The Ninth Day of the Ninth Month, in the sixth year of Emperor Changde reign was considered auspicious day for weddings, betrothals, and bedchamber rites.
The Wei mansion blazed with red lanterns and double-happiness symbols. Servants bustled about as Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao were moved out of their room at dawn. It was going to be converted into a bridal chamber.
The grooms, now idle, first ambled to the kitchen for breakfast before being separated into different rooms to prevent pre-wedding clinginess.
With nothing else to do, each was handed a book for "evening studies."
Jiang Lin flipped through the contents and found it different from the two he had seen before, proving that these fire-avoidance illustrations came in many varieties, and the market was vast enough to be a lucrative venture.
[fire-avoidance illustrations ((避火图): a type of erotic art/painting used in ancient China, primarily during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1912) dynasties]
Though they weren’t allowed to meet, no one said they couldn’t engage in other mischief. Hearing a knock from the next room, Jiang Lin leaned out the window just as Wei Yunzhao poked his head out and tossed a paper ball at him.
Jiang Lin unfolded it to find the words: "My wife, are the fire-avoidance illustrations to your liking?"
Finding no paper or brush in his room, Jiang Lin called for someone to bring him some, scribbled a reply, and tossed it back. The exchange continued until a small pile of crumpled paper balls accumulated between them.
Living under the same roof had spared them the bridal procession, but the wait felt agonizingly long. Finally, when close friends arrived to offer congratulations, they were urged into their wedding robes, adorned with golden crowns, and led out of their rooms.
A maid waited at the door with a red silk ribbon. Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao each took an end and walked side by side into the main hall.
The crimson wedding robes suited them perfectly. With no veils to obscure their faces, the two young and handsome men wore smiles as servants along the way murmured praises about how well-matched the young master and his bride were.
At the head of the hall sat Madam Wei on one side and the ancestral tablet of Wei Su on the other, flanked by Wei family members and guests.
The housekeeper stood nearby and announced loudly, "The auspicious hour has arrived! The newlyweds shall bow to heaven and earth!"
"First, bow to heaven and earth!"
"Second, bow to the ancestors!"
"Third, bow to each other as husband and husband! Escort them to the bridal chamber!"
Amidst the guests’ cheers, the two were swept into the bridal chamber, still holding the red silk ribbon.
Neither being women, they didn’t need to sit and wait in the chamber. After completing the rituals, they stepped out to toast the guests.
Zhou Chengwang and Du Yuling were the rowdiest of the bunch, immediately pulling them aside for drinks. Zhou Chengwang whispered to Jiang Lin while urging Du Yuling to keep Wei Yunzhao’s cup full, "Don’t worry, once we get that Wei fellow drunk, you’ll be the one in charge tonight. You know what I mean."
Jiang Lin smirked. "Xiao Wangzi, seems you and Xiao Lingzi have made quick progress. You already know about ‘taking charge,’ has he been bullying you often?"
Their relationship had already been acknowledged. With their families neither expecting greatness nor heirs from them, aside from a beating, things had gone smoothly.
Zhou Chengwang made a bitter face and launched into complaints about Du Yuling’s tyranny. "He’s downright shameless! Do you know how many fire-avoidance illustrations he bought? Every single variation sold on the streets, he got one of each! And he had the nerve to say we’d try every position! Since when was he such a beast?"
"Well, now you know. I appreciate the thought, but don’t worry, when your wedding comes, I’ll bring Wei Yunzhao to get him drunk so you can take charge."
Zhou Chengwang brightened immediately. "Lin’er, I knew you were my best friend! I’ll tell my parents to prepare the wedding right away, I need to marry that beast Du Yuling as soon as possible!"
Jiang Lin humored him, and Zhou Chengwang, convinced of their unshakeable brotherhood, showered him with blessings until his words nearly tripped over themselves.
Jiang Lin thanked him, then added, "If you really consider us brothers, go talk your man into drinking less with Wei Yunzhao. I still have a wedding night to attend to, and trust me... I don’t need him drunk to handle him."
Successfully persuaded, Zhou Chengwang dragged Du Yuling away.
The remaining guests were mostly military men Wei Yunzhao had befriended, along with his subordinates. Jiang Lin spotted the beggar gang leader Wang San, clearly part of the "Number Squad" alongside Xun Qi and Chu Ba.
Wang San stood and raised his cup. "Young Master, Young Madam, Wang San toasts you. May your union be blessed and everlasting."
Wei Yunzhao clinked cups with him. "Thank you."
"Young Master, I, Wang San, never backed the wrong man. You kept every promise, and I’ll follow you forever. And Young Madam, you’re a force to be reckoned with. I salute you both!"
They drank again, but Wang San seemed ready for a third round. Jiang Lin glanced at the table, where Xun Qi kept his head down while Chu Ba eagerly raised his cup, clearly planning a relay to get them drunk.
Jiang Lin grinned. "Aren’t you worried if your Young Master’s too drunk to perform tonight?"
Chu Ba, quick-tongued, waggled his brows. "Isn’t that what you’re here for, Madam?"
Jiang Lin looped his arm through Wei Yunzhao’s. "Oh no, some things are only fun with two. Right, husband?"
Wei Yunzhao’s silent glance made Chu Ba instantly backpedal. "A toast from the whole table! No more drinks!"
As they moved on, Jiang Lin overheard Xun Qi and Wang San scolding Chu Ba for folding too fast—to which Chu Ba retorted that he’d rather "read the room" than face Wei Yunzhao’s morning training sessions.
The once-crippled Young Master had resumed his dawn martial drills, often dragging his subordinates into sparring matches they invariably lost. Chu Ba gingerly touched his face, his "delicate looks" couldn’t afford a single bruise.
The toasts continued until they reached Yue Heng’s table, where an unfamiliar man sat beside him.
Refined as jade, the stranger exuded an air of quiet nobility that belied his unremarkable reputation. Before Yue Heng could introduce him, the man spoke.
"I am Yue Cheng. Forgive my uninvited presence, and accept my congratulations on your divine union, harmonized as qin and se."
[harmonized as qin and se (琴瑟和谐, qín sè héxié): describes perfect harmony between spouses or partners, likening their bond to the seamless duet of two ancient Chinese zithers (qin and se), which symbolize balanced yin-yang unity in Confucian tradition]
Yue Cheng.
The name confirmed Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao’s suspicion, this was the fifth prince, the lowborn, reclusive, and allegedly inconsequential son.
Yet one look at him shattered those rumors. This was no man destined for obscurity.
"Thank you, Your Highness," they replied, drinking in acknowledgment.
Yue Heng then raised his cup. "To my elder brothers, a match made by heaven, united till white-haired age!"
The "brothers" title was presumptuous, but on their wedding day, Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao let it slide. Whether the claim held would depend on Su Qiao’s feelings.
Most guests were peers, as elders had sent gifts without attending. By the time the last guest departed, the moon hung high - perfect for a bridal chamber.
Wine awaited them inside, and the wedding bed lay prepared.
The crimson cups chimed softly as they linked arms and drank.
A breeze stirred the candlelight, casting a rosy glow on their faces.
Wei Yunzhao pulled Jiang Lin close. "Wife, I’ve waited long for this day."
"So have I," Jiang Lin replied, his gaze drifting toward the bed.
Wei Yunzhao chuckled. "You seem rather eager."
"Damn right. Come on—bed, clothes, now."
"As my wife commands." Wei Yunzhao lifted him onto the bed.
Restraint abandoned, their lips and bodies tangled in fervor. Clothes loosened, then vanished entirely. Jiang Lin groped under the pillow and triumphantly produced the fire-avoidance illustrations stashed there since the night he transmigrated.
"Wei Yunzhao, let’s try every pose in here!"
"Still calling me by name, wife? Call me husband, and I’ll oblige."
Jiang Lin complied without hesitation. "Husband, darling, my good man, let’s go!"
Wei Yunzhao could resist no longer. Together, they put the long-hidden fire-avoidance illustrations to thorough use.
The room bloomed with spring
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