Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 286 - 284: A Lifetime_1

Chapter 286: Chapter 284: A Lifetime_1

"Our princess hurt her voice, this is her kowtowing to thank Your Majesty." Li Zhijie smiled apologetically at the Emperor. "I hope Your Majesty will forgive her."

"Your Majesty..." Lady Qiu sweetly whispered to the Emperor, "Today you have granted Crown Prince a good marriage. King Liang is also your son, and it is because of King Liang that I have this relationship with Your Majesty. If we cannot repay King Liang’s favor, I will feel uneasy. Why don’t you, while everyone is happy today, bestow a good marriage between King Liang and Commandery Princess Zhen?"

The Emperor of Yan, Murong Yu, who was seated by the side holding a wine cup, felt his heart skip a beat and subconsciously looked at his brother Xiao Rongyan.

The envoy of Daliang did not hear the whispers between Lady Qiu and the Emperor. He only saw the Emperor in a good mood, so he smiled and said, "Your Majesty, our Daliang also wishes to form an alliance through marriage with the Jin Kingdom, to seek the hand of the first beauty of Jin Kingdom, Princess of Nandu, as the main consort for our Fourth Prince."

Lu Baohua smiled and nudged Liu Ruofu with her elbow. Liu Ruofu bit her lower lip, her cheeks flushed, and she looked at Wei Qiheng, only to see Wei Qiheng staring intently at Bai Qingyan. Liu Ruofu’s face immediately fell.

"I have heard that the Emperor of Yan also intends to seek marriage for the Ninth Prince of Yan?" The Emperor smiled at the Emperor of Yan. "If you already have someone in mind, why don’t you say it now, so that we can form another good marriage during my birthday banquet?"

Murong Yu nodded slightly, dignified and elegant. "Originally, I wanted to seek the hand of the Lord of Gaoyi for my Ninth Brother, but I felt that the age difference between my Ninth Brother and the Lord of Gaoyi was too great."

Murong Yu looked at Bai Qingyan. "Later, I wanted to seek the hand of Commandery Princess Zhen for my Ninth Brother, but I learned that Commandery Princess Zhen had vowed not to marry, so I intended to seek the hand of Princess of Nandu for him instead. Who would have thought that just last night, I heard that the Fourth Prince of Daliang is seeking the hand of Princess of Nandu and has vowed never to take a side consort or concubine. Knowing that my brother could not make such a promise, I gave up the idea. If in the future, my Ninth Brother is fortunate enough to come to Jin and meet a woman he loves, I hope Your Majesty will grant it."

Wei Qiheng stood up upon hearing this and thanked the Emperor of Yan. "Thank you, Emperor Yan, for your graciousness."

Lu Baohua covered her lips with her fan and whispered, "I never imagined that the Emperor of Yan could be so handsome and so noble and elegant. He is truly the most handsome man in the world! Since the Ninth Prince of Yan and the Emperor of Yan are siblings, he can’t be too different. Would you consider it?"

"My father has already agreed to the Fourth Prince of Daliang! Besides..." Liu Ruofu pursed her lips. "Yan is a poor and weak country; wouldn’t I suffer if I go there?"

Wei Qiheng turned and saw Bai Qingyan sitting calmly, unmoved. He walked towards Bai Qingyan.

Liu Ruofu widened her eyes in disbelief.

Wei Qiheng took off the jade pendant from his waist and respectfully handed it to Bai Qingyan. "Commandery Princess, I am Wei Qiheng, the Fourth Prince of Daliang. Yesterday at Taoyin Lake, I saw you from afar and fell deeply in love. I wish to marry you as my main consort. I have sworn to King Xian and His Majesty that in this life, I will have only you as my wife and will never take any side consort or concubine. I only wish to be with you for the rest of my life."

Xiao Rongyan’s hand gripped the wine cup tightly, and he looked up in Bai Qingyan’s direction.

Bai Qingyan was quite surprised. Wasn’t it said that the Fourth Prince of Daliang sought the hand of Princess of Nandu, Liu Ruofu? She turned to look at Liu Ruofu.

Liu Ruofu’s face turned even paler, her fists clenched tightly. What did Bai Qingyan’s look mean? Was it a provocation?!

Lady Qiu, startled, quickly spoke. "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince sought the hand of Princess of Nandu yesterday. For this, you specifically summoned King Xian to the palace. How come the Fourth Prince..."

The news that Wei Qiheng sought to marry Liu Ruofu had already spread throughout Dadu because Wei Qiheng promised never to take a side consort or concubine in his lifetime. This marriage proposal had become a beautiful story in Dadu City.

A well-wisher pointed at Liu Ruofu and laughed. "Fourth Prince, you haven’t mistaken the person, have you? This is not the Princess of Nandu. It is Commandery Princess Zhen, Bai Qingyan. The Princess of Nandu is over there..."

Wei Qiheng followed the pointed direction to look at Liu Ruofu, whose face was ashen, and King Xian’s face was no better.

King Xian had proudly spread the news of Wei Qiheng kneeling and begging him to marry his daughter to the Fourth Prince of Daliang. Who would have thought that just after asking for his daughter, the Fourth Prince of Daliang would turn around and propose to Bai Qingyan?

"Huh?" Wei Qiheng looked confusedly at Liu Ruofu, then back at Bai Qingyan, who had already stood up. "Wasn’t it said that Princess of Nandu, Liu Ruofu, was the first beauty of Jin Kingdom? How could..."

Wei Qiheng’s naive words practically pressed Liu Ruofu’s face into the mud.

What did the Fourth Prince of Daliang mean? Was he saying that Liu Ruofu was unworthy of the title of the first beauty of Jin Kingdom?!

Many women who usually disliked Liu Ruofu covered their lips with fans and laughed.

Liu Ruofu, who had always been proud and exceptionally confident in her appearance, could not bear this humiliation.

But she rose with a smile, gracefully saluted, and said, "So, the Fourth Prince of Daliang mistook the Commandery Princess Zhen for me. The title of the first beauty is a false one, one that Liu Ruofu dares not bear. Commandery Princess Zhen is the greatest hero in Jin Kingdom from the recent Nanjing campaign. The Fourth Prince of Daliang has keen eyes; congratulations to Commandery Princess Zhen."

Liu Ruofu deliberately hinted to Wei Qiheng that Bai Qingyan was the fierce woman who burned and killed ten thousand Xiliang captives, wanting to see Wei Qiheng, who had just vowed, shrink away upon knowing Bai Qingyan’s identity.

In this way, the laughingstock would shift from herself to Bai Qingyan.

Xiao Rongyan raised an eyebrow and faintly smiled. There was always someone foolishly thinking they could outshine Bai Qingyan.

Unfortunately, Bai Qingyan’s oratory skills and strategies were unmatched by almost anyone present.

Having seen his pearl of great price suffer such a great indignity, how could King Xian remain calm? After a moment’s contemplation of the Emperor’s attitude towards Bai Qingyan, he spoke following his daughter’s words. "In our Jin Kingdom, it’s not just looks that can qualify one to be called the first beauty. My cherished daughter excels in character, appearance, and talent. That is why she is called the first beauty of Jin Kingdom! Virtue, speech, merit, appearance, virtue comes first, and appearance last."

As the only foreign surname prince in Jin Kingdom, King Xian was particularly cautious and especially keen on discerning the Emperor’s intentions. His intuition told him that the Emperor was pleased to see Bai Qingyan embarrassed. Therefore, his words were even more cutting.

"In the Jin Kingdom, it’s never about outward appearance. Women should be gentle and kind, virtues considered beautiful. How can a woman filled with killing intent be deemed beautiful? How could an overly rigid woman efficiently manage a household, respect her parents-in-law, and raise children? Furthermore, Bai Qingyan has disregarded decency, seduced the Fourth Prince of Daliang, and deliberately concealed her identity, trapping another in awkwardness. Such a heart deserves to be punished!"

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