#524 - The waxing and waning of the moon, the sorrows and joys of separation and reunion (Part 2)

Finally.

Amidst the worried yet relieved gazes of Liang Zhen and the others, Wei Changtian appeared beside Liang Qin right on time.

Then came the even more elaborate wedding ceremony.

Stepping on the red carpet, offering incense to the ancestors, three kneelings, nine kowtows, six prostrations...

Throughout the entire process, Wei Changtian maintained a smile on his face, but anyone could tell that the smile was somewhat forced.

Wei Changtian didn't know why he had made that decision just now.

After all, from a purely rational perspective, even if he had to watch Li Wutong die before his eyes, he shouldn't have allowed the latter to leave.

But Wei Changtian couldn't bring himself to be so cold-blooded.

And he was genuinely feeling very irritable at that moment.

Irritated both by the problem that Ning Yongnian had created for him, and by Li Wutong's "foolishness."

To be honest, Wei Changtian could understand Li Wutong.

However, he really had no other choice.

If he didn't let Li Wutong try, the latter would definitely not let the matter rest.

Since that was the case, then let her go...

Perhaps it was an impulse after feeling deeply exhausted, or perhaps it was a compromise out of helplessness.

When Wei Changtian and Liang Qin faced the east to complete the final bow, he still sighed softly.

He suddenly remembered the woman with long flowing hair standing in the sunset when he left Fengyuan several months ago.

He still remembered the red glow that spilled across the sky that day, as scarlet as it was today.

"Young Master!"

"When we meet again, you must marry me!"

"You promised me!"

"..."

Reaching out to help the bride in front of him, he turned his head to look at the red clouds in the sky.

The sky was filled with the blazing glow of the setting sun.

It was like the blush on a young girl's face, and like the blooming flowers on the trees, melting countless joys and sorrows, reunions and partings of the world at this sunset moment.

Xu Hour (7-9 PM).

The moon hung on the treetops, and large red lanterns adorned the entire city of Shuzhou.

Just as Wei Changtian was exchanging toasts with the guests, Zhang San quietly ran over and whispered a report:

"Young Master, Princess Wuping has just left the city."

"Mm."

Nodding, Wei Changtian's expression didn't change in the slightest.

He poured himself another cup of wine, then smiled and clinked glasses with You Wenzong.

"Chancellor You! I'll toast to you!"

"Young Master is too kind, it should be I who toasts to you."

"Hahaha, who toasts whom is the same!"

"Yes, Young Master, please drink slowly..."

"..."

After toasting You Wenzong, he toasted Chen Zhong.

Holding the wine cup, Wei Changtian toasted all the "important officials" of the Shu Kingdom one by one, but didn't say another word to Zhang San behind him.

At first, Zhang San thought that he hadn't yet decided how to deal with Li Wutong, so he silently followed behind.

But just as Wei Changtian finished toasting one table and headed straight for another table of "outstanding Shu Kingdom merchant representatives" with the wine pot, he suddenly stopped and finally understood Wei Changtian's attitude.

Turning around and walking out of the lively front yard, he rounded the street corner and stopped in front of a man in black.

"Brother Zhang, what are the Young Master's instructions?"

Shaking his head, Zhang San replied calmly: "Tell the brothers to come back."

"Ah? Not following her?"

"Mm, no need to follow her."

"..."

Hai Hour (9-11 PM).

The night was already deep, but the liveliness of Shuzhou City hadn't diminished in the slightest.

The trees were adorned with silver flowers of light, and the iron chains of the star bridge were open.

Orange-red fireworks with long tails streaked into the night sky, carrying the joy of the world to the heavens.

Firecrackers could be heard everywhere in the various market districts, playful children chased after each other with lanterns, and people with colorful flowers tied in their hair buns greeted each other on the streets, smiling and cupping their hands to congratulate each other.

And just as the festive scene in the city reached its peak, Wei Changtian slowly lifted the red veil that Liang Qin had been wearing all day.

Concubines didn't wear veils, so this was his first time doing this.

Under the veil was a small, flushed face, adorned with a phoenix coronet and a ceremonial robe, with tassels hanging down.

Liang Qin usually never wore makeup, so her appearance with powder and rouge today actually made Wei Changtian not recognize her a little.

"Ch-, Changtian-ge, why are you staring at me...?"

Her fingers tightly clutching a corner of her red dress, Liang Qin lowered her head shyly.

"Y-, you've seen what I look like before..."

"Uh... this appearance is indeed the first time I've seen it."

Wei Changtian sat down by the bed with a smile, sincerely exclaiming, "So beautiful."

"I-, is that so...?"

Being praised by Wei Changtian, Liang Qin lowered her head even further.

She stammered for a long time, then asked softly, "Changtian-ge, in the future, will I have to call you H-, Husband...?"

"Hahaha, as you wish, you can call me whatever you want."

"Th-, then can I still call you Changtian-ge...?"

"Of course you can."

"Chang-, Changtian-ge..."

"What's wrong?"

"We should tie our hair together..."

"Tie our hair? Oh, right, right, right."

Wei Changtian patted his forehead, only then remembering the set of procedures after entering the bridal chamber that Comrade Xiao Xu had repeatedly instructed him on yesterday.

First tie the hair, then drink the nuptial wine, then throw the cups, and then you can do that thing...

Picking up the scissors tied with red silk that had been prepared earlier, Wei Changtian first cut off a strand of Liang Qin's long hair, then handed the scissors to the latter, so that Liang Qin could cut off a strand of his own hair.

The two strands of hair were tied together, which was called "tying the hair."

"Swish~"

Watching Liang Qin carefully put the two people's hair into a small silk bag and tie it up, Wei Changtian smiled and took the wine pot and poured two cups of wine.

The transparent wine swirled in the cups, and the aroma of the wine was gentle.

The two people each raised their wine cups, their eyes meeting.

However, the next moment, Liang Qin suddenly hesitated softly:

"Changtian-ge, d-, do you have something on your mind?"

"Mm?"

Wei Changtian thought that he had been pretending well all along, but he didn't expect that Liang Qin would still see something different.

"It's nothing, don't think too much."

"Oh..."

Liang Qin nodded lightly, then gently clinked glasses with Wei Changtian.

The wine in the cup entered their throats, and the cups were thrown under the bed, one up and one down, commonly said to be auspicious.

At this point, all the procedures for today were finally completed.

The red wedding curtains were closed, and Liang Qin trembled slightly as she took off the Xiuhe dress on her body piece by piece.

It was only at this time that Wei Changtian noticed that she was actually wearing the wooden hairpin in her hair.

And just as he was staring blankly at the wooden hairpin, an extremely gentle and happy voice suddenly sounded softly.

"Changtian-ge..."

"I-, I'm so happy..."

Outside Shuzhou City, on the official road.

"Hiss!"

"Bang!"

When Li Wutong suddenly tightened the reins, causing the steed beneath her to raise its front hooves high, a huge firework just happened to explode in the sky above Shuzhou City behind her.

Then came the second and third...

The golden firelight lit up and then went out, fleeting like a startled swan, short-lived and brilliant.

Staring blankly at the brilliant fireworks, Li Wutong's body swayed for a moment.

She tried to hold back her tears, but the next moment tears still burst out of her eyes uncontrollably.

"Wuwuwu!"

"Wuwuwuwu!"

"Wh-, why...?"

"Why!!"

The heart-wrenching cry was hoarse, as if mixed with endless pain.

Li Wutong knew that after she left this time, perhaps she would never have the chance to see Wei Changtian again in this life.

But she had to leave.

And this painful cry that no one could hear was her final farewell to Wei Changtian.

Affection has always left regrets since ancient times, and good dreams are the easiest to wake from.

This was the poem Wei Changtian had used to persuade her.

However, Li Wutong now无比 hoped that she would stay in the good dream forever, and无比 hoped that everything had never happened.

She even preferred to have never met Wei Changtian, rather than suffer such a torment worse than death now.

It's just that, beautiful dreams will eventually wake up.

"Bang!!"

Another firework bloomed, and the remaining light fell, with no extinguishment of the unknown.

Wiping away the last tear from the corner of her eye, Li Wutong, who had no more tears to shed, never looked back.

A crescent moon hung high in the sky, gently spilling silver light across the ground.

The wutong tree was hit by the fierce west wind last night, the pale moon was hazy and bright, and good dreams were frequently disturbed. Where in a tall building does a wild goose cry?

"Don't worry."

"Husband."