“At that time, King Cheng was past forty. He was not a cultivator, and though his body was robust, he couldn’t compare to a youth in his prime. The woman he fancied was only in the bloom of youth, at the perfect age, and she was the daughter of the Jade Sandalwood Palace Master. Being of noble status herself, she was entirely unwilling to marry him, so she created this difficult condition to dissuade him, hoping he would retreat when faced with the impossibility. After all, everyone knew that all the gold produced from ancient times to the present could at most build a small golden tower—a palace was out of the question.”
“Isn’t that just one willing to gamble, and one willing to suffer?” said Feng Miaojun. “Where’s the treachery in that?”
“The issue is that her request for a ‘golden palace’ was made under someone’s bewitchment,” Yun Ya said, enunciating each word. “And the one lurking in the shadows was the Heavenly Demon!”
“Heavenly Demon?” This certainly wasn’t the first time she had heard the name. There were many legends about the Heavenly Demon. “What benefit did they gain from such a scheme?”
“The Heavenly Demon plagues the world and must cause chaos and unrest throughout the land to nourish its power.” Yun Ya’s voice carried a strange tone. “This world has been fractured for over three hundred years, with people unable to make a living—the Heavenly Demon has certainly played its part. King Cheng of Yao’s obsession with the Jade Sandalwood Palace Master’s daughter to the point of madness may have been the Heavenly Demon’s doing.”
“What exactly is the Heavenly Demon…” Before she could finish her question, drums, and gongs sounded in the distance as a well-ordered ceremonial procession approached from afar, passing through the main street.
It came from the direction of the royal palace, with commoners and merchant caravans making way.
At the center of the procession, two people were escorted, one in front of the other, heading toward the North Gate. The one in front stood ramrod straight with a solemn expression, wearing red robes embroidered with gold thread and a golden belt around his waist. He had sword-like eyebrows, star-bright eyes, broad shoulders, and a tiger-like back. Such flamboyant attire would be difficult for others to carry off, but it only made him appear more majestic.
This person, Feng Miaojun happened to recognize:
Miao Fengxian.
After traveling thousands of miles, she finally encountered someone familiar again.
Behind Miao Fengxian, a young man sat on a large horse. He looked much more delicate, with a slender physique, a jade-like face, and elegant, serene features—another type of handsomeness.
These two differently styled handsome men together attracted the unwavering gaze of passersby.
Feng Miaojun overheard the surrounding commoners whispering that the Yao Kingdom’s Second Prince, the groom-to-be, was going to the ancestral temple in the northern suburbs to offer sacrifices to heaven, praying for divine blessings. This was one of the most important preliminaries of the wedding ceremony, which should have been presided over by a disciple of the State Preceptor. However, since Miao Fengxian himself was to be the groom, his good friend, the son of the Director of the Imperial Observatory, Zuo Qiu Yuan, would take over the duty.
Hearing that name, Feng Miaojun suddenly widened her eyes, staring fixedly at the young man.
“Hmm?”
Perhaps because she gazed at him for too long without blinking, the young man’s eyes swept over and met hers directly, whereupon he smiled slightly.
That smile displayed perfect elegance and charm.
Beside her, Yun Ya said ominously: “Eyeing him?”
This youngster’s appearance was passable, and there were quite a few young women and wives staring at him—even his little follower wasn’t spared.
Tsk, how shallow!
Feng Miaojun opened her small mouth to explain, but what came out was: “What’s the use of looking? I can see but can’t have.”
The regret in her words made Yun Ya narrow his eyes slightly: “Others may have no means, but who told you to follow the right person?” He laughed, “Beg me nicely, and I’ll go kidnap him for you as your captive husband!”
“Captive husband? Am I a mountain bandit chief?” She pursed her lips. “At most, I’m the mountain bandit chief’s maid!” Hearing his wild talk, Feng Miaojun rarely paid attention to such absurdity, but this fellow was the State Preceptor with boundless magical powers and a daring personality who would do as he said. She feared he might kidnap the handsome young man, which would make them fugitives with a bounty on their heads.
“Once you miss this village, there’s no similar inn ahead.” Yun Ya suddenly seemed somewhat impatient. “Be straightforward, do you want him or not?” The benefits he offered his employees were good, weren’t they?
“No, thank you very much!” She rolled her eyes skyward, not understanding what he was so agitated about. “My standards are higher.”
Yun Ya stroked his chin, finally revealing a slight smile: “That’s more like it.”
Feng Miaojun ignored his self-satisfaction, her mind buzzing with questions. She had seen Zuo Qiu Yuan twice before, once in Sweet Water City and once in the Jin capital, but this was not the person beside Miao Fengxian!
What was going on?
Miao Fengxian certainly wouldn’t mistake the State Preceptor’s son, so who had she seen the previous two times?
The ceremonial procession finally passed, and the waiting commoners began to move again. The Lang Yu Kingdom delegation also continued toward their destination. Feng Miaojun took the opportunity to put this question aside and focused on enjoying the festivities.
After all, it wasn’t her concern.
With the royal wedding imminent, the entire ancient city of Yinzi was extraordinarily lively. Countless guests, merchants, craftsmen, and performance troupes gathered from all directions to participate in the grand event.
According to official arrangements, the Lang Yu delegation was accommodated in the western part of the city, with rooms only provided for the chief and deputy envoys. The delegation’s steward was quite displeased, muttering complaints incessantly. This was because in the Yao Kingdom, the north was regarded as the most honorable direction, and the most important foreign guests were all accommodated in the northern part of the city.
From this, one could see that the national strength behind each delegation varied, and so did the treatment they received.
One of the protagonists of this grand wedding, Princess Hanyu, had safely returned and arrived in the Yao capital this morning!
The kingdom’s face was saved, and the people of Yinzi spread the news and celebrated. The delegates from various countries also breathed a huge sigh of relief: after traveling over mountains and rivers, they hadn’t come in vain after all.
It was best when everyone was happy.
Early the next morning, the Lang Yu envoy entered the palace to present wedding gifts.
This palace favored giant pillars and porticoes, with excellent lighting and streams and ponds everywhere. Due to the humid climate, the gardens were filled with exotic flowers and plants. Feng Miaojun even recognized many precious medicinal herbs.
Each country had its corresponding reception protocol for foreign guests. Waiting in the palace to receive the visitors from Lang Yu was not the King of Yao, nor even the two princes, but the Left Prime Minister of Yao. This Left Prime Minister received at least three or four waves of foreign guests every day, his language particularly courteous. Feng Miaojun felt that both the host and guests maintained polite yet somewhat awkward smiles.
The gifts prepared by Lang Yu Kingdom were all island specialties, especially the crystal ball presented last, which constantly changed colors with the light. The Left Prime Minister initially thought this gift was mediocre, his facial smile merely out of courtesy: who didn’t have a few beautiful crystal balls at home?
Feng Miaojun noticed his indifference and purposely held the crystal ball right under his eyes, saying clearly: “My lord, please look carefully.” She tapped the surface lightly with her finger.
“Ding,” the crystal ball suddenly changed color from light blue to deep red. Interestingly, the closer to where she had tapped, the deeper the color; conversely, the farther away, the lighter.
The Left Prime Minister then saw clearly what was inside the ball and couldn’t help but be surprised:
This was not a crystal ball at all, but rather a perfectly round fish tank filled with clear water, containing a special type of small fish.