He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

Sheathed her longsword, Jiang Bingning lowered her eyes and composed herself, standing quietly in the center of the hall.

After a deathly silence so profound you could hear a pin drop, came an uncontrollable uproar of voices.

"The mark of the blue wolf! It really is the mark of the blue wolf!"

"My God, that mark has not appeared in our Northern Di for a hundred years, yet it has reappeared on a woman from the Zhou Kingdom?"

"How could this be! There must be some mistake!"

The whispers mingled into a buzzing sound, but Jiang Bingning seemed not to hear them, simply standing there quietly.

However, unlike the shock of the veteran officials and military generals, the tide was quietly turning at the ladies' table.

"Did you all see her move 'Snow Covering the Mountains' just now? How light and graceful her movements were!"

"No wonder he could perform such a 'Wolf Sacrifice Dance'; he has such profound martial arts skills!"

Initial discussions about her background were gradually replaced by praise for her dance skills and abilities.

Women's focus is always purer than men's.

On the dragon throne, the turmoil in the eyes of the Northern Di emperor slowly subsided, replaced by an unfathomable scrutiny.

He slowly raised his hand and pressed down lightly.

The hall fell silent instantly.

"It seems that the Zhou Kingdom and my Northern Di are indeed a divinely ordained alliance."

"My intention is to strengthen the friendship between our two countries by keeping a noblewoman from the Jiang family in our Northern Di territory to learn etiquette, so that we can discuss the marriage alliance another day."

coming!

Jiang Chengxuan felt a chill run down his spine.

This is truly the moment when the true intentions are revealed!

What descendants of the Azure Wolf, what divinely ordained alliance—they're all just excuses!

He hurriedly rose, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your Majesty! My daughter has been unruly since childhood and I fear she is ill-suited to shoulder such a heavy responsibility..."

Before he could finish speaking, a figure had already left the seat.

With a "thump," Jiang Yuerong knelt down in the center of the hall!

Jiang Yuerong's heart was pounding.

In my previous life, it was right here!

Faced with the same argument, that fool Jiang Bingning refused to back down and rejected the emperor on the spot!

That resounding slap enraged the Northern Di emperor. His father's journey as an envoy was extremely difficult, and in the end, he failed to bring any benefit to the Jiang family!

Having been given a second chance in this life, Jiang Yuerong would never let this opportunity slip by!

She raised her head and spoke in a clear, bright voice, with a touch of the delicate sweetness unique to young girls.

"Your subject, Jiang Yuerong, wishes to remain in the Northern Barbarian lands to learn the etiquette of our superior nation, serving you morning and evening, in order to strengthen the friendship between our two countries!"

She felt that her action was perfect!

This way, one could stay and get close to the powerful Lin family, while also earning a reputation for being "wise and righteous"!

Jiang Chengxuan's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

"Yuerong! You..."

"Why is Lord Jiang angry?"

A calm voice rang out.

Prime Minister Lin slowly stood up, his eyes full of approval as he looked at Jiang Yuerong.

"Miss Jiang is a woman of great wisdom and understanding. Having such a woman is truly a blessing for Lord Jiang, as well as for both the Northern Di and the Great Zhou!"

He turned to the emperor and bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, I believe that Miss Jiang is of pure heart and sincere character, and is the best candidate."

The emperor remained noncommittal, turning his gaze to Ji Ling.

Ji Ling sat upright at the table, his expression indifferent.

Noticing the emperor's gaze, he slowly raised his eyelids and met the emperor's eyes for a moment.

He then nodded slightly.

They kept Jiang Yuerong, who was ambitious but shallow and foolish, as a hostage.

Just what he wanted.

The emperor understood, and finally a genuine smile appeared on his face for the first time that night.

"good!"

"What a wise and righteous woman!"

He looked at Jiang Chengxuan, whose face was ashen.

"Lord Jiang, you've raised a wonderful daughter!"

"In that case, it's settled!"

Jiang Chengxuan felt a metallic taste in his throat, and all his words were stuck in his throat.

He slumped down, his voice hoarse.

"Your humble servant... obeys the decree."

"Hahaha!" The Northern Di emperor was overjoyed. "In that case, the friendship between our two nations will surely last forever!"

He raised his glass with great enthusiasm.

"To show our sincerity, Lord Jiang need not rush back. You may stay in our Northern Barbarian lands as an envoy for exchanges between our two nations, so that you may see your daughter from time to time!"

Jiang Chengxuan shuddered and secretly groaned.

It’s over.

This is to keep him completely under the control of the Northern Barbarians!

He probably won't be able to return to the Great Zhou anytime soon!

In stark contrast to her father's despair was Jiang Yuerong's inner ecstasy.

She seized the opportunity that Jiang Bingning missed in her previous life!

From this day forward, her life will be completely different!

A meteoric rise to success is just around the corner!

She even began to fantasize about being fortunate enough to be betrothed to one of the princes of the Northern Di...

Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the figure on the other side.

King Ji Ling of Yue.

He still had that cold and indifferent look, his profile was as sharp as if carved by a knife, so perfect that it was breathtaking.

If I could marry him...

Jiang Yuerong's heart began to flutter uncontrollably.

She thought she was the center of attention, the hero who had made a great sacrifice.

Little did she know that most of the people at the table looked at her with undisguised mockery and pity.

"They come from humble backgrounds; they rush to take advantage of even the slightest benefit."

"Does she really think she's some kind of hot commodity? She's nothing more than a pawn pushed out by Prime Minister Lin."

Jiang Yuerong couldn't hear a single word of these sounds.

She was lost in the beautiful dream she had created.

Jiang Bing gazed at Jiang Yuerong, who was beaming with delight, and couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

In her previous life, she desperately refused, but Jiang Yuerong insisted on staying.

With her foolish mind, she didn't even consider the consequences of doing so. How could the Lin family be so easy to deal with?

Fine, since she wants to walk this path to death, then this is her fate.

Jiang Bingning looked at Jiang Yuerong, and Jiang Yuerong also glanced at Jiang Bingning out of the corner of her eye, her eyes containing a hint of pride and mockery.

The fates of these two in this life are sealed at this moment, each with their own next chapter to unfold.

Just then, a palace maid quietly walked up to Jiang Bingning, curtsied, and whispered.

"Miss Jiang, your clothes seemed inappropriate when you were practicing your swordplay. Please come with me to the side hall to change."

Jiang Bingning glanced at her indifferently upon hearing this.

The palace maid's heart skipped a beat at that glance.

However, Jiang Bingbing didn't say anything, she just nodded and followed her out of the hall.

The banquet continued, and their departure went largely unnoticed.

The palace maid led Jiang Bingning towards a secluded side hall.

Just before stepping into the palace, the tray carried by the palace maid "accidentally" tilted, and a cup of wine spilled directly onto Jiang Bingning's skirt.

"Oh! This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"

The palace maid knelt down in a panic.

Jiang Bingning lowered her eyes to look at the wet stains that were spreading rapidly on the hem of her skirt, and sneered inwardly.

coming.

The plot from the previous life, though late, has finally arrived.

She knew there was a trap, but she remained outwardly calm.

"It's alright, get up."

She stepped into the side hall.

The interior of the hall was elegantly furnished, with a faint, sweet fragrance wafting through the air.

Jiang Bingning's mind raced, and she immediately held her breath to resist the overpowering fragrance.

Then, her body went limp, and she pretended to be dizzy as she grabbed the table next to her.

"This fragrance...it makes me dizzy..."

Upon seeing this, a hint of smugness flashed in the palace maid's eyes.

"Miss, what's wrong? Perhaps you've been drinking and are feeling tired. Please rest here for a while."

As he spoke, he helped her to a soft couch nearby.

Jiang Bingning fell to the ground, her eyes closed and her breathing steady, as if she had truly fallen into a deep sleep.

Once the palace maid confirmed that she had "fainted," she quickly walked out of the side hall, whispered a few words to the two dark figures guarding the door, and then hurriedly left.

The palace doors were pushed open silently.

Two men dressed as guards, but with lewd and obscene eyes, walked in.

The two men rubbed their hands together and walked toward the soft couch with sinister smiles on their faces.

Just as one of them was about to touch Jiang Bingning's sash!

A ghostly figure appeared behind them without warning.

"Snap!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out!

The guard's wrist snapped backward at an odd angle.

"ah--!"

The other man turned around in horror, only to see a slender hand, swift as lightning, grab his throat!

"Well……"

All sound was instantly cut off.

Ji Ling's face was ashen.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the guard to the ground like a broken sack of potatoes.

The perpetrators were caught red-handed.

Ji Ling's gaze slowly fell on the slender figure lying unconscious on the soft couch.