WBSGVS Chapter 198 V1

It had only been a day, yet Qingli returned once again to the Prime Minister’s estate.

Today, all the visitors were close female friends of the bride, coming to escort her as part of the traditional send-off.

Qingli, of course, wasn’t one of Cheng Ningyu’s close friends, but she was here because Cheng Ningyu had specifically written to Sima Qinghe, asking her to bring someone along.

According to Sima Qinghe, the letter had arrived just in time—she was about to leave when she received it.

After reading it, she turned back and invited Qingli to accompany her to the Prime Minister’s estate for the send-off.

She had expected her younger royal sister, who rarely spoke in a socially conventional way, to reject the invitation outright. To her surprise, Qingli agreed. The two of them arrived together in the same carriage at the Prime Minister’s gates.

As always, the estate was bustling with guests. When the curtain was lifted, Sima Qinghe said, “You go ahead first, little sister.”

Qingli nodded and stepped down from the carriage.

The moment she stepped out, the surrounding gazes immediately focused on her, just like the day before.

Yesterday, she had arrived late in the afternoon, with only lanterns providing light. Naturally, it was hard to see clearly. But now it was early morning, and the sunlight was perfect. Even those standing farther away could see her clearly, and a wave of gasps rippled through the crowd.

Soon after, Sima Qinghe also stepped down and stood beside Qingli. As they stood shoulder to shoulder, the murmuring grew noticeably louder.

Even Sima Qinghe, who was widely recognized as the most beautiful woman in Jin, and who was used to being admired wherever she went, felt unusually uncomfortable this time, because all those gazes weren’t directed at her. Or rather, not just at her. They were comparing her to someone else.

With a light smile, Sima Qinghe said, “Just follow my lead.”

She had attended many events like this and felt responsible for guiding her younger sister.

Qingli gave a calm nod, surprisingly unfazed by all the attention.

This caught Sima Qinghe off guard, though it wasn’t entirely unexpected. After all, Sima Qingli was never someone you could judge by conventional standards. She had known that since the day they first met in the Cold Palace.

As the two of them stepped over the tall threshold, someone in the crowd raised their voice slightly and said, “Yesterday, the young lady from the Yi family claimed the title of ‘Most Beautiful Woman in Jin’ was just something Princess Leqin gave away. But now that the two of them are standing together, I honestly think Princess Leyi outshines her.”

The voice wasn’t particularly loud, just slightly more distinct than the background noise.

The speaker’s tone was calm and self-assured—someone of status. But their tactless remark silenced the crowd, commenting stand out even more.

Both Qingli and Sima Qinghe heard it.

Sima Qinghe’s smile froze. She couldn’t help glancing at the woman beside her—her features were bold and striking, enhanced only by a touch of makeup, yet already incredibly beautiful. Sima Qinghe quickly looked away and resumed walking as if nothing had happened—but her steps were noticeably less fluid.

Still, she had already etched Qingli’s face firmly in her mind.

From the first time she saw Sima Qingli, she knew this younger sister was far more beautiful than she had imagined—almost overwhelmingly so.

In comparison, Sima Qinghe was acutely aware of her shortcomings when standing beside her. She wasn’t as tall, her beauty leaned toward the delicate, and her frame was slender. Since childhood, their father and older brother had doted on her. If another consort dared bully her, all she had to do was pout, and their father would immediately step in.

Most of the women in their father’s harem shared this soft, delicate appearance. As she grew older and more people praised her as Jin’s most beautiful woman, she truly believed that this was the ideal for feminine beauty.

So when she first heard Yi Han quote Fu Cheng’s words, she felt indignant. Just like Yi Yue said, she genuinely believed that she had only given up the title of “Most Beautiful Woman in Jin.”

But now, Sima Qinghe was starting to realize that even if she hadn’t given it up… the title might have been taken from her anyway.

Not that it mattered much—it wasn’t exactly an honor.

Being recognized as the most beautiful woman was the reason for the political marriage with Chu, and thankfully, that no longer involved her.

Still, the stares behind her felt like pins and needles. Sima Qinghe unconsciously quickened her pace. When she noticed Qingli still walking at her original speed, she frowned slightly and said, “Little sister, hurry up. We’re already late leaving the palace—we might miss the auspicious time!”

Qingli glanced at her.

Sima Qinghe gave her a strained smile, trying to convey sincerity, though the corners of her mouth twitched awkwardly.

For some reason, whenever she faced Sima Qingli, she always felt guilty, like she had wronged her somehow. But hadn’t she been the one who rescued her from the Cold Palace? She had punished the nursemaid who abused them, begged their father to lower Consort Shu’s rank so she could no longer harm Sima Yan, and done everything she could to protect them.

All those favors—if Qingli was smart—should have earned her enough goodwill to take Qinghe’s place in the political marriage. After all, even without the marriage, she wouldn’t be able to protect Sima Yan for long. For Sima Yan to survive, it would ultimately be Qingli who would need to look after him.

Sima Qinghe had thought everything through. But somehow, she still lacked confidence. Every time Qingli looked at her, she felt as if all her inner thoughts were laid bare. Because of that, she had never once approached Qingli to ask for recognition or gratitude.

Unaware of Sima Qinghe’s turmoil, Qingli simply picked up her pace and caught up.

As they walked farther in, a fresh wave of gasps erupted behind them. People turned to stare at the one who had dared speak so bluntly earlier.

“Are you insane? Saying something like that?” someone exclaimed.

The young noble, unfazed, fanned himself and replied, “What’s there to be afraid of? I only said what’s true. Besides, the royal house of Chu requested a marriage alliance with Jin’s most beautiful woman. If I insisted that title still belonged to Princess Leqin, that would be suicidal.”

The crowd fell silent.

Someone muttered, “Honestly, I’d rather go to war.”

“Would the Regent even agree to that?” another whispered.

No one replied.

Without the Regent’s support, they couldn’t win a war. Fortunately, he was getting old. Maybe in a few more years, His Majesty would finally break free of his control.

Still… it was a pity about the princess.