The Qingxin Hall Banquet, the Third Princess's Unease
At the same time.
The welcoming banquet at the Qingxin Hall was subtly tense.
Princess Ling'a Li Yingluo, was sitting at the table, trying to appear calm and composed, attempting to demonstrate the demeanor befitting a princess and her sincerity in recruiting talented individuals.
She had even personally poured wine for Ye Li, and in her words she tried her best to maintain the utmost composure and enthusiasm, all to demonstrate how seriously she took the matter.
Aside from the lingering surprise, her heart was also filled with a long-lost sense of pride.
Having calmed down, she had already analyzed the pros and cons involved.
Although it's unclear why Ye Li would attract such a frantic attempt by Huai'an to win him over.
But the fact that Ye Li could make the usually dignified Eldest Princess Dasheng lose her composure shows that his value is definitely higher than the rumors suggest!
Li Yingluo disliked the Eldest Princess's style, but acknowledged her ability to recognize and utilize talent.
Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to keep Ye Li firmly by our side.
So this is truly the first time in her life that she has shown such a warm and welcoming attitude to outsiders.
They took in this incredibly unusual and bizarre scene.
The staff members in the audience all became extremely cautious.
Especially after feeling the immense, mountain-like pressure of a venerable being emanating from the young man, his original dissatisfaction vanished without a trace, and even his breathing became lighter.
Various gazes swept over Ye Li's calm and composed face and Princess Ling'an's forced smile, each carrying a different meaning.
"..."
Ye Li didn't seem to care much about these things, and his words carried a subtle, almost imperceptible, distance.
He just wanted to quickly resolve the issue of his backend Malice Points reaching their limit.
It should be noted that most of the Buddhist supreme beings in the Great Brahma Palace are eyeing him, the murderer, with covetous intent, and he happens to lack the confidence to overthrow them all.
Therefore, quickly improving one's own level has become the top priority at this stage.
The banquet did not last long.
Ye Li quickly put down his wine glass and asked directly:
"I remember the letter said I should visit [Shiguang Academy], but I don't know when I'm leaving?"
"First thing tomorrow morning," Li Yingluo quickly replied.
"See you tomorrow morning then. Where do I live?"
Ye Li's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination.
Is this because they are dissatisfied with the banquet?
Li Yingluo frowned slightly, but quickly smoothed it out.
The question lingered on her tongue, but she impulsively blurted it out, setting down her wine cup and nodding stiffly:
"You've just arrived in the Capital City; you must be tired from your journey. You should definitely rest early."
"As for accommodation, let's stay in a mansion in the Southern Region of the Capital City, near the academy."
As she spoke, she stood up, cleared her throat, and added, "The furnishings and servants for that mansion have already been arranged by my men. Baiyue!"
"This servant is here!" Baiyue immediately stepped forward.
"You will personally escort Ye Li to his residence without the slightest delay. I will be there to inspect him shortly!" Li Yingluo instructed.
She had never been good at making friends with people.
But this action should leave the other party with little room for criticism.
"Yes, sir!" Baiyue replied respectfully.
Thank you for your trouble.
Ye Li nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Li Yingluo's overture.
In his view, these were just basic courtesies, and whether they could continue to cooperate depended on the woman's future behavior.
He got up and walked out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his steps decisive and swift.
Baiyue quickly followed.
As she watched the dark figure disappear into the deep night outside the palace gates, Li Yingluo's slightly stiff smile instantly crumbled.
She let out a long sigh of relief, sat back down in the main seat, and didn't speak immediately.
He simply gazed thoughtfully at the nearly untouched delicacies on the table.
The hall was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.
After a long while, Li Yingluo hesitantly raised her head, looked at the many advisors below, and asked uncertainly:
"Do you think I'm being too attentive?"
"Personally pouring the wine and having Baiyue attend to me closely, won't he think I'm being too humble and thus losing the decorum of a princess? Won't that make him look down on me?"
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.
Ye Li's consistently calm and unwavering reaction made her feel as if she had punched a cotton ball; all her enthusiasm and goodwill went unanswered, and might even backfire.
Especially after witnessing the magnificent spectacle of the Empress at the airport, her own meager entourage and overly enthusiastic attitude seemed particularly inadequate in comparison.
"Your Highness, please do not worry!"
An elderly advisor with white hair and beard, possessing a composed demeanor, spoke first. After exchanging glances with those around him, he continued with a gentle smile:
"In our view, your actions today are not only without fault, but truly wise!"
"Exactly!" another middle-aged aide immediately echoed, his tone resolute.
"Although we are not very familiar with this Lord Ye, we can see that Her Eldest Princess values him highly!"
"If someone cares about pomp and circumstance, they should have joined the Eldest Princess's ranks back at the airport!"
"Yet he still steadfastly chose His Highness, valuing not His Highness's current strength or weakness, but His Highness's genuine sincerity in treating others!"
"Excellent!" another aide chimed in, his eyes gleaming. "His Highness personally hosted the banquet today, condescending to be so noble, and personally poured the imperial wine... all these actions demonstrate his sincere desire to seek out talented individuals!"
"This is the virtue of wise rulers of old who treated scholars with respect! That Lord Ye is clearly no ordinary person; how could he not see that?"
"Although he didn't say it explicitly before, he must have been moved!"
The advisors spoke one after another, their words seemingly sincere and every sentence seemingly reasonable, but in reality, they were merely judgments made based on the current situation.
In any case, the person the Eldest Princess is trying so hard to win over must be no ordinary person.
Since that's the case, praising it lavishly would not only demonstrate one's own vision and breadth of knowledge, but also appease the currently agitated ruler. Why not do it?
"..."
As Li Yingluo heard their unanimous high praise, her tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
The slight self-doubt in my heart, like a thin mist under the sunlight, vanished in the blink of an eye.
That makes sense.
Li Yingluo's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and a slight smile gradually appeared at the corners of her mouth:
"I was overthinking it."
Winning over such figures cannot be judged by ordinary standards.
The crooked and unethical methods employed by the Eldest Princess, such as using her power to oppress others, will not always work.
Moreover, Huai'an has a large number of trusted subordinates. Even if Ye Li went there, he would probably find it difficult to stand out. How could he have as many opportunities as he does under her command!
Now that the two sides have joined forces, they are bound to shine brightly in the future!
Thinking of this, Li Yingluo's heart began to surge with emotion. She immediately stood up, waved her hand, and laughed:
Meeting adjourned!
She couldn't wait to go to Ye Li's residence to ask him what help he needed or what his plans were!
The Immortal Sect Grand Competition, the Academy Dao Discussion... as long as the other party is willing, she is willing to arrange it for them at any cost!
If we act quickly enough, we might still be able to make it to the Great Sheng Court Assembly in two days!