This matter was almost kept secret from the Emperor. Both the ministers and the Imperial Consort feared that the Emperor might become stubborn and call off this consort selection banquet.

They hadn’t expected the Emperor to be so perceptive, catching Old Liu at first glance.

Everyone watched the Emperor with anxious hearts.

But Murong Yi appeared very calm, saying: “Dismissed.”

The ministers felt as if granted amnesty, rejoicing in their hearts as they hurriedly took their leave.

Murong Yi descended from the couch, with Zhao San supporting him. Touching the protruding bones beneath his wide robes, Zhao San felt a pang of pain in his heart.

That poison had no cure and could only be endured through willpower. Under severe injuries, Murong Yi had slowly weathered through the most painful period, causing almost incalculable damage to his body. Although the attacks were now lighter and the intervals between them lengthening, he was still far from true recovery—it was even possible he might never fully heal.

Such days were too torturous. Zhao San felt the ministers should be grateful, since His Majesty not going insane already demonstrated his incredibly strong willpower.

But what did those idiots understand? Zhao San felt that everyone, including Imperial Consort Bao, were just a bunch of strangers who only caused trouble and never truly cared about His Majesty.

“Your Majesty, shall I go disperse the rear palace banquet…” Zhao San said softly.

“What are you saying?” Murong Yi sat on the soft sedan, supporting his head with his hand and smiled. “It’s rare for the palace to be lively. How can I not go take a look?”

Zhao San felt a headache coming on and looked toward Mu Si, who had just entered, hoping he could persuade him.

But Mu Si said: “If Your Majesty wishes to see the excitement, then let’s go see it.”

Zhao San sighed and said nothing more. Mu Si was two years older than both him and His Majesty. Since childhood, he seemed sharp-tongued and would bully His Majesty in various ways, but whenever His Majesty truly wanted to do something, no matter how unconventional, he had never opposed it.

Mu Si personally walked beside the soft sedan, took out a piece of paper, and handed it to Murong Yi, saying: “However, this minister must remind Your Majesty that for this lotus appreciation gathering, there are already favored candidates among the potential consorts. The eldest daughter of General Secretary Qi Cheng, the legitimate second granddaughter of Court of State Ceremonial Minister Wang Zhengpu, the third daughter of General Changwu, and the daughter of Guangyun County Magistrate have the highest support.”

Upon hearing this list, Murong Yi immediately understood. The General Secretary’s Office “handled internal and external memorials and imperial edicts,” which was originally a prestigious and powerful position. However, both generations of Da Feng’s founding emperors were strong personalities, so the General Secretary’s Office was merely responsible for delivering memorials. During major court assemblies when civil and military officials were discussed, it was never the General Secretary’s Office’s turn to speak.

The Court of State Ceremonial was even more of a sinecure, specializing in receiving foreign guests. But except for showing some courtesy to Da Qian, Murong Yi’s attitude toward the several small neighboring countries was uniformly terrible, with an eager, snarling demeanor.

The Court of State Ceremonial Minister could only idle away picking his toes.

General Changwu was a scattered general rank that didn’t command actual military power—just someone guarding gates in Ruzhou.

Moreover, none of these people came from established aristocratic families.

In other words, the list his mother had painstakingly selected, after careful consideration, was aimed at “appearing good on the surface but actually powerless and without influence, unable to overshadow herself after entering the palace, and even less likely to provide assistance to the Emperor.”

Murong Yi’s gaze fell on the last line, feeling this county magistrate’s daughter was completely out of place.

Even if the intention was not to select noble ladies from prominent families, they couldn’t just throw in a county magistrate to make up numbers, could they?

Mu Si hesitated to speak, only saying: “The last one holds the greatest hope.”

Murong Yi’s eyebrows nearly flew off his face.

“Hmm?”

Mu Si was rarely so hesitant, finally only saying: “Your Majesty will know when you see for yourself.”

Not saying anything would have been better—this piqued Murong Yi’s interest. He immediately waved his hand and headed toward the rear palace.

The lotus appreciation banquet was naturally set in the Imperial Garden, which had a lotus pond. When summer arrived, it bloomed luxuriantly. Though not particularly large in scale, it was beautiful enough—any mansion could enjoy similar scenery. However, today these palace lotus flowers were endowed with extraordinary meaning, making them suddenly precious and beautiful, attracting countless noble ladies of Ruzhou like moths to flame.

His Majesty was selecting consorts.

His Majesty was only twenty years old this year.

His Majesty’s beauty was renowned throughout the world. It was said that on Shengdu’s young masters’ ranking, His Majesty was the one who held the vacant first place.

Such a person was the dream of all budding young ladies. Even if he had a fierce reputation, even if legend said he killed his brother and murdered his father, in the eyes of love-struck girls, that was merely a faint bloody tinge on the emperor’s crown—red as glass, darkly alluring.

Anyway, before terrible things happened to oneself, they were all called charm.

Before the lotus pond in the Imperial Garden, ornaments jingled and fragrant clothes rustled with shadowy hair ornaments. After the Imperial Consort received everyone’s greetings in the main hall, she said not to be constrained and let everyone go admire the flowers while displaying talents related to lotus flowers.

Ultimately, she didn’t dare present a formal consort selection, using the pretext of entertainment to observe these young ladies’ talents and character. If they could happen to encounter His Majesty, that would be even better.

Qi Yun, daughter of the General Secretary, was painting before the lotus pond, with a group of well-informed young ladies clustered around her, praising in admiration.

The Court of State Ceremonial Minister’s granddaughter was playing “Lotus Picking Song” in the Xunfeng Pavilion, with a group of young ladies sitting properly beside her, resting their chins in their hands to listen quietly.

General Changwu’s daughter didn’t display martial arts. She was playing the flute before the Linshui Pavilion in the Imperial Garden. Standing high up with her sash flying freely, though a general’s daughter, she took an unconventional path with an otherworldly air.

Beside her were also quite a few young ladies accompanying and cheering.

Some wanted to curry favor early with future consorts, while others thought that since these were predetermined candidates, His Majesty would surely come to see them. Staying near them, wouldn’t they also have a chance to be seen by His Majesty?

More daughters of noble families moved through the flowers, racking their brains to present their most beautiful angles and poses, while their eyes constantly glanced toward the outside.

Someone suddenly said: “I heard that among us there’s a sister who’s a county magistrate’s daughter. Wasn’t it said that only daughters of third-rank officials and above could enter the palace?”

Someone who knew the inside story said: “Though only a county magistrate, her grandfather once saved the emperor and was rewarded with the lowest rank of marquis when the late emperor ascended the throne. She barely counts as nobility.”

Everyone let out long “ohs” and exchanged glances.

Someone said: “I heard she grew up in the northern snowlands and has a somewhat wild nature. I don’t understand how the Imperial Consort took a liking to such a person…”

Someone looked around: “Eh, I saw her earlier, but where is she now?”

Someone asked: “I wasn’t paying attention earlier. What does she look like?”

The previous young lady’s expression became somewhat unnatural: “Her appearance… is passable, but her bearing is quite special.”

Everyone didn’t believe it and laughed: “Sister is truly modest. A county magistrate’s daughter—how special could her bearing be?”

But another person said: “I also saw her earlier. Speaking of which, not only is she special, she also…”

Before she could finish, there was suddenly a slight commotion at the garden entrance. Someone was exclaiming, someone seemed to have twisted their ankle, someone turned their head.

The qin music stopped, the flute music ceased, the paintbrush froze on paper, dripping a drop of rose-red paint.

The ladies all turned around in unison.

They saw at the Imperial Garden entrance a procession of soft sedans winding forward. The person on the sedan had black hair flowing loose, only slightly pinned up in a simple bun with a deep red acacia wood hairpin.

Under the sunlight, he raised his face, and everyone suddenly felt dazzled.

That face was slightly pale, making his eyebrows appear darker and his eyes deeper. His profile was sharp and exquisite, only his eyelashes were long and thick, slightly lowered, veiling eyes that rippled like flowing waves.

His fingers supported his head as he lazily gazed at the garden. Beside his slender, white fingers, his lips were thin and soft. Sunlight swept across his jade-like nose bridge, making his skin glow even more brilliantly like jade or porcelain.

Warm wind blew gently, stirring hair strands at his dark temples. That one glance he cast over was light and wonderful, uniquely beautiful.

Those smelling flowers forgot the fragrance, those playing qin nearly broke their strings, the flute player dropped her flute into the river.

The ladies present came from extraordinary backgrounds—who hadn’t seen several handsome young men, who hadn’t imagined earthly jade trees? Ruzhou also had beauty contests for men, and those selected youths were painted into albums. Which lady’s boudoir didn’t hide one?

Yet even the most imaginative young lady couldn’t have pictured the appearance of the person before them.

So much so that the same phrase flowed through all the young ladies’ hearts simultaneously.

The glow of fireflies.

From this moment on, all the handsome young men they had seen became mere firefly glows, while the person before them was the bright moon atop budding flowers.

Reality was more dreamlike than legend, instantly causing countless people to fall into dreams.

For love-struck young ladies, such a person, even if penniless, could make them abandon wealth and muster courage to follow him to the ends of the earth—not to mention this person also possessed an entire nation and ruled the world.

The previously lively Imperial Garden fell into dead silence.

The Imperial Consort, sitting far away in the water pavilion, watched this scene and slightly raised her eyebrows.

Murong Yi’s face that amazed the world—she had given him that too.

Then she smiled contemptuously.

These shallow women only knew how to be enchanted by absolute beauty, not knowing that beauty often carried poison. Only power within reach and noble status were worth pursuing eternally.

She smiled and walked out of the water pavilion, saying: “What are you all standing there stupidly for? His Majesty has arrived—why aren’t you paying respects?” She also gestured with her eyes for those key prospects to hurry forward.

Having received confirmation, the young ladies felt both surprised and delighted as they quickly knelt down, their voices like orioles as they paid their respects.

Murong Yi descended from the soft sedan and stood by the lotus pond, gazing at the lotus leaves floating on the water. Without turning around, he simply waved his hand.

A palace attendant said: “His Majesty bids you rise.”

The young ladies stood up, secretly gazing at the figure standing by the water. Murong Yi’s wide silk robes fluttered in the wind, appearing as if he might float away with it.

Just as everyone wondered what he was looking at on the water surface, Qi Yun and the other two key prospects exchanged glances and mustered courage to step forward. Suddenly they heard the sound of oars, lotus flowers swaying throughout the pond, and from behind the endless lotus leaves emerged a light boat.

From afar, the person on the boat looked like a slender young man in white robes with black hair flowing down his back, bound with a silver-blue sash. Delicate chains hung from the waist with exquisite jade pieces that swayed gently with the water’s movement.

Everyone stared at this youth, wondering how a strange man had suddenly appeared in the inner palace.

No one noticed that under His Imperial Majesty’s wide sleeves, his palm suddenly clenched.

After clenching, he released it, slowly rubbing between his knuckles.

Zhao San and Mu Si were already stunned. Then Zhao San’s expression suddenly changed as he immediately looked toward Murong Yi.

Murong Yi’s moment of turbulent emotions had already passed. Now his eyes were deep, with a faint smile floating at the corners of his lips.

This smile made Zhao San’s scalp tingle.

The Imperial Consort standing in the distance couldn’t see Murong Yi’s expression. Seeing him standing by the river without moving, a pleased look appeared in her eyes.

By now the light boat had come close, and the ladies could clearly see the youth on board—with red lips and white teeth, bright and charming eyes, and a gentle temperament. It was actually a woman dressed as a man.

When this young lady dressed as a man, she actually possessed a graceful bearing rarely seen in women.

Then someone realized this must be the county magistrate’s daughter.

She had been nowhere to be seen, but was actually waiting here.

And taking such an unconventional approach to attract attention.

Everyone felt both envious and jealous. But no matter how jealous, they understood in their hearts that being pushed before His Majesty by the Imperial Consort in this manner must have deep meaning and determination. Obviously, her becoming their mistress in the future was certain.

They just didn’t understand what the deep meaning behind such an entrance was.

Did His Majesty like women dressed as men?

If only they had known to dress this way too.

They could think it, but knew it was impossible. Without the Imperial Consort’s favor, this would be disrespectful before the sovereign.

While the ladies here were in hidden turmoil, the young lady on the boat gazed at Murong Yi with slight shyness. Her eyes bright with a smile, she actually clasped her hands and bowed deeply to the ground in the manner of men, saying: “Third-class Marquis, daughter of Guangyun County Magistrate, Shi Xiaoci, greets Your Majesty.”

Mu Si heard this name and his brow furrowed slightly.

Murong Yi’s gaze flowed as he looked her up and down. His eyes seemed to hide hooks, and the composed demeanor Shi Xiaoci had worked hard to build was about to collapse. She blushed and lowered her eyes.

Therefore, she didn’t see the smile at Murong Yi’s lips deepen further.

“Shi Xiaoci…” he said slowly, “Come forward. Let me take a look at you.”