“Our Princess has injured her throat. She is expressing her gratitude to Your Majesty.” Li Zhijie apologetically explained to the Emperor with a smile. “We hope Your Majesty will forgive this transgression.”

“Your Majesty…” Concubine Qiu whispered sweetly to the Emperor. “Today, you have bestowed a good marriage upon His Highness the Crown Prince. Prince Liang is also your son, and it was because of Prince Liang that Your Majesty and I could have this fate together. If I cannot repay Prince Liang for this kindness, I will always feel troubled. Why not… since today is such a joyful occasion, Your Majesty should fulfill the marriage between Prince Liang and the Zhenguo Princess!”

Emperor Yan Murong Yu, who was sitting nearby holding a wine cup, felt his heart skip a beat and instinctively looked toward his younger brother Xiao Rongyan.

The Great Liang envoys hadn’t heard Concubine Qiu’s whispered words to the Emperor. Seeing the Emperor in good spirits, they smiled and said: “Your Majesty, our Great Liang also wishes to form a marriage alliance with the Jin Kingdom to maintain good relations. We seek to marry Jin Kingdom’s greatest beauty… Princess Liu of Nandu as the primary consort for our Great Liang’s Fourth Prince.”

Lu Baohua smiled and nudged Liu Ruofu with her elbow. Liu Ruofu bit her lower lip, her cheeks flushed red as she looked toward Wei Qiheng, only to see his gaze fixed unblinkingly on Bai Qingyan. Liu Ruofu’s expression immediately fell.

“I heard that Emperor Yan also wishes to seek a bride for Great Yan’s Ninth Prince?” The Emperor smiled at Emperor Yan. “If Emperor Yan already has someone in mind, why not speak up? We can arrange another good marriage on this joyful day of my birthday banquet.”

Murong Yu nodded slightly with scholarly elegance and nobility: “Originally wanted to seek the Gaoyi County Lord’s hand for Ninth Brother, but felt that my Ninth Brother and the County Lord had too great an age difference.”

Murong Yu looked toward Bai Qingyan: “Later thought to seek the Zhenguo Princess’s hand for my true Ninth Brother, but learned that the Zhenguo Princess had vowed never to marry, so wanted to seek Princess Liu of Nandu for him instead. Who knew that yesterday evening… I heard that Great Liang’s Fourth Prince sought Princess Liu of Nandu’s hand and vowed never to take side consorts or concubines in this lifetime. I know my brother cannot make such a commitment, so I abandoned this idea. If in the future my Ninth Brother is fortunate enough to enter Jin and meet a woman who captures his heart, I hope Your Majesty will surely grant permission.”

Hearing Emperor Yan’s words, Wei Qiheng rose and thanked him: “Thank you, Emperor Yan, for your magnanimity.”

Lu Baohua covered her lips with her round fan and whispered: “Who would have thought that Great Yan’s Emperor would be so handsome and so gentle and scholarly – truly the world’s most beautiful man! Since Great Yan’s Ninth Prince shares the same mother as Great Yan’s Emperor, he surely can’t be far behind. Would you consider it?”

“My father has already agreed to Great Liang’s Fourth Prince! Besides…” Liu Ruofu pouted. “Great Yan is a poor, weak Kingdom. Wouldn’t going there mean suffering hardship?”

Wei Qiheng turned to see Bai Qingyan sitting properly in her seat, unmoved, and walked toward her.

Liu Ruofu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Wei Qiheng removed the jade pendant from his waist and respectfully presented it to Bai Qingyan: “Princess, I am Great Liang’s Fourth Prince Wei Qiheng. Yesterday at Taoyin Lake, seeing you from afar, I fell completely in love. I wish to marry you as my primary consort. I have already vowed to Prince Xian and Your Majesty that I seek only you as my wife in this lifetime, absolutely never taking side consorts or concubines, only asking to be with you for life.”

Xiao Rongyan’s hand tightened around his wine cup as he raised his eyes toward Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan was quite surprised. Wasn’t it said that… Great Liang’s Fourth Prince sought to marry Princess Liu Ruofu of Nandu? She looked toward Liu Ruofu.

Liu Ruofu’s face became even paler, her fists clenched tightly. What did Bai Qingyan mean by looking at her? Was it a provocation?!

Concubine Qiu’s heart jumped when she heard this, and she quickly said: “Your Majesty, yesterday the Fourth Prince sought Princess Liu of Nandu’s hand. You even specially summoned Prince Xian to the palace for this. How is it that the Fourth Prince…”

Yesterday’s matter of Wei Qiheng seeking Liu Ruofu’s hand from the Emperor and Prince Xian had already spread throughout the capital. Because Wei Qiheng had promised never to take side consorts or concubines in his lifetime, this marriage had become a beautiful tale in the capital.

Someone mischievously pointed toward Liu Ruofu’s direction and laughed: “Fourth Prince, haven’t you mistaken the person? This is not Princess Liu of Nandu, this is Zhenguo Princess Bai Qingyan. Princess Liu of Nandu is over there…”

Wei Qiheng followed that person’s finger toward Liu Ruofu’s direction, seeing Liu Ruofu’s pale face, while Prince Xian’s expression was no better.

The matter of Great Liang’s Fourth Prince Wei Qiheng kneeling to beg Prince Xian to marry Princess Liu of Nandu to him was something that the face-loving Prince Xian himself had spread around. Who knew this Great Liang Fourth Prince would seek his daughter’s hand one moment, then propose to Bai Qingyan the next.

“Ah?” Wei Qiheng looked confused as he glanced at Liu Ruofu, then turned back to look at Bai Qingyan, who had already stood up. “But… wasn’t it said that Princess Liu Ruofu of Nandu was the Jin Kingdom’s greatest beauty? How…”

Wei Qiheng’s confused statement was like grinding Liu Ruofu’s face into the mud.

What did Great Liang’s Fourth Prince mean?! Was he saying that she, Liu Ruofu, was unworthy of the title of Great Jin’s greatest beauty?!

Many ladies who usually disliked Liu Ruofu covered their lips with round fans and laughed directly.

Liu Ruofu had always been proud and particularly confident about her appearance. How could she bear such humiliation?

Yet she smiled and rose, curtsying properly before saying: “So, Great Liang’s Fourth Prince mistook the Zhenguo Princess for me. The title of greatest beauty is but an empty name that Liu Ruofu dares not claim. The Zhenguo Princess is our Jin Kingdom’s greatest hero from the recent Nan Jiang campaign. Great Liang’s Fourth Prince has keen insight. Congratulations to the Zhenguo Princess.”

Liu Ruofu deliberately reminded Wei Qiheng that Bai Qingyan was the fierce woman who had burned and killed one hundred thousand Western Liang surrendered prisoners, wanting to see Wei Qiheng’s confident oath-making turn into retreat upon learning Bai Qingyan’s identity.

This way, she could shift the embarrassment… from herself to Bai Qingyan.

Xiao Rongyan raised his eyebrows and smiled lightly. There were always people who overestimated themselves, thinking they could outmaneuver Bai Qingyan.

Unfortunately, whether in verbal sparring or scheming and strategy, probably few people present could match Bai Qingyan.

Having his precious daughter suffer such great humiliation, how could Prince Xian remain calm? He lowered his eyes to briefly consider the Emperor’s attitude toward Bai Qingyan, then continued his daughter’s words: “In our Jin Kingdom, being beautiful is not enough to be called the greatest beauty. My precious daughter’s character, appearance, and talents… all are exceptional, which is why she’s called Great Jin’s greatest beauty! Virtue, speech, achievement, appearance – virtue comes first, appearance comes last.”

Because Prince Xian was the Jin Kingdom’s only prince with a different surname, he was particularly cautious and especially liked to gauge imperial intentions. His intuition told him that… His Majesty would be pleased to see Bai Qingyan’s embarrassment, so his words became even sharper.

“The Jin Kingdom never judges people by appearance alone. Women should be beautiful through gentleness and virtue through kindness. How can a woman full of a murderous aura be called beautiful? How could an overly harsh woman manage a household diligently, be filial to in-laws, and support her husband and educate children? Moreover… disregarding propriety and shame, actually seducing Great Liang’s Fourth Prince outside and deliberately not revealing her identity to put others in embarrassing situations – such intentions are detestable!”