Engagement Day

The first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds and shone down over the Imperial Capital. The usually solemn and deserted First Avenue had grown lively, with high nobles, lesser nobles, and ordinary commoners all making their way toward it.

A marriage alliance between a royal princess and a noble family was perfectly normal. At most, it gave the uppermost classes something to amuse themselves with.

But this time was different. It was the engagement between the notorious Fifth Young Master of the Nord Family, the number one great family of the Golden Leaf Dynasty, and Princess Mingyue, the most favored daughter of Emperor Hanmos.

Those with some insight already knew of the conflict between the Nord Family and the imperial family. In the Nord Family's eight-hundred-year history, when had any of its descendants ever married into the imperial family? To them, this was simply too extraordinary.

The ordinary people, however, did not know so much. They only knew of Fifth Young Master Nord's debauched and romantic history. His eight-month survival miracle in the Undead Mountain Range had already become a legend, and the story grew stranger with every retelling. They had come only to see this legendary figure.

Of course, some had come for Princess Mingyue's beauty and reputation for talent as well. Otherwise, why would all those self-proclaimed romantic gallants be standing around beating their breasts and sighing?

According to custom, the engagement and wedding ceremonies between the imperial family and a great clan had to be held at the Temple of the Goddess of Life, symbolizing the inheritance and continuation of life.

First, Qi Bei had to personally drive the carriage to the Imperial Palace to invite Princess Mingyue aboard. Then he would return to the Nord Family to perform the first ceremony—that of becoming familiar with the environment where they would live in the future.

After that ceremony, they would proceed together to the Temple of the Goddess of Life. Only after praying for the Goddess of Life's blessing would the grand engagement ceremony officially begin.

At that moment, Qi Bei was dressed in a black-and-white ceremonial outfit, driving a carriage drawn by eighteen Flame Unicorn Horses. It proceeded slowly along Golden Leaf First Avenue toward the Imperial Palace at its end. Behind him followed a battalion of Black Armored Army soldiers serving as the honor guard.

Qi Bei watched men and women, old and young, pointing and whispering at him from both sides. His entire body felt uncomfortable. This was supposed to be an engagement, yet it looked more like he was offering himself as a rare animal for free public viewing.

Qi Bei waved behind him. An elderly man from the Nord Family who was in charge of etiquette came to his side and asked, "Fifth Young Master, what are your orders?"

"Can we speed up?" Qi Bei asked.

"How could that be allowed? According to the rules, the carriage must advance twenty zhang per minute—neither an inch more nor an inch less." The etiquette officer shook his head repeatedly. In his eyes, the rules handed down for a thousand years were divine will and could not be changed.

What an old fossil! Qi Bei rolled his eyes.

"All troops, speed up! Target: the Imperial Palace!" Qi Bei suddenly stood up and shouted.

"Yes!" The battalion of Black Armored Army soldiers behind him raised their ceremonial weapons at the same time and moved in perfect unison.

"Giddy-up!" Qi Bei flicked the reins in his hand. The eighteen Flame Unicorn Horses immediately neighed in unison, then charged forward at full gallop.

The battalion of Black Armored Army soldiers, all four hundred of them, moved as one and charged after them in perfect formation.

"Fifth Young Master, stop! You can't do this..." The etiquette officer was horrified as he chased after them, shouting. The dozen or so maids were equally pale with fright.

The onlookers lining both sides, however, grew excited. One after another, they howled and cheered as if they had taken aphrodisiacs.

At that speed, it was not long before the enormous palace gates appeared in the distance.

The Imperial Palace gate guards saw only a carriage hurtling toward the palace at high speed, with several hundred soldiers charging in perfect formation behind it.

There was no mistake—they were charging. That headlong, unstoppable momentum could be felt from far away.

"Woo... woo..." The gate guard commander felt his heart tremble and instinctively blew the horn in his hand. It signaled that someone was attacking the Imperial Palace.

In an instant, the entire festive Imperial Palace erupted into chaos, with people running about in frantic disarray.

Squads of fully armed Imperial Guards charged toward the main palace gate from every direction. The festive atmosphere froze in a heartbeat and turned grim and murderous.

The Imperial Guard Commander looked down from the gate tower. When he saw the eighteen galloping Flame Unicorn Horses and Qi Bei in ceremonial dress atop the carriage, he was stunned. Then he slapped the guard commander on the head and shouted, "Are your eyes growing out of your backside? This is the Fifth Young Master of the Nord Family, here to escort Princess Mingyue! Stand down and open the palace gates."

"Yes, Commander." The guard commander was utterly aggrieved. What was this supposed to be? If he was here to escort her, then fine—but why make it look like a charge?

The alert was lifted, and the Magic Crossbows radiating a dim glow were withdrawn one after another. The tightly shut palace gates slowly opened.

A hundred meters before the palace, Qi Bei pulled on the reins, bringing the carriage to a steady halt.

Watching the Imperial Guards withdraw one after another from the gate tower, he curved his lips into a smile. The effect had gone somewhat beyond his expectations, but he was very satisfied.

After all, he would be leaving the Imperial Capital once the engagement was over. How others thought of him or viewed him was none of his damn business.

Before long, the battalion of Black Armored Army soldiers following behind came to a neat halt. Not one of them was flushed or out of breath. Their physical fitness was truly formidable—no wonder they were the Golden Leaf Dynasty's strongest army.

After waiting quite a while longer, another carriage arrived carrying the etiquette officer and the dozen or so maids, all of whom still looked pale with fright.

"Fifth Young Master, you... what have you..." The etiquette officer had stopped a carriage along the way, but he was advanced in years and still gasped for breath. Qi Bei even feared he might faint.

In truth, the etiquette officer genuinely wanted to pass out. How could an engagement be treated like child's play? Yet it was obvious that the Fifth Young Master of the Nord Family before him did not take etiquette seriously at all.

"Come on, we'll go inside and talk." Qi Bei cut him off. He had no desire to listen to the old fossil's nagging.

"Fifth Young Master, the appointed time hasn't arrived yet! Fifth Young Master, Fifth Young Master... Alas, morals are declining and people's hearts are no longer what they once were." The etiquette officer watched helplessly as Qi Bei drove the carriage through the palace gates, shaking his head and sighing.

Inside the Palace Hall of State Affairs, Emperor Hanmos listened to the Imperial Guard Commander's report with a frown.

"Mm, I understand. You may leave." Emperor Hanmos waved away the Imperial Guard Commander. Though displeased, he could not show it.

As soon as the Imperial Guard Commander left, an unremarkable middle-aged man emerged from the side hall.

"Your Majesty, the matter at Marquis Lanling's residence the night before last has been cleared up. It was caused by the Nord Family's Fifth Young Master, Qi Bei. The two Giant Sun Elephants that the Nord Family had given Marquis Lanling suddenly went berserk and caused the disturbance. However, Marquis Lanling ordered everyone in the residence not to reveal a single word, which is rather suspicious," the middle-aged man said.

"Then why did Elder Weir, who has always been at odds with Marquis Lanling, go to Marquis Lanling's residence?" Emperor Hanmos asked.

"Elder Weir went to inspect the two Giant Sun Elephants. Presumably, Marquis Lanling suspected that the elephants had been drugged," the middle-aged man replied.

"Then did you find out what had been done to them?" Emperor Hanmos stared at the middle-aged man.

"I... I haven't found out yet." The middle-aged man lowered his head.

Emperor Hanmos slammed the table and barked, "Investigate it! Find out exactly what drug was used on those two Giant Sun Elephants."

The middle-aged man trembled and hurriedly agreed before withdrawing in fear.

Emperor Hanmos paced around the hall twice, cold light shooting from his eyes. He murmured to himself, "Marquis Lanling, Elder Weir, don't let me find out that either of you had anything to do with that necromancer."

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