Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

"The Crown Prince's sister-in-law?"

Upon hearing Lu Ming's words, Xiao Xiao, who was still earnestly eating her snacks, quickly dropped the osmanthus cake in her hand and immediately perked up.

She quickly got up, rushed to the window, her eyes shining like stars as she searched for Ling Xi's figure.

"I wasn't in Jinling on the day of the palace banquet, so I didn't get to see my sister-in-law, the Crown Princess. I haven't felt comfortable for days. Everyone in Jinling says that my sister-in-law, who came from the State of Chu, is a beauty that is rare in the world. Today, I'm going to take a good look at her."

Xiao Xiao's gaze swept quickly across the crowd, then suddenly stopped.

The long street was bustling with people, and the sight of elegantly dressed people was commonplace. But that one white figure stood out from the crowd like moonlight falling into the mortal world.

With her delicate features and graceful figure, she seemed to make everything around her appear blurred, even though she was just standing there quietly.

"Is it her?"

Xiao Xiao turned around, pointed in Ling Xi's direction, and asked Lu Ming.

Lu Ming glanced in the direction she pointed and nodded seriously.

"Your Highness, that is indeed the Crown Prince's Consort."

Xiao Ce's gaze passed over the window railing, and in just one glance, his eyes were fixed on it.

The streets were bustling with people and filled with noise, yet she alone stood out. The wind gently lifted the hem of her white dress, making her resemble a pure lotus flower, untouched by worldly dust.

She stood in front of the vendor, tilting her head slightly, her eyes filled with a sense of novelty and curiosity, her fingertips still holding a string of bright red candied hawthorns.

Even though she was mixed in with the crowd, she seemed to have a gentle halo around her. The liveliness was for others to see; her clean and vibrant appearance was impossible to ignore.

"My sister-in-law, the Crown Princess, is so beautiful! Just as the rumors say, she looks like a fairy from a painting!"

Xiao Xiao had seen many beauties since she was a child, but she felt that none of them were as stunning as her sister-in-law, the Crown Princess.

"She was from the State of Chu..."

Xiao Ce's voice turned cold again when Ling Xi was mentioned.

"Brother Ce... are you blaming Sister-in-law for Brother Mo's death?"

Xiao Xiao only knew that Xiao Mo had died on the battlefield, but she did not know that the person who fought against him was Ling Xi's brother's subordinate.

She turned her head to look at Xiao Ce, whose eyes were clearly filled with a hint of coldness.

"Brother Ce...don't you like your sister-in-law?"

He didn't answer, but his meaning was quite clear.

"But I feel... that the Crown Princess is also quite pitiful. She came to our Great Liang alone, far from her homeland, with no one to rely on and no relatives or friends. If my uncle were to send me to another country for a marriage alliance, I'm afraid I would be crying every day."

Xiao Xiao was straightforward and spoke her mind. When she compared herself to the person in question, she suddenly felt a little sad, and the corners of her lips drooped.

Lu Ming had been with Xiao Ce for too long and had become accustomed to being cold-hearted, so he wasn't as sentimental as Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Ce's fingertips, which were tapping the teacup, suddenly stopped, and his originally indifferent expression showed a slight pause.

Xiao Xiao was right. In fact, she hadn't done anything wrong, but he couldn't help it. Whenever he saw her, he would always be reminded of his brother's death.

"Lu Ming! Bring her up."

"Yes."

His voice was cold and indifferent, making it impossible to guess his emotions.

Xiao Xiao was somewhat excited because she could finally get a good look at her stunningly beautiful sister-in-law up close.

She leaned against the window, her hands gripping the sill, her phoenix eyes wide with curiosity, her face revealing her eager anticipation.

"Yongle, sit down."

Xiao Xiao glanced sideways and saw that he was still drinking tea with a cold face, and pouted.

She also admired Brother Ce; he could be so ruthless in the face of such stunning beauty.

As soon as Ling Xi stepped onto the last wooden step to the second floor, she saw Xiao Ce sitting casually by the window.

He remained as aloof and stern as ever, expressionless, his long, slender hands holding a blue teacup, while his other hand rested casually on a chair post.

"Sister-in-law, the Crown Princess!"

It wasn't until he heard a clear and melodious voice that Ling Xi noticed a young girl in red sitting opposite him.

She wore a light red and gold brocade dress that reached her chest, with a light-colored gauze over it. Two pearl and jade hairpins adorned her temples, making her look charming and lively yet elegant.

Calling her sister-in-law suggests she's a noblewoman from the royal family.

Like Xiao Ce, the little girl had a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes. Although they had the same eyes, it was clear that they had completely different personalities.

Ling Xi was already feeling uneasy when she saw Lu Ming, and when he said that Xiao Ce had invited her over, she felt terrible.

All the way, he was thinking of an excuse to explain to Xiao Ce why he, a person who was confined to his home, would appear on Fengyang Street in Jinling City.

"Sister-in-law, come and sit down!"

Before Ling Xi even got close, the young girl stood up. It was clear that she welcomed her, but she kept a close eye on Xiao Ce's expression, while he seemed less certain.

Why are you here?

Sure enough, while Ling Xi was still bent over and sitting down, he spoke.

"I……"

"Oh dear, Brother Ce! The Crown Princess must be here shopping! What else could it be?"

Before Ling Xi could speak, Xiao Xiao interrupted her. Clearly, she was unaware of his confinement at the Prince Rui's residence, and Ling Xi naturally had no intention of mentioning it.

"Sister-in-law, Princess Consort, I am Xiao Xiao, Xiao as in dashing and carefree. My father is Prince Yu."

It turned out she was the only daughter of Prince Yu. Before Ling Xi came to Daliang, her brother had introduced her to the royal family of Daliang.

Prince Rui was aloof and taciturn, decisive in his actions, and in charge of the Ministry of War, responsible for the defense of the capital region and the deployment of border troops.

Prince Yu was gentle and refined, and as gentle as jade, he was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for salt, iron, grain transport, taxes and grain.

The reason why the Great Liang Dynasty was so powerful was not only because the emperor was diligent and wise, but also because the two princes were selfless and worked together to support the country. They never formed cliques or pursued personal gain, nor did they covet power. They only cared about the country and worked together to assist in governing.

When the two countries were negotiating peace and agreed to a marriage alliance to stabilize their relationship, the Chu Kingdom was reluctant to marry her off to them. So they proposed that a member of the Chu royal family marry into the Liang Kingdom. That's when Ling Xi heard about Xiao Xiao's name.

In their Great Liang, only Xiao Ce and Xiao Xiao are not yet married. Xiao Xiao is the only daughter of Prince Yu and is still young, so naturally the Great Liang side is unwilling to allow it.

Ling Xi slightly tugged at the corners of her lips. She hadn't expected that the young girl in front of her had almost suffered the same fate as her, being forced into a political marriage.

But Ling Xi wasn't familiar with her and couldn't be as at ease as she was, especially in front of Xiao Ce.

"How did you get out?"

Xiao Ce still didn't have a good look on his face, and Ling Xi even suspected that he was always like this.

"How did you get out?"

Xiao Xiao was completely confused, her gaze shifting curiously between the two of them.

Ling Xi lowered her eyes and understood. It seemed that there was no need to hide the matter of the Prince Rui's mansion from this young county princess.

With their unparalleled skills, the Prince Rui's mansion couldn't stop them at all; they could simply find an empty wall and climb over it.

"Climb over the wall..."

"Using a VPN!?"