Chapter 26: Bing a Concubine


    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales


    Bai Qi spent most of his time in deep slumber.


    asionally, when Zhu Minng was free, he would fly out from the Spirit Realm, using Zhu Minng’s embrace as a warm nest to continue his deep snores.


    Little ck Tooth, however, had undergone significant changes, growing from two meters to nearly three or four meters in length, nowparable to a full-grown ferocious crocodile, having be a Great Alligator Spirit!


    Of course, given the dragon blood in ck Tooth’s veins, if it encountered wild crocodiles in the wild, it should be able to handle a group on its own with no problem.


    Those two-hundred-year-old Demon Pearls had a remarkable effect!


    “Come, wear this cor; your neck is so thick. For now, let’s just put it on your tail so that others won’t mistake you for a wild Big ck Crocodile,” Zhu


    Minng said as he put a juvenile spirit cor issued by the academy on the Great Alligator Spirit.


    They were about to go out, and Bai Qi was fine as he could be stored in the Spirit Realm.


    However, it was not convenient to carry Big ck Tooth, and it didn’t seem right to keep him confined in the small pond behind the house, so Zhu Minng decided to let the big fellow roam free for a few days!


    “Every morning, head to the bridge. There will be a girl, as dark as you, who will feed you meat grubs. I have a field trip ss and will probably be away for many days,” Zhu Minng instructed, stroking ck Tooth’srge head seriously.


    With a spirit bond, ck Tooth wouldn’t be taken by others and would also understand human nature better than other creatures.


    As long as it didn’t leave the academy’s jurisdiction, no one would harm it. The academy’s management of recognized juvenile spirits was very strict, even Dragon Shepherds with True Dragons would be severely punished by the academy if they attacked juvenile spirits without cause.


    “Oooooh-??? The Great Alligator Spirit understood that he was to be a stay-at-home child for a few days.


    Li Imperial Pce


    A majestic hall, surrounded by ancient pines, stood tall with its silver walls exuding solemnity.


    The City-State Forbidden Army, dressed in Silver ck Armor, stood full of presence, arrayed in a line like statues in the pce courtyard.


    This was the Ancestral Dragon City State’s council hall, where people inside decided on matters big and small within the realm.


    Today, Li Yunzi appeared in the council hall after being grounded for many days. She was dressed in in clothes, her makeup not as exquisite as usual, but her innate, stunning beauty still made the other female n members in the hall feel inferior…


    However, because of a disgrace that could never be washed away, these women no longer feltpletely overshadowed by Li Yunzi as they used to and could even sit together with a sneer.


    “Ultimately, we are all women, still unable to step over the threshold of men,” Li Kongxi spoke first, as the sisters beside her dared not to express their opinions openly.


    “I, Mu Qing, prefer to fulfill my duties. I stay pure and clean in my boudoir and let my elders decide when it’s the right age to marry. In this way, I can also contribute to our n,” said the woman who called herself Mu Qing. Li Yunzi didn’t care about their sneering and mockery and simply ignored it.


    She just quietly watched these people of the n.


    She wasn’t here to humiliate herself today; she knew her enemies would reveal themselves, right here in the n, in this very hall.


    But obviously, it wasn’t these Li familydies who could only utter sarcastic remarks.


    “Kongxi sister, I heard you are to marry into the Sect Pce. Which of the Sect Pce’s fine men is it? Could you give your sisters a sneak preview?”


    The subordination of women to men wasn’t so prevalent in the Ancestral Dragon City-State. Women of certain status were involved in n affairs, though their marriages were mostly determined by the n elders, and men without any achievements were treated simrly.


    What was just discussed was military affairs.


    The main concerns were harassment from Lingxiao City State and those Wutu Rebels who fancied breaking through the fortress into Ancestral Dragon City-State territory.


    Now, the elders were talking about the matrimonial matters of the younger generation within the n.


    In the Li Family from the south, matrimony had always been a subject for council discussions. After all, Ancestral Dragon City-State faced threats from all sides, so rtionships with neighboring city-states, towns, and fortresses relied heavily on critical marital alliances.


    Noble families valued marriages because promises, contracts, and alliances were like worthless scraps of paper to those in power; they could be torn up whenever interests were at stake. Only blood rtions were hard to truly sever.


    Only when two families sharedmon offsprings,mon bloodlines, could they genuinely move forward together or retreat as one!


    “Today we announce two marital matters. Listen carefully, I said announce,” said the Junior Mistress of the family, Kong Tong, as she began to speak.


    Military and state affairs were discussed by the Lord of the Li Family, while marriage affairs were all dealt with by the Mistress of the House.


    “Last year, Li Kongxi apanied the Old Mistress to the Sect Pce’s annual banquet, where the Sect Pce’s fourth young master, Du Cheng, took a liking to Li Kongxi at first sight. After our discussions, we will go with the Old


    Mistress to the Sect Pce next month to facilitate this marriage,” dered Kong Tong to everyone.


    “This is a good marriage. If we have this connection with the Sect Pce, Lingxiao City State, no matter how brazen, wouldn’t dare tounch a military strike against us lightly,” said someone.


    “As expected of Mistress Kong, you’ve finally opened a grand door for us to the Sect Pce. From now on, we no longer have to worry about thends south of the Li Chuan River, and we can even open up many trade routes,” said another. In the grand hall, smiles appeared on everyone’s faces, and their gazes fell upon Li Kongxi.


    Li Kongxi smiled faintly and said, “Although Kongxi is willing to adhere to the arrangements of my elders, I still need to meet this fourth young master of the Sect Pce in person before I go there next month. I want to understand his character. If he is vile-natured,cks ambition, and shows no respect for our Ancestral Dragon City-State, I kindly ask the Family Head and Mistress to reconsider.”


    “Sister Kongxi, don’t you know Du Cheng? Is it true he fell for you just from a distant glimpse?”


    “Truly, younger sister is the epitome of a national beauty,” Mu Qing eximed in surprise. “Speaking of which, Du Cheng is indeed a fine man. His fame had spread throughout the major city-states long ago. It’s said that Miss of the Ling Family from Lingxiao City-State even went to great lengths to seek an audience with Du Cheng at the Sect Pce, yet he didn’t even grant her entrance… And that’s the Ling Family’s Miss we’re talking about!”


    Li Kongxi shook her head, indicating that she indeed had never met Du Cheng.


    “Congrattions to Sister Kongxi on finding a good match.”


    The other female members of the n also offered their congrattions to Li


    Kongxi in advance.


    However, Li Kongxi appeared quite calm.


    “About another marriage.” The head of the family, Kong Tong, spoke again, and soon the hall quieted down.


    People’s gazes uncontrobly fell upon Li Yunzi.


    In the past, as the Female Monarch of the city-state, Li Yunzi used to be seated alongside the two great Family Heads, the four heads of families, the City Lord, severalmanders, and others. But now, there was no ce for her there.


    Like any other ordinary female member of the n, she sat in the observers’ seats, silent, her demeanor ice-cold.


    Ever since Li Yunzi had fallen from God’s Altar, she had not appeared in the deliberation hall for some time.


    Her presence today obviously meant that the n had arrangements for her.


    “Li Yunzi…” The head of the family, Kong Tong, had already called out Li


    Yunzi’s name.


    Indeed, in order to prevent the situation of the Female Monarch being humiliated from escting and further tarnishing Ancestral Dragon City’s reputation, the family had decided to settle her matrimonial matter.


    Only by marrying Li Yunzi off could that unspeakable incident be potentially quelled.


    At the military guest seating area, Luo Xiao straightened up involuntarily.


    In recent days, he had achieved miraculous feats at the eastern fortress, and his name as Luo Xiao of the Fire Dragon had echoed throughout Ancestral Dragon City.


    “We have decided to marry Li Yunzi into the Ling Family of Lingxiao City, ” announced the head of family, Kong Tong.


    Although Kong Tong’s voice was clear, it wasn’t very loud. Yet for some reason, it exploded like a thunderp in Luo Xiao’s mind, causing his entire body to tremble violently! !


    How could this be possible…


    It was he who suggested to Kong Tong to marry Li Yunzi off!


    And his infatuation with Li Yunzi wasmon knowledge.


    “Family Head, Madam!” Luo Xiao simply could not ept this decision; he stood up from his seat.


    “Luo Xiao, sit down,”manded the Lord of the Li Family, Li Ying.


    “This matter…”


    “Sit down!!” Li Ying’s tone became more forceful, his eyes sharp, and his entire presence changed as if he would turn into a Mad Dragon at any moment and tear someone to shreds!!


    Luo Xiao sat down, dispirited, his already pale face now resembling that of a corpse, ghastly to behold.


    “Madam, just now we discussed the encroachment of Lingxiao City-State, and the Family Head did not provide us with a perfect countermeasure in the military. Could this be the family’s strategy against Lingxiao City-State? Yet, I still have some doubts,” said themander.


    “Please speak,” said Kong Tong.


    “As the Female Monarch, Li Yunzi had more than once ughtered entire armies from Lingxiao City who came attacking. From the military to the civilians of Lingxiao City, all detest Li Yunzi. How then would the Ling Family of Lingxiao City-State be willing to form a marital alliance with us?” asked themander.


    “For a normal marital alliance, those soldiers and civilians of Lingxiao


    City-State surely wouldn’t agree, as they loathe Li Yunzi…” the head of family, Kong Tong, paused deliberately before adding, “Therefore, Li Yunzi is to enter the Ling Family as a concubine.”


    “Is that still an alliance?” themander asked.


    This was clearly not a negotiation for a marital alliance but a ploy to push Li Yunzi out to be dealt with by Lingxiao City-State!


    “If themander has a better way to handle this… Wutu Rebels cannot bepletely exterminated, and the morale of our western troops has greatly declined due to the matter concerning Li Yunzi, making it difficult to resist the aggressive advance of Lingxiao City-State’s forces. The only way to negotiate peace is this,” Kong Tong said.


    “Our Female Monarch, to be the concubine of the enemy City Lord, what face will Ancestral Dragon City-State have in the future?” themander said.


    “This matter must not be spread carelessly. Lingxiao City-State will send a bridal escort at the end of autumn. Commander Cheng, your assistance will be needed then,” said Li Ying.


    His attitude was decisive, leaving no room for further discussion.


    Li Yunzi took one look at Li Ying, her expression gradually turning colder. Then, Li Yunzi nced at the head of family, Kong Tong, and her understanding became even more clear.


    In the end, it was still them, this series of schemes against her….