When Tao Yao went downstairs, she saw her mother sitting in the living room drinking coffee while selecting dresses and jewelry projected onto the computer screen.
The robot was the first to spot her, greet her, and ask her what she wanted to eat for breakfast.
“Yaoyao,” Li Yurong looked up as her daughter walked down the aisle like a noble swan.
Her expression relaxed. "Did you make plans to go to the combat training center with Shu Yan today?"
"Yes, it's Ayan's daily training. But he also met up with two classmates today, both of whom I told you about before..." Tao Yao replied.
Then, she looked at the various dresses and jewels projected in the living room.
"Is Mom preparing for the palace banquet tonight?"
In the interstellar era, the imperial palace still exists, as do the royal relatives.
Apart from Planet 1, the Imperial Planet, no other planet in the Alliance is as special as this.
Li Yurong smiled and pointed to one of the white princess dresses, saying, "I've already picked one out. What do you think of this one?"
A white princess dress, with a small skirt, studded with jewels.
The design consists of two sections, covering the shoulders and arms, but revealing a bit of the waist.
"fine."
Tao Yao didn't care much about the dress she was wearing to a palace banquet. "This one will do. I trust my mother's taste."
Tonight, the Imperial Palace will host a banquet to celebrate the 18th birthday of the Fifth Prince.
Young men and women who were prominent or powerful in the Imperial Star and the entire alliance were invited to participate.
The girl with a certain status was intended to be a marriage partner for the fifth prince.
Inviting capable young men and women of similar age is a way to screen and befriend those who can become future members of the Fifth Prince's army.
After all, in the interstellar era, for the royal family to still exist, and to continue to exist indefinitely, maintaining its strength and seizing power is of paramount importance.
"Aren't you going to look at some others?"
Li Yurong had the robot project all the dress designs.
Seeing her daughter's indifferent attitude towards tonight's palace banquet, she was pleased, but still said, "You should see for yourself which one you like, so that you don't get upset when other young ladies outshine you and come back pouting and acting cute."
"Mom," Tao Yao said as they went downstairs.
She washed her hands at the reception desk and sat down at the table. "You seem very concerned about tonight's banquet. You wouldn't be thinking of making me break up with Shu Yan and marry Yi Si, would you?"
Si Yi was the name of the fifth prince of the empire.
Shu Yan is her childhood sweetheart and boyfriend.
"Haha," Li Yurong laughed without changing her expression, "If you really can bear to part with Shu Yan and marry into the royal family, I won't object."
The royal family has recently faced financial difficulties and a decline in power, but they still retain their fame, fortune, and status. Even disregarding our family's businesses and your special abilities, just based on your grandfather's position in the military and the planets you own, I'm afraid that if you nod your head today, the royal family could come to you with marriage certificates tomorrow, perhaps even kneeling down to beg for your consent!
Li Yurong held the coffee cup in her hand, her knuckles turning white.
Although she spoke in a teasing tone, she was inwardly worried about the start of today's so-called "plot".
She desperately tried to tell herself that the current situation was completely different from the scenes in her recurring dreams over the years.
Even if Tao Yao really does walk the path in her dream, she has the ability to make her daughter's wish come true.
Just as Li Yurong was about to speak, Tao Yao spoke up as well.
"Okay," she said with a smile, taking a sip of her milk and oatmeal. "I understand what Mom said. Don't worry, I like Ayan so much, how could I possibly go and like someone else? I promise I won't even glance at Siyi tonight."
She understood Ms. Li's little scheme when she saw her "solemnly" choosing a dress while standing at the top of the stairs.
If you really want her to attend the palace banquet under the guise of a marriage alliance with the royal family.
Her dresses and jewelry must have been ordered months in advance, rather than just being randomly selected from clothes already in the dressing room and picked out during mealtimes.
"That's good to hear!" Seeing her daughter already eating breakfast with her milk, clearly not paying any attention to the palace banquet or the Fifth Prince, she breathed a sigh of relief. "When is Shuyan coming to pick you up?"
Tao Yao raised her wrist and glanced at the personal terminal. "Nine o'clock."
Li Yurong hummed in agreement.
She sat down at the table and began to eat breakfast. "Yesterday, your father and I discussed it, and your birthday happens to be the day of your school assessment."
Our plan, along with the Shu family's, is to hold a belated birthday party for you after your school's 832 Planet assessment next month, and then announce your engagement to Shu Yan to the public.
“Mom,” Tao Yao said helplessly, “one second you’re talking about a marriage alliance with the royal family, and the next second you’re discussing my engagement with Ayan. You’re faster than flipping through a book.”
Li Yurong snorted softly. She was no longer worried that her daughter would fall in love with the Fifth Prince at first sight at the palace banquet, just like in her dream.
His arrogant and domineering behavior, which led him to target that 100-year-old witch, ultimately resulted in him being taken advantage of by space pirates.
Although her daughter certainly had the right to be arrogant, domineering, and unreasonable.
"The royal family currently has eight princes and seven princesses. With only a few mineral planets that have been almost completely mined, who can possibly have enough to go around? The princesses' allowance for a year is less than yours for a month. And yet, you still want to be the Fifth Princess? Are you trying to be the Virgin Mary, shining brightly and giving yourself away?!"
Li Yurong gently tapped her forehead. "I just patted you on the back, and now you think you're some kind of Buddha who can save all living beings?"
Tao Yao: "..."
"Mom, I was wrong!" Knowing when to yield, Tao Yao immediately raised her hands in surrender. "I shouldn't have doubted your stance."
Li Yurong hummed twice and then said, "When Shu Yan arrives, you can discuss the theme of your birthday party with him, so I can have the designer alter your dresses."
“Okay,” Tao Yao replied.
Shu Yan and she grew up together, and she and Shu Yan planned to announce their engagement as soon as they came of age, so Tao Yao wasn't suddenly told about it now.
The response has been positive, and there's even anticipation.
“Oh, right,” Li Yurong said slowly after calmly swallowing her waffle, “I bought a bay on Hailan Star as an engagement gift for you. After you and Shuyan get engaged, you can go there for a vacation.” As she spoke, she smiled radiantly, “Mom knows you’ve been drooling over Shuyan’s face and figure for a long time.”
"!!!"
Tao Yao almost spat out the milk she was drinking.
"Mom," Tao Yao coughed, her face turning red, feeling her body temperature soar to 40 degrees Celsius, "Please be a little more reserved, you are a girl!"
Ms. Li rested her chin on her hand and said, “My current lack of restraint is to teach you to be restrained. I just want you to be a little more restrained. You are a girl, and a girl that we cherish and protect.”
“No,” Tao Yao refused resolutely, even though her face was already flushed, her mouth still spoke the truth, “I can’t be reserved in front of Ayan.”
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