Lu Ping’s smile was as warm as spring: “My King wishes the Queen good health and prosperity for New Xia Kingdom. This is a gift prepared by the Crown Princess for Your Majesty, and she specially ordered me to bring back your response.” With a wave of his hand, the guard behind him presented a small earthen jar. “For this item, we traveled without rest from Yinzi City, flying to Wusel in just two days.”

So this thing was air-transported here. Lu Ping’s explanation perfectly piqued Feng Miaojun’s curiosity. When the attendant opened the lid to inspect it, a faint white vapor wafted up.

Poison? The court guards grew tense, but Feng Miaojun waved her hand: “It’s just water vapor.” She stood up gracefully to look for herself.

The attendant had already seen what was inside the jar and was slightly startled before quickly presenting it to the Queen.

It was just an ordinary earthen jar, cold to the touch, with tiny droplets of water condensed on its surface, as if it had just been taken out of an ice cellar.

But Feng Miaojun knew clearly that this effect came from a Frost Talisman.

What treasure would make an envoy ride flying birds thousands of miles to Wusel City, and still need to be kept cold with a Frost Talisman?

Feng Miaojun looked down and smiled.

Inside was half a jar of water with two peaches floating in it, their color green with hints of red. That color was more vibrant than even the finest jade.

Lu Ping added at the right moment: “This was personally made by the Crown Princess, and she asked me to relay a message to you.”

She was examining the salt-water peaches and didn’t look up: “Speak.” Hmm, judging by the color, they seemed to be pickled quite well.

“Can be eaten or used.”

The smile instantly disappeared from Feng Miaojun’s face.

Can be… used?

She looked at the peaches, then glanced down at herself, anger rising.

So Han Yue thought that she, Feng Miaojun, would remain flat-chested forever?

Her face frosted over, and with a flick of her wrist, the Star Sky Awl appeared in her hand. Under the pearl lamps, the awl’s tip glinted with a cold light that hurt the eyes.

Everyone was shocked. Lu Ping’s guards instinctively stepped forward but didn’t know what to do.

Only Lu Ping, who was less than three steps away from her, seemed quite calm.

Feng Miaojun extended the Star Sky Awl, and then—

Skewered a peach from the jar and held it close to examine it carefully, even lightly sniffing it.

The attendant, understanding her intention, whispered: “Your Majesty, allow the royal physician to test it.”

Feng Miaojun shook her head. She was an excellent apothecary; she could smell whether the peach was poisoned in an instant.

“No need.” She muttered, then slightly parted her vermilion lips and took a bite of the peach, tasting it for a moment. “The flavor is… passable.”

She put the peach back in the jar, and someone promptly took it away and retreated.

At this point, Lu Ping had someone present the “normal” congratulatory gifts. Feng Miaojun accepted them with a smile, knowing that the peaches were Han Yue’s response to recognizing her. About to become a mother, yet still so imaginative.

“When is the Crown Princess due?”

Lu Ping hesitated slightly before answering: “In just a few days.”

Feng Miaojun sighed softly, and chatted with him kindly for a few moments, likewise instructing him to enjoy the food and sights of Wusel City, and with that, the meeting concluded.

Wusel City was the jewel of southern New Xia. In her opinion, it had the most beautiful scenery among all national capitals, truly a highlight worth promoting abroad.

Before leaving, Lu Ping glanced at her once more and said with concern: “State affairs are taxing. Your Majesty seems tired and should rest more.”

These days Feng Miaojun had been extremely busy, going without a good night’s sleep for a long time, and now had slight dark circles under her eyes. Since Lu Ping expressed concern, she smiled and replied “alright,” and so the Jiao Kingdom’s delegation bowed and departed.

That night, Fu Lingchuan hurried back to the palace to accompany her for dinner. Seeing him travel-worn, with even a petal stuck to his collar, Feng Miaojun said: “Cousin, you’re busy. There’s no need to come specially to dine with me.” Though Fu Lingchuan was working tirelessly for her birthday celebration, and although she knew this man had his methods and that his purpose wasn’t as simple as celebrating her birthday, Feng Miaojun had to admit she was somewhat touched.

The kind of dedication and seriousness with which Fu Lingchuan handled matters was hard to find in ordinary people. No wonder such a grand and vague ideal as restoring the country was actually realized by him.

“No matter how busy, I must come,” he said matter-of-factly. “What greater honor than to dine with Your Majesty?”

This was no flattery. Among the rewards a sovereign could bestow upon subjects, one was called “dine with me.” That was the highest favor, enough for someone to boast about for generations.

Everyone is pleased to hear kind words, and Feng Miaojun’s lips curled slightly upward. Fu Lingchuan paused and said: “Is the smell of tobacco on me too strong? I apologize. Next time I’ll bathe before coming.”

Feng Miaojun laughed: “I wasn’t afraid when you released poison smoke on Luofu Island; don’t treat me like some delicate lady like Fei Yuan.”

“You’re not just any lady; you’re the ruler of a nation, a hundred or thousand times more noble in status.”

Feng Miaojun was puzzled, stopping her chopsticks: “Strange, why are the compliments flowing so freely today, flattering people at no cost?”

When had he ever charged for compliments? Fu Lingchuan coughed lightly: “You handled the Wei envoy matter extremely well.”

“Oh?” Her smile faded slightly.

“Xu Guangxiang came abruptly, and I should have dealt with it. I was worried you’d be eager for revenge and refuse the Wei Kingdom’s gifts. Now I see that Changle’s considerations are quite far-sighted.”

“The Wei Kingdom is hateful, has wolfish ambitions, and we have deep grievances with them. But at present, it’s unwise for us to be hostile towards them.” He paused, and continued seriously, “If they want war, we’ll oblige them to the end; if they want peace, we’ll temporarily hold our troops still.”

Feng Miaojun’s gaze flickered slightly.

She understood everything Fu Lingchuan said. Peace and development were the solid principles; war was most damaging to vitality and national strength. The first goal after New Xia’s founding shouldn’t be revenge.

She could remain calm because her soul had not experienced the country’s destruction and family’s ruin, allowing her to analyze the situation neutrally and objectively. But Fu Lingchuan was different. For such a person, carrying the burden of family and national hatred along with the people’s expectations, to still see the road ahead clearly and not have his eyes clouded by past blood and hatred was exceptionally rare.

“Why does the Wei Kingdom want peace?” This question had probably troubled many people.

Fu Lingchuan had already pondered this question, and answered with confidence:

“Because attacking An Xia again is no longer worth it.”

Feng Miaojun blinked. She was originally skilled at calculation, and after hearing this key statement, suddenly understood.

“An Xia was originally sparsely populated, and these past ten or more years have left it poor and exhausted. Even if the Wei Kingdom plundered it again, they couldn’t squeeze out much more. In contrast, rebellions and uprisings have been springing up all over An Xia territory.” He continued slowly, “When Wei Crown Prince Xiao Jing was governing An Xia, he was already struggling to cope. We established New Xia during the Wei Kingdom’s civil war, and by the time the Xiao brothers determined a victor, the cost required to reclaim the An Xia region would be too high.”