Kang Luo paused for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you!"

Ning Chen looked around the hall. "Where's this Seventh Princess, then? This prince is very curious. What kind of beauty gets Little Kangzi so hot and bothered he'll trade cities for her?"

The corner of Kang Luo's mouth twitched. Hot and bothered — is that really the right way to put it?

"The Prince Who Holds the Realm jests. You have beauties all around you. Is there a beauty anywhere you have never seen?"

Ning Chen was about to answer when the Nanyue State Preceptor gave a nasty laugh. "I hear that among my lord prince's women there is one out of a pleasure house. My lord prince is broad-minded indeed."

Everyone in the hall was taken aback. To sneer at this legend of the Great Xuan to his face — the Nanyue State Preceptor had guts.

Pan Yucheng stole a glance at Ning Chen.

Ning Chen was staring at the Nanyue State Preceptor. A dark, cold smile had seeped into the corners of his mouth, and his eyes had gone colder still.

The Gaoli ruler saw it and hurried to smooth things over. "Our kingdom's marriage with Nanyue is a happy occasion... and the Prince Who Holds the Realm of the Great Xuan coming to us as envoy makes it happier still.

This emperor hopes that our three kingdoms may live in peace from now on, and keep watch and help one another.

Come, let us all raise our cups together!"

Ning Chen looked at the Gaoli ruler, and his mouth curved.

The old fellow had worked out a fine plan for himself.

What he meant was: our kingdom may be marrying into Nanyue, but we want to be on good terms with the Great Xuan too.

Wanting it both ways. Where in the world was there a deal that good?

He slowly raised his cup and drank it off.

When the banquet broke up, Ning Chen went out with Pan Yucheng.

Kang Luo came out after him and stood watching Ning Chen's back, lost in thought.

The Nanyue…