Chapter 258: Marriage

Chapter 258: Marriage

Before her nap, Jiang Shu had taken off the hairpins from her hair. Upon waking, she thought she wouldn’t be leaving the residence, so she didn’t bother to put them back on. So, her hair was now simple and unadorned, except for the vibrant peach blossom Yu Zheng had tucked in.

Jiang Shu reached up to touch it, tilting her head to ask him, "Does it look nice?"

"Yes," Yu Zheng replied.

Two blooming peach blossoms and three buds adorned Jiang Shu’s coiled black hair, their natural beauty outshining any hairpin or jewel.

Jiang Shu smiled softly upon hearing this, but just as she was about to speak, she felt a kick in her belly.

She looked down and saw her belly gently moving under her clothes.

Yu Zheng noticed too and placed his hand over it, feeling the baby kick against his palm.

Jiang Shu patted her belly and teased, "What, do you want to see the peach blossoms too?"

"Don’t worry, next year you’ll see them with your dad and mom."

Dad and mom...

Yu Zheng smiled softly, warmth filling his heart.

Yu Zheng glanced at the peach blossom in her hair and said, "This winter, we’ll enjoy the plum blossoms."

Peach and plum blossoms are alike; seeing the plum blossoms first would be nice too.

The baby kicked again, as if responding.

They smiled at each other.

Thinking the baby would be born in a few months, Jiang Shu said, "We haven’t picked a name yet."

Since they didn’t know the baby’s gender, they could pick one for each, just in case.

As Jiang Shu thought about it, Yu Zheng said, "This is our first child. His Majesty will probably give them a name."

Even in regular families, it’s common for the grandfather to name the child.

Jiang Shu chuckled softly, understanding. "Then we’re off the hook."

Having the emperor name the baby was a great honor, and Jiang Shu had no objections.

Yu Zheng leaned down and kissed her forehead, seeing her gentle smile.

The next day, on the eleventh day of the third month, the Sun residence married off their daughter, and the Rong Royal Residence welcomed the new princess consort.

Jiang Shu couldn’t attend the banquet, so Yu Zheng had to go alone.

Jiang Shu prepared two gifts: one for the Rong Royal Residence and one specifically for Sun Yijun.

Even if she couldn’t be there in person, her thoughts and well-wishes would be conveyed.

Although Prince Rong was a leisurely prince and Yu Yuan held no official position, both father and son had a wide circle of friends, and the Rong Royal Residence was filled with guests.

After the wedding ceremony, Sun Yijun was led by Yu Yuan into the bridal chamber.

Yu Lan, Zhou Boxu, and others followed, joyfully teasing the couple in the wedding fun.

Sun Yijun, who's usually all flash and no fuss, was oddly quiet and well-behaved today, like she was a whole new person.

If Yu Yuan hadn't lifted the bridal veil to see that familiar face, he might've thought he'd married the wrong girl.

Dressed in her wedding gown with red bridal makeup, Sun Yijun was stunningly beautiful today, had everyone's eyes glued to her.

Even though she's all about wearing red usually, everyday red outfits just can't compare to wedding garb. Moreover, Sun Yijun usually wears light makeup, but today she was all dolled up, looking way more stunning and gorgeous, no doubt.

"Whoa, Young Master Yu's totally starstruck," someone teased.

Hearing this, Sun Yijun shot a playful glare at the spaced-out Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan snapped out of it and said confidently, "I gotta get a good look at my bride, don't I?"

"Yeah, yeah, congrats to Young Master Yu on tying the knot and scoring the beauty," everyone laughed and joked.

Once all the wedding formalities were done with, and after all the hullabaloo, Yu Yuan was pulled out to drink.

The bustling bridal suite suddenly fell quiet, and Sun Yijun let out a long sigh.

Yu Lan let out a chuckle, "Aren't you the queen of drama? Why aren't you enjoying it today?"

Sun Yijun pouted, "I love watching the show, but today I'm the main act."

Yu Lan thought about it and agreed.

"I'm parched," Sun Yijun had a maid pour her a cup of water.

She'd been up since the crack of dawn, and after all the craziness up till now, she was both tired and thirsty.

Getting hitched is such a hassle, thankfully, it's a one-time deal.

After drinking the water, Sun Yijun fiddled with the crown on her head, wanting to take it off.

Yu Lan and the maid quickly stopped her.

Sun Yijun complained, "This thing's a pain, it's giving me a splitting headache."

Yu Lan gently advised, "Hang in there a bit longer, wait for Yu Yuan to take it off for you."

That solid gold pearl crown was no lightweight.

Unable to sit still, Sun Yijun walked around the room boldly, observing and inspecting everything.

The accompanying maid tried to persuade her a few times but failed.

Fortunately, the maids of the Rong Royal Residence were all outside, so no one saw Sun Yijun's unruly behavior.

Yu Lan, well aware of Sun Yijun's temperament, was not surprised.

After wandering around for a while, Sun Yijun sat back down and chatted with Yu Lan.

It wasn't until the evening banquet began that Yu Lan got up to leave.

The servants of the royal residence brought in the banquet dishes, and Sun Yijun enjoyed them alone.

After eating and drinking her fill and washing up properly, Sun Yijun waved her hand, "Alright, you can go down and enjoy the banquet."

"Yes," the maid bowed and retreated.

It was already dark, and the next event was the wedding night, so the maids were no longer needed.

Sun Yijun sat on the bed, bored and a bit sleepy after waiting for a while, and leaned against the bedpost, dozing off.

Yu Yuan had many friends and loved to drink, so they kept him drinking for a long time. It wasn't until the moon was high that the servants finally helped him back to the bridal chamber.

Though he had been staggering, Yu Yuan straightened up as soon as he entered the room.

He wasn't foolish; a night like this was priceless, and he couldn't afford to be drunk. So, as he drank, he started pretending to be drunk and managed to slip away.

The bridal chamber, decorated with red silk and the character for "happiness," was very quiet. Nervous and excited, Yu Yuan walked into the inner chamber and saw Sun Yijun leaning against the bedpost, her head nodding slightly.

She had actually dozed off.

Yu Yuan chuckled softly, his nervousness and excitement fading as he slowly walked to the bedside and stood still.

Sun Yijun, asleep, looked serene and beautiful, a stark contrast to her usual lively self.

Yu Yuan bent down to study her closely, from her eyebrows to her red lips, from her forehead to her neck.

In the glow of the bright red wedding gown, Sun Yijun's neck was as white as snow, making Yu Yuan's heart itch with desire, eager to see if it tasted like snow.

"Yijun," he whispered.

His voice was too soft to wake Sun Yijun.

Yu Yuan raised his voice and called out again.

Sun Yijun heard him and drowsily opened her eyes.

When she saw Yu Yuan, the first thing Sun Yijun said was, "Hurry up and take this thing off."

Seeing her point to the crown on her head, Yu Yuan got the hint and carefully removed it with both hands.

After wearing it all day, Sun Yijun had red marks on her forehead from the pressure, and they looked painful.

With the weight off her head, Sun Yijun felt much more comfortable and stretched, asking Yu Yuan, "Why did you come back so late?"

Her tone was a mix of scolding and complaining, making Yu Yuan's eyes light up.

"Are you in a rush?"

Sun Yijun glared at him, "You try wearing that crown and see if you're in a rush."

Yu Yuan glanced back at the crown on the dressing table and realized he had misread her.

"Does it hurt? Let me blow on it," Yu Yuan said, leaning in and gently blowing on the red marks on Sun Yijun's forehead.

The cool breeze eased the pain, but Sun Yijun wasn't thankful. Instead, she covered her nose and pushed him away, "How much did you drink? You reek."

Yu Yuan smelled strongly of alcohol, making Sun Yijun frown.

Feeling guilty, Yu Yuan touched his nose and said, "I'll go clean up."

Not only did he smell of alcohol, but he was also slightly sweaty.

Yu Yuan turned and called out to the maid outside, who quickly brought hot water.

After washing several times and confirming he was clean, Yu Yuan returned to the bedside and sat down beside Sun Yijun.