After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Among the men, Chu Yanzhao paused slightly in his fanning motion.

His gaze fell on Jiang Dusheng, a glint of light flashing in the depths of his eyes, and the usual gentle smile on his lips seemed to deepen.

The seats of the Duke of Xie's family were slightly forward, and Xie Jinchen was originally playing with his wine cup listlessly.

Hearing the commotion, he raised his eyelids, his gaze passing through the crowd and landing on that pale purple figure.

His stern eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly before returning to their usual indifference, though his fingers unconsciously rubbed the glass.

Princess Yongning smiled and nodded, indicating that there was no need for formalities. She then led Jiang Dusheng and Princess Zhaohua toward the seats below the throne.

However, before they could reach their seats, a middle-aged woman dressed in luxurious clothes and with an elegant demeanor greeted them with a smile.

Her gaze seemed to fall casually on Jiang Dusheng, who was standing beside Princess Yongning, and she asked in a gentle voice:

"Your Highness, it's been a long time since I've seen you. You've grown even more beautiful. However... the young lady beside you looks unfamiliar, but she has an extraordinary air about her. May I ask which family's daughter she is?"

Princess Yongning's smile remained unchanged as she calmly replied, "Your Highness has excellent eyesight. This is Jiang Dusheng, the eldest daughter of Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Rites."

As she spoke, she took Jiang Dusheng's hand, gestured for him to step forward slightly, and introduced him in a friendly tone: "Dusheng, this is Princess Consort Chun."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng habitually glanced at the other person's face and nodded slightly.

Princess Chun was also subtly observing Jiang Dusheng.

She was unable to attend the flower viewing banquet that day because she was praying at Huguo Temple, but afterwards she heard a lot about the remarkable deeds of this eldest daughter of the Jiang family.

He publicly refuted the censor's wife, subtly mocking her son and Jiang Wanqing in his words.

She had come today with a specific purpose in mind, wanting to see for herself what kind of woman she was.

Upon seeing him now, his appearance is indeed superb, especially the cinnabar dot on his forehead, which adds a unique charm.

However, the girl's gaze was too calm, even revealing a cold detachment, as if the esteemed princess before her was no different from anyone else.

This humble yet assertive attitude instinctively displeased Princess Chun, who was used to being flattered and fawned over.

The fact that Jiang Dusheng did not perform a proper bow to her at this moment further solidified the impression in the eyes of Princess Chun that he was "rude and arrogant."

She maintained her kind smile, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Dusheng's face, and sighed softly, her tone tinged with regret:

"So this is Dusheng. I've often heard Wanqing mention you. Seeing you today, it's true... what a pity."

The words "what a pity" were spoken lightly, yet they instantly stirred countless ripples in the hearts of those who were listening intently.

Is it a pity that the marriage agreement with Prince Chu was canceled?

It's a pity that someone with such good looks and demeanor grew up in the mountains and doesn't know the rules.

Or... does it have something else in mind?

Princess Yongning's eyes flickered slightly, naturally recognizing the barbed words hidden in her gentle words.

Her smile remained unchanged, but she subtly shifted her body, pulling Jiang Dusheng closer to her, her tone still gentle:

"Yes, I think Dusheng is a very good child. Let's go, the banquet is about to begin, let's not delay."

Jiang Dusheng obediently replied "Yes," without reacting to Princess Chun's meaningful comment.

This composure, ironically, made some people who were secretly observing her think even more highly of her.

The group finally took their seats.

Coincidentally, Princess Yongning's seat was located to the left of the throne, while the seat to the right of the throne was occupied by Prince Chun's family.

Further to the side were the seats for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

Jiang Dusheng sat next to Princess Yongning. Her gaze swept across the seats opposite her and naturally met that of Chu Yanzhao, who was looking at her with a smile.

When Chu Yanzhao saw her looking at him, he gently waved his folding fan, and his warm smile deepened.

He even slightly raised his wine glass, his posture elegant and his meaning ambiguous.

Jiang Dusheng frowned imperceptibly. Dining in front of this hypocritical mask would probably make even the most exquisite dishes prepared by the imperial chefs lose their flavor.

Her gaze shifted slightly, landing on Xie Jinchen's handsome profile.

Hmm, it's still more comforting to eat while looking at this face.

However, her quick glance, frown, and then looking away had a completely different meaning in the eyes of Princess Chun, who was secretly watching her.

She felt that the eldest daughter of the Jiang family had clearly been spying on her son, and immediately turned her head away, feigning modesty, after being discovered.

Such a tactic of feigning indifference was utterly clumsy and laughable in the eyes of a noblewoman like her, who had spent many years immersed in the inner workings of the household.

"He's just a country bumpkin, not presentable at all." Princess Chun sneered inwardly, her dislike for Jiang Dusheng growing even stronger.

At that moment, Xie Jinchen, who was sitting opposite Jiang Dusheng, was about to drink when he inadvertently looked up and caught Jiang Dusheng's quick glance at him.

Something seemed to stir in his cold, desolate eyes, like an almost invisible speck of dust falling onto the surface of a frozen lake.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the wine in his glass, along with that inexplicable strange feeling.

Just then, a louder and clearer announcement came from outside the hall, the voice of the eunuch in charge of ceremonies resounding throughout the palace:

"The Emperor and Empress have arrived!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince and Princess Yongxi have arrived!"

In an instant, the clamor in the hall was cut off as if by an invisible hand, and the music ceased.

Everyone's expression turned solemn, and they all faced the direction of the imperial steps, bowing their heads in reverence.

"Welcome Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, Your Highness the Crown Prince, and Princess Yongxi! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The hem of her clothes rustled, and her jade pendants jingled softly.

Jiang Dusheng had no interest in these tedious court etiquettes and was too lazy to bow and sway along with them.

Seeing everyone stand up, she flicked her finger and set up a simple, slightly misleading spell.

To onlookers, the light and shadow around her appeared slightly distorted, as if she had blended naturally into her surroundings, and did not attract any particular attention. They simply assumed that she had risen and bowed as usual.

She herself remained seated calmly, even casually picking up a piece of pastry and putting it in her mouth.

After doing all that, she casually glanced across the other side and was surprised to find that there was still one person who hadn't moved.

Xie Jinchen seemed even more arrogant than her, too lazy to even use any tricks. He simply leaned lazily against the large chair, one hand on the armrest, the other still playing with the empty white jade wine cup.

He lowered his eyelids slightly, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows on his pale skin, as if everything before him had nothing to do with him.

The seat next to him, which belonged to the Duke of Zhenguo, was empty, suggesting that he had not attended the birthday banquet.

Jiang Dusheng raised an eyebrow slightly; it seemed that the current emperor was more tolerant of this young master than she had imagined.

She stopped looking at him and turned her gaze to the steps above the palace.