Chapter 127 Imperial Banquet

Palace, Ninghe Hall.

Palace maids filed out, and delicacies and fine wine were laid out one after another.

Today, His Majesty is hosting a banquet for the officials to discuss state affairs, and simultaneously to welcome the Third Prince of the Khitan Kingdom who has come from afar.

First Prince Xiao Yuan, as the most powerful contender for the next throne, is constantly exchanging pleasantries with the officials.

It is both to maintain the support of existing factions and to vie for further alignment from other forces.

"Your Highness is truly the greatest Prodigy of our Tianyuan Empire. At such a young age, you have already reached Qi Refining Stage 5. The path of the Dao is promising, and longevity is within reach!"

"A while ago, you and the Second Prince were evenly matched at Qi Refining Stage 4. But times have changed; Your Highness has taken a step ahead and successfully achieved a Breakthrough to Qi Refining Stage 5. Your strength has greatly increased. You are truly someone blessed by the heavens and endowed with great Luck!"

"Your Highness, you know that our Gongsun family has always supported you. My granddaughter, Gongsun Lanlan, will soon marry you as a concubine. From now on, we are one family! In the future, whoever dares to speak ill of you is an enemy of our entire Gongsun family!"

Facing such flattery, First Prince Xiao Yuan tried hard to maintain his refined royal upbringing, striving to remain humble in front of the court officials.

But the uncontrollable corners of his mouth betrayed his inner joy and pride.

"Not at all, not at all. There is always someone better, and there is always a heaven beyond the heaven. Compared to the powerful experts like Father, I am still far behind!"

It wasn't that First Prince Xiao Yuan was bragging; among all the princes and princesses of the current royal family, he possessed the highest Realm, truly looking down upon the heroes and standing at the pinnacle.

This made all his hard work during his recent closed-door Cultivation—abstaining from women, forgetting to eat and sleep—worthwhile.

Now that it had borne fruit, he had successfully achieved a Breakthrough to Qi Refining Stage 5.

With this, he had much more confidence in his heart, feeling that the uncertain position of Crown Prince was already within his grasp.

The eldest legitimate son is traditionally the orthodox successor to the throne, but in this world of Cultivation, strength is king; without strength, everything is in vain.

The higher the Realm, the longer the lifespan.

And the older one gets, the more cunning one becomes; with the accumulation of years of experience, the rule over the Empire will be longer and more stable.

First Prince Xiao Yuan observed the surroundings, keeping a constant watch on the situation at the banquet.

It was because of this that he spotted an 'unexpected guest.' Though called an unexpected guest, in reality, the other party was the true 'main character' of this banquet.

"Ninth Sister, long time no see. How have you been?"

After temporarily excusing himself from the officials, First Prince Xiao Yuan walked over slowly, holding a green jade wine cup.

Seeing the slightly cold face of Xiao Qingzhu, a look of deliberate surprise immediately appeared on his face, and he feigned concern.

Unlike the stars surrounding the moon on his side, the area around Xiao Qingzhu was frighteningly deserted, with almost no one offering flattery.

A lonely soul, nothing more.

It was to be expected; after all, the court officials were well aware.

This princess, Xiao Qingzhu, being specifically named by His Majesty to be invited back, was nothing more than a sacrificial pawn for a political marriage.

A married-out princess is like spilled water, truly far removed from the center of power, and would spend the rest of her life far away from the Tianyuan Empire.

No one was willing to invest in her anymore because it was destined to be a futile effort, with no return.

The officialdom is just that realistic and ruthless.

For those without value, many are unwilling to even go through the motions.

But First Prince Xiao Yuan was different. As the First Prince and the eldest brother of many princes and princesses, even if he didn't want to, he had to go through the motions of courtesy.

To avoid giving others ammunition, which would be detrimental to his competition for the Crown Prince position.

"Thank you for your concern, Big Brother!"

Xiao Qingzhu glanced at First Prince Xiao Yuan and then silently lowered her eyes.

She replied faintly, without joy or sorrow, exceptionally calm.

At this moment, First Prince Xiao Yuan was like a proud peacock spreading its wings.

He displayed every beautiful feather on his body to the fullest, making no effort to conceal the aura of his Realm.

She was also able to discern the other party's specific Realm at a glance.

Compared to two years ago, First Prince Xiao Yuan had improved from Qi Refining Stage 4 to Qi Refining Stage 5.

Don't look down on just a small improvement in Realm; in this era where resources for Cultivation are so scarce, being able to swim against the current like this is truly not easy.

Unfortunately, Xiao Qingzhu was no longer the Cultivation trash who could be bullied and looked down upon.

First Prince Xiao Yuan had improved by one small Realm, while she, Xiao Qingzhu, had improved by a full seven small Realms!

The former took two years, while she took less than a month!

It was only because she practiced a technique to suppress her breathing and conceal her Qi that she appeared to remain at Qi Refining Stage 2, looking harmless to humans and animals.

By the way, this technique was obtained from the Qingyun Sect, a genuine Legacy of the immortal gate.

"Although you are about to be married off to the Khitan Kingdom, the capital will always be your home."

"If you miss home in the future, you can write letters. Big Brother has recently achieved a Breakthrough to Qi Refining Stage 5, and my words in the palace carry some weight now."

First Prince Xiao Yuan squeezed a hypocritical smile onto his face.

Seemingly concerned about Xiao Qingzhu's marriage, he was actually rubbing salt into her wounds and showing off his newly achieved Realm.

"Mm."

Xiao Qingzhu did not take the bait at all. Without too many words, she just nodded slightly.

She knew that any further argument now would be useless; only by demonstrating enough value would His Majesty waver, or even change his mind.

After all, His Majesty wouldn't want a hostile country like the Khitan Kingdom to have an additional young Cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, right?

But this cold reaction from the young girl made First Prince Xiao Yuan feel uncomfortable inside.

He felt like he was playing the lute to a cow, completely failing to receive the expected envy, and instead hitting a soft nail.

He did not show his dissatisfaction, maintaining a hypocritical smile on his face, and after a few more inconsequential pleasantries, he walked away with his wine cup.

"Oh, isn't this Ninth Sister?"

"How come you're still all alone after so long?"

"Oh my, look at my memory! His Majesty, concerned about your marriage, recently planned a marriage for you."

"I heard the other party is some prince from the Khitan Kingdom, and his cultivation Realm doesn't seem low either!"

"Little sister, you are truly lucky. In the future, you will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the exotic scenery, unlike other sisters who can only be trapped in this small corner of the capital for their whole lives, serving their husbands and raising children, unable to travel far, and without freedom!"

One act ends, another begins.

Seeing the newcomer, Xiao Qingzhu couldn't help but sigh softly.

At this banquet, she clearly just wanted to hide in a corner and find a moment of peace, but this matter was proving to be extremely difficult.

From the moment she returned to the capital, whether she was willing or not, she had already stepped into this vortex of power once again.

"Fifth Sister."

The young girl stood up and bowed slightly to the other party, while silently reciting a name in her heart.

[Qi Refining Stage 3!]

At this moment, the Fifth Princess Xiao Shuning she spoke of was dressed in gorgeous palace attire, tall, with heavy makeup on her face, thick but not gaudy.

Her eyebrows were like willows, and her phoenix eyes were slender and spirited.

Like a canary dressed in flamboyant finery.

With every movement, her charm was fully displayed, and the various luxurious and exquisite gold and silver ornaments on her body made crisp, subtle sounds as they collided.