Empress Shang Xinyan: The Dark Sovereign's Wedding Night

Gu Qingfeng didn’t make a scene. If word got out that someone had poisoned the wine, it would certainly mar the wedding, and that would play right into Wei Guyun’s hands. After all, everything Wei Guyun did was to prevent Gu Qingfeng and the Dark Emperor from marrying.

"Damn it. I’ll deal with you tomorrow," Gu Qingfeng thought to himself. "You forbid me from doing something, so I’ll do it anyway—just to spite you!"

In the corner of the room, Wei Guyun was seated and sipping wine. Though he wasn’t openly staring in Gu Qingfeng's direction, his attention was fixated there.

When he finally saw Gu Qingfeng drink the poisoned wine, Wei Guyun felt an immense sense of relief. His fingers tightened around the wine cup, and a dark satisfaction filled his heart.

He knew it was only a matter of time. Once the poison kicked in, Gu Qingfeng would surely die. Even if Gu Qingfeng’s formidable physique allowed him to survive through sheer luck, there was no way the bridal chamber would proceed tonight.

Wei Guyun no longer cared about the potential consequences of his actions. All he could think of was the idea that had tormented him incessantly: the revered Dark Emperor, the one he admired and worshiped like a goddess, sacred and untouchable, was about to be defiled by someone as dishonorable as Gu Qingfeng.

The thought was unbearable.

He clenched his teeth as his hatred festered. "The Dark Emperor is so divine, so beautiful. That vile man, Gu Qingfeng, will surely…"

Every time this scene crept into his thoughts, Wei Guyun felt as though his chest was constricting, suffocating him with rage. He couldn’t let it happen—no matter the cost.

Even if his actions were discovered. Even if it cost him his life. He had to stop it.

*Clink!*

Wei Guyun drained his wine in one gulp, then placed the cup down with a decisive thud. Turning away, he walked out into the night.

He needed to prepare for his escape. The moment chaos erupted and he confirmed Gu Qingfeng’s demise, he would flee. There was no point in dying along with Gu Qingfeng. He would just wait for the news from afar.

…

Half an hour later…

Gu Qingfeng, relying on his extraordinary constitution, not only resisted the effects of the poison but also drank every other god-tier cultivator under the table. Emerging as the undisputed victor of the night, he strode confidently toward the bridal chamber.

Determined to ensure no one could interrupt him, he summoned his mirror-image doppelganger, activated the Celestial Fox’s Eye, and deployed a network of formations to isolate the room within a separate dimension.

After completing these preparations, Gu Qingfeng felt a wave of excitement as he gently pushed open the door and stepped inside.

On the bed sat the Dark Emperor, dressed in a stunning red bridal gown, her face hidden beneath the traditional red veil. She was poised, unmoving, like a divine sculpture carved by the gods.

Gu Qingfeng approached the bed, his throat tightening as he swallowed hard. Speaking softly, he said, “My dear wife, I am about to lift the veil.”

“Mm,” replied the Dark Emperor, her icy voice cool and composed yet carrying an almost imperceptible trace of tension.

Though she tried her utmost to hide it, Gu Qingfeng still caught on. He chuckled internally. After all, in some ways, she was just a young maiden inexperienced in such matters.

With a deep breath, Gu Qingfeng gently lifted the veil, revealing a face so exquisite and flawless that he momentarily lost himself in awe.

The Dark Emperor’s beauty today was nothing short of extraordinary—like a celestial being descending from the heavens. Her face, lightly adorned with makeup, seemed almost otherworldly. Her hair was elegantly coiffed, adorned with a phoenix hairpin, amplifying her ethereal charm.

In this moment, she looked indescribably delicate and enchanting—a sight that could leave even the gods enraptured.

Up close, under the warm light of the room, her flawless complexion glowed like pristine jade. Her rosy cheeks were tender as water, her features painted with an artistry that defied comparison.

She was breathtaking, her beauty so pure and radiant it seemed to pierce straight into one’s soul.

Her face possessed the softness of a lotus caressed by rippling water, her neck like the first snowfall of early autumn, her slender waist evocative of a willow bending gracefully in the breeze.

At this proximity, her divinely sculpted features under the flickering candlelight seemed to emanate an almost unearthly glow. She was a masterpiece, a living portrait of perfection.

Gu Qingfeng could even smell the faint, delicate fragrance emanating from her.

That subtle fragrance instantly made him intoxicated.

"It’s time to drink the ceremonial wine," said the Dark Emperor, her expression cool and serene as usual.

If one were to overlook the faint pink tint creeping up her neck, she didn’t seem any different from usual.

"Alright, alright, let’s drink the ceremonial wine," Gu Qingfeng said eagerly.

Immediately, the two of them picked up their wine cups, drawing closer together. Arms intertwined, they raised their cups and downed the drink in one gulp.

After finishing the wine, the Dark Emperor appeared somewhat uncomfortable being in physical contact with a stranger. She quickly retracted her hand and fixed her gaze intently on the nearby candle flame, as if entranced by the flickering fire.

The atmosphere suddenly fell into a hazy mix of ambiguity and silence.

But the silence didn’t last long, as Gu Qingfeng broke it. He was no ascetic sage who could sit unmoved in the face of temptation. As the saying goes, **"every moment counts in such circumstances," and he had no intention of letting time slip by idly.

"My lady, the night is…"

"You don’t know my real name yet, do you?" the Dark Emperor suddenly spoke.

Uh…

Gu Qingfeng really wanted to say, "I don’t want to know right now."

But the Dark Emperor began answering her own question.

"Shang Xinyan—that’s my name."

"‘Sad Heart’? Yan?" Gu Qingfeng muttered, "It’s a beautiful name."

Normally, the logical next question would be why the name was given, but Gu Qingfeng had no intention of following up. He was in a hurry—very, very much in a hurry.

"Yan’er, the night…"

"My father gave me this name," Shang Xinyan explained. "He said when I was little, I cried all the time, and nothing could soothe me. Originally, my name was Shang Ruoyan, but eventually, my constant crying annoyed him so much that he said, ‘If you love being sad so much, then your name will be Shang Xinyan.’"

At this point, tradition would dictate making a light-hearted comment about her father's whimsy, followed by a casual inquiry about where her father was now. Once the conversation started flowing, the night might pass with nothing more than a pleasant exchange.

But could Gu Qingfeng act like that?

Under these circumstances, chatting the whole night away—was that something a normal human could do?

"Yan’er, tonight…"

"Gu Qingfeng, I hope you won’t hold this against me," Shang Xinyan interjected. "I know this is selfish of me. To save humanity, I’ve married you, even though marriage isn’t strictly necessary for having children. But I didn’t want to do it that way. Somewhere in my heart, I had a small, fleeting hope—I wanted to experience this properly, at least once in my life.

I understand there’s no real emotional foundation between us; this is all for the sake of humanity. So in the future, if you fall in love with someone else, it’s okay. What’s happening tonight is just to fulfill my final act of willfulness."

Shang Xinyan rambled on, her voice still as cold as ever. Yet for a moment, Gu Qingfeng felt as though the person sitting before him wasn’t the high and aloof Dark Emperor, but an ordinary neighborhood girl.

At this instant, Gu Qingfeng’s heart was overwhelmed.

Listen to that!

What a wonderful wife!

She’s plainly stating that falling in love with someone else later wouldn’t matter. Where on earth could one find a wife like this?

"Yan’er, you…"

"Gu Qingfeng, there’s one more thing…" Shang Xinyan began to say.

But she couldn’t finish, because her lips were silenced.

In this moment, the icy aloofness on her face could no longer hold, as if an iceberg were melting away. Her beautiful eyes widened in shock, her mind reeled with a faint dizziness, her heart seeming to leap into her throat. The words she intended to say transformed into stammered murmurs, swallowed by Gu Qingfeng.

...

Moments later.

Shang Xinyan's gaze darted around in confusion, unable to meet Gu Qingfeng's eyes directly. She rushed to speak, her words tumbling out: "Gu Qingfeng, this matter involves the of the Dark Realm; it's truly important... Um..."

"The most important thing right now is that I want to..."

...