Chapter 42 – Ancient Era: A Dance to Enchant the City—The Emperor’s Celestial Fairy (12)
The Prime Minister’s wife stood frozen, stunned. She never expected her son to be this enticing. No wonder he had completely bewitched the young Emperor.
Seeing the infatuation in Jiang Liangwu’s eyes, the Prime Minister’s wife silently prayed—Please, let this not be just a fleeting whim of the Emperor. Let Tang’er have a happy and blessed life.
After Bai Tang was officially received, a series of intricate and exhausting wedding rituals followed.
Having not eaten all day, Bai Tang’s stomach was growling uncontrollably—he was starving.
The worst part? The attendants around him never left his side, making it impossible for him to secretly ask the system for a bite to eat.
Finally, after enduring the ceremony of worshipping Heaven and Earth, he was sent to the Tiancheng Palace’s bedchamber. A large group of palace maids stood guard outside the doors.
Bai Tang hurried over to the table, picked up a dumpling, and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Ugh—what is this…” He immediately spat it out with a series of “ptoo, ptoo, ptoo” sounds. The filling was completely raw—how was anyone supposed to eat this?
“Qiu’er, I’m starving~” Bai Tang clutched his stomach, looking pitiful as he called out in hunger.
“Here, here,” the system responded, producing a small pouch. Inside were the pastries Bai Tang had secretly taken from a banquet last time.
The pouch functioned as a miniature storage space with a built-in freshness-preserving effect. Despite having been stored for days, the pastries still looked as though they had just been placed on the table—warm and fragrant.
Bai Tang devoured three or four pastries in quick succession when suddenly, voices outside called for an audience.
Startled, he rushed back to his seat, sitting properly.
A group of wedding matrons and palace maids entered in procession.
“Your Majesty, please be seated.”
Jiang Liangwu took a seat beside Bai Tang.
One of the wedding matrons took a small lock of hair from each of them, tied the strands together, and then snipped them off.
“With shared hearts and unwavering devotion, may this union last forever.”
There were still crumbs lingering at the corner of Bai Tang’s lips. If the wedding matron saw them, she would surely make a fuss about it being inauspicious.
Seizing the moment while the matron turned around to fetch the plate of dumplings, Jiang Liangwu reached out and wiped the crumbs away for Bai Tang.
As his fingertips brushed against the soft, delicate skin, Bai Tang couldn’t help but shiver slightly.
“Your Majesty, please eat.” The wedding matron presented a plate of hard, half-cooked dumplings, making Bai Tang shake his head instinctively.
“I don’t want them. They’re raw, and they don’t taste good.” Bai Tang whispered, tugging on Jiang Liangwu’s sleeve and trying to hide behind him.
Jiang Liangwu chuckled and gently pulled Bai Tang back in front of him. “Let’s just take one bite—just one, okay? I’ve already ordered plenty of delicious food for later.”
For the sake of their future happiness, Jiang Liangwu coaxed Bai Tang into taking a bite of the half-cooked dumpling.
Bai Tang frowned, but under Jiang Liangwu’s expectant gaze, he forced himself to swallow it.
“Bleh…” Bai Tang stuck out his little tongue, trying to air out the unpleasant taste. The undercooked filling was truly awful.
The wedding matron leaned forward and asked, “Your Majesty, is it raw or not?”
“It’s raw,” Bai Tang replied pitifully, sticking his tongue out as if to emphasize his suffering. He tugged on Jiang Liangwu’s sleeve. “Where’s the good food you promised?”
Satisfied that her ritual was complete, the wedding matron withdrew from the chamber with the palace maids. At the same time, another group of young eunuchs entered, placing steaming, fragrant dishes neatly on the table before quietly retreating.
Bai Tang’s eyes lit up with excitement as he rushed to the table. “Can I eat all of this?”
Jiang Liangwu nodded. “Of course, it’s all for you.”
He picked up a bowl of soup, stirring it slowly, his gaze filled with indulgence as he watched Bai Tang bury himself in the food.
Feeling that intense gaze on him, Bai Tang glanced up, then—slightly embarrassed—picked up a chicken drumstick from his bowl and placed it into Jiang Liangwu’s. “Here, this is for you.”
“Thank you, Tang Tang.” Jiang Liangwu smiled as he pushed the bowl closer, the rich aroma of the chicken soup filling the air.
Bai Tang’s eyes sparkled as he lowered his head and took a sip of the soup. Meanwhile, when Jiang Liangwu wasn’t looking, he secretly stuffed all the leftover food into his little pouch space.
Now, he wouldn’t have to worry about going hungry in the future.