Chapter 220 Unparalleled Beauty

In the Central Province of the Great Jin Dynasty, within the imperial palace, lay Yongshou Palace.

This was the palace where Empress Dowager Empress Dowager Yuwen Feng resided, deep and imposing.

In the past, this had been the most powerful palace in the inner court.

Now that the Emperor was gravely ill and unable to appear, it had become the most powerful place in the entire Great Jin Dynasty.

Nowadays, many memorials from the imperial court were sent directly to Yongshou Palace to be reviewed and approved by the Empress Dowager.

On the gold-woven carpet, a silent footstep slowly entered the main hall, causing the blue smoke in the silver incense burner to drift.

Passing through layers of brocade curtains, that figure arrived deep within Yongshou Palace.

Behind a translucent gauze screen, one could see a person sitting behind a wooden desk, holding a brush and reviewing memorial after memorial.

The person was dressed in men's attire; with eyebrows like distant mountains and eyes brimming with autumn water, the men's clothing could not conceal her peerless grace. Instead, it added a touch of unique charm to her, making even the candles in the hall seem to dim.

"The Northern Mang delegation arrived in the capital yesterday and is staying at the Court of State Ceremonial guesthouse. The head envoy is the son of the Right Worthy King of Northern Mang, General."

"Early this morning, they sent people to challenge the young experts of the capital. The one who fought was a subordinate of General, known as the Lion-Tiger of Northern Mang, Wugula."

"The younger generations of the Han Family, the Zhu family, and the Zhou family were all challenged by him, and none could withstand a single blow. He boasted that the people of the Southern Kingdom were vulnerable and weak."

"He also said that he would continue the challenges tomorrow, and that he would trample all the people of the Great Jin Dynasty under his feet."

To the side of the wooden desk, there was a chair.

Fan Duo, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, sat on the edge of the chair, his back slightly leaning forward, respectfully reporting all the activities of the Northern Mang delegation today.

The Empress Dowager's jade hand, holding the brush, paused for a moment before she resumed reviewing the memorials. At the same time, she asked in a tone devoid of any emotion, "What else did they say?"

Although her voice was calm, it sounded like celestial music to the ears of those in the hall, like a clear spring splashing on mountain rocks, refreshing and soothing.

She was truly a peerless beauty once on the beauties ranking list; there was not a single part of her that was not beautiful, and even her voice was so mesmerizing.

But Fan Duo dared not admire it.

Compared to the power controlled by the Empress Dowager, her beauty was not something one would dare to dwell on.

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, that General has been constantly mocking our Great Jin Dynasty along the way, arrogantly claiming that the Great Jin Dynasty has no Prodigy, and also saying..."

"Speak!" The Empress Dowager's tone became even colder.

"Yes!"

"He also said that the Southern people are weak and can only beg for survival by marrying off their daughters."

"Hmph!"

The Empress Dowager slapped her brush onto the desk with a snap, her stunning face covered in a layer of frost. However, she paused and asked again, "Which families did he challenge for tomorrow?"

"Your humble servant heard from his subordinates that they plan to go to the Prince of Zhenbei's estate tomorrow to challenge the Prince of Zhenbei's heir, and then head to Qingyang Palace outside the city to challenge Daoist Master Mingxin of Qingyang Palace."

"Daoist Master Mingxin is ranked fifth among the younger generation of Qingyang Palace. If even Daoist Master Mingxin cannot stop him, then there won't be many among the younger generation in the capital who can fight Wugula."

At this moment, the Empress Dowager asked with slight curiosity, "What is the background of this Wugula?"

"To be brought along by General, his background must not be simple, right?"

"Reporting to Her Highness, Wugula's Master is the Northern Mang General Tuoba Hong."

"Tuoba Hong? No wonder!"

The Empress Dowager nodded in realization, her porcelain-like skin faintly glowing.

Tuoba Hong was the second fiercest General of Northern Mang, second only to the Great King of the Northern Court, Xiao Sidao. The recent clash between Northern Mang and the Great Jin Dynasty was led by this man.

Although the other side did not gain much advantage in that battle, it caused a lot of trouble for the Great Jin Dynasty and could be considered one of the Great Jin Dynasty's major enemies.

Fan Duo continued to explain, "Moreover, this Wugula was born with Divine Power. At the age of ten, he could tear tigers and leopards apart with his bare hands. After being taken as a Disciple by Tuoba Hong, he was taught battle formation techniques. His strikes are ruthless and merciless; those who fought him all suffered serious injuries."

A trace of cold light faintly appeared in the Empress Dowager's phoenix eyes, and she said coldly, "Go tell Li Zhan that if he cannot win tomorrow's battle, he should not stay in the capital; he can get as far away as possible!"

"Yes!"

Fan Duo hurriedly agreed, sighing inwardly.

Li Zhan was the Prince of Zhenbei's heir. Now just turned thirty, he was already at the Grandmaster Late Stage.

This level of cultivation was considered quite good among the imperial family members.

But compared to Wugula, I'm afraid...

That Wugula's Divine Power could not be underestimated, and his stamina was vast and enduring, as if he would never run out of energy. Today, his victories over the others were mostly due to his Divine Power.

Daoist Master Mingxin might have a slim chance of winning.

"In addition..." The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment before speaking again, "Take my imperial decree, go to the Imperial Guard and Six Doors, and mobilize some experts to guard the guesthouse. Do not let some people with ulterior motives cause any trouble."

"Yes!"

Fan Duo was also a person of clear Heart-Nature and immediately understood the Empress Dowager's meaning.

The Northern Mang delegation came to the capital this time to welcome Princess Yunshu northward.

This kind of thing is easier done than said.

Although sending the princess to marry was a last resort for the Great Jin Dynasty, many Great Jin Dynasty aristocratic families and Jianghu Disciples did not see it that way. They would only think that the Great Jin Dynasty was marrying off a daughter to beg for peace, and some hot-headed people might act against the Northern Mang delegation.

If something were to happen to the Northern Mang delegation in the Great Jin Dynasty's capital.

Given that Khan's Heart-Nature, he would inevitably lead a million troops south again to plunder the border towns.

For the Great Jin Dynasty, which was currently facing internal and external troubles, this was definitely not a good thing.

Thinking of this, the image of Princess Yunshu could not help but appear before Fan Duo's eyes.

Compared to the Empress Dowager's peerless grace, Princess Yunshu's beauty was not a bit inferior.

After all, they were both known as the "national beauties" on the beauties ranking list.

"Sigh! Since ancient times, beauties have often had tragic fates. The ancients did not deceive me!"

Fan Duo sighed inwardly, unable to help feeling some heartache.

Princess Yunshu had a gentle and considerate personality and elegant manners. Compared to her stunning beauty, her personality was also loved by the court officials.

It was a pity that such a wonderful woman had to be married off far away to Northern Mang, to be a consort for an old man several rounds older than her.

In fact, the imperial court originally intended to select a woman from the imperial clan to marry off, but unfortunately, Princess Yunshu's beautiful reputation was well-known, even reaching as far as Northern Mang.

This time, it was the Northern Mang Khan who specifically named Princess Yunshu to be married, otherwise the war would not stop.

"Damn the Number One Estate Under Heaven!"

Fan Duo could not help but curse in his heart.

If it weren't for the Number One Estate Under Heaven listing Princess Yunshu on the beauties ranking list, how could the princess have been arranged for a marriage alliance?

Such a noble, beautiful, and gentle princess...

Almost everyone in the imperial court respected and cherished the princess.

It was a pity that the owner of the Number One Estate Under Heaven was like a dragon, seeing only the head but not the tail; a reclusive expert independent of the several major Imperial Dynasties, even the imperial family could do nothing about them.

Otherwise, they would have to tear down that broken building that claimed to be the number one in the world!