The Prince Can Do Divination-Chapter 166 - 142: Turmoil at the Grand Banquet, A Twist of Fate, A Plan Backfires (Part 2)

Chapter 166: Chapter 142: Turmoil at the Grand Banquet, A Twist of Fate, A Plan Backfires (Part 2)

Luo Qiufu wore an exquisite long gown, patterned with Golden Crows, that trailed on the ground. Her skin was snow-white, her eyes bright and full of spirit. She exuded an air of nobility, and her every expression was incomparably elegant. Her smile was quite sweet, impossibly beautiful.

Don’t be fooled by her girlish appearance; she was actually over sixty years old. She only looked so young because Qi Cultivators enjoy extended lifespans, which was different from Cultivators who relied on Beauty Pills.

If one’s lifespan was long enough, the rate of aging would become extremely slow.

For instance, if a Qi Cultivator had a lifespan of three hundred years.

Then even at sixty, they would still look as if they had just come of age.

Luo Qiufu was flanked by numerous guards, with a middle-aged General following closely behind, constantly observing their surroundings, never leaving her side.

"We welcome the Eldest Princess."

Soon, a Cabinet Minister by her side greeted her, but Luo Qiufu gave him a cold reception, merely nodding with a frosty, expressionless face.

After all, Great Yan was in the wrong first. Their leniency regarding the actions of the Seventh Prince, Lu Yunwan, was undoubtedly a great insult to the relationship between the two nations.

In the Great Yan of the past, she might not have dared to be so brazen. When the wise and mighty Emperor of Great Yan was on the throne, wherever his million-strong army’s blades pointed, no enemy dared to stand against them. Destroying a nation in ten days was no empty boast.

"How can one allow another to snore beside the dragon’s couch?"

This was a famous saying of Emperor Yong’an from when he swept through the various nations.

But now, the Emperor of Great Yan was gravely ill and bedridden, his life hanging in the balance. The Great Yan Northern Lands were under attack, and the Holy Nether Demon Country’s retaliation could come at any moment. It was the Golden Crow Country that now held the power.

The Cabinet was holding this banquet for no other reason than to turn a big problem into a small one, and a small one into nothing.

To resolve the conflict between her and the Seventh Prince.

She, Luo Qiufu, might not dare to completely fall out with Great Yan, but she wasn’t about to let them off the hook so easily. She would definitely make Great Yan give something up.

To ensure the Golden Crow Country benefited from the situation.

That was her true purpose for attending the banquet.

She gave the banquet hall a cursory glance. Quite a few people had come. Princes, nobles, royal relatives, Great Scholars, and other scholars were all in attendance, showing her considerable respect.

"Prince Chongwen greets the Eldest Princess."

Suddenly, a greeting came from her side. Luo Qiufu turned to see a slender young man in a Cyan Python Robe. After some inquiries over the past few days,

she had a general idea of his identity: the Eighth Prince of the Great Yan Dynasty, Lu Yunqing.

The Prince currently most likely to take over the Eastern Palace.

"So it is Prince Chongwen."

Luo Qiufu nodded lightly in response.

In reality, however, she wasn’t the least bit interested in Lu Yunqing.

The reason was simple: he wasn’t her type.

She disliked the weak, scholarly type. She preferred men who were a bit rougher—tall and brawny, with muscular arms and preferably abdominal muscles. They looked like they could provide a sense of security.

In truth, she was a bit of a snob when it came to looks. Being unattractive was a major demerit in her eyes, which was why she always chose slightly more handsome men for her personal guards. This was a small, selfish privilege that came with being a princess.

CLATTER!

A Palace Maid, while pouring wine, accidentally spilled some on the long train of Luo Qiufu’s gown.

One couldn’t really blame the girl. Luo Qiufu’s dress was simply too long, and with the cold weather making the floor slippery, the Palace Maid had been moving cautiously with a heavy tray. One misstep caused the accident.

Seeing her beloved dress soiled, Luo Qiufu’s delicate fists clenched, and a look of shock appeared on her beautiful face.

She was a neat freak and couldn’t stand even a single stain on her clothes.

If there was, the entire outfit had to be changed!

"Princess, you are..."

Seeing Luo Qiufu stand up, the Cabinet Ministers all looked puzzled.

"I am returning to change my clothes," Luo Qiufu said coolly.

"But you’ve only just sat down," one of the ministers said, surprised.

"It is a habit of mine. If my clothes are soiled, I feel uncomfortable all over. I ask for your understanding. My sincerest apologies."

Luo Qiufu gave a curtsy to the crowd and then left with her entourage.

"I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!"

The Palace Maid apologized, filled with self-reproach. She immediately knelt and kowtowed. Having made such a grave mistake, she was sure to be severely punished, perhaps even expelled from the palace.

Just a moment ago, she didn’t know what happened; her legs had suddenly given way, causing her to fall.

She had worked so hard to enter the palace at a young age and didn’t want to be thrown out.

Even though her beloved dress was ruined, Luo Qiufu showed no intention of blaming the Palace Maid, nor any impulse to have her executed. Instead, she smiled gently and said, "You didn’t do it on purpose. Just be more careful next time."

Then she turned to the assembled princes and ministers. "I hope that you, the esteemed members of Great Yan, will not make things difficult for this young woman. At such a grand banquet, their work is not easy."

"Yes... of course." The Chief Palace Maid of the Palace Department, standing nearby, was also taken aback to hear this.

"I never expected the Eldest Princess to be so kind-hearted."

"If it weren’t for her, that Palace Maid would have been in deep trouble. She’d have received a hundred strokes of the paddle, at least."

"Under her leadership, the Golden Crow Country might not be any weaker than it was during the reign of their late emperor."

At the banquet, many scholars, including the Hanlin Academy Imperial Tutors, began to praise Luo Qiufu’s character. Kind and beautiful, poised and graceful—how could such a person be allowed to suffer an injustice?

Hearing these words, the Cabinet Ministers felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Only Master Xun, watching this unfold, sneered.

’This is nothing more than a trick to manipulate people’s hearts. She deliberately chose not to make things difficult for the Palace Maid, brushing the incident aside lightly to instill a sense of guilt in the officials of Great Yan. When the negotiations begin, they will be at a complete disadvantage. It will be easy for her to state her conditions and seize the absolute initiative. The weaker she appears, the more she seems in the right, and the more she plays the part of a virtuous lady, the harder it will be for Great Yan to act. What happened today will inevitably spread throughout Great Yan, and then across the Central Plains World. The Cabinet cannot allow Great Yan to be branded with the reputation of a heartless, disloyal villain. If the people’s hearts are not united, accomplishing anything becomes much more difficult.’