Chapter 6: Flirting and Banter

Chapter 6: Flirting and Bantering

The banquet tables were designed for two people to share. Jin Yuanfu sat on the left with the Empress, while on the right, naturally, sat her and Dongling Jue.

The two were very close; a faint, botanical fragrance mixed with the man's masculine scent seemed to linger around her nostrils. This scent directly triggered some unpleasant memories for Mu Lan, causing her face to burn instantly as she shot him an annoyed glare.

"Does the Princess have some dissatisfaction with me?" Dongling Jue held his wine cup, casting a shallow smile toward her. Yet, his expression seemed to say that her displeasure brought him great pleasure.

Caught red-handed, Mu Lan did not fear him. She returned a smile and said, "Your Majesty, in our Xia Liang Kingdom, this is called 'sending autumn waves'—casting flirtatious glances."

Dongling Jue's smile deepened. He leaned in and said, "In that case, the night before last must have been 'resisting while welcoming'?"

Was this guy trying to provoke her on purpose? Mu Lan's hand tightened around her chopsticks. Finally, controlling herself, she picked up a piece of braised pork trotter and placed it in his bowl, smiling through gritted teeth. "Your Majesty, this meat is braised until it is very soft; it is very suitable for someone like you to eat."

"Oh?" Dongling Jue did not miss her unfriendly tone. "What do you mean by that?"

Mu Lan's eyes curved into crescents as she explained kindly, "It melts in the mouth; even someone without teeth could eat it." In short: He was toothless (shameless)!

Dongling Jue seemed to catch the drift, yet he surprisingly did not get angry. Instead, he laughed, "Are the people of your Xia Liang Kingdom even this interesting when they insult someone?"

Fine, it seemed she had still underestimated the thickness of this man's skin. Mu Lan retorted, "Are the people of your Western Chu Kingdom this happy even when being insulted?"

"Of course not," Dongling Jue said with a serious face. "In our Western Chu, this is called flirting."

Fine, you win! Mu Lan turned her face away, indignantly picking up food from her own bowl, deciding to ignore him. However, from the corner of her eye, she saw the Emperor and Empress on the left looking toward her with smiles of great gratification.

Mu Lan's movements stiffened. She shifted her gaze and only then realized that it wasn't just the Emperor and Empress; even the officials and noble ladies in the hall were staring at the two of them as if watching a play.

Their voices had been very low just now, so naturally, no one had heard what they were saying. However, precisely because they couldn't hear, the expressions and gestures of the two became even more suggestive. To make matters worse, he was the dignified Monarch of Western Chu, and she was a marriage-alliance Princess; such serious identities made people hesitant to joke around.

Thus, after being discovered by her, everyone hurriedly returned to looking busy with their own tasks, though the smiles at the corners of their eyes and brows seemed to carry an ambiguous hint of mischief, which was even more stifling.

This "watching a romance novel" kind of gaze made her very uncomfortable. She glanced sideways at the person beside her, but Dongling Jue seemed completely oblivious to the surrounding stares, focused solely on eating the piece of pork trotter she had given him.

Seeing him acting as if nothing were wrong, Mu Lan also pretended to see nothing and continued eating, lest she appear to care too much about the matter. Nevertheless, her eyes still stole glances toward the people in the hall from time to time.

With these glances, she happened to discover one person—a person who stood out from the rest.

That person was sitting at the tenth-plus table in the hall. Although the hall was filled with candlelight, his features were not clearly visible; one could only vaguely discern that he was a young man. The reason she said he was different was that the feeling he gave her was very familiar, as if they had known each other for a long time. His solitary figure, pouring wine for himself, appeared to possess an indescribable loneliness.

As if sensing her gaze, the man suddenly turned his head to look toward her. Because they were too far apart, his face remained unclear, but the emotion hidden within that gaze caused her to have a sudden realization.

That person... was likely Xiao Yi?

After the banquet meal was cleared, the officials and noble ladies presented their congratulatory gifts and blessings one by one. This was a courtesy that only a marriage-alliance Princess could enjoy.

While Mu Lan was distracted by the proceedings, the Dongling Jue beside her suddenly leaned in and said, "I heard that your Xia Liang Kingdom has a young general who is not only skilled in martial arts but also possesses extraordinary strategic intelligence. He commanded troops at the age of fifteen and decisively defeated the Third Prince of the Youqiong Kingdom. Is this person also present today?"

Mu Lan's heart skipped a beat. She turned to look at him. Those black eyes staring directly at her were like two cold pools, bottomless, much like the man's own schemes.

Was the person he mentioned Xiao Yi? Could he have discovered that she had been observing Xiao Yi just now? No, he deliberately brought up Xiao Yi—could it be that he knew about the matter between Jin Ning and Xiao Yi?

But what was she panicking for? Even if he knew, so what? At worst, he would cancel the marriage, which was exactly what she wanted.

Furthermore, after seeing Jin Xue yesterday, a plan had formed in her mind, and now was the perfect opportunity. She followed his lead and replied, "So Your Majesty has also heard of our Xia Liang Kingdom's General Xiao? Speaking of him, I just remembered an unfulfilled wish. I wonder if Your Majesty could lend a hand as well?"

Her reactions always exceeded his expectations. Seeing the light brighten in her eyes, Dongling Jue raised an eyebrow with great interest and said, "Tell me then."

Mu Lan spoke, but not to him. Instead, she turned her gaze toward the official in the hall who was leading his family and offering blessings to her—the second-rank Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who was also Princess Jin Ning's biological uncle.

"Uncle, it has been many days since I last saw Sister Qingping. Is she well?"

The Vice Minister of Personnel had finished his blessing and was about to withdraw upon receiving the imperial decree when he was startled by her question. Somewhat overwhelmed by the favor, he said, "I am grateful for the Princess's concern. My daughter is doing well. However, my daughter has already passed her coming-of-age ceremony and cannot personally come to see the Princess off. I hope the Princess will forgive her."

The customs of the Xia Liang Kingdom were quite conservative; once a young woman reached fifteen or sixteen, she could not attend such banquets casually.

Mu Lan only "remembered" having a cousin of a similar age. Now that the topic had been raised, she didn't care what he answered and continued, "Qingping is my closest sister. I won't be able to attend her wedding feast. However, if Uncle does not mind, I would like to act as a matchmaker for her here. What do you think?"

While the Vice Minister of Personnel had not yet processed this, the Dongling Jue beside her seemed to have understood, his long, phoenix-like eyes narrowing slightly.

In truth, according to etiquette, an unmarried woman could not act as a matchmaker for others; it would invite ridicule. Although she was about to marry into Western Chu, she had not yet undergone the formal investiture ceremony, meaning she had not yet officially entered the household.

However, this was ultimately a joyous occasion, and Jin Yuanfu could not allow his daughter to lose face in public. He responded on behalf of the Vice Minister of Personnel, "Ning'er, you have actually learned how to play matriarch. Qingping has been close to you since childhood and can be considered half of my own daughter. This marriage cannot be brokered lightly."