Chapter 518 – Post-Wedding Extra Chapter: A Dance That Captivated the City and Spread Across the World – The Little Squirrel (10)
The day of the Third Prince’s wedding finally arrived amid great anticipation. The Fifth Prince also finally managed to escape Jiang Liangwu’s “torture” for a while.
The principles of governing a country, managing subordinates, and mastering the art of imperial rule were simply too difficult to learn.
Being Emperor was no easy task. Why couldn’t his perfectly legitimate Third Imperial Brother just become Emperor himself? Instead, he had to make the Fifth Prince study all these things.
Sob, it was too difficult! An Emperor had to rise earlier than a rooster and sleep later than a dog, and on top of that, he would have to sleep with all kinds of women he didn’t even like. He didn’t want to be Emperor anymore. He was done dreaming about it. Sob, sob, sob~~~
Fortunately, the arrival of the wedding day successfully rescued the Fifth Prince from Jiang Liangwu’s “clutches” for the time being. The Fifth Prince sincerely thanked Bai Tang. If Bai Tang hadn’t been getting married, who knew how much more “torture” he would have had to endure at the hands of his Third Imperial Brother.
On the day of the wedding, the weather was bright and pleasant, with the sun shining brilliantly. The flowers in the Imperial Garden were blooming in dazzling splendor.
Kunning Palace was filled with a festive atmosphere. The Empress was dressed in full ceremonial attire, and she could not stop smiling.
Her child had grown up and was starting a family and building a career. How could a mother not be happy?
In her good mood, the Empress gave all the palace servants at Kunning Palace three months’ worth of their regular allowance. Naturally, the servants were delighted as well, and they worked even harder, determined to make sure the Third Prince’s wedding went perfectly.
As the auspicious hour approached, the Empress and Emperor set out together for Jiang Liangwu’s Jingwei Palace. The wedding rites had already been prepared. The princes, princesses, and consorts of the imperial harem all presented their congratulatory gifts, making the palace exceptionally lively. Yet the sight of red everywhere deeply stung Sang Tiantian’s eyes.
Why? Why was she only a secondary consort, while Bai Tang was the primary consort? When she got married, even the color of her ceremonial attire could only be rose red, close to the proper red reserved for a primary consort. Bai Tang, however, was receiving the full ceremonial treatment befitting the principal wife.
The wedding gifts were carried into Jingwei Palace one after another without end. The first cart had already been taken into the storehouse, while the ones behind it had not even made it through the palace gates yet. All of this had been prepared by Jiang Liangwu for Bai Tang. He would not allow anyone to look down on Bai Tang. His Tangtang deserved nothing less than the very best.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress. They say that once one starts a family and establishes a career, the Third Prince will have truly grown into an adult after marrying his primary consort, and will be able to share Your Majesty’s burdens.”
The speaker was Consort Li. She also had a son, and although the Tenth Prince was only ten years old, what consort with a child did not secretly covet that position? Naturally, she did as well. Her greatest rival was the Third Prince. Now that the Third Prince had taken a man as his primary consort and had even declared that he would never take a secondary consort, he had effectively cut himself off from the succession. That made it the perfect opportunity to win him over and have him lend support to her own son.
As for the First Prince, Consort Li cast a glance at Yu Weiyi. She had no idea what he was up to. He had interfered in the Wanhua Tower affair and prevented the authorities from arresting the real culprit, causing her cousin to die with his name cleared of neither blame nor suspicion. She had not forgotten that debt.
The Empress’s face blossomed into a radiant smile. Whether the palace consorts were being sincere or merely putting on an act today, they all had to offer words of good fortune and blessings. She was pleased to hear them, and consequently became even more amiable.
The Emperor felt the same way. His third son had cut off his own path to the throne and had no interest in the position beneath his father. Because of that, the Emperor’s smile today held a little more sincerity, and his affection for his son had deepened as well.
Sang Tiantian was so furious that her fingernails dug into her palms, yet she had no choice but to force a smile and pretend to be delighted. Unfortunately, her acting was truly terrible; her smile looked even uglier than crying.
The Empress naturally noticed, but she paid her little attention. She was nothing more than a clown making a spectacle of herself—not worth the trouble.
“The auspicious hour has arrived—”
At the sharp, high-pitched voice of the young eunuch, the two men, dressed in bright red wedding robes, entered the main hall hand in hand.
Jiang Liangwu had a face as handsome as polished jade, and the wedding robes made him look even more dashing and imposing. But when everyone’s gaze shifted to the young man beside him, they were all momentarily stunned.
The young man had a face as lovely as a hibiscus flower, with smiling eyes and naturally red lips. Two faint dimples appeared at the corners of his cheeks, adding an innocent and endearing charm to his straightforward demeanor. What kind of celestial beauty had descended to the mortal realm?
If they could marry someone so beautiful, they would be willing to follow Jiang Liangwu’s example and love only one person for the rest of their lives. They could do it too!
When Yu Weiyi saw Bai Tang appear, his eyes filled with infatuation. The young man looked even more radiant and captivating today, making it impossible to look away.
Sang Tiantian was seething with resentment. Especially when she saw Yu Weiyi’s expression, she viciously pinched the flesh on his arm.
“Are you crazy?” Yu Weiyi hissed in pain, turning to reprimand her in a low voice.
Sang Tiantian gave him a mocking smile. “I thought you were planning to steal your younger brother’s wife right here in the wedding hall.” The look in his eyes had practically screamed that he wanted to strip Bai Tang’s clothes right then and there. It was utterly lecherous.
Yu Weiyi had been seen through. His pupils contracted, and he was just about to lash out at her when he noticed that the Emperor and Empress were both seated at the head of the hall. He forcibly suppressed his anger and did not dare make a scene. Yet in his heart, he was already considering whether Sang Tiantian’s suggestion was actually feasible. So what if Bai Tang was his younger brother’s wife? If he managed to ascend the throne, his younger brother’s wife could become one of his consorts.
Sang Tiantian was so frustrated that she could barely contain herself. How had she been so blind as to choose a man like this? He was nowhere near as good as the Third Prince. If she had met the Third Prince earlier, how could the position of his primary consort have ever gone to Bai Tang?
“The newlyweds, please take your places—” the ceremonial matron called out.
Jiang Liangwu helped Bai Tang stand in position, then followed the ceremonial matron’s instructions as they began the wedding rites.
“First bow—to Heaven and Earth—”
The two turned and bowed toward Heaven and Earth.
The Heavenly Dao trembled with fear. The Northern Emperor Immortal Lord and his Consort were bowing to him—how could he possibly deserve such an honor? He hurriedly made the sun shine with dazzling brilliance, urging the two to rise as quickly as possible.
A heavenly omen descended from above, leaving everyone amazed. They marveled at the auspicious sign and were even more convinced that the Third Prince had Heaven’s blessing. At the same time, they began making their own calculations.
After quite some time, the auspicious phenomenon finally faded, and only then did the wedding matron regain her composure and continue, “Second bow—to your parents—”
Both bride and groom were supposed to kneel when paying respects to their parents. However, the mortal Emperor could not withstand the kneeling of the Northern Emperor Immortal Lord and his Consort, whose divine souls had returned to their true forms. Before the two could even kneel, the Emperor suddenly became dizzy, his entire body going limp as though he had no bones, and he slid from his chair, accidentally kneeling before Jiang Liangwu and Bai Tang instead.
“Your Majesty…” everyone cried out in alarm. Jiang Liangwu and Bai Tang quickly stepped aside, avoiding the Emperor’s bow and refusing to accept it.
The chief eunuch helped the Emperor to his feet, and only then did the Emperor return to normal. Yet he had no memory of what had just happened and found it strange that his third son and daughter-in-law were standing beside him.
The chief eunuch wanted to whisper an explanation to him, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not get the words out. He was utterly bewildered as well.
The Empress was fortunate enough to fare better. Ever since Jiang Liangwu and Bai Tang had arrived, she had treated them both well. She merely felt a little tightness in her chest and suffered no serious discomfort.
The wedding matron was stunned by what had happened and stammered, “Husband and husband, face each other and bow—”
Jiang Liangwu and Bai Tang stood facing one another. With smiles on their faces, they bowed to each other, pledging to remain united for life and never fail one another.
The newlyweds were escorted to the bridal chamber. The Emperor and Empress ordered the banquet to begin, stayed for a short while after taking their seats, and then returned to the palace hand in hand. The remaining brothers and sisters began making Jiang Liangwu drink. Jiang Liangwu was in high spirits and refused no one. Whenever someone offered him a toast, he drank it all. Even after downing dozens of cups, his expression remained unchanged. Instead, most of those who had been trying to get him drunk ended up drunk themselves.
Bai Tang sat upright on the wedding bed, his stomach growling loudly with hunger. Yet he remembered the wedding matron’s warning: it was considered unlucky for the groom to return and find the bride eating before the wedding night properly began. Bai Tang did not want anything unlucky to happen to him and A-Wu, so he endured his hunger and waited.
Fortunately, Jiang Liangwu returned quickly, before Bai Tang could become faint from hunger.
“Greetings to the Third Prince.”
Hearing the voices of the people greeting him outside the door, Bai Tang instantly perked up. His little hands nervously twisted together.
“Tang Tang, I’m sorry I came back late.” Knowing that Tang Tang disliked the smell of alcohol, Jiang Liangwu used his divine power to dispel the scent of liquor from his body before entering the room.
“You’re not late~” Bai Tang said softly. Thinking about their wedding night, he felt both expectant and bashful.
The red dragon-and-phoenix wedding candles flickered, casting a delicate glow over the young newlywed’s face and making him look even more beautiful than a flower.
Jiang Liangwu picked up the two cups of nuptial wine from the table and came to Bai Tang’s side. “Tang Tang, after drinking this nuptial wine, may we enjoy a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment together.”
Before Jiang Liangwu could finish speaking, Bai Tang had already taken the cup from him. Looking at him shyly, he confessed in a sweet, milky-smooth voice, “A Wu, I love you.”
With their arms intertwined and the nuptial wine emptied, the crimson curtains slowly fell. The sound of a man’s low moans and increasingly ragged breaths grew louder. The old matron and maids guarding the door could not help but giggle. They tactfully left the newlyweds to themselves and quietly slipped away from the room…
For the first three days of their marriage, the two stayed in the imperial palace. Jiang Liangwu accompanied Bai Tang as they explored all the beautiful sights within the palace. After three days, Jiang Liangwu bid farewell to the Empress and took Bai Tang out of the palace and back to their residence. Cart after cart of wedding gifts was carried out once again.
The common people wondered why all these gifts had to be carried back and forth like this. The steward of the Third Prince’s residence simply replied, “Because we want to.”
A month later, Jiang Liangwu took Bai Tang out of the capital. Yu Weiyi did not even have time to rush over to the Third Prince’s residence and build a closer relationship with his good Third Brother and Third Brother-in-Law before the two had already disappeared. His plans to scheme against his younger brother’s wife had been completely thwarted.
When Sang Tiantian learned about it, her eyes lit up with delight. She could not touch Bai Tang while he was within the capital, but surely she could do something to him once he left the city. The assassin organization she had established was notorious throughout the jianghu. She would make sure he had a life going out and no life coming back.
As for Jiang Liangwu’s departure, apart from Sang Tiantian, the Fifth Prince was the happiest of all. With his Third Imperial Brother gone, he would no longer have to attend his “lessons.” Unfortunately, he was celebrating far too soon. Jiang Liangwu had arranged a whole group of people to teach him, with lessons scheduled every single day. When the Fifth Prince found out, his face immediately fell.
Jiang Liangwu did not want Bai Tang to experience aging, illness, and death, so he slowly nourished Bai Tang’s soul with his divine power. Finally, one day, the memories that had been sealed away were unlocked, and Bai Tang returned to his true form outside his incarnation.
That was also the day when Jiang Liangwu finally settled their old score. Bai Tang had secretly run down to the mortal realm, nearly scaring Jiang Liangwu to death, and now he had to bear the consequences himself. No matter how much he begged for mercy, he still had to accept his husband’s “loving education.”
“A-Wu, I won’t dare do it again.”
“There will be a next time, hmm?”
“N-No, there won’t be a next time. Sob, sob, sob~~~”
As for what this “loving education” actually involved, everyone can use their imagination.
Meanwhile, the two of them traveled around after leaving the capital, enjoying the mountains and rivers to their hearts’ content. Back in the capital, however, the political situation was becoming increasingly turbulent. Even Sang Tiantian had no time to worry about whether her assassins had found Bai Tang and Jiang Liangwu.
After Consort Li used an aphrodisiac to gain the Emperor’s favor, the Emperor’s health began to deteriorate. Once the adult princes came of age, they secretly began fighting over the succession. The officials started choosing sides and placing their bets, and even ordinary people could sense that a storm was brewing.
Two years later, Jiang Liangwu returned with Bai Tang. And along with them came an earth-shattering surprise.
At the same time they returned, they also brought back a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. According to the rumors, the Third Prince’s Consort had a special constitution that allowed him to conceive children, and he had personally given birth to the baby.
The court officials all wondered whether the Third Prince would interfere in the struggle for the throne after returning to the capital, making an already turbulent situation even more complicated.
Jiang Liangwu, however, paid no attention to any of it. After entering the capital, he went straight back to his residence.
Once they arrived home, Bai Tang carefully placed the little squirrel baby on the soft bed. Looking at the tiny squirrel, which was still asleep and not even as big as his palm, with its fine, fluffy fur, Bai Tang’s heart practically melted. This was his and A Wu’s child. No matter how he looked at it, it was adorable.
Suddenly, the tiny squirrel rolled over and let out a little “Squeak.” Its tiny paws waved about helplessly in the air. Bai Tang quickly held out his finger, and the little squirrel grabbed onto it. Sensing his father’s presence, it happily drifted back to sleep.