After some thought, Ning Yue suggested, "Why not send her to the Imperial Academy then? Not just her, but all the remaining princes and princesses in the palace too! It would save some trouble."
"I'll listen to my sister," Xing Yuan agreed without objection.
She then turned and beckoned to the guards who were keeping their distance, ordering, "Send all the princes and princesses of suitable age in the palace to the Imperial Academy. Don't let them bother me unless it's necessary."
"Yes!" the guards responded respectfully. Soon, some people left to carry out the order.
Feng Yu Nian was among them. She had originally intended to pester her imperial sister to foster their relationship, but who could have predicted that she would suddenly reopen the Imperial Academy!
After all, everyone had previously assumed she deeply resented her empress mother.
Therefore, during the next morning court, the ministers spontaneously praised her actions in the grand hall.
Xing Yuan had no interest in listening to such useless matters. Instead, she turned and began to actively discuss with them the details of her upcoming wedding to the Phoenix Lord, determined to make it perfect.
She wanted to give her elder sister a happy and unforgettable experience, one that would make her laugh heartily every time she recalled it. Otherwise, she would be forever confined to the shadows due to the incident with the dancers.
Everything proceeded at full speed, with everyone dedicating themselves to this "great event." After all, it was undoubtedly a matter of life and death; any slip-up would surely spell their doom.
The day designated by the Imperial Observatory soon arrived.
The Emperor's wedding to the Phoenix Lord differed from that of ordinary people, requiring numerous rituals.
The first step was to lead the ministers in paying respects to the ancestors. Then, pronouncements of praise were read, and the ministers' obeisance was accepted.
This entire process, from early morning until night, was completed.
Although Xing Yuan could have directly refused these cumbersome rituals, she believed that every tradition had its purpose. Moreover, they had not yet formally exchanged vows. If they could receive the blessings of all eras, perhaps they could remain together for a long, long time.
However, after a full day, although both of them had good constitutions, their eyes could no longer stay open once their heads touched the soft pillows.
Xing Yuan struggled to sit up and began to unfasten Ning Yue's clothes. She couldn't let the maids help, as that would mean others would see her sister.
Ning Yue, however, became more awake because of this. She gently pushed Xing Yuan, who was clinging to her like a sloth and, despite her drooping eyelids, was still trying to unbutton her clothes, onto the other side of the bed.
"I'll do it myself!" Ning Yue said.
As she slowly unbuttoned her own clothes, she leisurely observed Xing Yuan, who had relaxed and was now drowsily falling asleep after her words.
After removing her own clothes, she also helped Xing Yuan undress.
The exquisite garments were difficult to remove. Even after Ning Yue had taken off both their outer robes, half an hour had already passed.
She gently nudged the deeply sleeping Xing Yuan. Xing Yuan nimbly rolled further into the bed.
Ning Yue chuckled, unable to resist poking Xing Yuan's round cheeks and whispering, "Are you asleep or not?"
Xing Yuan did not answer, and Ning Yue did not mind. She also lay down on the bed, still dressed.
They slept soundly through the night.
The next day, Xing Yuan, who had slept soundly, was filled with regret. She gently nudged Ning Yue's face with her nose.
Ning Yue instinctively pushed away the sensation on her face, murmuring unconsciously, "Stop it! It tickles."
Xing Yuan stubbornly continued to nuzzle, determined to wake Ning Yue, though her method of doing so was rather unconventional.
Ning Yue was finally awakened by Xing Yuan's persistent efforts.
She opened her eyes in a daze, turned, and kissed Xing Yuan's cheek, mumbling, "Stop it!"
Xing Yuan shamelessly pressed closer and kissed her cheek in return.
She kept saying, "Sister, sister~ the sun is shining on your bottom! It's time to get up!"
Ning Yue glared at Xing Yuan good-naturedly, with no intention of getting up.
However, with Xing Yuan's fussing, she no longer felt sleepy. She sat up and looked at Xing Yuan, who was reclining on the bed. Her gaze was somewhat clouded. She leaned down and kissed her, softly saying, "Be good, stay with me a little longer."
They slept until evening.
Fortunately, due to their high status, their meals were delivered to them, otherwise, they would have starved to death sooner or later.
Having eaten little throughout the day and expended some energy, they were truly famished. After dinner, they went out for a stroll to aid digestion.
The moonlight shone upon them, their hazy shadows merging together, creating a scene of exquisite beauty.
Since Ning Yue entered the palace, Xing Yuan had completely let herself go, becoming a contented fish waiting to be fed.
The idea of "the harem not meddling in politics" was nonexistent for her. She wished her sister could handle all the work for her.
After persistently persuading Ning Yue to agree to help her review official documents, she moved a chaise lounge into the imperial study and lazily watched Ning Yue diligently make annotations.
However...
Ning Yue sometimes couldn't bear to see Xing Yuan idle. "Your Majesty, come here. Minister Yuan says the dikes need to be repaired. How do you think it should be handled?"
"Sister, you decide!" Xing Yuan blinked innocently, clearly indicating she had no intention of working.
"Are you really not coming?" Ning Yue raised an eyebrow, then sighed, "Then I'll have to work overtime in the imperial study tonight."