His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

"But we have prepared a few talents to present to Da Chen, and we hope you will not find them offensive."

Talent?

Mo Sangyu tilted her head slightly, leaned closer to Feng Xingyu, and asked in a low voice, "How is Shen Hanzhou's martial arts skill?"

"Seventh rank." Feng Xingyu said.

indeed.

Mo Sangyu could actually tell.

However, she always felt that it wasn't quite accurate, and that there was something strange about this person's aura, but it wasn't very obvious.

Perhaps he deliberately hid it; if that's the case, then he's a man of great hidden talent.

"What talent?"

Please proceed to the banquet hall.

Shen Hanzhou kept everyone in suspense for a moment.

Upon hearing this, Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu exchanged a glance and then took the lead in walking back.

Seeing this, everyone else naturally followed suit and went back.

Once everyone had returned to the table, Shen Hanzhou clapped his hands three times.

Soon, a group of men and women dressed in strange clothes walked in.

The two people leading the group, a man and a woman, wore exquisite masks.

They were probably wearing dance costumes, but they were rather revealing. Not only were the women wearing very little fabric, but the men were also shirtless, wearing only short skirts.

It was even more embarrassing than being in a snowy place.

"This...is indecent."

"Do not look at what is improper..."

"What kind of behavior is this!"

"What...what are they trying to do?"

The people at the banquet all had strange expressions on their faces, and couldn't help but gossip and criticize. Some turned their heads away, while others covered their eyes, as if afraid that looking at them for even a second would taint their souls.

Mo Sangyu, however, found it quite fascinating.

The woman has a curvy figure with a slender waist and long legs, while the man has broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and eight-pack abs.

It's just like wearing short skirts and bikinis nowadays, what's wrong with that?

Those hypocrites, they clearly want to watch, but they're all so good at pretending.

Of course, there are also those who genuinely don't want to watch.

For example, the person next to her had a face that was almost as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Is it pretty?"

Feng Xingyu's voice came from behind him, cold and distant: "More beautiful than mine?"

No, of course not.

There's no comparison.

Just something new to see.

Mo Sangyu withdrew her gaze, turned to look at him, and said seriously, "Of course yours is the most beautiful. No one can compare to you."

"..."

So, she was staring at others quite closely just now?

However, Feng Xingyu's lips still unconsciously curled up slightly.

Shen Hanzhou ignored the uproar at the table, simply standing calmly in front of his desk, his tone indifferent: "This is a folk dance from my Qingyue Kingdom. I apologize for the poor performance."

He glanced around the room, finally looking at Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu in the main seats. A barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips, as if he had smiled, but it seemed like he hadn't.

Then, he took out a flute from his sleeve and introduced it, saying, "This dance is called 'Entering the Dream'."

He held the flute to his lips, and as soon as he finished speaking, the flute began to play.

It was a melodious and lingering tune, clear and melodious like the tinkling of a spring, yet carrying a touch of exotic and mysterious tenderness.

The crowd, who had initially been wary and disdainful, suddenly felt a sense of calm as soon as the flute music started, and even their breathing slowed down.

As the flute music began, the masked man at the head of the group was the first to move.

His movements were powerful and vigorous; every turn and every raised hand carried the steadiness of a mountain.

With her clothes fluttering, her broad shoulders and narrow waist revealed a powerful beauty.

The woman opposite him was as supple as if boneless, her waist swaying gently like a water snake being blown by the wind.

One is strong, the other is gentle; one is still, the other is active.

The man's steps were like thunder, the woman's slender willows swaying in the wind.

The dancers behind them followed their rhythm and moved in unison.

In an instant, the entire banquet hall was filled with their figures.

At first, people were hesitant to look away due to politeness, but gradually, everyone's attention was drawn to the scene.

The flute music grew softer and softer, and the dancers' movements became increasingly graceful and ethereal, as if depicting a captivating dream.

The banquet hall fell silent, save for the captivating flute music that drifted on the wind into everyone's ears.

Gradually, everyone felt their eyelids getting heavy, like cotton wool soaked in warm water, and they became drowsy.

Some stared blankly, their expressions becoming bewildered.

Some had a faint smile on their lips, as if they were seeing the most beautiful things in the world in a dream.

It was as if the gentle flute music had captivated their minds and disturbed their senses, gradually dragging them into an endless slumber.

Everyone present, except for Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu in the main seats, was affected without exception.

What a magnificent Qingyue Kingdom!

Mo Sangyu raised her hand, and a flash of dark blue light appeared in her palm.

A golden gong appeared out of thin air in her hand, as big as a washbasin.

She picked up the gong, raised the stick in her other hand, and slammed it down hard.

"clang!!!"

The ear-piercing sound of metal clashing exploded in the banquet hall, making people's eardrums ache.

The sound was like a sharp knife, abruptly severing the lingering flute melody and pulling everyone out of the chaos.

The flute music stopped abruptly.

Shen Hanzhou paused, the flute still held to his lips, his pupils slightly contracting.

Before he could react, the flute in his hand had been snatched away.

He didn't even see how Feng Xingyu moved; he only felt a dark figure flash past him before his hand went empty.

Feng Xingyu stood in front of him, took the flute from his hand, and gently snapped it.

With a crisp "crack," the flute broke in two.

He shoved the two broken flute pieces back into Shen Hanzhou's hands, his tone icy: "Qingyue Envoy, keep your things safe."

Shen Hanzhou: "..."

In the banquet hall, everyone was awakened by the sound of gongs, rubbing their ears and looking around in confusion.

"What happened?"

"Weren't you dancing? Why did you stop?"

"Wait a minute, I think I just fell asleep."

Yan Qing looked around blankly, then at the wine cup in his hand. Half of the wine had spilled onto his robe, but he was completely unaware.

Yuan Zhao, Han Xiao, Lu Jin, Ya Zi, and the others all frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

Wen Zhixia opened her eyes and found herself leaning on Gu Jinzhi's shoulder without realizing it. She quickly sat up straight, her ears turning red.

Gu Jinzhi glanced at her and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"

She shook her head, indicating that she was fine, she just seemed to have fallen asleep.

Could it be that I've been too tired these past two days?

The Northern Barbarian envoys and the people from Cangwu were all equally bewildered, unaware of what had happened.

Even a ninth-rank master was not spared.

Mo Sangyu put away the gong, leaned back in her chair with a languid expression, her silver hair falling freely, her gaze sweeping over Shen Hanzhou, a hint of a smile playing on her red lips.

When Shen Hanzhou saw that smile, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He quickly lowered his eyes, tucked the two broken flute pieces into his sleeve, and bowed to the person in the main seat: "Qingyue's dance was not skillful and disturbed Your Majesty and the Empress. Please forgive me."

"Disturbing?"

Feng Xingyu had already returned to his seat before everyone was awakened. Seeing Shen Hanzhou casually dismiss the matter with a "disturbing" remark, he couldn't help but chuckle: "That explanation is probably not very reasonable. Perhaps the Qingyue envoy should reconsider and try again?"

Shen Hanzhou's expression was unreadable. He bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, please understand. This dance is indeed a folk dance that has been passed down in Qingyue for a long time. Perhaps the music and dance steps were too lingering, which caused the guests to be distracted. It was by no means an intentional offense."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than some of the people at the table realized what he meant.

Jiang Shiyu looked at him coldly: "Folk dance? What country's folk dance could bewitch all the civil and military officials in the hall to sleep, without even a ninth-rank martial artist noticing?"

"That flute music just now was extremely eerie, clearly infused with bewitching magic. Was Qingyue's action a deliberate provocation, or did he have some other motive?"

The Northern Barbarian envoy also raised a question, then speculated, "Could it be that they are intentionally trying to harm us in order to sow discord between us and the Great Chen?"

If the envoys from the Northern Barbarians and the Cangwu were to encounter trouble in Dachen, then the two countries might form an alliance to attack Dachen, at which point Qingyue would reap the benefits.

Thinking of this, the Northern Di envoy and Jiang Shiyu all turned grim.

"The Emperor of Dachen kindly hosted a banquet for us, but your Qingyue Kingdom publicly used evil magic to disrupt the banquet. Your intentions are unclear. If you do not provide a reasonable explanation, you will not be leaving this banquet hall today."

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Several men from the Bai Di Kingdom had already stood up, and A Da and A Yi from the Cang Wu Kingdom also took a step forward, their eyes fixed on Shen Hanzhou.

The people on Da Chen's side haven't made a move yet; they'll see how things go first.

Shen Hanzhou stood before the banquet table, his expression remaining calm and composed despite the aggressive pressure from both countries.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

He looked back at the head of the table, then glanced at the Northern Di envoy and the people from Cangwu, his voice neither hurried nor slow.

"As I just mentioned, this dance is a folk dance of the Qingyue people, and the flute music is an ancient melody that has been passed down for generations. Although it puts everyone into a brief drowsy state, it does not harm the body. If you don't believe me, you can feel it for yourselves and see if you feel anything unusual."

Shen Hanzhou's explanation did not dispel the suspicions of the two countries, but their bodies were indeed unaffected. After all, this was in Da Chen, and the Emperor and Empress of Da Chen had not yet spoken, so they could not overstep their bounds.

Neither of the two people in the main seats spoke.

Feng Xingyu's dark red eyes revealed no emotion, like a deep pool of water, and no one knew what lay beneath.

Mo Sangyu leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the armrests.

The banquet hall was extremely quiet, with only the soft tapping sound, one tap after another, unhurried and gentle.

It felt like a blow to the heart.

Shen Hanzhou appeared calm, his back ramrod straight, but Mo Sangyu could actually see the tension in him.

Perhaps there's more to the story.

But none of that matters. What matters is that tomorrow is Gu Jinzhi and Wen Zhixia's wedding day, and she doesn't want any complications.

They would not allow anyone or anything to disrupt their wedding.

As for whether Shen Hanzhou's words are true or false, it's not too late to investigate after Gu Jinzhi and Wen Zhixia's wedding.

If he truly harbored any ulterior motives, Mo Sangyu would not tolerate even the slightest hint of it.

She turned to look at Feng Xingyu, who nodded slightly at her. Only then did she speak in a cold voice, "I believe what the Qingyue envoy said. This matter ends here."

Shen Hanzhou was stunned for a moment.

The envoy from the Bai Di Kingdom was also taken aback.

Jiang Shiyu frowned, as if she wanted to say something, but after glancing at Mo Sangyu, she swallowed her words.

Shen Hanzhou bowed deeply: "Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty."

Mo Sangyu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "Everyone, you can leave now. We have important business to attend to tomorrow."

Everyone rose to their feet, bowed, and left the banquet hall one after another.

The envoy from the Bai Di Kingdom walked at the front, while several men with displeased expressions whispered among themselves as they walked.

The people from Cangwu followed behind. After taking a few steps, Jiang Shiyu couldn't help but turn back to glance at Mo Sangyu in the main seat.

Shen Hanzhou walked at the back, leading the group of men and women dressed in strange clothes. His moon-white robes fluttered gently in the night breeze, and he quickly disappeared into the night.

The officials of Da Chen also dispersed one after another, discussing the events of the evening as they walked away.

Soon, only Feng Xingyu, Mo Sangyu, Gu Jinzhi, and Wen Zhixia remained in the banquet hall.

Mo Sangyu leaned back in her chair, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on her face: "What do you think he came here for?"

"They certainly didn't come here specifically to offer their congratulations."

Feng Xingyu frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "Shen Hanzhou's own martial arts cultivation is only at the seventh rank. There must be something wrong with that melody and flute. However, we cannot rule out that he did it intentionally, perhaps to test us."

"A test?"

Gu Jinzhi and Wen Zhixia exchanged a glance, remained silent for a moment, and then Wen Zhixia said, "Could it be that they're trying to test His Majesty and the Empress's strength?"

Mo Sangyu immediately looked at her and nodded: "That's possible."

"Testing His Majesty and the Empress's strength, what exactly does the Qingyue Kingdom want?"

Gu Jinzhi frowned: "I've heard that this Shen Hanzhou is the eldest disciple of the Grand Preceptor of Qingyue Kingdom. That Grand Preceptor is quite mysterious, so we should be careful."

"Um."

Feng Xingyu responded.

"Have the people from Moonshadow keep a close eye on things. Tomorrow is your wedding day, so go back and rest early. We can deal with any major issues after tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Gu Jinzhi's expression softened, and he looked at Wen Zhixia beside him with a hint of tenderness in his eyes.

A blush rose on Wen Zhixia's cheeks.

The two took their leave together.

Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu also returned to Zhaohua Palace.

As soon as he entered the room, Feng Xingyu began to take off his clothes, pulling down his collar to reveal one shoulder.

Mo Sangyu's eyes widened: "What...what are you doing?"

"I'll take it off for you to see."

Feng Xingyu put his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Doesn't Ayu like watching?"

"..."

From now on, you can only look to me.

After saying that, he ripped off his belt, revealing half of his chest.

She held the position of empress, yet acted like a courtesan.

Mo Sangyu: "..."

I really enjoy watching it.

Just as she was about to reach out and touch it, Feng Xingyu lowered his head and kissed her.

"Hmm...you...have something to do tomorrow..."

"Don't speak."

Feng Xingyu's gaze was deep and tender as he sealed it with another kiss.

One night passed.

The next day.

Before dawn, Wen Zhixia was woken up by Granny Yu and others.

First, take a bath and wash your face, then change your clothes and put on makeup.

After all that fuss, the sky began to lighten.

The courtyard began to bustle with activity. Maids carried trays in and out, while the matchmaker shouted instructions, telling them to set this up or that, keeping her very busy.

Wen Zhixia sat in front of the dressing table, her face slightly flushed reflected in the bronze mirror.

Granny Yu stood behind her, gently twisting her hair with a dry handkerchief.

Wen Zhixia looked at herself in the bronze mirror and suddenly felt a little dazed.

"Her Majesty has arrived," came the announcement from outside the door.

Wen Zhixia hurriedly tried to get up, but was stopped by Granny Yu: "Her Majesty said that you are the bride today, so you don't need to perform the ceremony."

Wen Zhixia had no choice but to sit back down.

Mo Sangyu walked in, followed by Mo Sangwan, Feng Mian, and several nannies and wedding attendants, each carrying a tray with a phoenix coronet, a red veil, and gold and jade jewelry, all neatly arranged.

Today she wore a moonlit white dress, her silver hair was tied up high, and she only wore a white jade hairpin. She looked aloof and otherworldly, with a rare gentleness.

Wen Zhixia looked at her in the bronze mirror, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "Your Highness, why are you up so early?"

"Come see the bride soon!"

Mo Sangyu sat down on a chair nearby: "Don't worry about me, you guys continue."

Mo Sangwan sat next to her, holding a pastry in her hand, eating it in small bites, but her eyes were fixed on Wen Zhixia with curiosity.

Feng Mian, her belly protruding, sat on the other side, smiling as she looked at Wen Zhixia, her eyes also full of laughter.

The matchmaker stepped forward to perform the facial hair removal ceremony for Wen Zhixia.

Two cotton threads were twisted around her face, making a soft sound. Wen Zhixia frowned slightly, but did not cry out in pain.

Mo Sangwan took a bite of the pastry and asked indistinctly, "Sister, what is Sister Zhixia doing?"