She had been invited by the Haozhou emissary and an imperial eunuch named Gao Quan.

Along with her was Lord Yan.

Xiao Jin’s expression instantly soured.

Yan Ling, dressed in a snow-white robe, appeared aloof and indifferent.

Despite the still sweltering summer heat, his collar was tightly fastened.

Wen Yue Sheng, on the other hand, was unusually dressed.

She wore a simple white gown and a large red robe with wide sleeves.

Such bold colors only highlighted her extraordinary beauty and graceful demeanor.

However, this enchanting woman insisted on wearing a golden Buddha head.

From a distance, the golden light from the Buddha head was visible.

Yan Ling also noticed that she had replaced her usual white jade Buddhist beads with a string of amber beads, which had 108 beads, wrapping around her slender wrist, drawing attention.

He recalled how the white jade beads had lost their luster before she left, and casually asked, “Why did the princess change her Buddhist beads?”

His tone was light, as if asking just for the sake of it.

Wen Yue Sheng answered casually, “Lord Yan doesn’t know? The monks at the temple wear robes of this color.”

Gao Quan, who was walking ahead of them, looked at Wen Yue Sheng’s red clothes, her Buddha head, and amber bracelet, almost choking on his own saliva.

…The princess truly seems devout when it comes to Buddhism.

Though they spoke casually, their conversation drew the attention of many in the hall.

Xiao Jin’s eyes darkened, while Yu Shun smiled, his expression unreadable.

The banquet began.

As the Emperor and Yu Shun discussed the customs of Da Hui, they learned that the Prince of Haozhou was also skilled in music.

“Not only men in Da Hui excel at the zither, but women do as well,” said King Hengguang suddenly. “The second daughter of the Wen family is particularly outstanding.”

King Hengguang, who had been ill for several days, finally appeared at the banquet and immediately directed his attention to Wen Yuru. The banquet fell silent for a moment.

Xiao Jin glanced at him. It was clear that King Hengguang was blaming him for the punishment he had received earlier.

He had done something absurd with Fu Rui but chose to place the blame on others.

It was truly laughable.

Fortunately, Wen Yuru did indeed have impressive skills with the zither. She stood up calmly when her name was called, showing no sign of nervousness.

Wen Yue Sheng remembered this scene from the book.

King Hengguang had caused trouble, but Wen Yuru’s performance stunned everyone.

Her memory of the book was faint, for it was not her own story.

It had belonged to Number 4.

Number 4 was different from them. She was lively and often chattered in Wen Yue Sheng’s ear.

This novel had been the last one Number 4 read before embarking on her journey. Before leaving, she had complained that she would finish the book when she returned.

Later, the novel was placed on Number 4’s tomb.

Years had passed, and the book that Number 4 never finished gradually became worn and faded in the wind and sun.

Wen Yue Sheng’s gaze turned colder.

Wen Yuru was skilled in music, calligraphy, chess, and painting. Chen Shi had high expectations for her, and her zither teacher was a renowned master.

The music she played was indeed exceptional.

The sound of the zither flowed like water, vast like the ocean, graceful and captivating.

It truly was exquisite.

However, as Yu Shun listened, his attention was unconsciously drawn to another person.

Amidst the lingering music, Wen Yue Sheng’s gaze radiated a chilling coldness.

When the music stopped, he walked slowly toward her.

Many in the hall turned their gaze to this direction.

Including Xiao Jin, who stood next to Wen Yuru, not even hearing the Emperor’s praise for her. His eyes were fixed on the two in the back.

“Princess, do you play the zither?” he asked.

Wen Yue Sheng replied softly, “I can listen.”

Yu Shun smiled slightly. “I wonder which song the princess likes?”

Wen Yue Sheng replied, “The Great Compassion Mantra.”

The King of Weiyang, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, was surprised.

He confirmed that Princess Sining indeed had a strong devotion to Buddhism.

Unexpectedly, Yu Shun laughed lightly.

His pale eyes gleamed with amusement, which was dazzling to behold.

“Who would have thought that among all the music in the world, the Princess finds the sound of Buddhist music most pleasing,” Yu Shun recalled the rumors in Da Hui’s capital. “Indeed, the princess has a deep connection with Buddhism.”

Wen Yue Sheng took a sip of tea, and as if recalling something, she said softly, “Not necessarily. There is a zither player whose music is quite good.”

The King of Weiyang leaned in closer.

He was waiting for another Buddhist saying from Sining, but instead, she said, “The music is mellow, and the Zen intent is profound.”

Wen Yue Sheng gently touched the Buddhist beads on her wrist and softly added, “It is particularly good for falling asleep.”

The hall fell silent.

Yan Ling raised his eyes. He recalled the cold, serene sandalwood fragrance she wore that day and her lazy, half-awake eyes, as if they were before him again.

Most people in the hall did not understand what Wen Yue Sheng was referring to, but those like the King of Weiyang instantly understood.

After all, the Emperor and the King of Weiyang had witnessed Wen Yue Sheng sleeping beside Yan Ling, lulled by his zither music, at the national temple.

The King of Weiyang, eager to remind Xiao Jin, leaned closer to him and said, “It seems that Princess Sining is quite close to Lord Yan, able to fall asleep to his zither music. Oh, and she is also chatting happily with the Prince of Haozhou.”

“Strange, how did she become distant from you?” he pretended to be puzzled, but Xiao Jin’s expression darkened with an ominous aura.

He patted Xiao Jin’s shoulder comfortingly and laughed, “Fourth Brother, don’t take it to heart. This is quite normal. When you pampered Wen Yuru, wasn’t Sining just like this with you?”

It was a mere matter of payback, so why get angry?

The King of Weiyang almost openly mocked him.

Xiao Jin’s voice turned cold. “Third Brother knows this well. It seems you often do such things.”

The King of Weiyang’s face darkened. Who didn’t know he had a notorious love for women? Yet, at home, he had married a fierce wife, who regularly sent the beauties he fancied to his brothers’ homes.

Xiao Jin had struck at his weakness, leaving him looking terrible.

Yet despite all this, Xiao Jin’s anger still burned unabated.

He even had the thought of pulling Wen Yue Sheng to his side.

Before he could take a step, the Emperor spoke.

The Emperor had also heard Wen Yue Sheng’s words.

He paused for a moment, then turned to ask, “Sining, where is Zhang Yulin?”

The palace attendants called Zhang Yulin into the hall.

Yu Shun was forced to return to his seat, but the strange atmosphere earlier made him more aware of something. He sat down, his gaze shifting toward the distant figure of Yan Ling.

Since his interest in Wen Yue Sheng began, he had never considered her fiancé, but Yan Ling was different.

Even now, Yu Shun remembered months ago when Yan Ling had gone alone to the capital of Haozhou to negotiate peace, leaving a deep impression with his detached demeanor and great abilities.

Over there, the Emperor spoke to Zhang Yulin: “You performed greatly in the martial competition. Tell me, what should I reward you with?”

It had been a long time since the Emperor had last seen Zhang Yulin.

Back then, he was not very sharp, bullied by new soldiers, and too scared to speak up.

But today, he was articulate and spoke with clarity.

“Your Majesty, the victory in the martial competition belongs to Princess Sining. All I did was follow her instructions.”

Even though many had expected this, hearing Zhang Yulin say it out loud felt different.

The Emperor paused for a moment, then asked, “Sining.”

“Since Zhang Yulin says the victory is yours, what would you like?”

Countless gazes were directed at her as she slowly rose.

Remembering the first martial competition, when Zhang Yulin had won, the Emperor had asked her the same question.

Many had thought she would seize the opportunity to once again rise in the court, but she had only asked for trivial things.

This time, the reward was far greater, and many thought she would ask for something different.

Perhaps… that unfulfilled marriage contract.

Or the still-pending proposal from the Prince of Haozhou.

Even if the Emperor did not agree, such opportunities were rare for someone who had lost favor in recent years.

Yet, what no one expected was Wen Yue Sheng’s answer.

The hall was brightly lit, the lights shining down on her.

The glaring red highlighted her delicate figure, but her eyes remained cold.

She looked up, her expression neutral, and her voice even more so as she spoke: “Then I’d like a military position.”

Silence.

In the midst of countless shocked, confused, and astonished gazes, Wen Yue Sheng spoke calmly, “The northern city barracks is still in need of a captain, isn’t it?”

At a banquet in the two countries, right in front of the emperor, the first person to directly ask for a military position was Wen Yue Sheng.

It took a long time for King Heng Guang to react. He asked, “What do you mean? Are you planning to have Zhang Yulin take the position of the commanding officer at the North City training grounds?”

King Wei Yang couldn’t help but reply, “What else? Are you suggesting she’ll just get the position she asked for?”

Though he said this, there was still some surprise in his gaze when he looked at Wen Yue Sheng.

The power struggles within the court had become increasingly intense, with those aligned with King Heng Guang being the most in the spotlight. Not long ago, when Wen Yue Sheng had appeared at the North City training grounds, King Heng Guang had lost a commanding officer.

This was the very position Wen Yue Sheng was now mentioning.

Although a commanding officer was not a high-ranking official, and seemed to be of little importance, those of royal blood understood just how critical the position had become. With the repeated invasions by Hao Zhou, the emperor’s attention to military officials had shifted dramatically.

Even though it was just a commanding officer, the role represented who could have influence over military matters, and now that the position was vacant, many people were eyeing it.

Wen Yue Sheng’s sudden intervention had caught everyone off guard.

Sure enough.

King Heng Guang’s face darkened. He turned to the emperor and said, “Your Majesty, I believe this is unwise.”

“Although Young Master Zhang is exceptionally brave, a commanding officer is a position that requires military command. Young Master Zhang has only been in the army for a short time, and his experience in military camps is limited. If we appoint him directly as a commanding officer as Minister Si Ning suggests, it would surely attract criticism.”

Given the importance of military affairs, King Heng Guang couldn’t care about offending the loyal and brave Marquis now.

If Zhang Yulin took this position, all of his prior plans would be wasted.

“That’s true,” Prince Wei Yang said with a light smile, not continuing his words, but his meaning was clear.