GTB Chapter 169

Chapter 171: Why Doesn’t the Seventh Prince Like Me?

Shí Yuánchén nodded in relief, glanced at Jiāng Jiǔchū in the arena, and gossiped, “Does Seventh Sister-in-law really like playing chess that much? Does she pester you to play every night?”

Shí Yǎn rolled his eyes at him and used his folding fan to push away the gossiping face that was getting too close.

The crowd in the arena watched the two playing chess, each with a complicated expression.

Some people who didn’t know Shí Yǎn well shook their heads, feeling that this Seventh Prince was such a wastrel that he didn’t have the slightest thought of vying for the throne. Such a good opportunity, yet he just gave it up like that.

Shí Xiū was different from the others. He didn’t think that Shí Yǎn had no designs on that position, but he didn’t expect that Shí Yǎn would go to such lengths for Jiāng Jiǔchū.

In his opinion, only his feelings for Jiāng Jiǔchū were the purest in this world, as pure as their first meeting.

At that time, the heavy rain came unexpectedly, and they met by chance. He wasn’t a prince, and she was just a passerby. He… still yearned for that time.

At the banquet, the happiest people were the Jiāng family.

Madam Yè now liked Shí Yǎn more and more. She wasn’t too surprised that Shí Yǎn rejected the princess, but she didn’t expect him to reject her so decisively.

Jiāng Jiǔchè and Jiāng Yuǎn felt that it was only natural. Their Chū’er was so good, of course she deserved Shí Yǎn’s wholehearted devotion.

Shí Qīngyǎ was a little surprised. She was surprised that her seemingly frivolous Seventh Brother could do so much for Chū’er.

After a stick of incense had burned, Xiāo Lì, with red nail polish on her fingers, held a chess piece for a long time without putting it down.

She smiled and directly threw the chess piece in her hand, raised her eyes to look at Jiāng Jiǔchū, and asked, “Seventh Princess Consort, what is your name?”

Jiāng Jiǔchū smiled and said, “Princess, my surname is Jiāng, and my name is Jiǔchū. You can call me Jiǔchū. Thank you for your concession in this game.”

“Jiǔchū, as seeing you now is like seeing you the first time, the first memory lasts for a long time.” Xiāo Lì smiled as she looked at Jiāng Jiǔchū, “Seventh Princess Consort’s appearance matches her name very well.”

Xiāo Lì’s words not only made Jiāng Jiǔchū stunned, but also made Shí Yǎn, who was sitting in the front row and heard clearly, darken his eyes. He had an impulse to pull Jiāng Jiǔchū back to him.

Jiāng Jiǔchū was stunned for a moment, then smiled at Xiāo Lì, who was smiling at her, and said, “You flatter me, Princess. Your beauty is also stunning, and your beautiful face shines like the sun.”

After she finished speaking, she neatly got up and left, so that Shí Yuánchén could take the stage.

However, before Shí Yuánchén could come up, Xiāo Lì said to Emperor Yuè’ān at the head of the table, “Your Majesty, I hit it off with the Seventh Princess Consort. I’m sure we can get along harmoniously and share a husband.”

Her words instantly stirred up whispers among the people in the arena. People didn’t understand why Shí Yǎn had obviously rejected this princess, but why did she still insist on choosing Shí Yǎn among so many princes?

Shí Jìn and the Fourth Prince glared at Shí Yǎn with unfriendly expressions. Never before had they felt that Shí Yǎn’s face was so annoying.

And Jiāng Jiǔchū, who had just walked back to her seat and hadn’t had time to sit down, was also stunned by Xiāo Lì’s words.

So, this princess praised her a few words just to appear that they hit it off and have an excuse to marry Shí Yǎn?

Shí Yǎn looked at Xiāo Lì and ruthlessly refused, “I don’t like you. Princess, please choose another good husband!”

Emperor Yuè’ān’s smile, which had just widened, instantly retracted because of Shí Yǎn’s words. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Xiāo Lì ask his son:

“Seventh Prince, why don’t you like me? Do you think I’m not as beautiful as the Seventh Princess Consort?”

Shí Yǎn shook his head, “Even if you are as beautiful as a celestial being, I just don’t like you.”

Xiāo Lì didn’t get angry at all when she heard this, and smiled as she looked at Shí Yǎn and replied, “It seems that what Seventh Prince is looking at is not appearance, then it’s because Seventh Prince doesn’t understand me.”

After she finished speaking, she directly looked at Emperor Yuè’ān, “Your Majesty, I want to… I want to dedicate a dance, so that people who don’t understand me can understand me more.”

“Good, good, good.” Emperor Yuè’ān echoed with a smile. He was very fond of the idea of the Northern Kingdom’s princess choosing Shí Yǎn.

Although he was confused about some things, he could see clearly that Shí Yǎn was the best among his sons.

Jiāng Jiǔchū tilted her head and glanced at Shí Yǎn, wondering why a man had to be so good-looking?

And this princess, can a dance make people understand her? Was she sure she wasn’t trying to show off her elegance in front of her future husband?

Shí Yǎn noticed Jiāng Jiǔchū’s gaze, and took a sip of the tea in front of him with a somewhat embarrassed expression. He really wanted that princess to stop dancing. He didn’t want to watch.

But she didn’t name him specifically to dedicate the dance to him, so he naturally couldn’t take the initiative to go up.

Shí Yuánchén, who was on the side, became more and more disgusted with Xiāo Lì in the arena. What did this princess mean? Did she think he wasn’t worthy to be at the table?

Hmph! Choosing his Seventh Brother was just asking for humiliation. He’d see how his Seventh Brother would ruthlessly reject her later.

In the arena, the crisp sound of the flute intertwined with bursts of drumbeats.

Xiāo Lì, dressed in red, threw the red ribbons hanging from her wrist to both sides with the sound of a heavy drum, and then began to dance. Her figure was graceful, and her hands were like boneless snakes, enchanting but not losing her heroic spirit.

No one in Dong Yue Kingdom had ever seen this kind of dance, and they were all fascinated by it.

Jiāng Jiǔchū inconspicuously glanced at Shí Yǎn, and saw that he was shaking his folding fan while looking at Xiāo Lì in the arena.

Jealousy surged in her heart, and she remembered the *Seventy-Two Stratagems* that her mother had given her, which said that a dance could be stunning.

When her master taught her the arts, it seemed that he also said that a dance could win a man’s heart, which showed that men all loved dancing.

She tilted her head to look at Shí Yǎn, who was staring at the arena, and didn’t know if it was because of jealousy, or if she just wanted to ask clearly, “Does Your Highness like watching dances?”

Although Shí Yǎn’s eyes were facing Xiāo Lì, who was dancing gracefully in the arena, the corner of his eye was paying attention to Jiāng Jiǔchū’s expression. Seeing her ask, the corners of his lips curled up imperceptibly, and he replied in a low voice, “It’s okay, I guess.”

Jiāng Jiǔchū picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip, secretly thinking in her heart, “It’s okay” meant he liked it!

Thinking like this, she had some ideas for her strategy after returning to the residence.

The crowd in the arena was attracted by Xiāo Lì’s dance, and they were all watching intently.

Seeing that Jiāng Jiǔchè seemed to be watching with fascination, Shí Qīngyǎ deliberately leaned closer to Jiāng Jiǔchè, her eyes falling on Xiāo Lì, who was spinning and dancing, and whispered:

“Husband, who do you think is better, this princess’s dance or Chū’er’s umbrella dance? Or which one do men like more?”

Jiāng Jiǔchè smiled and leaned close to Shí Qīngyǎ’s ear, “My wife’s dance is the most beautiful.”

Shí Qīngyǎ pushed Jiāng Jiǔchè’s chest with the hand holding her handkerchief, “Stop being glib, I’m asking you a question!”

Jiāng Jiǔchè stopped joking, “Of course my sister’s is better, what do you think, wife?”

“Well! They are all different! This princess’s dance is bewitching and passionate, Chū’er’s umbrella dance has high skills, is gentle and heroic, bright and delicate, and graceful. It still depends on what you men like. After all, don’t men all like bewitching and seductive women?”

After Shí Qīngyǎ finished speaking, she looked at Xiāo Lì’s boneless figure, and felt that probably no man would not be moved!

Jiāng Jiǔchè shook his head, “Princess is wrong, I don’t know about other men, but I don’t like this kind of dance. It’s too simple, only those who can’t restrain their lust will like it. I don’t like it.”

After he finished speaking, he didn’t look at the arena again, fearing that Shí Qīngyǎ would think that he was attracted by the Northern Kingdom princess’s dance.