How did you prove your standing? Princes and nobles from the Various Kingdoms naturally needed no further credentials. Those without such illustrious backgrounds needed letters of recommendation. Those without letters had to pay a deposit of one hundred taels of gold. If you could not even produce that much, it proved you had no business applying.
At first, the Court of State Ceremonial alone handled the matter, but its officials soon discovered that their handful of staff could not possibly cope. They petitioned the King to enlist the Ministry of Revenue's help. Merely counting and collecting the money was enough to keep that ministry busy. Preliminary estimates put the deposits alone at no less than a million taels of gold. Of course, the money would eventually be refunded. In truth, even if it were not, no one was likely to pick a fight with the Fragrant Kingdom's Imperial Court over a hundred taels of gold.
Hu Xiaotian realized that the Fragrant Kingdom really was ruthless. By recruiting a husband for its princess, it had not only captured everyone's attention but also reaped substantial benefits.
With the Phoenix Cry Token Liao Yuansheng had delivered, Hu Xiaotian entered the Court of State Ceremonial directly. Its minister, Wang Qiezhi, even received him personally because of that token. Since the court had taken charge of registration, no more than twenty people had been granted a personal audience with Wang Qiezhi. Hu Xiaotian happened to be one of them.
Although the noise of the crowds boiled outside, the court's inner offices remained very quiet. Wang Qiezhi was an affable middle-aged man, renowned throughout the Fragrant Kingdom for his good relations with others. He had served as minister of the Court of State Ceremonial for ten years and maintained harmonious ties with all the Various Kingdoms.