[Music Recommendation: Butterfly Lovers, best Ancient Chinese music/play, personal opinion btw. Hehe.]

Three months had passed since that invasion, and Huang Shu finally got the news about his mother's assassination. Fortunately, his Emperor Father helped him to cover it, saying it was a suicide.

It was spring, and the spring flower was blooming beautifully with their fresh scent wafted on everyone's noses.

Huang Shu had been naturally promoted as second-in-command for his deed of defeating the leader of the barbarians. Even without his birthright as a prince, he still rose up in rank because of his capability.

Thus, nobody was protesting when he got promoted.

Meanwhile, Bai Yunyu continued studying strategy and was already well versed in theory. However, he focused more on the defense for the garrisons rather than invasion.

So he was helping many commanders to strengthen their stations nowadays.

One more, Bai Yunyu and Huang Shu were now staying in the same courtyard together. The reason was that Huang Shu wanted to be Yunyu's personal guard, although the real reason… only they knew the real reason behind it.

Huang Shu and Bai Yunyu were sitting under a cherry blossom tree whose pink petals bloomed beautifully. Huang Shu was sitting on the grassy patch, leaning against the cherry blossom tree, while Yunyu played with his Guqin.

They were enjoying the beautiful spring after a bloody winter. Huang Shu closed his eyes, listening to Yunyu playing the Guqin. He remembered the song that Yunyu was playing, Butterfly Lovers. It was from a famous play, about a pair of lovers whose love wasn't accepted by their parents, and the woman was about to get married off to another man.

The man died of heartbreak, and when the wedding carriage passed the man's grave, a thunderstorm suddenly blew everything away. The woman, who was about to be someone else's bride, went to her beloved's grave. The grave was opened, and she jumped in to join her beloved man.

In the end, the grave closed again, buried both of them together. A pair of butterflies emerged from the grave, flying to the sky, dancing to one another as they continued their love as a pair of butterfly lovers.

Huang Shu's hand was hidden beneath his robe. He was actually clenching a ring that he saved just for this occasion. As an Imperial Prince, he should've come with grandeur carriages and mountains of treasure, but Yunyu wouldn't like it.

Yunyu was a simple man who liked serenity instead of grandeur things.

He was ready for this day. Although they had been in a relationship for two years already, somehow, Huang Shu was still nervous about this day.

After Yunyu finished playing his Guqin, Huang Shu got up and then walked towards Yunyu, who was still sitting on a chair, wiping his Guqin before putting it into a case.

Huang Shu then kneeled in front of Yunyu and then held Yunyu's hands.

He looked up, and their eyes met. Yunyu smiled happily, even his eyes turned crescent shape, "What is it, Shushu?"

"I…" Huang Shu bit his lips for a moment. He was still mustering up some courage to propose. He felt so inadequate to propose to Yunyu with such humble rank right now.

He wanted to propose when he became a great general or something similar. But that'd take too long. Who knew someone might steal Yunyu before he could propose.

"Don't be scared. Remember, I'll always accept you no matter what," Yunyu said.

"T—Then…" Huang Shu fished out something from his robe, a beautiful jade ring with Yunyu's name carved on it.

"I… I'm sorry I cannot propose in a grandeur way. I don't have enough money now, but I promise I will give you anything you want in this life. Even without my rank, I will try to make you happy and I… Bai Yunyu, I feel comfortable around you."

"Whenever I stay with you, I wish time would stop. I want to wake up with you at the other side of the bed, I want to—"

"Yunyu… I don't know how to describe this feeling in my heart. You're like water that soaked this dry heart with your love. So… I want you to be my wife."

"I want you to be the one who called me Husband, just how I would call you my Wife…."

Yunyu chuckled with the long proposal from Huang Shu. He loved it, of course. Even if Huang Shu only asked him one word, Yunyu will still accept it.

But it wasn't only Huang Shu who had a surprise. Yunyu also fished something out from his pocket, a beautiful jade ring with Huang Shu's name carved on it.

"This—" Huang Shu was stunned when he saw the ring.

"It's funny," Yunyu giggled. "I have the same idea as you, actually. I've been thinking if I should be the one who would propose, turns out, we have the same idea."

Yunyu gently put his ring first on Huang Shu's finger and then said, "I don't need grandeur celebration for a wedding. I have no one but you in this world. As long as we can be together, then everything will be alright."

"I don't even need you to be rich or powerful, as long as you can stay by my side, Shushu."

"Yunyu…" Huang Shu put the ring in Yunyu's finger before kissing his hand and then kissing Yunyu's lips.

[Pupa: Ding! Fatemeter increases to 85%.]

[Ah, so this is going to be another world where I spend my life with the master of the world. Oh well, Huang Shu deserves it after so much pain we endured together.]

**

The wedding wasn't that grandeur. In fact, it was quite small because it was held in a garrison, something that a regular Imperial Prince wouldn't accept.

But Huang Shu didn't seem to be bothered, and the wedding didn't feel bleak at all.

As if mother nature watched over them, the wind blew the cherry blossom petals, showering the groom and bride with thousands of cherry blossoms to commemorate their marriage.

Since both of them were practically orphans, they were represented by the old commander and the local monks.

The soldiers became their guests as they watched enviously as their beloved beautiful Ger Bai Yunyu was taken by their commander, Huang Shu.

Once again, Huang Shu said, "I'm sorry, I can't give you anything more than this. I promise I will give you the best of this world once I get a better position."

Yunyu chuckled, "Husband, you've given me the best of this world because you're already the best this world could offer for me."

"Yunyu… what would I become if I didn't meet you…."

[Well, you'd be a crazy Emperor whose Empire crumbled down because of your own greediness or selfishness.]

[Or if you didn't meet me at all, then you'll be another background character who married someone that was matched by your evil mother.]

[Pupa: You're making it as if meeting you is his biggest blessing. Are we going to talk about the first and second timeline here?]

[Ssshh, we don't talk about that. We're a happily married couple now, hehe~]

"Shushu, my biggest blessing is to have you in this world. The feeling you have for me has been fully reciprocated."