53: Zhang Dynasty Crisis
“Tearing open the Void Realm?”
Below, Jiang Xuan was startled. To tear open the Void Realm, one had to be a powerful expert of the Emperor-Sealing Realm. Why would such a person come to a place like the Great Li Dynasty?
Jiang Xuan narrowed his eyes and thought for a while, but with no clues, he stopped paying attention. He continued to drink his wine.
In the Great Li Dynasty’s imperial harem, within the garden, Chu Yue held a bouquet of peonies, her mind elsewhere. Her face would sometimes show a dazed expression, and other times a sweet smile.
“Royal Sister,” Chu Junlin’s voice came, interrupting the young girl’s thoughts.
Chu Yue snapped back to reality and called out with a smile, “Royal Brother.”
“What are you thinking about so intently?”
“Nothing. Royal Brother, is there something you need me for?” Chu Yue’s small face flushed, and the hand holding the peonies gently squeezed the stem.
Chu Junlin’s expression was grim. Looking at Chu Yue’s innocent and carefree appearance, his heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.
He painstakingly uttered a few words, “Someone from the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty has arrived. It’s the Crown Prince of Great Xia.”
Chu Yue’s body stiffened, her face turning pale. Her hands went limp, and with a “thud,” the peonies in her hand instantly fell, scattering several petals onto the soil.
At this moment, a palace maid approached, bowing and saying, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, Princess, His Majesty requests both of you to come to the main hall.”
“Understood,” Chu Junlin said indifferently.
Then, he looked at Chu Yue, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.
“Little Sister, if you don’t want to, even if it costs me my life, I will stop this matter!”
Chu Yue looked up at her Crown Prince brother. Her previously fearful and helpless eyes became clear, and a smile reappeared on her face.
“I’m fine, Crown Prince Brother. Thank you. Let’s go quickly; Father Emperor will get impatient soon.” After speaking, she pulled Chu Junlin and walked towards the main hall.
She secretly murmured to herself, “I won’t let Crown Prince Brother, Father King, and Mother Queen fall into danger, nor will I push the Great Li Dynasty into an abyss.”
In the main hall of the royal palace, King Chu sat in the center. Below him, a young man with an indifferent expression sat in a chair, eyes closed, resting. A middle-aged servant stood behind him with an arrogant look, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally sweeping towards King Chu.
“His Highness the Crown Prince arrives! Her Highness the Princess arrives!” The eunuch’s voice came from outside the hall.
The young man suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. He turned to look at the two who entered, or more precisely, at Chu Yue.
The indifference on his face quickly vanished, replaced by a gentle expression.
Chu Junlin and Chu Yue walked into the main hall and bowed to King Chu, saluting him, “Greetings, Father King.”
“Haha, dispense with the formalities, Junlin, Yue’er, come quickly and meet the Crown Prince of Great Xia, Xia Wudao.”
“Greetings, Crown Prince Wudao.”
“Oh, Yue’er, there’s no need to be so polite between us.” Xia Wudao hurried forward, about to reach out to help Chu Yue up, but she dodged his hand.
A hint of an almost imperceptible dangerous aura flashed in Xia Wudao’s eyes, disappearing in an instant.
King Chu then spoke, “May I ask, Crown Prince Wudao, what brings you to my Great Li Dynasty today?”
Xia Wudao simply looked at Chu Yue, without even turning his head, and said with a gentle smile, “This Crown Prince will be going to the Primordial Holy Land for an assessment soon. Before I leave, I wanted to see my fiancée. After all, it’s been many days, and this Crown Prince misses her dearly.”
Being stared at so brazenly by Xia Wudao, coupled with his false gaze, Chu Yue felt a wave of discomfort in her heart.
Seeing this, Chu Junlin stepped forward and stood in front of Chu Yue. “Crown Prince Wudao, please mind your words. You are not yet married; it wouldn’t be good if rumors spread.”
“Impudent!” The middle-aged servant behind Xia Wudao roared, and a terrifying pressure bore down on Chu Junlin.
King Chu’s face changed dramatically upon seeing this. “No good!” He quickly flashed to stand in front of Chu Junlin, releasing his King-level aura to resist the pressure.
The middle-aged servant’s eyes showed disdain. “A mere King, overestimating his abilities.” After speaking, an Emperor-level aura, countless times more powerful than King Chu’s, descended upon the entire main hall.
King Chu’s expression was shocked. “An Emperor!”
He hadn’t expected that this seemingly ordinary servant, following behind Xia Wudao, was actually an Emperor!
“Pfft!” Under this Emperor-level pressure, his King-level aura was instantly crushed, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
“Father King!” Chu Junlin and Chu Yue quickly stepped forward to support him, their faces filled with worry.
Xia Wudao, seeing that it was enough, waved his hand. Feigning anger, he said, “King Chu is the father of this Crown Prince’s future Crown Princess. Do not be rude.”
“Yes, this old servant was mistaken,” the middle-aged servant admitted, but his eyes were filled with extreme disdain.
“Alright, this Crown Prince has seen what he came to see, it’s time to leave,” Xia Wudao reverted to his indifferent expression.
“King Chu, once I complete the Holy Land assessment, I will come to marry Princess Chu Yue. Make sure no accidents occur, otherwise, your Great Li Dynasty might not be able to bear the consequences!” After speaking, he turned and left.
Outside the main hall of the royal palace, Xia Wudao’s expression was grim. He said to the middle-aged servant beside him, “Go and investigate if Princess Chu Yue has been acting unusually recently.”
He felt that Chu Yue was somewhat different from before; her attitude towards him was too distant.
Inside the hall, Chu Junlin’s expression was unwilling, the suppression in his heart almost suffocating him.
“Father King, this Xia Wudao is so arrogant and domineering, he doesn’t even put our Great Li Dynasty in his eyes. If Little Sister marries him, how can she have a good life?!”
King Chu’s expression was pained as he looked at the brother and sister. “If she doesn’t marry, the entire Great Li Dynasty will cease to exist.”
Chu Junlin’s face was furious, his fists clenched tightly, his fingernails digging into his palms, causing piercing pain.
Chu Yue’s eyes were already filled with tears, and her expression was desolate. She forcefully wiped away her tears and said with a firm tone, “Father King, Crown Prince Brother, I will marry.”
“That Xia Wudao is the Crown Prince of the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty, of noble status, and his talent is unparalleled. For daughter to marry him can be considered a good destiny.”
Chu Junlin and the other person heard Chu Yue’s insincere words, and their hearts felt as if they were being pricked by needles, filled with immense pain.
How could they not understand that Chu Yue was choosing to sacrifice herself for the sake of the Great Li Dynasty? But was this truly a good destiny?
Xia Wudao was merely interested in Chu Yue’s Physique. Otherwise, how could the dignified Great Xia Imperial Dynasty form a marriage alliance with a small Great Li Dynasty?
Chu Yue’s Physique was the rare Profound Yin Physique, one in ten thousand. This Physique was an excellent Dual Cultivation Physique, but it was only beneficial to the male party, allowing his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.
As for the female party, over time, she would become increasingly weak until her death.
Xia Wudao was interested in Chu Yue’s Profound Yin Physique, which was why he went to great lengths to form a marriage alliance with the Great Li Dynasty.
The Great Xia Imperial Dynasty was powerful, one of the strongest forces beneath the Holy Land, and the leader of the Four Great Imperial Dynasties.
In front of it, the Great Li Dynasty was like an ant, with no power to refuse.
King Chu looked at the sensible Chu Yue, his heart stirred, as if he had made a certain decision.
“Yue’er, Father King will not watch you jump into a pit of fire, no matter the cost!”
A young figure flashed in his mind. Perhaps, only you can resolve the current predicament.