She guessed that today her grandmother had dressed her up this way to have her observed by potential suitors. She needed to start planning early, or else she might end up married in a daze.

Old Dowager Dong saw from afar how Huang Arong tilted up her little chin with a proud expression, and couldn’t help covering her lips and laughing softly, becoming even fonder of this girl with a chivalrous heart.

“What amusing thing has Mother seen?” Dong Shi waved the ivory round fan in her hand, moving closer to her mother and asking in a low voice.

Old Dowager Dong covered her lips with her handkerchief, still laughing, and pointed out Huang Arong to Dong Shi.

Huang Arong’s grandmother naturally noticed Old Dowager Dong’s movements. Following Old Dowager Dong’s gaze, her face immediately turned pale. Huang Arong, who was together with the Zhen family’s Third Miss, was brazenly assuming a horse stance, and the Zhen family’s Third Miss, not to be outdone, also assumed a horse stance…

How did these two thoughtless girls end up together? Huang Arong’s grandmother’s vision darkened, nearly choking from anger.

Soon, Old Dowager Dong had someone call Huang Arong over. After asking her some questions and finding the young lady truly innocent and adorable, she placed the bracelet from her hand onto Huang Arong’s wrist: “Look, this bracelet worn on a young lady’s wrist—now that’s what you call perfectly matched!”

Huang Arong didn’t understand Old Dowager Dong’s meaning, thinking it was thanks for her grandmother’s recent pulse diagnosis for Old Dowager Dong. After declining several times and seeing Old Dowager Dong’s insistence, she smiled and accepted it.

Watching Huang Arong bow and leave, Dong Shi smiled and said to her mother: “She’s an honest child!”

After sufficient flower appreciation, Li Shi had people serve chilled sour plum soup and various pastries made with fresh flowers to the court ministers and various families’ madams and young ladies. After the pastries were cleared, preparations began for the lunch banquet, and everyone was invited back into Pinxiang Hall.

Now, in May, the capital had already grown hot. Li Shi and Wang Shi had thought things through thoroughly—beside every adjacent table in the great hall, they had placed ice mountains in half-height auspicious beast tripod cauldrons with double ears. People sitting behind their tables didn’t feel hot at all.

Xiao Rongyan, wearing azure straight robes and tied with an azure jade wide sash, sat in the seat to Bai Qingyan’s lower right. Leaning against his armrest, he displayed a somewhat careless and lazy air, causing those noble ladies to cover their faces with round fans and whisper among themselves.

Before long, a eunuch announced Bai Qingyan’s arrival…

Everyone in the hall hurriedly rose and knelt in welcome. Xiao Rongyan also stood up with the Yan nation envoys.

Bai Qingyan had already changed from the elaborately embroidered court robes she wore to morning court into an azure casual long dress. The white jade sash at her waist had intricately crafted pace-regulating ornaments, making Bai Qingyan’s figure appear even more tall and graceful.

In her hair was pinned a white jade wild goose hairpin. As she moved, on her pale wrists could faintly be seen an imperial green bracelet of excellent quality. The bracelet had hints of red showing through. Though this bracelet didn’t quite match Bai Qingyan’s outfit today, fortunately one wouldn’t really notice the bracelet without careful observation.

The ministers saw their Majesty wearing an azure long dress, then looked at Xiao Rongyan on the high platform also wearing azure robes, calculating in their hearts that if this Ninth Prince of Yan knew proper boundaries, he should excuse himself to change clothes and remove this outfit.

But the corners of Xiao Rongyan’s lips beneath his mask curved up slightly. Whether it was the wild goose hairpin in Bai Qingyan’s hair, the bracelet on her wrist that couldn’t be seen without careful looking, or Bai Qingyan’s azure outfit matching his own, all made him feel as sweet as if he’d eaten honey, his mood excellent.

Bai Qingyan’s brows and eyes carried a light smile as she sat in the main seat, allowing everyone to rise, exerting great effort to restrain herself from letting her gaze drift toward Xiao Rongyan.

Before Bai Qingyan arrived, Dong Shi had rewarded the young ladies with flowers. To show gratitude, some young ladies had already pinned flowers in their hair.

Young men with intentions of competing for the Imperial Consort position after “Xiao Rongyan” had today deliberately imitated the dress style of Xiao Rongyan when he was still alive. Bai Qingyan took one glance and understood the implications, lowering her eyes with only a smile, saying nothing. She wondered what the actual person now sitting here wearing a mask felt seeing this scene.

As soon as Bai Qingyan arrived, sudden drum sounds rang out. Dancers wearing Great Zhou military armor and holding wooden swords and shields entered with small steps.

When the drums sounded, the people in the hall perked up.

Since Bai Qingyan ascended the throne, there hadn’t been banquets for a long time, and the dancers had no opportunity to perform.

This time, finally having a chance to hold a flower banquet, these dancers also wanted to win Bai Qingyan’s favor in one stroke at today’s flower banquet. Therefore, this dance and music was “General Bai’s March to War.”

After the dancers entered the hall and formed their array, sounds like rain on a pipa gradually grew from soft to loud. The dancers, like warriors about to enter battle, shouted in unison as they raised their wooden swords.

Bai Qingyan sat on the high platform, watching the dancers’ performance that combined strength and beauty, and was reminded of that poem…

Meeting lovely guests on Yinghu Lake boats, only hearing the pipa, seeing no one. Silk, bamboo, and fine wine intertwining, suddenly turning urgent like thunderous music. Heavy strings clanging, toppling five peaks, Light strings surging, breaking river flows. Fingertip lightning gathering wind and clouds, Ears hearing clanging sounds of weapons. Song’s end, hot blood rushing skyward, the general has broken through Azure West Mountain.

If she remembered correctly, the talented scholar who composed this poem, named Yin Baiyi, was also among the second-rank graduates in this imperial examination.

This “General Bai’s March to War” had long been popular throughout the capital. Many entertainment quarters had choreographed dances to this tune. These young masters had mostly seen it before and felt that, having watched and heard it too much, it no longer stirred their blood with excitement. Instead, it was these young ladies who were confined at home by their elders who watched with great interest.

Especially daughters from military families—they straightened their backs, their eyes reddening, wishing they could also take up swords and go to the front lines.

“‘General Bai’s March to War’ is indeed an excellent piece!” Xiao Rongyan looked at the silver-armored woman leading the dance in the center, feeling that her affected performance was far inferior to Bai Qingyan’s real battlefield prowess. He was not satisfied with this dance.

“I heard yesterday’s negotiations about the national wager didn’t go very well?” Bai Qingyan smiled and turned to look at Xiao Rongyan. “I heard your nation’s Minister of Revenue seems to have injured his wrist?”

Xiao Rongyan wasn’t annoyed, only saying: “Your Majesty, our two nations are now discussing the national wager, which is peace negotiations. Since ancient times, peace talks involve back-and-forth exchanges accompanied by arguments—this is all normal.”

Bai Qingyan nodded. Yesterday’s negotiation reports had continuously reached Bai Qingyan’s desk. That Fan Yugan was truly a treasure—he had nearly made the Yan nation’s Minister of Revenue lose his composure and curse, and when slamming the table, he hit his wrist. It was said his face went white from pain at the time. Fan Yugan, having the upper hand, wouldn’t let it go, laughing maniacally as he slapped the table, then deliberately drawing out his tone to gloat: “Heaven has eyes, retribution comes so quick! Ah… it comes so quick!”