The two men were coming up from below the stage, passing through the crowd. The first was tall and thin with particularly pale skin, while the other was covered from head to toe in a cloak despite the weather, his form and face unclear. Jing Hengbo had a conditioned reflex – whenever she saw someone in a cloak, she became alert, instinctively straightening in her seat, then laughing at herself, thinking that no matter what, the cloaked person wouldn’t appear before her in such a setting.

Her attention was entirely on that cloaked person, feeling this person was so mysterious that he must be the one with “yin-yang eyes,” Qiu Jinfeng. But when the two approached one after the other, the tall, pale-skinned one in front bowed and said, “Greetings, Your Majesty,” and she realized she had mistaken them.

Only then did she notice that Qiu Jinfeng had extremely light eyebrows, and beneath those light brows, his eyes didn’t seem particularly bright – only his left eye was especially black, while his right pupil, upon careful observation, seemed to have a layer of white film. When looking at people, his gaze was burning, almost brazenly staring.

Jing Hengbo knew this was his natural habit and smiled it off. At this moment she sat beside the table, with Qiu Jinfeng diagonally across from her, a table between them. She smiled and tapped the table surface, asking Qiu Jinfeng: “Master Qiu, may I ask what ornament is on my belt?”

Qiu Jinfeng’s gaze turned downward, but he didn’t answer immediately. His face suddenly showed amazement, as if he couldn’t believe his own eyes. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, then glanced at Jing Hengbo once more. After hesitating for a long moment, he said: “It’s jade…”

The Luoyun official standing beside Jing Hengbo smiled, knowing Qiu Jinfeng had passed this test and Luoyun had gained another future royal consort.

Jing Hengbo also smiled, but seeing Qiu Jinfeng’s strange expression and fearing he might be socially awkward and say something inappropriate, she said: “Master indeed has divine eyes. I am willing to…”

“Your Majesty,” Qiu Jinfeng suddenly interrupted her words, “This is selecting a royal consort?”

“Yes.” Jing Hengbo smiled radiantly, thinking this fellow’s expression wasn’t right.

“Royal consort – your husband?” Qiu Jinfeng pressed further, glancing repeatedly at her belly.

Jing Hengbo nodded with a smile, thinking – oh no, she’d forgotten an important issue…

The Luoyun official scolded: “Isn’t this stating the obvious? Such great fortune – why don’t you quickly express your gratitude?” He then smiled to Jing Hengbo: “This one must be silly with joy.”

Jing Hengbo chuckled, thinking – you’re the one who’s silly.

Qiu Jinfeng ignored the official and said nothing, standing motionless on the stage. After staring blankly for a while, he suddenly threw back his head and laughed three times at the sky, saying: “A queen is still a queen – in such a state, yet able to make such grand preparations for a nationwide husband selection! But Qiu is a seven-foot man with dignity – I cannot do things that compromise a man’s honor for wealth and status!” With that, he gave a perfunctory bow, didn’t even bid farewell, and turned to leave.

Everyone was stunned. The Luoyun official cried out: “What are you doing, you rascal!” He quickly pursued, grabbing his sleeve: “Are you insane!”

Qiu Jinfeng shook him off and continued forward without acknowledging him.

Chaos erupted below. Jing Hengbo held her forehead and smiled bitterly.

She wasn’t angry at all. This fellow had real talent and had indeed seen her child. So the problem was – she had announced she was selecting a husband, and any normal man seeing a pregnant woman still looking for a husband would be furious rather than strange.

He was already being quite polite by not cursing her shamelessness to her face.

“Forget it, let him go.” Jing Hengbo was quite understanding. The other party didn’t know the inside story of the husband selection and couldn’t accept it, which was normal. Since his X-ray ability had been proven, she’d invite him back with generous rewards later.

Originally this matter would have ended there, but that Luoyun official was unwilling to give up. He chased after and tried to persuade earnestly, pestering the quite individualistic Qiu Jinfeng until he became impatient. Suddenly flinging his hand, he shouted in a low voice: “Outrageous! I simply won’t comply! Shameless woman! Is this selecting a royal consort or selecting a cuckold!”

The official was stunned.

People near the front stage were stunned.

The cloaked person on stage suddenly turned his head.

Pei Shu, who had been wandering around with his back to this side, suddenly whipped around.

The curtain behind the stage suddenly rippled.

Jing Hengbo knew something was wrong and shouted: “Don’t—”

But it was too late.

Ice wind howled from behind the curtain, snow light flashed, and Qiu Jinfeng, who was about to leave the stage, could no longer move.

The cloaked figure on stage flashed and was already beside Qiu Jinfeng, kicking out. With a “thud,” Qiu Jinfeng knelt before Jing Hengbo.

A red shadow swept over like a storm, and with a crisp “slap,” Qiu Jinfeng’s head was forcibly twisted to one side. He spat out a broken tooth with a “pah,” and half his cheek immediately swelled red like a peach.

Pei Shu flexed his wrist, glaring fiercely: “Grandpa’s in a good mood today, otherwise it would be your head that broke!”

Jing Hengbo’s mouth hung open. After a long moment, she slowly closed it, holding her head and letting out an exasperated “Hey!”

Great, now through this misunderstanding, she’d offended the divine eyes she desperately needed. Where could she find another pair of divine eyes? Rely on Jun Ke?

“Apologize! Apologize to the Queen!” Pei Shu was still viciously kicking that unlucky fellow’s backside. The man was beaten dizzy and frozen stiff all over, kneeling rigid like an ice sculpture, making creaking sounds as Pei Shu kicked him – a pitiful sight.

Jing Hengbo seemed to see her divine physician flying away with wings…

“Enough, enough!” Jing Hengbo could only quickly have people carry away the ice sculpture divine eyes, hurriedly instructing Yong Xue, who knew her situation best, to care for him, while thinking miserably about how to remedy this later…

Feeling frustrated, she was too lazy to argue with hot-tempered Pei Shu and had no way to deal with that iceberg. All her anger fell on the cloaked person who had intervened – they had their reasons to defend, but why did you join in the commotion?

Deliberately trying to curry favor, right?

A sycophantic opportunist!

According to Jing Hengbo’s standards, she felt that although Qiu Jinfeng spoke unpleasantly, he had understandable reasons, and unmoved by wealth and status, he was still a man with backbone – much better than those modern losers who cursed women for being materialistic while desperately chasing rich women. But this cloaked fellow who obviously wasn’t a good person had a fawning appearance – shameful!

In her heart, she drew a big X over this guy who hadn’t even had a chance to demonstrate his abilities – eliminated!

What was so great about being skilled in poison and medicine? They were a dime a dozen – she didn’t want him!

Due to her displaced anger and frustration, she refused to look at that person again, and thus didn’t notice that his cloak had lifted slightly, revealing a dark blue mark between his brows.

At this time, in the Eastern Palace of Luoyun, Ji Wen stood in a corner of the courtyard, casually wiping the windowsill while her eyes gazed toward the square’s direction, her expression three parts hopeful, three parts uneasy.

Had Yelu Qi already met with the Queen by now?

She hoped they would meet – only then would there be a chance to save Yelu Qi’s life. Although Yelu Qi’s poison had been temporarily suppressed, Wuwei Yan and the others wouldn’t care about his health. Both fighting poison with poison and shamanic medical methods only treated symptoms, not the root cause, and were domineering in approach. As a result, Yelu Qi now had a deep blue color of toxic stagnation between his brows and couldn’t be exposed to sunlight, having to cover himself with a cloak.

She also feared their meeting. His heart had always reflected only that woman’s shadow – like places touched by sunlight where no firefly’s glow could be seen. When he and Jing Hengbo were close at hand, she would be far as the horizon.

Worldly love was just a tangled mess, impossible to sort out beginning from end, start from finish.

She closed her eyes, pressed her palms together, and prayed silently.

Footsteps shuffled constantly through the courtyard. Recently, everyone in the Eastern Palace had been busy, walking hurriedly. The entire Eastern Palace was shrouded in an eerie and tense atmosphere.

“What are you doing?” someone asked behind her – it was the Princess’s head maid.

The Princess had also been frequently absent from the palace recently, and when in the palace, often invited people for nighttime discussions. With people coming and going in the courtyard, she wasn’t allowed to approach.

“I’m praying,” Ji Wen answered gently, “wishing the Eastern Palace eternal peace and my lady’s fortune and health.”

…

Jing Hengbo didn’t spare the cloaked person a glance, directly summoning the Luoyun official. Just as she was about to indicate he should drive this fellow away, the curtain suddenly lifted and Gong Yin emerged.

“Finished?” Jing Hengbo was somewhat surprised.

So quickly.

Young Master Jiang, who had been waiting on the side, perked up. He’d waited so long that he’d already drafted a pile of insulting words in his mind – finally it was time.

Everyone’s gaze fell on Gong Yin’s hands, which were completely empty.

Jing Hengbo raised her eyebrows, her heart harboring vague guesses, yet finding it incredible. No way – did he really think that could win?

Gong Yin leisurely sat beside her, offering no explanations or introductions, simply raising his hand to signal. The curtain lifted.

Everyone suddenly closed their eyes.

Blinding.

A large expanse of crystalline, brilliant light suddenly burst before their eyes. At this moment when sunlight was bright and dazzling, it reflected off that object with radiant beams flowing like bright moon and starry river, impossible to look at directly.

After a good while, their eyes adapted to the light, and people slowly opened them again. Seeing that object clearly, they cried out in amazement.

But Young Master Jiang, his face full of surprise, couldn’t help clutching his stomach and bursting into laughter.

“Hahaha, I thought it was some precious object… so brilliant and overwhelming… haha, never heard of carving ice and daring to compete with priceless tourmaline… hahaha, truly fantastic imagination…”

For a moment, everyone laughed.

On stage was still a portrait of Jing Hengbo, but an ice sculpture, a full person’s height. The technique was equally superb, lifelike as if the Queen stood before them, yet the design was unique – a swing frame with flowering vines, a woman with flowing hair and fluttering skirts standing on the swing, as if soaring to the sky’s edge.

Jing Hengbo stared blankly at that sculpture.

In those days, swinging under palace flowers, passing by your window again and again, thinking you always missed my graceful fragrance, not knowing that shadow was carved in your heart.

Only fate was like dreams and prophecies – those most beautiful scenes ultimately appeared frozen in ice.

When could we live vibrantly together, not needing to seal memories in ice, not needing to gaze across mountains, seas, and snowy barriers, seeing love but unable to touch fingertips.

When… would that be?

She sighed softly.

The mocking laughter continued, no one understanding the myriad waves in her heart at this moment.

Jing Hengbo was powerless to stop everyone’s ridicule.

Purely in terms of carving technique, Young Master Jiang was still superior, not to mention the miraculous preciousness of three-sided gem carving. But judging from the heart, Jing Hengbo loved Gong Yin’s sculpture more. However, they weren’t competing on sentiment or design, but on preciousness and accuracy.

She knew it would be like this.

Gong Yin didn’t love jewelry, didn’t value luxury. Even after years as State Preceptor with wealth rivaling nations, he wouldn’t carry such burdensome gems everywhere. What he excelled at and could do was ice sculpting.

This swing sculpture condensed the brief beautiful years of Jingtingzhou, condensed her and his most beautiful, pure time, condensed the beginning of their meeting and falling in love – worthless yet infinitely precious.

But no one could understand, nor could it be explained. Those most beautiful things, once spoken, became blasphemy.

She rubbed her temples in heartache. Now what – being so perfunctory under everyone’s gaze, even if she wanted to go easy on him, she couldn’t without causing public outrage.

Tian Qi beside her suddenly exclaimed “Oh!” and said: “A pearl!”

Looking carefully, Jing Hengbo saw that at the sculpture’s heart position was indeed a huge, pale golden pearl.

The pearl had originally been his throat’s protective weapon, now placed at her heart’s position.

Such a huge pearl, in preciousness no less than tourmaline, yet he hadn’t used it for carving, only embedded it in the figure’s heart.

He disdained competing with others, only wanting to express his own expression—

Your safety is like my vital point, protected with life itself.

“Hahahaha…” Young Master Jiang was still laughing, tears spraying everywhere. “May I ask, sir, just with this thing, do you really dare think you can make me roll off the stage? Hahaha…”

“Of course,” Gong Yin remained unmoved, his light sentence covering his wild laughter, “we’re competing on accuracy.”

“Haha, of course… huh? What do you mean?” Young Master Jiang’s laughter stopped abruptly as he looked up at him.

The laughter below gradually subsided too, everyone staring at Gong Yin in bewilderment.

“Competing on accuracy, you lost.” Gong Yin casually pointed at his own sculpture and nodded.

“What grounds do you have to say I lost?” Young Master Jiang’s face flushed red as he clutched the tourmaline in his palm, rushing down the stage to show it to people below one by one. “Competing on accuracy means comparing which looks more like the Queen herself. You tell me, does it look like her? Does it?”

The crowd craned their necks to look, nodding continuously: “Yes! Yes! Too much like her!”

Young Master Jiang turned back, looking at Gong Yin with pride and contempt: “I admit yours is also like her, but you can’t prove yours is more accurate than mine. In terms of carving technique, you’re obviously inferior to me. What else do you have to say?”

“I’m naturally more accurate than you.” Gong Yin didn’t even glance at him.

Jing Hengbo suddenly wondered why this fellow insisted on the word “accurate.”

Then she heard Gong Yin say coolly: “Twenty-seven cun six, nineteen cun two, twenty-seven cun seven.”

What?

Everyone wore expressions of complete bewilderment as if hearing heavenly scripture.

Jing Hengbo also froze there – what numbers were these?

Opposite her, Gong Yin stared at her unblinkingly, his gaze clearly accusatory – you can forget this too?

A scene suddenly flashed through Jing Hengbo’s mind.

A dark chamber, two people standing opposite each other, evasive gazes, ambiguous atmosphere.

Light and shadow alternating outside the screen, scorching temperature inside.

A voice that seemed tough but was actually somewhat guilty said: “I measured before coming – it’s 92, 64, 93…”

…

Jing Hengbo’s mind exploded with understanding of what “accurate” meant.

He had reported her measurements!

This sculpture had the most accurate dimensions – Young Master Jiang didn’t know her measurements and absolutely lacked this kind of “precision”!

In other words, this fellow had guessed from the start that Young Master Jiang would carve her likeness, which was why he added that phrase “compare accuracy.”

Jing Hengbo began coughing.

Accurate, truly accurate…

Jing Hengbo began coughing. After a long moment, under Young Master Jiang’s hopeful gaze, she said with difficulty: “Indeed, yours is most accurate…”

A commotion arose below. The Luoyun official frowned: “Your Majesty, this…” His expression clearly accused: Aren’t you being too blatantly biased?

Jing Hengbo coughed again. After a moment, she wiped her face and said seriously: “Nonsense – I am the most fair. Let me ask you, are we comparing carving accuracy?”

“Yes, but,” Young Master Jiang said mournfully, “isn’t my carving lifelike!”

“Accurate – we’re talking about accuracy. From head to toe accuracy.” Jing Hengbo waved her hand: “Bring a measuring tape!”

When the measuring tape was brought, Her Majesty the Queen smiled and said: “Since it’s accurate, naturally it should be exactly the same to be called most accurate, right?”

“Yes! But,” Young Master Jiang said mournfully, “aren’t they the same?”

“Whether they’re the same or not, measurements will tell.” Jing Hengbo ordered: “Invite some seamstresses.”

This was a busy district with tailoring shops nearby. Seamstresses were quickly found. Jing Hengbo whispered instructions, and the confused women first measured the dimensions of the figure carved on the gem, then measured the ice sculpture, and finally Jing Hengbo entered the curtain to have them measure her own dimensions.

When everything was finished, the women emerged and announced loudly: “The ice sculpture’s dimensions are most accurate – not off by a hair!”

Young Master Jiang stood like a wooden chicken, shouting: “This isn’t fair – mine is also very accurate!”

“We’re used to making clothes – we can tell at a glance how the measurements are, and we measured everything carefully too.” The women said: “Though your gem carving is much smaller, comparing women’s figures, your Queen portrait has the right face, but the waist is too thick and legs a bit short. Also…” The seamstress glanced at Jing Hengbo’s chest, wanting to speak but not daring, only saying vaguely, “Some areas are obviously undersized…”

Jing Hengbo proudly thrust out her chest – her human weapons, it was normal for these country bumpkins to underestimate them.

But Gong Yin was too shameless!

To think of such an underhanded trick!

Shameless! Shameless! Shameless!

A silence fell over the stage and below. Everyone was confused by the switched concept, wanting to object but unable to – accurate, of course identical dimensions were more accurate.

Young Master Jiang staggered off the stage.

He was hit so hard by this underhanded move that he even forgot to hand over his secret formula. Jing Hengbo generously planned to remind him later – if he didn’t hand it over, she’d permanently cut off a section of his measurements.

Gong Yin sat back beside her as if nothing had happened, calm and breezy.

As long as he wanted to win, there was always a way to win.

Victory over cats and dogs wasn’t worth much celebration.

He began drinking tea, picking up Jing Hengbo’s forgotten cup, waiting for her to announce the results.

Jing Hengbo was sighing again.

Seeing his confident, certain expression of assured victory, she didn’t want to fulfill his wishes, but now there seemed no reason to renege…

“The royal consort competition ends here. I choose…” She reluctantly drew out her words.

Gong Yin was prepared to show her a faint encouraging smile.

Jing Hengbo’s eyes darted around everywhere, just refusing to look at him pleasantly. Suddenly her gaze turned and she saw that cloaked person was still on stage, coughing softly.

A gust of wind passed, lifting his cloak.

Jing Hengbo suddenly froze.

The finger pointing toward Gong Yin suddenly changed direction, pointing straight at that person.

“Him!”