Chapter 45

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Chapter 45: Title

Gu Hengbo felt a little down after hearing Lian Rong’s words. Now, Madam Dou would have to stay alone at the Prime Minister’s residence, but there didn’t seem to be any other options.

Lian Rong noticed her worry and gently patted her head. “I understand what you’re worried about. Don’t worry; I’ll have someone watch over Madam Dou. She will be safe.”

Gu Hengbo was taken aback, then nodded. “That’s good.” Her sudden decision to bring Madam Dou into the Prince Rong residence was already quite bold. The old turtle was still alive, so it shouldn’t have happened. She had almost forgotten that Madam Dou and Lian Rong were close in age. Thinking about it now, it seemed strange.

By the way, didn’t Dongyin have a custom of visiting home within three days after a wedding? Since no one mentioned it, it likely didn’t exist. It was best not to ask casually, or she might be seen as foolish. However, if Madam Dou didn’t move into the Prince Rong residence, what was the point of all her effort to marry in?

“What about my mother’s illness? Has she gotten any better?”

“With a few more days of rest, she will be fine. I’ve already sent someone daily to check on her health. She will be alright shortly,” Lian Rong assured her.

Gu Hengbo anxiously clenched the book in her hands. “No matter what happens to my mother, I will keep my promise. If the prince is willing, he can issue a formal decree to release me at any time.”

Lian Rong raised an eyebrow and spoke unhappily. “Gu Meisheng, we just got married.”

She still didn’t like her, after all.

Gu Hengbo shook her head. “I know now is not the right time; I just wanted to remind the prince about what we agreed upon.”

Lian Rong picked up the book Gu Hengbo had tossed aside and flipped through it. “We did agree. Since I have already helped you, it’s up to me whether I let you go or not. You should rest well tonight, and tomorrow you will come with me to the palace.”

“To the palace?”

“Yes, because we got married not long ago, my brother is hosting a banquet in the palace. Not only will there be officials from the court, but people from the six nations will come as well. With me there, you don’t need to be too nervous,” Lian Rong said calmly.

Gu Hengbo frowned. “People from the six nations?”

Lian Rong raised an eyebrow at her. “Every year, during my birthday, people from the six nations come. Didn’t you know?”

Gu Hengbo pouted. In truth, she wanted to say, “How would I know?” but she could only think it. “The prince forgot; my mind isn’t very sharp, so how would I know?”

Lian Rong offered a noncommittal response and lifted her chin with the book. “Do you know now?”

Gu Hengbo nodded, glancing at the small book resting on her chin. “I will perform well tomorrow.”

Lian Rong withdrew her hand and tossed the book back onto the bed, sitting down beside her. “It’s always like this; this year, it’s just my wedding banquet.”

Gu Hengbo sighed. “Do I need to dress very formally and wear heavy makeup tomorrow?”

Lian Rong smiled. “Just wear what you feel is right. No one will say anything; I don’t have too many requirements.”

Gu Hengbo didn’t understand; it was that casual?

While Lian Rong didn’t treat the special banquet prepared by the emperor for them as a big deal, Gu Hengbo did. It wasn’t just about the outfit; the presence of many people made her nervous, especially as a crown princess.

“Why do I have to wear red?” Gu Hengbo asked, holding the bright red long dress. “Aren’t we supposed to wear formal attire?”

Qian Yue smiled. “Crown princess, this color is festive. The prince knows you don’t like complicated formal wear, so I prepared this. Are you not satisfied?”

Gu Hengbo turned the dress over in her hands, finally looking at Qian Yue helplessly. “This dress seems a bit see-through. Let’s go with formal attire. I’m not tired.” After all, she was marrying Lian Rong, and with other people from several nations attending, she wanted to make a good first impression.

Qian Yue nodded, "Then let’s listen to the crown princess." Saying this, she ordered someone to fetch the crown princess’s formal attire. The crescent-colored brocade robe adorned with clusters of white lotus cloud patterns was tailored at the waist just perfectly, ensuring Gu Hengbo could breathe comfortably. Upon closer inspection, it resembled Hanfu in some ways. Moreover, she realized that she had only seen Lian Rong wear this kind of long robe; she noticed how her attire was different from everyone else’s that day in the main hall, and it turned out to be true. But why did she feel like something was being overlooked? Ever since she met Lian Rong, she had been having a strange sense of déjà vu.

When Lian Rong entered, Gu Hengbo was gazing into the mirror, adjusting her waist-length hair, which was slightly loose. A white jade hairpin slanted in her phoenix bun complemented her clean and fair complexion, making her appear gentle and serene. Lian Rong quietly stared at the oblivious Gu Hengbo. She vaguely remembered a woman who wore the same crescent-colored brocade robe, smiling tenderly and indulgently at her, like an ethereal fairy not from this world. Later she learned that was her father’s most beloved woman, and that smile was one she had only seen in paintings.

In the mirror, Gu Hengbo noticed Lian Rong standing not far behind her. Seeing she seemed lost in thought, she kept silent and waited for her to come back to herself before turning around. Qian Yue and Shui Yan had left unknown to them. Gu Hengbo watched as Lian Rong’s gaze returned to her, and she smiled, twirling around, "Doesn’t it look great?"

Lian Rong thoughtfully nodded. Gu Hengbo touched the wide sleeves, teasingly saying, "No matter how beautiful it is, standing next to the prince, you will be overshadowed."

Lian Rong smiled, "It seems Ah Heng understands how important it is not to be careless when entering the palace."

Gu Hengbo replied, "Thank you for the compliment. I’m just here to give you face; I can’t let you lose face in front of so many people."

Lian Rong took her hand beneath the sleeves and squeezed it, "I know you don’t like the palace’s many formalities. Just follow my lead and don’t be nervous; I’ll handle everything."

Gu Hengbo felt a bit overwhelmed by her sudden gentleness and could only lower her head and respond with an ‘oh.’

The wedding banquet for Lian Rong was held in the Taiji Hall, where past birthday celebrations for the emperor and empress took place. As grand and lavish as ever, the hall was in fact much larger than the Taihe Hall. Defensive layers of guards surrounded the palace, and Gu Hengbo was shocked by the grandeur, especially after the last incident had caused a big stir. But being a young lady, such matters were in the past for her; she was just grateful to be safe.

As Lian Rong was the center of attention, people from Prince Rong’s residence came as well, but they could not enter the hall and were instead arranged elsewhere. The emperor stated that half of Dongyin’s territory was due to Lian Rong’s contributions, and this banquet was her rightful reward.

Walking beside Lian Rong, Gu Hengbo couldn’t help but feel emotional; the emperor’s intentions were too obvious. Half the territory? Ha, how ridiculous! Did he think Lian Rong was a fool?

If that was the case, what would she do?

"We’ve arrived," Lian Rong said beside her.

Gu Hengbo forced a smile and returned the greeting to the palace servants bowing to them as they entered the main hall.

With a palace servant announcing their arrival, all eyes in the hall shifted towards the entrance. The moment Gu Hengbo and Lian Rong stepped in, a row of people on the right stood up simultaneously, exclaiming, "Congratulations, Prince Rong! Congratulations, Prince Rong!"

Gu Hengbo was taken aback. That "Congratulations, Prince Rong! Congratulations, Prince Rong!" nearly startled her into disbelief—it was pretty shocking!

Most of those on the right were high-ranking officials, and Gu Yuanqing was naturally the first among them. In terms of status, he and Lian Rong were on par, but Lian Rong was royal, and her power far exceeded his.

"Royal nephew, congratulations to the royal uncle, and congratulations to the royal uncle and royal aunt for wishing every happiness together!" This time it was the princes and princesses from a line behind on the left. Gu Hengbo’s heart skipped a beat. She casually glanced towards the left and saw Lian Chen looking at her with a strange expression while Lianyang showed a respectful demeanor appropriate for an elder. Realizing this made her feel somewhat disappointed, hit with an emotion she couldn’t quite pinpoint.

Next came the emperor’s concubines, followed by the representatives of the six nations in the front row on the left. To her surprise, there were princes from three kingdoms attending, and the Northern and Western Regions sent two princes each. Although no one came from the Southern Region, their gift was the grandest of all—there was a notable abundance; combined, it exceeded tenfold. Gu Hengbo gasped, concluding that the emperor of the Southern Region, like Lian Rong, must be quite a nouveau riche. She had heard it was even a woman—a female emperor!