Arrogant and domineering because of his good looks: His Majesty always pretends to be righteous

Xia Zhanxin's face was cold, her nerves taut, without the slightest hint of a smile.

Before the words were finished, a gaunt old man dressed in a blue robe appeared before the crowd.

Perhaps because we hadn't seen each other for a long time, she looked much older.

His originally gray hair had turned completely white, his face was as thin as skin and bones, and his skin had become dark and shiny, showing that he had suffered greatly from wind, frost, rain and snow.

Xia Rongliu witnessed all of this, tears welling up in her eyes, her heart feeling as if it were being torn apart.

She endured her grief and suppressed her emotions, and did not move on.

"Look, I've brought your father back from Ningguta. Although he suffered some hardships, I must say the old man is still quite healthy, which shows my sincerity."

The old woman's eyes were brimming with tears, and she seemed to have a thousand words to say to her daughter, but she could only suppress her emotions.

"I have no other intentions than to hope that you will return to serve the court. I have done many wrong things in the past, but this time I really want to repent and mend my ways..."

As night slowly fell, the entire palace was brightly lit, and the palace maids, dressed in beautiful clothes, all wore radiant smiles.

The empresses and concubines sat quietly to one side, while civil and military officials sat side by side on both sides.

A man dressed in exotic attire sat in the most prominent position. He was tall and strong, dressed in exotic clothes, with a large beard, giving him a unique charm.

His deeply sunken eye sockets gave him an exotic look, much like a European.

"I really didn't expect the current emperor to be so young."

“We come from faraway Xinjiang, bringing with us the finest silk, hoping that Your Majesty will like it.”

The atmosphere was heavy. Everyone looked at each other, each with their own thoughts. Although cheerful music was playing in their ears, it couldn't hide their awkwardness.

The emperor remained frowning, his brows tightly furrowed, and there was not a trace of a smile on his face.

On the contrary, the Empress Dowager stroked the fine silk with a bright smile on her face.

"This is the finest silk, far superior to what we have in the Central Plains. In truth, you have come from afar, and we are merely allies. Why make such a fuss?"

The two exchanged pleasantries when they noticed a graceful young woman sitting quietly to one side, holding a musical instrument resembling a pipa.

His fair skin was slowly covered by a light veil, revealing the perfect lines of his face, and his big, watery eyes shone like the moon in the sky.

Slender, fair fingers caressed the strings, and beautiful notes danced at her fingertips.

Her affectionate gaze remained fixed on the prince in the court, while the melodious music of her zither, sometimes soaring and sometimes gentle, was like a mountain stream, a babbling brook, or a beautiful sight that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

After a segment of music was finished, no one had yet snapped out of their reverie.

"Your Majesty, you are the current emperor, and this is my precious daughter. I am willing to offer my daughter to Your Majesty so that we may be together for a hundred years."

"I disagree……"

The empress, who was sitting to the side, slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her eyes wide open.

At this moment, her large, watery eyes were filled with a sharp and stern expression.

“We have our own rules here, and your precious daughters can’t even enter our harem.”

The Empress Dowager gave her a cold glance and gestured for her to sit down quickly.

At this moment, Wanrong felt her blood rushing to her head, and she wished she could blurt out all the words that were bottled up inside her, completely disregarding the cold stares of those around her.

"You are the so-called Empress. It is said that such a noble and elegant person is actually so vulgar! It is simply laughable. Whether in appearance or fertility, you are inferior to my daughter."

"You people shouldn't be so ungrateful! This is my precious daughter, the most beautiful woman in our tribe! She didn't come here to be ridiculed by you."

He slammed his palm down heavily on the table, which shattered instantly. The officials, both civil and military, were so frightened that they scrambled away from their seats.

"Since you all look down on people so much, how about we have a dance battle?"

"If my daughter is fortunate enough to win over Empress Wanrong, then I hope the Emperor will consider marrying us..."

Upon hearing this, no one dared to utter a sound. The Emperor sat upright in his seat, his hands clenched into fists. Though outwardly calm, he was inwardly panicked and in a state of utter chaos.

The gentle music began to play again, and the woman's graceful figure swayed slowly to the music, each movement perfectly in sync with it.

Every smile, every gesture, every movement was full of emotion, especially her captivating eyes, which were utterly irresistible.

The light veil covering half of her face made her appear even more alluring and charming.

Looking at her graceful figure, as agile as a python, Wanrong suddenly had second thoughts. She herself had been pampered since childhood and knew nothing at all.

The rousing music gradually subsided, and the room returned to a deathly silence.

"Your Majesty, it's your turn to jump..."

Wanrong's body suddenly stiffened, and the expression on her face froze.

She bit her petal-like lips tightly, looking timidly into those fierce eyes.

"I haven't been feeling well lately, so I'm not suitable for dancing!"

"If you don't dance, it's considered a sign of defeat here!"

The civil and military officials looked at each other in bewilderment; the atmosphere in the room was eerily silent.

"Then I humbly request Your Majesty to accept my proposal and make my precious daughter a concubine in the palace! From now on, let my daughter enjoy the same treatment as Ehuang and Nu'er."

"I, Hamur, am willing to never again offend my country's territory! Trading my daughter's marriage for a lifetime of peace, Your Majesty, you've made a very worthwhile deal!"

These words went unanswered for a long time, as if they had been uttered without a trace.

"Look, why are you making the atmosphere so tense? A marriage alliance is certainly a good thing. Let's discuss it slowly, slowly! I agree to this matter."

The Empress Dowager tried her best to smooth things over and ease the awkwardness between the two.

"Slap... You idiot! You're good for nothing but ruining things! How could you say such things out loud!"

A stinging slap landed on her face instantly. Wanrong was stunned by the slap and looked at the Empress Dowager in astonishment.

She covered half of her face tightly with her hand, enduring the burning pain.

"I just can't stand it! I just can't stand that the Emperor has other women around him..."