578: Chapter 578 Wedding Banquet

"The ceremony is complete! Congratulations to the City Lord and his wives. May you be of one heart forever, enjoy a harmonious union for a hundred years, and be blessed with children soon!"

As the master of ceremonies finished speaking, the citizens who had been waiting outside the hall for a long time instantly erupted into a tsunami of blessings and cheers. Wave after wave of sound echoed through Northern Border City, refusing to die down for a long time.

"Congratulations, City Lord! Congratulations to the Madams!"

"May the City Lord and the Madams be together for a long, long time, their deep love never betrayed, and may they rely on each other year after year!"

"May the City Lord's prestige spread far and wide, may the mountains and rivers of the Northern Border remain safe, and may there be eternal peace!"

The sounds of blessings were thunderous, soaring into the clouds and carrying the most sincere intentions of the entire city's people as they echoed between heaven and earth.

Situ Jun led the women and slowly walked out of the main hall, standing on the high platform in front of the City Lord's Manor.

The warm morning light spilled down, making everyone's red wedding attire appear even more dazzling. Red silk fluttered in the wind, joy filled the air, and all was quiet and beautiful.

He looked at his wives, whose faces were like blooming flowers, at the children sleeping peacefully in the maids' arms, at the thousands of citizens supporting him below the platform, and at the sincere blessings of the seated guests. His heart was filled with a mix of emotions; the regrets of half a lifetime finally dissipated at this moment.

He slowly raised his hand, circulating his internal Qi. His steady, resonant voice spread throughout Northern Border City, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Today, I, Situ Jun, have completed my grand wedding with my wives!"

"I, Situ Jun, shall not fail the world, nor the Northern Border, and certainly not the true loves in my heart! When we reunite in the future, I will stay by your side for a lifetime, never to be separated again, and we shall enjoy the prosperity of the mortal world together!"

The women looked at Situ Jun on the high platform, dressed in his wedding robes and looking heroic. Their eyes were filled with tears, yet they smiled brilliantly, their hearts full of certainty and happiness.

With ten miles of red makeup, the spring breeze as a witness, heaven and earth as the matchmaker, and the people as observers.

This grand wedding ceremony, delayed for many years, made up for all past debts. it gave every wife the status and dignity they deserved, and it firmly engraved the unforgettable deep love between Situ Jun and them into the long river of time, planting it deep within their hearts to never be erased.

Far away in the Imperial Study of the Tianqi Royal Capital, Emperor Li Xuan gripped a secret report sent urgently from the Northern Border. His face was so dark it looked like it could drip ink, and a violent aura surged around him.

"Situ Jun... actually has the mind to hold such an extravagant wedding?"

He slammed the intelligence report onto the desk, his knuckles turning white and his eyes filled with overwhelming hatred:

"So what if he has infinite glory? So what if the whole city is celebrating? It's nothing more than a terminal lucidity, a final bit of dignity!"

"Once you leave the Northern Border, everything—the city, the power, the glory, the women—will all be things within my grasp!"

However, he would never know that the bond between Situ Jun and his wives had long since entered their Bloodline and been carved into their marrow. Even if separated by thousands of years or miles, and despite undergoing countless hardships, it could never be cut or broken.

...

The wedding banquet stretched from the magnificent City Lord's Manor all the way to the main street of the city. The bluestone road was covered in red silk, and the banquet wound for several miles, seemingly without end.

The mellow aroma of fine wine and the fragrance of delicacies drifted with the wind, permeating the entire city. Guests filled the tables, laughing, talking, and clinking glasses; everywhere was a scene of extraordinary liveliness.

Situ Jun, dressed in bright red wedding robes and standing tall like a green pine, led his wives as they slowly moved through the banquet, toasting the guests table by table.

Everywhere he went was filled with blessings and congratulations. His eyes were gentle, and a soft, tender smile always hung on his face. Gone was the stern majesty of a City Lord, replaced only by the lingering tenderness of a newlywed.

Outside the city, the green mountains were lush; inside the city, cheers rose like a tide. The citizens took to the streets spontaneously, singing, dancing, and raising their glasses to celebrate the City Lord's wedding.

From the first light of dawn to the sunset-filled dusk, the entire Northern Border City was wrapped in a thick festive atmosphere. The sound of gongs and drums, laughter, and toasts intertwined, lingering for a long time.

Situ Jun moved gracefully among the various guests, high-spirited, the happiness in his eyes impossible to hide.

Everyone looked at this iron-blooded City Lord who had once shaken the Northern Border with his decisiveness and killing intent. Seeing him now, having shed his sharp edge to reveal a state of gentle tenderness, they couldn't help but feel envious. They praised him and his wives as a match made in heaven, a perfect couple.

Night fell quietly, and as the lights came on, every household in Northern Border City hung up red lanterns. The city's lights lit up one after another, dazzling like a sky full of stars falling into the mortal world, bathing the city in a warm glow. The festive atmosphere of the wedding did not fade; instead, it became even more intense and mellow.

Inside the City Lord's Manor, it was even more brightly lit. Red candles burned high in the halls, their flames swaying gently in the wind. The flickering glow spilled over the red silk throughout the room, filling it with warmth, and even the air was permeated with a sweet, festive aura.

As the night deepened, the guests departed one after another. The noise and bustle of the day gradually faded, and the vast City Lord's Manor shed its complexity, leaving only a room full of quiet warmth and an inseparable, lingering affection.

The bridal chamber was decorated with extreme elegance. Red silk surrounded the room, tassels hung lightly, and Dragon and Phoenix wedding candles burned high on the table, their flickering flames casting a gentle red light.

The bed was covered with a brocade quilt embroidered with patterns of mandarin ducks playing in the water. The stitching was fine, the patterns vivid, and everything within sight exuded the sweetness and joy of a new marriage.

The wives were all dressed in brilliant red makeup, sitting at the edge of the bed. The jewelry in their hair swayed, their eyes were full of spring, and their cheeks were flushed with a light crimson. Each was shy and moving, their expressions full of gentleness and joy.

Before long, the door was pushed open gently.

Situ Jun walked in slowly, having shed the fatigue of a day's socializing. His gaze fell upon the women on the bed whom he held dear, and the fatigue in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced only by inseparable tenderness and extreme pampering.

He stepped forward slowly, intending to take off the heavy phoenix crowns and jewelry from their heads one by one.

Su Yunniang sat closest to him, her expression gentle. Behind her in order were Li Danying, Shen Xingwan, Jiang Yan, and Xia Wei. Further back, Embroiderer, Luo Yu, Nangong Xue, Liu Xuaner, Su Wan, Chen Yufei, and over twenty other women were either sitting quietly by the bed or leaning on brocade stools, gathered in a circle, each with her own graceful style.

They were all still in their bright red wedding robes. The candlelight poured down, reflecting their skin as smooth as congealed fat and their features as beautiful as a painting. Whether dignified, enchanting, soft, pretty, or charming, they were like a hundred flowers competing in beauty, each blooming with its own brilliance. For a moment, the room was filled with radiance, dazzling the eyes.

Situ Jun first walked to Su Yunniang and gently removed her phoenix crown. His fingertips brushed past her temple, and noticing a stray strand of hair, he paused and tucked it behind her ear.

Su Yunniang slowly raised her eyes, her gaze meeting his. Her eyes were shimmering and full of lingering tenderness, as if a pulse of soft affection was about to overflow.

Turning to Li Danying, he saw that her phoenix crown was the most magnificent, intricately crafted from fine gold wire and inlaid with several thumb-sized rubies that were dazzlingly bright. Beneath the crown, three layers of dense pearl strings hung down, swaying gracefully.

Situ Jun raised his hand, carefully unfastening the gold hairpin that secured the phoenix crown. He held the crown steadily with both hands and slowly took it off. The pearl strings bumped against each other, making a crisp clinking sound, like crushed jade falling onto a plate, pleasant to the ear.

Li Danying tilted her head slightly, her eyes still slightly red from weeping with joy, but her lips wore a sweet smile. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she whispered coquettishly:

"Husband, this phoenix crown is too heavy. It's pressed down so hard my neck is almost too sore to move."

Situ Jun let out a low laugh upon hearing this and gently placed the phoenix crown on the side table. Then he reached out, his warm fingertips landing on the back of her neck, slowly kneading with just the right amount of pressure. Warmth seeped into her skin through his fingertips, dispelling the day's soreness.

Li Danying narrowed her eyes in comfort, like a satisfied little cat having its fur stroked, and unconsciously leaned against his arm and rubbed against it.