FRGNM -Chapter 46 The Crown Prince’s Wedding

In the capital of Beining, every household was festooned with lanterns and decorations, the festive colors even more dazzling than during the Spring Festival. All the townspeople wore celebratory attire, following the lion dance parade, cheering and shouting joyfully.

The Ling family was already in a flurry of activity. Ling Huiru, dressed elegantly and wearing earrings, looked at herself in the mirror, combing her long hair carefully.

“Eldest sister, the bridal sedan is about to arrive. You should get ready,” Ling Roudan said, opening the door and quickly draping the embroidered phoenix veil over Ling Huiru’s head.

But Ling Huiru, seated calmly, replied without haste, “Why rush? Has Ruoxi arrived?”

“No one’s here yet. Eldest sister, why are you still thinking of our third sister? Didn’t you kick her out of the Ling Mansion when she first arrived?” Ling Roudan frowned, unsure why Ling Huiru was bringing up Ruoxi so early in the morning.

Ling Huiru snorted coldly and abruptly threw the comb to the floor. “I want that wretched girl to see this: I’ve won. In the end, I’m the one marrying the Crown Prince, not her! With that little face of hers, who does she think she can seduce?”

“Eldest sister!” Ling Roudan stomped her foot, frowning at the broken comb. “It’s snapped. Forget it. Let’s go. The Crown Prince has arrived.”

“The Crown Prince is at the gate! Let’s go, don’t keep him waiting.” Ling Huiru finally felt assured. She pulled her veil over her head and followed Ling Roudan outside.

Countless voices cheered, firecrackers boomed. The man mounted on the horse looked down from above, holding the reins with one hand. His face remained cold and expressionless, showing no trace of joy as he gazed at the Ling Mansion.

Looking at the empty bridal sedan, his heart felt as though something were missing. He watched the crowds cheering, yet he could not see that familiar face.

Six years had passed. Now he was about to marry her sister. What must she be thinking? Putting aside his thoughts, Nangong Mo sat quietly on his horse, eyes fixed on the bridesmaid stepping forward.

“Bride, enter the sedan!” the matchmaker called. Ling Hu, wearing a celebratory outfit, beamed as she stepped into the sedan. Ling Hu’s father, Ling Hu, clasped his hands and smiled. “Your Highness, I have entrusted my daughter to you!”

“Hm,” Nangong Mo replied coldly, expressionless, holding the reins as the horse moved forward.

Ling Hu’s father gritted his teeth but secretly felt relief. His precious daughter was finally married off. This was the Crown Prince himself who had proposed. If he backed out, it would be a royal scandal, giving Ling Hu’s father excuses to rebel. In short, this marriage had to happen!

He followed behind the bridal sedan, moving toward the palace with the procession.

The crowds laughed and jostled to get a glimpse of the bride. Up ahead, Nangong Mo’s face remained gloomy. With all the diplomats in the palace, where could she be?

The expansive Dengxian Platform of the palace was adorned with feasts, and a long red carpet stretched down the steps.

Below, envoys, ministers, and princes were seated, offering congratulations, yet no one dared touch the food.

The colorful dishes on the tables were enticing. Following Ling Ruoxi were the two little ones, Yizhui and Yimeng, who had already grabbed chopsticks and were devouring the food with abandon.

Of course, Ling Ruoxi sat with Huangfu Xuan. The palace maids and eunuchs whispered and cast disdainful glances once they realized the woman eating so freely was Ling Ruoxi.

“Mom, this cake is so delicious! Is there more?” Yizhui asked, stuffed with cake and grinning excitedly. He had never tasted anything this good on Liuli Island.

Yimeng nodded eagerly. The desserts here were a thousand times better than on Liuli Island, with new, inventive designs. How could children resist?

So the two kids ran around the venue, grabbing cakes from ministers’ tables or sneaking wine, playing gleefully.

“The Young Master of Qiongyu Island has arrived!” a eunuch shouted, glaring at Ling Ruoxi. Truly, the character of the children reflected that of their mother.

Ling Ruoxi’s heart leapt. She scanned the crowd for that familiar black figure—but it was replaced by a silver-white one. The surrounding ministers immediately bowed. The faint smile before her did not match the one in her memories.

Why was he the Young Master of Qiongyu Island? Why was he Luo Mingyu? Had the man she once knew truly become this person?

Sitting in disappointment, Ling Ruoxi frowned, heart in chaos.

“Uncle! Uncle!” Yizhui waved, holding a piece of cake, hopping toward Luo Mingyu.

The figure above only nodded slightly. His guards blocked the children from approaching. The silver-white figure sat calmly, picking up a wine cup and drinking alone.

“Uncle seems different now. He wasn’t like this before.” Yizhui, puzzled, bit into his cake and added, “Mom and Uncle both feel… strange.”

“No choice. It’s their time now; they have to observe formalities. We shouldn’t interfere. Let’s go back,” Yimeng said, rubbing her nose and taking Yizhui’s hand to run back.

“His Majesty has arrived! The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have arrived!” The procession finally entered the palace. All officials stood, including Luo Mingyu.

Nangong Qin, in his dragon robe, entered with the gifted beauty, smiling widely. Behind him, Nangong Mo wore a red flower, holding the red ribbon, leading Ling Huiru forward step by step.

Ling Roudan walked beside Ling Huiru, supporting her sister, while Ling Hu followed behind, smiling and praising endlessly.

“Everyone, please take your seats,” Nangong Qin said, greeting Luo Mingyu with a slight nod before sitting with his consort.

Ling Hu and Ling Roudan were seated beside Ling Ruoxi. Masked, she went unrecognized by the two.

Nangong Mo’s gaze landed on Ling Ruoxi. Seeing that familiar figure, his heart skipped, but he remained speechless.

Ling Ruoxi turned her head, quickly finishing a drink, coughing from drinking too fast.

“Mom, are you okay?” Yizhui patted her back, holding a tea cup. “Master said you can’t drink. Alcohol will harm your health.”

“I know,” Ling Ruoxi said, snatching the cup and drinking it in one gulp. She patted Yizhui’s head and smiled. “Yizhui, Yimeng, do you want to play with Father Huangfu? Mom wants to walk alone for a while.”

“Mom, where are you going?” Yizhui asked, puzzled.

Ling Ruoxi patted Huangfu Xuan’s shoulder, slightly tipsy. “I want to walk alone. You are their father—take good care of them.”

“Ruoxi…” Huangfu Xuan frowned, recalling past rumors, and sighed helplessly.

But Ling Huiru, watching from above, saw her and coldly laughed, lifting her veil. “Sister, where are you going? Aren’t you supposed to wait until after my wedding?”

“What?” Hundreds of question marks appeared. All eyes turned to Ling Huiru.

With an arrogant smile, she proclaimed, “You still don’t know? She is my third sister, Ling Ruoxi. The Crown Prince was once engaged to her, but now the one he marries is me!”

Bored, Ling Ruoxi rubbed her eyes and slurred slightly from the alcohol. “Isn’t today your wedding day? Why keep emphasizing he’s my man? Do you want me to share him with you?”

The officials couldn’t help but snicker. They could see Ling Huiru wanted to insult Ruoxi, yet she was being insulted in return.

Ling Huiru’s face paled, fists clenched. Coldly, she said, “You’re just the woman the Crown Prince dumped. What right do you have to serve him? And you bring two brats with you—do you really think any man would want you?”

“Hey! Auntie, why are you yelling? Did Mom do anything to you?” Yizhui’s face darkened. He slammed the table, covered in cream from cake, looking comically furious.

Yimeng stood beside him, nodding. “Right! Do you think Mom is weak? I’ll tell you—she eats meat and veggies!”

“You’re lying! Master told us not to eat meat, but Mom often catches wild game and roasts it for us!” Yizhui argued, gesturing with his hands to describe the size.

Ling Huiru scoffed, smoothing her hair. “You little brats have no right to speak. This is Dengxian Platform—the site of my marriage to the Crown Prince! I am the Crown Princess of Beining. Who are you to talk to me?”

Burp… Silence fell. Everyone had not expected the newly crowned Crown Princess to assert authority over them with her title. The burp shattered the tense moment.

Ling Ruoxi returned to her seat, sipping tea, rubbing her temples, and said coldly, “Crown Princess, I know you are the Crown Princess, but isn’t your tone a bit too arrogant? Your wedding with the Crown Prince isn’t even finished, and you’ve already proclaimed yourself as Princess. Isn’t that… a bit fast?”