"I didn't~"
Zhuo Xun, Jian Qinwan, and Yue Lian unfolded their paper slips one after another, their tones betraying neither relief nor disappointment.
Liang Xiao then looked at Kreszty and Luo Qingxue, who had suddenly started to tremble.
Kreszty took a deep breath, spread her trembling hand to reveal a blank slip, and sighed with relief.
This way, she wouldn't have to offend any of the girls.
Luo Qingxue looked at her sisters, then at the violently shaking paper slip in her trembling hand, and carefully unfolded it.
"Lucky Bride!"
Thinking of Princess Ningshuang being interrogated endlessly until she wanted to disappear into the ground, Luo Qingxue nearly suffocated.
She was next...
Liang Xiao patted Luo Qingxue's shoulder and said earnestly, "See? It's fair. Don't be afraid. The Lucky Bride will be personally adorned by Commander Ning, entrusted by Shuang'er. She'll be very beautiful."
Luo Qingxue blushed and lowered her head. It wasn't until Liang Xiao left the room that she grabbed Jian Qinwan's sleeve and said pitifully, "Good sister!"
"What's wrong, sister?" Jian Qinwan asked softly, but her expression was one of obvious schadenfreude.
"Am I still your good sister? Didn't you still owe me regarding the matter of the Celestial Crystal?"
Upon hearing this, Jian Qinwan's mind went blank, and she nodded dazedly.
Liang Xiao went to discuss some matters for the next day with Liang Qing. When he returned, he saw Xiao Qing looking at him with a half-smile, and immediately became vigilant. "What's wrong? Is Qingxue planning to scheme against your husband?"
"You're a scoundrel, I won't tell you~" Xiao Qing hummed a little tune, held Liang Xiao's arm, and escorted him back to his room, before returning to her own room in the Liang Mansion to rest.
The Liang Mansion had also prepared a room for "Princess Ningshuang," in anticipation of Liang Xiao potentially spending nights with other wives in the future.
Since Jian Qinwan and the others were now recognized princesses of the Great Qian Kingdom and married Liang Xiao simultaneously, Xiao Qing had also managed to get the officials to declare three days of holiday for universal celebration.
That night, many found it difficult to fall asleep.
The next day, the Liang Mansion and the Marquis of An Manor were adorned with lanterns and festoons, distributing "wedding candies."
Children from the capital came to offer congratulations. After receiving their "wedding candies," they found a clean malt candy inside. Excited, they sang and danced at the entrance, cheering for the Marquis of An and his wives.
This world did not have firecrackers. For noble families, weddings would involve hiring orchestras, opera troupes, and civil officials and ushers to entertain guests and disperse the common folk at the entrance.
Mu Hong's father, the Prefect of Jingzhao, Mu Lingming, was in his own residence with a complex expression.
"My lord, the brothers have stopped the sixteenth woman. She was a talented lady who was apparently despairing over the Marquis of An's wedding and was about to drown herself..."
A guard ran to report. Mu Lingming curled his lips. "Indeed, it's a sad story for these women... Watch them carefully and make sure nothing goes wrong. We can't make the Marquis of An have trouble."
As an old official, and not being old family friends with the Liang family, neither Wang Canghai nor Huang Xing attended Liang Xiao's wedding. They only sent younger members of their families who knew Liang Xiao.
Even Gu Xiaoxiao, who had been in Jiangnan, came to the capital with He Qiushui and received an invitation.
Chen Shaoling, Li Hongshu, and Chen Xinyue also arrived at the Liang Mansion long ago, eagerly anticipating the event with the martial artists from the Heavenly Mountains.
Everyone wanted to see their junior sister in her fiery red wedding gown, fulfilling their long-held wishes.
Jian Qinwan was second only to Kreszty in height among the five girls, and even with her veil on, they could still recognize her.
As night fell, the Liang Mansion and the Marquis of An Manor were illuminated, creating a breathtaking scene.
At this moment, Liang Qing sat at the head of the table, his face beaming with joy. He thought to himself, "An Guo, your little piglet is finally ready to eat cabbage!!!"
Seated to Liang Qing's left were, in order: Sword Saint Jian Nanfeng, Medicine Saint Mu Xueqin, and Zither Saint Gongsun Jing.
Seated to Liang Qing's right were, in order: Minister of War Zhuo Wulüe, Zhuo Wulüe's wife, Madam Zhuo Lin, and Liang Anguo's secondary wife, Lu Xue.
Initially, Zhuo Wulüe wanted to switch seats with Lu Xue, but Lu Xue felt unworthy, considering she was not Liang Xiao's birth mother.
Liang Qing had assigned Zuo Wushang, under the guise of a family retainer, Liang Ke, to stand behind Liang Qing as if caring for the elder Liang, thus playing the role of a respected elder.
The Liang Mansion was already bustling with people, all of whom were talents promoted by Liang Xiao and descendants of various families.
Despite this, five hundred masked Shadow Guards were stationed at the Liang Mansion under the pretext of protecting the princess and the驸马.
After all, Liang Xiao was now related to the imperial family, and the occasional protection provided by the Shadow Guards did not violate the ironclad rules laid down by the founder of the dynasty.
A pair of Heavenly Mountain martial artists acted as ushers and shouted in unison, "Invite the groom and bride to pay respects!" The crowd immediately parted, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Among the crowd, women led by Ye Qingyi and Yi Rou gazed enviously at the six figures in the distance.
There, Liang Xiao, dressed as the groom, slowly walked forward with five veiled brides, smiling and gesturing to the crowd along the way, illuminating everyone's eyes.
The five brides were arranged on either side of Liang Xiao according to their height.
Leading the way were Zhen Mi in a red dress and Gongsun Yu, who had already tied her hair up like a boy, serving as the auspicious boy and girl.
At this moment, the invited young ladies were filled with envy, imagining themselves as one of the brides.
A few talented women gritted their teeth, trying hard not to cry out loud, lest they spoil the atmosphere.
Liang Xiao led the brides to Liang Qing, and they looked at the elders.
In the Great Qian Kingdom, seven is an auspicious number. The seven elders smiled with satisfaction, unable to hide their pride.
After all, even the Emperor had bestowed marriage upon Liang Xiao and allowed co-wives. Their daughters would surely leave a beautiful mark in the history books!
Xiao Qing, disguised as Princess Ningshuang, wearing a veil and a red dress, followed behind Liang Xiao. Seeing the lively scene, she couldn't help but feel envious.
When would she have a wedding as envied as her sisters, with even the Three Sages of Great Qian presiding over it...
Emperors and princesses were not allowed to bow casually to others. It was enough to witness her sisters and her beloved's wedding!
"First bow to heaven and earth!" "Second bow to the elders!" "Husband and wife bow to each other!"
Under the guidance of the ushers, Liang Xiao, holding the hands of the five brides, performed the bows one by one, to the sounds of envy and cheers.
Seeing their children getting married, the Three Sages of Great Qian, Zhuo Wulüe, and Madam Zhuo Lin finally felt relieved.
Zhen Mi gazed intently at Liang Xiao and the brides, her lips pursed, her eyes refusing to look away.
Xiao Qing noticed Zhen Mi's unusual behavior and whispered, "What's wrong, Mi'er?"
Zhen Mi murmured, "Mi'er really wants to grow up quickly..."
Xiao Qing and Ning Xuejun behind her were taken aback.
"Hehehe, then Little Yu wants to grow up quickly too!" Gongsun Yu, innocent and pure, chimed in.
Zhen Mi knew Gongsun Yu had misunderstood, but she simply held Gongsun Yu's hand, her gaze still fixed on Liang Xiao, and did not explain.
Xiao Qing watched, stunned for a moment, her red lips beneath the veil pursed. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He truly was a scoundrel!
At this moment, a certain groom named Liang was completely unaware of the situation behind him. He merely turned back and smiled at Xiao Qing, then led the brides to the wedding chamber.
Xiao Qing understood and followed closely with Zhen Mi, Gongsun Yu, and Ning Xuejun.
Elder Liang Qing began entertaining guests with his in-laws.
Jian Qinwan could no longer sleep with Zhen Mi, and Luo Qingxue could no longer sleep with Yue Lian. Including Xiao Qing, the six princesses each had their own rooms, decorated as wedding chambers, and the decorations would remain for at least seven days.