Who understands? He traveled through time with a high-spec spatial ability.

At 4:45 AM, the wedding procession arrived at the palace.

As the music began, Qiao Jingjing, adorned in a phoenix coronet and embroidered gown, her gold-embroidered phoenix dress shimmering in the sunlight, the pearl-studded skirt swaying with each step like a cascading galaxy. The jade bracelet on her wrist possessed exceptional clarity, making her skin appear even whiter than snow.

Tantai Zhou wore a python robe and had his hair tied up with a golden crown. His features were exquisite, yet he exuded a dignified and imposing aura.

He stood atop the high steps, reaching out to meet her. The instant their fingertips touched, the master of ceremonies announced, "The auspicious hour has arrived!"

All the officials offered their congratulations, and bells and drums resounded in unison.

Qiao Jingjing lowered her eyes and covered her face with a round fan, but she could still feel Tantai Zhou's burning gaze, as if he had a thousand words to say.

Incense smoke swirled within the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the Minister of Rites personally chanted the rites. Qiao Jingjing held one end of a red silk ribbon wrapped in gold, while the other end was in Tantai Zhou's hand. The jade knot adorning the ribbon swayed gently with each step.

Upon arriving at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Emperor and Empress sat on a high platform. As they entered the hall, nine sharp cracks of whips rang out from outside.

Li Dequan, who was beside the emperor, strode over, the jade scroll of the bright yellow imperial edict in his hand making a sound as it touched the ground.

The officials instantly knelt in a sea of ​​knees, and Qiao Jingjing felt Tantai Zhou's fingers tighten slightly in her palm.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Prince Chen, Tantai Zhou, is virtuous and talented, and enjoys the high regard of the people. He is hereby established as Crown Prince and shall enter the Eastern Palace immediately! Lady Qiao, Jingjing, is gentle and virtuous, and is hereby appointed as Crown Princess. This is the imperial decree!"

The hall erupted in commotion, followed by a chorus of congratulations.

"Greetings, Your Highness, may Your Highness live a thousand years!"

Qiao Jingjing's fingertips trembled slightly, never expecting that her wedding day would also be the ceremony for the crown prince's investiture.

Tantai Zhou held her hand tightly and whispered, "Jingjing, from now on, we will share the world together."

She looked up and met his deep, unfathomable eyes, which reflected the candlelight and her own silhouette.

A buzzing sound filled her ears, and Li Dequan's shrill voice still echoed in the hall, yet it seemed as if there was a veil between them. She subconsciously clenched the red silk in her hand, the fine gold threads on the silk digging painfully into her palm.

"Your Highness, please receive the imperial decree."

Li Dequan bowed and presented the imperial edict to her. Qiao Jingjing then seemed to wake from a dream, loosened the red silk and was about to kneel down, but was steadily supported by Tantai Zhou.

"Father has granted special permission that the Crown Princess may receive the decree standing up." His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Qiao Jingjing took a deep breath and accepted the heavy imperial edict with both hands.

On the bright yellow silk, a five-clawed golden dragon glared angrily, as if it wanted to pierce through the silk and pounce on her.

"Your subject obeys the decree and thanks Your Majesty for your grace." Tantai Zhou's voice pulled her back to reality. He led her to the high platform and bowed deeply to the Emperor and Empress.

Qiao Jingjing bowed gracefully in response to his movements, the pearls and jade on her phoenix crown clinking softly with each movement.

Through the cascading pearl tassels, she saw the Empress sitting gracefully beside the dragon throne, a very satisfied smile on her face.

"Rise." The Emperor's voice was deep and powerful. "Zhou'er, from this day forward, you are the Crown Prince. Governing a country is like governing a household; I hope you will remember this."

"Your subject will heed Your Majesty's teachings."

The emperor turned his gaze to Qiao Jingjing, his tone gentle: "Yongding, you have always acted with propriety and tact. I hope that after you enter the Eastern Palace, you can assist the Crown Prince and set an example for women throughout the land."

Qiao Jingjing felt a thin layer of sweat on her back. She bowed again, her voice surprisingly steady: "Your daughter-in-law will certainly fulfill her duties and live up to Your Majesty's grace."

As the final notes of the master of ceremonies' chant of "The ceremony is complete" still lingered in the hall, Tantai Zhou had already taken Qiao Jingjing's hand.

The warmth of his fingertips wafted through the gold-embroidered cuffs, and Qiao Jingjing couldn't help but curl her fingers. The pearl-inlaid nail guards gently brushed against his palm, causing Tantai Zhou to lower his head and chuckle softly.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked softly, hiding her laughter behind a round fan. The twin lotus flowers embroidered on the fan trembled slightly with her breath.

Tantai Zhou suddenly leaned closer, the scent of ambergris mixed with the agarwood fragrance emanating from her wedding dress wafting towards them: "Laugh at my Crown Princess, even when she's shy, her earlobes look like jade bathed in the glow of the sunset."

Qiao Jingjing then realized that her ears were burning hot.

Just as she was about to retort, she suddenly felt a cool sensation on her wrist—Tantai Zhou had slipped a mutton-fat jade bracelet down her slender wrist while everyone was bowing in greeting.

The inner wall of the jade bracelet is engraved with fine lines, and it feels slightly itchy when it touches the skin.

"This is..."

"Your mother gave it to you." His voice was as soft as a spring breeze brushing against peony petals. "She said it was a gift from your maternal grandmother to her future granddaughter-in-law."

Qiao Jingjing's heart skipped a beat.

When she looked up, she met Tantai Zhou's eyes, which were filled with starlight. There was no trace of the ruthless decisiveness she displayed in the court; instead, they were like willow branches in March, dipped in spring water, gentle enough to melt a thousand years of ice.

As the procession moved to the East Palace, it passed through the nine palace gates. On both sides of the vermilion palace walls, the early-blooming weeping crabapple blossoms, unable to withstand the night breeze, fluttered down and covered the newlyweds' shoulders.

Tantai Zhou raised his hand to brush away the flower petals from her temples, but his fingertips lingered on the pearl hairpin by her ear.

"what happened?"

"Don't move." He suddenly unfastened the gold-threaded buttons on his python robe. "The hairpin on your right side is loose."

Qiao Jingjing obediently looked up and watched him carefully re-secure the shaky pearl hairpin with gold thread.

Sunlight filtered through the cloud-patterned gauze curtains of the sedan chair, casting small, trembling shadows beneath his eyelashes, as if he were intently repairing some rare treasure.

Inside the East Palace's sleeping quarters, twelve pairs of candlesticks with intertwined lotus patterns illuminated the brocade curtains. After the palace servants filed out, Tantai Zhou suddenly took out an exquisite brocade box from her sleeve.

"Before the nuptial wine, a gift is given to the bride."

Inside the box lay a pair of exquisite, translucent glass goblets, each with a butterfly at the bottom that changed color with temperature. As Tantai Zhou poured warm wine into them, the originally icy blue butterfly wings gradually turned crimson, eventually transforming into a pair of rosy clouds poised to take flight.

She glanced furtively at the man beside her and noticed that his jawline was taut, and his composure in the hall just now seemed to be nothing more than a mask.

“Tantai Zhou…” she called softly.

Tantai Zhou paused slightly, turning his head to look at her, the icy look in his eyes melting away: "Did I frighten you?"

Qiao Jingjing shook her head, but couldn't help asking, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

A slight smile played on his lips, his eyes brimming with laughter. "I only found out recently myself."

The moment the wine touched her throat, Qiao Jingjing suddenly tasted a familiar sweet fragrance. It was green plum! She looked at Tantai Zhou with surprise and delight, and sure enough, he magically produced a small celadon jar from under the table.

"I stole the plums from your garden to make this wine, and buried it under that peach tree for two whole years," Tantai Zhou said with a smile, wiping the wine stains from her lips. "Back then, I was already wondering what to do with that jar of wine."

Qiao Jingjing covered his mouth in embarrassment and anger, but he took the opportunity to hug her waist and spin her around half a circle.

The layers of the wedding dress billowed up, knocking over several red candles on the table. The flowing wax tears, like suddenly melting rouge, bloomed into red plum blossoms on the jade bricks.

"Oh dear, the wax..."

"Never mind it." Tantai Zhou led her around in the candlelight, the beads hanging from his golden crown tinkling. "Do you know how long I've waited for this day?"

Suddenly, Tantai Zhou picked her up and carried her to the carved canopy bed. The children embroidered on the curtain of a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons seemed to come alive, laughing and playing in the flickering candlelight.

He removed her phoenix crown with utmost care, as if he were unwrapping a gift from heaven.

"Is it heavy?" He traced the red marks on her forehead where the gold jewelry had pressed against her skin.

Qiao Jingjing shook her head, the lingering scent of jasmine hair oil in her hair wafting out. She reached out and untied the tassels on his golden crown, his thick black hair cascading down like a waterfall, a few strands playfully tangling around her pearl necklace.

Suddenly, Tantai Zhou pulled a sachet from under his pillow. Two ducks were crookedly embroidered on the faded brocade.

"I've kept the token of love you gave me."

"Those are mandarin ducks!" Qiao Jingjing tried to snatch them, but he dodged her and she threw herself into his arms. Taking advantage of the moment, Tantai Zhou tied the ribbons from the bed curtains around their wrists, making a beautiful love knot.

"Folk tradition says that if you sleep tied up like this, you'll find each other again in the next life."

A night breeze rustled through the crabapple tree outside the window, carrying a few petals into the room, which landed on their clasped hands. Qiao Jingjing gazed at the golden incense balls hanging from the canopy and suddenly felt that all the splendor in the room could not compare to the tenderness in the eyes of the person before her.

"Tantai Zhou..."

"My dear, it's time to call me 'husband'." Tantai Zhou hugged her even tighter.

Qiao Jingjing's red lips parted slightly, but before she could utter the syllables of his name, she was swallowed up in a lingering kiss.