Xiao Changyi seemed not to notice Dongfang Tianyang’s meaningful smile and gaze at all, as he continued to pour drinks and offer dishes to his bride.
An Jing ate the meal while watching the maids dance, feeling quite as if it was a time of peace and prosperity.
When Dongfang Tianyang’s gaze fell on Tobanya’s face, a trace of amazement flashed in his eyes, and he immediately asked, "Who is that...?"
Tobanya herself didn’t notice anything amiss, but Meng Zhuqing, standing behind An Jing and Xiao Changyi, felt a sudden tightness in her chest.
Su Chengyu followed Dongfang Tianyang’s line of sight, then chuckled and said, "She is none other than King Sheng’s daughter, Tobanya."
Dongfang Tianyang promptly raised his wine glass toward Tobanya, "So it’s Princess Yao, my apologies, my apologies. It’s just that Princess Yao is so beautiful that I was taken aback, causing me to forget my manners. I hope the Commandery Princess will forgive me."
Tobanya was very resistant to Dongfang Tianyang complimenting her beauty in front of so many people.
It was because of her good looks that she caught Tao Shangran’s attention, leading to the tragic death of her Five Clans, and because of her beauty that Gong Juechen... had touched her body.
Although she was inwardly resistant, Tobanya’s expression did not reveal any of it. Even so, she raised her wine glass, faced Dongfang Tianyang, and with a cold yet polite tone said, "The Seventh Prince is too kind."
With that, she drank the wine in her glass.
This time Dongfang Tianyang did not gulp down his wine in one go but leisurely savored the wine in his glass while watching Tobanya’s cold demeanor, his expression even more profound than when watching Xiao Changyi serving An Jing wine and dishes earlier.
An Jing and Su Chengyu watched all of this, but they felt very different about it.
Su Chengyu thought that Dongfang Tianyang clearly took a liking to Tobanya. He could suggest to his emperor father to marry Tobanya off to Dongfang Tianyang, thus deepening the alliance between the two countries with a marital tie.
But An Jing felt that Dongfang Tianyang was quite extroverted, as if he wore everything on his face.
However, since Dongfang Tianyang had been sent on a mission to Xiyun, he couldn’t be a fool. Thus, she felt even more that Dongfang Tianyang might appear to wear everything on his face, but in reality, he did not.
Perhaps he was particularly crafty.
Subconsciously, An Jing’s gaze shifted to look at Meng Zhuqing, and seeing that she had masked her emotions very well without revealing any, An Jing felt relieved.
Dongfang Tianyang might have realized that An Jing was looking at Meng Zhuqing, because when An Jing withdrew her gaze, Dongfang Tianyang spoke up, asking, "Prince Yi, why does your guard wear a mask? Isn’t that greatly disrespectful to the Crown Prince?"
Xiao Changyi didn’t speak, only glancing coolly at Meng Zhuqing behind him.
Then Meng Zhuqing clasped her fist, with neither servility nor overbearingness, and told Dongfang Tianyang, "Seventh Prince, this General’s face is so unsightly that wearing a mask is lest disrespectful to His Highness."
"So it’s unsightly to the point of needing a mask, ah, I see," said Dongfang Tianyang with an expression of sudden realization.
But those words were quite hurtful.
Listening to this, Tobanya’s heart ached. She didn’t want Meng Zhuqing to be talked about like that, but she was powerless. Even though she was a Commandery Princess, in such a situation she couldn’t afford to utter a single wrong word.
Meng Zhuqing was one of their own; An Jing and Xiao Changyi couldn’t possibly allow Meng Zhuqing to be humiliated in front of so many people.
Besides, the other party was from Dongqing.
As a person from Xiyun, Meng Zhuqing being humiliated was an insult to the national dignity of the entire country of Xiyun.