The officiant's voice slowed, savoring the weight of the moment.
"…and so, before Heaven, Earth, and the eyes of the court, I call upon the groom to declare his vow."
The hall stilled.
The Empress's gaze did not waver, though her fingers tightened on the armrest of her jade throne. She knew. He would not speak.
Meng Qingzhou lifted his head slightly, the silver thread of his crane embroidery catching the light. He looked not at the officiant, nor the ministers, but directly into the Empress's eyes.
And then — he stood utterly still.
No words came.
The silence stretched, deepened, and became heavy enough to press on the chest. Ministers began to shift uncomfortably. The visiting envoys from the Western Steppe smirked openly. Somewhere in the ranks of civil officials, a muffled chuckle was quickly swallowed.
The officiant hesitated. "Groom… your vow—"
Still nothing.
But this was no frozen panic, no shame-struck muteness. There was… presence in it. Qingzhou's stillness was deliberate, like the moment before a sword strike. His eyes held steady on the Empress, and for those who looked closely, there was something unsettling in the faint curl of his lip — not quite a smile, not quite a sneer.
It was the Empress who moved first. Slowly, deliberately, she rose from her throne. The phoenix plumes of her crown swayed, catching glimmers of red and gold in the torchlight.
"My husband," she said, her voice ringing clear, "has vowed to me long before today. Words are not needed for the vows of the heart."
Gasps rippled through the hall. Some in shock, others in outrage. She had shielded him, redefined the moment, and turned his silence into an intimacy that excluded them all.
But the undercurrent of suspicion deepened.
When she descended the steps to stand beside him, Qingzhou bowed slightly — the perfect image of deference. Yet as their sleeves brushed, her fingers brushed against his hand in a subtle signal.
It was not affection.
It was a question.
And with the tiniest pressure of his fingers, hidden from all eyes, Qingzhou gave his answer.
Yes.