Chapter 284: Chapter 282: The Most Beautiful in the World_1 Chapter 284: Chapter 282: The Most Beautiful in the World_1 The noblewomen around laughed even more delightedly. “Oh my! Sister Commandery Princess hasn’t even married yet, but she’s already being protective!”

Liu Ruofu’s ears turned red. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and with a mixture of shyness and playfulness, she said, “If you keep talking nonsense, I won’t talk to you anymore!”

“Oh dear! Oh dear! Quickly, everyone stop talking! Be careful, the Fourth Prince of Daliang might hear us and think we’re bullying the Commandery Princess. He might even blame us…” Lu Baohua said, covering her mouth with a smile.

Even though it was teasing, Liu Ruofu felt happy inside.

Especially after hearing how the Fourth Prince of Daliang had knelt to propose to her yesterday, vowing not to take any side consorts or concubines from now on. Liu Ruofu was genuinely moved.

Today, seeing that the Fourth Prince of Daliang was so extraordinarily handsome, she felt, as her father had said, that this was indeed a good match.

“The Princess of Zhen has arrived…”

“The Princess of Zhen is here too!”

Bai Qingyan and her fourth sister Bai Jinzhi followed Mrs. Dong’s side. Zhen Zeping, who was exchanging pleasantries with colleagues, saw Bai Qingyan and hurriedly called his wife and daughter to greet her. “Wife, the Princess of Zhen, and the Lord of Gaoyi!”

Mrs. Dong smiled and curtsied in return. Zhen Zeping’s wife looked at Bai Qingyan with eyes full of reverence. She pulled her daughter’s wrist and presented her to Bai Qingyan, ensuring a greeting.

Hearing the ladies whispering, Liu Ruofu turned her head toward the main hall door. She saw a group of generals and their families gathered around Bai Qingyan, blocking her view so she couldn’t see what Bai Qingyan looked like.

Then the eunuch sang out the arrival of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort.

The generals and their families, who had been chatting with Mrs. Dong, Bai Qingyan, and Bai Jinzhi, hurriedly stepped aside and saluted the Crown Prince as he entered.

Last night, the Crown Prince had sent a message to the Princess of Zhen’s residence, informing Bai Qingyan that… Li Zhijie only had a thumb ring. His intention was merely to sow discord among the Jin Kingdom’s officials, but Bai Qingyan’s unwavering loyalty had led her to report the matter directly to the Crown Prince, thus thwarting Li Zhijie’s scheme.

The Crown Prince had someone convey his condolences to her and also sent her generous gifts.

She looked up, saw Xiao Rongyan following the Crown Prince’s side, and remembered his ambiguous words on the houseboat yesterday. Avoiding Xiao Rongyan’s gaze, she lowered her eyes.

Xiao Rongyan smiled faintly, bowed deeply to Mrs. Dong and Bai Qingyan with the utmost respect.

The Crown Princess Consort looked at Bai Qingyan, then at Xiao Rongyan beside the Crown Prince, and smiled, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. “Mrs. Dong, the Princess of Zhen, and the Lord of Gaoyi, please take your seats, for the emperor and empress will arrive shortly.”

“Yes!” Mrs. Dong nodded, leading Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi to the front seats, following behind the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort.

The ladies who had not previously seen Xiao Rongyan whispered and speculated about his identity.

Xiao Rongyan wore a plain white robe, with a jade belt around his waist. Though simply dressed, he could not hide his regal and noble demeanor. He was incredibly handsome, with high cheekbones that made his deep eyes even more striking. His serene gaze contrasted with the scholar-like elegance of his demeanor, making him absolutely stunning.

Liu Ruofu’s attention was caught by the man beside the Crown Prince. Before she could regain her composure, the Fourth Prince of Daliang, Wei Qiheng, who had already taken his seat, suddenly stood up, causing the lid of the three-footed mythical beast incense burner on the table to rattle.

Wei Qiheng steadied the table, his face flushed, and hurriedly ran towards Bai Qingyan, intercepting her path and saluting. “Commandery Princess…”

Liu Ruofu’s gaze followed Wei Qiheng and landed on Bai Qingyan. She was stunned, her breath caught, and she nearly tore the handkerchief in her hand.

She had thought Bai Qingyan was merely attractive, but she had never imagined her to be so breathtakingly beautiful. Under the palace lanterns, her skin appeared almost translucent, completely unlike someone who had been campaigning in the southern regions for months. Her tall and graceful frame exuded a fragile elegance, not at all like a martial artist. Only her deep, tranquil eyes suggested the resilience and strength of someone trained in martial arts.

The combination of delicate beauty and strength made her exceptionally noble and majestic.

Liu Ruofu’s breathing became heavy, hearing the barely audible whispers of the ladies praising Bai Qingyan’s beauty more than hers, which made her feel extremely humiliated.

“Who would have thought the Princess of Zhen would be this stunning. We never knew. Those carefree noblemen weren’t lying; she truly is… the most beautiful woman in the world!”

“And to think Jin’s most beautiful lady sitting over there just insinuated that Lu Yuanpeng admired the Princess of Zhen because she could command troops and thought she was beautiful because of that. Now that she sees her in person, why isn’t she saying anything?”

“Indeed! She used to rely on her title as Jin’s most beautiful, always critiquing others’ attire. Look at the Princess of Zhen… in simple clothes without makeup. That is true beauty!”

Some bold noblewomen looked at her mockingly, making Liu Ruofu feel even more flushed…

“Don’t pay attention to those people!” Lu Baohua glared at the gossiping women. “No matter what, your marriage is something others can only envy! Men… naturally admire generals who are undefeated on the battlefield. It shows that the Fourth Prince of Daliang doesn’t belittle women. It’s a good thing!”

Hearing Lu Baohua’s words, Liu Ruofu felt a little better. She smiled, albeit with some resentment. “Yes, men generally admire competent generals. But since the military is full of men, few would dare to marry a woman who’s mixed in the military, except maybe Qin Lang!”

Lu Baohua disagreed with Liu Ruofu’s last statement but knew she spoke out of annoyance, so she smiled and didn’t respond.

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“In my opinion, the Princess of Zhen probably didn’t win any battles. With such looks, who could bear to harm her on the battlefield? One look might make them weak in the knees! As the Commandery Princess said, the military is full of men… who knows what could happen. Marrying a woman mixed in the military could bring disaster to a family.”

A noblewoman friendly with Liu Ruofu chuckled softly. “Look at the Qin family. They didn’t believe in bad luck and married Bai Jinxiu. But look how unlucky they’ve been. First, the Marquis of Loyalty and Courage’s wife was sent to Qing Temple. Then the Marquis himself died, and the Qin family even lost their noble title!”

Liu Ruofu covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed, feeling much better. “That does make some sense.”

Bai Qingyan looked puzzled at Wei Qiheng’s burning eyes. She maintained her calm demeanor, returned his salute, and then followed Mrs. Dong to her seat unhurriedly.

This was the first time Wei Qiheng had been ignored by a beauty. His shining gaze followed Bai Qingyan’s silhouette in a daze…