Luck Reliant Beauty – CH 082

Chapter 82: The Messenger Arrives

Upon hearing this, Jiang Mi immediately knew that Wang Cheng and Li Jian had made significant progress regarding Chengzhou and that they had reported this progress to the Emperor of Shu. The Emperor of Shu, who was wholeheartedly focused on acquiring Chengzhou, was naturally deeply moved by this unexpected assistance.

Just then, Jiang Mi heard Cui Zi Xuan’s deep voice: “It needs to be investigated.”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Mi glanced at Cui Zi Xuan discreetly, thinking to herself, “If he knew that I was the one who suggested things to Wang Cheng and Li Jian…”

While Jiang Mi was still lost in thought, Cui Zi Xuan had already stood up. He turned and ordered, “You few, take Princess Yihua back to the mansion.”

After arranging the guards, he turned back to Jiang Mi. Meeting her rosy, baby-faced features, just like every time before, Cui Zi Xuan felt his mood instantly improve. He reached out and stroked Jiang Mi’s hair, chuckling softly, “Go back first. I’ll come find some time to play with you.”

Jiang Mi thought with a dark expression, “I’m not a child. Besides, who wants to play with you?”

Unexpectedly, Cui Zi Xuan, seeing her dark face and chubby cheeks, reached out and pinched her cheek. So, when Jiang Mi left the room, she covered her face with one hand, her eyes brimming with tears…

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As Jiang Mi was escorted out by Cui Zi Xuan’s guards, the stunningly beautiful woman from the Lu Clan of Fanyang and her maids stood on either side, watching Jiang Mi leave with complex expressions.

Especially those maids, each of them surpassing Jiang Mi in beauty and bearing, yet as Jiang Mi walked past them, they were momentarily stunned to realize: this Princess Yihua was the same kind of person as the Cui family’s Young Master…

…Whether it was Cui Zi Xuan or Jiang Mi, they were solemnly welcomed into the room by several powerful young masters. Upon their exit, those young masters also gave them slight nods of respect! Such treatment and respect, in the four maids’ understanding, was unparalleled among ordinary women, except for top-tier ladies like their own Young Lady from The Five Noble Houses and Seven Surnames.

And so, Jiang Mi was ostentatiously escorted back to Princess’s Mansion by Cui Zi Xuan’s guards.

Upon returning to the mansion, Jiang Mi was immediately surrounded by the Three Mothers. After meticulously questioning Jiang Mi about her itinerary for the past half day, the Three Mothers were overjoyed. Mother Gui exclaimed happily, “This is wonderful! Even the young master and young lady of the Lu Clan of Fanyang are so courteous to our Princess. Just talking about it will elevate her reputation to another level!”

Mother Li added with delight, “The Princess’s timing in showcasing her talent is excellent. That Young Lady of the Lu Clan of Fanyang tried to intimidate the Princess, but unexpectedly, the Princess turned the tables on her. Now that you’ve outmaneuvered her, the young lady must be incredibly frustrated, right?”

Mother Gong also smiled and said, “This old servant never expected the Princess to possess such talent. This talent is wonderful; it’s the most useful kind of talent. In these chaotic times, the Princess finally has a trump card to protect her life and fortune.”

However, Jiang Mi, who had just been beaming with pride from the Three Mothers, immediately felt miserable again: because the Mothers felt that since she finally had the chance to learn Zhao Feiyan’s “Palm Dance,” Jiang Mi should learn it even if it meant staying up all night… “Palm Dance” was a dance that had been lost for many years. Once Jiang Mi learned it, it would become her unique skill. Whether used to please men or in other situations, this dance would greatly enhance her appeal.

Especially Mother Li; in her eyes, even if the Southern Tang army were to invade Shu Capital one day, if Jiang Mi, whose appearance was only average to above average, could perform such a dance before the Southern Tang Emperor, she could go from being a soldier’s plaything to becoming the Emperor’s consort… She really thought far ahead!

…

In the blink of an eye, several days passed.

On this day, Shu Capital suddenly became lively.

This liveliness was a liveliness that seemed tinged with tension, yet also mixed with novelty. At noon, Jiang Mi had just finished her dance practice, bathed, and changed clothes when a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside. Immediately afterward, Fan Yuxiu called out loudly, “Ah’Mi, Ah’Mi, are you there?”

Jiang Mi quickly replied, “I’m here.”

Fan Yuxiu giggled. “Then hurry up and come out. I told you, you haven’t left the house these past few days; you probably don’t know that envoys from Southern Tang and Nanping State are coming to Shu Capital, do you?”

Jiang Mi certainly knew some of this news, but she was still surprised to hear it. “Did the envoys arrive early?” she asked.

Fan Yuxiu exclaimed, “How did you know?” Then she chuckled, “Anyway, never mind. Let me tell you, Jiang Mi, I heard that among the envoys from Southern Tang and Chu State this time, there are several incredibly handsome men. Hehe, everyone’s dressed up beautifully and getting ready to go outside the city to greet them. Are you coming?”

Jiang Mi hummed in agreement and said, “Wait for me a moment.” After a while, Jiang Mi finally came out.

Seeing Jiang Mi emerge in her splendid attire, Fan Yuxiu paused, tilting her head to scrutinize her for a moment before muttering, “I think you’ve grown even more beautiful.”

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Jiang Mi was taken aback. She thought of the stunning beauty of the Lu Clan of Fanyang and her four beautiful maids, and the vast difference between her own appearance and theirs. She shook her head, saying, “Probably not. Even if I were, I’d be just average…”

Jiang Mi, however, completely forgot that her mother, at her age, hadn’t been considered particularly beautiful either.

Fan Yuxiu, not wanting to dwell on this, rushed over, took Jiang Mi’s hand, and hurried outside. As she walked, she said happily, “The Elder Brothers said this envoy’s intentions weren’t good. But we young ladies don’t care about that; we just want to see handsome men.”

As she spoke, she noticed Jiang Mi tilting her head, deep in thought. She didn’t know what Jiang Mi was thinking, but the light in her eyes seemed quite wise, which once again reminded Fan Yuxiu of her father.

Fan Yuxiu pouted, then remembered why she hadn’t come to see Jiang Mi in anger, and asked resentfully, “Why did you deliberately come to me that day to show off your relationship with Cui Zi Xuan?” Fan Yuxiu glared at Jiang Mi and shouted unhappily, “Although I used to have feelings for Young Master Cui, there are so many young ladies in the world who have feelings for him; I’m just one of them… Why did you specifically come here to show off? Are you afraid I’ll steal your Young Master Cui? Do you think I, Fan Yuxiu, am that kind of person?”

Jiang Mi’s face immediately fell, and she hurriedly explained in a low voice, “No…it’s Cui Zi Xuan who made me come to you that day. Really, you have to believe me; he threatened me…”

Jiang Mi didn’t finish her sentence because Fan Yuxiu started laughing coldly.

The two young ladies glared at each other for a while until finally, Fan Yuxiu sneered, “How interesting. The Shu State’s Young Master Cui, admired by young ladies everywhere and having seen countless beauties since he was old enough to understand, is actually threatening someone as insignificant as you…”

Seeing Jiang Mi immediately shut her mouth tightly and lower her head listlessly, Fan Yuxiu huffed, her tone softening, “Fine, I’m always magnanimous; I can’t be bothered with you. Let’s go, or we’ll miss those handsome men!”

…

The people of Shu were naturally passionate and loved excitement, and the news of the arrival of several Shu State envoys had almost caused a stir in Shu Capital. When Jiang Mi and her companion walked onto the street, they saw elegantly dressed noblewomen riding spirited horses everywhere. Of course, there were also many young men.

Like Fan Yuxiu, Jiang Mi was also on horseback. As soon as their horses entered the street, they were joined by the throng of riders, flowing towards the East Gate.

When Jiang Mi arrived at the East Gate, she was astonished to find a ten-mile-long human wall already formed outside. Rows of beautifully dressed young ladies from Shu lined both sides of the Official Road, their fragrant scents filling the air even before they got close.

Suddenly, Fan Yuxiu exclaimed excitedly, “Ah, Cui Zi Xuan is over there… Ah’Mi, look! Your Young Master Cui is over there!”

Jiang Mi followed Fan Yuxiu’s gaze.

It turned out that dozens of people were also standing on the north city wall behind them, and among them, Cui Zi Xuan, handsome as the blazing sun, stood out the most.

At this moment, Fan Yuxiu looked at the people standing next to Cui Zi Xuan and asked curiously, “Who are these people standing next to Young Master Cui? Why are they all wearing veils?”

Jiang Mi quietly said from the side, “They should be the young masters and young ladies of the Lu Clan of Fanyang and the Wang Clan of Taiyuan…”

Before Jiang Mi could finish speaking, Fan Yuxiu screamed, “Ah—!” Her scream was so excited and thrilling that Jiang Mi was stunned and fell silent. To Jiang Mi’s relief, the people of Shu were very hospitable. Although Fan Yuxiu’s screams were loud, the surrounding laughter and chatter were equally loud, so it didn’t attract much attention.

Seeing Jiang Mi staring at her expressionlessly, Fan Yuxiu grabbed her shoulders and shook her while exclaiming, “Ahhh, that’s a scion of the Five Noble Houses and Seven Surnames… Ahhh, back when Cui Zi Xuan first came to Shu Capital, even the Crown Prince personally came to greet him… Ahhh, when Young Master Cui arrived on a white horse, the whole city fell silent the moment he removed his veil, and even the Crown Prince walking beside him looked like a nouveau riche… What a sight that was! What a magnificent scene! Ahhh, how could you just casually mention the names Lu Clan of Fanyang and Wang Clan of Taiyuan?”

After a period of screaming and shaking Jiang Mi until she was dizzy, Fan Yuxiu finally calmed down. She gazed longingly at the city wall for a while, then murmured, “Actually, after seeing Young Master Cui, I’m not too curious about anyone else… Sigh, Young Master Cui, ever since you took a liking to Ah’Mi, I’ve been too embarrassed to fall in love with you every time I see you.”

…

On the city wall.

Cui Zi Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression serious. His seriousness, combined with his black robes, even gave him an air of quiet authority.

Standing beside Cui Zi Xuan was the Young Master of the Wang Clan of Taiyuan. Like Cui Zi Xuan, Young Master Wang’s eyes were fixed on the dust rising at the end of the Official Road. After a while, he said in a low voice, “Speaking of which, these States south of the Yangtze River have mostly recovered. It’s quite normal for them to spy on each other now, and if the situation is favorable, it’s not surprising that war breaks out again.”