Chapter 723: Chapter 723: Observing Male Virtue
"Lord State Preceptor! Lord State Preceptor! Lord State Preceptor..."
Sikong Jian lifted the curtain of the carriage, raised his hand, and nodded with a smile to wave at the crowd.
In an instant, everyone forgot about the Beiman Mission and focused only on shouting: Lord State Preceptor!!!
Anyone who caught Sikong Jian’s eye wished they could die on the spot.
Qin Yao leaned against the window, watching as one person fainted from over-excitement simply because Sikong Jian looked at them twice, her forehead twitching intensely.
Is this necessary? Does it have to be so exaggerated?
As if sensing someone staring at him, Sikong vigilantly raised his eyes and unexpectedly met the cold gaze of the woman by the window.
Qin Yao raised her left hand and decisively made a slicing motion in front of her neck.
The silver ring on her ring finger reflected a dazzling cold gleam in the sunlight, sending a chill to Sikong Jian’s heart.
He pretended to be calm, smiled, nodded lightly at her, and lowered the gauze curtain of the carriage.
The moment the curtain was completely lowered, Sikong Jian let out a sharp intake of breath.
He couldn’t understand why Liu Ji found Qin Yao charming and cute.
She was clearly dangerously alarming!
But if he could gain her power... maybe it wouldn’t be unbearable.
So, when the carriage passed under the teahouse, Sikong Jian still poked his head out from inside and gave what he thought was a gentle smile at Qin Yao by the second-floor window.
Yin Le: "Master, he seems to be provoking you."
Qin Yao nodded earnestly, "Mm, I saw it." Taking note in a little book!
Completely unaware that the other party thought he was provoking, Sikong Jian sat in the carriage, savoring his recent gentle and elegant smile, giving himself a full score.
Finally, the Beiman Mission slowly entered the city.
The fresh attire and distinctive appearance of the Beiman people immediately caught the attention of the citizens.
The Beiman group had come with many, including attendants and slaves, as well as twenty treasure horses and twelve wagons of specialties, along with twenty craftsmen and artists skilled in hundreds of skills.
King Chan and the Princess’s entourage led the procession, followed by the Sheng Country’s literary delegation to receive them.
A sea of regal purple in the procession made it difficult for anyone not to notice.
Da Lang Brothers and Sisters, upon seeing that patch of purple, felt their hearts excitedly searching for the familiar figure.
Finally, Da Lang, sharp-eyed, was the first to spot two figures in purple jade guarding beside the Princess’s carriage.
One of them was their father, riding his own horse, Old Huang, with a straight-faced expression, unresponsive to the crowd’s cheers, like a soulless puppet.
The other, whom Da Lang had never seen and didn’t recognize, wasn’t as handsome as his father but stood out among the unattractive literary representatives, looking exceedingly distinguished.
The two separated from the group to accompany the Princess’s carriage side by side, one on the left, one on the right.
And the Princess Huhu Ti Xiang, eagerly awaited by the citizens of the Capital, sat in a luxurious scented carriage specially prepared by the Ministry of Rites, obscured by thick gauze curtains, with only a vague silhouette visible.
As for the King of Beiman, he directly swapped places with a guard, moving from the carriage to horseback, smiling at the bustling capital city of Sheng Country.
He occasionally waved and nodded to the alleyway citizens, expressing friendliness.
It was evident that neither King Chan nor the Princess understood Sheng Country’s tongue well, often asking the Sheng Country envoy beside them: "What are they saying? Why are they so excited?"
The envoy glanced at the King Chan with his two big braids, thinking bitterly that they’re cursing you; national grievances and household hatred are not so easily forgotten.
But on the surface, he smiled blandly and spun a tale: "Everyone has only heard of the Prince’s name, never seen him; this is their first time seeing you, so it’s only natural to be a bit excited."
Inside the subsequent carriage.
Princess Huhu Ti Xiang also raised the same question.
She first asked the maidservant beside her, who shook her head, indicating she didn’t know.
The Princess had at least learned some Sheng Country language and characters, understanding most of it, but the maidservant, raised on the plains with no Sheng speakers around, was even more bewildered, more eager to know what these Sheng citizens were saying.
One would think they were welcoming them or something?
Yet the expressions on the citizens’ faces seemed a bit ferocious; could it be that Sheng Country folks welcome guests this way?
Bewildered, the maidservant decided to let the Princess have another piece of pastry and remained silent.
However, clearly, the Princess wasn’t one to remain silent.
She looked around; on the left, the literary delegate beside her hadn’t shown any expression other than a non-expression since the start of the meeting between the two countries, not looking like an easygoing person.
The one on the right, seemingly about her age, had a lively personality, chatted a lot along the way, saying many things to her.
But she could barely understand more than half.
Logically speaking, when normal people want to ask a question, they would lean towards the person who showed warmth towards them.
However... Princess Huhu Ti Xiang found it hard to divert her eyes from the literary delegate on the left.
The one on the right mentioned that both had been specially selected by Lord State Preceptor, specifically sent to guide her.
The desire for beauty is universal, and seeing these two as real ’chosen ones,’ Princess Huhu Ti Xiang developed a high regard for the State Preceptor of Sheng Country.
Especially the older one, tall and slim, just like a purple bamboo, the mere sight of his back made it seem as if he were a god descending from the heavens, ready to ride the wind away.
A glimpse of his back was impressive; seeing his face was even more stunning—how could there exist such a strikingly handsome man?
Having been accustomed to the rough figures of the plains, Princess Huhu Ti Xiang was immensely overwhelmed.
All the way, because of this literary delegate’s presence, Princess Huhu Ti Xiang felt her heart racing, surprisingly bashful for her usual bold self, too embarrassed to speak to him.
He seemed to go by the name Liu Ji.
As for the one on the right, babbling incessantly, she only found him noisy, having forgotten his name early on.
Finally finding a reason to speak, Princess Huhu Ti Xiang gathered the courage to lift a corner of the gauze curtain and, with unpracticed Sheng Country speak, feigned curiosity to ask:
"Hey, Liu Ji, can you tell me what they’re discussing?"
The man rode his horse, not turning back, only raising his right hand, ring finger flickering in front of the curtain.
Princess Huhu Ti Xiang furrowed her brows in confusion, not understanding what this meant.
From the right, Lu Xiaofeng explained: "Princess, didn’t you see the ring on his hand? It signifies loyal love; he already has a family and cannot casually speak with outside women."
He followed up with: "My sister-in-law is not good-tempered; if she finds out my elder brother is chatting with women outside, he’ll be punished when he returns. If you have questions, Princess, feel free to ask me. I’m not married yet, no need to worry about men’s virtues!"
Princess Huhu Ti Xiang glanced at Lu Xiaofeng’s expectant face and shot him a sharp look, feeling indescribable disappointment in her heart.
Exchanging a glance with her maidservant, she asked in their native tongue, "Do Sheng Country’s married men really not speak with other women?"
The maidservant shook her head, indicating she didn’t know, having never heard of such a thing.
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