Sophia felt a sense of blindness as King Ming and Queen Lu Xian entered. King Ming, a man in his fifties with golden hair and eyes, was dressed in a luxurious golden outfit adorned with rare jewels. Queen Lu Xian, despite being in her forties, looked younger than Sophia with her light brown eyes and a golden dress, crowned with a phoenix tiara.
Sophia couldn't help but chuckle at the extravagance of the couple before her, even though they seemed overly exaggerated. She reminded herself that people in this era found such opulence appealing. Her own taste belonged to the 21st century, favoring shirts and pants.
The audience rose from their bows as the King addressed them, praising Prince Noah's accomplishments as the Eastern Kingdom's protector. Sophia found herself bored, believing the Emperor's words to be insincere.
Her focus shifted to the Third Princess, Shin Yanshiao, who had just entered. Sophia recognized her instantly, having read about her in a novel. " Shin Yanshiao, the talented and beautiful Third Princess," she murmured to herself, noting the telltale golden hair and eyes as a sign of royal lineage in the Eastern Kingdom.
Shin Yanshiao appeared different from the other young women and even the other four princesses present in the hall. She wore a shirt and trousers with some light armor, and what stood out the most was the black whip coiled around her waist.
Sophia recalled that Shin Yanshiao didn't possess innate talent but excelled in cultivation. She was also the daughter of the favored concubine Shou Ai, which meant abundant resources were at her disposal.
Their eyes met in the spacious hall filled with fake smiles. Shin Yanshiao forced a peculiar smile in response, but she wasn't in the mood to engage with Sophia. Instead, she was preoccupied with the gaze of General Siu's son, known for his debauchery and waywardness.
Shin Yanshiao felt a foreboding sense in her heart, wanting to leave this suffocating hall immediately. However, what prevented her from doing so was her mother, Queen Shou, who had sent her a message informing her of her illness and threatening to cut off her resources if she didn't attend the gathering.
Shin Yanshiao felt that something strange was happening, but she was willing to do anything to become stronger, even if it meant sitting in this dull place.
Sophia had no idea what Shin Yanshiao was thinking or feeling. Her thoughts oscillated between whether she should intervene or let the events unfold. Based on what she had read, Sophia knew that Shin Yanshiao had fallen victim to her sisters' schemes in the past, leading to major misunderstandings among the courtiers.
Sophia thought, "If my calculations are correct, there might need to be a plot to aid Shin Yanshiao tonight. This is the last banquet that the Royal Palace will host, and nothing unusual has happened in previous years either."
Noah looked at Sophia, who was observing the First and Third Princesses with mild amusement, and asked, "Is this entertaining?"
Sophia replied, "A typical scenario, nothing new."
Raising an eyebrow, Noah said, "You must have seen plenty of these events to be so bored."
Sophia shrugged and said mockingly, "I've been a part of the acting crew."
Noah chuckled, realizing he had ventured into territory he shouldn't have. "So, what do you think are her chances of escaping this night?"
Soufia, with a cold demeanor, responded, "Zero."
Noah asked, "Why's that? She's still a powerful cultivator."
Sophia laughed at this, as it seemed that in the trashy novels she had read, there was always a scenario involving aphrodisiacs in tea.
"You're still innocent, my poor husband," she quipped.
Noah looked into her eyes and saw that same look of pity. He sighed and said, "Why do you always look at me like that?"
When Sophia heard this, she cursed herself, "Did I just look at him with that much honesty?"
"Of course, because you'll soon be molding clay and bones," Sophia replied, and of course, what was in her heart was not on her tongue. "Perhaps because you married me?"
Those words held a multitude of meanings. Sophia was just an extra person with no talents or wealth, and she didn't really fit with Noah.
It was strange that he hadn't married or attended to anyone else. In a world like this, it was natural for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Noah frowned at her words, for he was not a foolish person and understood what she meant. However, he wasn't the kind of man whose only concern was collecting women. If it weren't for the circumstances, he wouldn't have married her, and eventually, his path would be filled with thorns, becoming an enemy to everyone.
Noah fell silent while Sophia tried to recall the reason she had come here. Then, a familiar voice interrupted, "Princess"
Sophia turned to find Emma, but she wasn't alone. Her brother, Lin Fontaine, and Su Yu were with her, whispering something in noah ear. He stood up and said, "I have an urgent matter," before heading off with the two men.
This left the two young ladies alone. Sophia greeted Emma and complimented her on her beauty until her face turned as red as a tomato. This was one of Sophia's strategies to win over the future concubines for Alex.
On the other side, the First Princess, Shin Yu, was surrounded by young ladies from all sides, chatting about mundane matters in their lives. One of them said, "What about the First Princess? The person who marries her will be lucky." This caught the attention of Shin Yu, who alternately looked at General Siu's son and Shin Yanshiao, who sat not far away, staring blankly at the walls.
Shin Yu had a smile on her face that anyone could recognize; she was planning something. "I'm still young and weak, not like my Third Sister, who is relied upon for everything," she replied.
Shin Yanshiao glanced at Shin Yu sharply, knowing that this girl would not speak kindly of her, no matter what. However, she hid her cold gaze and said, "Thank you, First Sister."
A girl from Shin Yu's side remarked, "Being the daughter of a favored concubine like you, it's great that someone in the princess's position praises you."
Shin Yanshiao wanted to strike that girl with something, as she was outrageously insolent, but she restrained herself, showing no signs of anger. "In fact, those are big words for just a daughter of a concubine."
Anger appeared on the girl's face, but before she could say anything, Shin Yanshiao spoke again, "Oh, sorry. I forgot she became a primary wife some time ago."
The girl was nearly choking with anger but couldn't say a word. Princess Shin Yu started speaking to rectify the situation, "You're mistaken, Móu Yào, about our sister. To make amends, I hope our younger sister accepts a glass of this peach wine."
Shin Yanshiao looked at Shin Yu with dwindling patience as she took the wine glass from her hand and drank it all in one gulp. A smile from ear to ear appeared on Shin Yu's face when she saw her drink the wine as if it were water.
Everyone was preoccupied with listening to the list of gifts from the king to the First-Rank Prince Noah, with fake smiles all around. On the other side, Shin Yanshiao's face had turned as red as a tomato, and her breathing became heavy all of a sudden. Even her eyes became hazy.
Princess Shin Yu noticed this, even though she was a bit far away, and intervened to help. She left the etiquette hall with her maid to support Shin Yanshiao, who could barely walk.