Feng Miaojun thought to herself that even if one day she held great power and became the true Queen of New Xia, she still wouldn’t bring her adoptive mother over. First, New Xia would likely face many difficult battles in the future. Second, ordinary people had fragile bodies that couldn’t withstand the fatigue of traveling tens of thousands of miles.

That longing could only be buried deep in her heart.

She sighed inwardly, but her outward smile didn’t diminish in the slightest. “By the way, how is Tan Qingshuang doing?”

Xu Huancheng asked: “You know my cousin?”

“We’ve met a few times,” Feng Miaojun knew that the best way to dispel others’ doubts was to speak with certainty. “At that time, she went to the Northern Continent to congratulate Yao and Jin on their marriage alliance and also to discuss port-opening matters with Yao Kingdom. I met her there. Two or three years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I don’t know where she is now.”

“In less than a month, the New Year will come. Cousin is the Grand Priestess of Fengyang City. There will be several major ceremonies coming up, such as the New Year Ceremony, the White Dragon Ceremony, and so on. She won’t leave Fengyang City before the first month of the year is over.”

So Tan Qingshuang also carried ceremonial duties. “What is the White Dragon Ceremony?”

Listening to Xu Huancheng’s explanation, she learned that legend had it that the ancestors of Fengyang City originally served the True Dragon clan. But during the Haoli Empire era, the dragon race was drawn into wars with humans and celestial demons. Finally, the strongest white dragon perished, and the true dragons disappeared from the world thereafter. It fell on the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, so Fengyang City held a grand ceremony on this day every year.

Upon hearing this, a flash of inspiration crossed Feng Miaojun’s mind, as if she could vaguely recall something. Just at that moment, a loud shout came from nearby, interrupting her train of thought.

About ten to twenty percent of the topics discussed by people in Xianmanlou were related to her. Sects and tribes had female leaders before, but the emergence of a female monarch of a great nation was unprecedented—enough to stir that nerve called gossip in people anywhere.

Of course, what the guests in the restaurant relished most was her extraordinary beauty, her relationship with State Preceptor Fu Lingchuan, and the royal court’s subtle hints about the Queen’s intention to choose a husband.

When men talk about women, what good things could they say? Feng Miaojun had long cultivated an unperturbed mindset. However, across from her private booth, a merchant who was vulgarly speculating about her relationship with Fu Lingchuan suddenly cried “Aiyou!” and jumped up.

His voice was so loud that even people downstairs heard it, seemingly in intense pain. Everyone at his table asked what was wrong, and even the attendant guarding the second floor was alarmed and came in to inquire, but the man just mumbled a couple of times without making a scene.

It turned out that his buttocks had suddenly been stung as if by a bee, but in such a public place, it wasn’t convenient to check. Besides, the injured area was embarrassing—who wouldn’t care about their face in a place like this?

He sat for a while longer, and the pain gradually subsided, but an itchiness emerged. He scratched once, twice, but the itching only intensified, becoming unbearable. Now he could no longer sit still and had to stand up, hastily bidding farewell and leaving.

Feng Miaojun watched his silhouette disappear at the entrance, feeling quite satisfied.

At this moment, the topic among the young men in the main hall on the first floor also revolved around the Queen. Two or three of them had followed their elders to pay respects to the Queen in the palace, and immediately seized upon their first stunning impression to describe her as a beauty unseen in heaven and rarely found on earth. The rest listened with yearning admiration.

Zhu Lihe, who had already spoken at length, suddenly said: “By the way, we only caught a glimpse. How could that compare to Brother Yu’s fortune, who spent a full three to four hours with the Queen at Dongqing Pavilion!”

The others all exclaimed “Wow!” with envy evident in their expressions. Yu Linlang maintained a composed face: “My father recommended me, and the Queen summoned me to paint her portrait, to be kept as an official record.”

“How long did you paint?” A young man winked suggestively. “I mean, how long did you stay with the Queen? Did you have a chance to touch her little hand?”

“No, painting doesn’t require physical contact.” Having become the center of attention, Yu Linlang steadily raised his cup and took a sip of wine. “I just had the opportunity to look at her carefully, that’s all.”

Thinking about how such a peerless beauty sat motionless, allowing him to observe her for three or four hours, examining her thoroughly from head to toe; while ordinary people, constrained by royal awe, would be content with just a glance, Zhu Lihe said through gritted teeth: “I’m truly envious! It’s settled, today’s drinks are on Linlang!”

The young men all agreed loudly, but Yu Linlang sighed: “None of you have looked closely at the Queen, have you?”

“Who has such convenience as you? Using official business for personal gain,” someone teased. “Taking advantage and still acting smug. Be careful, or we’ll drag you out to the wilderness for a good thrashing!”

“No, no,” Yu Linlang said seriously. “My view differs from yours. The Queen is indeed beautiful, but she can hardly be said to have celestial beauty…”

Zhu Lihe glared: “You think I haven’t seen her? That kind of beauty is breathtaking, like suddenly seeing ten tons of gold under the midday sun—majestic beyond compare. Right, have you seen the Golden City in the capital of Yao Kingdom? That’s exactly the feeling at first sight!”

Feng Miaojun’s lips curved slightly. She had heard countless words of praise, but this was the first time someone had compared her to gold. Naturally, she also understood that her appearance was enhanced by the aura of her royal position, the so-called “royal awe,” making people even more hesitant to gaze upon her.

Yu Linlang countered: “So, you only looked at the first glance?”

Zhu Lihe objected: “What’s wrong with the first glance? I’ve seen countless beauties, but only one has been so stunning at first sight!”

Yu Linlang smiled: “Just one glance is like a fleeting glimpse. Naturally, you can’t see clearly. In my view, the Queen is beautiful indeed, but it owes much to the artistry of her makeup. If Brother Zhu could, like me, stare without blinking for three or four hours, he would find many flaws in the details.”

Others asked: “What flaws?”

“Her eyes are too upturned at the corners, the seductive look is excessive, lacking in subtle beauty. Her mouth is also not small enough, missing the charm of a palace lady’s cherry-like small mouth that leaves room for imagination.” Yu Linlang said softly, “It’s just that the Queen’s makeup is so exquisite that it covers these flaws. One wouldn’t notice without examining as closely as I did.”

The other young men looked at each other, unsure of what to believe. But they indeed hadn’t observed as carefully as Yu Linlang, who, being skilled in painting, certainly had powers of observation far superior to theirs. If he said there were flaws, there probably were. Otherwise, why would Yu Linlang risk speaking ill of the Queen? Was he too full from eating or did the Yu family not have enough troubles?

Upstairs, the Queen herself heard this, her fine eyebrows rising, and her “not small enough” mouth pressed into a straight line. Sitting across from her, even someone as slow as Xu Huancheng noticed her mood change: “What’s wrong, Miss Feng?”

“Nothing,” she adjusted her emotions in an instant and smiled. “I just envy Brother Xu who can travel freely everywhere to temper his dao heart.”