Hearing this, the seven middle-aged men looked to Feng Jiu. She'd been summoned by the palace. Would she go?

Feng Jiu grinned, ever so slightly, and looked to the gatekeeper, saying, "Is he still out there?"

"No, Young Miss. He left after he had given his message," said the gatekeeper with utmost deference.

"Mm, good. Back to work, then!" she said with a nod, gesturing for him to go.

"Yes, Young Miss," said the gatekeeper as he backed out of the courtyard and left.

"Does that mean you're going, Young Miss?" asked one of the men with a pained expression, worried that this evening would be her own Feast at Hong Gate, that the banquet was planned with the sole purpose of having her murdered.

"Can't you see I'm busy? Do I look like I have time to waste wining and dining?" she said as she flourished her dress and arose. Seeing the pained expressions of all seven men, Feng Jiu couldn't help but smile, saying, "You have nothing to fear. Nothing is going to come of this."

At once, she made her way to the main building to see her father to make sure he wouldn't be worried once he heard the news.

Meanwhile, at the palace, Murong Yi Xuan stormed into his father's palace chambers and immediately asked, "Imperial Father, do you intend to have Qing Ge wed off?The Feng family soured on this marriage long ago and don't plan on marrying Qing Ge to the Green Gallop Crown Prince to be his Side Concubine. Perhaps you failed to tell him that?"

Hearing his son use such an interrogating tone with him, Murong Bo raged with anger, slamming his fist against the table, he roared, "What impudence! How dare you speak to your father, the ruler, like this!? Have you lost all sense of your position?!"

Murong Yi Xuan, however, was utterly undaunted by his father's anger. Dropping his gaze slightly, his expression, which had always been one of such civility and refinement, gave way to a wave of rare anger as he said, "Imperial Father, you know of my affection for her, and yet you would make such a decision. I simply wish to ask you, Imperial Father, am I still even a son to you?"

Seeing his son so unafraid of Murong Bo's prestige, he sighed heavily, licked his lips, and with a heavy voice said, "Your marriage contract with her is a thing of the past. There is nothing left between the two of you. If she had feelings for you, she wouldn't have broken off the marriage. Why should you still care about what goes on in the Feng Residence?"

"You ought to know," Murong Bo continued, "that if she serves as Side Concubine to the Green Gallop Crown Prince, not only will her family be spared of their eminent ruin, but she can also help us gain the backing of the powerful Green Gallop Country. How dare you stand in the way of such a perfect arrangement!?"

Pausing, Murong Bo glanced at his son and then said, "What's more, how could you possibly impede the Green Gallop Crown Prince now that he has his eye upon her? You ought to know that this world belongs to the mighty and that strength trumps all else. You may consider yourself a legend here in my Sun Glory Country, but this is Sun Glory, boy! You stand no match against the Crown Prince of a powerful sixth-grade country! You can't protect her!"

Hearing his father speak so candidly and with such unrelenting force, Murong Yi Xuan's face turned ashen white, and his sleeved hands clenched into tight fists. Despite his furious anger, he had to admit that his father was right. He couldn't protect her!

If he could protect her, her father wouldn't have faced an a.s.sa.s.sination attempt or suffered such a grave injury that sent him into a stupor!

If he could protect her, his father wouldn't be able to force her into this marriage, wouldn't be able to force her to become the Side Concubine to the Green Gallop Crown Prince!

If he could protect her, she wouldn't be forced to be paraded before the Green Gallop Prince as a companion!

Strength! If only he had strength! If he were powerful, who would ever dare to treat his beloved this way? Never before had he been so aware of the importance of strength! Never before had he felt such a vexing desire to possess power!

Seeing his son's pallid complexion, tinged with anger and unwillingness, Murong Bo sighed and said, "There will always be others, will there not? So long as you are strong enough, who's to say you won't find a woman far more beautiful than she could ever hope to become?"