The civil and military officials immediately applauded vigorously upon hearing Consort De's melodious tune. The Lou family held significant influence in the imperial court, and Consort De was known as a talented woman of the capital; her zither skills were certainly no less than Princess Jie Lan's.
Princess Jie Lan's autumn-water-like eyes were fixed solely on Feng Lie opposite her, oblivious to everything around her.
Feng Lie met Jie Lan's gaze, noticing the profound tenderness shining in her eyes. He couldn't help but frown, thinking that perhaps Princess Jie Lan had taken a liking to him simply because he had saved her.
He had no intention of marrying her. While her zither skills were unparalleled, he wasn't the type of man who would marry a woman based solely on her music. If that were the case, he should be marrying Dai Mei, whose zither skills were comparable, if not superior, to Jie Lan's.
Lou Sijing, amidst the anticipation of the crowd, ascended the high platform. A personal eunuch had already set up the ancient zither and stood to the side.
Lou Sijing had no choice but to gather her scattered thoughts and play the zither with focus. The clear, crisp notes flowed like a mountain spring, like jade pearls falling onto a plate, pure and resonant, yet they were far inferior to Jie Lan's music.
Although Lou Sijing's zither music was pleasant, it failed to draw listeners in, serving only as a mere performance.
Feng Xie's expression turned somewhat gloomy, his lips curling slightly into a cold smile. It seemed this talented woman of the capital was also famous for nothing. Seeing the triumphant smiles of the envoys, Feng Xie found them irritating.
His slender, fair hands tapped rhythmically on the low table before him. He spoke in a deep, resonant voice. Liu Liu, sitting beside him, kept her veiled face averted, not looking at him at all. Although the surrounding consorts were frozen with fear and dared not move, it had nothing to do with her.
However, Feng Wu Yang, seated behind her, was somewhat indignant. Seeing the envoys from Yue Hua Kingdom act so arrogantly, a small nation behaving so presumptuously in their great nation, was truly detestable.
She looked up at her second cousin in front of her, who was indifferently listening to Lou Sijing play on the platform, unaware of her.
Feng Wu Yang gently tugged at her imperial brother's dragon robe. Feng Xie, who was already angry, turned his head with an icy glare at his imperial sister. Seeing her speak in a low voice, he asked, "Imperial brother, I know someone who can defeat Princess Jie Lan?"
Feng Xie looked at Feng Wu Yang with some suspicion. This imperial sister of his was usually mischievous and rarely serious. However, at this moment, her small face was etched with seriousness.
Feng Xie pondered for a moment. No matter how unruly his sister was, she wouldn't joke about something like this. His tone softened, and he let out a cold hmph, "Who?"
"Second cousin, second cousin's zither skills, if she claims second, no one in the world would dare claim first. Only I know, you all haven't heard it. Her zither can make people cry, make them laugh."
"What?"
Feng Xie looked up sternly, his handsome features etched with darkness. If Liu Liu's zither skills were truly that high, why had no one ever mentioned it? And she herself claimed to know nothing. Could it be that she was?
His phoenix eyes swept dangerously over the woman beside him.
Liu Liu, who had been engrossed in listening, was startled by Feng Xie's words. She turned to see the Emperor and his imperial sister conversing. Feng Xie's starry eyes, like fine gems, were fixed on her with dazzling brilliance.
Liu Liu's heart sank. Had Feng Wu Yang said something she shouldn't have?
As expected, Feng Xie leaned closer to her, his breath wafting onto her face, stirring her thin veil and revealing her rosy lips, shaped like a diamond, and her sparkling, beautiful eyes.
He even saw his own reflection in her eyes, his gaze filled with fervor. Just looking at her, a sense of impulse stirred within him. Liu Liu looked at the Emperor indifferently, unsure of what he wanted to say, and preempted him with a calm demeanor.
"What is it now, Your Majesty?"
A smile played on Feng Xie's lips, a smile that was devilishly playful. She could clearly see his smooth, delicate skin, like fine satin, and his finely arched eyebrows, as if cut by scissors.
His eyes were narrow and slightly rounded phoenix eyes, with long, thick eyelashes casting shadows that made his black pupils even more enchanting.
His nose was high-bridged, and his lips were thin and straight. It was said that men with such cool, thin lips were unfeeling. For some reason, as Liu Liu looked, her heart began to flutter. She quickly lowered her head, finding this man too dangerous and wishing to keep her distance.
Feng Xie's arm extended, resting on the armrest of Liu Liu's phoenix chair, effectively trapping her. His voice was hoarse and low, as if he had just woken up. Slowly, he opened his mouth softly, "Your Empress, would you be willing to play a tune?"
Liu Liu was startled and shot Feng Wu Yang a glare. It turned out she had spoken after all. No wonder Feng Xie looked so peculiar. But even if the little princess had told him, as long as she didn't admit it, she believed no one could do anything to her. Thus, she shook her head earnestly.
"Your Majesty, are you sure the little princess is telling the truth? How many truths has the little princess ever spoken? If Liu'er truly knew how to play the zither, why would she have made a fool of herself last time?"
Liu Liu's seemingly innocent words made Feng Xie believe her to some extent. His cold eyes shifted to his imperial sister, blaming her for her poor conduct.
Seeing her imperial brother looking at her with displeasure, Feng Wu Yang quickly shook her head, "I didn't." She knew her second cousin would be angry. It was infuriating that her imperial brother didn't believe her.
While the Emperor and Empress were conversing, Lou Sijing's tune had ended. A wave of applause erupted from below. The envoys from Yue Hua Kingdom curled their lips in disdain. They were applauding such a performance? It was no match for their princess.
The Emperor's consorts were like this too. It seemed this vast Tian Feng Dynasty was nothing special, merely possessing brute strength. The envoys couldn't help but worry about their princess.
Their princess was a woman of exceptional beauty and intelligence; how could she be married to an ordinary man? Yet, they could not find anything commendable about the Tian Feng Dynasty. One of the tall envoys stood up, placed a hand over his chest, bowed, and said earnestly to Feng Xie.
"We hope that the Emperor of the superior nation can help our princess find a suitable man. We are deeply concerned about this matter. Our princess is a woman of both talent and beauty, and she is the treasure of our Emperor. We hope the Emperor of the superior nation will choose with respect."
A flash of thunderous rage crossed Feng Xie's fair face. The black pupils flickered with two small flames, his breathing grew heavy, and a chilling aura enveloped him. He looked like a raging Asura from hell, his hair almost standing on end.
The civil and military officials seated below knew very well what was making the Emperor angry, and they were also very angry.
The glorious Tian Feng Dynasty, with its many princes, nobles, and ministers, and these few envoys still worrying that the princess would not find a suitable man, was clearly looking down on the Tian Feng Dynasty.
If this news were to spread, it would surely cause the Tian Feng's reputation to be greatly tarnished. Feng Xie grew angrier the more he thought about it, wishing he could arrest these envoys.
Seated before the officials was the current Prime Minister, the Emperor's maternal uncle. Seeing the Emperor about to erupt in anger, if the Emperor were to make any rash decisions, the alliance between the two nations would be declared broken. Then, the smaller nations surrounding Tian Feng might turn against the Tian Feng Dynasty.
Although Tian Feng did not fear those smaller nations, the dynasty had been established for twenty years, and its internal affairs were still quite chaotic. If the external situation was not stabilized and internal matters were not properly addressed, the realm would surely fall into chaos.
Therefore, Prime Minister Liu glanced at his daughter on the high seat. As the Empress of Tian Feng, his daughter naturally had to contribute to Tian Feng. Seeing her father's gaze, Liu Liu knew her father expected her to step forward. She smiled faintly and nodded.
Prime Minister Liu then slowly stood up and bowed to the Emperor on the throne.