When Mu Xueshi woke, he found himself surrounded by a crowd of maids. He could not tell who was saying what and only managed to glimpse Qingzhu’s sweet, charming face through a gap between them.
“What are you doing?” Mu Xueshi asked Qingzhu.
Qingzhu struggled through the crowd until she reached him and said, “We’re applying your makeup! His Majesty will be coming to marry you very soon, so we have to hurry.”
“What?!” Mu Xueshi abruptly sat up. “Everyone, stop!”
The moment the maids saw his expression change, they hurriedly lowered their hands and stood awkwardly to one side.
Mu Xueshi rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and began pacing around the room. As he walked, he complained furiously, “He never even discussed it with me before deciding to marry me. Besides, I’m a man! How can I be the one getting married off? Even if there is going to be a wedding, I should be marrying him! In terms of martial arts, he might not even be better than me now. In terms of status… I count as a minor prince myself, so I’m not that far beneath him. And in terms of looks, is he more handsome than I am?! I win two out of three. He loses.”
“So that’s what Young Master Xue cares about!” Qingzhu blurted out, causing all the surrounding maids to laugh.
Mu Xueshi’s cheeks reddened as he protested somewhat unconvincingly, “What makes me angry is that he never discussed anything with me. He took advantage of my fainting to carry me over to worship the ancestors. I went through the entire ceremony in a daze, and somehow that counted as installing me as Empress. Then I fainted from anger again, so he simply summoned all of you to put makeup on me. Fortunately, I woke up early. Had I woken up any later, the wedding would already have been completed.”
After taking several deep breaths, Mu Xueshi continued muttering, “This is outrageous. Absolutely outrageous. He has no respect for me at all.”
Seeing Mu Xueshi scurrying around the room like a little mouse, Qingya could not help smiling. She asked, “Young Master Xue, what do you propose we do, then? Everyone in this room will be serving you from now on. We will all obey your orders.”
Mu Xueshi drew a deep breath, a brilliant gleam flashing through his eyes.
“Hurry and finish my makeup. I’m going to get there before him and marry him first. Hahaha…”
Everyone nearly collapsed.
Looking at himself in the bronze mirror, Mu Xueshi was overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions. He had never imagined that his bond with the Third Prince would truly reach a happy conclusion. He had never even heard of two men marrying. The Third Prince must have endured a great deal of pressure.
It would have been wonderful if he could have brought his biological mother here. Then again, it was probably fortunate that she could not come. Had she been here, she would certainly have stabbed him to death.
Once everything from head to toe had been prepared, Mu Xueshi examined himself in the bronze mirror and could not help admiring, “I’m incredibly handsome.”
Not a single person laughed. Although the maids did not understand what handsome meant, they could tell Mu Xueshi was praising himself. At a moment like this, no one who heard him could do anything except agree.
“Young Master Xue, where are you going?”
Mu Xueshi had already run to the doorway. Seeing that the maids remained standing where they were, he urged, “Hurry up! If we wait any longer, he’ll arrive first.”
“Young Master Xue, you are supposed to wait here for His Majesty to come and receive you. Since when does an Empress go looking for the Emperor first? If we maids fail to keep watch over you, we’ll be beheaded.”
“If none of you are coming, I’ll ride there myself.”
Ignoring the attempts of nearly a hundred maids and guards to stop him, Mu Xueshi mounted a horse alone and charged toward Linan Hall.
The Third Prince was also setting out from Linan Hall. He rode an imperial horse with a coat of brilliant crimson and wore a long red robe, a red ceremonial crown, and red boots. His bearing was valiant and magnificent, his appearance extraordinarily handsome.
The imperial palace had also been completely transformed. Every imperial road was covered with red carpeting, red lanterns shone above the gates of every palace, and several of the major halls were decorated with colorful silk bearing the double-happiness character.
For the first time, a smile appeared on the Third Prince’s face.
“Your Majesty, please wait. Something unusual is happening ahead.”
The chief and deputy wedding envoys at the front suddenly stopped, and the procession behind them gradually came to a halt as well.
The Third Prince narrowed his eyes slightly and saw a massive group approaching in the distance. The person at the front rode a horse with imposing confidence, while an entire crowd chased behind him in utter chaos.
Mu Xueshi also noticed the Third Prince’s wedding procession and immediately slowed his horse. He could not help sighing. He had been so close, yet they had met halfway.
No one expressed surprise that the Empress had run out before the Emperor could arrive to receive him. The moment everyone saw Mu Xueshi clearly, they simply froze in place.
Mu Xueshi also wore a festive red robe identical in design to the Third Prince’s, down to the matching dragon patterns embroidered upon it. Yet the same garments created an entirely different impression on Mu Xueshi. The brilliant red paired with his stunning face produced a beauty so breathtaking it nearly robbed everyone of breath. Even the Third Prince, who had always remained calm before Mu Xueshi’s appearance, found his breathing growing unsteady.
Seeing that the Third Prince’s crimson imperial horse was far more beautiful than the one beneath him, Mu Xueshi immediately became jealous. He sprang from his own horse, flew directly toward the Third Prince’s mount, and landed steadily behind him.
“In the past, you were always the one sitting behind me and holding me. Today, I’ll hold you instead. What do you think?”
The Third Prince smiled faintly and asked Eunuch Tai’an, who was walking below, “What do you think, Eunuch Tai’an?”
Eunuch Tai’an hesitated before saying somewhat awkwardly, “In that case, this servant won’t be able to see Young Master Xue… the Empress…”
It took Mu Xueshi a while to understand. He then cried indignantly, “What is that supposed to mean?! What do you mean?! Am I really that short?”
The Third Prince refused to allow Mu Xueshi to continue making trouble and ordered him to sit properly in the sedan chair. Mu Xueshi adamantly refused. Unable to win against him, the Third Prince had no choice but to allow them to ride the same horse.
For a time, the imperial musicians were so busy staring at the two peerlessly handsome men on horseback that they forgot to play.
Only after quite a while did the palace music and ceremonial firecrackers begin again, accompanied by the ringing of bells and beating of drums. The chief and deputy envoys and several hundred officials led the procession. The Third Prince and Mu Xueshi rode in the center, surrounded by brightly dressed palace maids and guards, while several hundred imperial soldiers followed behind them.
The magnificent wedding procession left the palace gates and entered the streets.
All the common people came outside to watch the excitement. Several thousand soldiers had been dispatched merely to protect the procession. Every wedding gift presented to the Third Prince and Mu Xueshi had been converted into silver and distributed among the people. Every citizen beamed as though their own household were celebrating a joyous occasion.
“Look! Look! His Majesty is coming!”
“Where is the Empress?”
“Are you blind? He’s on the horse!”
“Heavens, this… this…”
Wherever Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince passed, the people stared in amazement. Even setting aside the unprecedented matter of a male Empress, the Empress seated at the front of the horse was enough to astonish them for quite some time.
“Why are all the commoners’ eyes bulging like lanterns? Can they not accept our marriage? Could this threaten your rule?”
The Third Prince merely smiled without answering.
As time passed, more and more people gathered in the streets. When they saw the Third Prince and Mu Xueshi approaching, they knelt one after another and offered their congratulations. The sight was deeply moving.
“I never expected the people to be so understanding of us.” Mu Xueshi also felt tears threatening to fill his eyes.
“Who could look at that face of yours and still bear to object?” The Third Prince lovingly kissed Mu Xueshi’s thin red lips.
Cries of surprise immediately erupted all around them.
Mu Xueshi pursed his lips and said, “Stop crediting everything to my face. This is personal charisma. Personal charisma, understand?!”
Finding Mu Xueshi unbearably adorable, the Third Prince wrapped an arm around his waist and lightly kissed his cheek again.
“Hey, I think I saw Master and Li Qian.” Mu Xueshi excitedly turned back to tell the Third Prince.
The Third Prince followed the direction Mu Xueshi indicated and glanced over. “Do not worry. They will all come to the palace to see us later.”
“Really? Then it will be wonderfully lively.” Mu Xueshi’s face lit up with delight.
The Third Prince was not nearly as pleased as Mu Xueshi. It remained uncertain whether their arrival would truly be a good thing.
After returning to the palace, the Third Prince held an enormous banquet for the assembled officials, leaving everyone thoroughly drunk. Lanterns and colorful decorations filled the palace, creating a scene of celebration everywhere.
Qinyi Courtyard was equally lively. Seeing all his friends and family gathered there, Mu Xueshi suggested that the Third Prince hold a traditional folk wedding ceremony. The Third Prince was in an exceptionally good mood that day and indulged every one of Mu Xueshi’s whims, cooperating with everything he proposed.
“First bow—to Heaven and Earth!” Eunuch Shangde called.
The two knelt respectfully and kowtowed twice before the altar of Heaven and Earth.
“Second bow—to the parents!” Eunuch Shangde called again.
Mu Xueshi now encountered a problem. To whom were they supposed to bow? It seemed neither side’s parents were present…
Suddenly, a figure flashed onto the tall chair before Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince. Mu Xueshi focused his gaze and discovered that the person now seated there steadily was Yue Lingchai.
“Aunt, why do you always appear and disappear like a ghost?” Mu Xueshi exclaimed.
Yue Lingchai looked dangerously at him and asked, “Xueshi, did you not promise Aunt that you would return and continue practicing martial arts?”
Mu Xueshi immediately ducked his head, looking deeply ashamed. He glanced at the Third Prince, who gave him a meaningful look. Mu Xueshi instantly understood and joined the Third Prince in kowtowing twice to Yue Lingchai.
A grown son can never be kept at home. Yue Lingchai could not help sighing inwardly.
Only after finishing his bows did Mu Xueshi suddenly remember something. His eyes widened as he demanded, “Aunt, why did you betray me?”
“What do you mean by betraying you?” Yue Lingchai appeared entirely composed, as though she knew nothing about the matter.
“This morning, I was practicing martial arts when I somehow ended up being carried into a sedan chair. Did you conspire with the Third… with His Majesty to do that?…”
The moment Mu Xueshi finished speaking, Yue Lingchai vanished.
Mu Xueshi looked around for a long while but could find no trace of her. He could not help grinding his teeth inwardly.
“Third bow—husband and husband bow to each other!”
The announcement dragged Mu Xueshi’s attention back.
The two knelt facing one another. It was the first time Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince had looked at each other like this while surrounded by so many people, and he could not help blushing.
The Third Prince took Mu Xueshi’s hand, and they bowed to one another. When Mu Xueshi raised his head, it was the first time he had ever seen the Third Prince smile with such happiness.
“The bride and groom shall drink the cross-cupped wine!”
“There is no bride. You called it wrong,” Mu Xueshi corrected Eunuch Shangde.
Eunuch Shangde had no choice but to amend his words. “The two grooms shall drink the cross-cupped wine!”
Qingya and Qingzhu each carried a tray to the Third Prince and Mu Xueshi, respectfully presenting them with a cup of wine. After Mu Xueshi took his cup, he suddenly said, “We cannot simply cross arms and drink. That would be boring.”
The Third Prince gazed at Mu Xueshi, waiting to see what strange idea that little head would devise.
“We will both cover our eyes and stand on the rooftops on opposite sides, then fly toward each other. If we can still pour the wine into each other’s mouths without seeing anything, we succeed. If either person fails to deliver the wine into the other’s mouth, it proves that person harbors divided loyalties.”
“Young Master Xue, you must judge the position accurately!”
“Young Master Xue, be careful!”
“Young Master Xue…”
Mu Xueshi could not resist removing the black cloth over his eyes. He looked at the cheering crowd and asked, “Why are all of you encouraging only me?”
Qingzhu answered frankly, “Because we are certain His Majesty can deliver the wine into your mouth. As for you…”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Mu Xueshi looked deeply wounded.
Laughter erupted all around him.
Mu Xueshi covered his eyes again and flew onto the eaves, sensing the direction and speed at which the Third Prince approached. To the Third Prince, this was no challenge at all. Even if his ears were blocked, he could still sense Mu Xueshi’s presence.
Two figures leapt from the eaves like twin gusts of wind and met closely in midair. The Third Prince reached Mu Xueshi’s lips first and poured every drop of the strong wine into his mouth without spilling any. Although Mu Xueshi was a step slower, he also accurately poured his wine into the Third Prince’s mouth.
The fragrance of wine filled the air, leaving a lingering aftertaste. Mu Xueshi removed his blindfold, and the two descended to the ground in each other’s arms.
Fireworks suddenly bloomed across the sky in every imaginable color, illuminating both their faces.
“To the bridal chamber! To the bridal chamber!”
A noisy chorus rose from all around. Mu Xueshi smiled until his cheeks turned red as the crowd escorted him into Qingyun Palace.
It was still the same room, now fully decorated. Apart from the additional colorful silk and ribbons, everything remained exactly as it had been in the beginning.
The two sat beside each other on the bed, suddenly unsure what to say.
The Third Prince stared intently at Mu Xueshi and abruptly said, “Xueshi, you are truly beautiful.”
Mu Xueshi’s vanity was immensely satisfied. He could not resist embracing the Third Prince and sighing, “The two of us have really had a difficult journey. For us to reach this point, we must have accumulated a great deal of virtue in our previous lives.”
Suddenly, someone pushed open the door. Mu Xueshi jumped and quickly turned toward the entrance.
Qingzhu entered while suppressing a smile, carrying tea. She placed it on the table and, before leaving, added, “Young Master Xue, what you just said truly ruined the mood.”
“How dare you use something I once scolded you with against me!” Mu Xueshi rebuked her angrily.
After Qingzhu left, Mu Xueshi asked the Third Prince in confusion, “Did you not forbid servants from casually entering your room before? Why have things become even less strict now that you are Emperor?”
The Third Prince leaned close to Mu Xueshi’s ear and whispered, “Today is the night everyone causes trouble in the bridal chamber. Even I cannot stop them if they insist on entering.”
The Third Prince’s breath tickled Mu Xueshi’s ear. Mu Xueshi pushed him away first and said, “I’ll bolt the door. Then they won’t be able to come inside.”
With that, Mu Xueshi tiptoed over and locked the door. Still feeling insecure, he pushed a table against it as well.
“That should be enough.” Mu Xueshi dusted off his hands, returned to the Third Prince, embraced him, and planted a kiss on him.
The Third Prince wrapped an arm around Mu Xueshi’s waist and kissed his lips.
Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind blew through the window. Mu Xueshi was startled as one person burst in through it, immediately followed by another.
“Brazen assassin! How dare you ambush His Majesty?”
After restraining the intruder, Su Ruhan smiled at Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, forgive the fright. This subordinate will drag this person outside and kill him immediately.”
Mu Xueshi said irritably, “Kill him for what? I saw him joining the commotion outside just moments ago.”
After Su Ruhan left, Mu Xueshi closed the window and bound it with iron wire to prevent anyone else from breaking in.
By then, Mu Xueshi’s mood had been thoroughly disrupted. He walked to the table, picked up the bowl of tea Qingzhu had brought, and drank several mouthfuls to calm his nerves.
Mu Xueshi returned to the bedside and sighed. “It seems the only people who missed our wedding were Sun Ye and Poison Master Moru. Who knows what distant corner they have wandered into? I’m honestly a little envious of them.”
“If you wish to live that kind of life, I would willingly hand the throne to another and accompany you—”
“No!” Mu Xueshi interrupted the Third Prince. “We cannot simply walk the same road that others have already taken.”
The moment he finished speaking, Mu Xueshi felt a violent pain tear through his abdomen. He pointed toward the bowl of tea on the table and said to the Third Prince, “Linxi, Qingzhu actually… actually poisoned the tea.”
“Qingzhu did not poison it. I did.”
Mu Xueshi looked up in disbelief and discovered a small opening in the ceiling, with a single eye peering through it.
Mu Xueshi was immediately startled. “Who are you?!”
“Were you not just talking about us?”
Mu Xueshi’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “Poison Master Moru! You’re far too sinister! You refused to come earlier, yet chose precisely this moment to cause trouble.” As soon as he finished speaking, another wave of agony struck his stomach, and he hurriedly demanded the antidote from Poison Master Moru.
Poison Master Moru lowered the antidote through the hole in the roof. After Mu Xueshi swallowed it, the pain in his stomach gradually faded. He looked aggrievedly at the Third Prince and said, “Our lives are truly miserable. A perfectly good wedding night has been ruined by one person after another barging in.”
The Third Prince merely smiled without speaking. Today, he was unusually generous and showed no intention of blaming anyone.
Mu Xueshi counted on his fingers. Nearly everyone capable of breaking inside had already done so, so things should finally settle down now. At this thought, he at last breathed a sigh of relief.
When the surroundings finally became quiet, Mu Xueshi lazily rested his head against the Third Prince’s shoulder and savored the rare warmth. The Third Prince’s hand slowly opened Mu Xueshi’s collar, removing the layers of clothing one by one until only his inner robe remained, with glimpses of snow-white skin showing beneath it.
Mu Xueshi’s breathing also quickened. Perhaps because it was their wedding night, an unfamiliar shyness rose within him. He slowly removed the Third Prince’s clothes as well. Gazing at the handsome face so close before him, he could not help becoming lost in it.
“Uncle!”
Mu Xueshi’s eyes abruptly flew open. Seeing that the Third Prince still had his eyes closed, he hurriedly convinced himself that he had imagined it.
“Master!”
The second call was so clear that Mu Xueshi nearly broke down as he shoved the Third Prince away.
He then saw Su Ying standing beside the bed. No one knew where the child had crawled in from, and a thin layer of dust covered his face.
“Su… Su Ying… Why are you here?” Mu Xueshi asked, on the verge of tears.
Su Ying blinked his bright, lively eyes and said, “Uncle, Su Ying wants to sleep with you tonight!”
Mu Xueshi’s head dropped heavily onto the pillow…
Futile Devices Scans 
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