The Eldest Daughter Reborn: She Provoked the Obsessive Crown Prince and Couldn't Escape

Even the nobles who were just as incompetent as Yuan Lu couldn't help but whisper among themselves and shake their heads again.

"The words of the Prince of Youbeiping were heard by those who did not know the truth."

"I thought we had suffered a defeat at the hands of the Xianbei!"

"He has such a fawning manner! No wonder Lady Yuan looks down on him."

"If I were a woman, I would also..."

"His Majesty is truly biased towards the Prince of Youbeiping!"

"Knowing full well that he's no good at this or that, I still entrusted him with such an important task."

"On the contrary, the Prince of Yan, alas... he got into trouble over a trivial matter back then..."

"Yes! How could we let a cripple..."

"Sixth brother, how dare you be so presumptuous in front of the Xianbei envoys?" In front of the assembled officials and the Xianbei delegation;

The Emperor reprimanded Yuan Lu in public, then smiled and said, "The Central Plains Grand Ceremony has always started with singing and dancing."

"General Baitira, please respect local customs! As for my son..."

"He said something foolish in a moment of anger, please don't take offense, General."

Perhaps having heard that the Emperor was speaking indirectly and with hidden meaning, Baitila said with a half-smile:

"I represent the Xianbei and the Great Khan, and have come from afar to form an alliance with the Great Wei."

"Please allow me to ask on behalf of the Great Khan: Is Great Wei truly sincere in seeking an alliance?"

These words immediately sparked a tense atmosphere among many people.

Especially Fu Che, whose right hand was already on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike.

The Emperor closed his eyes slightly, then opened them, displaying an imposing and dignified demeanor. "Of course."

Seeing this, Zhao Xin quickly asked, "General He Ruo, why do you ask this?"

He Ruobai Tila said with a forced smile, "This alliance ceremony is so important;

"If Great Wei is sincere in forming an alliance, why send a cripple to be in charge of the alliance ceremony? Even if he is a cripple, it's still a problem;

"Just now, His Majesty the Emperor himself said that your crippled son said something stupid."

"Such a person can be in charge of diplomatic relations between two countries; if Great Wei still insists on 'sincerity,' could it be that...?"

"Is there no one left in the Great Wei court? Indeed, I heard that a horse racing event was held in the palace last month, and it was quite a lively affair."

"In the end, I heard that the winner was a little girl? It seems... the Great Wei really has no capable people!"

"On the horse racing field, we rely on women; on the battlefield, we still need the help of my Xianbei army!"

"To receive our benefactors and distinguished guests, we actually have to rely on a cripple!"

"We Xianbei are descendants of the Xiongnu, and our power was seized on horseback! If only we had come sooner;"

"It's still uncertain who will become the leader!"

The officials and nobles present were momentarily speechless and embarrassed.

Especially Yuan Lu. Even if he's stupid, he can still tell from such obvious ridicule.

"I... I am a cripple, not some kind of cripple!" Yuan Lu's fair face turned red, and it took him a long time to finally utter these words.

The ministers wanted to laugh but dared not, while Fu Luan gracefully rose to his feet.

"Since ancient times, the Great Wei Dynasty has had the saying 'Why use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken?' and also has sayings such as 'using a great talent for a small task' and 'making a big deal out of a small matter.'"

"I wonder if you have heard of General He Ruo?" Fu Luan asked politely, offering a slight bow.

Yuan Lu immediately looked at her gratefully, assuming that Fu Luan still had feelings for him;

As for Yuan Jiu, he already knew Fu Luan's method of dealing with the situation, and even gave her an approving look.

Or rather, his eyes have always been only on Fu Luan.

If it weren't for Anagui constantly pulling him aside and making him introduce everyone present;

He really wanted to keep watching Fu Luan like this forever!

He had clearly instructed the lady-in-waiting to seat him and Fu Luan and his sister together, but in the end he could only sit diagonally opposite her...

"Hmph, I just mentioned a little girl, and here comes another little girl. A woman from your Great Wei;"

"Are they all so rude and like to interrupt others when they're speaking?"

"So what if I've heard of it? So what if I haven't?" Baitila glanced at Fu Luan, his face flushed.

Fu Luan smiled and said, "Those words just now were all saying..."

"Whenever a problem arises, we use the corresponding solution to resolve it. For example, the Great Wei has formed an alliance with the Xianbei today;"

“Sending our lame prince is enough to handle it, why send any ‘capable person’? What a waste!”

"As for me... my daughter is the very person you just mentioned, the champion of last month's horse racing competition!"

Seeing this, the nobles quickly changed their tune and echoed, "Yes, the Prince of Youbeiping is enough for the alliance, why bother with anyone else?"

"We have plenty of capable people, but there's no need to send them on this occasion!"

"That's it!"

Even the Emperor cast an approving glance at Fu Luan, to which Fu Luan could only nod slightly in response.

As for whether there was any other meaning behind that gaze, only the Emperor himself knew.

Zhao Xin whispered a reminder from the side: "General, this is the newly conferred title of Lady of Yuanshi County, a fifth-rank official title."

Only then did Baitila look at Fu Luan properly, but his tone remained contemptuous: "Oh?"

"It seems that the young lady is not only skilled in martial arts, but also very eloquent."

“I admire you! Since it was His Majesty the Emperor who suggested watching a dance, ordinary dancers are probably not interesting. If we’re going to watch something, let’s watch something better.”

"I heard that the Great Wei Dynasty and the Western Regions have formed a marriage alliance, and the Western Regions have sent Princess Anagui, who is known as the 'Camellia of the Desert'."

"May I have the honor of appreciating the princess's graceful dance?"

"Thank you for your kindness, General. I am now His Highness Prince Yan's concubine, not a dancer."

"I'm afraid it won't be as the general wishes!" Anagui remained calm and composed in the face of Baitila's humiliation, showing neither surprise nor anger.

When the words "concubine" were mentioned, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Just as Fu Che was about to get up and give Bai Tila a lecture, Fu Luan stopped him.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Brother, her husband isn't in a hurry, why are you?"

"She's not your wife! When this barbarian was mocking me just now, you weren't this anxious!"

Fu Che smiled apologetically, "My sister is sharp-tongued. If I were to intervene, I'm afraid I would only make things worse."

"That little princess came from the Western Regions to marry into the country. The Western Regions delegation had long since returned, leaving only a few maids by her side. No one was there to help her."

"I'm just worried that your future husband will lose face."

"So our Ah Luan can get jealous over men too? I thought..."

Fu Luan tapped Fu Che's hand with her chopsticks again, then quickly stuffed a pastry into his mouth. "Eat up! All this food can't shut you up!"

The concubine was being teased, but Yuan Jiu only glanced at Baitila with a calm and inscrutable expression.

He Ruobai Tila wanted to argue further, but the Shangyi had already arranged for the music and dance troupes to enter the hall, so he had no choice but to sit down indignantly.

He's just a warrior; singing and dancing? He knows absolutely nothing about them!

Normally, one could also appreciate the dancers' faces and figures;

With the legendary beauty of Fu Luan Zhu Yu before her, even the most beautiful dancer pales in comparison.

He was curious: this beautiful woman was wrapped up so tightly;

They are more attractive than those dancers who show off their arms, legs, and bellies.

It made him want to look at her every now and then; if he didn't look at her for a while, he would feel restless!