maid brought hot water for her to wash.

Clean-faced and relaxed, Chun Zhi let out a quiet breath.

After a little while, the maids carried in a table of dishes and said with a smile: “The prince ordered these. We must not let the princess consort go hungry.”

Their bright smiles made Chun Zhi feel her cheeks warm for no reason.

A new bride had to rise early to dress and follow every rule and step, leaving no time to eat. Song Wan’er and Yu Zhu had offered her pastries, but she had no appetite then.

Now that she had relaxed, she realized she was hungry.

The maids served her as she ate. She tasted a little of each dish, then had them clear the bowls and said: “Prepare some hangover soup.”

Huo Zheng would surely drink tonight. If the soup was ready early, he could have it as soon as he came back.

“Yes,” the maids said, backing out.

Chun Zhi went to the window and called softly: “Qing Ye.”

Qing Ye came from the side room and whispered by the window: “The young master has nursed and just fell asleep.”

Chun Zhi nodded: “Tonight I will trouble you and the wet nurse with Little Xing Hui.”

Qing Ye smiled: “It is no trouble. The young master is very good. I adore him.”

After giving a few more quiet instructions, Chun Zhi let her return to watch over Little Xing Hui.

The banquet in the front hall grew more lively, laughter nonstop.

Chun Zhi stood at the window for a while, then returned to sit by the bed.

A tall stack of dowry lists lay on the table by the bed.

With nothing else to do, she began to read through them.

The Mu family had prepared everything a daughter should take when she marries. The list was long and took her a good while.

The items Song An Lan added made a list even thicker than the Mu family’s, filled with rare treasures.

Her eyes blurred from reading, and she had to close the lists to rest.

All the dowries had been carried into the Prince’s Manor storehouses. Madam Mu’s twenty thousand taels of cash silver had been set aside, and with the one hundred thousand taels added by Song An Lan, the total was one hundred twenty thousand.

Chun Zhi had never seen so much money. She opened the box of banknotes, took out a thick stack, and sat on the bed to count.

Each note was one hundred taels. One hundred twenty thousand taels meant one thousand two hundred notes.

She could only hold a small stack at a time and counted them one by one.

She counted them again and again, growing happier with each pass.

When Huo Zheng returned, he saw her smiling as she counted banknotes.

He loved this carefree smile. He walked to the bed, cupped her face, and kissed her on the forehead.

Still caught up in the joy of counting money, Chun Zhi looked up at him with a smile: “You are back.”

“Mm,” Huo Zheng said, sitting beside her: “Go on counting.”

“No more,” she said, putting the notes back into the box and pushing it to the inner side of the bed: “Has the feast ended? Have the guests left? How much did you drink…?”

He did not look very drunk, only his eyes were darker than usual. In the glow of the bridal candles, under the Red Gauze Canopy, those eyes mirrored her face as if to swallow her up.

She stood: “I had the kitchen prepare hangover soup. I will have someone bring it—”

Before she could steady herself, Huo Zheng pulled her into his lap.

“I am not drunk,” he said.

Seeing him like that, Chun Zhi laughed: “People who are drunk always say they are not.”

He smiled.

He had married at twenty-five. The other young men of the Imperial Clan rarely had a chance to drink with him, so tonight they all crowded in to make him drink. A groom could not avoid it. Even with Gu Yuan Jia and the others blocking much of the wine for him, he still drank plenty.

He wanted to return early, but they kept him until midnight.

He had thought she would be asleep after waiting so long. He had not expected her to be happily counting money.

With a touch of wine on him, Huo Zheng held her close and lowered his head to kiss her.

Chun Zhi tipped up her face and returned the kiss.

In the bridal chamber the wedding candles burned high, and the new couple nestled like mandarin ducks.

Their entwined shadows fell against the Red Gauze Canopy, lingering and reluctant to part.

Kissing, Huo Zheng eased Chun Zhi back onto the bed and loosened her sash.

In the soft flicker of the candle, she undid his belt.

Piece by piece, their clothes slipped to the floor, wedding robes and sleepwear tangled together.

Their hair mingled without a sound, and the red silk canopy drifted down.

Huo Zheng breathed her name in a low voice, and all the longing kept back for days turned into tender action, little by little overwhelming Chun Zhi until she melted into it.