There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 474 The Wedding Day

September 28th, the eleventh year of the Purple Star Dynasty

The weather was perfect; the autumn sky was clear and crisp, and the sky was a pristine blue.

early morning

The Gu residence was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons, and a festive atmosphere filled the house.

Li Shuchen dragged Grape to Gu Ziying's boudoir early in the morning.

Inside the room, Gu Ziying had already finished dressing up. Wearing a pearl crown and a wedding dress, she looked dignified and radiant. A light touch of rouge on her face added to her beauty.

"Beautiful! So beautiful!" Li Shuchen circled around her, praising her. "Seventh Prince is truly blessed!"

Princess Changning also arrived. The usually haughty princess looked at Gu Ziying with much gentler eyes today, and handed her a sandalwood box.

"Here, the best beauty-enhancing pearl powder from the palace, and some calming incense I personally concocted, so you won't have trouble sleeping because of the affairs of the Prince's residence."

Ye Bingli arrived a little late, still dressed in light blue, but now wearing a light pink cloak over it to suit the occasion.

She didn't say much, but placed a scroll of ancient zither music score and a purple jade hairpin in Gu Ziying's hands: "The zither music score calms the mind, and the jade hairpin... complements you."

Liang Yuying was the last to arrive. Today, she wore a scarlet palace dress, which made her less austere and more radiant with a touch of heroic spirit.

She handed a long, flat brocade box to Gu Ziying and whispered, "A soft sword for self-defense, light and sharp. It's hidden at the bottom of your dowry chest. The Prince's mansion is nice, but it's better to be prepared."

Gu Ziying accepted them one by one, her eyes reddening again. Holding their hands, all her unspoken words were condensed into one sentence: "Thank you..."

The sound of drums and music outside grew louder as it approached, creating a deafening clamor.

"The wedding procession has arrived!"

Led by Xiao Xiuyuan, who had regained his princely status, he was dressed in a bright red dragon-embroidered prince's robe and a seven-beam crown, looking spirited and exceptionally handsome.

Behind him followed a group of attendants, all dressed in auspicious attire.

Li Lingxiao is handsome and dashing; Ruan Jingshang is shrewd and his businessman's demeanor is undeniable; Xu Shaobao, the heir apparent, keeps glancing at the women; Cheng Zhian is gentle and refined; Chen Shitou is honest and simple.

Upon arriving at Gu Ziying's door, one naturally could not easily let her in.

Li Shuchen and his group quickly left the house, closed the door, and began rubbing their hands together in anticipation.

"Your Highness! If you want to take the bride, you'll have to get past us first!" Li Shuchen stood with his hands on his hips in front of the door, a sly smile on his face.

"The first challenge is to compose a poem, with the themes of 'autumn day' and 'pairing up,' to urge the bride to get ready for her wedding."

All eyes naturally turned to the two talented men, Cheng Zhian and Xiao Xiuyuan.

Cheng Zhi'an smiled without saying a word, signaling for the protagonist to enter the stage.

Xiao Xiuyuan pondered for a moment, then said loudly

"Golden breeze, jade dew, and the fragrance of osmanthus"

"The sunset glows like brocade, illuminating the magnificent hall."

"Today I am fortunate to have found my soulmate."

"Together we compose a lasting symphony of human life."

Although the poem wasn't exceptional, it was perfectly timed and deeply moving, earning unanimous praise from the crowd.

Next, an exquisite mahogany tray was brought out, filled to the brim with a mixture of red and green beans, the red and green hues resembling a plate of scattered agate and jade.

Beside it lay a pair of specially made long chopsticks, a full two feet long, made of sandalwood, exceptionally smooth, and extremely difficult to grip.

What's even more ingenious is that the chopsticks aren't sharp and pointed, but deliberately blunted and rounded, making it significantly more difficult to pick up perfectly round beans.

"The second challenge is to use these chopsticks to pick out ninety-nine red beans within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, symbolizing longevity!"

Li Shuchen announced loudly, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "If you pick up the wrong mung bean, or if the bean falls halfway through, you'll have to deduct time! Your Highness, please proceed!"

The onlookers immediately began to buzz with discussion, craning their necks to watch the spectacle.

"These chopsticks look slippery!"

"Red beans and mung beans are about the same size, mixed together in a dazzling display, enough for an incense stick to burn? Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!"

"Isn't this just making things difficult for the groom? How interesting!"

The attendants behind Xiao Xiuyuan also looked troubled.

Li Lingxiao was eager to try it out. "Brother Xiao, how about I test the feel for you first?"

Ruan Jingshang stroked his chin: "This item tests finger dexterity, eyesight, and composure; it's quite rare in the business world."

Xu Shaobao muttered, "I'd rather shoot arrows..."

Cheng Zhian smiled but remained silent, only looking at Xiao Xiuyuan.

Xiao Xiuyuan simply smiled slightly and stepped forward calmly.

He first gently ran his fingers over the chopsticks to feel their texture and weight, then carefully examined the distribution of beans in the dish. Only after a stick of incense had been lit did he steadily lift the long chopsticks.

At first, everyone was watching with amusement.

Xiao Xiuyuan held his breath and focused intently, his wrist steady, and the seemingly clumsy long chopsticks in his hands seemed to come alive.

He wasn't in a hurry; each chopstick movement was extremely precise and gentle, always picking up red beans with fluid movements, one after another, steadily placing them into the small celadon bowl that had been prepared beforehand, without a single misstep! The red beans fell into the bowl with a crisp, pleasant "tap, tap," the rhythm steady.

"One, two, three..." Some children couldn't help but count along quietly.

"Hey, look! It's already halfway done! The incense has only burned a little bit!"

"Tsk tsk, that technique, it's so steady, like someone who's practiced!"

"Your Highness has such composure! And your eyesight is so sharp, you can distinguish red from green so clearly!"

Exclamations of surprise and admiration gradually replaced the initial teasing.

Xiao Xiuyuan remained completely undisturbed, his mind seemingly focused entirely on the chopsticks and the beans, his movements showing no sign of panic.

The beans seemed to be drawn by an invisible force under his touch, obediently submitting.

When the ninety-ninth red bean fell into the bowl with a "plop," it was crisp and perfectly round.

The incense stick next to it still had a small piece left that hadn't burned out!

"it is good--!"

The hall erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

"It was all done in one go, Brother Xiao, that's no challenge at all!" Li Lingxiao clapped his hands excitedly.

Ruan Jingshang cupped his hands in respect: "I admire you. Such composure and steady hands are more than enough for important matters."

Xu Shaobao was also convinced and gave a thumbs up.

Cheng Zhian nodded with a smile, feeling honored.

Li Shuchen stared wide-eyed at the empty incense burner, then at Xiao Xiuyuan, who was calmly putting away his chopsticks with a faint smile. After a long while, he muttered something under his breath.

"...A miscalculation! We should have soaked the beans in oil!" This drew another burst of laughter from the crowd.

The heat from the second level hadn't even dissipated when the items for the third level were already being brought out.

It was an exquisite love lock made of brass, tied with a brand-new red ribbon. The lock itself was small, with a line of delicate characters engraved on the front.

Li Shuchen cleared his throat, picked up the lock, and said loudly.

"This final challenge tests your understanding of each other. The groom must recite the riddle hidden in the lock and guess the answer. This item is the main ingredient in the lip rouge our bride will be using today."

She smiled brightly, "This is a question personally set by Ziying. Whether you can guess it or not depends on how hard you've put your mind to it!"

The crowd's curiosity was piqued, and they all quieted down, pricking up their ears.