Volume 1, Chapter 52: Bestowing Marriage to Prince Jing

Amidst the clinking of goblets and joyous chatter, the imperial banquet officially began.

The tables were laden with rare delicacies from land and sea, and jars of fine wine exhaled a fragrance that traveled for miles.

The envoys from East Zhao could not help but think of the banquets in their own country, which paled in comparison to such luxury and abundance.

War was the greatest drain on national treasury, and with the conflict between Nanling and Beimo dragging on for over four years, they had assumed Nanling's treasury would be on the verge of exhaustion.

It seemed they had severely underestimated Nanling's true strength.

As the civil and military officials of Nanling tasted the feast of exquisite delicacies, they knew that Minister Han of the Ministry of Revenue had guessed correctly: Lu Mingxuan had indeed contributed significantly to this state banquet.

Meeting the gazes of admiration, gratitude, and jealousy cast upon him by the gathered officials, the Prince of Jing's expression turned even darker than the bottom of a wok...

Everyone knew he was someone who never held onto a grudge overnight; he would often make a fuss one day and be completely fine by the next. As a longtime friend, Nie Yuanbai knew this all too well. Why would he come over at a time like this, only to march straight into the line of fire?

Even if his friend recognized that he was currently possessed by some unclean entity, what could he do about it? Did the frail and powerless Zhang Ting know anything about subjugating demons and dispelling evil spirits?

"Hah... Do you only allow yourselves to bully others in numbers? Your behavior is unwelcome here, get away from us!" Lizi snapped back, refusing to show any weakness.

It was his first time doing something like this, and he was as excited as a child, having completely lost his usual aristocratic composure.

Shen Xubai handed Xia Liangyue a glass of water with an expression that seemed to say he was all ears, giving her the perfect opportunity to vent her grievances.

Even though both of her sons had nearly reached the pinnacle of officialdom, her simple values remained unchanged.

The Zhao family had entrenched themselves here for a century, plotting for who knows how long, and naturally held the advantage in intelligence. They were truly not easy opponents to deal with.

Zhang Qingyuan and Yan Beigui also landed automatically, the three of them forming a pincer formation as they solemnly faced the Blood Butcher, whose demeanor had drastically changed.

I wonder how she is doing? Is she like me, having swapped souls and embarked on an entirely different life?

Master Zhao felt a complex mixture of bitterness and envy. As a sovereign of a nation, his own wedding day had been nothing more than a modest affair with ordinary gongs and drums, whereas his younger sister's wedding today felt like a divine miracle.

Moments and momentum naturally differed, and Li Chi's momentum was one of fusion, making his footwork even more ethereal and elusive.

Watching the peak of the clouds being engulfed by that towering demonic aura, a fleeting trace of relief flashed through her heart. If this fellow were to die, she would finally be free.

"Perhaps I should have died just like Mom when I was born, and by now we might be sharing family bliss in heaven," Alice screamed shrilly.

The audience members in the stands also voiced their skepticism, with some whispering among themselves, wondering if the presiding judge and the prosecutor had taken bribes.

"...It's just that this junior was too anxious earlier and spoke somewhat rashly for a moment. I hope the senior will be magnanimous!" Dong Zhanyun delivered this speech seamlessly, without revealing a single trace of defiance, yet his words carried hidden meanings, and he had not yet finished.

Before long, Yang Linxiao brought over a spread of delicious treats, including cheesecake, barbecue, fruit juice, and fruit salad.

"Very well, let him go. Order him to withdraw immediately to the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone once he has pacified the unrest," Zaifeng decided.

"Once I arrive in Germany, regardless of whether the cooperation succeeds or not, you must agree to accept 80 of our militia soldiers into your Berlin Military Academy every year for a term of five years, and this condition must not be counted as part of the cooperation agreement," Chen Ning stated.

"How is it, darling? Is there good news?" Peter asked happily over the phone.

Siyan was dead, her appearance exceptionally tragic. Peng Mo did not destroy the body, instead having Qimu properly preserve it in ice.

Jiang Qi's napkin remained suspended in mid-air, looking rather awkward. Seeing this, Qiao Qiao took it and placed it beside Xia Shiguang's plate.

Upon touching the spiritual talisman, the entire Universe Five-Element Formation came alive instantly, like sweet dew falling upon parched earth, and its power multiplied dramatically.

Six years ago, during a season of heavy snow and biting cold winds, a piece of tragedy struck the Ji family. Jiang, the wife of Ji Changfeng, passed away due to illness. The entire Ji manor was draped in mourning. Before long, the doors that should have been adorned with brand-new red springcouplets were quietly changed to white paper banners. In the chilling wind, even the grief of the thinly-populated Ji family lacked any prominent display.

Wang Qiunuo gnashed her teeth in resentment. For some inexplicable reason, she felt a lingering sense of unfairness, perhaps born out of jealousy.

Long Zhen invited Ling Shan and Yu Hong to sit down, then settled onto the sofa and picked up the phone she had left on the table to play with it.

For instance, after Liu Wuchen disappeared, he searched the entire Northwest Alliance for two full years without a single piece of news! His master, Qing Guangzi, called him back to the Taiyi Sect many times, but he refused every single time.

Seeing the twenty-million-credit bounty hanging high on the bounty board finally vanish, Qin Yang let out a long sigh of relief. The feeling of being watched at every moment with your life on the line was truly unpleasant.

In the infusion room, the nurse hung up the IV bottle for Xue Wantong and began the drip, but reducing inflammation still required time, and Han Qingqing was still in considerable pain.

They continued playing around the courtyard like a swarm of bees, fortunately without crashing into the flat peach tree again. Nangong Hao's tense emotions relaxed slightly, and he refocused his mind on his research into formations.

Ahead of them, Dong Chuna also let his warhorse stroll leisurely down the left-hand street, unhurried and unbothered.

Upon going upstairs without finding Duan Weiqi, Li Jiayu strolled along casually. There were quite a few men's clothing stores on this floor. Passing a luxury brand boutique, she saw a pair of gemstone cufflinks displayed in the window. She stepped closer to look at them, recalling how Duan Weiqi had once remarked, "A thousand bucks wouldn't even buy a single button."

Who could have expected that the Institute of Life Sciences would lower the threshold for breeding right reviews? Although his financial status fell short, he managed to squeeze into the army of "expectant fathers" simply because of his healthy body and good reputation.

When he was asleep, he no longer feared her approach. Because he was well-fed, his brow was unknotted, his lips slightly parted, and he breathed softly. Like a sleepy cat, his whole being exuded an aura that drew people closer.

Everything Mi Xiang talked about were experiences from her own life as a wealthy heiress in the twenty-first century, which she handled with ease. Yet to Tiger Yun, these monetary entanglements were far more profound and obscure than wielding swords and guns.

Academician Huan was explaining the sheath blight pathogen to the crowd, while Dean Song held his camera with steady hands—hands that had photographed countless landscapes and his beloved—to capture image after image, preparing to have them presented to the imperial court by an envoy.

Unfortunately, all that was bound in his mind was a Jinjiang backend system without a scanner; otherwise, he could have simply taken photos of various places across Great Zheng and uploaded them to resolve everything.

If this matter had taken place in a military district office... if anyone dared to oppose him like that, Yun Mengcheng would certainly have slammed the table. Even happening at home, it still bruised his ego a little; for so many years, no one had ever dared to speak to him like this.

As she said this, she noticed Liu Mao looking outside. Following his gaze, she froze instantly.

Hearing Elder Zhu let out a soft shout, the attack that was about to be obliterated in Elder Di's palm suddenly exploded.

Time was most gentle to him; he still possessed that exceptionally clear and handsome visage, but with the youthful awkwardness stripped away, replaced by a touch of maturity.

He braced both hands on the washbasin, looked at me with amusement through the mirror, then turned around to lean against the basin, leaning back slightly as he slanted a look at me.