Aunt Mei Jiang stood beside her and sighed, "Your Majesty, don't be so sad.
A man as passionate as the Prince of Yuzhang can't bear the schemes of someone he cares about. He must hate Your Majesty this time. It's probably impossible to win him back."
Du Gu Luanyue slightly curled her lips and smiled, "I don't intend to win him back. Huo Wei and I were never meant to have a good ending.
The current situation is also a result of my own schemes. No matter how much Huo Wei stimulates me, I have to bear it myself.
Father is not in good health, and my twin brother has a congenital illness. I must go back as soon as possible, or there will be turmoil in the court of Southern Chu."
Aunt Mei Jiang said, "We should be able to leave soon. Finally, we can leave this Northern Yan."
During the severe winter in Northern Yan this year, the wind and snow never stopped. It was much colder than many previous years.
The emperor and the empress were supposed to attend the wedding banquet, but for some reason, Murong Min suddenly said he was ill and couldn't go. So he asked Du Gu Luanyue to go in his place.
She sat in front of the carved bronze mirror, looking at her face that hadn't shown a smile for a long time, and said,
"Aunt, make my makeup look more mature today. Just let me wear the dark green phoenix robe. Use jadeite for the jewelry in my hair."
Aunt Mei Jiang looked at her in the bronze mirror in confusion, "Your Majesty is the empress of the central palace. You should wear the bright red and golden phoenix-patterned brocade robe. Why do you want to dress so maturely?"
Du Gu Luanyue picked up the eyebrow pencil and did some touch-ups on her own. A hint of gloom appeared on her gorgeous face,
"Today is Huo Wei's wedding. How can I wear red? Since I'm attending on behalf of the elder generation, I should look more mature and steady. I can't dress too brightly either."
Aunt Mei Jiang was behind her, helping her put on the jadeite hairpin. She knew Du Gu Luanyue so well.
Dressing like this, looking mature and solemn, was to prevent the Wei family from looking down on her because of her age. She wanted to speak up for Huo Wei and stand up for him. She was worried that Huo Wei would be bullied by the Wei family in the future.
However, the person involved is often confused. With a personality like the Prince of Yuzhang, who could bully him?
The empress's phoenix carriage arrived at the front gate of the Grand Tutor's Mansion, followed by a group of Concubine Xian and her entourage.
Grand Tutor Wei, his wife, and the guests all came to greet the noble guests from the palace with happy expressions on their faces.
The entire Wei Mansion was covered with festive red silk. The maids and servants passing by all had small red flowers on their heads and waists, looking extremely festive.
A snow-covered mansion was dotted with bright red. Guests came and went in an endless stream, making it extremely lively.
Du Gu Luanyue walked in with her arms folded and her long robe trailing behind, "Everyone, please rise. I'm here to offer my congratulations. You don't need to be so formal."
Grand Tutor Wei and his group stood up straight, "Your Majesty, please come inside. It's snowing heavily outside. The Prince of Yuzhang and his entourage have already arrived. The wedding ceremony will start immediately."
As Du Gu Luanyue walked forward, she heard Grand Tutor Wei impatiently say, "Tell Huo Wei to hurry up. What's he dawdling about? A son-in-law living in his wife's family. Does he still want to put on airs?"
She immediately stopped in her tracks and gave him a cold look, "A son-in-law living in his wife's family?
Grand Tutor, besides being the son-in-law of your Wei family, Huo Wei is also the adopted son recognized by His Majesty and me. Do you look down on His Majesty's adopted son like this? Do you look down on His Majesty?"
Grand Tutor Wei quickly turned around, bowed his hands, and said,
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I don't mean that. I just want to speed up the process. Please take your seat first. I'll have the bride and groom enter the main hall to pay respects to Heaven and Earth right away."
Du Gu Luanyue stood in the middle and didn't sit down. Her jade-like eyes scanned the crowd solemnly and coldly, and she said,
"Grand Tutor Wei, His Majesty remembers that your Wei family has made great contributions to the Northern Yan Kingdom, so he gave your family a lot of face and arranged for the prince to marry into your family.
However, I have to remind you that the so - called son - in - law living in his wife's family is just a nice way of saying it. It's a euphemistic way to accommodate that matter.
If my adopted son is wronged in your Wei family, it's like slapping His Majesty in the face. It means your Wei family doesn't like His Majesty's arrangement."
No one expected that Empress Du Gu would suddenly get angry. Grand Tutor Wei quickly bowed,
"Your Majesty, I certainly wouldn't dare. The Prince of Yuzhang is still a prince. Our Wei family will definitely treat him well and respectfully. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
Only then did Aunt Mei Jiang help Du Gu Luanyue take her seat.
Du Gu Luanyue was very different from her usual charming self today. The phoenix crown on her head seemed like a dragon crown, making her look solemn and imposing.
When she sat there gracefully, the noisy people below naturally fell silent and didn't dare to move a bit.
Only then did these people gradually understand that the Prince of Yuzhang was highly regarded by the emperor and the empress. Otherwise, Empress Du Gu wouldn't have scolded a grand tutor of the country with a straight face during the wedding ceremony.
The wedding ceremony began. The wedding music played, and the bride and groom slowly walked into everyone's sight.
Du Gu Luanyue looked up and saw that it was the first time Huo Wei had appeared in front of people wearing a red robe. He was handsome and noble.
His eyebrows were still high and sharp. A cold snow seemed to be floating in his black pupils, showing no emotion. He walked forward step by step, then turned around and bowed for the first time, bowing to Heaven and Earth.
Huo Wei didn't even look at Du Gu Luanyue. He did every action like a puppet.
Du Gu Luanyue unconsciously tightened her fingers in the sleeve of her phoenix robe, watching his tall and straight back turn around.
That good - looking face that made all the men present pale in comparison was now dull and listless.
The heroic and cold lines of his face drooped. His once evil and lively black eyes were now lifeless. Then it was time to bow to the elders.
The last bow. Once this bow was made, they would truly be husband and wife. Du Gu Luanyue raised her head and drank the wine in front of her, covering her extremely disappointed face.
Just before the bowing ceremony, the entire Wei Mansion was suddenly surrounded by the emperor's imperial guards.
Zhao Chuhe, the former commander of the imperial guards who had been dismissed from the Zhao family, suddenly resumed his original position. He led the imperial guards into the wedding hall and shouted, "Come on, arrest the Prince of Yuzhang!"
The imperial guards separated the guests from Huo Wei. Huo Wei angrily threw the red silk flower in his hand on the ground, "What are you doing? Are you trying to rebel?"
Du Gu Luanyue also stood up at this moment and walked over, "Zhao Chuhe, you're being presumptuous. Can't you see that the Wei family is having a wedding? What do you mean by barging in like this?"
Zhao Chuhe's smile became arrogant, "I'm here to arrest the orphan of Jinyang. This orphan of Jinyang is Huo Wei, the Prince of Yuzhang!"
Murong Min suddenly sent someone to inform him that he would resume his original position immediately and then quickly rush to the Wei Mansion to arrest Huo Wei, the orphan of Jinyang.
Du Gu Luanyue's expression was a little stunned for a moment, but then she calmed down and said calmly,
"The Prince of Yuzhang is in the middle of his wedding ceremony. You suddenly barge in. Without evidence, you can't take him away."
She only felt it was absurd. How could Huo Wei be the orphan of Jinyang? He grew up on the border between Western Liao and Northern Yan since he was a child. Jinyang City, now Danyang City, was at the junction of Northern Yan and Southern Chu.
It was so far away. It was impossible for Huo Wei to be the orphan.
Zhao Chuhe took out Murong Min's imperial edict,
"I'm here to arrest him by His Majesty's order. Huo Wei, the Prince of Yuzhang, has been lurking for many years. He was reported not long ago, and there is solid evidence. Come on, take Huo Wei, the Prince of Yuzhang, away!"
Huo Wei was held down by the imperial guards and put in shackles. Overnight, he was thrown into the death row.