CH 141

Grand Wedding

According to the Lunar Elder, an auspicious time had been chosen for the Emperor's wedding. It was said that if the love contract could be made and the wedding held on the 15th day of the month, the Emperor would not only successfully resolve the heavenly punishment, but would also be able to hold hands with his new empress and grow old together, loving each other until the end of time.

Yan Yuan returned from General Xuan Hall and stayed awake all night. In the shadow of the candlelight, he sat before the mirror, looking at his bloodless face in the mirror. There was no light in his pupils, just like a puppet whose soul had been sucked out.

"Emperor, it's time to change into your auspicious clothes." The fairy in pink said from behind him, carrying a white jade tray.

Yan Yuan did not seem to hear her, and only after a long time when she whispered again did he raise his hand and wave his hand. The auspicious clothes on the tray in her hand were instantly donned on Yan Yuan's body. His eyes were bright red, and he lifted his fingertips and slowly touched the golden thread embedded in the front of his chest.

"Would he like the way I look today..."

The fairy laughed and smiled:

"Answering the Emperor's words, you are one of the most handsome in the Heavenly Realm, and the Heavenly Empress has been pleased with you for a long time, so no matter how you are dressed, he will be happy to see you today. Moreover, these red wedding robes are even more beautiful than ordinary clothes, and it makes even the fairies' hearts palpitate when they see you."

Yan Yuan did not feel pleased at her praise, but the corners of his eyes reddened a little: "Liar."

"He won't even look at me anymore, how can he still like me..."

"He would be happy if I disappeared from his sight forever..."

The last thing Yan Yuan said was something that the fairy didn't hear, she only vaguely heard him say something about 'finally getting what he wants'.

The sky was gradually growing lighter, and daylight was pouring through the thick silver tent into Dongji Hall; it was an auspicious time that could not be missed.

"Emperor, it's getting late, let this immortal eunuch tie your hair."

The fairy was specially sent by Ye Ling Shenjun to attend to Yan Yuan as he was getting dressed. Her hands were very skillful, and in no time, she had combed Yan Yuan's waist-length hair smoothly. She was about to put the crown on when she suddenly saw a strand of pale snow-like white appear among the long hair that had slipped out of the silver comb.

The fate of a heavenly god is close to eternity. If there are no accidents, they will live for at least tens of thousands years, but Yan Yuan, a young man, who is only 200,000 years old, already had a white hair on his head.

The fairy eunuch's hand shook in shock: "Emperor..."

Yan Yuan was oblivious, only saying, "I don't like this golden crown, go and get a more exquisite one."

The white jade tray on the mirror table held a gold and jade crown, designed and made by the immortal craftsmen of the Nine Heavens for this wedding, and it was in a pair with the one for Immortal Monarch Zhiyu.

"But... if it is changed, it will not match the one of the Heavenly Empress." The fairy was worried.

"It doesn't matter, he won't mind." Yan Yuan smiled more and more gently.

"He and I were betrothed to each other with an iris, and I love irises. I happen to have an iris jade crown in my private treasury, which I bought when I went wandering with him in the mortal world that year. I have not worn it so far, but today is a good day, go and fetch it for me."

The fairy was surprised to hear this, as rumour had it that the Emperor was still in love with General Xuan Long and that he had been forced to marry Immortal Monarch Zhiyu by the Heavenly Way, but now it seems that the rumour was not credible.

The Emperor is obviously deeply in love with Immortal Monarch Zhiyu, otherwise he would not have been so meticulous, even down to picking out the crown and hair.

The fairy received her orders and took the token given by Yan Yuan to go to the Emperor's private treasury. It was a quick trip, but there were so many treasures in the treasury that it took some effort to find the tiny crown, so she asked some guards to help her search. After half a stick of incense, she finally found it.

She returned to Dongji Hall, holding the crown in her hands, and said to the man in front of the mirror: "Emperor, look at this..."

Her words came to an abrupt halt.

The hall was empty, the wind was blowing the silver tent from outside, the sky was darkening for no reason, and the whole chamber was plunged into darkness; where was Yan Yuan's figure that was in front of the mirror table?

"Emperor?"

The fairy searched inside and outside, but could not find him, so she ran out to ask the divine soldier outside the door, who looked bewildered and said that the Emperor had not left Dongji Hall.

As the auspicious time was approaching and there was no time to lose, the fairy had to go and report to Ye Ling Shenjun.

Inside the Temple of Clouds, Ye Ling was sitting behind a silver cabinet, holding an ancient book in his hand and reading it in a daze; it described the process of defusing heavenly punishment.

The marriage between Yan Yuan and Immortal Monarch Zhiyu was one of the steps, in addition to which, the wedding night had to take place, and only then would the true union of flesh and spirit be fulfilled in accordance with Heaven's will.

It was hard enough to convince Yan Yuan to get married, but forcing him to have a wedding night with Immortal Monarch Zhiyu would be even harder...

The door was suddenly pushed open and the pink-clothed fairy barged into the hall in a panic.

"Shenjun, it's not good… the Emperor is missing..."

Ye Ling Shenjun abruptly stood up and urgently said, "How could he be missing?"

As soon as the fairy had finished telling her story, there was a sudden 'boom' outside. There was lightning and thunder, and heavy rain poured down. The open door was swung back and forth by the fierce wind.

Just now, reading the ancient books, Ye Ling did not notice the sky outside, and only then did he realise that it was raining.

It never rained in the Heavenly Realm...

He didn't know what had occurred to him, but his face turned pale and the ancient book in his hand fell to the ground.

The fairy saw his shaky appearance and hurriedly got up to help him: "Shenjun!"

Ye Ling Shenjun drew his hand back and his lips trembled: "Quickly... go and inform the immortal gods that Yuan'er must be found before the hour dawns..." His voice grew quieter and quieter, and at the end of his sentence, he pressed his abdomen and bent over. 

"A'Ye!"

A man in black clothes appeared at the right time and lifted Ye Ling Shenjun into his arms.

Ye Ling's bony hand clung to Yan Jing's lapel and clenched tightly, sweating coldly in pain: "Yuan'er is gone, go and find him... The sky is showing a vision, it's a heavenly punishment… a heavenly punishment is coming... Go and find Yuan'er, leave me here..."

"Go quickly..."

The wedding should have been handled by Ye Ling, but since he was not well enough, Yan Jing had taken over, and it was because of this vision that Yan Jing rushed back.

He carried Ye Ling into the inner hall and placed him on the round bed, then put his palm on his flat belly and injected some divine energy to soothe the foetus: "Your foetal breath is unstable, don't get agitated, I will bring Yuan'er back, don't worry."

The baby had come suddenly. Ye Ling's abdomen had been wounded by Yan Jing and he had almost died during the birth of Yan Yuan, so it should have been impossible for him to have a baby again, but he did, and it came at such a bad time.

Ye Ling closed his eyes and leaned against the bed, pushing away Yan Jing's hand that was pressed against his abdomen, while tears welled up in the corners of his eyes: "You go… go now..."

Yan Jing was heartbroken. He leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, wiped away his tears, and ordered the fairies to take good care of Ye Ling before he got up and disappeared from the hall.

The gods received his orders and turned the Nine Heavens upside down, but there was no sign of Yan Yuan. As an emperor, it would be very easy for him to hide and not be found.