Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 216 The Ninth Madam Enters the Door

After Wen Ruoxi became pregnant, Lin Chen was finally able to rest properly for two days.

On this day, the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and red silk was laid out from the entrance all the way to the front hall.

Guests arrived in an endless stream, including court officials, prominent families from various regions, representatives from the four major temples and four minor sects (the Cui family did not attend), as well as some martial arts sects—everyone who could come was there.

The Empress also attended the ceremony and watched her sister get married, her feelings were very complicated.

She didn't know if she would ever have that day; her relationship with Lin Chen was essentially a transaction.

She couldn't possibly get married like an ordinary woman.

Lin Chen could not possibly enter the palace like an ordinary imperial consort.

……

Lin Chen was unaware of the Empress's complex feelings. Today, he was dressed in a bright red wedding robe and stood at the door to greet guests.

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

Congratulations were offered one after another.

Lin Chen returned the greetings one by one, a smile on his face, but inwardly he was thinking:

Getting married is exhausting; let's try to keep things simple from now on!

Just then, firecrackers went off outside.

"They're here! They're here! The Princess's sedan chair has arrived!"

The procession, consisting of eight bearers carrying a sedan chair, adorned with a phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, stretched for half the street.

People crowded the roadside, craning their necks to watch, their voices buzzing with discussion:

"What a grand display!"

"That's the eldest princess!"

"The Prince of Zhenbei is truly blessed..."

The sedan chair came to a steady stop in front of the door.

The nanny stepped forward, lifted the sedan curtain, and helped the bride out.

Her face was covered by a red veil, so her expression could not be seen.

But Zhao Mingyue's figure was swaying with every step.

Lin Chen stared intently, his eyes wide open.

He stepped forward and took the red silk handed to him by the old woman.

At the other end of the silk, Zhao Mingyue's hand gently held it, her fingertips slightly white.

"Nervous?" he asked in a low voice.

A very soft "Mmm" came from under the veil.

"I'm nervous too," Lin Chen said with a low laugh.

Zhao Mingyue seemed to be taken aback for a moment, then loosened her grip slightly.

The two walked side by side, with the red ribbon swaying gently in the middle.

After paying respects to Heaven and Earth, the parents, and the couple, they bow to each other before being led to the bridal chamber.

After completing one set of procedures, the next step is the banquet.

Lin Chen was pulled around to offer toasts, and after going around the circle, even with his profound cultivation, he felt a little dizzy.

After handing over the hospitality duties to the reluctant Yuan Tiangang, Lin Chen walked lightly toward the new house.

The new house is in the east courtyard of the Prince's Mansion. It is a newly expanded, luxurious and grand house with red lanterns hanging at the entrance.

Lin Chen pushed the door open, closed it behind him, and let out a long sigh.

Looking up, he saw Zhao Mingyue still sitting upright on the edge of the bed, her veil still on, in the same posture as an hour ago.

"Madam," Lin Chen walked over, his voice tinged with laughter, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Zhao Mingyue remained silent.

But Lin Chen saw that her fingers were twisting the sleeves of her wedding dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Lin Chen stopped in front of Zhao Mingyue and picked up the scale on the table.

The candlelight made the scales gleam. He held them in his hand and weighed them in his hand, then suddenly remembered something:

"Oh, right, there's something I need to say first."

The veil moved slightly.

"Once the veil is lifted, there's no going back," Lin Chen said somewhat seriously.

"It's not too late to run now."

Zhao Mingyue finally spoke, her voice muffled: "...How can I run away without even lifting the veil?"

"That makes sense." Lin Chen smiled. "Shall I lift it then?"

"...Lift it up."

The scale was gently lifted, and the red silk slowly rose upwards.

First you see the chin, then the lips, glistening with lip rouge, then the pert nose, and finally the eyes—

Her eyes held a mixture of shyness and apprehension, which made Lin Chen chuckle awkwardly.

Zhao Mingyue looked up at Lin Chen, her cheeks flushed, whether from rouge or shyness, it was hard to tell.

"What? It doesn't look good?"

Lin Chen put down the scale and chuckled, "It looks good."

"How beautiful?"

"So beautiful..." Lin Chen sat down next to her, leaning closer.

"I don't even want you to go out. You're such a beauty, I can't bear to get out of bed."

"How indecent!" Zhao Mingyue spat lightly.

"The truth." Lin Chen grasped Zhao Mingyue's hand and noticed her palms were sweaty.

Still nervous?

"A little," Zhao Mingyue said honestly. "Although...it's not my first marriage, but last time..."

The last time was a political marriage. She was the eldest princess and had no feelings for that person, so there was no ceremony to lift the veil.

Lin Chen squeezed Zhao Mingyue's fingers. "This time is different."

"What's different?"

"I will treat you well," Lin Chen said seriously, "even better than I treat myself, and I will never let you suffer any injustice."

Zhao Mingyue's eyes flickered slightly, and she blinked. "What about your eight wives?"

Lin Chen: "..."

This problem came out of nowhere.

"They are them, and you are you," Lin Chen said solemnly.

"I'm good to you all, but that doesn't conflict with anything."

"Then who is better?"

"..." Lin Chen smiled bitterly to himself, taking a deep breath.

"Madam, this is a life-or-death question."

"Just kidding!" Zhao Mingyue burst out laughing, her laughter instantly shining like the moonlight into the bridal chamber.

She stood up, walked to the table, and poured two glasses of wine.

"It's time to drink the nuptial wine, my husband."

Their glasses clinked, and their arms intertwined.

The wine was sweet and had a floral aroma.

Zhao Mingyue drank too quickly and choked a little. Lin Chen quickly patted her back.

"Drink slowly."

"I'm so happy." Zhao Mingyue's eyes glistened with tears. "Lin Chen, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you..." she paused, "for making me feel that I can still be treated well."

Lin Chen's heart softened. He took the cup from her hand and put it down, then cupped Zhao Mingyue's face in his hands.

"Bright Moon".

"Um?"

"I will always treat you well from now on. No matter what happens, you will always be my lawfully wedded wife."

Zhao Mingyue looked at Lin Chen for a long time, then softly hummed in agreement.

The red candle crackled and sparked.

The curtains had been drawn at some point, and the wedding dress and gowns were scattered all over the floor.

Zhao Mingyue's hair was spread out on the pillow, as black as silk.

Lin Chen leaned over her, gently smoothing her hair with his fingers.

"Tell me if it hurts," Lin Chen said in a low voice.

Zhao Mingyue nodded, then shook her head, and finally reached out to wrap her arms around Lin Chen's neck, burying her face in his shoulder.

My breathing gradually became erratic.

The candlelight flickered all night.

Lin Chen woke up first at daybreak.

Zhao Mingyue was still asleep, her eyelashes drooping, casting a small shadow under her eyes.

Lin Chen watched for a while, then quietly got up.

The moment my foot touched the ground, a voice came from behind me:

"...So early?"

"I'm used to it!" Lin Chen turned around. "Did I wake you up?"

Zhao Mingyue shook her head, propped herself up to sit up, and the blanket slipped down to her waist.

She paused for a moment, then abruptly pulled back, her face turning red again.

Lin Chen chuckled, poured her some water, and said, "Now you know how to be shy?"

Zhao Mingyue glared at Lin Chen, then took the cup and sipped it.

After finishing his drink, he asked, "What time is it? Should I pay my respects to...Grandmother?"

"It's not time yet." Lin Chen sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"There aren't that many rules in the manor. It's not too late to go at Chenshi (7-9 AM). You can sleep a little longer."

"I can't sleep." Zhao Mingyue looked down at the cup. "Husband."

"Um?"

"The Cui family didn't come. What do you think they'll do next?"

The smile on Lin Chen's face faded slightly.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know. Anyway, it's like a grasshopper in autumn; it won't be able to jump around for more than a few days."

Zhao Mingyue nodded gently. She knew that Lin Chen was now virtually unmatched in the Dayan and even the Eastern Region.

Lin Chen took the cup from Zhao Mingyue and placed it aside, chuckling softly:

"There's still time. Would you like me to lie down with you a little longer?"

Zhao Mingyue felt a surge of heat as she looked into Lin Chen's eyes, and softly replied:

"good!"

……

Outside the window, the red silk of the Prince's Mansion villa fluttered gently in the morning breeze, drifting far away.

Meanwhile, in the Cui family's ancestral home in Jiangnan, some people couldn't sleep all night.