Chapter 36

The imperial capital of the Great Gan Empire is located in Yunjin Province. Even though it is already summer, the scenery remains beautiful with flowers in full bloom, willows swaying, and birds singing.

There have been ministers who suggested moving the capital to Beijiang Province or Xiqi Province, which border enemy territories, so that the emperor could personally guard the national gates and better respond to border troubles. However, the Li royal family of the Great Gan Empire has never produced an emperor with the grandeur of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The proposal to move the capital quickly faded like a passing cloud, forgotten by people.

On sunny days, the Biyun Pond in the western suburbs of the capital is filled with lotus flowers. Among the tall and dense lotus leaves, the beautiful and graceful Yunjin lotus pickers in their silk skirts weave through, often unseen but their pleasant laughter can be faintly heard. A poem reads:

The lotus leaves and silk skirts are cut from the same cloth,

Lotus flowers bloom on both sides of their faces.

Lost in the pond, they cannot be seen,

Only the sound of their songs reveals their presence.

The Biyun Pavilion by the pond is the preferred gathering place for the young masters and misses of many noble and wealthy families. The organizer of today's gathering is Nan Gong Jie, the second daughter of the Nan Gong family, one of the capital's powerful clans.

Those who received invitations from Miss Nan Gong are all young masters and misses from equally prestigious families. The pavilion is filled with handsome young men and beautiful young women, mostly from powerful families in the capital such as the Xiao, Nan Gong, Changsun, Lian, Xue, and Lin families, and even members of the royal Li family.

The organizer, Nan Gong Jie, is seventeen years old, in the prime of her youth, with a beautiful face and a graceful figure. She stands among the young men and women, chatting with ease and confidence, her face radiant.

"Xiao Wuqing has arrived!" someone in the crowd said.

The previously harmonious atmosphere suddenly took on an indescribable and inexplicable change.

Most of the young women turned around, tiptoeing to catch a glimpse, their faces blushing with shyness.

The young men's expressions varied, with admiration, worship, envy, and jealousy all present.

Indeed, the "Romantic Prince" Xiao Wuqing's charm is so strong that wherever he goes, other men often pale in comparison.

"Miss Nan Gong, I am late, please forgive me," Xiao Wuqing said with his usual lazy smile, exuding endless charm that makes most women feel an irresistible urge to get closer.

"Prince Xiao, your presence is an honor, how could I dare to blame you," Nan Gong Jie's eyes were full of admiration and infatuation, her earlier composure long gone.

"Two months have passed, Miss Nan Gong's beauty has only increased, truly captivating," Xiao Wuqing's words were always sweet, "I wonder which lucky young man will win your heart, just thinking about it makes me envious."

"Prince Xiao, you flatter me," Nan Gong Jie's face flushed with two patches of red, and for a moment, she could not find the right words to respond, unlike her usual quick-witted self.

"Since Miss Nan Gong is the host today, I wonder if your elder sister has also honored us with her presence?" Xiao Wuqing asked.

"My elder sister is over there talking with Princess Chuyun," Nan Gong Jie's eyes dimmed when Xiao Wuqing mentioned her sister, feeling a pang of jealousy.

"Xiao Wuqing and Miss Ling have not seen each other for a long time. Let me go and greet her, please excuse me," Xiao Wuqing said softly.

"Prince Xiao, please go ahead," Nan Gong Jie watched helplessly as Xiao Wuqing left her and walked towards her elder sister.

What am I lacking compared to her?

From childhood, she has always been overshadowed by her elder sister, Nan Gong Ling. This question has troubled her constantly, even keeping her awake at night.

In a secluded corner of the Biyun Pavilion, two stunningly beautiful women were whispering to each other.

The young woman in white was graceful and elegant, with a slender figure and skin as white as a lotus flower or a snow lotus, exuding a noble aura. Her eyes, though gentle, were full of tenderness. She is the third daughter of the Great Gan Emperor, Princess Chuyun Li Yiru.

The other woman, about twenty years old, was dressed in a pinkish-orange robe, with a beautiful face, fair skin, and a well-proportioned figure. Her most striking feature was her eyes.

What a pair of beautiful eyes!

Deep like the sea, bright like the stars, gazing into them, one feels as if they contain all the beauty and wisdom of the world.

She is the eldest daughter of the Nan Gong family, Miss Nan Gong Ling.

"Princess, Miss Ling, it's been a long time," the two women, who were chatting happily, heard Xiao Wuqing's soft greeting.

"Prince Xiao," Li Yiru nodded at Xiao Wuqing, then glanced between Xiao Wuqing and Nan Gong Ling, standing up and smiling, "I suddenly remembered I have something to discuss with Feifei, you two chat."

With that, she turned and left, winking at Nan Gong Ling as she went.

This girl!

Nan Gong Ling sighed helplessly, "Prince Xiao, what do you need?"

"Nothing, I just missed Miss Ling after so long," Xiao Wuqing expressed his longing softly, "I heard about the Nan Gong family's gathering today and thought you might be here, so I came to see you."

"Since you've seen me, if there's nothing important, I'll take my leave," Nan Gong Ling, unimpressed by the heartthrob Xiao Wuqing, stood up to leave.

"Ling," Xiao Wuqing moved slightly to block her path, "Have I done something to offend you? It seems you're always avoiding me."

"Not at all," Nan Gong Ling shook her head, "I came today just to see Yiru, and now that I have, there's nothing else. Gatherings like this don't suit my nature."

"Then let me see you back," Xiao Wuqing persisted.

"No need, my Little Red is faster than you can catch," Nan Gong Ling's "Little Red" is a bloodline mutant unicorn horse, extremely fast, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day.

...

"What's so special about Nan Gong Ling that Wuqing insists on pursuing her?" Li Xuefei pouted, somewhat displeased.

"Feifei," Li Yiru, not wanting to be a third wheel, came to chat with her cousin.

"Your Highness," Li Xuefei bent her knee in a bow, "I haven't seen you out in a while, I was a bit worried."

"You know I have no other hobbies, just a love for food," Li Yiru smiled, "In this capital, only Sister Shangguan and I are the closest. Now that she's far away in the southern border, I have no one to accompany me, so I've lost interest in going out."

"That's true, you two are known as the top two food lovers in the capital," Li Xuefei smiled, "By the way, Your Highness, do you have any connections with the Lin family?"

"In the past, to gather food, I've met many of the young talents from the capital's major families," Li Yiru, known for her good relationships among the young generation in the capital, pointed to a young man, "Isn't that the youngest son of the Lin family's head?"

Li Xuefei followed Princess Chuyun's finger and saw a young man of about sixteen or seventeen, surrounded by Nan Gong Jie, his eyes full of admiration.

"Your Highness, could you introduce me to him?" Li Xuefei's mind was filled with Xiao Wuqing's request.

"Of course," Li Yiru readily pulled her cousin over to the Lin family's young man.

"Prince Lin,"

The youngest son of the Lin family, Lin Chaoge, is deeply loved by the family head. He is a typical playboy, greedy for wine and women. When he turned around and saw the two heavenly beauties, his heart skipped a beat, forgetting about Nan Gong Jie.

"Princess," Lin Chaoge's tone was respectful, but his mind was filled with improper thoughts.

"Prince Lin, let me introduce you to my cousin, Princess Bixiao of the Liqin Wang's family, Xuefei," Li Yiru pointed to her cousin.

"Princess Bixiao's reputation has long been known to me, and today, I see that the rumors do not do you justice," Lin Chaoge, experienced in the art of seduction, spoke smoothly.

"Prince Lin, Xuefei is here to inquire about a young lady named Zhiyun in your family," Li Xuefei, uninterested in Lin Chaoge, went straight to the point.

"Zhiyun is the name of my elder sister. She has been training in a cultivation sect since childhood, and almost no one in the capital knows her. I was very young then, and my memories of her are vague. I only learned about her from the family elders," Lin Chaoge was surprised, "I didn't expect Princess to know so much about my family."

"Is that so? Do you know which sect she joined?" Li Xuefei asked softly, "Given the power and status of Minister Lin, it must be a great sect."

"I'm not sure about that. If Princess is interested, I can ask my family," Lin Chaoge scratched his head, clearly not very familiar with his elder sister.

"No need to trouble yourself, Xuefei was just curious," Li Xuefei, without further ado, said goodbye to Lin Chaoge and left, not even bothering to make small talk.

No one noticed that she exchanged a tender, intimate glance with Xiao Wuqing, who was chatting with Nan Gong Jie from a distance, their eyes filled with unspoken words.

Li Xuefei thought her relationship with Xiao Wuqing was the most special, but when she wasn't looking, Xiao Wuqing had similar exchanges with many other women present.