Po Jun carried Hong Ling into the main hall and heard voices around. "They're here, they're here!"

At this moment, the matchmaker also rushed over, saying, "Oh my, General, quickly put down the bride and complete the ceremonial rituals. How can the young couple become a couple if they don't do that? Hehe~" The matchmaker covered her mouth, her eyes filled with ambiguity.

Po Jun scanned the hall, filled with the relatives of the officials who had come to congratulate them. The main guests, of course, had all gone to congratulate Duke Qi Wen, and Po Jun had anticipated this. It was probably what Yang Yan, that old fellow, wanted.

Po Jun gently let go of Hong Ling and signaled for the waiting maidservants to come forward and support her before he stepped back.

"Alright, alright. Who is in charge here? Let's get started," the matchmaker raised her voice, looking around for the master of ceremonies.

The lively hall was filled with joyous atmosphere, except the groom today gave off a heavy feeling. It made those who wanted to approach and offer their congratulations hesitate.

"First bow to Heaven and Earth," the eunuch sent by the emperor announced. Seeing that the couple had arrived, he cleared his throat and used his high-pitched voice to complete his task at the general's residence.

"Second bow to the parents, exchanging vows as husband and wife." The eunuch saw the couple under his command completing the lifelong commitment and cheerfully shouted out the concluding words. "Escort them to the bridal chamber."

Po Jun held the red silk fabric and walked ahead, with his future "wife" following closely behind, feeling both amused and helpless. Hong Ling, supported by others, felt her heart tearing apart amidst the sounds of congratulations.

As soon as Po Jun and Hong Ling entered the new room, the matchmaker busied herself scattering red dates, peanuts, longans, lotus seeds, and other things on the new bed. She chanted words, "May you have an early and noble child, may you be prosperous and flourishing." Seeing the couple enter the room, she congratulated Po Jun.

"Congratulations, General," the matchmaker's old face smiled like a pancake, her eyes and nose scrunching together.

Po Jun waved his hand. "Go to Lin'an and collect your rewards."

"Thank you, General," the matchmaker happily walked out of the room to collect her rewards.

Po Jun saw Hong Ling being assisted to sit by the bedside by maidservants. Although her face was covered by a red veil, her trembling shoulders indicated fear or perhaps tears. She looked so helpless.

"Take good care of Madam," Po Jun reluctantly instructed the maidservants.

"Yes," the maidservants simultaneously bowed their bodies to Po Jun.

At that moment, a restless voice came from outside the bridal chamber, "General, there are many people outside clamoring for you. Aren't you going?" Lin'an hadn't finished speaking before Po Jun interrupted him.

"I'm going now." He didn't want to stay and have silent communication with his bride. Lin'an's timing was quite something.

"Lady, I'll be right back," Po Jun turned and opened the door, leaving with Lin'an who was waiting outside.

Hong Ling, behind her red veil, saw figures speaking and moving in front of her. She still hadn't uttered a word, and it felt as if she had reached the same point as death. Unable to be with the person she loved, unable to have their child recognized in the future. Thinking of this, Hong Ling's eyes, already red from crying, shed more tears.

"Miss, please don't cry. It's not auspicious," her personal maidservant Zi Zhu softly comforted Hong Ling. Hong Ling continued to cry silently.

"Miss, since things have come to this point, there's no turning back. Besides, Miss, you are not alone now." Zi Zhu realized that comforting was useless, so she resorted to a tougher approach.

Hong Ling's trembling shoulders stopped when she heard Zi Zhu's final words. She reached out and touched her flat abdomen. Yes, Zi Zhu was right.

Seeing that her young lady was no longer sad and distressed, Zi Zhu finally let go of the burden on her chest. She looked out the window and saw that it was already evening, with a gloomy sky. Zi Zhu glanced at the lady sitting on the wedding bed, then looked up at the closed door.

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In the bridal chamber, tears fell from the red candles. Time passed slowly while waiting, and in the blink of an eye, it was already night. Stars dotted the sky, and suddenly, sounds of merriment came from a distance. This made the master and servant, already nervous, even more anxious. Hong Ling anxiously held onto her dress.

"General Po Jun is here to thank everyone for coming to the wedding. General Po Jun is really happy today, hahaha~" Po Jun's face was flushed, showing signs of being drunk. He spoke nonsense, and Lin'an had to support him, afraid that he might cause trouble.

"Since everyone sympathizes with our General, I'll send you all out of the residence," Lin'an took the opportunity to speak and send the guests away, who had come to disturb the bridal chamber. The guests didn't want to make a fuss when they saw the situation. "Hehe~ That's true, the joys of a spring night are worth a thousand gold coins," a middle-aged man said with an ambiguous expression, causing many people who had come to disturb the bridal chamber to burst into laughter.

"Since everyone is considerate of our General, Lin'an will see you out of the mansion." Lin'an seized the opportunity and took over, escorting the guests away. The guests could only touch their noses and leave.

"Well, well, hehe~" Seeing that the lively atmosphere was no longer enjoyable, the crowd dispersed.

Po Jun stumbled and was supported into the bridal chamber, lying down beside Hong Ling. This frightened Hong Ling, who pulled on Zi Zhu's clothes.

"Lady, don't be afraid. General is just drunk," Lin'an reassured the new lady, speaking a few comforting words. "Lady, I am Lin'an, in charge of managing the house."

"Lin'an, it's getting late. You should go and rest. We will take care of Lady here," Zi Zhu realized that the lady couldn't speak and took the initiative to intervene, or Lin'an might say a lot before leaving.

"Hehe~ That's right. Look at me, so absent-minded," Lin'an glanced at this clever maid who came with the lady. He laughed and left the bridal chamber, not even reminding Zi Zhu to go to sleep.

Hong Ling heard the sound of the door closing after Lin'an left and quickly got up from the wedding bed. She kept calling out, "Zi Zhu, what should we do?"

"Lady, don't be afraid. I don't think anything will happen tonight," Zi Zhu comforted Hong Ling softly. Hong Ling continued to cry silently.

"Lady, since things have come to this point, there's no turning back. Besides, Lady, you're not alone now." Zi Zhu saw that comforting was useless, so she resolutely decided to take a stronger approach.

Hong Ling struggled to find the right words, but couldn't come up with a solution. "Alright, Lady, you should rest now."

"Okay," Hong Ling reluctantly nodded. As she watched Zi Zhu leave the room, she suppressed the impulse to call her back. She walked slowly to the red candle stand and watched the red candles slowly turn into tears and drip down the candlestick. She felt her heart dripping with red tears, one drop at a time.

"Cousin, it seems that Hong Ling and you are destined to be apart in this lifetime." A tear fell onto the candlestick, merging with the candle tears.

A silent sigh quietly spread in the bridal chamber.

In another bridal chamber, it was an unusually lively night in Duke Qi's mansion. Duke Qi Yun Tian had been wearing a smile, dealing with the officials who came to congratulate him. But his mind was focused on Yang Yan's intentions for him to marry his daughter. Now, he was being pushed outside the new room by some well-intentioned people who wanted to disturb the bridal chamber. Duke Qi Yun Tian simply smiled and didn't say a word. He looked at these usually serious officials, but now they were completely unruly after a few cups of wine.

"Your Highness, I heard that Yang... no, the Princess, is the most beautiful woman in our dynasty. Your Highness is truly fortunate to marry such a beauty, hehe~" said the Minister of Rites, Hu Dong. He was already drunk and couldn't distinguish between what could be said and what couldn't. The people around him couldn't even cover his mouth in time.

"Is that so?" Duke Qi Yun Tian asked calmly.

"Your Highness, it's getting late. I think we won't bother you anymore. We will take our leave." The Minister of Household Affairs quickly pulled Hu Dong away. Other officials were also feeling the effects of the wine and hurriedly left, afraid of causing trouble.

Duke Qi Yun Tian couldn't be bothered to argue with them. His thoughts were entirely focused on Yang Yan's motives. Until the door of the bridal chamber was opened, and four maidservants came out. "Congratulations, Your Highness,"

Duke Qi Yun Tian looked at the four maidservants and then stepped into the new room. He saw the bride seated on the bed. "Congratulations, Your Highness," Duke Qi Yun Tian said to the person who spoke.

"Your Highness, I am Xiao Lian, the personal maidservant of the Princess," Xiao Lian introduced herself to Duke Qi Yun Tian.

"Yes," Duke Qi Yun Tian replied. His eyes were fixed on the bride, wanting to know what kind of woman he had married. Would she be like his sister-in-law?

"Your Highness, why are you silent? Is it because I am not beautiful?" She furrowed her delicate eyebrows slightly, her eyes gleaming like stars. This beautiful expression made people want to protect her and worried that she might be uncomfortable.

"No, Princess, you are stunningly beautiful. I was just momentarily stunned," Duke Qi Yun Tian replied. As soon as he finished speaking, the bride burst into tears and her eyes became even more enchanting.

"Your Highness, please don't make fun of me," she said softly. Her voice sounded like a warbler's song, carrying a hint of charm. The beauty of her distressed face made people feel sorry for her and want to protect her.

"No, Princess, that's not what I meant. I was just momentarily captivated by your beauty," Duke Qi Yun Tian couldn't help but clarify. He realized that the girl he saw today was different from the young man he had seen before.

As she looked into Duke Qi Yun Tian's deep gaze, she knew that he was not a mediocre person who would be infatuated with her beauty. This kind of Duke Qi Yun Tian made her heart flutter even more. If she could make him sincerely submit to her, the best outcome would be for him to fall in love with her.