Aunt Fangruo placed the teacup on the table and said softly, "Your Majesty, please have some Cloud Needle. This is fine tea picked just this year. It's brewed with Tianshan snow and is very sweet."
The empress hummed, took a bite, and the worry between her brows eased a little: "You are still the best. That girl is always worrying. How can I stay with her forever?"
"The Temple is also preparing to make a move. Donglin is so bold this time, I think the Temple must be behind it."
"But last time the temple was severely damaged, I heard that someone sneaked in. Now that person's identity has been verified, I can tell you which country this person is from. It's really a relief."
If the temple had not intervened, how could her lover have... She had not yet settled her grudge with the temple, and now that she knew the temple had been severely damaged, she could sleep much more peacefully.
Fang Ruo sensed the empress's joy, smiled, and whispered, "The specific identity is still unclear, but it's most likely someone from Da Gan. Who it is remains unknown."
The Empress hummed, "It doesn't matter. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Beixia and Donglin are destined to be mortal enemies. Yan is too cunning to cooperate. The only thing left is to fight hard."
"But I am a little worried. The Great Emperor is a tyrant and obsessed with alchemy. I am afraid that if the Temple just gives a finger, he will surrender to the Temple."
"Regarding the alliance, that's what I'm worried about."
Fang Ruo thought for a moment and whispered, "Now that the temple has been severely damaged, they hate that person to death and have no intention of dealing with the Northern Xia Kingdom for the time being."
"We can wait and see. If Dagan turns against us, we can simply break the alliance. Beixia is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Unless they are from the Temple, other countries can't attack us at all."
"Well, Fangruo makes sense."
The sky gradually darkened and the palace banquet began.
The Third Prince and his companions followed the young eunuch. The palace maids and eunuchs passed by in an orderly manner, carrying meals. As soon as they entered, countless gazes were cast in their direction, their eyes filled with tentative, probing curiosity...
After they sat down, they raised their heads and met the gazes of those across from them.
The woman opposite raised her lips slightly when she saw this, and looked at them with interest. The man outside was quite interesting, and was completely different from the shy man in Beixia.
Jiang Ling withdrew her gaze and drank tea from the cup with her fingers stroking it.
The eunuch's voice came: "Your Majesty has arrived!"
"Princess Yueli has arrived."
"The eldest princess, the second princess, the third prince, and the fourth prince have arrived."
After the empress took her seat, the phoenix on the black wind cannon flickered with golden light in the candlelight, and her majesty as a superior was breathtaking.
"Everyone, please take a seat. I heard that the envoy from Dagan has come, Grand Tutor. He is a veteran Grand Tutor of three dynasties."
Zhao Song slowly stood up. His hair was gray, his back was straight, and he looked very energetic. "Old minister Zhao Song greets the Empress."
"Thank you for your courtesy, Grand Master. Please take a seat. Today's palace banquet is all Beixia's food. Please try it and see if it suits your taste. If not, I will ask someone to replace it with Da Gan's food."
"You are so polite, Empress. This meal is to my taste. I am old and can only eat soft food. This dish tastes very good."
The Empress chuckled softly and said gently, "That's good."
Soon the dancer came up. Everyone looked at the dancing male dancer with an expression that was hard to describe. Beixia was pretty good, but the man was too feminine.
After the dance ended, the empress clapped her hands and winked, "Ministers, you are all curious about Dagan. Why don't you chat with each other and avoid damaging the harmony?"
Everyone said in unison: "Yes, Your Majesty."
When the Third Prince met the explicit gaze from the opposite side, he felt as if ants were crawling all over his body. How could this woman look directly at a man? Why didn't the young general and the others react at all?
A sly look flashed across Ning Wushuang's eyes as he sat opposite Jiang Ling. He smiled and said, "This must be the eldest son of the Jiang family, right? I heard you were once the top scholar in both civil and military examinations."
"At first, he was only the top scholar in literature. The top scholar in martial arts was this general's second brother."
"Oh, so the one next to you is a military commander. He looks a bit thin, but I didn't expect him to be a top martial arts champion."
Jiang Sheng shook his head and explained softly: "I am not. The top scholar in literature is my elder brother, and the top scholar in martial arts is my second elder brother."
Ning Wushuang asked curiously, "Are you an official in Dagan?"
“Don’t be an official.”
"That means joining the army."
"Not really, I'm just a doctor."
Everyone: “……?”
A family of military generals produces a doctor. This is a joke. His two brothers are so powerful, how could he be just a doctor?
Jiang Sheng looked calm, he was indeed a doctor now.
Ning Wushuang lost interest instantly. He was just a doctor, so he looked back at Jiang Ling and asked bluntly, "Has the young general married yet?"
“…Not yet.”
"Is that so? What do you think of me, Major General?"
When the Beixia official heard this, he almost spit out his tea. This was too outrageous. How could he ask such a question? This was a provocation.
Who will marry whom? The empress can't let a general go to another country. Isn't this nonsense?
The empress's smile deepened, but she said nothing.
Jiang Ling paused with his chopsticks, raised his head and met a pair of clear eyes. He said calmly, "Beixia is mysterious and does not interact with the outside world. This general knows very little about Beixia."
Ning Wushuang chuckled lightly, his voice filled with joy: "Really? If the young general is free tomorrow, why don't we go to the restaurant for a couple of drinks and try Beixia's drinks."
The Grand Tutor frowned as he watched this scene. What was Bei Xia's intention? He had already set his sights on Jiang Ling the moment he arrived...
"I'm sorry, but I can't hold my liquor. I'm afraid it might spoil the fun."
The two of them were competing with each other.
The Empress watched from above, and after an unknown amount of time, she finally spoke: "Grandmaster, I heard you're here to form an alliance. I wonder what bargaining chips Da Gan is willing to offer."
Upon hearing this, the Grand Tutor knew the main topic had arrived and sat up straight, "In reply to your Majesty, if Beixia is willing to form a marriage alliance with Dagan, this alliance would naturally be the best."
The empress above turned the cup in her hand, remained silent after hearing this, and drank her tea slowly. The atmosphere was a little stagnant.
Soon the stiff atmosphere was broken by the men in black robes. Dozens of black figures rushed towards the empress, and murderous intent filled the air, as if they wanted to lock people in.
The empress narrowed her eyes and watched. Fang Ruo beside her raised her hand and several silk threads flew out. In an instant, two heads fell to the ground and warm blood spurted out.
Jiang Ling narrowed his eyes as he watched this scene. This ability was clearly not something a mortal could possess. Did Beixia have other secrets? What was the connection with that temple?
Jiang Sheng looked at the man in black robe appearing here and unconsciously clenched his fists and prepared to attack, thinking that his identity was exposed. He didn't expect that he would go after the empress.
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