"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Outside Yangxin Hall, Wei Xun's voice could be heard.

Xiao Mo's consciousness was slowly withdrawing from the Book of a Hundred Lives, returning to reality.

He took a deep breath, suppressing those chaotically intertwined memories and emotions in his mind.

Fortunately, with the Book of a Hundred Lives' help, Xiao Mo quickly readjusted to the reality before him, his mind gradually settling.

"Come in."

Xiao Mo's tone carried a trace of displeasure that wasn't easy to detect.

He had originally planned to complete this life's experience as quickly as possible before the wedding and successfully finish the task.

Being interrupted at this moment naturally made him a bit impatient.

"What is it?" Xiao Mo looked toward Wei Xun and asked.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests that you go to Lingxin Palace."

Wei Xun replied in a low voice, his posture increasingly respectful.

Wei Xun, this shrewd person, clearly sensed that the emperor was in a bad mood at this moment, so he bent his waist even lower, almost about to kneel on the ground.

"Lingxin Palace?" Xiao Mo was slightly stunned, then asked, "Did the Empress Dowager say what it was about?"

"The Empress Dowager said that Your Majesty's wedding robe has been completed and wishes to invite you to try it on." Wei Xun answered.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Mo nodded, his tone flat, "I understand. Prepare the carriage to Lingxin Palace."

Although he was unwilling to see the Empress Dowager, with the grand wedding approaching, many matters required his personal appearance and could not be postponed.

"Yes, Your Majesty... this old servant will go prepare immediately."

Wei Xun hurriedly responded, bowing as he stepped backward and out.

One incense stick's time later, under the ceremonial welcome of Lingxin Palace's palace maids, Xiao Mo strode into Lingxin Palace.

"This son pays respects to the Empress Dowager." In the main hall of Lingxin Palace, Xiao Mo solemnly performed a courtesy, "This son inquires after the Empress Dowager's health?"

"Well, well, as Your Majesty's wedding date draws nearer, my mood has become increasingly better."

Empress Dowager Yan, as usual, hurriedly descended from her seat and helped Xiao Mo up.

"However, I've said before that Your Majesty need not be so formal. Yet today you're still so serious. If you do this again next time, I will truly be angry."

Xiao Mo smiled, his eyes appearing filial and sincere, "Empress Dowager, that won't do. Propriety cannot be neglected."

"You child..." Empress Dowager Yan sighed, her expression seemingly helpless, but actually in quite a good mood.

She liked seeing Xiao Mo being so respectful toward her.

"Let's not discuss this anymore. Your Majesty, quickly come and see what this is."

Empress Dowager Yan pulled Xiao Mo to stand before a rack.

Then, Empress Dowager Yan personally lifted the cloth covering the rack, and a red wedding robe appeared before Xiao Mo.

Zhou Kingdom's etiquette differed from other human dynasties. When the emperor married, he also wore red groom's attire, except the clothing would have true dragons embroidered in gold thread.

But the golden dragon embroidered on this groom's robe was extremely perfect, and the "dragon" element was perfectly integrated into every part of the groom's robe, looking very natural without the slightest awkwardness.

"Does Your Majesty wish to try it on?" Empress Dowager Yan looked at his satisfied expression, smiling as she asked, her tone carrying several parts pride.

"Then I shall try it." Xiao Mo nodded.

"Come, attend to His Majesty's change of clothing." Empress Dowager Yan called out.

As Empress Dowager Yan's words fell, several palace maids who had already prepared hurriedly stepped forward, leading His Majesty behind the screen to change into the wedding robe.

Half an incense stick later, when Xiao Mo emerged from behind the screen wearing the wedding robe.

The crimson groom's robe made his figure appear even more upright. The dragon pattern embroidered in gold thread coiled from the lapel to the cuffs, the dragon's head resting on his shoulder, the dragon's body following the waistline downward, both displaying majesty and not losing the elegance of ceremonial dress.

The wedding robe was cut to fit extremely well, broad shoulders and narrow waist, outlining his well-proportioned and solid physique.

His features were already refined and handsome, and at this moment, under the contrast of the red clothing and gold embroidery, he appeared even more striking.

Several palace maids were already staring at His Majesty in a daze. They had never seen such a handsome man.

Some palace maids, not knowing what they were thinking, even had a flush of shyness rise to their cheeks as they lowered their heads even further.

"Excellent, excellent!"

Looking at Xiao Mo, Empress Dowager Yan nodded repeatedly with even greater satisfaction.

When Empress Dowager Yan had chosen Xiao Mo for adoption, aside from seeing that he had no power behind him and had a good reputation, there was another important point, which was that Xiao Mo's appearance was indeed quite good.

Now, after several years of growth, he had become even more handsome.

She just didn't know why.

Xiao Mo was clearly only eighteen years old, yet Empress Dowager Yan sensed a kind of mature feeling from him, even a scholarly elegance.

Not only that, within his scholarly elegance, there was even a kind of masculine vitality.

"How strange. He cultivates the Dao every day, so why doesn't his temperament resemble a Daoist at all?"

Empress Dowager Yan felt puzzled.

However, regarding Xiao Mo's scholarly and masculine aura, Empress Dowager Yan didn't dislike it at all, but rather was very satisfied.

After all, setting aside other matters, with his appearance and temperament so outstanding, presumably Ruxue would also like him.

"Is Your Majesty satisfied with this wedding robe?" Empress Dowager Yan asked.

"Very satisfied." Xiao Mo nodded, spreading his arms to look at this outfit, "I wonder which skilled craftsman made this wedding robe? I shall richly reward them."

"Hehehehe..." Empress Dowager Yan covered her mouth and laughed lightly, "This clothing was not made by anyone else, but came from Ruxue's hands."

"Ruxue?" Xiao Mo was stunned for a moment.

"Precisely."

Empress Dowager Yan nodded, praising the talented woman of the Yan clan well.

"Several months ago, the Weaving Bureau was making the wedding robe for Your Majesty, but after Ruxue learned of it, she wrote a letter to me.

That girl Ruxue said, since he is to be her husband, how could the wedding robe Your Majesty wears be made by another's hands?

So during this time, Ruxue has been learning palace etiquette while personally going to the Weaving Bureau to make clothing for Your Majesty."

"I see..."

Xiao Mo looked at this wedding robe, feeling inexplicably moved in his heart.

Although he didn't like this marriage arrangement, just based on Yan Ruxue's reputation and this outfit today.

This talented woman of the Yan clan was indeed an extremely outstanding woman and even though she had been chosen as a tool of politics, to enter this deep palace, she still faced all of this positively.

"Oh, there's one more matter I haven't mentioned to Your Majesty yet." Empress Dowager Yan seemed to remember something and spoke with sudden realization.

"The Empress Dowager may speak freely."

"It's actually not a major matter."

Empress Dowager Yan looked directly into Xiao Mo's eyes, smiling as she spoke.

"For this grand ceremony, aside from Elder Huang from Ten Thousand Swords Sect, there will also be quite a few envoys coming to observe the ceremony, especially Qin Kingdom will also send an envoy delegation with congratulatory gifts."

"Qin Kingdom is also coming?"

Xiao Mo asked puzzled.

Empress Dowager Yan nodded, "Our Zhou Kingdom previously had some friendship with Qin Kingdom's late emperor, so after the Qin Kingdom ruler heard of Your Majesty's marriage, the ruler also dispatched envoys to come. Therefore, this grand ceremony must not fail."

"Then what does the Empress Dowager mean?"

"Just to be safe, I was thinking that seven days from now, Your Majesty and Ruxue could do a run-through, familiarizing yourselves with the grand wedding ceremony's procedures. What does Your Majesty think?"