Chapter 196: Where Do You Get Your Confidence?

"I heard the Jun family searched the entire world for famous doctors for years but could not cure the old lady's illness; how did it suddenly get completely better?"

"Have you forgotten Young Lady Lady Qingping? I heard Young Lady Lady Qingping performed surgery on the Jun old lady some time ago; the old lady can already stand up, so it is not strange that she is now in great condition."

"You are right; I heard the Guo Guo Yuanzheng, the Head of the Imperial Hospital, wants his son to become Young Lady Lady Qingping's disciple..."

"Can such words be spoken recklessly? The Head of the Imperial Hospital's son becoming Young Lady Lady Qingping's disciple? Can such nonsense be believed?"

"I think it is possible; this is something that old man Guo would do."

Just as everyone was whispering to each other, full of shock,

they saw Eunuch Wang Xi lean close to the Emperor's ear and say something; the Emperor frowned and nodded.

Then they heard an attendant shout at the top of his voice:

"Announce—Wang Bao, the envoy from the Northern Kingdom, comes to pay homage!"

The four words "Envoy from the Northern Kingdom" rang out, instantly sweeping away all the noise in the Great Hall.

Beneath the carved beams and painted pillars, the court officials and their families all turned their gazes toward the slowly opening hall doors.

It is well known that not long ago, the Northern Kingdom invaded the Emperor Tianqi borders; forced by an outbreak of smallpox to sign a treaty under the city walls with the Emperor Tianqi Crown Prince, this year marks the first time they are presenting annual tribute to Emperor Tianqi.

Wang Bao strode in; he was tall and burly, wearing a black robe embroidered with silver-threaded totems of the Northern Kingdom's ice plains, his steps steady yet carrying a hint of caution as he entered the Great Hall.

Behind him, attendants carried tribute boxes overflowing with brilliance, filled with rare treasures and precious gems. Gold and jade vessels and rare furs shimmered under the sunlight, demonstrating the sincerity of the Northern Kingdom's tribute this time.

However, everyone's gaze was soon drawn to a woman standing beside the Northern Kingdom envoy.

She was a woman wearing a sable fur crown and a fiery red fox fur coat, which set off her snow-white skin; yet her eyes revealed arrogance, and she possessed a spoiled appearance.

As that woman walked in, she rolled her eyes as if turning pages, openly inspecting the Young Ladies in the Great Hall with disdain, scanning every single one of them.

That demeanor showed at a glance she was someone not to be trifled with and who was thoroughly annoying.

"The foreign minister Wang Bao, bringing the Northern Kingdom Princess Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang, respectfully congratulates Your Majesty of Emperor Tianqi on the New Year's joy and has specially come to present the annual tribute."

Wang Bao knelt to pay his respects, his voice loud and clear.

Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang bowed slightly, performing a Emperor Tianqi court ritual that was not quite standard; she had grown up on horseback and was truly unfamiliar with such formalities.

It is said that Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang is the Northern King's most favored princess. The atmosphere in the Great Hall was strange; even Seeing Jun Jun Zijin frowned slightly.

Of Emperor Tianqi's four vassal states, the Northern Kingdom is the most restless; every year they engage in petty theft and banditry along the Emperor Tianqi borders, even burning, killing, and plundering, causing the common people to suffer unbearably and become displaced.

This time, they were beaten by Quan Quan Aoyu so badly they will not be able to lift their heads for at least fifty years. Yet this time presenting tribute, they brought such a princess; one does not know what evil schemes the Northern Kingdom is hatching again.

Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang scanned the reactions of everyone in the Great Hall, her eyes carrying a hint of disdain; she stepped forward and said in a crisp voice:

"Your Majesty, this time our Northern Kingdom, besides the tribute, has also brought a beautiful matter. I have long heard of the Emperor Tianqi Crown Prince Quan Quan Aoyu's fame and have developed an admiration, wishing to marry into Emperor Tianqi and form a marital alliance with the Crown Prince."

Good heavens, upon hearing these words, the entire court of civil and military officials was thoroughly shocked.

The court officials whispered to each other, their faces showing expressions of astonishment.

Some quietly rebuked Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang's willfulness and recklessness, while others wore expressions of looking forward to a show.

Young Lady Lady Qingping's rival this time is different from the previous cats and dogs; dealing with them was easy, but this one is at least a princess of a nation; now there will be a good show to watch.

The Emperor Tianqi Emperor Quan Quan Wuji snorted coldly in his heart; the Northern Kingdom has indeed played a very clever hand.

But he did not respond immediately; he looked at Seeing Jun Jun Zijin, whose face was expressionless, and a playful smile curled his lips.

A displeasure flashed in the Empress's eyes; she spoke calmly and unhurriedly:

"Princess of the Northern Kingdom, do you know that our Crown Prince is already betrothed?"

Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang raised her head, her eyes flashing with untamed light; a confident curve formed on her lips, and she was in no way intimidated by the Empress's aura.

"I know, but so what? In our Northern Kingdom, this is not a problem. I will not be pretentious; I am willing to follow our Northern Kingdom's rules and decide the winner with her on the archery field. If I lose, I will never mention this again; if I win, I hope Your Majesty will grant the marriage between me and the Crown Prince."

At this moment, a cold and somewhat lazy voice came from the shadows inside the hall:

"Hmph! Have you asked if I even find you worthy?"

Quan Quan Aoyu appeared, dressed in magnificent ink-black robes, wearing a jade crown, his long hair tied back, smooth and jet black.

His face was handsome, his eyes deep as an abyss, yet revealing a hint of coldness and a hint of laziness; he radiated an innate nobility as he walked in from outside the door.

"I tell you, the person in my heart will never be you!"

Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang's face flushed red with anger born of humiliation, then immediately turned pale. When had she ever suffered such humiliation? Her tone was full of provocation:

"I heard the young lady betrothed to Crown Prince Dianxia is named Seeing Jun Jun Zijin; I think Miss Jun dares not compete with me? I wonder if Miss Jun is present here?"

Upon hearing these words, some covered their mouths to stifle laughter, secretly thinking that this Northern Kingdom princess, who knew neither heaven nor earth, would soon be severely taught a lesson by Young Lady Lady Qingping.

In the entire Emperor Tianqi Imperial City, who does not know that Young Lady Lady Qingping is skilled in archery? Everyone still remembers the scenes of an arrow piercing several copper coins and arrows turning corners.

But some also showed expressions of worry; although Young Lady Lady Qingping's archery is famous far and wide, no one has ever heard how skilled she is in mounted archery; for this contest, the outcome is truly hard to predict.

Regardless of how many schemes, open or hidden, were plotted against Seeing Jun Jun Zijin in daily life, at this moment, it was not permissible for an outsider princess to be arrogant and wild.

Only Quan Quan Tianyi, standing in the corner, frowned secretly and cursed Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang in his heart as a "fool."

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin sneered in her heart; since they had found out her name, it showed that Northern Kingdom princess had put in some effort, yet she deliberately used an disrespectful form of address, attempting to step on her and make her embarrassed.

Who is Seeing Jun Jun Zijin? How could she care about such tricks?

Everyone in the Great Hall was a shrewd person; those who figured this out were not limited to Seeing Jun Jun Zijin; just as everyone was waiting to watch the show,

a cold voice rang out slowly and steadily:

"The Northern Kingdom indeed plays its abacus very loudly; if you lose, it hurts nothing, but if you win, you want to break up our Emperor Tianqi marriage alliance! I wonder where Princess Tuoba Princess gets her confidence in our Emperor Tianqi? You want to bet on something, so others must bet on whatever you bet? Since Princess Tuoba Princess wants to bet with me so much, how about we change the stakes?"

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin appeared with a half-smiling expression, looking directly at Princess Tuoba Princess Tuoba Yaoguang with neither humility nor arrogance.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin mentioned Emperor Tianqi on the left and Emperor Tianqi on the right; with one sentence, she elevated a private wager to a matter between two nations.

Everyone turned their heads; stirring up discord is Young Lady Lady Qingping's usual trick.