A prosperous nation and strong people led to abundant elemental power and soaring fortune—this was a virtuous cycle.

In the Kingdom’s Golden City.

Inside the royal palace, there were no seasons; it was eternally adorned with flowers and shaded by green trees. The only thing that showed the changing seasons here, besides the increasingly brilliant “Xichia” fish in the lake, was Princess Hanyue’s belly.

She was now heavily pregnant and about to give birth. Following the royal physician’s instructions, she had to walk in the garden for half an hour every morning to keep her muscles active. At this time, she was the treasure of the entire palace. Every path she walked had to be swept spotlessly clean, without a single fallen leaf or speck of mud.

On this day, as she was feeding the fish, a servant came to report: “Gifts from the sovereign of New Xia have arrived. The Crown Prince requests your presence.”

Hanyue clapped her hands, finding it greatly amusing. “Let’s go.” Life in the palace was as calm as still water—utterly boring. With her big belly, she couldn’t run outside the palace, and these past few months had been truly suffocating for her.

Everyone knew that An Xia had been rebuilt as the Kingdom of New Xia. She had also heard that the new monarch was a woman, a princess of the An Xia royal family who had been living among commoners.

There had never been a crowned queen on this continent, and Princess Hanyue was especially curious about her. Now that the Queen of New Xia had sent gifts, she wanted to see what the fuss was about.

Having jointly resisted the Wei Kingdom’s invasion, the Kingdom and New Xia not only established diplomatic relations but were also friendly neighbors.

The envoy from New Xia presented two brocade boxes, one large and one small. Following their Queen’s instructions, they asked the Crown Prince’s consort to open the large box first.

The items in the box had been examined in advance by the palace to ensure there was no danger. Only then did Miao Fengxian hand the box to Hanyue: “Here, see for yourself.”

Princess Hanyue deliberately opened the small box first.

Inside was a set of two pieces of jewelry—a bracelet and an anklet, both very delicate, obviously prepared for an infant. They were exquisitely carved and inlaid with jade, and the patterns weren’t the usual flowers and birds, but rather peaches, peanuts, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables, which was quite charming. Hanyue smiled and said, “Women are indeed attentive, knowing how to select such lovely items, unlike certain people who only know how to give tiger-head longevity locks.” As she spoke, she glanced at Miao Fengxian.

Then she opened the large box. On the cushion lay a small infant’s hat, red and white in color. The fabric wasn’t silk or brocade, but felt soft in her hands, with somewhat uneven stitches. Perhaps to prevent drafts, the inside of the hat was lined with a layer of soft, dense fleece.

To Miao Fengxian, standing at the side, this hat, well, how to put it? The polite way would be to say it was “plain-looking”?

Princess Hanyue, however, stared at it in a daze, her gaze unwavering. After a good while, she burst out with a “pfft” of laughter.

Once she started laughing, she couldn’t stop.

Everyone watching her laugh until she trembled like a flower branch in the wind had no idea what was so funny. Miao Fengxian, afraid she might disturb the fetus, gently patted her back and said, “Take it easy, is the hat really that amusing?” The Crown Prince’s consort roaring with laughter at a gift from the Queen of New Xia—ahem—would be quite undignified if word got out.

“This hat, this hat…” Princess Hanyue was still laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath. “Ugly, it’s extremely ugly!”

Miao Fengxian: “…” There were plenty of things uglier than this, but he’d never seen his wife laugh so exaggeratedly before.

However, he immediately noticed that Princess Hanyue’s eyes were slightly moist, though he couldn’t tell if it was from laughing too hard or from being deeply moved.

After a good while, Princess Hanyue finally caught her breath. Her fingertips caressed the little hat, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly: “Two years before my marriage, my friend and I made a pact. When she married and had children, I would send her a hat I had knitted myself, and she would do the same for me.”

But this hat was sent by the Queen of New Xia. Miao Fengxian was startled, then said, “Perhaps it’s just a coincidence?”

“No.” Princess Hanyue held up the little hat with a smile. “I’ve seen her handiwork before, and it’s one of a kind. No other weaver could make a hat as ugly as this!”

Miao Fengxian was speechless. After a long moment, he finally found the question he had wanted to ask earlier: “You and the Queen of New Xia are friends—why have I never heard you mention this before?” His wife was straightforward and open; if something was on her mind, she didn’t hide it, usually telling him directly.

He liked this about her temperament.

Princess Hanyue’s smile faltered slightly: “At that time, I didn’t know she was Princess Changle!” She looked at Miao Fengxian and sighed softly. “You’ve met her too.”

Miao Fengxian looked completely confused. Hanyue’s hint was too vague. He had met so many people over the years; how could he possibly remember?

Seeing his bewildered face, Princess Hanyue finally pronounced word by word: “She is Feng Miaojun.”

“Feng…” Miao Fengxian mumbled, and then his face suddenly lit up with realization. “So it’s her! How did she become the Queen of New Xia?”

Princess Hanyue, observing the expression on his face, laughed and scolded: “You’re pretending! I don’t believe you forgot her.” Her friend’s beauty wasn’t like the gentle, restrained quality of jade; the most apt comparison would be the rising morning sun, impossible to ignore. After a year without seeing her, she must have grown even more beautiful. How could any man who had seen such radiance ever forget?

Besides, Miao Fengxian had once proposed to her, which meant he had harbored feelings for her.

Miao Fengxian showed his white teeth, smiling openly: “She had no interest in me, so why should I constantly think of her? Instead, there’s a treasure here worth remembering.”

Princess Hanyue pouted slightly: “You only care about the child.”

“Who says?” He bent down to kiss her lips, then gently caressed her belly. “You are the one I care about most; this little one inside is a gift.”

This was his first child. Even with just this gentle touch, his heart surged with indescribable excitement and joy.

Princess Hanyue giggled, feeling warm inside. Then she heard her husband say, “Since she’s your close friend, I’ll leave the return gifts for the Queen of New Xia to you. I heard from the envoy that the fifteenth day of the third month is the New Xia sovereign’s birthday. You might as well send something in honor of that occasion.”

Princess Hanyue thought for a moment: “I remember that Feng Miaojun’s birthday is indeed in spring. Ha, this confirms it’s her. The envoy you send must be a skilled portrait artist. Have them paint a detailed portrait of her so I can verify.”

With her former temperament, she would have used the pretext of attending a ceremony to rush to New Xia personally and scold Feng Miaojun to her face. However, she was now heavily pregnant, and this child could very well be the legitimate grandson of the King, so she absolutely couldn’t be as reckless as she was in her youth.

Miao Fengxian agreed with a smile. Princess Hanyue had another thought: “An emperor can have three thousand beauties in his harem, but what about a queen?”

“Well…” Without precedent, he couldn’t answer.

So Hanyue sighed deeply: “It’s better to be a queen then.”

“You envy her?”

“Of course.” Princess Hanyue glanced at him askance. “Not having to be loyal to just one man, not having to be jealous and competitive over a man—who wouldn’t want such freedom?” Though Miao Fengxian treated her well, she couldn’t monopolize her husband.

Miao Fengxian focused more on physical cultivation, with vigorous qi and blood flow and abundant energy. He was especially fierce in that particular matter, and Princess Hanyue, being an ordinary woman, was no match for him.