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Chapter 23: Wedding Night
🕑 Added 2025-02-16 14:02:51 +0000 UTCPeople often say that life’s four greatest joys are: timely rain after a long drought, encountering an old friend in a foreign land, the wedding night, and achieving academic success.
In just over a month, Qiu Che had already experienced two of these joys.
No one in the capital could deny that she was in the spotlight, her future limitless.
What is the difference between people? This was it.
Before coming here, all the young noblemen of her generation had been thoroughly scolded by their mothers, who tugged their ears and lamented their lack of accomplishment. Their jealousy toward Qiu Che was enough to make them gnash their teeth in frustration.
Wu Yiqi was no exception.
Perhaps it was because he couldn’t accept that his supposed future fiancée had suddenly been taken by Qiu Che. So, leading a group of wealthy young men, he urged her to drink, making her down several cups in succession.
Just as the crowd was getting into the mood, she excused herself, claiming she couldn’t hold her liquor, and left early.
Everyone exchanged knowing glances but tactfully refrained from persuading her to stay and drink more.
According to tradition, there was still the wedding night revelry to come.
However, when Qiu Che, with a thoughtful expression, casually remarked, "Oh, I forgot about this custom… Let’s revise the plan another day?" everyone froze in place, exchanging bewildered looks.
Noticing her clear displeasure, no one dared to press the matter further.
After all, this was someone who could stand her ground in the imperial court and debate with even the most seasoned officials.
Only a fool would risk ruining such an auspicious occasion by provoking her.
What they didn’t realize was that her excuse wasn’t just an excuse, she truly had no tolerance for alcohol.
Just a few drinks in, she was already feeling lightheaded. But unlike most, her drunkenness did not manifest in stumbling, loud outbursts, or incoherent ramblings. Instead, she became even more reserved.
In fact, she appeared calmer than usual, so calm that it was almost intimidating.
As she walked past without a word, still wearing a cold expression, Fu Ling couldn't help but grumble inwardly:
Men are all the same, so impatient.
Blushing, she quietly stepped forward and closed the door for them.
Meanwhile, Fu Feng sat on the rooftop, absentmindedly drawing circles with a twig while muttering resentfully, "Why did Her Highness grant herself to her? Why, why, why…"
Suddenly, a hand clapped onto his shoulder.
"Hey, what are you mumbling about?"
Fu Feng jumped in shock, instinctively tossing the twig aside and gripping the hilt of his sword as he snapped, "Who’s there?!"
The newcomer blinked. "Why such a big reaction? My name is Yu Yan, you must be Fu Feng, the one my master mentioned. The one who always wears a sour face?"
Fu Feng frowned. "…You, you’re with Qiu Che?"
"That’s right."
He grew suspicious. "How does she know who I am?"
Then, after a brief pause, his expression shifted as he muttered furiously, "She must have been scheming all along! She even knew who I was, she must have been gathering information beforehand. Her Highness has surely been deceived!"
"If she truly didn’t want to marry, why would she propose herself? It’s just a calculated move, a game of push and pull! I must go expose her true nature to Her Highness—Hey! What are you doing?!"
Yu Yan grabbed his shoulder and said innocently, "You can’t go."
Fu Feng snapped, "What business is it of yours?!"
Yu Yan shrugged. "This is my master’s wedding night. She said no one is allowed to disturb them tonight."
Fu Feng’s face turned even greener.
Neither of them were the type to waste words. The moment their disagreement became apparent, fists started flying.
Although they thoughtfully used their light footwork to take the fight to another courtyard, their movement still caused enough noise to be noticed in the bridal chamber.
Inside, Li Qingwu sat quietly, wearing her phoenix coronet and red wedding veil. Her neck was growing sore from sitting so still when she finally heard the sound of the door opening.
She hesitated for a moment before tentatively calling out, "Qiu Che… Lord Qiu?"
There was no response.
Uncertain whether to lift the veil herself, she hesitated, until she heard steady footsteps approaching.
The next moment, a slender, fair hand lifted the jade ruyi and gently brushed aside the red veil, revealing a delicate, peach-blossom-like face beneath.
Li Qingwu lifted her gaze and met Qiu Che’s calm eyes.
For a brief moment, she was dazed.
This scene… She had seen it before.
…That dream.
Just as she began to lose herself in thought, a commotion from outside broke the silence.
She vaguely recognized Fu Feng’s voice and asked in confusion, "What’s going on out there?"
Qiu Che paused for a moment before lazily sitting at the table, pouring herself a cup of wedding wine. "I don’t know."
Li Qingwu studied her closely, sensing something was off.
After observing her for a while, she cautiously asked, "Why did you return so soon? Didn’t they make you drink?"
She had always heard that on their wedding night, the groom would be made to drink until they were completely drunk.
Yet Qiu Che seemed unusually composed.
But when she had leaned in earlier, Li Qingwu had caught a faint scent of alcohol on her.
Had she been drinking or not?
Qiu Che took a moment before replying, "They did, but I only had a few cups. I refused the rest."
Li Qingwu glanced at the cup in her hand, hesitated, and then softly asked, "May I… share a drink with you?"
Qiu Che blinked and looked at the cup in her hand, hesitating. "But I’ve already drunk from this… Sharing one cup… isn’t that improper?"
The air froze for a moment.
"That’s not what I meant," Li Qingwu whispered. "And besides… That’s not just any drink."
She met Qiu Che’s gaze and said softly, "It’s the wedding toast."
Qiu Che: "…"
She put the cup down and cleared her throat. "Alright."
Since they had come this far, they might as well see it through. And if Li Qingwu wished to drink, then they would drink.
The other, however, had no idea what was going through her mind.
Blushing, Li Qingwu silently moved to sit across from her.
The two sat in silence, their arms crossing as they drank their ceremonial wine. After setting down the cup, Qiu Che found herself growing sleepy.
Propping her chin on one hand, her gaze unconsciously drifted to Li Qingwu.
Under the warm glow of the lanterns, the beauty before her looked even more stunning.
Li Qingwu, feeling the intensity of her gaze, blushed all the way to her ears.
Though she knew Qiu Che was a woman, she still found it impossible to remain unaffected by that strikingly handsome face.
Twisting the handkerchief in her hands, she murmured, "Lord Qiu, what… are you looking at?"
Qiu Che narrowed her eyes and suddenly asked, "Guess how many people are eavesdropping on us right now?"
She spoke in a low voice, just loud enough for Li Qingwu alone to hear.
Li Qingwu froze. "…What?"
Qiu Che, though muddled by alcohol, acted with absolute clarity.
Without another word, she dipped her fingertip into the wine and traced fleeting characters on the table: The walls have ears.
Li Qingwu wasn’t foolish, she immediately understood, and the color drained from her face.
She knew that the emperor’s presence at this wedding wasn’t to honor her, but to make it appear as if he did.
Or perhaps there was another purpose altogether.
It was bad enough that she was under constant scrutiny within the palace, but even after leaving and marrying into the Qiu family, the emperor still had to send people to eavesdrop on her wedding night.
There was only one reason for this, to confirm whether they had consummated their marriage.
Li Shi had agreed to grant the marriage because he wanted to make use of Qiu Che, yet feared being unable to suppress her ambitions. Since Qiu Che had taken the initiative to request the marriage decree and seemed genuinely fond of Li Qingwu, he simply went along with it, sending Li Qingwu away.
But in truth, his purpose for raising Li Qingwu had never changed.
It was to ensure that his loyal ministers remained devoted to the emperor.
And how could that loyalty be secured?
It all depended on whether Li Qingwu was favored by her husband.
The marriage proposal had come too abruptly, and Li Shi was deeply suspicious by nature. Moreover, just before the request, a certain incident had taken place, making it unlikely that Li Shi truly believed Qiu Che’s claim of “love at first sight” for Li Qingwu.
If their wedding night passed without consummation, it would only confirm that their marriage was a sham.
To avoid giving the emperor any leverage against them, the best course of action was to turn pretense into reality.
But she and Qiu Che were both women, no matter how willing they might be, they simply had no way to make this act real.
How could they deceive everyone?
Li Qingwu let out a bitter laugh in her heart.
So even after marriage, she still couldn’t escape the emperor’s surveillance?
Her gaze lowered, filled with quiet resignation.
The next moment, Qiu Che abruptly stood up, her voice clear and firm.
“Of course, I was looking at you.”
Li Qingwu flinched at the sudden rise in volume. “?”
Qiu Che hesitated for a moment, then, keeping her expression blank, spoke words so shameless they made one’s ears burn.
“Madam, since we are now married and have already shared a wedding toast, isn’t it a little inappropriate for you to still call me ‘gongzi’?”
Li Qingwu froze, only realizing her intention when their eyes met.
Her fingers clenched tightly around her handkerchief. Blushing furiously, she shut her eyes and reluctantly played along.
“…I—I understand.”
“…Husband.”
Qiu Che responded, “I’m here, my wife.”
Seeing Li Qingwu’s face flush even redder, her lips parting yet unable to form words, clearly struggling to continue, Qiu Che took the lead again.
“This husband is poor at holding his liquor and feels a bit lightheaded… Perhaps we should rest?”
Li Qingwu stiffly replied, “Alright… Then… I shall assist my husband in changing clothes.”
Qiu Che waved her hand dismissively. “No need. Just wait for me.”
Then she began rubbing the sleeves of her robe together, creating a rustling sound, one that mimicked the noise of someone undressing.
Li Qingwu silently watched.
After a moment, Qiu Che seemed to sense something.
She swiftly reached out and supported Li Qingwu, leading her toward the bed while saying, “Madam, take it slow, don’t be impatient.”
Li Qingwu had been raised in the palace under strict propriety and had never heard such words in her life.
Her face immediately burned as she was rendered speechless.
When she fell onto the bed, only to have Qiu Che press down on her, half her body went numb.
Instinctively, she pushed against Qiu Che’s shoulder.
Qiu Che, however, simply reached out and pulled down the red bed curtains. As the beaded tassels clinked softly, she leaned in and whispered,
“Don’t move.”
She pinned Li Qingwu’s wrist and lowered her voice even further, speaking right by her ear.
“There’s someone watching from the window.”
Li Qingwu instantly froze, not daring to make a sound.
Qiu Che sat up slightly and began unfastening her buttons.
This time, she was really undressing.
Li Qingwu’s eyes widened as she watched Qiu Che strip off her red wedding robe and toss it aside, leaving only a thin white inner garment.
Her hands trembled as she reached up to steady her headpiece. Face flushed, she stammered, “Y-you… What are you doing?”
Qiu Che wordlessly flipped over and lay beside her.
As she spoke, her breath brushed against Li Qingwu’s fair earlobe, tingling like a feather’s touch.
It was like scratching an itch through a layer of fabric, light, teasing, unbearably frustrating.
Li Qingwu instinctively shrank away.
Then, she heard Qiu Che ask softly,
“Do you know how to… moan?”
“……”
Li Qingwu’s mind went completely blank. Her thoughts scattered in an instant, her face burning hot enough to set the room ablaze.
The wrist that Qiu Che held suddenly felt unbearably conspicuous.
Yet Qiu Che, ever merciless, fanned the flames further.
“Your Highness, do put in some effort.”
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to fool their audience.
Li Qingwu: “……”
This wasn’t about effort.
This was about sheer humiliation.
Time stretched unbearably long. Outside the window, the spies lurking in the shadows began to grow suspicious.
Just as doubt started creeping in, a soft noise finally broke the silence of the bridal chamber.
Li Qingwu covered her eyes, her slender neck turning crimson from base to tip.
After a long pause, a barely audible, breathy whisper slipped from her lips, shy, trembling, hesitant.
“…Mm… ah…”
Soft and sweet, like the petals of a flower trembling in the wind.
Outside, the spies quickly retreated, seemingly convinced.
Qiu Che lay beside her, watching with amusement as Li Qingwu buried herself under the blankets, unwilling to meet her gaze.
Chuckling lightly, she whispered, “Good girl.”
Li Qingwu: “……”
She was going to die from shame.
