High-class Spring Joy

The young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom has been safely found, and even the kingdom's national physician is consulting with Sai Huatuo.

Sai Huatuo's medical skills are evident; treating the leg of the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom would be a piece of cake for him.

Sometimes, things can change unexpectedly, turning from difficult to easy, or from easy to difficult. This is all due to the unpredictability of life. Unexpected events are just like that. Previously, the negotiations were stuck on the issue of unequal distribution of benefits, and progress had been slow.

The discovery of a prince from the Northern Frontier Kingdom and the safety of the young prince from the Northern Frontier Kingdom made the peace talks between the two countries, which had been stalled for a long time, proceed exceptionally smoothly.

The Emperor of Song Kingdom was completely surprised to find the young prince of Bei Zhang Kingdom. It was a miracle that no one dared to even imagine. Moreover, it was a delicate-looking girl who rescued the young prince of Bei Zhang Kingdom in the freezing cold and safely delivered him to the Devil City. This was truly a miracle within a miracle.

Perhaps it is true, as Qinghe said, that Heaven is indeed intentionally bringing about this peace talks. If Heaven is helping their Song Kingdom, then he... will definitely win this peace talks for the sake of Song Kingdom.

While the interests of the nation and its people are indeed inviolable, anything can be sacrificed when it comes to the people's peaceful and prosperous lives.

The peace talks went smoothly, which meant that this matter could finally come to an end. Moreover, because Song Kingdom took the initiative to make concessions in terms of interests, Beijiang Kingdom also got what it wanted. Naturally, it was a contract that satisfied both parties. Seeing that the talks had come to an end, Qinghe's heart gradually calmed down.

But at this moment, another matter troubled Princess Jing'an.

That was the news of the young prince's serious illness. A month had passed since Princess Jing'an brought the message from Bianjing.

In the recent turmoil, Princess Jing'an was kidnapped by the enemy. She was finally rescued, but her father was preoccupied with the peace talks between the two countries, and even her elder brother, the Crown Prince, almost lost his life because of it. Naturally, Princess Jing'an did not choose to spread bad news at such a time.

In addition, Princess Jing'an had already received news that the young prince's illness had improved, so she did not speak of it in such a hurry.

Now that the talks had come to an end and everyone's nerves had relaxed, Princess Jing'an decided to present the letter she had brought.

Perhaps it was truly a blessing from heaven for Song Kingdom. After the peace talks concluded smoothly, when Princess Jing'an presented the letter, news came again from Bianjing City. The news was simple, saying only that the young prince's health was improving and he was gradually recovering and out of that dangerous stage.

Along with the letter came a drawing by the young prince. The drawing looked very simple, just something a child would do, but every stroke revealed a pure and innocent heart waiting for his father and sister to return.

The Emperor of Song was overjoyed and decided to hold a day-and-night banquet in Devil City after the peace talks, firstly to bid farewell to the envoys and Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, and secondly to award them.

Those who contributed to the peace talks were rewarded, and the system of rewards and punishments was clearly defined.

Although the things and facilities in the Devil City are not as good as those in Bianjing City, it still has a certain liveliness when it gets lively.

After all, it was a meeting between the emperors of two countries, and it was also related to the grand banquet of the two countries, so it would not be held casually.

The banquet was to be held three days later, and the envoy from the Northern Frontier Kingdom would depart for Bianjing the following day. Qinghe and her group would naturally follow him back to Bianjing.

Peace talks between the two countries are truly a matter of destiny, not something that can be done at will. After this separation, it is unknown when we will meet again. Putting aside the question of what is a game for the sake of the country and its people, there is indeed a sense of melancholy about not knowing when we will meet again after such a long separation.

Sometimes, the more melancholy one feels, the more lively and enjoyable the banquet becomes.

Not only the envoys from various countries, but also all the officials participated. Qinghe was invited by both sides, and both emperors issued imperial edicts requiring Qinghe to attend.

It goes without saying why Qinghe went there. If Qinghe hadn't rescued the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, this peace talk might have led to a completely different and utterly terrible outcome.

Therefore, neither side will mistreat Qinghe.

The banquet was filled with distinguished guests, clinking glasses, and everyone was having a great time.

The two emperors were still talking, with the princes and ministers naturally attending to them. They mostly chatted about trivial matters, but even in these casual conversations, there was always some valuable information.

This is very important for the emperors of both countries, the princes, and the ministers.

On the other hand, Qinghe's side seemed peaceful and serene, without any hidden meanings or unspoken implications.

Qinghe was pulled aside by the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom to talk to him.

The young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom sat in his seat, his feet neatly bandaged, while his little hands continued peeling fruit, placing one on Qinghe's plate after each peel.

"Are you really sure you've thought this through? Are you really not coming back with me? Your fiancé has been nowhere to be seen since you started your studies. You were in such a predicament, and you didn't see him either. While this is partly due to geographical limitations, a man who can't even protect the woman he loves is simply incompetent. He wasn't there when you needed protection and help, and someone else appeared instead. That doesn't necessarily mean he's incompetent, but it's certainly lacking in some way. Although I haven't seen that person in person, I can't say for sure..." "He's completely unreliable. Perhaps he would protect you if he were here, but I always feel you have better options. I can find you a better marriage. Even if you don't want to be empress, my Northern Frontier Kingdom has more than just my father as a potential match. There are plenty of outstanding young men and nobles. If you're willing, I have ways to find you someone better. Besides, although the climate in my Northern Frontier Kingdom is cold year-round, the people are open-minded, bold, and fierce. In my Northern Frontier Kingdom, women can join the army, enter the court, or become female officials in the palace. Women are in no way inferior to men. So, do you really not want to come back to the Northern Frontier Kingdom with me?"

Qinghe was tired of hearing such words. The young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom had said these kinds of advice to her no less than a dozen times in the past few days.

It must be said that Qinghe was very moved when she first heard it, not because of any good marriage or young master or prince, but because she was touched by the folk customs of the Northern Frontier Kingdom.

Women are no weaker than men in any way, which is enough to make Qinghe's heart flutter. Not to mention that women can join the army, become officials, enter the court, or enter the palace. Moreover, the opening of the soul is not like in Bianjing City, where no matter who is in charge of a matter, most of the victims will eventually be women.

The endless spittle will only drown out a woman's so-called chastity and reputation. How many young ladies from prominent families in Bianjing put on airs, only for the sake of a vague reputation in the eyes of the public? And what is this reputation for? It is only to find a better marriage, a better husband's family, and a better husband.

Ultimately, there is a huge difference between men and women. People are extremely tolerant of men but extremely harsh on women. Qinghe has heard many stories of young men and women pledging their lives to each other.

If the young ladies are lucky enough to meet a reliable and responsible young man, then it can be considered a beautiful story of romance under the moon and flowers.

Such good fortune is already extremely rare. Most young ladies encounter so-called gentlemen who are either irresponsible, lack integrity, or never consider the woman's feelings, reputation, or difficulties. They only care about momentary pleasure.

But when the truth comes out, countless people will say that the man was promiscuous, while the woman will be branded as someone who intentionally seduced a fickle woman.

A man's philandering may be considered a romantic affair in the eyes of others, but if a woman is even slightly associated with such things, it is a grave sin. It would ruin a woman's reputation, her chastity, and even her marriage prospects.

Even though a relationship involves two people and two participants, and most of the time, the instigator and the instigator is a man, the man often becomes the one who disappears afterward.

This is extremely unfair to women.

If Qinghe had ever had anything with Chu Jingyu, or even Chu Jingxian, and it got out, even if nothing had happened, as long as outsiders believed that Qinghe had developed something with these two young masters, then Qinghe would usually be the only one condemned by the public.

Because in their minds, the two young masters would easily take a liking to a maid, so it must be the maid who took the initiative to seduce them, flirting and acting coquettishly, with ulterior motives.

Even when they are of equal status, they would still think that women are fickle and that men are naturally promiscuous, but that their talents are to be expected, while women should remain faithful and chaste for a man.

Such a thing should not exist in places like northern Xinjiang where the social customs are more open. Even if it did exist, public opinion would not overwhelmingly be on the woman's side.

There should at least be some equality.

So how could Qinghe not be tempted by such Northern Frontier Fruit? But even so, Qinghe had considerable concerns.

Firstly, Qinghe was not familiar with the Northern Frontier Kingdom and had never been there before, so she would always encounter more difficulties and unexpected events.

Secondly, Qinghe still has her own attachments in Bianjing City.

Third, Qinghe only had one thing on her mind: her older sister.

If she really left Bianjing and went to such a far place as the Northern Frontier, it would not be easy for her to come back.

What should be done with the older sister? Her mother probably can't even support herself, let alone her younger brother. She only cares about her brother, so how could she remember the two sisters? I'm afraid that every year on the anniversary of her death, there won't even be a single stick of incense or candles at the older sister's grave.

Moreover, while the northern frontier is good, it also has its downsides, namely the temperature. Whether it's the way of life or the way of living, it must be completely different from Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Adapting is not an easy thing, nor can it be done on a whim.

Qinghe looked at the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom in front of her, too lazy to even give an answer. She had already refused more than once.

But this child is exceptionally stubborn.

The young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom knew Qinghe's answer when he saw she didn't speak, but he still wouldn't give up: "I still don't understand what's so good about your fiancé. If he really is, how can he let you come out alone with your child? He's clearly an extremely irresponsible man. Are you going to stay with such a person forever? Are you going to be devoted to him? Does he even deserve you?"

Then Chen Sha handed over a plate of walnuts. "Miss Qinghe, this is what the young master ordered to be sent to you. He thinks you should like to eat them."

After saying that, Chen Sha placed a plate of walnuts in front of Qing He, and then, as if by magic, brought out another plate of green grapes:

"These green grapes were ordered to be transported from outside by His Majesty a few days ago. Although they are not as purely sweet as ordinary purple grapes, the young master said that their sweet and sour taste might be more to your liking now. Some have seeds and some don't, but this batch has already been peeled and the markings removed, leaving only the flesh. You can eat them without worry."

Yes, that plate of grapes was peeled, without skin or seeds, just the translucent grape flesh with some fine veins.

Qinghe looked at the large plate full of walnuts, then looked up at where the Third Young Master was. She saw that he was holding a small iron pliers and seemed to be concentrating on peeling walnuts. The walnut shells and grape skins in front of him were piled up like small mountains.

It's clear that a lot of time and effort went into doing this.

But why isn't the Third Prince by His Highness's side at a time like this?

Instead, he sat across from her and quietly peeled walnuts and fruit for her?

Moreover, at this time, the Third Young Master seems to be blind. For an ordinary normal person, it would take a lot of time and patience to prepare such a large plate of walnuts and fruit, let alone someone like the Third Young Master who is blind.

The plate of walnuts and grapes in front of her, though it looked like just a few bites, was far more substantial in Qinghe's eyes and in her heart than it currently seemed.

Seeing Qinghe staring blankly at her young master across from her, without immediately trying the walnuts in front of her, Chensha assumed that Qinghe didn't like them and quickly asked:

"Miss Qinghe, don't you like it?"

"Ah, no, I like it very much, how could I not like it?"

Qinghe's gaze and attention were forcibly drawn back to Chen Sha in front of her, and she quickly picked up the walnut kernels from the plate and stuffed them into her mouth:

"I like them, I love walnuts. As for grapes, I also happen to like sweet and sour ones."

Qinghe spoke sincerely and earnestly, without lying, and she didn't want the Third Young Master to mistakenly believe that she disliked him because of her momentary lapse in concentration.

This is the Third Young Master's intention. The Third Young Master's intention is destined to be several times more difficult to express and act than others. Therefore, the Third Young Master's intention, under the same circumstances, is also several times more significant than that of ordinary people.

Therefore, the plate of walnut meat in front of you becomes more than just a plate of walnut meat.

At this moment, the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom commented, "Look, your so-called fiancé isn't even as good to you as that difficult guy over there."

Hearing the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom compare the third young master opposite her to the fiancé that Qinghe had made up that day, Qinghe almost choked on the walnut she had just put in her mouth: "Cough cough cough cough..."

Seeing Qinghe cough, Chen Sha's attention, which had been drawn away by the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, was immediately pulled back. "What's wrong, young lady?"

Chen Sha poured Qing He a glass of water and handed it to her.

Qinghe picked up the teacup and gulped down two mouthfuls before she felt a little better.

Soon, Chen Sha's attention was drawn back to it.

"You just said that Qinghe's fiancé is...?"

Upon hearing this, the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom's gaze naturally fell upon Chen Sha's face: "You...don't know?"

Seeing that Qinghe's fabricated lie was about to be exposed, she didn't care about anything else and grabbed Chensha next to her: "Don't you remember? My fiancé, you know him too, Guard Chensha? You even spoke to him!"

Chen Sha was completely bewildered: When did I meet him? I've never even heard of him? When did Miss Qinghe get a fiancé? Does the young master know about this? He definitely doesn't, but if he did, he probably wouldn't be so calm.

Qinghe first left Chensha completely bewildered, then immediately turned to the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, "Your Highness, I remember you two said you didn't have much interaction with the Third Young Master, so why did you say he was a difficult person to deal with?"

"I had someone investigate him. They said he was just a merchant following the Crown Prince. But how could an ordinary merchant easily follow the Crown Prince? He is the Crown Prince of a country."

The young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom spoke, his gaze shifting to the Third Prince not far away, his eyes filled with unpredictable emotions, but clearly showing great seriousness as he looked at the Third Prince: "Moreover, although that scheme was orchestrated by the Crown Prince, no one has investigated it. On the surface, the Crown Prince is the one who orchestrated it, but behind him is a nominal strategist, whose name is said to be Jie Ming'an. I also ordered people to investigate him, and he is indeed not simple. However, the results of my investigation show that this scheme should have been orchestrated by a third person, and the third person hidden behind the Crown Prince and Jie Ming'an should be this Third Prince, who is ostensibly just a merchant. People like him are willing to go into business either because they are full of ambition or because they are biding their time and waiting for the day they will emerge. If someone has both reasons, then they are even more daunting. And if I am not mistaken, the Third Prince you mentioned should be the kind of person I am talking about. I have not had much contact with these so-called ministers, but I have investigated many, and there are more than one difficult ones to deal with, but if I had to rank them first, it would be the Third Prince you mentioned."

At this point, the young prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom seemed to have thought of something again. He turned to look at Qinghe and said seriously, "If you really want to get married, I think you can completely abandon that so-called fiancé of yours. If you have to choose one, I think this Third Young Master is barely acceptable. With his abilities, he can definitely protect you. I heard he is a businessman and is incredibly wealthy. He won't let you live a hard life. In short, he is a hundred times better than that fiancé you mentioned."

Qinghe was caught between holding onto Chensha to keep him from speaking and dealing with the troublesome little prince of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, leaving her with little trouble.

Just then, a slight commotion arose on the other side. Before Qinghe could react, she saw the somewhat unfamiliar eunuch who had previously gone to fetch her rushing over again.

"Miss Qinghe, His Majesty requests that you come forward for a talk."

Upon hearing this, Qinghe looked up and realized that the gazes of the ministers and the two emperors were all fixed on her.

Qinghe followed the little eunuch upstairs, while Chu Jingxian, who was peeling walnuts, turned his head and stopped what he was doing after hearing something from Chensha.

Under the gazes of the ministers and the two emperors, Qinghe bowed and greeted them: "This commoner greets Your Majesty and pays her respects."

Get up.

The Emperor of Song waved his sleeve, his eyes filled with a smile as he looked at Qinghe, his voice light and relaxed.

As soon as Qinghe stood still, she heard the Emperor of Song Kingdom say, "The successful conclusion of this peace talks between our two countries is truly thanks to your efforts, young lady. If it weren't for you, the peace talks would probably have gone through many more twists and turns."

After speaking, the emperor of Song Kingdom turned his gaze to the emperor of Beijiang Kingdom standing to the side.

The Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom nodded: "Indeed, if it weren't for this young lady saving my Fei Sheng, the situation would be completely different. It is also thanks to this young lady that Fei Sheng was safely rescued under such dangerous circumstances. For a frail girl to have such courage, perseverance, and kindness in the freezing cold to save someone is truly astonishing and deeply appreciated by me."

The moment the words "deeply in my heart" were uttered, the entire room became excited, and everyone's attention was drawn to Qinghe and the Emperor of the Northern Frontier Kingdom, including the Emperor of the Song Kingdom standing beside him.

What do those four words mean? Everyone present was a shrewd and worldly person; they couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

An emperor in his prime, a beautiful and charming young woman, and separated by a past favor involving saving a favored prince, all at a meeting between their two countries... it seems... something is destined to happen.

The Emperor of Song Kingdom's gaze fell on Qinghe's face, his emotions unreadable.