"Let me do your hair!" Dongfang Heng kissed Shen Lixue's cheek, pressed her down on the stool, picked up the sandalwood comb, and the smooth black hair flew up and down in his hands. In no time, he had styled her hair into an exquisite bun, adorned with hairpins and pearl flowers. The woman in the mirror was radiant and beautiful.
Shen Lixue stood in front of the mirror, carefully examining herself, and joked with a smile: "You are so knowledgeable about women's clothing and hairstyling, it seems I won't need to call in maids to serve me anymore!"
"To be husband and wife for life and tie our hair together for eternity, that's a good idea!" Dongfang Heng's handsome profile gently touched Shen Lixue's beautiful face, their affection deep.
Shen Lixue was filled with happiness. Glancing at the sky outside the window, she suddenly stood up and said, "It's getting late, let's go serve tea!"
Outside, Yan Yue and Qiu He were on high alert. When they saw Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue come out dressed neatly, they were slightly taken aback. The princess was not usually good at buttoning her clothes, but now, her clothes were buttoned up more neatly than theirs, and her hair was styled more exquisitely than theirs. Did the prince help her?
"Qiuhe, Yanyue, go inside and tidy up the rooms. We'll go to the front hall to serve tea!" Shen Lixue gently instructed, her eyes smiling, as she took Dongfang Heng's arm and walked out of Fengsong Courtyard.
Watching the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, Qiuhe couldn't help but exclaim, "The princess and the prince are such a perfect match!"
Yan Yue tugged at Qiu He's sleeve and strode forward: "I envy you finding a good husband too! Now let's hurry up and tidy up the room!"
The old prince had already eaten breakfast and was sitting in the front hall. The newlyweds were late in arriving, but he was neither impatient nor annoyed. He didn't ask anyone to urge them and just sat there, leisurely sipping his tea. Suddenly, in the bright sunlight, two familiar figures walked over.
The man wore a white satin coat with a dragon pattern and a magnificent cloud sea embroidered on it, which was the prince's usual attire. The woman wore a light purple Ruan Yanluo dress with a slightly trailing hem, which was elegant and fresh. Her clothes complemented the man's perfectly, and they were a very well-matched couple.
A hint of relief flashed in the old prince's eyes; with Dongfang Heng getting married, one of his wishes had been fulfilled.
The old prince was Dongfang Heng's biological grandfather and the rightful master of the Holy Prince's Mansion. Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue, as his juniors, kowtowed and offered tea, behaving in a very proper and respectful manner.
The old prince was overjoyed and presented him with a pair of rare and auspicious moon pearls!
Dongfang Xun presented her with a pair of exquisite South China Sea jade corals. Shen Lixue stood beside Dongfang Heng with a slight smile, her eyes and brows brimming with happiness, though her gaze was slightly dim.
"Heng'er, Lixue, the Prince Zhan has sent a letter!" The old prince put down his teacup and took out an envelope: "He encountered a thorny matter in Qingzhou and needs to deal with it as soon as possible. He can't spare the time to attend your wedding for the time being, so he sent someone to deliver gifts!"
Shen Lixue took the envelope, opened it, and quickly glanced through it. The contents were similar to what the old prince had said, and her heart pounded slightly. The War King was the Azure Flame War God, and anything that could make him feel troubled was definitely not simple.
"Don't worry, even the most difficult situation can be handled by the Sixth Imperial Uncle!" Dongfang Heng held Shen Lixue's slightly cool hand tightly and comforted her softly.
"I know!" Shen Lixue nodded. The Azure Flame War Gods, nothing can stump them.
"Cough cough cough!" The old prince coughed a few times to remind Dongfang Heng that there were other people in the room. From childhood to adulthood, Dongfang Heng had always been cold and aloof. Even when facing his grandfather, his attitude was not indifferent, but he didn't say much either.
Now that they're married, his feelings have warmed up, and he's talking more. This is a good thing, all thanks to Shen Lixue. The old prince looks at her with satisfaction, and his tone becomes even more kind: "Lixue, you also have a third uncle who is currently serving in another county. He's brought his family with him, and he'll be back soon after his term ends..."
Shen Lixue listened carefully and nodded gently. She had heard Dongfang Heng mention that the old prince had two sons born out of wedlock. One was Dongfang Yi, who had died, and the other was the third uncle that the old prince mentioned.
At this moment, the steward entered the room, holding a gold-embossed invitation: "Your Highness, Your Highness's Consort, the Prince of Huai's residence has sent an invitation, inviting you to come to our residence for a chat!"
Dongfang Heng accepted the invitation, quickly glanced at it, looked at the steward waiting at the door, and said softly, "The Prince of Huai's residence rarely hosts banquets, so I must accept the Fourth Imperial Uncle's invitation!"
After bidding farewell to the old prince, Shen Lixue and Dongfang Heng left the living room and headed to the Huai Prince's residence for a banquet.
"Dongfang Heng, what kind of person is that Third Uncle?" The luxurious carriage sped along the main road, the ride smooth and uneventful. Shen Lixue nestled in Dongfang Heng's arms, her eyes half-closed, her expression languid.
"He is smarter than Dongfang Yi!" Dongfang Heng gave his assessment after a moment's thought.
Shen Lixue frowned: "You mean, he's cunning in his actions, making it impossible for anyone to find fault with him?"
Dongfang Heng's gaze was deep: "I rarely return to the Holy King's Mansion. My impression of him is limited to the two times we met. He is very smooth in his dealings and is a very shrewd person. He has never done anything underhanded, unlike Dongfang Yi, who always secretly caused conflicts between us two brothers."
“Someone like him is either an upright person with no ill intentions, or he is someone who is very good at hiding his true abilities and will make a name for himself when he does!” Shen Lixue’s eyes narrowed. This kind of person is truly formidable.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and a commotion could be heard through the curtains.
Shen Lixue straightened up and lifted the carriage curtain: "What happened?"
The coachman whispered a few words to the pedestrians, then looked carefully ahead: "Your Highness, there's been some trouble ahead. All the carriages are stuck here and can't move forward for the time being!"
Shen Lixue looked at the sun high in the sky and suggested, "Dongfang Heng, the Prince of Huai's residence isn't far away. Let's get out of the carriage and walk there!"
“Alright!” Dongfang Heng got off the carriage first, reached out and lifted Shen Lixue down, gently holding her shoulders as they walked slowly forward.
Shops lined both sides of the street, and many vendors were hawking their wares. Shen Lixue noticed a small stall surrounded by pedestrians. The vendor was selling fans, which were made of silk and embroidered with various landscape, flower and bird patterns. The tops were trimmed with soft fur in white, blue, yellow and red, making them very beautiful.
In modern times, there are electric air conditioners and fans, but manual fans are extremely rare. After coming to ancient times, Shen Lixue had seen many paper fans, but this kind of silk fan was the first time she had ever seen one.
"The fans are so beautiful!" She walked over quickly, picked up a few fans and looked at them, then chose a white silk fan.
Dongfang Heng paid the money, then took her out of the crowd. Just as they were about to head to the Prince of Huai's residence, they ran into their old nemesis, Dongfang Zhan.
Shen Lixue bought the silk fan not to fan herself, but to decorate. She had excellent taste; the white silk fan paired with her light purple Xiang skirt was elegant yet pure, and it complemented Dongfang Heng's white dress perfectly.
The two of them are like the left and right sides of a Chinese character, which, because of this white silk fan, blend together even more perfectly, more harmoniously, and more perfectly.
The fan felt wonderful to the touch. Shen Lixue gently fanned herself, the white fluff fluttering beautifully in the breeze. She nodded in satisfaction, "East..."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Dongfang Zhan directly in front of her. Her smiling gaze instantly turned cold, and she said in a chilling voice, "Prince Zhan!"
Dongfang Heng's handsome face also turned somewhat gloomy. Shen Lixue's fresh and lovely smile as she waved her fan deeply stung his heart. It was just a broken fan and a tael of silver, yet she was so happy. She was so easily fooled.
"We have other matters to attend to, farewell!" Dongfang Heng glanced at Dongfang Zhan indifferently, then embraced Shen Lixue and walked past Dongfang Zhan slowly forward.
He didn't deliberately show off or flaunt their affection. They were just naturally like any other ordinary couple, yet they possessed a happiness and tacit understanding that most couples lack. With just a glance, they knew what the other wanted and what they wanted to do. Their perfect match was enviable and even infuriating.
Dongfang Zhan found Dongfang Heng's arm draped over Shen Lixue's shoulder extremely offensive and wished he could rush forward and tear that arm off.
What's even more infuriating is that Dongfang Heng, dressed in white, and Shen Lixue, in a light purple Xiang dress, walked together, their colors perfectly matched, and their figures were also very compatible. In particular, the two were talking to each other while walking, their white silk fans flashing from time to time, showing their close relationship, which truly stung Dongfang Zhan's eyes.
"Your Highness, it's getting late!" A guard beside him glanced at the sky and whispered a reminder.
"Let's go!" Dongfang Zhan frowned and strode forward. After walking a distance, he realized that he, Dongfang Heng, and Shen Lixue were all heading in the same direction.
Shen Lixue and Dongfang Heng turned into a small alley again. Looking back, Dongfang Zhan and several guards were still walking at a distance behind them.