Translator: Exodus Tales
Editor: Exodus Tales
Translated by Mianbao
Edited by RED
Baiqi spent most of his time in slumber.
Occasionally, he would fly out from Zhu Minglang’s spirit domain when the latter was free, turning his embrace into a warm little nest and continuing to sleep.
Heiya, on the other hand, experienced great changes. He grew from two meters to over three meters, nearly four, comparable to an adult crocodile. He was now a big crocodile spirit!
Of course, Heiya had the blood of dragons in him. If he came across wild crocodiles, he would not have any problems taking on a group of them by himself.
The two hundred year old demonic pearl’s effects were obvious!
“Come, put on this collar. Since your neck is so thick, I’ll put it around your tail. That way, others won’t mistake you for a wild black crocodile.” Zhu Minglang helped the big crocodile put on the spiritling collar given by the Academy.
Since Zhu Minglang was going to go on a trip, Baiqi would be fine, since he could be kept in his spirit domain.
Heiya wasn’t convenient to bring around, however. It wasn’t a good choice to leave him cooped up in the little pool behind his house, either. As such, Zhu Minglang decided to leave this big guy in the wild for a few days!
“Go to the front of the bridge every morning; there’ll be a dark girl like you who’ll feed you silkworms. I have an excursion class coming up, and will be gone for a few days,” Zhu Minglang instructed seriously, caressing Heiya’s big head.
With their soul bond in place, Heiya wouldn’t be stolen from Zhu Minglang, not to mention he would be more intelligent than other creatures.
No one would try to hurt little Heiya as long as he didn’t leave the Academy’s territory. The Academy was very strict in its management of recognized spiritlings. Even Dragon Tamers with real dragons would be severely punished by the Academy if they attacked spiritlings for no good reason.
“Ououou…” The big crocodile spirit understood he had to act as a left-behind child for a few days.
——-
At the Li Clan’s royal courtyard…
Green pines surrounded a towering hall, the silvered outer walls giving off a solemn presence.
The city state’s royal troops were clad in silvery black armor, lined up along the wall in an imposing manner, like statues standing in the court.
This place was the Ancestral Dragon City State’s Affairs Office. All matters within the borders, big and small, were decided by the people inside.
Today, Li Yunzi, who had been under house arrest for a long time now, appeared in the Affairs Office. She was dressed simply, her makeup not as exquisite as usual. Even so, her natural beauty still shone through, leaving her fellow clanswomen in the hall feeling ashamed…
However, due to the shameful incident which would never be forgotten, the clanswomen didn’t feel like they were worthless like they did in the past, where Li Yunzi’s beauty completely outshone them. Now, they could even sit together and smile mockingly at her.
“We’re all women, after all. We can’t get over the barrier that is men,” Li Kongxi started the discussion, seeing that the other women around her didn’t dare to speak bluntly.
“I, Mu Qing, prefer to keep to my role, stay at home and keep myself clean. When I come of age, the seniors will take charge of my marriage matters, and that will be considered my contribution to the clan,” the woman named Mu Qing agreed.
Li Yunzi didn’t mind those people’s mockery, nor did she pay them any heed. She only observed her fellow clansmen quietly.
The reason for her appearance here today wasn’t to seek humiliation, but because she knew her enemy would come out, right here in the clan, in this hall.
However, her enemy was obviously not these Li Clan young misses who only knew how to gossip and talk smack.
“Sister Kongxi, I heard you’re marrying into the Zong Palace. I wonder which young talent from Zong Palace it is? Can you tell us in advance?”
The traditional view of men being superior to women wasn’t as popular in Ancestral Dragon City State. Basically all women with certain statuses had to participate in the affairs of the clan. Even so, most of the women’s marriage affairs would be decided by the clan’s elders. In fact, men with little or no achievements were in similar positions.
Earlier, they were discussing military affairs. The topic mainly revolved around the disturbance in Lingxiao City State, as well as the Wutu rebels who had wanted to force their way inside Ancestral Dragon City State’s borders.
At present, the elders were discussing marriage affairs of the younger generation.
The marriage affairs of the Li Clan and Nan Family had always been discussed during official meetings. After all, the Ancestral Dragon City State was surrounded by enemies. Their relations with neighboring city states, cities, and strongholds needed to be maintained through important marriages.
The prestigious clans viewed connections by marriage with importance. Things like promises, contracts, and alliances were nothing more than scrap paper to those in power. When benefits were involved, those things could be destroyed or discarded at a whim. Connection by blood was the only thing difficult to sever.
It was only when two families give birth to descendents, sharing the same blood, that they could truly advance and retreat as one.
At that moment, the Lady of the House, Kong Tong said, “Today, I’m announcing two marriages. Listen carefully; I said ‘announce’.”
The Li Clan’s patriarch discussed the city state’s military and state affairs, while marriage would be discussed by the Lady of the House.
“Last year, Li Kongxi accompanied the Old Madam to the Zong Palace’s annual feast, and their Fourth Young Master took a fancy to Li Kongxi at first sight. After discussions, it’s been decided that the Old Madam and I will bring Li Kongxi to Zong Palace next month to facilitate this marriage,” Kong Tong announced.
“That is a great marriage! If we make connections with the Zong Palace, the Lingxiao City State won’t dare to mobilize their troops against us, no matter how crazy they are!”
“As expected of Madam Kong. You’ve finally opened the doors to Zong Palace for us. From now on, we won’t have to worry about the south of Lichuan. Perhaps we can even open many trade routes.”
Everyone in the hall smiled, one after another, their gazes falling onto Li Kongxi.
Li Kongxi smiled faintly and said, “Although Kongxi is willing to go along with the elders’ arrangements, I still need to see this Fourth Young Master for myself when we go to Zong Palace next month and understand him. If he has a wicked nature, has no ambition to speak of, and is disrespectful towards our Ancestral Dragon City State, I beseech the Patriarch and Lady to reconsider this matter.”
“Sister Kongxi, you don’t know Ducheng? That means he’s fallen head over heels for you just by seeing you from afar!”
“Sister is indeed an outstanding beauty. Speaking of Ducheng, he’s a great man; his fame has spread to various large city states long ago. I even heard that Lingxiao City State’s Ling Family’s eldest young miss went all the way to Zong Palace to meet him, but he didn’t even grant her an audience… that’s the Ling Family’s eldest young miss we’re speaking!” Mu Qing exclaimed.
Li Kongxi shook her head, indicating that she had indeed never met Ducheng.
“Congratulations to Sister Kongxi for finding a great husband.”
The other clanswomen went up to Li Kongxi one after another to offer their congratulations. Li Kongxi appeared very calm, however.
“The other marriage,” the Lady of the House, Kong Tong, spoke up once more, and soon the hall quieted.
The crowd’s gazes shifted uncontrollably onto Li Yunzi.
In the past, as the Crown Princess of the city state, Li Yunzi was originally on equal standing with the two Clan Patriarches, four Masters of the House, City Lord, and the few Commanders. However, she no longer held that prestige.
Similar to the other ordinary clanswomen, she was listening in to the discussion at the side, not saying a word, giving off an icy appearance.
Li Yunzi hadn’t been in the Affairs Office even once since she fell from her position.
Her appearance today was obviously because the clan had made some arrangements for her.
“Li Yunzi…” The Lady of the House, Kong Tong, began.
As expected, in order to stop the matter of their crown princess’s humiliation from continuing to spread, and the Ancestral Dragon City State continuing to lose face, the clan had decided to marry her off.
Only by marrying Li Yunzi off would that unspeakable incident die down.
At the table for the military, Luo Xiao couldn’t help adjusting himself, sitting up straight.
These days, he had been establishing merits in the eastern stronghold. The mighty name of the fire dragon user, Luo Xiao, had spread throughout the city state!
“We’ve decided to have Li Yunzi marry into Lingxiao City State’s Ling Family,” the Lady of the House, Kong Tong, announced.
No matter how crisp Kong Tong’s voice was, it never reached a high pitch, but for unknown reasons, it kept reverberating in Luo Xiao’s mind like thunder, to the point that his whole body was trembling!
-How is this possible!…-
He was the one who had suggested that Kong Tong marry off Li Yunzi!
Everyone knew about his infatuation with Li Yunzi.
“Patriarch, Lady!” Luo Xiao was unable to accept this decision, and stood up from his seat in objection.
“Sit down, Luo Xiao,” the Li Clan’s Patriarch, Li Ying, ordered.
“This matter…”
“Sit down!” Li Ying demanded in a harsher tone. His eyes turned fierce, his temperament completely changed, as if he would turn into a mad dragon at any moment and rip Luo Xiao to pieces!
Luo Xiao sat down, dejected, his originally pale face paled even further, looking as scary as a dead person.
“Lady, we were discussing Lingxiao City State’s invasion earlier, and the Patriarch never gave us a proper measure. Could this be the clan’s countermeasure against Lingxiao City State? But I have some doubts,” the Commander-in-Chief spoke up.
“Please speak of them,” Kong Tong said.
“As the Crown Princess, Li Yunzi massacred Lingxiao City’s invading armies on more than one occasion. Be it their troops, or citizens, everyone from Lingxiao City State bears hatred for Li Yunzi. Why would the Ling Family be willing to connect with us by marriage?” the Commander-in-Chief asked.
“The people of Lingxiao City State would naturally oppose a normal marriage. They hate Li Yunzi deeply…” the Lady of the House, Kong Tong, purposely paused for a moment, before continuing, “So, Li Yunzi will be marrying into the Ling Family as a concubine.”
“Is this still considered a connection by marriage?” the Commander-in-Chief asked.
This wasn’t a truce by marriage at all.This was clearly a case of pushing Li Yunzi away and letting Lingxiao City State do as they pleased with her!
“How does Commander-in-Chief think this matter should be handled..? There are too many Wutu rebels to be killed, and our western army’s morale has plummeted due to Li Yunzi’s matter, unable to fend off Lingxiao City State’s invasion. This is the only way to call for a truce,” Kong Tong said.
“If our Crown Princess becomes a concubine of our enemy’s city lord, what face does our Ancestral Dragon City State have to speak of in the future?” the Commander-in-Chief argued.
“This matter is forbidden from being spoken of casually. Lingxiao City State will send a party to receive the bride at the end of autumn. We’ll have to trouble Commander-in-Chief Cheng at that time,” Li Ying said.
He was resolute, not allowing anyone to sway this decision.
Li Yunzi shot a glance at Li Ying, her expression gradually turning cold and indifferent.
Afterwards, Li Yunzi shifted her gaze towards the Lady of the House, Kong Tong, her heart becoming clearer.
-It is they, after all, who are behind this series of actions against me…-