“Miao Yin pays respects to Your Majesty and the Empress,” she announced loudly. “Thanks to Your Majesty and the Empress’s blessings, Miao Yin could bring glory to our great Qi Kingdom.”
The ultimate victor was my future sister-in-law, Xue Miao Yin.
This statement caused a public uproar. Various gazes converged on the graceful and beautiful woman on the stage.
Although the customs of the Great Qi Kingdom were considered relatively open, they could not compare to the gender equality tradition of Nanrui. In the perception of Qi Kingdom people, a proper young lady should be like Su Hui: elegant, reserved, empathetic, who would never directly express her desires, but instead…
The queen’s expression clearly showed some anger, while the emperor looked troubled. “This matter—” The Second Princess of Nanrui suddenly clapped and said loudly: “Good! I never expected Qi Kingdom to have such a bold and uninhibited woman. Your Majesty, this is a beautiful thing. Why not fulfill the wishes of these two lovers?” “Princess Zhaoyue speaks wisely,” Yan Huo put down his wine cup and nodded slightly: “I heard that Your Majesty promised before the competition to grant the Qi Kingdom champion one wish. Surely Your Majesty would be pleased to fulfill this lady’s wish?”
With the support of the royal families of Nanrui and Xiliang, the situation suddenly became favorable for Miao Yin. The Qi Emperor was caught in a dilemma, and the Crown Prince also spoke: “Miss Xue shows great courage. This son also requests that the Emperor fulfill this marriage.”
With public opinion unanimous, the Qi Emperor could no longer refuse, and could only order Su Quan to summon her elder brother. The elder brother and Xue Miao Yin exchanged a tacit glance, declaring their intentions before the Qi Emperor, willing to marry each other.
The Qi Emperor had no choice but to allow this marriage under everyone’s watchful eyes.
Finally, everyone was happy. My younger sister wiped away her tears, jumping and cheering, and even my father laughed heartily, repeatedly expressing his amazement. Only my mother seemed not to have reacted, standing there in a daze, and it took me a long time to gradually bring her back to her senses, still unable to believe this unexpected blessing.
