After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Ning Nan took a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, something he hadn't done in a long time.

Despite being the top scholar in the imperial examinations, he had never been to the Hanlin Academy, yet his position was that of a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a first-class noble civil official of the sixth rank. Inside the carriage, he changed into a blue official robe and put on a black gauze hat.

When getting off the carriage.

Prince Jing, dressed in a white python robe, and several others in scarlet robes were already waiting for him.

At the city gate, a group of civil officials facing north were kowtowing and paying their respects to the Seventeenth Princess.

"This servant greets the Seventeenth Princess!"

A sea of ​​black people knelt down.

Although the word used was "slave" and the person knelt down, the voice was exceptionally strong and resonant, possessing a strange sense of neither servility nor arrogance, which can be considered a characteristic of the Northern Dynasties.

People were kneeling to welcome them, but they didn't join in the fun, lest they be forced to accept their greetings.

Princess Qingmian got off the carriage and exchanged a few perfunctory pleasantries with them.

Ning Nan couldn't hear clearly because they were quite far away, but Miss Zhu was truly extraordinary at this moment. With a slight tilt of her head, her demeanor as a princess captivated all the officials. She was completely different from the "Young Master Zhu" who had argued with him about whether the cuisine of Jiangnan or Jiangbei was superior.

Stepping onto the embroidered stool, the princess boarded the imperial carriage and, with a clang, drove into the city gate of Huai'an.

While Ning Nan was lost in thought, Duan Liang, the leader of the Northern Dynasty delegation, led a group of officials including Li Wei and Wei Fangtai to greet them.

"Li Wei of the Qing Dynasty—Greetings, Prince Jing!"

A tall, imposing official at the front hurried over.

The other person appeared to be middle-aged, with fair skin but numerous pimples on their face, and a warm, cheerful smile.

The composed Prince Jing smiled and said, "You are too polite, Lord Jie. Please rise."

Li Wei, courtesy name Youjie.

Li Wei quickly said with a smile:

"Your esteemed delegation has come from afar, and I, Li, have failed to greet you properly. I am deeply sorry for my rudeness. His Majesty has repeatedly instructed me to ensure that His Highness Prince Jing and your delegation are well received. A small banquet has been prepared in the city to welcome Your Highness and welcome you home."

This is quite different from the Li Wei I remember... but that's to be expected, and Ning Nan wasn't too surprised.

As the deputy envoy of the mission, he stood beside Jia Shi'an. When officials from both dynasties introduced each other to Li Wei and Prince Jing, it was naturally his turn soon.

"Vice Envoy Ning is indeed exceptionally handsome and a brilliant young man! No wonder he was the top scholar in your dynasty, achieving the highest honors in all three categories."

Li Wei seemed completely unconcerned about the feelings of Prince Yi's residence, and praised him a few times with a smile.

Others, such as Wei Fangtai and Shi Yizhi, reacted coldly to him.

Ning Nan smiled modestly: "You flatter me, Mr. Li."

Li Wei's burly figure was visually intimidating. His not-so-large eyes sized Ning Nan up and down, and he chuckled repeatedly:

"No wonder my Xinlian is always engrossed in Bai Xuan's poems, her hands never leaving his books, her eyes fixed on them. If she were to see Bai Xuan in person later, this lovesickness would..."

Wei Fangtai coughed and said, "Your Excellency..."

Li Wei immediately stopped talking and gave an awkward laugh: "I'm just a rough man, please excuse my rudeness."

But then he changed his tone, and with a hint of pleading, looked at Ning Nan and said hopefully:

"During the two days the delegation stays in Huai'an, if Bai Xuan has the time, would it be possible for my daughter to learn some poetry and literature from him?"

King Jing chuckled and interrupted, "Bai Xuan is the deputy envoy, and his duties are of great importance. If he slacks off, I can no longer be a leisurely king. If my niece likes poetry, there is a female Taoist priest, Master Xu, accompanying her in the delegation. Your daughter can exchange some pointers with Master Xu."

Ning Nan also laughed and said, "Bai Xuan hasn't written poetry for a long time. When it comes to selecting poems, Master Xu is no less capable than Bai Xuan."

A glint of light flashed in Li Wei's eyes, and he said with a smile, "In that case, I'll be troubling Your Highness, Bai Xuan, and Daoist Xu at that time."

Ning Nan's smile remained unchanged.

Daughter... Xinlian... Ning Nan raised an eyebrow and walked unhurriedly toward the carriage arranged by Huai'an City.

The banquet was held in the main hall of the government office.

Out of respect, no one was seated at the head of the table.

On the left sat various high-ranking officials from the Southern Dynasty's delegation.

On the right sat high-ranking officials from Huai'an, as well as several ambassadors from the Northern Dynasty delegation.

The sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.

The dancers in the hall sang one song after another, and the guests mingled and drank.

Ningnan ranked third, after Prince Jing and Jia Shi'an.

One dish after another was served: soft-shelled eel, Pingqiao tofu, turtle soup, sour soup fish balls... After a short while, each dish was taken away and replaced with something new for the distinguished guests.

The dancers in the hall performed a graceful dance, beginning with a water sleeve dance. Seven dancers, dressed in flowing white sleeves, their slender waists supple, moved with captivating grace and fluidity. After the dance, everyone clapped and cheered, shouting "Bravo!"

The lead dancer, a beautiful woman, moved with graceful steps and a smile on her lips as she offered a toast to King Jing: "This humble concubine greets King Jing of Great Liang, wishing Your Majesty a long and prosperous life!

King Jing chuckled, accepted the cup, and drank it down, repeatedly saying, "The charm of women from Jiangbei is no less than that of those from Jiangnan!"

I danced a few dances.

Whether it was Prince Jing, Jia Shi'an, Wu Yuanlei, or Li Wei, Wei Fangtai, and Duan Liang, they were all skilled at socializing. Throughout the banquet, everyone enjoyed the singing and dancing while engaging in lively conversation, and there was never a dull moment.

Ning Nan, seemingly a social novice, obediently drank and ate his food by himself.

His status was special; after all, he was the son-in-law of the Great Liang, so no dancing girls came to toast him.

At this moment, Li Wei, slightly tipsy, stood up with a smile and looked around the room:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next dance is performed by a troupe that I, Li, have specially brought from the capital. This woman is Zhen Susu, the most famous courtesan in the capital. She will perform a song called 'Green Waist' for you to enjoy."

"Great!" Everyone immediately applauded and cheered.

"Green Waist" is a large-scale musical piece from the Tang Dynasty.

Ning Nan glanced at it and saw that the musicians had changed.

A middle-aged woman holding a pipa began to lead the performance.

A woman wearing a white veil and a light red dress slowly walked into the main hall.

"Sing!" The sound of the pipa began, playing the opening notes.

The woman's waist bent gracefully, her steps light, and her jade-like hands clasped together, revealing glimpses of her forearms through her semi-transparent sleeves.

As the pipa's melody rose, she relaxed her body; as the melody fell, she arched her back, took a step forward, and her supple body, like a nimble cat, stretched out in an arc on the ground.

From the opening solo on the pipa to the middle section where drums and zithers intertwine, the woman's dance gradually quickens, her movements light and graceful. Finally, the pipa plays a "break" sound, and the woman's slender waist twists into a perfect curve in the air before landing lightly.

"good!"

Li Wei immediately shouted "Good!"

Immediately, officials on both sides applauded and cheered loudly.

Ning Nan smiled and clapped. Before the release of movies and television shows, he truly felt that tonight's dance was the most beautiful art he could appreciate.

Amid cheers, the woman with a veil slowly stood up, her face obscured.

Yet anyone could tell that she was an absolute beauty.

The woman's eyes flickered slightly, as if the dance had exhausted her energy, and she was now breathing heavily.

She bowed slightly to the officials on both sides, but did not immediately leave.

Instead, she turned gracefully, her eyes bright, and slowly walked towards Ning Nan's seat.