Liu Ruofu lowered her beautiful eyes, a blush rising on her cheeks as she spoke with the proper dignity befitting a noble lady: “Indeed, otherwise my father and His Majesty would not have agreed. After all, marrying far away… my father has only one daughter.”

Prince Xian was over fifty years old, yet had only Liu Ruofu as his daughter. Since it was a distant marriage to Great Liang, if the conditions weren’t attractive, how could Prince Xian have agreed?

After Liu Ruofu and Lu Baohua took their seats, many noble ladies came forward to congratulate Liu Ruofu.

Liu Ruofu’s gaze swept over the elaborate pearl hairpin on one noble lady’s head, then fell upon her dress with embroidered patterns identical to her own. She smiled and said, “Since you’re wearing such an ornate dress, adding a ruby-wrapped golden silk tassel hairpin would be excessive. Perhaps you should remove the hairpin to avoid having the accessory overshadow the main attraction.”

Liu Ruofu meant well. Over the years, her clothing and adornment style had always been imitated by others, but they could never capture the essence, often ending up like Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi’s frown.

Therefore, when encountering those she got along with reasonably well, Liu Ruofu would still offer guidance.

The noble lady who received Liu Ruofu’s fashion advice was stunned. She gripped her jade-handled round fan tightly, smiled awkwardly as she thanked her and removed the hairpin from her head, then asked with a smile: “Where did the Princess meet Great Liang’s Fourth Prince? Did you two speak?”

Liu Ruofu smiled gently and shook her head, her words carrying a hint of pride: “I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps it was yesterday at Taoyin Lake outside the city. Yesterday, Baohua and I arranged to go boating on the lake.”

“Though both are princesses, different is still different. Being made a princess, but only knowing how to fight and kill! Yesterday, the Zhenguo Princess stormed into the post house and killed one of Prince Yan of Western Liang’s subordinates. Just thinking about it makes one’s hair stand on end. Prince Yan of Western Liang is such a refined and courteous person – who knows how he offended that Zhenguo Princess! That person came to our Jin Kingdom for peace negotiations after all. How did she become so fierce and evil like a night demon? If the Western Liang people didn’t know better, they’d think all women in our Jin Kingdom are like this! Truly embarrassing…”

Someone brought up Bai Qingyan.

“Exactly! Relying on being a meritorious contributor to the great victory in Nan Jiang, she kills innocent people indiscriminately! Where does this place our Jin Kingdom’s great nation’s demeanor?”

“There must be some misunderstanding in this!” Lu Baohua frowned, unwilling to believe that Bai Qingyan was someone who would kill innocent people indiscriminately. “I heard that the congratulatory gift Prince Yan of Western Liang sent was a thumb ring belonging to the Bai family’s Second Young Master, and he left a letter asking the Zhenguo Princess to come alone. Prince Yan of Western Liang wanted to use the Bai family’s Second Young Master to set an ambush to kill the Zhenguo Princess. Fortunately, the Bai family’s Fourth Miss and the Crown Prince arrived in time.”

Lu Baohua was Princess Liu Ruofu of Nandu’s good friend. Those who spoke against Bai Qingyan didn’t want to offend Liu Ruofu, so they smiled and changed the topic: “However, no matter what, this Great Liang Fourth Prince still has good judgment. He sought to marry away our Jin Kingdom’s foremost beauty!”

Liu Ruofu recalled that before coming to the capital, someone had sent her word that among the playboys in the capital, they all called… that eldest legitimate daughter of the Zhenguo Duke’s mansion, Bai Qingyan, the true and deserving foremost beauty, surpassing her, Liu Ruofu, by who knows how much.

“I heard that Bai Qingyan… is particularly beautiful, acclaimed as the world’s foremost beauty.” Liu Ruofu straightened her sleeves and lowered her eyes to hide the mockery in them. “I wonder what she looks like to make those playboys praise her so highly.”

The noble ladies who had seen Bai Qingyan used their round fans to cover their faces, their gazes evasive and wandering.

Who didn’t know that what Liu Ruofu cared most about was her title as the foremost beauty? Which person would dare speak the truth and touch Liu Ruofu’s sore spot? If Liu Ruofu later cried before His Majesty, who knows which family would be in trouble?

“Not at all… If that Bai Qingyan were truly the world’s foremost beauty, why would Great Liang’s Fourth Prince specifically seek to marry you instead of her?” one noble lady laughed.

“Then…” Liu Ruofu lowered her eyes to look at her newly painted crimson fingernails. “Perhaps Great Liang’s Fourth Prince has never seen Bai Qingyan?”

“Princess, you must consider… Great Liang’s Fourth Prince, to marry you, knelt on the ground as a prince to beg Prince Xian to betroth you to him. What kind of stunning appearance could make a prince of a nation kneel and beg for marriage after just one meeting? Where in this world could there be anyone who surpasses you? Just look over there…” A lady used her round fan to shield her face while indicating for Liu Ruofu to look at Bai Jinxiu. “That one is the Zhenguo Princess’s sister, and she’s not exactly devastatingly beautiful either!”

Liu Ruofu couldn’t hide the proud expression between her brows. She thought so too… What did those playboys understand? Probably seeing that Bai Qingyan could fight wars and had some beauty, they praised her to the skies.

Her expression became haughty as she said indifferently, “Presumably, that Bai Qingyan also has some beauty. After all, people like Lu Yuanpeng aren’t without experience seeing beautiful women. However… Lu Yuanpeng is young and still immature after all. Seeing others who can lead troops in battle, he developed romantic feelings! But we ladies… should properly be pampered and learn more music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to cultivate ourselves. Fighting and killing bring much karmic retribution – it’s too heavy with a murderous aura after all. Such women may be formidable, but which family would dare to marry them?”

Those noble ladies who had seen Bai Qingyan laughed dryly a few times and gently waved their round fans.

“Hey, hey, hey… That one! Is that Great Liang’s Fourth Prince!”

A noble lady called out in a lowered voice. The dignified daughters sitting in the great hall all used their round fans to cover their faces while looking toward the entrance of the great hall.

Wei Qiheng, wearing deer leather boots, stepped into the hall followed by Great Liang’s envoys. The handsome young man had a high crown and jade-like face, wearing a crimson-purple python-patterned straight robe with a white jade wide belt at his waist. Every detail was exquisite, showing magnificent nobility. One could see that the Fourth Prince was indeed, as rumored, extremely favored by Great Liang’s Emperor.

Now that Great Liang’s succession was undecided, if the Fourth Prince could ascend to a high position in the future, Liu Ruofu would soar to become the empress of a nation.

Thinking of this, someone moved closer to Liu Ruofu and whispered: “Oh my! Great Liang’s Fourth Prince seems to be looking toward the Princess…”

Liu Ruofu raised her eyes and happened to see Wei Qiheng looking in her direction.

Since Prince Xian and the Emperor had both agreed to the marriage between Great Liang’s Fourth Prince and her, and now it was known throughout the court, she didn’t act coy. She stood up generously and curtsied toward Wei Qiheng.

Wei Qiheng was an elegant and gentle young master. Seeing the Jin Kingdom noble lady curtsy to him, he also smiled and returned the courtesy.

Seeing Wei Qiheng’s graceful bearing, Liu Ruofu couldn’t help but feel joy in her heart, her smile becoming even more radiant.

Wei Qiheng was someone who appreciated beauty. Seeing a beautiful woman show him favor naturally pleased him. After nodding to Liu Ruofu, he returned to his seat and smiled as he greeted Prince Yan Li Zhijie of Western Liang.

“That Prince Yan of Western Liang is also quite a rare handsome man…” Lu Baohua smiled and covered her lips with her round fan. “I thought, given how Great Liang’s Fourth Prince sought to marry the Princess, he would be eager to come speak with the Princess as soon as he saw her!”

“At a state banquet, how could he act so improperly?” Liu Ruofu chided Lu Baohua.