Hei Bu Shui claimed to be the barbarian lord and a subordinate of Prince Zhuidamu. Just by saying that his status was naturally one level lower than Xie Lingqin's, his aura was anything but polite.
His gaze openly scrutinized Xie Lingqin from head to toe.
"Prince Zhuidamu hasn't arrived yet, but he's already sent advance troops into the city to scout ahead?"
Xie Lingqin is no pushover; she dares to provoke a tiger and is asking for trouble.
She didn't want Yuwen Yao to make a move at all. She stepped forward lightly, smiling, but her words were full of hidden meaning.
The Southern Qi princess, the Southern Qi prince, and the Western Xia prince Xuanyuan Du only arrived today. A few days ago, the various noble families had arrived earlier because they were already within the territory of Beirong.
These barbarians didn't say they wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, but they sent people to arrive early. Besides, although the barbarians are now subservient to Beirong, the relationship is still quite delicate.
There were quite a few people inside and outside Jinhua Tower, so naturally, some had their own doubts.
Meanwhile, Princess Nanqi and Yu Qingyi, who were originally engaged in a lively fight, stopped upon hearing the unusual commotion and looked over.
"Isn't it because it's been a long time since we've set foot in Beirong? My prince is afraid of making a mistake and stepping on ivory, so he ordered his subordinates to go first and see if there's anything to worry about. This is also a sign of respect for the majesty of the Beirong royal family."
Hei Bu Shui was quite eloquent. After speaking in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, he stepped forward, cupped his hands, and secretly looked at the clasped hands of Yuwen Yao and Xie Lingqin. His smile was rough. "Didn't they say that the Emperor was going to bestow a marriage, that it would be a martial arts contest to choose a husband? Miss Xie and the Crown Prince are so open about it, always together. Isn't this deceiving us?"
When Hei Bu Shui said those words, it was like a knife to everyone's heart.
Originally, not to mention the envoys from various countries, even the people of Beirong were quite puzzled. Since the Crown Prince and Xie Lingqin had already pledged their love to each other, which was common knowledge, why would the Emperor announce a marriage to the world? Wasn't that a slap in the face?
Even if they disagree with Xie Lingqin becoming the Crown Princess, the facts are undeniable.
"It's called Black Cloth Water, right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xie Lingqin slowly released Yuwen Yao's hand and stepped forward. "In that case, I think you can inform your Prince Zhuidamu that you don't need to enter the city tomorrow."
"What?"
Hei Bu Shui was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Xie Lingqin to say such a thing. His previously confident expression softened slightly, but he couldn't lose his barbarian dignity. His facial features tightened, and he said very impolitely, "My prince didn't come to ask for your hand in marriage. He only came to offer his congratulations out of respect for Bei Rong and out of consideration for the relations between our two countries. Doesn't what Miss Xie said affect the relations between our two countries?"
"I can't wear such a big hat." Xie Lingqin smiled, but her starry eyes held a hint of authority.
“But that’s exactly what Miss Xie said.” Hei Bu Shui glanced around and deliberately raised his voice.
Xie Lingqin met everyone's gazes with composure, "Since, as you say, Prince Chuidamu has no intention of marrying me, what does it matter to you whether I am with the Crown Prince or not? Prince Chuidamu is here with his fiancée, right? So, what do you mean by deceiving me? Hmm? Your public nonsense is what's really damaging the relationship between our two countries."
Xie Lingqin spoke each word with increasing intensity, her clear, starry eyes filled with anger, causing Hei Bu Shui to instinctively retreat, his face darkening with gloom.
Almost everyone knew that Xie Lingqin was different from before, but seeing Xie Lingqin so confident and poised at this moment was still quite shocking.
It was a kind of imposing presence that instilled fear in people without them even being angry.
"ah--"
The next moment, a scream rang out from Hei Bu Shui.
Black Cloth Guard was seen covering his eyes, his face contorted in pain.
"As a man, it is rude to stare directly at an ordinary woman like this, let alone the fact that you have been staring at the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion, the woman I like."
Beside Xie Lingqin, Yuwen Yao, who had been silent for a long time, gave a stern rebuke and slowly withdrew his hand, "It's just a one-day injury to your eyes. They will recover by tomorrow morning. Considering that your master is not here, I only gave you a small punishment as a warning."
The crown prince was furious and ordered his men to flee in all directions.
A high-sounding statement, yet it prevents people from making a big deal out of the relationship between the two countries.
Suddenly, the hall fell silent. Even the man called Black Cloth Water consciously lowered his howls in pain under the oppressive atmosphere.
Several men immediately came forward and helped Hei Bushui back down.
"Do you still want to fight?"
Xie Lingqin then looked up at Yu Qingyi and Nan Fenghuang, who were standing there.
"No, I'm not fighting anymore."
Yu Qingyi straightened his sleeves, but his gaze was fixed on the direction where Hei Bushui had left. He raised his voice slightly and said without any hesitation, "Do you think there might be someone secretly doing something to Hei Bushui to disrupt the relationship between my Beirong and the barbarians?"
"No." Xie Lingqin smiled, agreeing with him and speaking with absolute certainty. "Hei Bu Shui is not stupid, and the envoys from various places are not foolish either. They know that our Northern Emperor is wise and would never shoot himself in the foot at this time. Therefore, if something really happens to Hei Bu Shui, then we really need to investigate thoroughly."
Xie Lingqin spoke each word with such gentle grace that it seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present with unwavering clarity.
She is indeed an incredibly intelligent woman.
With these words, even if someone had witnessed today's events and wanted to take action against Hei Bu Shui, or if Hei Bu Shui himself wanted to stage a self-inflicted injury to frame someone, they would be unable to do so—Xie Lingqin's words had blocked all their paths, and she had even taken the opportunity to flatter the Northern Emperor, letting the world know how much respect Xie Lingqin had for him.
The second prince of Southern Qi glanced in Xie Lingqin's direction, then suddenly looked away. His expression was obscured by his hood, but a very soft sigh seemed to escape his lips.
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