"Can a portrait ever truly match the real person?"
Yun Chuhuan kept muttering in a hushed voice.
"Besides, that painting the Liu family caravan brought back was from overseas. These envoys didn't come from there, did they?"
"Have you never heard that the world is round?"
Yun Shu tilted her gaze just slightly and happened to catch a glimpse of the Third Prince carefully helping Tang Xinhua into her seat.
Though this Third Royal Brother of hers had always seemed like a hopeless romantic, whenever he was with her cousin, he unfailingly displayed a level of courtesy and tenderness far beyond what men of this era typically possessed.
But the way he was behaving now… this much caution? It was a little too much.
A suspicion stirred in Yun Shu's mind. Just as she was about to summon the Third Prince and ask what exactly was going on, a sharp voice echoed from outside the hall.
"The Emperor arrives!"
Along with the rest of the court, Yun Shu rose to her feet in greeting. As she bowed, her gaze drifted toward the envoy delegation.
Even the golden-haired, blue-eyed foreign envoys were performing their bows with practiced solemnity, clearly having studied Tian Sheng's etiquette beforehand. Not a single one claimed their knees were too stiff to bend.
It seemed the threat of explosives remained quite effective.
Perhaps, just perhaps, this year's Wanshou Festival could proceed peacefully after all.
Yun Shu curved her lips into a faint smile, quietly rejoicing in her heart.
But the very next moment, that fragile hope was shattered.
"We heard that today is the birthday of the Tian Sheng Emperor. The Pope has sent us with a special gift, to offer his blessings to the Emperor of Tian Sheng."
The first envoy to step forward had a face that could have stepped straight out of a Western oil painting—high nose bridge, sharp brow bones, deep-set eyes and thin lips, golden hair framing strikingly fair features, tall and imposing in stature.
Truth be told, at first glance, he did fall in line with Yun Shu's aesthetic preferences.
Unfortunately, his Tian Sheng dialect was so awkward and artificial that it grated on the ears.
Fortunately, Emperor Xuanwu did not take offense. He made the effort to parse the envoy's clumsy phrasing and even nodded in gracious acknowledgement.
"You have shown your regard. We accept your goodwill."
"Our Pope f is most sincere," the envoy, named Roland, said with grave formality, presenting an exquisitely carved wooden box in both hands. "This gift is of great significance. We request that the Tian Sheng Emperor come forward to receive it himself."
Emperor Xuanwu's brow twitched. "…?"
What kind of gift requires the Emperor to personally step forward and retrieve it?
His expression darkened, a flicker of displeasure showing between his brows.
But perhaps believing the envoy's poor wording was simply due to limited grasp of the language, he restrained his ire and merely signaled to Li Dehai to accept the gift in his place.
Yet as Li Dehai stepped forward, Roland shifted sideways to avoid him entirely.
"No. This gift can only be received by the Tian Sheng Emperor himself."
"We have never heard of such a thing," Emperor Xuanwu said, voice chilling. "What manner of tribute demands that We, the Son of Heaven, accept it with Our own hands?"
He had already shown more leniency than custom would allow, but this envoy dared continue pressing forward, commanding him as if he were some lesser sovereign. The Emperor's face sank into cold disdain.
"If your nation lacks sincerity, then spare Us the trouble. We have no need of this so-called gift."
"You misunderstand, Tian Sheng Emperor."
Roland appeared genuinely puzzled by the Emperor's anger and, still cradling the box reverently, tried once more to explain.
"The Pope has long admired your achievements, particularly your conquest of seven nations, including Pugan. He sees you as a man of rare capability. Unfortunately, the Pope is advanced in years and cannot travel such distances. Therefore, he has sent me in his stead, carrying this crown… to formally anoint you."
Emperor Xuanwu fell silent.
A heavy hush fell over Linde Hall, thick and suffocating.
Even Yun Shu closed her eyes and rubbed her brow. She no longer had the strength to comment.
The nature of this so-called Pope … perhaps others did not know, but she did.
In medieval Western belief systems, the Pope was seen as God's sole representative on earth. Kings and emperors were expected to submit to him, to be crowned by his hand and thereby receive their right to rule. He wielded influence over matters of succession, war and peace, law and order. He even dared call himself "King of All Nations" and "Source of All Law."
True, not all monarchs accepted such supremacy. Conflicts between Popes and Kings had existed.
But judging by the situation now, this world still adhered to the former model.
That so-called Pope, it seemed, had grown far too accustomed to being worshipped by his followers and remained blind to reality. To dare appear before Emperor Xuanwu with such arrogance… to presume to crown him?
That was no different from courting death.
And sure enough, the moment Yun Shu closed her eyes, Emperor Xuanwu's fury exploded across the great hall.
"Insolence! Guards, seize this impudent fool at once!"
"You cannot do this!"
The moment the guards moved in, Roland, who had maintained such composure earlier, finally panicked.
"I was sent by the Pope himself! Without his recognition, the Lord—no, the God… I mean, the God will not acknowledge you! Do you understand what I am saying? The Divine will not accept your rule!"
"The God?" Emperor Xuanwu scoffed. "Whether or not your nation has a God, We do not know. But Tian Sheng is truly a land favored by Heaven!"
"This is impossible!"
A devoted believer may be willing to die, but he will never allow his faith to be mocked.
Roland raised his voice.
"The Pope is the only one chosen by the God in this world. To refuse his coronation is to invite divine punishment upon yourself—"
"Enough!"
Roland had gone too far. Li Dehai's voice cracked in alarm as he cut him off.
"What are you all standing there for? Gag him and drag him away immediately!"
"Wait."
Noticing the subtle shifts in expression among the other envoys below, Emperor Xuanwu realized something important.
To these foreigners, this Pope was not merely a spiritual leader. In their eyes, he seemed to embody the very will of the God—far more significant than the Tian Sheng Emperor himself.
That alone was unacceptable.
"Just now," Emperor Xuanwu said, his voice clear and regal, "you claimed that your Pope is the sole being chosen by the God. What evidence have you to prove this?"
Evidence?
How could that be proven?
The Pope being chosen by the God was common knowledge to them. Like any ordinary person claiming to be human—was there ever a need to prove it?
The envoys looked at one another, uncertain how to respond.
Of course, Emperor Xuanwu had never expected an answer from them.
As their silence stretched on, his gaze shifted toward Yun Shu.
"Crown Princess. Step forward. Show them what it means to be truly chosen by the Heaven."
"…?"
Yun Shu froze.
What?
Her?
Chosen by the Heaven?
Had Imperial Father somehow discovered her villa space?
That couldn't be…
She had been quietly minding her own business, just watching the drama unfold like everyone else. And now, out of nowhere, she had been singled out.
As Yun Shu rose to her feet, her mind remained a complete blank.