Ning Meiren's only ability now is to distract Xiao Guozi and then come to see Zhao Shu; she has no ability to do anything more.

They were even less capable of killing Zhao Shu.

After Ji Yun ordered someone to take her away, Zhao Shu finished changing her clothes and returned to the main hall. As soon as she entered the main hall, she saw someone playing the zither. The zither music was melodious and pleasant, like the tinkling of a spring, which was intoxicating.

The entire court was so engrossed in the spectacle that they didn't even notice when Zhao Shu returned.

She had just sat down when the music ended. The Empress Dowager and Zhao Yi, seeing that she was unharmed, breathed a sigh of relief. The Empress Dowager asked softly, "But what happened?"

"It's nothing. Consort Ning came to me and asked me to spare Zhao Bi. I wasn't the one who issued the decree, so she's acting strangely," Zhao Shu said calmly.

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's face turned cold, and she said in a chilling voice, "If I don't grant her the white silk, she'll start having all sorts of inappropriate thoughts."

Although the two spoke softly, they were not far apart, and Zhao Yi and Qiu Tong heard them. Qiu Tong did not dare to say anything, but Zhao Yi snorted coldly, "She is so restless that she is not even given the title of beauty. Go, issue an imperial decree to let her guard the coffin."

Zhao Yi gave instructions to Xiao Fuzi, who nodded with his eyebrows lowered and ordered his subordinates to carry them out. He reasoned that someone of Ning Meiren's rank was not worthy of his personal attention.

No one spoke anymore; instead, they focused on watching the foreign princes display their talents. Some were skilled in music, others in martial arts, and so on. The entire court was engrossed in the spectacle, and it took quite some time for each prince to finish showcasing his abilities.

After performing, he craned his neck to look at Zhao Shu, hoping to win her favor. One of the more open-minded princes immediately asked, "Princess, which of us do you like?"

Too blunt. Zhao Shu wondered if she should be more direct in her refusal. However, before she could speak, Wei Tingsi walked in from outside the main hall. His aura was too strong. He had a sword at his waist and wore silver armor. He walked in step by step, like a war god descending from the sky.

“She doesn’t like anyone,” he said.

After saying this, he knelt on one knee and said, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty and Empress Dowager."

Huo Baichuan was still unconscious, and Zhao Yi relied more on Wei Tingsi. When he saw him arrive, he immediately ordered someone to offer him a seat. However, before offering him a seat, he asked in confusion, "Why do you say that, Minister Wei?"

"I have heard that the princes are trying to take my wife away from me, so I have come here specifically to request Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager to grant us this marriage," he announced loudly.

Upon hearing this, Prince Yong, who was sitting below, immediately disagreed. Before Zhao Yi and the Empress Dowager could speak, he stood up and said, "I disagree!"

The entire court: ...So direct! Prince Yong's personality hasn't changed at all. His emotional intelligence is still so low. Do you know who you're rejecting, Your Highness? You're rejecting the Grand Marshal of the current army, who commands the Dayong army and is also known as the Asura!

However, the court officials quickly calmed down. Prince Yong had been willful since childhood, doing whatever he wanted without ever caring about others' opinions. After all, he was the emperor's youngest son and the darling of the empress dowager.

Thinking about it this way, the ministers felt that there was going to be a good show. Prince Yong refused to marry off his daughter, while Marshal Wei wanted to take a wife. They wondered what kind of big trouble these two would cause.

Firstly, Prince Yong was not used to accommodating others, and secondly, Wei Tingsi was not used to anyone disobeying him.

Wei Tingsi sighed inwardly. He knew that Prince Yong would cause trouble. It seemed that the marriage would not be granted today. However, he had made his feelings clear. Those people should not make any more moves on Shushu now, right?

It's understandable that foreign princes don't recognize other officials of Dayong, but it's unforgivable that they don't recognize Wei Tingsi. If you offend him, he'll make you lose power and humiliate your country in no time.

Immediately, the princes looked at each other, feeling much better at the same time. It was understandable that the princess didn't think much of them, since there was a demon guarding them, and they probably wouldn't dare to reveal any ulterior motives they might have.

Of course, they couldn't have imagined the relationship between Zhao Shu and Wei Tingsi, because they knew that Zhao Shu was crying her eyes out when Huo Baichuan was injured. Everyone thought that Zhao Shu must like Huo Baichuan, otherwise why would she be crying?

Some people have begun to speculate that perhaps Marshal Wei secretly harbors feelings for the princess, but the princess has given her heart to Huo Baichuan. Now that Huo Baichuan is unconscious, Marshal Wei wants to strike first.

That must be it. Otherwise, once Huo Baichuan wakes up, he'll have no hope left. This person is truly insidious.

So, they started to plead for Huo Baichuan's innocence, lamenting his bad luck, saying that not only was he unconscious, but his woman was also about to be stolen away.

Unlike the ministers who were just watching the spectacle, the female relatives of the ministers who had come to the state banquet felt very uneasy. They had heard that Huo Baichuan was injured, and that Huo Baichuan was deeply in love with Princess Jun, his eyes practically glued to her.

They might not envy others, but that was Huo Baichuan! The future head of the Huo family, handsome as an immortal, and most importantly, seemingly unrestrained, he was extremely reliable. Whoever married him would only enjoy happiness and never suffer in this life.

Countless young women considered him their first choice for a future husband, and many others secretly admired him. This ethereal man had never been moved by her, but unexpectedly, he fell for Zhao Shu.

They couldn't think of anything good about Zhao Shu. First of all, she wasn't exceptionally beautiful, at least not as pretty as Sun Yun, not to mention her virtue. Moreover, she was domineering; if anyone offended her, she would definitely make them suffer terribly, which showed how narrow-minded she was.

Of course, they didn't remember any of the mistreatment and exclusion Zhao Shu had suffered before; they only remembered that Zhao Shu was never lenient with those who offended her.

With Huo Baichuan unconscious, even if they had a hundred ideas in their minds, they couldn't realize them. So, as a second choice, Wei Tingsi was also a good option. In fact, Wei Tingsi was no worse than Huo Baichuan, but he had an eternally icy face, unlike Huo Baichuan's warm smile. Moreover, his eyes were too murderous, and they felt their hearts pound and were afraid just by looking at him.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!