Chapter Eighty-Ninth: The Eve of the Grand Nuptials

Chapter 89: The Night Before the Grand Wedding

Half a month after returning to the capital, Zhu Yunxuan and Liang Zhen took Rong'er to visit Yuanji Temple.

Upon arrival, they first went to the back mountain to pay respects to Liang Zhen's deceased parents. Liang Zhen didn't move his father's remains but buried Xiao Junbo's bones alongside his father, allowing them to reunite in death. The simple, unmarked grave was renovated, a tombstone erected, and a ritual conducted – putting the past firmly behind them.

They had vegetarian lunch at the temple, then took Rong'er with them to the Buddhist hall to listen to the abbot chanting scriptures.

In recent years, whenever Zhu Yunxuan felt troubled, he would come here to calm his mind and listen to the abbot's recital, forcing himself to banish the nagging thoughts from his heart. Now, despite being in the same place with Liang Zhen again, his mindset had undergone a complete transformation.

What used to be negatives were now positives, and the uncertainties of the past had been resolved. He had never felt more at ease than he did in this moment.

Rong'er sat between them, the little child cross-legged on a cushion, quiet and well-behaved as he mimicked his father and dad, attentively listening to the abbot's chant.

After a filling lunch, it was natural for the child to feel drowsy. His eyelids soon began to droop, and his head nodded down involuntarily. Occasionally, he would jerk awake, sit up straight, surreptitiously wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth, glance at his dad and father, seeing that they were lost in thought, and dare not make a sound. Squinting his eyes, he stared at the abbot, soon dozing off again like a chicken pecking at rice.

By the time the abbot finished chanting and opened his eyes, the child had slumped against Zhu Yunxuan's leg, fast asleep, his cheeks flushed, and sweat beading on his forehead.

Zhu Yunxuan explained apologetically, "Rong'er is too young; he couldn't stay awake. Please forgive us, Master."

"No worries," the elderly abbot's gaze fell upon Rong'er, observing him quietly for a moment before he said softly, "His Majesty is benevolent, and the Crown Prince is also a blessed one."

Rong'er stirred at the sound of his father's voice, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. Liang Zhen smiled, gently massaging the half of his face that had been squished. He asked the old abbot, "Do you truly believe this child is blessed?"

The kind-hearted abbot gazed at Rong'er and sighed softly, "The hardships the Crown Prince endured in his youth are now in the past. There will be no more worries. Both of you can rest assured."

Zhu Yunxuan felt a great weight lifted from his heart. The child didn't understand what the abbot was saying and simply stared blankly at him. The abbot handed him an amulet for safety, then gently patted the child's head and murmured a verse from scripture.

Zhu Yunxuan didn't ask further, instead personally hanging the amulet around Rong'er's neck.

Exiting the temple hall, the family of three strolled around the temple. It was early autumn, and the grounds were filled with ginkgo and maple trees. A sea of red and gold spread out before them, their colors complementing each other beautifully.

Rong'er stomped on the thick layer of fallen leaves, laughing joyously, all signs of fatigue gone. Occasionally, he picked up a particularly attractive leaf and carefully kept it in his embrace, saying he would give them to his big father when they arrived.

Zhu Yunxuan caressed his son's cheek, nodding with a smile. "Sure, later, Father will have someone soak the leaves in medicine so they won't wilt."

"Really?"

"Indeed."

Liang Zhen chuckled. "No wonder the old abbot said he's blessed. With so many people doting on him, his life truly is fortunate."

Zhu Yunxuan's eyes flickered, and he paused in his steps. He looked up at Liang Zhen and hesitantly asked, "When you left the capital back then, did you come here to light a perpetually burning lamp for Rong'er?"

Liang Zhen was taken aback for a moment before his lips curled up. "You know about it?"

"Mm, before leaving the capital, I came here to hold a ceremony for my mother. I intended to light a lamp for Rong'er's safety, but the old abbot said someone had already done so."

Now that he recalled, perhaps it was because of this knowledge that he had been so lenient towards Liang Zhen, even though it was something Liang Zhen should have done.

Liang Zhen shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nothing; it's what I should have done." He didn't want to dwell on it further. Lifting Rong'er with one arm, he held Zhu Yunxuan's hand. "Let's go, take a look upstairs."

From the high tower, they could see the villa at the foot of the rear mountain. Liang Zhen had already inherited his father's title, and before Zhu Yunxuan returned to the capital, he had already issued an edict to return Liang Zhen's former residence, along with this manor. The villa, like the Yuanji Temple, was filled with ginkgo trees and red maples. From above, they resembled a magnificent canopy. The hot spring water was hidden among them, with steam rising gently, creating a unique charm.

Rong'er lay on Liang Zhen's shoulder, his eyes wide with amazement. It was a pity that, with the grand wedding ceremony approaching in a few days, they had much to prepare, or else they could have stayed here for two days.

Recalling past events, a hint of a smile appeared in Zhu Yunxuan's eyes. Liang Zhen seemed to have guessed his thoughts and turned his head, winking at him. "If we don't have the chance this time, we can come again when we're free. You can visit anytime you want. When winter comes, we can stay here for a few more days."

Zhu Yunxuan nodded with a smile. "Alright."

Upon returning to the palace, the Minister of Rites hurried to request an audience, presenting the detailed plans for the grand wedding and the coronation ceremony. With great caution, he inquired if there were any aspects that needed modification.

Liang Zhen took the memorial he offered and began to read it meticulously. The old Minister wiped the sweat from his forehead, anxiety weighing on his heart. While the Emperor was known for being approachable, he feared that this Empress might have numerous demands.

In the past half-month, the Chief Minister had already been angered into unconsciousness twice by Liang Zhen. It was well-known throughout the court that Empress Dowager was now even more overbearing and not to be trifled with than in previous years. What was even more perilous was that His Majesty would play the role of the stern disciplinarian while the Chief Minister played the lenient mediator, coordinating their performances flawlessly in the imperial court. This made the other officials feel as if they were walking on thin ice, terrified of being jointly reprimanded by the two if they dared to act recklessly.

Having finished reading the memorial, Liang Zhen said nothing, passing it on to Zhu Yunxuan, who was seated beside him. Zhu Yunxuan then took up his pen and marked a few details that needed modification. In truth, this itinerary had been revised countless times. The Ministry of Rites had been working tirelessly these past days, double and triple-checking every item on the preparation list, just to meet the satisfaction of Zhu Yunxuan and Liang Zhen.

It wasn't that they intended to make things difficult for others, but this grand wedding, the only one in their lifetime, naturally had to be executed with utmost perfection.

The Minister of Rites finished his report and withdrew, while the Bureau of Imperial Attire presented the ceremonial robes to be worn by the Emperor and Empress during the grand wedding ceremony two days hence. For Zhu Yunxuan, there was the twelve-clawed dragon robe adorned with twelve tassels of a ceremonial headdress, and for Liang Zhen, a nine-ridge crown and nine-patterned robe befitting a Prince.

Liang Zhen's attire was modeled after the attire worn by the founding Empress when she received her investiture. With precedents to refer to, he had a general understanding of the ceremonial protocols, sparing him from countless tedious arguments about details.

These two costumes have been in the making since they left Quanzhou by the Imperial Tailoring Bureau, and they are only completed and delivered now for them to try on. It's just in time, albeit barely.

Liang Zhen watched with a smile as Zhu Yunxuan donned the garments and crowned himself with the diadem. After a moment, he stepped forward and lifted the flowing beads in front of Zhu Yunxuan's face. Zhu Yunxuan was taken aback, looking at him in confusion. "What is it? Why aren't you trying on the clothes?"

"Not in a hurry," Liang Zhen chuckled softly, twirling the beads of the royal curtains with his fingers. The amusement in his eyes deepened as he asked Zhu Yunxuan, "Do you still remember what I said before about what this resembles?"

Zhu Yunxuan slightly furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, then scoffed. "Lift the wedding veil?"

"Mm-hm."

Back then, it was just a casual jest, but now it seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

Zhu Yunxuan disagreed. "It's I who am marrying you, not the other way around. You've got it backwards."

The corners of Liang Zhen's lips curved up even more. "Just a few days ago, Your Majesty said you wanted to marry me, and that was in front of all the cabinet elders. Have you forgotten so quickly? But it doesn't matter if you have; these records of daily life will remind you, and Your Majesty can't deny it."

"Enough from you. You accused Rong'er of being spoiled, but aren't you really the one who is?"

As Zhu Yunxuan spoke, he raised his hand to lightly punch Liang Zhen on the shoulder. Liang Zhen caught his hand and kissed it, their eyes meeting as they both chuckled.

Rong'er, who was playing on the floor, heard his name and looked up, exclaiming, "Ah!" He then earnestly told them, "Rong'er isn't spoiled, Rong'er is very well-behaved."

Liang Zhen glanced at his son with a teasing smile. "If you're not spoiled, there would be no spoiled children in this world. At almost four years old, you still cling to Father and Father to sleep together, and you still wet the bed. How shameful."

Rong'er stuck out his tongue at him and, with a pout, retorted, "Father is a big meanie."

Liang Zhen squatted down and looked at him with a smile. "You said Father is a bad egg, right? I forgot to tell you earlier that starting next month, you'll be studying. No more playing every day."

The child was taken aback and immediately wilted. He looked up at Zhu Yunxuan with big, hopeful eyes. "Really have to study?"

Zhu Yunxuan nodded. "Rong'er is the crown prince, he can't be ignorant."

In Quanzhou, Zhu Yunjing had already hired someone to start tutoring Rong'er. But times had changed; as the rightful heir to the throne, his education would naturally be more rigorous. Although Rong'er had yet to move into the Eastern Palace, all its officials were in place, and they had repeatedly urged Zhu Yunxuan to start the prince's studies. No matter how much he doted on his son, he couldn't let him off in this matter.

The child blinked. "If Rong'er is the crown prince, can he have two extra candies each day?"

Zhu Yunxuan: "…."

Liang Zhen chuckled and pinched his son's nose. "Clever little one, you've even learned to negotiate with your father?"

Rong'er raised his chubby little hand and counted on his fingers. "If two isn't allowed, then just one more, okay?"

Zhu Yunxuan agreed without hesitation. "Sure, as long as you study obediently and don't misbehave, two candies are fine too."

The child's face lit up with joy. He solemnly promised them, "Rong'er will behave. Rong'er is a good boy."