Chapter 107: Sorry, I Don't Like It

The eyes carried a clear smile, as if they were filled with spring flowers. The moment they met with Shen Ninghua’s gaze, the brown pupils slightly shook, like the surface of a lake that had been wrinkled by the breeze, shining with the glistening light of waves.

There were obviously quite a few people between them, but with a single glance, Shen Ninghua was sure that Bu Jinglan was looking at her. She turned her head and her delicate eyebrows took on a trace of coldness.

Bu Jinglan’s mother and Baili Jinze’s mother were both of a low status, but their fates were completely different. Baili Jinze’s mother died right after giving birth to him. Baili Jinze had no choice but to be brought up by other imperial concubines. Bu Jinglan’s mother, however, was extremely clever. Not only did she succeed in protecting her child, she also managed to rise to the top by relying on this child. The Emperor of Great Yue even made an exception for her and personally let her, who was still a Guiren (low-ranking concubine) at that time, raise her own child. Later, she was promoted many times and finally became a high-ranking imperial concubine with her own palace.

Baili Anning stood beside Shen Ninghua and looked at the Crown Prince’s well-mannered interaction with Bu Jinglan. She turned her head slightly and whispered, “Logically speaking, even if the Great Yue Kingdom wanted a political marriage, there is no need for them to send such an important prince. Ninghua, do you feel that something is strange?”

Princess Anning was sensitive. Shen Ninghua raised her head to look at Bu Jinglan who was unparalleled in demeanor. She then smiled faintly. “They had come here asking for a political marriage. I think we will know their true intention later at the banquet.”

Baili Anning nodded and turned around. When she saw Bu Jinglan’s handsome face, her heart beat fast. She felt that this man carried an indescribable aura of elegance and glory.

Seeing Baili Anning’s blushing face, Shen Ninghua was stunned. It seemed that this Bu Jinglan was truly charming.

Because the envoy this time was a prince, the welcome banquet was held in Chengqian Palace. Shen Ninghua was arranged to sit beside Baili Anning and the Ninth Princess Baili Anqing.

Shen Ninghua frowned slightly. She had long heard that the envoy of the Great Yue Kingdom was here to propose marriage. Everyone’s gaze had long been focused on the princesses’ seats. She was only the emperor’s adopted daughter, but she was arranged to be seated between the two princesses. In an instant, she became the most eye-catching person.

It seemed that someone wanted to make her the target of everyone’s attention. Changing seats at this time would only attract more attention, so she could only sit still. Shen Ninghua sat in the seat with an indifferent expression, and chillness surfaced in her heart.

The Ninth Princess Baili Anqing rarely showed up because of her poor health. This time, she was sitting beside Shen Ninghua and Baili Anning, and appeared even less visible.

Everyone was speculating in their hearts about the emperor’s plan. Chu Junyi tightly held the wine cup in his hand, and a trace of rage flashed in his eyes. He had been painstakingly pursuing this black-hearted girl. He cherished her so much that he hoped to do more than protecting her as a treasure in his palms. But now, she was being treated like a commodity for sale. How could he not be angry? As he thought about it, his gaze swept across Bu Jinglan, who was sitting in the honored seat of the guests, and a sharp cold light flashed in his eyes.

The atmosphere of the banquet was exceptionally lively. The envoy of the Great Yue Kingdom held a wine cup in his hand and lavished his praise, which began with the land of Da’an and culminated with the emperor’s wisdom. His eloquence and clever compliments kept Baili Qingcang laughing out loud.

Baili Anning sat by the side and listened to the envoy’s flattering words. She smiled amusedly. “Ninghua, that person is quite interesting. His mouth alone can make him qualified to be an envoy.”

Shen Ninghua smiled and said, “This person is famous for his eloquence, which has earned him the nickname Sharp-tongued Zhang. It is said that he once made two imperial censors who had impeached him kill themselves by hitting the pole, with merely his speech.”

“What? He’s such a great orator?”

“Moreover, he not only has amazing eloquence, but also has unparalleled intelligence. You should know that the widespread Jingyi Fu, which was written by him to praise Shangjing, the capital of the Great Yue Kingdom.”

Baili Anning was extremely surprised. She had thought that this Envoy Zhang was just an expert in flattery, but she didn’t expect him to be so talented as well.

Shen Ninghua looked at Envoy Zhang who was still speaking nonstop, and thought to herself. The Great Yue mission really had crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Did they really need such a big array just to marry a royal princess?

After about fifteen minutes, Envoy Zhang retreated. The Sixth Prince, Bu Jinglan, stood up with a cup in his hand. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your hospitality. I’ll drink this cup of wine first to express my gratitude.”

Baili Qingcang nodded and smiled faintly. “Great Yue and Da’an have a good relationship, and envoys contribute to the friendship between the two countries. You don’t need to be so modest.”

Bu Jinglan smiled with a dazzling splendor on his handsome face. “Your Majesty, I think you must have heard that I’ve come to Da’an to show that the two countries are good friends. Also, I want to marry a girl from Da’an as a token of goodwill for a 100-year peace between the two countries.”

Baili Qingcang laughed loudly. “Alright, the marriage between two countries avoids the war. This is the best. Among my daughters, only the Fifth Princess Baili Anning and the Ninth Princess Baili Anqing are not married yet. You…”

Bu Jinglan interrupted, and his eyes were filled with warmth and romance. “Your Majesty, we Great Yue people do not care much about family background. Whether she is the princess or a girl from the common family, as long as we can be happy with each other, I will marry her in a solemn ceremony to show my love for her. I will take care of her and respect her throughout my life.”

Bu Jinglan was already handsome enough. Now he appeared so affectionate and romantic, which made him extremely attractive for the young ladies.

When Shen Ninghua saw Baili Anning and Baili Anqing’s blushing faces, her heart trembled slightly. It seemed that this Sixth Prince from the Yue Kingdom was going to stir up many girls’ hearts in Da’an. She wondered who he would marry in the end.

Although he was interrupted, Baili Qingcang wasn’t angry. Instead, he was intrigued by the meaning of his words. “You mean that you will even marry a commoner regardless of the status, as long as you like her?”

Bu Jinglan smiled and replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

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Empress Zhao Huiying, who had been sitting on the side without saying anything, suddenly said, “This is interesting. Your Majesty, if the girl that the Sixth Prince takes a fancy to is really a commoner, you can recognize her as your foster daughter and reward her with the title of a princess. This way, you can help the Sixth Prince and her fulfil a legendary romantic story.”

Just as the empress finished speaking, someone from the side already continued her topic. “Her Majesty is right. Speaking of which, isn’t Princess Zhaohua also His Majesty’s adopted daughter?”

Everyone’s gaze fell on Shen Ninghua, and many people expected to watch a good play.

The empress wanted to marry her off! Shen Ninghua put the teacup in her hand on the table and said with a faint expression, “If His Majesty takes another foster daughter, she can be my companion. However, the marriage between the two countries is a big matter after all, and equality in status is important.”

That’s right. Political marriage was for the sake of lasting peace between the two countries and long-term exchanges. If the Sixth Prince really married a commoner, how much attention would she receive? Their marriage might fail to function to consolidate the relations between the two countries.

Bu Jinglan turned to look at Shen Ninghua, and his eyes were filled with astonishment.

After the 15th birthday ceremony, Shen Ninghua’s appearance became even more outstanding. She seemed to carry an enchanting aura. When it was strong, it was like fire and flowers, and when it was faint, it was like water and clouds. No matter how it was, it made her an unforgettable girl.

“You must be Prefectural Princess Zhaohua. I’ve heard of you long before, but I’ve never had the chance to meet you. Today, I realized that you are much better than your name. You look as beautiful as a fairy.”

The straightforward compliment made everyone felt novel, and they all waited to see how Shen Ninghua would respond.

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your compliment.” The customs of Great Yue were quite liberal, and women could also make great achievements. Shen Ninghua knew this, so she did not decline but directly accepted Bu Jinglan’s praise.

Bu Jinglan was even more surprised. He had thought that the women of Da’an were as weak as dodder that relied on trees for their survival. He never expected that Shen Ninghua would be as independent as green bamboo. What made him even more delighted was that she was also beautiful and intelligent.

The wine cup in Chu Junyi’s hand let out a crisp cracking sound, but because the hall was filled with people’s voices, it did not attract anyone’s attention. He expressionlessly threw the broken cup on the table, picked up the cloth towel beside him, and carefully wiped his hand.

“Your Majesty, I hope that you will allow us to stay here for a bit longer so that we can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Da’an. If I meet a suitable candidate for my wife, we will have more time to know and become attached each other.” Bu Jinglan said frankly.

Baili Qingcang nodded. “Yes, no problem.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The identity of the Sixth Prince was not enough for Baili Qingcang and Zhao Huiying to accompany him throughout the banquet. Halfway through the banquet, they took their leave, and only the princes and officials remained to entertain the guests.

The Ninth Princess Baili Anqing was pulled others to the side to play. Baili Anning saw that there was no one around and she asked Shen Ninghua, “Ninghua, you should have sensed it. It seemed that Mother Empress wanted you to marry him.”

“Yes.” The last time when the empress asked her to Ningkun Palace, it was a stone thrown to detect the road. She thought that she did not reveal any emotions, but the empress was still suspicious of her. The empress knew that Baili Qingcang cared about her mother and would not easily punish her, so she came up with a way to deal with her by marrying her far away. Even without Bu Jinglan’s sudden visit, the empress would still think of a way to send her far away from the capital.

With the absence of the emperor and empress, some high-ranking officials also left. After that, the atmosphere of the banquet instantly became livelier. There were already many people who demanded to see performance.

Unexpectedly, the Ninth Princess Baili Anqing was pushed out in the end. She immediately asked for help and pulled Baili Anning over.

Shen Ninghua didn’t want to get involved, so she sat in her seat and leisurely drank her tea.

Bu Jinglan came near Shen Ninghua and said with a smile, “Princess Zhaohua, you don’t seem to like the atmosphere here.”

Shen Ninghua shook her head. “Why would I not like it? It’s not easy to see such a lively scene.”

Bu Jinglan smiled and said with a carefree expression, “I thought that you would like quiet and peaceful things. After all, you look exactly like someone who likes quietness.”

“Then you have guessed wrongly. I hate quietness.” A trace of disgust flashed through Shen Ninghua’s eyes. She had lived in the cold palace for so many years without a person to speak to. When she really couldn’t bear the silence, she would hit her head against the wall so as to make a little sound.

“Then you will definitely like our Great Yue Kingdom. People of all ages are very good at singing and dancing. You can see bustling scenes everywhere.”

Shen Ninghua sneered. “Sorry, I don’t like it.”

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