Jiang Heng's gaze swept over the princes, and a slow smile appeared on his lips: "I have long heard that Your Highness the Crown Prince possesses both virtue and talent..."

Yan Huai's eyes flickered slightly, and he coughed lightly, his lips slightly parted, a hint of gloom appearing in his eyes.

The surroundings were extremely quiet for a moment. The Empress frowned, fearing that the Emperor might actually agree on a whim.

Emperor Chongde's gaze fell on Yan Huai, a slight smile playing on his lips: "What are your thoughts, Crown Prince?"

Yan Huai slowly stood up, cupped his hands, and calmly said, "Your Majesty, I am unwilling."

As he finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the surroundings.

She probably didn't expect him to refuse without hesitation.

Jiang Heng suddenly looked over, his expression turning cold: "Does Your Highness look down on our Qi Kingdom?"

Jiang Zhijing was taken aback, and a look of embarrassment flashed across her face.

Seeing that the conflict was about to escalate to a point of contention between the two countries, Yan Huai coughed twice and said in a gentle voice, "Second Prince, you have misunderstood. I am unwilling because I know I am not a good match. Half a year ago, I suffered a hidden ailment on the battlefield and my health has been poor. Everyone knows this."

He looked up at Jiang Zhijing and smiled slightly, "Princess, you are of noble birth and deserve someone better."

Meeting his open and honest gaze, Jiang Zhijing's eyes were slightly moved.

Jiang Heng was speechless.

Emperor Chongde laughed: "Since that's the case, let's discuss this matter again. The envoys will be staying in Daqing for some time, so there's no need to rush."

He also disagreed with this marriage alliance. The Crown Prince was already too ambitious, and if he were to form a marriage alliance with the State of Qi, he would feel that his position was too secure!

As for the other princes, it wasn't quite appropriate either, so he could only make excuses for the time being. Refusing in front of so many people might embarrass them, while refusing in private later wouldn't make things too ugly.

Jiang Heng could easily detect the perfunctory tone. Although he was displeased, he could only suppress his displeasure since they were on the other party's turf.

This incident created a somewhat awkward atmosphere, and the song and dance performance became rather dull.

Yan Mingyi, resting her chin on her hand, was feeling utterly bored, wondering whether she should slip away early. This banquet was incredibly dull.

Suddenly noticing someone watching her, she looked up sharply and met a pair of scrutinizing eyes. It was the princess of Qi. She raised an eyebrow in surprise.

When Jiang Zhijing was caught peeping, her face stiffened, and she lowered her head, blushing.

Looking at her uneasy appearance, Yan Mingyi's eyes showed a hint of interest, and he narrowed his eyes slightly:

This princess from Qi is quite interesting.

He looks timid as a mouse, but in reality...

Just then, an unexpected event occurred!

Shen Tangning's gaze swept around, but she couldn't find the dancer she remembered assassinating. In her memory, the dancer's dress was very similar to the one among Pingting's belongings, so she couldn't mistake her for her.

Could the plan have changed?

One of the dancers twirled nimbly and came to the front of the hall. Her heart suddenly tightened. In the next instant, the dancer flung out her water sleeves, and a flash of cold light passed through them.

"careful!"

The hidden weapon was aimed straight at his face, and Emperor Chongde's expression changed drastically.

In a flash, someone suddenly flipped over the table in front of them and threw it, blocking the hidden weapon solidly.

Shen Tangning looked up in surprise and saw Chi Yan in the crowd.