After announcing the marriage between the eldest princess and the foreign prince, the reactions among the audience varied, with the most intense being from the two princesses sitting beside the foreign prince.

If he had chosen one of them, perhaps they wouldn’t have felt so disgruntled, but unfortunately, he chose the eldest princess, who pleased him the least.

In terms of effort, the eldest princess was not as good as the second princess; in terms of appearance, she was the least attractive among the three. It can be said that apart from her illustrious family background, the eldest princess didn’t have much to boast about.

Yet this handsome and intelligent prince chose the ugliest and most foolish one, leaving the two princesses feeling bitter.

After the crowd settled down, the musical performance continued. Taking advantage of the noisy atmosphere, the third princess couldn’t help but lower her voice and ask him, “Forgive me for being forward, but I have to ask, why did you choose the eldest princess…”

She paused and delicately continued, “Although it may sound hurtful, but honestly, wouldn’t the second princess be a better choice?”

In terms of family background, she knew she was inferior to the other two, but the second and eldest princesses had comparable family and marital influences.

In comparison, the eldest princess couldn’t compete with the second princess in any aspect. Initially, she wanted to compete based on her youthful appearance and unmarried status.

But obviously, the prince didn’t value this aspect much, or else he wouldn’t have chosen the eldest princess, whose background was the only notable thing about her.

Although the second princess was more reserved and maintained her royal demeanor, it didn’t mean she wasn’t curious about this matter. When her younger sister asked, her attention shifted from the musical performance to eagerly await his response.

The Ganli Kingdom prince, who had already settled his lifelong matter, glanced in Shen Meng’s direction. She was busy blowing away the tea leaves floating in her cup, showing no interest in their side.

The third princess wasn’t particularly patient, so before the prince lost patience, he chose to answer the question: “The eldest princess is indeed not as intelligent as the second princess, nor is she as beautiful as her, but…”

His voice paused here, and he glanced at Shen Meng sitting there. She seemed to be focused on the musical performance, occasionally looking away to chat with her colleagues, completely unaware of his gaze.

The second princess, who had remained silent until now, couldn’t help but ask, “But what? Please, do tell.”

It wasn’t that she was arrogant, but from the beginning, she never held her elder sister in high regard. Yet, in the end, the elder sister turned out to be the victor. This made her extremely uncomfortable, and she demanded a reason, no matter what.

“But I chose her because the eldest princess isn’t smart enough,” the Ganli Kingdom prince said, his lips curling into a particularly cunning smile.

Normally, when a man chooses a wife, the smarter, the better. Yet, he deliberately chose someone less intelligent. The two princesses were momentarily stunned. Initially, they thought he was just playing with them, but upon reflection from his perspective…

Not being smart meant easier control. Despite his young age and appearance, this prince seemed to harbor significant ambitions. Thinking this, the two princesses felt somewhat reassured.

While these people were discussing, Shen Meng had been discreetly observing them with her peripheral vision.

Thank goodness she understood lip reading and had some knowledge of her past life. Though they were far away, she still managed to decipher their conversation.

Considering herself a clever person, she figured the prince’s initial target wasn’t her. He probably just saw her as a pastime.

As long as she wasn’t dragged into it, she didn’t mind. Fortunately, the two princesses had shielded her from the heat earlier. Otherwise, if this Ganli Kingdom prince married the eldest princess and acted possessively towards her, she would surely have faced many troubles.

Shen Meng breathed a sigh of relief as she thought about this. Unfortunately, the Empress spoke up at that moment: “Today, I have invited all of you esteemed ministers here not only to solidify the promising marriage between my daughter and the prince of Ganli Kingdom but also to announce another important matter.”

He gestured towards the third prince, Xue Ning, who was seated below, signaling him to come forward.

“This is my son, Xue Ning, also known as the third prince of our dynasty. Previously, he was abducted by audacious villains and endured much hardship in his youth. Today, I am here to arrange his marriage, to choose a suitable wife for him.”

The Empress’s gaze swept across the audience, and when he saw Shen Meng, Xue Ning tugged at her sleeve.

After a moment, the whole place fell silent, and then the Empress spoke again: “I have chosen a wife for my son, and it is Shen Meng, a Editor from the Hanlin Academy.”

Shen Meng stood up, feeling somewhat uneasy, as she heard the Empress say, “Today, I bestow this marriage upon you and my son. What do you think?”