In the novel "Joy of Life," the protagonist wakes up at Li Chengze's residence.

Chapter 236 The Begonia Still Blooms

Who cares what the date is? It's not like it's Li Chengze getting married.

He had just finished cracking a small plate of almonds and hurriedly handed it to her. He picked one up, bowed slightly, and with a smile, brought the nut to her lips, saying softly,

"I peeled it myself, so please do me the honor of eating it."

"Thank you," she replied.

He casually straightened the hem of his clothes and leaned back in a relaxed manner. "You're welcome."

The two were always superficially polite to each other.

Tao Jingyang looked up at the sky and said, "They should be here by now. What time is it?"

"Perhaps they were delayed on the way." Li Chengze picked up another almond and handed it over. "The people who came to fetch the princess came to say that my elder brother also went, but we don't know what he's doing there."

When Tao Jingyang asked who wanted to escort the princess through the city gate, and he mentioned Li Chengru's name, the man shook his head vigorously, refusing without a second thought.

Maybe she's embarrassed? I don't know.

She had originally thought that Li Chengru would never be shy.

I originally intended to send Fan Xian, but Fan Xian has been so busy these days that he can't spare the time.

It was only later that I learned that he had been practicing the new cultivation technique with Wu Zhu, along with Lin Wan'er, these past few days.

So he asked his younger sister, Fan Ruoruo, to pick her up, thinking that since the princess was new to the city, having a woman pick her up would make the princess less uneasy.

As luck would have it, speak of the devil and he appears.

A messenger announced that Zhan Pianpian's carriage had already stopped outside the palace gates.

"Let's go." Li Chengze reached out and gently pulled her to her feet. "We have to meet someone again."

"Ugh, I don't want to do this anymore."

"I have to go, even if it's annoying."

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

The procession accompanying the princess was a grand affair, consisting of dozens of people, with a chief envoy and two deputy envoys at the head.

They were all dressed solemnly, and the one leading them was a woman. The people guessed that she was probably a grandmaster.

Following behind the procession was a delegation of officials from the Northern Qi Ministry of Rites, all of whom looked as if their fathers had died.

They will stay until a month after the princess's marriage, after which they will leave on their own.

Upon entering the palace, Xin Qiwu immediately came to greet him.

He first bowed respectfully to everyone, and then took over most of the leadership duties from Fan Ruoruo.

As a result, only the princess and the eight officials following her were going to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests with Fan Ruoruo.

The people from Northern Qi sat on the right side of the dragon throne, while those from Southern Qing sat on the left.

As soon as Tao Jingyang entered the hall, his gaze swept over everyone present.

But the first person they saw wasn't the eldest princess, but a friend they hadn't seen for many years.

She paused, seemingly surprised that it was her. "Haitang? It's been so long since we last met."

Hearing herself being called, Haitang slowly got up.

His gaze met Tao Jingyang's, and the emotions in his eyes were complex and hard to discern. "It's been a long time, about three years?"

An official behind Haitang Duoduo stroked his beard, looked at Tao Jingyang's clothes and accessories, stood up and asked, "I don't know whether I should address you as 'Your Excellency' or 'Your Majesty'?"

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold, and a sense of hostility suddenly arose in the hall.

The courtiers on both sides stared at each other, but the anger in the eyes of the Northern Qi people was more intense.

It was obvious to everyone that the officials in Northern Qi were trying to make things difficult for Tao Jingyang in this matter.

The minister from Nanqing, sitting near the door, snorted coldly, "Is this all the Northern Qi people have? Don't they know that there is no distinction between men and women in our Qing court?"

His tone was sharp and sarcastic, his eyes filled with contempt. "Could it be that you harbor jealousy but lack the ability, so you resort to empty words? If Northern Qi were to submit, we would be willing to take over for you."

"You!" The Northern Qi official was furious and was about to retort when Haitang Duoduo sternly stopped him, "Don't say another word!"

Given Haitang's personality, if she loses, she should accept the punishment and not try to make amends with words.

Tao Jingyang, however, remained unaffected, saying as they walked, "Three years have passed since we last met, and things have changed so much." After they took their seats, she gently straightened her skirt before softly saying...

"Times change, and the world transforms."

Three years have passed, and everyone seems to have shed their former naivety and become much more mature and composed.

Everyone in the hall strained their ears, holding their breath as they listened to the conversation between the two.

No one has forgotten that four years ago at this time, Tao Jingyang also led the Southern Qing delegation to Northern Qi.

Four years ago, Nanqing sent Xiao En as a gift, and now the Imperial Concubine Si Lili is here.

Four years later, the Northern Qi sent a princess instead, which makes one sigh at the unpredictability of life...

Everyone was filled with mixed emotions and had different thoughts.

Li Chengru, however, did not have so many thoughts. From the moment the princess stepped into the hall, his gaze was fixed on her, staring straight at the eldest princess.

The princess felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and subconsciously moved closer to Haitang.

Seeing his elder brother looking so worthless, Li Chengze felt a pang of distress.

He coughed twice, trying to remind Li Chengru to be mindful of his manners and not lose his composure in front of everyone.

Li Chengru noticed the sound, lowered his voice, and then casually looked away.

The routine meal ended, with most of the food on the table barely touched.

The group wasn't focused on the food; instead, they discussed various matters concerning the wedding date and the wedding ceremony.

As the banquet came to an end and everyone rose to leave, Tao Jingyang called out to Haitang, "Pine and Ganoderma Immortal Order, come with me for a walk."

Haitang turned around instinctively when called, and immediately realized what was happening. She looked around as if she were looking for someone, "Who is it? Is Songzhi Immortal Order here too? Where is it?"

After she went to Xihu, she adopted the pseudonym "Songzhi Xianling".

Over the years, he has been advising the Xihu Chanyu and working to unify the various tribes, all in order to help the Xihu grow stronger and unite against the Nanqing.

However, after this battle, Haitang realized that the Western Hu and the Southern Qing were worlds apart.

Even if the Western Hu successfully establishes a state, it will pose no threat to the Southern Qing.

Furthermore, after the delegation set foot on the land of Nanqing, they witnessed firsthand the lives of the local people.

"Peaceful and prosperous life" is an understatement; it's practically a paradise on earth.

That deep sense of despair, like a dark cloud, constantly shrouded the crabapple blossoms.

Three years, just three years.

The changes in Nanqing have been earth-shattering; they are now far, far behind.