Chapter 81: Countdown!!!

The days passed quietly, and unexpectedly nothing happened. Shen Yian was happy to have some free time.

The twelve hidden guards and twelve hours had all arrived at Tianwu City, and the palace was bustling to the extreme when a banquet was held to welcome everyone.

Fortunately, Ghost Face and Bai Shi could set up isolation formations, otherwise there would have been a risk of exposure.

Shen Yian felt a little emotional. He had gathered so many experts without realizing it. Moreover, he had the Ye family, which held military power. 

However, this feeling faded quickly after the initial sentiment.

Thinking about morning court sessions and reviewing memorials, Shen Yian even shuddered.

As the day approached, the palace began sending items to the prince’s mansion.

They also sent two old matrons and a group of palace maids.

Since Shen Yian hadn’t arranged for any personal maids, according to custom, he was supposed to choose one he liked from these palace maids. The two old matrons would then instruct him and the chosen maid in bedroom matters.

Afterwards, the maid would stay in the prince’s mansion as a servant, and if Shen Yian took a liking to her, she might be promoted to a concubine.

Shen Yian flatly refused. He joked to himself that although he lacked practical experience, he had learned from several teachers. Why would he need others to teach him such things?

Moreover, rules are dead, but people are alive. If he said no, it meant no. He couldn’t stand even a hint of green!

Didn’t a man’s first time count as the first time too?!

“Your Highness, we’re just following the rules,” one of the old matrons tried to persuade him.

“Get out!”

Shen Yian rolled his eyes and waved his sleeve, ordering Cheng Hai to lead the mansion guards to drive them away.

Cheng Hai sensed that his master was truly angry and used more force. The two old matrons had no choice but to leave with the group of palace maids, looking dejected.

“Your Highness, acting like this might displease His Majesty and the Empress,” the red-robed eunuch, who had been watching, cautiously reminded.

Shen Yian didn’t speak, only giving him a look.

The red-robed eunuch obediently lowered his head and shut his mouth.

In the imperial palace, upon hearing that the old matrons and palace maids had been driven back, Emperor Wu merely said lightly, “Let him be,” silencing everyone.

The next day, the entire Tianwu City was exceptionally lively. Everyone knew that the King of Chu would be getting married tomorrow. Red silk banners hung along the streets, stretching for miles. One might think it was New Year’s Eve.

On this day, Yin Hai and others were busy ensuring everything was perfect. They began inspecting and clearing potential risks throughout the city.

All business properties, including the Flower Village Teahouse and Drunken Immortal Pavilion, closed for two days, making preparations for tomorrow’s wedding.

As the first child to get married, Emperor Wu took it very seriously. He even specially deployed two thousand imperial guards and the entire Martial Guard Division to handle security, giving face and pomp to the fullest.

In the prince’s mansion, Shen Yian, having tried on his wedding attire, was now walking around his room with a memorial paper in her hand, reciting it.

Putting down the paper, he picked up the schedule prepared by Mendu and sighed.

Tomorrow would be busy from morning till night. Being a royal wedding, the etiquette was even more complex, with specific rules for every step and position.

If this were an ordinary person, he’d have to give a thumbs up if they still had energy for the wedding night. That would truly be a real man.

Although the procedures were complicated, when he thought about marrying the girl he loved, what did these trivial procedures matter?

“Your Highness! The Seventh Prince has arrived!” Mendu ran in hurriedly to report.

He had been so busy these past few days that he’d shaved off his beard. It was too troublesome to groom it every morning, so he simply got rid of it.

“Let him come directly to me.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

The Seventh Prince, Shen Luoyan, had come with an important task.

“Sixth Brother!”

Always being called “Sixth Brother” by Shen Jingyu and the others, Shen Yian felt a bit unaccustomed to suddenly being addressed as “Sixth Brother” by someone else.

“Seventh Brother, you’re here!” Shen Yian greeted the young boy with a still somewhat childish face with a smile.

“Mm-hmm! Congratulations on your wedding, Sixth Brother!”

Shen Luoyan exclaimed excitedly, blinking his big eyes.

“Good! Good! Good! Sixth Brother will definitely give you a big red envelope tomorrow morning.”

“Really?! Sixth Brother is the best!” Shen Luoyan became even more excited at this news.

His important task today was to “press the bed” (a Chinese wedding custom where a young boy sleeps in the newlyweds’ bed for good luck). He’d get a red envelope just for sleeping – how could he not be happy about such a good deal?

Especially since it was for the wedding of his favorite Sixth Brother!

“Sixth Brother, is my sister-in-law really that beautiful? Is she like a fairy descended from heaven?”

Shen Luoyan asked curiously. He had only heard about her but never seen her, so he was intensely curious.

“When you get the chance, you’ll see for yourself whether she’s beautiful or not!” Shen Yian said with a smile, lightly tapping Shen Luoyan’s head with his document.

“Have you had lunch? Is there anything you want to eat? Sixth Brother will arrange it for you.”

“Can I really eat whatever I want?!” 

Shen Luoyan’s eyes lit up again.

In the palace, there was a budget limit on the food for princes and princesses. If they exceeded it, it would be deducted from next month’s allowance. Some delicacies were expensive, so they could only taste them once or twice a month.

“Of course, would the Sixth Brother lie to you?”

“Uh…” 

Shen Luoyan couldn’t help but recall times when Shen Yian had tricked him in the palace.

“What are you thinking about?”

Shen Yian quickly interrupted his memories with the document.

“No… nothing. Um, Sixth Brother, I’d like to eat lamb leg and roast duck.”

Shen Luoyan said sheepishly, fidgeting with his hands.

“Alright, as long as you’re with Sixth Brother, you can eat as much as you want!”

“Yay! I love the Sixth Brother the most!”

“Seventh Brother, do you like to play chess?” Shen Yian asked with a mysterious smile.

“Chess?”

“Yes, a very interesting kind of chess.”

“An interesting chess game?! Isn’t it Go? I want to play!”

To prevent Shen Luoyan from getting too “bored”, Shen Yian specially called Fu Sheng to play Chinese chess with Shen Luoyan.

Time quickly moved to the afternoon, with lazy orange-yellow light pouring down.

At dinner time, Shen Yian almost laughed out loud seeing Shen Luoyan’s dazed expression.

For some reason, he suddenly wondered what it would be like to see Lu Wenxuan and Fu Sheng play against each other.

“Sixth Brother, Chinese chess is so hard to play!” 

At the dinner table, Shen Luoyan kept complaining. He had been thoroughly defeated all afternoon, making him question his life choices.

In the last game, he suggested playing Go, but was crushed by Fu Sheng again, nearly breaking his spirit.

Shen Yian smiled without speaking. Finally, he wasn’t the only one being defeated in this world.

As night fell, Shen Luoyan carefully entered the bridal chamber under Shen Yian’s watchful eye.

“Sixth Brother! Rest early! Don’t forget to wake me up tomorrow morning!”

“Alright! I won’t forget!”

After the door closed, Mendu reminded from the side, “Your Highness, we’ve prepared a room for you.”

“No need. I won’t be able to sleep tonight anyway.”

Shen Yian looked up at the star-studded night sky and sighed with a smile.

At the Duke of State’s mansion.

Ye Liyan slowly stood up from the water. A thin mist swirled around her body, water droplets sliding down every inch of her smooth, creamy skin. Her black hair hung down her back, one jade-like arm covering her chest. A delicate foot lightly stepped out of the tub onto the carpet. This simple movement was enough to spark endless imagination.

With a gentle burst of inner energy, all the water droplets and moisture on her body dissipated, instantly leaving her dry.

Jinxiu and Jinlian, who had been prepared nearby, quickly came forward with towels.

“Miss, it’s time to change and prepare,” Jinxiu said with a smile as she wrapped the towel around Ye Liyan.

“Mm.”

Ye Liyan held the towel to her chest, her pretty face flushed as she softly responded. Thinking about what would happen with His Highness tomorrow, her beautiful blue eyes couldn’t hide her shyness.