Chapter 7: The Night of the Flower Candles

  A figure in a white robe stood with his back to the summer sun, kneeling on one knee and waiting there.

  Phoenix covered her face with a red scarf on Xia Tian's golden crown, and then supported her to lie on Xia Yang's back.

  "Step by step, all the way up, good fortune as one wishes!" Along with the loud singing of the wedding singer, outside the gate, drums and music sounded in unison.

  Summer leaned against Xia Yang's back, her heart beating many times faster than his footsteps. The red scarf blocked her vision, and she felt like she was moving but couldn't grasp the direction at all.

  "Don't worry, big brother won't let you fall."

  His voice was soft, but every word was clear. Warm in her heart, hot in her eyes, the tears she had been holding back finally fell. The teardrops landed on his back, bringing a hint of coolness through his clothes. Her feet hesitated for a moment, then continued to move forward steadily.

  A magnificent carriage drawn by four fine horses was decorated with flowers and ribbons, red silk hanging low, from the outside to the inside only vaguely visible a bride in a red dress with gold ornaments sitting upright. Soldiers wearing waist knives stood in two rows on both sides of the road, blocking the crowd of people who were watching the excitement and making a fuss.

  In the summer, sitting in a carriage and listening to the noisy voices outside, her hands were tightly clenched, her heart was anxious and irritable, and she felt suffocated. As soon as she thought that from now on, she would have to face that serious and terrifying Ling Wang every day, sleep with him, she felt very depressed, annoyed, and wanted to die.

  Just as she was feeling suffocated, the flower car suddenly stopped, and then a pair of strong arms lifted her up with ease.

  A red handkerchief was blown by the wind, rising and falling between the two of them, fluttering and drifting. They both wore the same crimson clothes, with identical golden crowns on their heads. However, on either side of the handkerchief - one face was expressionless, while the other had a furrowed brow.

  Knock and bow, sing and stop. Summer is like a puppet on strings, mechanically pressed down and lifted up, led around. Finally, amidst the cheers of the crowd, she stepped into the bridal chamber.

  The bride handed over a ruler tied with red silk flowers, Yuan Longqiao took it and knocked three times on the bedside to show his authority as the husband, symbolizing that from now on, the wife should take the husband as the key and the heaven.

  Xiatian's eyes rolled in annoyance, and he couldn't help but want to snatch the ruler away and whack him on the head three times.

  Suddenly, the red veil was lifted, and what caught her eye was the peony embroidered with golden thread on the hem of the person standing in front of her. The flowers were blooming with elegance, unlike the delicate beauty of her wedding dress, exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring aura.

  One hand grasped her chin, slowly lifting it. Her gaze was forced to meet his face with the strength of his fingertips. A golden hairpin hung down two golden silk tassels, each with a round eastern pearl suspended from the end, soft and smooth threads attached below the pearls, making her look even more like a jade crown, extraordinary. He looked at her, his eyes without any emotion.

  In the summer, she was stared at by him and felt goosebumps, turning her head to struggle free from his fingers, lowering her eyes to only look at a corner of the bed curtain hanging down.

  Yuan Longqiao didn't mind either, and with a flick of his sleeve, he sat down beside her.

  The matchmaker took a red thread and tied one end to Yuan Longqiao's wrist, then tied the other end to Xia Tian's wrist, smiling and singing: "A red thread connects for life, husband and wife love each other for a hundred years." Then she handed over a pair of jade cups held by a maid beside her. Yuan Longqiao and Xia Tian each took a cup and drank together, the red threads on their wrists entwining with each other, and they unconsciously leaned in closer to each other. Their arms touched, their eyes met, and then immediately looked away.

  "Harmonious wine, mandarin duck fur, phoenix and dragon sing in harmony with the zither and se, a cup to white hair." The matchmaker finished singing, the two raised their heads and drank up the fruit wine in their cups, each returning the jade cup.

  "It's done!"

  "Congratulations to Your Highness! Congratulations to the Queen!" All the maids in the house chorused their felicitations.

  Yuan Longqiao turned over and sat up straight, and Xia Tian's hands, which were tied with a red rope, were also pulled onto his legs. She frowned and was about to pull them back when she heard him say in a calm but warning tone: "Let go!" Her arm trembled, and she didn't dare move again, nor did she put her hands on his legs. She stiffened her arms, half-hanging them until all the maids bowed their heads and left the bridal chamber.

  Only the two of them were left in the room, Xia Tian's heart was tense, but since the other person didn't move, he didn't dare to move either. The only thing was that his suspended arm had already become sore and numb, numb and painful, painful to the point of trembling.

  Yuan Long was sitting with a faint smile, his eyes fixed on the small fist clenched tightly with a red thread, listening to her increasingly heavy breathing, waiting for her to beg for mercy or put down her hand.

  Time, stubbornly crawling slowly, slow and torturous.

  Sweat gradually covered her forehead in the summer, and she began to breathe heavily. The stubbornness in her bones was ignited, and even she couldn't control it. Her mom used to say at home - "You're just like your dad, two stubborn donkeys!" Her eyes started to itch and her nose turned sour, she almost cried out loud, if only she were still with her parents, where would she suffer such grievances!

  His eyebrows furrowed, Yuan Longqiao suddenly felt extremely annoyed. He pulled off the red rope on his wrist with a few pulls, stood up and walked out without looking back.

  As soon as she let out a breath of relief, she collapsed onto the couch, her left hand covering her right arm, which had long since gone numb and lost all sensation.

  The door creaked open again, and Xia Tian was startled and immediately sat up straight.

  "Miss." Feng Lian and a woman in her thirties who looked like a maid walked in with washing utensils.

  The stifling heat of summer made people feel suffocated, and the sudden changes in temperature were almost fatal.

  "See the princess. From now on, you will be responsible for taking care of the princess's daily life." The maid had an extraordinary demeanor and her attire suggested that she was a high-ranking female official in the manor. The Ling Wang Fu had many servants and maids, so it wasn't necessary to bring many attendants, which is why Xia Tian only brought one personal maid, Feng Lui, as a symbolic gesture.

  Rubbing her sore and numb arm, she nodded absent-mindedly.

  "Miss, what's wrong with your hand?" Feng Li put down the jade basin and came forward to gently massage it for her.

  The young lady glanced at the red rope still tied to Xia Tian's wrist, and handed her a hot towel in the water. "Please, Your Highness, go ahead and wash up first. The prince will come back after attending to the guests outside."

  In the summer, he didn't rush to pick up Pa Zi, but instead carefully sized her up. Her frown lines were deep, looking somewhat serious; her eyes were not big, with a sharp and piercing gaze; her voice was respectful yet carried a hint of unyielding momentum.

  She frowned, the people here made her very uncomfortable.

  Feng Li took the handkerchief from Xiuniang's hand and called out with a hint of entreaty: "Miss."

  Xiatian let out a quiet sigh: A person under the eaves, after all! What resistance could she possibly have? Silently allowing them to serve her as she washed up, removed her makeup, took off her wedding dress and changed into a red silk brocade sleeping robe.

  "Please have the princess rest for a moment, and we'll dine together when His Highness returns." Xiumei said as she ignored Fengli's pleading gaze and pulled her along.

  In the summer, Ben wanted to speak up and keep Feng Liu, but hesitated and chose silence instead.

  The sky had already turned dark, and on a multi-tiered copper lamp stand in the house, each semi-circular branch held a red candle, the flame swaying slightly, illuminating the entire room with joy.

  She didn't know how long she had waited, but Xia Tian was half leaning on the pillow, feeling a bit drowsy. Suddenly, she smelled a faint scent of wine, her stomach growled with hunger, and she pursed her lips, opening her sleepy eyes.

  In front of me was a red brocade robe and crimson satin boots.

  Slowly lifted her head...

  She reacted for an instant, then sat up straight.

  He stared at her expressionlessly for a moment, then Yuan Longqiao casually removed his golden crown and outer robe, turned around and sat down beside Xia Tian, taking off his boots while indifferently uttering two words: "Sleep."