Others came forward with wine to chat, and Mo Tizhun welcomed everyone, his eyes growing brighter with each drink, looking as though not just a thousand cups, but ten thousand wouldn’t topple him.

He didn’t want to cause any trouble, so he told others that he and his sister were merely nobodies, heading to Yao’s capital on business.

Feng Miaojun dared not meet his gaze, fearing he would notice something amiss. After all, she had spent many years with Mo Tizhun, and he was quite familiar with her.

Yun Ya had no such concerns, chatting and laughing freely under Chi Zhe’s name, even raising his cup from afar to toast Mo Tizhun twice.

Feng Miaojun thought to herself, did this man never learn how to write the word “fear”?

The State Preceptor’s courage and composure were indeed worlds apart from her own.

After just three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere had already heated up. The Vice Sect Leader of the Juemingzong, Wei Xi, threw back a mouthful of hot wine and then said, “Earlier in town, I saw a rare character.”

A rare character? The people gathered here came from all corners of the world—could there be someone worthy of being called rare?

Everyone smiled without speaking.

Those heading to Yao’s capital to congratulate the royal wedding weren’t just diplomatic envoys from various countries; reputable cultivation sects also sent representatives to attend the ceremony. It was said that in ancient times, before nations existed, only immortal sects stood tall, producing extraordinary figures who influenced worldly affairs. Although times had changed, cultivators, as exceptional beings among humans, still chose to band together to form powerful factions unless they were born into nobility.

The rate at which humans became cultivators was less than one in ten thousand. Even the total number of cultivators in all six kingdoms combined was truly negligible compared to the human population base.

The fewer the number, the greater the unity—this was a universal rule.

Moreover, not everyone was willing to be bound by the machinery of the state, so some sects established their territories, content with their independence. These self-governing sects that weren’t subject to national constraints generally chose to settle at the borders between countries or in remote areas, maintaining a very subtle relationship with nations.

Juemingzong was naturally one of them, with its sphere of influence half on land and half at sea, enjoying the best of both worlds and living quite freely. Wei Xi didn’t keep everyone in suspense and directly said, “It was none other than Princess Changle of the former An Xia Kingdom!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Tizhun took a swig of aged wine, Yun Ya’s gaze slightly focused, while Princess Hanyue did not react at all, seemingly still immersed in her thoughts.

As for the main subject, Feng Miaojun displayed surprise like everyone else, raising her head to look at Wei Xi.

Someone couldn’t help but ask, “Princess Changle came?”

Generally, those who enjoy gossiping also enjoy others’ attention. Wei Xi smiled and said, “Could it be false? I saw her in Yan Kingdom two years ago. Now she’s traveling with Yan Kingdom’s delegation. Oh, and her distant cousin Fu Lingchuan is also coming to Yao’s capital for the ceremony.”

This statement contained a wealth of information. Princess Changle had come, Fu Lingchuan had also come, and they were openly staying with Yan Kingdom’s delegation, indicating that their journey had been permitted by the Yan King, perhaps even assigned by him?

Feng Miaojun found this extremely interesting.

Wei Xi said that the impostor Princess Changle was in Qingyuan Town, meaning she was less than five li away from the lakeshore. Ever since hearing about the “Princess Changle” being active in Yan Kingdom years ago, Feng Miaojun has been curious about her appearance and true identity. Now, with the real and fake Princess Changle less than a few li apart, she was tempted to go have a look.

This idea shouldn’t be difficult to implement, right? Feng Miaojun’s gaze returned to Yun Ya. Regarding this princess of a fallen kingdom, the great State Preceptor Yun must also be interested. But how should she bring it up?

Yun Ya, sensing her gaze, raised his wine cup toward her: “Pour me some wine.”

Feng Miaojun’s change of expression lasted only for an instant before returning to normal; no one noticed anything unusual. As she poured wine for Yun Ya, an envoy from a small country laughed and said, “I wonder what she looks like? The Queen of An Xia was renowned for her beauty throughout the northern frontier in those years, her fame reaching even our lands.”

When men are enjoying their wine, how could the topic not turn to women, especially beautiful women?

Wei Xi laughed heartily: “Princess Changle is also a beauty. It’s said that many nobles in the Yan Kingdom have shown interest in her, but the Yan King has personally protected her, and until now she hasn’t found a suitable husband.”

Feng Miaojun knew all this information as well. While in Jin’s capital, Lu Chuanying would continuously deliver these external reports to her. At that time, he analyzed that the Yan King was a ruler of great talent and strategy, but he liked to act on his authority, making it not an easy task to get on his good side.

Moreover, with her country destroyed, a princess of a fallen kingdom was like a rootless duckweed. There were many examples of those who depended on others’ charity having difficult fates. The fake Princess Changle had sought refuge in the Yan Kingdom and managed to thrive there, largely thanks to Fu Lingchuan’s skillful maneuvering.

From the intelligence gathered, this distant cousin of hers was quite capable indeed.

Someone asked, “Although the Wei Kingdom swallowed up An Xia, in recent years the An Xia borders, especially the eastern borders, have been very unstable. Does this have something to do with Princess Changle?”

“The Wei Kingdom has suppressed uprisings multiple times, killing as many as thirty to forty thousand people, yet the rebellions have only grown more intense. I heard that the Wei King has repeatedly reprimanded his Crown Prince for ineffective suppression and has become dissatisfied with him.” Wei Xi snorted, “In my opinion, the Wei Kingdom consumed An Xia but can’t control it, and after those years of invasive warfare left the people impoverished and the treasury depleted, they still haven’t fully recovered even now. This is even with the Wei Kingdom’s State Preceptor managing the national fortunes effectively. I think this account doesn’t balance out.”

Someone else also agreed: “An Xia Kingdom is truly remarkable. Even with their ancestral temples demolished, there are still so many surviving citizens supporting them.” Since the fall of the Haoli Empire, the world has been in chaos for three hundred years, experiencing the rise and fall of how many kingdoms? Some commoners, if they lived long enough, could witness the succession of seven or eight countries in one lifetime, so what sense of belonging could they have? What concern for the rise and fall of the nation?

In any case, whether a kingdom rises or falls, the common people suffer.

But although An Xia was small, its citizens seemed to possess an iron will. Even though the An Xia palace had long been overgrown with desolate weeds, the struggle against the Wei Kingdom had never ceased.

The previous envoy said, “The great-grandfather of the An Xia King was said to be traced back to a capable general under the Haoli Emperor, who personally drove the Celestial Demons out of this world in the final battle. Therefore, the An Xia royal family has always considered themselves descendants of the gods, using this legend to educate their citizens, and over time, they gained widespread support. Now that An Xia has fallen while Princess Changle survives, the An Xia citizens are even more unwilling to submit to the Wei Kingdom.”

The name “Princess Changle” had now become a banner in the hearts of the surviving citizens of An Xia, or perhaps their last straw of hope. As long as she lived, the uprising movements would likely not stop, and the Wei Kingdom would find it difficult to truly control the An Xia region.

Feng Miaojun sorted through the threads of these clues, then turned to steal a glance at Yun Ya, only to see his expression as calm as still water, as if he hadn’t heard anything at all. In contrast, Mo Tizhun, several zhang away, had furrowed his thick brows, his face showing some melancholy.