After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Prince Xin was gentle and approachable, which immediately eased the solemn and somber atmosphere in the flower hall.

Zhu Cuiwei's face was covered by a jade beaded curtain, so the crowd could not see Prince Xin's true appearance. However, Prince Xin's red robe with dragon patterns, the nine-pearl crown with pearls and jade on his head, and the dignified and noble demeanor revealed in his eyebrows and eyes were enough to make everyone in the flower hall lower their heads.

The young ladies on the right side of the flower hall held poems in their hands, and one by one they couldn't help but secretly look up to sized up the future monarch of the Great Liang... the Empress... The young ladies' eyes sparkled, and at this moment, they all wished they could transform into handsome men to win the favor of this princess.

Nilon adjusted his melon-shaped hat, straightened up with a smile, and took a step forward: "Your Highness, I heard the other day that Your Highness is unwell and has not appeared in public for more than twenty days. Your Highness is also the Crown Prince of the Southern Dynasty... I have been very worried about this lately."

Before Zhu Cuiwei could speak, several low groans echoed in the flower hall.

Liu Zhenxi stepped forward and said, "Vice Envoy Ni, Your Highness has always been in good health. Please do not believe such unfounded rumors."

Nilon chuckled, "Oh? Hehe," he said meaningfully, "Lord Liu is right. It was I who was being presumptuous in speaking ill of Your Majesty... Then Nilon... wishes Your Highness the same good health as His Majesty, and that Your Majesty may enjoy eternal peace and well-being."

Yoo Jin-hee raised her eyebrows.

Inside the flower hall, the people from the Southern Dynasty were immediately enraged!

This Tartar... It was precisely because His Majesty was unwell and for the sake of the nation that he abdicated in favor of Prince Xin. This is the emperor's selflessness!

This Tartar's words were clearly a malicious curse upon King Xin!

At this moment, Madam Jia stepped forward, her expression indifferent, and said, "Vice Envoy, in principle, since you have come to the Marquis's residence to deliver gifts, out of consideration for your presence as a guest, the Marquis and I should welcome you warmly and treat you with great hospitality. However, if you speak rudely and harbor malicious intentions," the woman's face hardened, "then I will do more than just issue an order to leave!"

Nilong immediately smiled and apologized, "Madam, you flatter me... I am a Manchu and don't know much about Han etiquette. I can't really tell whether what I said was right or wrong. But I have long admired your reputation and know that you are a pillar of the Southern Dynasty. That's why I went to great lengths to please you, invited the chess fanatic, and presented this calligraphy by Ning Jiexiao. I just wanted to win your and your wife's favor."

"Thank you for your kindness, Vice Envoy Ni." Madam Jia said calmly, "I still cannot accept this calligraphy. I have already given it as a gift. It is indeed too precious. Please ask the Vice Envoy to take it back later."

Upon hearing the woman's words, Liu Zhenxi and the other renowned figures turned their heads slightly, exchanged glances, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was obvious to everyone that the Northern Dynasty people were so eager to curry favor with the Marquis of Zhenguo's mansion in order to sow discord between the mansion and the imperial family. The Marquis of Zhenguo was unconventional and relied on the emperor's trust to accept all the gifts. Fortunately, the newly appointed mistress of the mansion was very understanding.

Upon thinking of this, Liu Zhenxi's eyes suddenly changed, and he glanced at the woman in front of him with a plain expression... If this Madam Jia was really afraid that the Northern Tartars would offend Prince Xin, she could simply not let the Tartars come to Huanyue Pavilion to participate in the poetry gathering. That would be the most reasonable thing to do... Not to mention others, he himself felt uncomfortable when he saw the Tartars at the poetry gathering.

But she insisted on inviting them, and even invited so many great scholars and talented men.

Then, Lady Jia brought Prince Xin over... Prince Xin had never been interested in poetry gatherings.

Liu Zhenxi narrowed his old eyes slightly... This woman's real purpose was probably to rebuke the Tartars in front of Prince Xin, and then send back the lavish gifts from the Northern Dynasty to show that the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion was severing ties with the Northern Dynasty and to protect the Marquis's Mansion's reputation in front of the Emperor... Ha, that's pretty much it... I didn't expect that this carefree Zhenguo Marquis would actually marry such a clever wife!

Nilon paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Madam, you're really flattering me. There's no reason to take back a gift that's already been given."

He turned his head to Fan Shilie, who was wearing a melon-shaped hat, and said, "Mr. Fan, Nilong is a Manchu and doesn't understand Han etiquette. If we take the gift back, is it the gift-giver who is being impolite, or the host who is receiving the gift?"

Fan Shilie chuckled and said, "Master is too kind. It is naturally the family that accepted the gift who was impolite... But rest assured, Master, the Zhenguo Marquis's Mansion is renowned throughout the land, and they would never be so ignorant of etiquette."

This traitor really has a silver tongue! ... Everyone looked at Fan Shilie with indignation. What he meant was that if the Marquis's mansion returned the gifts, it would mean that the Marquis's mansion was ignorant of etiquette and unworthy of being famous throughout the world.

Madam Jia, however, smiled calmly and said, "We observe Han etiquette towards Han people and Manchu etiquette towards Manchu people. We observe etiquette with those who understand it, but what's the use of observing etiquette with those who don't?... You two... Vice Envoy Ni doesn't understand Han etiquette, and you, Mr. Fan, since Fan Wencheng, have only a vague understanding of Han etiquette. If such a valuable calligraphy work had been given to someone else, I'm afraid I would have passed it down as a family heirloom to my descendants. But the person who gave this gift doesn't understand etiquette?"

Her eyes turned slightly frosty: "How could I dare accept such a thing?!"

"Good!—" Instantly, a white-bearded scholar from Bailu Academy shouted, and everyone in the flower hall immediately applauded and praised Madam Jia's words!

She truly is worthy of being Minister Jia's elder sister! ... Liu Zhenxi and He Weng, among others, stroked their beards, their smiling eyes fixed on Nilong and Fan Shilie, whose faces had turned pale.

Fan Shilie's face turned pale for a moment, then his eyes flashed, and he smiled again, saying, "Madam Jia... you should know that Ning Jiexiao's calligraphy is magnificent and imposing. My master has noticed that the literary tradition of the Southern Dynasty has declined drastically in recent years. Last year, a Mid-Autumn Festival poem by a literary master of our Northern Dynasty caused people in your capital to copy it eagerly, making paper scarce in Luoyang. That's why we sent this calligraphy over so that people in the Southern Dynasty could see it and perhaps it could revitalize the literary spirit of the Southern Dynasty. If my master were to take this calligraphy across the river, I'm afraid the literary spirit of your Dynasty... heh... would decline even further..."

These words were a complete break from decorum... Liu Zhenxi sneered, "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Fan. Although I am old, the Southern Dynasty has produced many heroes, and there are always promising young talents whose writings are not necessarily inferior to Ning Jiexiao of your dynasty!"

"Oh?" Fan Shilie smiled and said, "I wonder where the person you mentioned is? I would be grateful if you could introduce me to him. Such a young hero is exactly the kind of person I would like to get to know."

Liu Zhenxi narrowed her eyes, her face ashen.

With a series of thuds, Nylon felt a bit stuffy on his scalp. He patted his melon-shaped hat and bowed slightly to Zhu Cuiwei, who had remained silent, saying with a smile, "Your Highness, since Nylon sees that Your Highness is in good health, and Madam Jia feels that Nylon lacks manners, and Master Liu still retains the spirit of youth… ha…" He grinned and said, "Then Nylon is relieved. I will take this calligraphy scroll with me. Let's wait for Master Liu's so-called 'young talents of the Southern Dynasty' to come and revitalize the literary spirit of your dynasty…"

Fan Shijin and the other men in melon-shaped hats smiled faintly, intending to turn around and put away the "Zheng Wengong Stele".

At this moment, Zhu Cuiwei said calmly, "Wait."

Nilon and the others paused.

Zhu Cuiwei's voice was like a deep lake: "Vice Envoy Ni, instead of worrying about the health of people from other dynasties, you should worry about the health of your dynasty's Princess Bulbuza."

Nilon's pupils contracted instantly.

Zhu Cuiwei said calmly, "Let me make this clear from the start: His Majesty is concerned about the world and shoulders the responsibility of the nation... If Princess Bulbuza of your dynasty is unwell and unable to perform the ceremony, then in my opinion, this marriage between our two dynasties... will have to be reconsidered."

Zhu Cuiwei's voice was calm, but everyone was puzzled, not understanding what Her Highness meant by saying this, and why she suddenly brought up His Majesty's marriage.

At the same time, everyone felt a little uneasy. His Highness's words... did it sound like he wanted to help His Majesty annul the engagement?

To everyone's surprise, these Northern Dynasty people fell silent upon hearing this.

After a moment, the Tartar Nilon even cupped his hands and said, "I have learned a lot."

Zhu Cuiwei nodded and then said to Madam Jia, "Madam, they gave you this calligraphy as a gift, so please accept it. The calligraphy is just ordinary, nothing special, and not that valuable."

Madam Jia's expression remained unchanged as she nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Ordinary?" Nilon squinted.

Zhu Cuiwei said calmly, "Madam Jia, didn't your household receive many gifts today? Among them, was there no Wei stele?"

Her tone carried a slight mockery: "In my opinion, Madam Jia might as well ask the steward. In our great Liang, while Master Liu is indeed unparalleled, there are countless other talented and extraordinary people. Perhaps any one of the gifts your household has received could outshine this one!"

Zhu Cuiwei spoke calmly... She had just glanced at the calligraphy copybook for a long time... Although she was far away, she had gotten a general idea of ​​it.

Very similar.

Extremely similar.

For some reason, the calligraphy of this Northern Dynasty calligrapher, Ning Jiexiao, who also shares the surname Ning, is remarkably similar to that of the young doctor… but she can tell the difference.

The other party's calligraphy was indeed better than the "Whale Drinks Without Swallowing the Sea, Sword Qi Already Crosses Autumn" written by the ten-year-old doctor, but it was still inferior to the "Green Jade Table" that the doctor had given to the Marquis's mansion.

In comparison, the other person's calligraphy seemed too youthful and impetuous, lacking the composure of a young doctor... well... one could say it was a bit immature... she thought calmly, her chin slightly raised.