Chapter 6

An Qixi was being carried, her head resting on Huang Ziyuan’s shoulder. A light breeze slightly lifted the bridal veil, and through the tiny gap, she found she could not look away. She finally saw the man who had been holding her, kissing her, and whispering against her ear for over half an hour. He was so handsome; with his eyes closed, he looked like an elf who had fallen into this world—lost and innocent.

It was impossible to imagine that this seemingly innocent, elf-like man had once been a ruthless killer on the battlefield, a man whose sword never returned to its sheath without tasting blood.

At this moment, the resentment she felt at being discarded like cargo, and the fury at An Chuyi’s heartless and resolute decision to make her a substitute bride, strangely subsided. A sense of broad-mindedness flowed through her chest. She did not believe this man would be content to lie in bed like a useless invalid for the rest of his life. From the very first moment she saw him, she had formed a firm conviction.

Beitang Xian—he was absolutely not a cripple!

This confidence had no basis, yet she believed it firmly. It was laughable that An Chuyi claimed to be his childhood sweetheart, yet she didn't believe in him at all! She suddenly felt a thrill of anticipation and ambition. She truly wanted to see the expressions on the faces of An Fang and An Chuyi when, one day, Beitang Xian stood proudly before them!

However, for now, she still had to pray to God to keep her safe, because she didn't want to be slapped into dust by this guy, Beitang Xian, before she even got to see the regret and annoyance on that father and daughter's faces.

"Little beauty, remember... my name is Huang Ziyuan!" As they passed through the long corridor and courtyard to the entrance of the main hall, a cold, charming, and flippant voice suddenly rang in her ear, pulling her back to reality.

Huang Ziyuan repeated it, his tone carrying an undeniable majesty: "Huang Ziyuan, you must remember!"

An Qixi really wanted to twitch her lips and roll her eyes at him. *Do you think you’re the Emperor? Or the Emperor’s uncle? I just won’t remember that your name is Huang Ziyuan! So what?*

Huang Ziyuan felt as if he were possessed. As soon as the words left his mouth, his brows furrowed, but then he returned to his devil-may-care attitude, setting her down in the center of the main hall just as Beitang Xian arrived.

In the place of honor, an elderly man with a slightly portly build sat alone, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe and boots embroidered with golden dragons. His eyes, slightly wrinkled but still revealing long, narrow phoenix-like slits, were squinted in a smile, making him look like a Maitreya Buddha. He was the current Emperor of the Beihe Dynasty, Beitang Xian’s grandfather, the Shenghe Emperor.

Sitting to his lower left was a handsome man in a black robe with dark gold embroidery. One could vaguely see that his features were three or four parts similar to Beitang Xian’s, but while Beitang Xian was sharp and piercing, this man was gentle as water. The faint ripples in his phoenix eyes invisibly spread waves of warmth and affection, making one willing to drown in his gaze.

He was Beitang Xian’s own uncle, and the only remaining son of the old Emperor—Beitang Yun!

The hall was filled with guests, the crowd bustling yet not noisy, simply because the most noble figures in the world were present. The ceremony, which everyone had been eagerly awaiting, began with the resonant voice of the Grand Tutor and Chief Councilor, Ji Bochang.

Amidst the cheerful drum music, the wedding ceremony officially began!

"Bow to the high hall!"

The deep, powerful voice echoed through the bustling main hall. An Qixi was pressed down by the matchmaker using a subtle, hidden force, forcing her to kneel slowly. At that moment, an unprecedented sense of sorrow surged in her heart. This was the treatment of the weak; this was the tragic fate of the powerless.

She was powerless to change anything, for in this world, she was a weakling, a fool despised and scorned by others. The loneliness and helplessness she had hidden under the guise of madness for the past half-month surged forth like a tidal wave. Her long, thick eyelashes trembled, masking the endless sorrow and unwillingness in her eyes.

"Bow to heaven and earth!"

"Bow to each other!"

As the words fell, and as An Qixi was pressed to bow, the moment the master of ceremonies shouted that the rites were complete, the main hall erupted in cheers that shook the heavens.

Under the bridal veil, An Qixi clearly saw through the gap that Beitang Xian, who had kept his eyes closed, had a perfect, stunning arc on his thin, sexy lips that made it impossible to look away.

However, beneath the lively atmosphere, undercurrents were surging.

Huang Ziyuan’s long, narrow peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly, inadvertently revealing a sharp, cold glint. He appeared to be leaning lazily to the side to watch the fun, but in reality, his whole body was tense, guarding against his surroundings—especially the man who remained as steady as a mountain: Beitang Yun!

Beitang Xian’s ambush upon his return, which nearly cost him his life, had obvious culprits. Beitang Xian’s intelligence network, which was terrifyingly powerful, had accurately traced the siege by thousands of death-sworn soldiers back to the Sixth Prince. The struggle for the throne was the best motive. Although they had not yet found concrete evidence, they would not let their guard down.

Therefore, Beitang Xian had returned in this "living dead" state, using the excuse of a "lucky marriage" to marry An Chuyi. On one hand, he wanted to make his enemies lower their guard, and on the other, he wanted to lure the snake out of its hole.

He wanted to see if his gentle, scholarly Sixth Uncle really intended to put him to death!

Beitang Yun’s calm and composed handsome face flickered with complex emotions when he saw the half-dead Beitang Xian, making him difficult to read.

The old Emperor’s eyes were moist. Seeing his proud and extraordinary beloved grandson now like a living corpse, his weathered heart ached. He was even more satisfied that An Chuyi was still willing to marry Beitang Xian as planned.

Smiling, he took the tea from An Qixi’s hands. The old Emperor looked like a kind and benevolent elder, slowly taking a purple-gold hairpin from his robes. His gaze carried nostalgia and reluctance as he gently stroked it.

As soon as this hairpin appeared, everyone of any status in the room changed their expressions. Those who knew more, such as Beitang Yun, had deep, dark gazes, and even a hint of heat and obsession in their eyes.

The golden-purple hairpin was only about five or six inches long, appearing exquisite and lovely, but its unique purple-gold color displayed an extraordinary grandeur. The body of the hairpin was made of something that looked like jade but wasn't, carved with a shimmering phoenix tail. The top of the hairpin was a lifelike phoenix head. The entire hairpin had graceful, noble lines, looking exactly like a phoenix about to spread its wings and fly!

Those who knew the hairpin understood that it had been made by the Emperor for his late wife, Beitang Xian’s grandmother, after he had spent over a decade searching for the rarest, near-extinct half-piece of Dunhuang purple jade in the world. Every stroke, every curve, and every polish of that small hairpin had been crafted with painstaking effort, taking three full years to complete.