Talented Woman
Ye Zimu got the Young Chief position because he succeeded in capturing 5 Beiling territories on the border three years ago. An unresolved blood feud between him and Huan Hanyu. His provoking eyes though, didn't arouse any reaction from Huan Hanyu.
Yi Jingyi really wanted to scratch the wall, the battle next winter was a certainty.
'No, with unknown changes it might come faster! I'm going crazy!!!'
"Young Chief, let me toast you as a welcoming greeting."
Ye Zimu took the wine cup, so did every guest.
The moment Lin Xuan finished his drink, everyone drank their drink. He showed his empty cup and so did Ye Zimu.
With that, the festivities begin.
The moment the second performance was over, Ye Zimu took the center place. "Your Majesty, Jesan prepared a special gift for Your Majesty to show our sincerity to Beiling."
The king's interested smile signaled Ye Zimu to clap.
All eyes were on the reception hall's door, and Yi Jingyi was the first to lose her composure.
'I don't remember there's a bride in my previous life. What happened?!'
A kingdom and a united tribe of course have many cultural differences, for one was the way the lady walked. She was faster than most ladies and anyone could tell she wasn't a delicate flower, but had some training in martial arts.
"Your Majesty, this is my sister Ye Xiwu. She just passed her coming of age ceremony and she's the prettiest girl in Jesan!"
To prove her brother's claim, the beauty took off her veil and indeed, Beiling's number one beauty lost a few colors than her.
Her tan shoulder was glowing under the light, her smile was friendly and polite, and her clothing emphasized enough to flirt but covered most to leave it to imagination.
Yi Jingyi sipped her drink, in the corner of her eyes she saw everyone was mesmerized.
Beside her, The fifth prince - Lin Xiheng scoffed, "Honey trap, how despicable."
His voice was low, but the hall was so silent that his voice could be heard. Those men retracted their gaze, beauty sent by the enemy, why should they care!
Huan Hanyu and Shi Zisheng were the few immuned by her beauty. They glued their eyes only to the talking Ye Zimu.
"Your Majesty, this is our Jesan's sincerity. I hope Your Majesty will treat my sister well."
The ministers in the second row were officials ranked third and above, they were overthinking in cold sweat. The undercurrent battle for the throne was always happening, the first and second prince hadn't married because they needed to consolidate power. Both the fourth and fifth prince were also in their brother's respective camp, so whoever the woman sent into, that side would lose.
Being the monarch he was, Lin Xuan nodded in understanding. "I understand Jesan's goodwill, but the princess is still young and just arrived from Jesan. It will hurt the princess."
"Your Majesty, the gift from our Jesan can not be returned. If it's returned, it means looking down on us."
"The envoy leader's word is interesting," a woman's voice heard from the entrance for the royal member.
"My Love."
The king stood up and sat her beside him.
"Greeting, Her Ladyship Noble Concubine."
"The Queen was not well and asked me to welcome the Jesan's envoy with the king, but I heard something interesting instead."
Noble Concubine Xian's arrival might not be according to the rules, but the king welcomed her himself and she was here under the order of the Queen. Even if it wasn't appropriate the courtiers had no intention to protest. First, the king's attitude. Second, her arrival might let their princes out of trouble.
Noble Concubine Xian nodded with a smile that didn't reach her eyes and everyone else sat down on their seats.
Yi Jingyi bit a mouthful of cake to prevent her from laughing, she heard about how unruly and willful her mother was from Shi Zisheng once they were close, but she never saw it with her own eyes. The king's doting was really blinding her mother with jealousy.
"I don't understand men's talk, but gifts.. I knew it well. I wonder who this gift is for, Envoy Leader?"
Ye Zimu was smart, he knew the Noble Concubine was stating her dissatisfaction with him by calling him envoy leader when she knew who he really was. He heard about Beiling's king spoiling only the Noble Concubine and marrying her even though she was married before, but he never expected it was to this extent.
"Answering Her Ladyship, my sister is my father's precious daughter and he hopes for Your Majesty the King to help as her guardian to find her a good marriage."
A generous smile bloomed on the Noble Concubine Xian's face, "Young Chief should be more direct and don't let a woman like me misunderstood your words."
Yi Jingyi shivered.
'Did people in love always stink?!'
"It is my negligence, My Ladyship."
"But what the king said was also correct, with the princess's identity.." Noble concubine Xian seems confused and worried, "Being a concubine is impossible, but my son is still young, I can't ask the princess to wait for another decade. And if.. if.."
The Noble Concubine Xian burst into sobbing, sending the entire hall dumbfounded. She wiped the non-existent tears, "And if the princess marries the other princes.. it would be a tragedy for the girls of Beiling. They couldn't have His Majesty's favor, at least let them have the fortune of marrying the princes!"
Yi Jingyi's clenched her fists until her nails dug into the skin of her palms, but she really couldn't stand her mother's acting.
Beiling historians were understating her when they wrote "Noble Concubine Xian - King of Xuan's beloved concubine, chose to guard King Xuan's mausoleum right after his passing. Her loyalty was commendable even after years of loving marriage."
'This is blatant favoritism!'
While Yi jingyi was emotionally distressed, everyone else was sighing in relief because she blocked the woman from entering the royal family.
"If Your Majesty and Her Ladyship doesn't want to let down my father, how about giving my sister marriage with a capable groom? How about the Young Duke Liyan?"
The tense atmosphere was back.
Everyone casted their eyes to Huan Hanyu. The real motive for this provocation was evident.
Lin Xuan hid his ridiculing smile, "What do you think Young Duke? Do you think you can accept the gift?"
Huan Hanyu stood up and saluted the king, "Answering Your Majesty, our Huan family have ancestral rule to never marry a concubine. My wife and I have a deep affection, I hope for Your Majesty's understanding."
The king nodded, "Hm.. it's really a dilemma."
Huan Hanyu continued, "Your Majesty. I recommend Your Majesty to accept Princess Ye Xiwu as a foster daughter."
Ye Zimu snapped, "Young Duke Liyan!"
Noble Concubine Xian held the king's arm, "This is a good idea, Your Majesty."
Shi Zisheng rose from his seat, "Your Majesty. This Official also thinks this is a good idea. The princess is a princess in Jesan and after arriving in Beiling, she is still a princess. Of course this is not underestimating Jesan's goodwill."
The officials hurriedly stood up and said in unison, "Please accept the princess as a foster daughter, Your Majesty."
The king laughed, "Alright, alright. Then, I'll grant her the title of Royal Daughter Xuanzi."
Knowing his provocation failed, Ye Zimu clenched his jaw. "Then I thank Your Majesty."
The commotion finally over and the Ye siblings sat on their seats, but the king suddenly remembered something.
"Royal Daughter Xuan."
Yi Jingyi just finished her tea when she was called, she walked to the center and saluted. "Yes, Royal Father. This Daughter is here."
"I haven't rewarded you for the birthday present, so I granted you a Princess Mansion."
She saluted and slightly bent her knee, "Thank you, Royal Father."
It was customary for royal children to get their own residence after their coming of age, but Royal Daughter Xuan hadn't had her ceremony, even more everyone knew she was not an actual royal blood. They were stunned, including Yi Jingyi, but she knew better. There must've been a price to pay.
"You and Xuanzi are the same age. Let the princess stay with you and bring her to visit interesting places in the capital city."
See?
She got her own place, but the place full of prickly flowers
"Royal Father," a soft and soothing voice attracted their attention. "Since I'm also a Beiling princess, I hope Your Majesty didn't mind me calling that."
"Of course not," he smiled like a loving father.
Yi Jingyi internally rolled her eyes. 'I don't care what you're going to say, but at least let me sit first!'
"According to the rule I should be calling Royal Daughter Xuan as elder sister, but I've had my coming of age ceremony before her. I feel a little bit wronged, Royal Father."
Yi Jingyi had a sudden flashback to her 8 years old self, when the little young ladies in Teacher Zhu class, they were talking about seniority and wanting to be the eldest sister.
'Is she for real?'
Instead of the king, Noble Concubine Xian responded; "Then what does Xuanzi want?"
"Xuanzi is not deemed as the prettiest in Jesan only because of my appearance, I'm also talented in women arts and fighting. I heard Royal Daughter Xuan also a talented woman, I wonder whether we can compare to decide who's the elder sister is?"
Yi Jingyi: ???
'When was her name associated with such a title?!'