The morning after the wedding date was decided, the entire imperial palace entered a state of controlled chaos.
Orders traveled through every department at astonishing speed. Court officials prepared ceremonial records, astrologers finalized auspicious schedules, artisans were summoned from across the empire, and palace servants hurried endlessly through the halls carrying scrolls, silk samples, and lists of preparations.
Because this was not merely a royal wedding.
It was the wedding of the Crown Prince and the future Crown Princess.
Nothing less than perfection would be accepted.
And among all preparations—
The wedding robes held the greatest importance.
Inside Phoenix Hall, the Empress sat surrounded by several senior palace seamstresses and embroidery masters. Rolls of priceless silk covered nearly every table while dozens of design sketches lay spread open nearby.
Even the usually composed palace servants looked nervous.
The head embroidery master bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, according to tradition, the crafting of the wedding robes alone will require at least three months."
The Empress nodded calmly. "Naturally."
These were not ordinary ceremonial garments.
Every thread would be woven by hand using silk prepared specifically for imperial weddings. The embroidery would contain hidden blessings stitched by master artisans, while phoenix and dragon patterns would be sewn using gold threads thin enough to resemble flowing light beneath the sun.
Even the inner layers carried symbolic meaning.
Prosperity.
Harmony.
Longevity.
Heavenly blessing.
Nothing could be careless.
The Empress picked up one sketch thoughtfully. "The phoenix embroidery here is too rigid."
The seamstress immediately bowed lower. "This servant will adjust it immediately."
Another servant entered quickly and bowed. "Your Majesty, His Highness has arrived."
The room quieted instantly.
A moment later, Xu Chen entered Phoenix Hall calmly.
The embroidery masters immediately straightened nervously.
The Crown Prince rarely involved himself in ceremonial matters personally.
Especially not clothing.
The Empress looked unsurprised. "You came quickly."
Xu Chen's gaze swept across the countless silk rolls and sketches filling the hall. "You summoned me."
"Yes." The Empress gestured toward the designs nearby. "Sit."
Xu Chen obeyed quietly.
One of the older seamstresses carefully presented several robe designs for the groom. "Your Highness, these are the preliminary ceremonial patterns prepared according to imperial tradition."
Xu Chen glanced at them briefly.
Then calmly said, "Too complicated."
The room froze.
The poor seamstress nearly looked ready to faint.
The Empress sighed immediately. "Chen'er."
"The patterns are excessive."
"They are imperial wedding robes."
Xu Chen looked entirely unconcerned. "They're still excessive."
Several embroidery masters silently questioned their life choices.
The Empress rubbed her forehead slightly before pointing toward another design. "What about this one?"
Xu Chen looked briefly.
"Better."
The entire room relaxed instantly.
Meanwhile, another group of seamstresses carefully brought forward sketches prepared for Yue Ning's wedding gown.
The atmosphere shifted subtly again.
Because unlike Xu Chen's simpler preferences—
Yue Ning's bridal robes required extraordinary attention.
Not only because she would become Crown Princess.
But because the future Empress would represent the empire itself.
The head embroidery master carefully unfolded the largest design sketch.
Golden phoenix wings spread elegantly across layers of crimson silk, flowing into patterns resembling clouds and stars. Delicate embroidery lined the sleeves while hidden silver threads created the illusion of light moving across the fabric.
Even unfinished—
The design already looked breathtaking.
The Empress studied it quietly.
Then she looked toward Xu Chen.
"What do you think?"
Xu Chen's gaze rested on the sketch for several moments.
Longer than he had looked at anything else inside the hall.
Finally, he spoke calmly.
"She'll look beautiful in it."
The embroidery masters instantly lowered their heads harder to hide expressions.
The Empress almost laughed softly.
Even after all this time, her son remained painfully obvious whenever Yue Ning was involved.
The Empress glanced back toward the gown thoughtfully. "The outer phoenix feathers should be softer," she decided. "Ning'er dislikes robes that feel too heavy."
The seamstresses immediately nodded while recording every detail carefully.
Xu Chen added quietly, "The sleeves too."
The Empress looked amused now. "You remember that?"
"She complains every time formal robes are too restrictive."
The room fell strangely silent.
Because the Crown Prince remembering such small details felt unexpectedly intimate.
One elderly embroidery master smiled faintly without lifting her head.
"They truly suit each other," she murmured softly.
The Empress heard it clearly.
And silently agreed.
For the next several hours, Phoenix Hall remained filled with endless discussion over fabrics, embroidery, gemstones, ceremonial accessories, and robe layers.
Imperial wedding robes required unimaginable precision.
The dragon embroidered on Xu Chen's robes would contain nine hidden claws representing imperial authority. Yue Ning's phoenix gown would include twelve layers of symbolic feather embroidery stitched entirely by hand.
Even the gold thread itself was specially prepared through palace techniques passed down for generations.
Three months.
That was merely the minimum required time.
As the preparations continued, Xu Chen remained surprisingly patient throughout most of it.
Until—
A servant carefully presented a ceremonial crown design.
"This phoenix crown contains over three hundred jade pearls and—"
"No."
The servant froze instantly.
The Empress narrowed her eyes slightly. "What now?"
Xu Chen looked at the crown calmly. "Too heavy."
"It's ceremonial."
"She'll hate wearing it."
The Empress actually paused.
Because…
That was probably true.
Yue Ning absolutely would complain.
The Empress sighed helplessly before looking toward the artisans. "Reduce the weight without changing the design."
The servant bowed quickly. "Yes, Your Majesty."
One younger seamstress whispered nervously toward another, "His Highness notices everything regarding Lady Yue Ning…"
The second servant whispered back immediately, "Lower your voice unless you want to die."
Meanwhile, Xu Chen remained completely calm as if redesigning imperial traditions solely because Yue Ning might find them uncomfortable was entirely reasonable.
By evening, the initial robe designs had finally been approved.
The Empress leaned back slightly, visibly tired but satisfied.
"These should be worthy enough."
Xu Chen's gaze remained on Yue Ning's unfinished gown design quietly displayed across the table.
Golden phoenixes.
Flowing crimson silk.
Threads woven for months by the finest artisans in the empire.
Yet somehow—
What he imagined most clearly was not the robe itself.
But Yue Ning standing there wearing it.
The Empress noticed his expression immediately.
And smiled faintly to herself.
Outside Phoenix Hall, sunset painted the palace skies gold and crimson as servants continued rushing through the imperial grounds carrying preparations for the coming wedding.
Four months remained.
And already—
The entire empire was beginning to move for it.