"I ran into someone being hunted down and helped them," Xiang Minghou said.

"Helped."

"Same."

"..."

’Someone?’

’Could it be Minister Qian? Saying they helped sounds like a total lie. Considering how much they hate each other, it’s a miracle they didn’t stab him a few extra times.’

"In that case, everyone, be seated." The Beili Emperor, of course, didn’t believe them, but he didn’t want to press the issue in front of the envoys from the three kingdoms.

"Yes."

Xiang Minghou and his men took their seats.

Dean Chen held the highest seniority in Beili, so his seat was placed before those of all the princes and even the Crown Prince.

As Dean Chen led Ye Qianning to their seats, many of the attendees recognized her. They knew she was the young lady of the Xiang family. For someone of her identity, her seat, placed so close to the Emperor’s, seemed far too prominent.

The Beili Emperor glanced over. Though he shared their confusion, he said nothing. ’It’s only been a few days, but the little girl seems to have gotten a little chubbier. So full of life. Prime Minister Gao is really getting a good deal.’

From their seats diagonally across and on a lower tier, Prime Minister Gao, his wife, and Gao Yunyue all saw Ye Qianning.

Although Prime Minister Gao had been beaten, a persuasive talk from the Emperor had made him feel that Ye Qianning’s status was a decent match for his son after all. Now, seeing how highly Dean Chen regarded the little girl, he was quite satisfied.

’If that girl wasn’t so favored and wasn’t Dean Chen’s disciple,’ he thought, ’I would never have let my son marry such a virtueless woman, even if the Emperor himself had decreed it.’

Mrs. Gao and Gao Yunyue turned livid at the sight of Ye Qianning. ’What terrible luck,’ they thought, ’to be affianced to such a mere child.’

Gao Qi was as proud and aloof as ever, his eyes flickering toward Ye Qianning from time to time. ’Father won’t listen to me,’ he thought. ’When a little doll like her grows up and gets married, can she really be a proper, supportive wife? I highly doubt it.’

"Let the banquet continue," the Beili Emperor said with a wave of his hand.

The drums and music began to play, and dancers entered, filling the great hall with life once more.

The dancers performing for the birthday banquet were all young ladies from prominent families. Their skills were superb, their flowing sleeves like blossoming flowers.

Ye Qianning sat obediently in her seat. A closer look would have revealed a tiny insect perched on her ear, whispering detailed introductions of all the court officials.

’Before this, I only knew the officials’ names and the details about their families and households, but I didn’t recognize any of them in person. Today, I’m finally putting faces to names.’

Listening to the introductions whispered in her ear, her gaze swept imperceptibly over the crowd below.

The seats were arranged according to official rank. Gu Shuo and Elder Gu were seated in the middle section. Although they weren’t officials, Gu Shuo was a merchant personally appointed by the Emperor to manage all palace expenditures, so his status was by no means low.

Ye Qianning’s gaze swept around the hall, finally settling on the envoys from the three kingdoms.

The envoys from Nanyuan were Prince Yu and a little prince. Prince Yu appeared to be around forty, with a refined and cultured manner of speaking. The little prince was nine years old and, like Sang Zhi, was obsessed with scholarly pursuits.

He had accompanied the delegation to Beili in the hopes of becoming Dean Chen’s disciple.

’Of course, that wish of his is never going to come true.’

The envoy from Xi Yan was Great General Mo Geluo, thirty-nine years old and renowned for his illustrious military achievements. ’He’s the one who fought Dad on the border a few years back.’

’Dad was badly wounded, but he didn’t get off easy either. He was slashed seventeen times, and his life was hanging by a thread at the time.’

’But he ended up luckier than Dad, so he’s always bringing up Dad’s injuries. That really pisses me off.’

’I’ll have to teach him a lesson and show him whose turf he’s on now.’

Before Ye Qianning could look away, she felt the gaze of the young crown prince beside him. Her eyes flicked over. The Crown Prince of Xi Yan, thirteen years old.

’I heard he started participating in state affairs when he was just ten, and that he reviews most of Xi Yan’s court memorials.’

Their gazes met—one as cold as ice, the other filled with boredom.

Ye Qianning regarded everyone with the same lazy, uninterested expression. A single glance was all it took for her to size someone up; no further observation was needed.