Chapter 99

As the saying goes, there are four great joys in life: a long drought finally meets a timely rain, an old friend is met in a foreign land, the wedding night in the bridal chamber, and the name being listed on the imperial examination results.

Xiaosheng is neither a farmer nor a local official. Whether it rains or not has nothing to do with him. He has never left Luojing to travel far, so it is impossible for him to meet an old friend in a foreign land. As for the imperial examination results, as a prince, he does not need to take the imperial exams, and it is impossible for his name to be listed on the results. Among the four great joys in life, the only one that could happen to Xiaosheng is the wedding night in the bridal chamber.

However, Xiaosheng is only fifteen years and eight months old, and he is still four months away from turning sixteen. According to the rules of the Da Hao Dynasty, a man must be sixteen to undergo the coming-of-age ceremony. Only after the ceremony is he considered an adult. Generally, even if one is to marry, it is usually after the coming-of-age ceremony. Therefore, Xiaosheng originally thought that the wedding night was still far away and would not need to be considered for three to five years.

Unfortunately, in life, plans often cannot keep up with changes. Xiaosheng never thought that he would have to face the wedding night before even undergoing the coming-of-age ceremony.

The day after the Empress's fortieth birthday banquet, in the Da Hao Imperial Palace, in the residence of the Tenth Prince, where the Fourteenth Prince Xiaosheng lived, the place was festooned with lanterns and decorations. All the doors and windows were adorned with large red "double happiness" characters. The window paper was replaced with new red paper, and the beams and pillars were wrapped in red silk. Although it was a bit vulgar, it was festive and made people feel genuinely happy.

Without a doubt, the person in charge of all this was none other than Eunuch Guan Canghai. He was busy running around, sweating profusely. His face, which usually looked like a dried orange peel, now resembled a blooming chrysanthemum. To outsiders, it was unclear whether Eunuch Guan was crying or laughing.

To be honest, Xiaosheng was rather at a loss about this matter. Originally, he wanted to explain to Eunuch Guan that he and Yuxuanji had no relationship. However, as soon as he opened his mouth, he was immediately interrupted by Eunuch Guan, who looked extremely impatient.

The old eunuch, who usually obeyed his young master's every command, displayed a rare authority today. As a half-elder, Eunuch Guan "ordered" Xiaosheng not to speak or move, to obediently follow instructions, and to sit and wait without causing trouble. When the time came, he should enter the bridal chamber on time.

The sudden display of authority had a significant effect. Xiaosheng broke out in a cold sweat and dared not say anything more. He obediently sat down and played the role of a wooden man.

After all the formalities were completed, it was finally time to enter the bridal chamber. Eunuch Guan Canghai, who might have drunk too much, burst into tears.

Amidst his sobs, Eunuch Guan pushed Xiaosheng's back, forcing the Fourteenth Prince into the bridal chamber, and choked out, "Your Majesty, the prince has finally grown up and is ready to start a family. The old servant can die without regrets." Then he slammed the door shut and left.

Xiaosheng was both angry and amused. He sighed and came to his senses. On the table, there was a bottle of wine and two cups. Beside them, two pairs of dragon and phoenix candles were burning. In the candlelight, a graceful figure sat by the bed, wearing a phoenix crown and a red robe, with a red veil covering her face. On the bed, there was a new golden lacquered chamber pot, filled with lotus seeds, lilies, red dates, chestnuts, and peanuts, symbolizing the birth of a noble son.

For a moment, Xiaosheng felt as if this were truly his wedding night, and the woman before him was his lifelong partner.

However, it was just a fleeting moment. His well-honed determination quickly restored his clarity. The Fourteenth Prince shook his head and laughed, "Military Advisor, sometimes I really don't understand what you're thinking. Is this wedding night game really that fun?"

"Hehe, I find it quite fun," the female military advisor's voice, slightly mischievous, came from under the red veil. At first, it seemed less dignified and composed than the usual Yuxuanji, but it had more vitality. She paused and laughed lightly, "Your Highness, the auspicious time has arrived. Aren't you going to lift the veil?"

Xiaosheng sighed, "Military Advisor, you are devoted to pursuing the Way of Heaven. You assist me to fulfill your own destiny. How could you truly care about worldly love? I, Xiaosheng, am not so foolish as to not see through this."

Yuxuanji smiled faintly, "Your Highness, you are only half right. The successors of the Tianji Sect indeed pursue the Way of Heaven and transcend the world. But the Way of Heaven is also the Way of Man, and destiny is also human fate. Worldly love may not be completely absent from my heart. You see through my heart, but do you see through yours? So, Your Highness, you have two choices now."

Xiaosheng asked curiously, "Oh, what are the two choices?"

Yuxuanji slowly said, "The first choice is that I give up all my supernatural powers and all my strategic calculations. Tonight, it will be a real wedding night for us. From now on, Your Highness will have a devoted little wife. The cost is losing the Tianji Star as your military advisor."

Xiaosheng said firmly, "Then the second choice is that everything remains the same. The Tianji Star will still be by my side, and tonight's wedding night will be just a show, right? Very well, I choose the second choice."

"Your Highness, don't you want to think it through carefully?" Yuxuanji's voice suddenly became incredibly soft and seductive, making one feel itchy from the inside out. "Your Highness has a destiny, and in the future, you won't lack for strategists or extraordinary people to help you. Yuxuanji is not irreplaceable."

"Is a military advisor without supernatural powers and strategic calculations still a military advisor? Perhaps I will get a devoted little wife, but to me, she would be a stranger, not what I truly want."

Xiaosheng smiled and said firmly, "Military Advisor, I know what I truly want. So let's not talk about this anymore."

"Your Highness, you are too greedy. Perhaps one day, you will regret it. But it might be me who regrets it. Who can say? Even the Tianji Sect, which claims to see through the Way of Heaven, is just a joke. The Way of Heaven is vast, and human power is limited. How can humans fully explore the Way of Heaven?"

Yuxuanji sighed softly and fell silent for a moment. Then she reached out and pulled off the red veil covering her face. She removed the phoenix crown and the red robe, returning to her usual appearance as the Tianji Star, wearing a simple white robe, with a cold and dignified demeanor.

She stood up, walked to the table, poured herself a cup of wine, and drank it all. She put the cup down and smiled, "No matter what, I must congratulate you, Your Highness."

Xiaosheng sat down at the table, took the wine bottle, and filled another cup. He gently twirled the cup and laughed, "What prince? This is sheer nonsense. There is only one sun in the sky, and one ruler for the people. There has never been a case where there are four crown princes. Is the Emperor not seriously ill and confused?"

"Confused? No. In my view, the Emperor is not confused but very clear-headed," Yuxuanji smiled faintly. "Now, the Empress actually holds all the power. Although the Emperor has not abdicated, his remaining power is very limited. His edicts only have effect in public. Otherwise, what difference is there between an edict and waste paper?"

Xiaosheng was startled and shook his head, "It can't be that bad." Recalling how Eunuch Zhang killed people at will in the Golden Hall, even making the Empress retreat, Xiaosheng shook his head again, "It can't be that bad."

Yuxuanji smiled slightly, "Whether it is that bad or not, we don't need to worry about it now. The most important thing is that this edict, which establishes four crown princes, has become a fait accompli. With Wen Dahai's assistance, reclaiming Huangfu Yu and Sima Tianxia and fully integrating the Eastern Wasteland's forces should be easy. With such a base, we can take advantage of the opportunity to expand our influence. This is very beneficial for Your Highness. However, there is still one difficulty."

Xiaosheng asked, "Oh? What difficulty?"

"The martial contest in the Imperial Ancestral Temple one year from now," Yuxuanji said seriously. "To be honest, what are your chances of winning this contest?"

Xiaosheng pondered, "Well... defeating my eighth brother should not be a problem. My second brother never shows his skills, so it's hard to say how strong he is. As for my fourth brother..."

Recalling the night before, when the Sword Prince drew his sword in the Golden Hall and displayed his sword dance, with the overwhelming aura of "a sword spanning three thousand miles, a single sword shining coldly over ninety states," Xiaosheng shook his head. "The sword is indeed the king of weapons. Even if the realm is the same, having a sword in hand naturally gives an advantage. My fourth brother is a sword expert. Even if we are both at the level of a chaotic deity, I have less than a fifty percent chance of winning.

Moreover, when my fourth brother was sixteen, he was already a true grandmaster at the first level of the divine realm. He is now twenty-three. Could he have made no progress in seven years? This battle, unless I use the Golden Phoenix Armor, to say I have any chance of winning is just a bad joke.

If it were a normal contest, I would just admit defeat if I couldn't win. But now, by making me one of the four crown princes, the Emperor has put me on the hot seat. If I lose this battle and lose my position as crown prince, my future will be very bleak.

As the saying goes, there is only one sun in the sky and one ruler for the people. Whoever becomes emperor will not be kind to the other three former crown princes. Ah, Emperor, you have truly put us, your sons, in a difficult position."