There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 476 The Wedding Ceremony Concludes

His gaze swept over the dowry procession winding its way to the street corner, he nodded slightly, and whispered a word to the Empress.

"The daughter of the Gu family has a lavish dowry, which also shows her sincere friendship."

The Empress smiled and nodded, her gaze softening as she looked at Gu Ziying and her close relatives and friends.

The presence of the imperial family in person to show their support undoubtedly gave Gu Ziying, the Gu family, and her sisters Li Shuchen a tremendous amount of face.

Under the personal supervision of the Emperor and Empress, the wedding ceremony was solemnly held in the main hall of the Prince's Mansion.

Red candles burned brightly in the hall, the hall was filled with auspicious characters, and the ceremony was solemn and dignified.

The master of ceremonies announced: "The auspicious time has arrived—perform the temple audience ceremony and pay homage to Heaven and Earth!"

Xiao Xiuyuan and Gu Ziying stood side by side on the red carpet, facing the table outside the hall.

Xiao Xiuyuan (in a low, firm voice): "By Heaven and Earth, Xiao Xiuyuan today marries Gu Ziying, and will never fail her in this life."

Gu Ziying (her fan trembled slightly, her voice soft yet clear): "Heaven and earth bear witness, Gu Ziying is willing to marry Xiao Lang and be forever united in heart and soul."

The two bowed down together.

The master of ceremonies announced: "Second bow to the emperor and parents!"

They turned to the emperor and empress, who were seated on the throne.

The emperor smiled and said, "My son and daughter-in-law, I hope you will treat each other with respect, grow old together, and continue the Xiao family line, serving as a model of marriage for all the people under heaven."

The Empress said gently, "Ziying, now that you have entered the imperial family, you will be a royal daughter-in-law. I hope you will assist your husband and maintain harmony with your relatives."

Xiao Xiuyuan and Gu Ziying bowed again: "We will respectfully follow Your Majesty's/Empress's teachings."

The master of ceremonies announced: "Husband and wife bow to each other!"

The two stood facing each other

Xiao Xiuyuan gazed intently at the face vaguely visible behind the fan, while Gu Ziying peered through the gap in the fan's edge into his eyes, which were brimming with tenderness and vows.

Xiao Xiuyuan called softly, "Ying'er"

Gu Ziying responded almost inaudibly: "Xiuyuan"

At the same time, they bowed in worship, and the music reached its climax.

The master of ceremonies announced loudly: "The ceremony is complete—send them to the bridal chamber!"

Amid cheers and blessings from the crowd, the groom took one end of the red silk ribbon and led the bride slowly towards their new home in the backyard.

The emperor and empress exchanged a smile, did not linger, and returned to the palace, leaving the rest of their time to the young people.

The wedding banquet began in the front yard, with delicacies served, glasses clinking, and a lively atmosphere prevailing.

Li Shuchen, Liang Yuying, Princess Changning, Ye Bingli, and others formed their own table.

After several rounds of drinks, Xiao Xiuyuan, beaming with joy, held a golden cup and personally came over to offer a toast.

Xiao Xiuyuan raised his glass, his expression sincere: "Miss Li, General Liang, Changning, Miss Ye, thank you all for coming today, and for your kindness and generosity in adding to Ying'er's dowry. I, Xiuyuan, would like to offer you all a toast, bottoms up!"

Having said that, he drank it all in one gulp.

Li Shuchen stood up, holding his wine cup, his smile bright yet tinged with murderous intent: "Your Highness is too kind! I'll drink this wine, but, well, I must say this beforehand—"

“Our Ziying is the apple of our eye! She has a good temper, but that doesn’t mean she’s easy to bully! You are now a prince, with a noble status, but if you let her suffer even the slightest grievance in the future…” she narrowed her eyes.

"You witnessed the power of my whip on the way to the Boyu Kingdom! I, Li Shuchen, am a ruthless man, and I don't care about any princes or anything like that!"

After Li Shuchen finished speaking, he downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.

Liang Yuying stood up straight, her tone calm yet carrying an imposing presence.

"Shu Chen is right. Although the Prince's mansion is large and has many rules, reason prevails. If there is any injustice, I, Liang Yuying, am in charge of the Eastern Camp. Although it is inconvenient for me to interfere in the internal affairs of the Prince's mansion, there is always a place to seek justice for Ziying. I will drink this cup of wine. I hope Your Highness will remember it."

Cheers, just as crisp and clean!

Princess Changning took a leisurely sip of wine, raising her chin: "Hmph, although you are my seventh uncle, and there's a seniority involved, I'm not afraid. The calming incense I prepared for Ziying isn't meant for her to cry her eyes out and suffer from insomnia. If Ziying ever becomes unhappy, I won't care about family ties."

After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.

Ye Bingli slowly rose, raised her cup in acknowledgment, and said in a clear, cold voice, like ice striking jade: "A musical score can calm the mind, or it can disturb it; a jade hairpin can adorn a person, or it can... harm them. Your Highness, please take heed."

Having said that, he tilted his head back and drank.

Xiao Xiuyuan was both amused and exasperated by these repeated "warnings," but he felt warm inside that Gu Ziying had such a close friend. He once again solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

"I am deeply grateful for your loving care. Please rest assured, I will never fail Ying'er in this life. If I break this vow, I will accept any punishment."

After toasting the "women's army" at this table, Xiao Xiuyuan went to the table of the bridesmaids, including Cheng Zhian and Li Lingxiao.

The atmosphere immediately became much more relaxed.

Xiao Xiuyuan smiled and raised his glass: "Many thanks to all my brothers for their great help today, and for not sabotaging me when I was blocking the door."

Cheng Zhian raised his glass with refined manners: "Brother Xiao, you flatter me. We are fellow students, and today I see you and Princess Gu as a match made in heaven. I can only offer my blessings. I only hope that in your busy schedule of government and family affairs, you will not forget the joy of exchanging poems and songs with the Princess. I'll drink this, you can drink as you please."

After saying that, he elegantly drank it all.

Li Lingxiao pretended to wink.

"Brother Xiao! No, Your Highness brother-in-law! Let me be frank with you, when my sister gets angry, even my father has a headache! If you treat Sister Gu badly, she won't even have to lift a finger, I'll be the first... to stand by Sister Gu's side! I won't help you bully her! I'll drink this cup, wishing you both harmony and happiness, and please don't give me the chance to be the sandwich!"

Drinking with head tilted back

Ruan Jingshang raised his glass with a smile

"Your Highness, business is business, and integrity is fundamental. Marriage is also a long-term commitment. Princess Gu is an excellent 'asset' in terms of appearance, character, and family background. You have signed the most cost-effective 'contract' in the world. You must manage it carefully and not break the contract. If you do, I will stand by the Princess. This cup is to wish you a prosperous 'business' and a long and happy marriage!"

Drink it down

Xu Shaobao patted Xiao Xiuyuan on the shoulder

"Brother Xiao, I don't understand anything else, but marrying a girl as wonderful as Princess Gu is an immense blessing for you! We martial artists value loyalty and righteousness. If you treat your wife well, that is loyalty! If husband and wife are of one mind, that is righteousness! Come, if we are brothers, let's drink this cup of loyalty and righteousness!"

He tilted his head back and drank it first.

Chen Shitou scratched his head sheepishly and picked up the large bowl.

"Your Highness... I'm not good with words, but Princess Ning'an is a good person, Sister Li is a good person, and you are a good person too. Good people should always be good to each other. I'll drink this, you can just take a sip. Tonight... cough cough, I have important business to attend to!"

This remark caused everyone at the table to burst into laughter, and Xiao Xiuyuan couldn't help but cough and laugh as well. He only took a small sip and didn't drink any more.

After a round of toasts, Xiao Xiuyuan received many blessings, but also countless sweet "warnings."

He returned to his seat, gazing upon the joyous celebration filling the room, his heart overflowing with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and responsibility.

The road ahead may still be full of storms, but at this moment, with red candles burning brightly, a beautiful woman by my side, and friends all around, this is the happiest time of my life.

The joyous celebrations lasted until the moon was high in the sky.

As night deepened and the moon rose, the boisterous atmosphere and drunken revelry in the front yard showed no signs of abating.

It's unclear which forthright military officer started it, but they incited everyone to begin teasing the groom.

"Your Highness! A moment of bliss on the night of passion is worth a thousand pieces of gold!"

"Exactly! We can't let our bride be left alone in her room, waiting anxiously!"

"Hurry up! The brothers here will take care of you!"