Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

Inside the royal palace, in the main hall, there was a lively atmosphere filled with music, dance, and song.

The king sat on the dragon throne in the center, with two rows of tables opposite him filled with delicacies and fine dishes, and the aroma of wine filled the entire room.

Before entering the palace, the officials presented their most expensive gifts, mostly calligraphy, paintings, and inkstones, as well as exquisite jade of exceptional quality.

"The King of Nanyue presents a luminous pearl from the South China Sea." A palace attendant held a delicate wooden box with both hands, inside which was a luminous pearl the size of a goose egg, its brilliance surpassing that of candlesticks and wax lamps.

Everyone gasped; compared to this luminous pearl, their gifts were utterly insignificant.

Lin Ping, who was among them, also gasped. This luminous pearl was definitely worth 100,000 taels of silver, and it was priceless.

"Does the Kingdom of Nanyue also need to present a congratulatory gift to its king?"

Lin Ping was somewhat puzzled. In recent years, the five major powers have been acting independently and have had little contact with each other.

"This is the first time that the Kingdom of Nanyue has presented a gift to its king."

Seeing Lin Ping's confusion, Xia Yeran explained in his ear.

Even he was somewhat puzzled, as the Southern Yue Kingdom had absolutely no reason to curry favor with the Yue Kingdom.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty on acquiring this luminous pearl. It is likely that the Southern Yue Kingdom fears the strength of our Wu Kingdom and is inclined to submit."

One person in the audience began to fawn over him.

The others followed suit, rattling off a long string of congratulatory remarks.

"Hahaha! My Wu Kingdom is strong and prosperous, a model for other countries to learn from!" The king said with delight.

Lin Ping remained silent, knowing that the matter was not so simple.

He knew the state of Wu Kingdom well; its internal conflicts had not been resolved, so it had no ambition to launch a campaign against Nanyue Kingdom.

The other party's initiative to send a congratulatory gift must have ulterior motives.

But what exactly they were after remains a mystery.

After the gift-giving ceremony concluded, the banquet officially began.

The crowd squatted beside the food table, but their eyes were fixed on the king.

However, when the king raised his cup to toast, everyone followed suit and drank it all in one gulp.

As the clear chime bells rang out, everyone's hearts became serene.

Musical instruments such as string, wind, and bamboo instruments are indispensable at banquets; the only difference lies in the level of the banquet.

Those who could perform at the emperor's birthday banquet were all the best performers from the Imperial Music Bureau.

The musician in the audience had already set the pace for the birthday banquet.

As the musician's delicate fingers plucked the strings, the silk threads pulsed incessantly, producing sounds that were sometimes low and sometimes high-pitched.

Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves, their eyes half-closed, their bodies swaying to the rhythm.

After finishing one piece, he played another.

Several beautifully dressed women entered from outside the palace, their graceful dance steps making them seem otherworldly.

A gentle breeze blew, and snow-white thighs peeked out from under her skirt, captivating everyone's hearts.

Before long, the eight women voluntarily dispersed to both sides, making way for each other in the middle.

Even its previously upright and proud spirit has weakened somewhat, giving it a somewhat phoenix-like posture.

Is the main character about to appear?

Lin Ping looked outwards with anticipation.

The ministers were already captivated by the eight beautifully dressed dancers, and all stared expectantly at the outside of the palace.

A white figure suddenly appeared, and after traversing several void steps, it arrived in the middle of the eight dancers, presenting a posture of being surrounded by the moon.

The woman was dressed in pure white, and her fluffy skirt resembled a lotus flower on an iceberg, giving off an aura of cold elegance.

The crowd's eyes darted around, first drawn to her long, fair legs, then captivated by her naturally beautiful face.

Her skin, as white as snow under the morning sun, was naturally radiant; her eyebrows, as dark as distant mountains, were delicately arched; her lips, adorned with a touch of vermilion, were cherry-red; and her teeth, as white as snow, were so exquisite that they made one's lips seem to stretch for miles.

In comparison, the eight dancers from before seemed like ordinary, vulgar women, hardly worthy of being considered refined.

"This woman is even more beautiful than a fairy from the heavens."

"I heard she was the top courtesan of the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), and was once the most famous courtesan in Jiangcheng Prefecture."

"Miss Jiang is not only stunningly beautiful, but her dance is also captivating. It is truly an honor for us to witness her beauty today."

Everyone was full of praise and completely captivated.

"She actually came to the king's birthday banquet wearing a swan dress. Is she going to perform ballet?"

Lin Ping stared at the other person with a puzzled expression, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

This swan dress was a gift from him to Jiang Hongling, and he even taught her ballet.

Although ballet is shocking and unconventional, it may not be accepted by people of this era.

The king's birthday banquet cannot tolerate any mistakes. If Jiang Hongling really dances ballet, she may very well anger the king.

From the moment she appeared, the king's expression turned gloomy and uncertain.

This is a royal banquet; how can she be allowed to dress so revealingly? And look at the lewd looks of all the civil and military officials—it's simply indecent.

Birthday banquets are joyous occasions, and he didn't want to start a bloodbath, which is why he managed to suppress his anger.

Just as Lin Ping was wondering what was going on, he suddenly noticed that Jiang Hongling was smiling at him.

That smile hides a knife!

Countless people were glaring at Lin Ping, wishing they could throw him out of the main hall.

Not only the civil and military officials, but even Xia Linglong glared angrily at Lin Ping, and even pouted.

She suddenly regretted inviting Lin Ping to the banquet; if Jiang Hongling were to steal his soul, it wouldn't be a good thing for her.

As the music resumed, Jiang Hongling raised her left leg, touched the ground with the toes of her right foot, and shook her shoulders forcefully, causing her entire body to spin rapidly in place.

The already fluffy skirt instantly blossomed into a giant snow lotus, swaying incessantly in the wind.

Everyone was stunned, their jaws nearly dropping to the ground.

Not only was I captivated by her graceful dance moves, but I was also astonished by the speed at which she spun.

"Won't this make me dizzy? I feel dizzy just looking at it."

A thousand people are surprised, and they will have a thousand different expressions, just like the people in the imperial court at this moment.

Even the king was speechless, especially when he saw Jiang Hongling spinning and jumping, he was completely dumbfounded.

Is this even human? It's clearly a butterfly.

"Even contemporary ballet masters are nothing special."

Lin Ping looked at Jiang Hongling with equal surprise, never expecting her to reach such a level.

To be honest, he only taught some basic theory. Those difficult moves require repeated practice, and even need to be practiced from a young age.

However, Jiang Hongling was able to learn it in just a few months, and even surpassed her teacher, making it far more amazing than modern ballet.

One minute on stage, ten years off the stage.

Lin Ping could even picture Jiang Hongling's arduous training, and his heart tightened; he even regretted teaching her ballet.

Learning dance is a long-term process. With Jiang Hongling's looks and talent, she could have achieved great success in ethnic dance. She didn't need to learn ballet.

But she still learned it, and even proudly performed it in the main hall.

If she did it to make a name for herself, that would be understandable. But if she only did it to impress someone, then what makes Lin Ping so deserving?