The weather in August is still hot and humid, but fortunately it rained yesterday, so it is much cooler this morning.

Zhuque Street was bustling with people. Hearing that the Rongdi envoys were coming to Beijing, the people of Chang'an City came to the street with their families and friends. The restaurants along the street were also fully occupied. The last time the Rongdi envoys came to Beijing was fifteen years ago. This kind of excitement can only be seen a few times in a lifetime, so how could it be missed?

In the most luxurious Chunfeng Tower in Chang'an City.

As Xu Wenchan dragged Xu Guangji toward the private room, he boasted to himself complacently, "I was foresighted enough to reserve this private room early, otherwise we would have had to squeeze in like everyone else."

Xu Guangji had no interest in the Rongdi delegation, but because there were so many people and it was messy, and he was worried about his sister running around alone, he accompanied her out.

As they went up the stairs, they ran into an acquaintance in the corridor.

Young Master Xie was wearing a red robe and brocade clothes, with a face as handsome as jade. He held a folding fan sprinkled with gold in his hand, and his eyes were filled with a smile of surprise. "Xu Qilang, Miss Xu."

Xu Wenchan looked up at Young Master Xie and greeted him lightly, then turned her attention to the petite woman in a green dress wearing a veil next to Young Master Xie. She asked tentatively, "County Lord?"

Qing He lifted the white veil slightly, revealing half of her fair face, and greeted her in a soft voice, "A Chan..."

After a pause, her eyes moved and stayed on Xu Guangji for a moment, "Xu, General Xu."

Xu Guangji's cold, white and handsome face also turned red for no apparent reason. He lowered his eyes and bowed, "Thank you, young master, the Lord of Qinghe County."

After a brief greeting, Xu Wenchan saw that the Xie brothers and sisters were heading downstairs, so he couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to see the Rongdi delegation?"

Young Master Xie spread his hands helplessly, "We were planning to come and take a look, but we didn't expect that all the private rooms in the building were fully booked, and we couldn't squeeze in with so many people."

Xu Wenchan smiled when he heard this, "Well, isn't it a coincidence? I have booked a private room. If the young prince and the county lord don't mind, you can sit with us!"

Young Master Xie's eyes lit up, and he leaned over to ask his sister what she meant, "Qinghe, what do you say?"

Qing He nodded and smiled at Xu Wenchan, "Then I'm sorry to bother you."

"What's the big deal? There are so many people here, it's so lively!" Xu Wenchan was drunk, "I booked a private room half a month ago, the location is great, the view is wide, and I can see clearly..."

As they were talking, the two young ladies walked towards the private room arm in arm. The two brothers who were left behind looked at each other and smiled helplessly and dotingly.

The private room was near the window, with a beauty chair facing the street. The waiter served tea and cakes, and left in due time.

Young Master Xie and Xu Guangji sat opposite each other. One was gentle and open-minded, with a strong scholarly air; the other was tall and strong, with the demeanor of a Confucian general.

Not only did the two of them have similar personalities, they also had similar hobbies, and soon they began chatting enthusiastically.

On the other side, Qinghe took off her veil and sat leaning against the railing with Xu Wenchan, looking at the crowded street.

"I heard that the Rongdi prince who led the delegation to Beijing this time is only 23 years old and is the most valued son of Yelu Khan. I don't know what he looks like?" Xu Wenchan pinched a handful of fried peanuts and put them into his mouth one by one.

"The Rongdi people are tough and ferocious. I heard that their men are all as tall as giants, with broad shoulders and strong waists, and are very fierce. Even their women are tall and rough, and one woman can marry several husbands!"

Because of what happened when she was born, Qinghe has no good feelings towards Rongdi.

In her impression, the Rongdi people were all tall, with green faces and fangs like wild animals, loud voices, and ate raw meat and drank blood, just like barbarians.

Xu Wenchan grew up in a border area and had seen some Rongdi people. Although they were not as scary as Qinghe described, they were not very good-looking either.

She wondered if a member of the royal family would be more attractive. She heard that Prince Ashina Qi's mother was a famous beauty on the grassland.

Soon, the discussions on the street became heated. The two were startled and quickly looked over.

The city gate opened wide, and accompanied by the sound of drums and music, a long team slowly marched through the wide Suzaku Street.

The people stood on tiptoe, stretched their necks, looked and chatted with flushed faces.

Xu Wenchan also turned his head and said to the two people who were drinking tea in the house, "Seventh Brother, Young Master, the Rongdi delegation is here, come out and see!"

Compared to Xu Wenchan's excitement, Qinghe was still very calm. She gently held her small chin with one hand and looked at the street with her dark eyes.

Young Master Xie and Xu Guangji also came out. The seats outside were a bit cramped, and they couldn't compete with their sisters for a seat, so they had to stand and watch.

On the street, after more than forty leading Rongdi guards passed by, a tall and majestic man riding a jujube-red horse appeared in everyone's sight.

His features were very three-dimensional and profound, with a high nose bridge and thin lips. He was wearing a Rongdi short robe, and his strong muscles could still be seen through the thin layer of cloth.

Like a crane standing out among a flock of chickens, one can tell at a glance that this person is no ordinary person.

"This should be the Prince Ashina Qi, right?" Xu Wenchan's eyes were fixed on the tall and strong man.

Young Master Xie waved his fan and replied, "Judging from his attire, it should be."

Xu Wenchan smacked his lips and said, "As expected of a wolf tribe, he looks really strong."

Qinghe frowned and thought: Rongdi men are really like giants. This prince looks at least nine feet tall, and his fists, wow, are as big as casseroles. It's really scary to look at.

Xu Guangji stood behind her, and glanced at Qinghe casually from the corner of his eye. He saw her furrowed brows, her fair profile, and her thin lips slightly pursed.

What is the county lord thinking?

Doesn't she like tall and strong men?

She seems to have lost some weight since we last met?

The four of them watched the lively scene with their own thoughts, and then had lunch together before going their separate ways.

"Seventh brother, everyone has gone far away, please stop looking." Xu Wenchan raised five fingers and waved them in front of Xu Guangji, at least blocking Xu Guangji's sight which was glued to the carriage.

Xu Guangji just came back to his senses.

Xu Wenchan raised one eyebrow and looked at him seriously, "What's wrong with you? It seems that you have been distracted since you met the Lord of Qinghe County."

Xu Guangji closed his eyes and said, "No. It's just that when I saw the county lord, I thought of what happened at Zhuyuan Villa."

Speaking of that, Xu Wenchan's expression also became solemn. He pulled Xu Guangji's sleeve and said seriously, "Don't mention this in front of the county lord. This matter will be a psychological shadow for any young lady. Just pretend you don't know."

Xu Guangji nodded solemnly, "Yes, I know."

"Fortunately, His Majesty saw through everything and did not shield the bad guys. He punished the Zhou family and let the second princess marry Zhou Shaohui. Bad guys will get their comeuppance!...Oh, by the way, I heard from A-Ti that His Majesty also wanted to give Qinghe a higher title and confer her the title of Princess Qingping of the second rank."

Xu Guangji was startled, "Second rank..."

He frowned. He didn't care much about official rank before, but when he thought that Qinghe was a second-rank princess, while he was just a fourth-rank Wuwei general.

The distance between him and her became much greater.

——

That night, the moon was bright and the wind was clear, and the welcoming banquet for the Rongdi delegation began at 10:00 p.m.

The Yanfang Hall was brightly lit, and the golden osmanthus of August sent waves of sweet fragrance that was refreshing to the heart.

Emperor Zhaokang and Empress Zhou sat at the top, to the right were the eldest princess and the head of Qinghe County, on the other side were Pei Yan and Tao Ti, and the rest of the princes, nobles, and civil and military officials sat in order of rank.

Tonight, Tao Ti was wearing a rouge-red palace dress embroidered with crabapple flowers, with her hair in a fairy bun and a set of pearl and agate head ornaments.

To match the expensive headgear and bright clothes, she put on full makeup, with lip balm on her small lips, which looked rosy and plump, like bright red cherries, making her look very tempting to be picked.

When she looked in the mirror, she was particularly pleased with the look.

When she saw the surprise in Pei Yan's eyes when she was leaving, she felt even happier. Although women dress up mainly for their own happiness, the satisfaction of being able to surprise the person you like is simply indescribable!

But now, sitting at this banquet, she suddenly felt a little dissatisfied with this outfit——

The Rongdi prince who was sitting diagonally opposite her kept looking at her intently. His fiery and direct gaze made Tao Tihun feel uncomfortable.

She lowered her eyes, trying to avoid making eye contact with the Rongdi prince, muttering in her heart: Is this prince crazy? Even if you are an open-minded Rongdi, you should follow the local customs. Staring at a married woman like this is really disgusting!

Pei Yan naturally also noticed the enthusiastic looks that Prince Rongdi kept casting at him. His handsome face showed no emotion, but a layer of cold murderous aura gradually condensed in his deep black eyes.

He glanced at Prince Rongdi dimly.

If Prince Rongdi was smart, he would naturally understand Pei Yan's warning.

However, this Rongdi prince Si did not shy away from it. Instead, he looked at Pei Yan with interest and raised his wine glass to toast him.

Pei Yan, "..."

Really stupid, or just provocative?

He narrowed his dark eyes, raised his wine glass, and took a symbolic sip.

Fortunately, the song and dance began soon. The dancers' graceful figures and fluttering skirts and colorful sleeves blocked Prince Rongdi's view to a certain extent.

Pei Yan turned his head slightly and looked at Tao Ti beside him.

His little princess lowered her head, seeming a little depressed, her porcelain-white and charming little face puffed up with anger.

This attitude relieved Pei Yan's unhappiness a little.

However, as his eyes fell on her bright and gorgeous clothes and her increasingly beautiful face, his fingers holding the wine glass couldn't help but tighten, and the blue veins on the cold white back of his hand were particularly obvious.

In half a year, she seemed to be getting more and more beautiful.

She usually dresses casually and elegantly, so it's not very noticeable. But today she's dressed so brightly, like a blooming tender flower, making people unable to take their eyes off her.

His Ati is so outstanding in appearance that it is inevitable that she will attract the covetousness of other men.

When he thought of this, Pei Yan's eyes became even colder, and an extremely strong possessive desire arose in his heart.

He wanted to build a magnificent palace for her, let her stay in it, and not let other men look at her except him.

Let her beauty be revealed only to him.

This thought was throbbing wildly in his chest. He stared at her rosy lips, his eyes darkening.

Perhaps it was because his gaze was too hot. Tao Ti raised her head suddenly, and was stunned for a moment when she met his obsessive and crazy gaze.

When she blinked and looked again, Pei Yan's peach blossom eyes were as usual, gentle and warm like moonlight.

Is it my own illusion?

Tao Ti attributed it to the fact that she drank one too many glasses of osmanthus wine.

"You haven't moved your chopsticks much tonight." Pei Yanqian smiled warmly and gracefully picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it in her bowl, "Try this braised golden hook shark's fin, it tastes good."

Tao Ti lowered his head and tasted the food. After taking two bites, he suddenly thought of something and asked softly, "Your Highness, how long will the Rongdi envoys stay in Chang'an this time?"

Pei Yan met her bright eyes and said calmly, "About ten days."

"Where do they live?"

"Honglu Temple will make arrangements." Pei Yan poured her a cup of fragrant apricot honey and said calmly, "Ati is curious about the Rongdi delegation?"

"I'm just asking casually." Tao Ti thought to herself. She stayed in Yaoguang Palace every day anyway, so she probably wouldn't meet Prince Rongdi again.

Pei Yan pursed his lips and said nothing, only considerately adding more food to her plate.

When the song and dance on the stage ended, Prince Rongdi suddenly stood up and toasted.

After toasting Emperor Zhaokang and Queen Zhou, he walked towards Pei Yan and Tao Ti holding a wine glass.

This abrupt action made the officials of the Dayuan Dynasty frown, but then they thought that the Rongdi people were always barbaric and rude, so it was not surprising for them to do such a thing. The atmosphere was harmonious, and they didn't want to jump out and criticize and ruin the atmosphere, so they all remained silent.

Prince Rongdi was 1.9 meters tall, big, and had a body full of muscular muscles. In modern times, such a strong physique would make him look like a bodybuilder on a gym poster.

He was not ugly, with regular and deep features and a pair of charming amber eyes.

As he raised the wine glass, he smiled brilliantly, revealing a row of shining white teeth, "Ashina Qi toasts to the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess!"

They all came forward to toast, Pei Yan naturally stood up with his cup, and Tao Ti also stood up.

Pei Yan had a cold expression on his face and drank the wine in the glass. But when Tao Ti was about to drink, he grabbed her hand.

Taoti, "......?"

Pei Yan took the wine glass from her hand with a smile on his face, then turned to Ashina Qi and said, "My Crown Princess can't hold her liquor, so I'll drink this glass of wine for her."

Having said that, he tilted his head back, his Adam's apple moving up and down, and drank the whole glass of wine.

Ashina Qinong raised his eyebrows, as if with some amusement, "The prince has a good alcohol tolerance."

After he finished speaking, he also drank the wine in the glass. However, while drinking, his eyes kept looking down, still looking at Tao Ti.

After finishing his drink, he did not leave immediately, but smiled and praised, "Your Highness, your Crown Princess is truly as beautiful as a flower."

Pei Yan's mouth remained curved, his eyes dim and unclear, and he said in a cold voice, "Prince Ashina, it's time for you to return to your place."

Ashina Qi raised his hand and touched his nose, smiled awkwardly, and turned back.

Tao Ti was not stupid, so she naturally saw the tense atmosphere just now.

She reached out and gently hooked Pei Yan's hand, smiling at him with her watery eyes, asking him not to be angry.

The chill around Pei Yan faded a little. He held her hand and led her back to her seat.

Tao Ti was still a little happy at this moment. Is Pei Yan jealous?

Well, the jealous look is kind of cute!

When no one was paying attention, she whispered in his ear and softened her voice, "Your Highness, don't worry, I love you the most!"