In the main hall, the woman exuded a cool and aloof demeanor, neither angry nor humble, her expression dignified yet subtly smiling. Unlike most women who would lose their composure or feel uneasy in such a situation, she remained calm, radiant, and composed. It was likely that no one else could confidently declare that they would only marry one wife in their lifetime without batting an eye.
Many who saw her expression at that moment felt that this woman was indeed extraordinary, and that to be treated sincerely by her would be a great blessing in life.
But now, four men in the main hall want to marry her at the same time. Apart from the Prince of Nanling, how can she choose among the other three men?
Each of them is an outstanding individual, and their appearances are also exceptional. Among them, the most outstanding is Ye Lingfeng, the new emperor of the Northern Lu Kingdom. Not only is he of first-class appearance and character, but he is also extremely domineering and is the perfect match for Ji Hailing. However, now the emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty and Shaoyi have both spoken of their love, and the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty is even willing to abolish his harem for her, which is truly remarkable.
Inside the main hall, everyone was looking at Hai Ling, even her father Ji Cong, wondering who his daughter liked and how she would choose.
Princess Jingyue, the most beautiful woman in the world, never expected to be in this situation. Although the only man she wanted to marry was Ye Lingfeng, the three most important men in the hall—no, including her brother, a total of four men—all liked the stunning beauty Ji Hailing. How could this not make her resentful? Her heart felt as if a million ants were crawling on it, causing a burning pain.
The situation before them was truly a difficult one. The Empress Dowager glanced at Hai Ling and said, "The one who tied the knot must untie it. There is only one young lady in the Ji family, so as long as she says who she will marry, no one else will have anything to say."
However, the Empress Dowager remembered what Hailin had said earlier.
He shall marry only one wife in his lifetime and shall not take a concubine.
This is utter nonsense. As an emperor, carrying the bloodline of the royal family, how could he only marry one wife? If this wife cannot bear children, would the royal bloodline be cut off? Therefore, although the Empress Dowager favored the young lady from the Ji family, she did not want her to choose Feng'er.
However, recalling what his son had said earlier, and how he had actually agreed to such conditions in the palace, he must be interested in this Miss Ji.
The Empress Dowager was caught in a dilemma, but she did not forget to speak slowly.
"Miss Ji, the one who tied the knot must untie it. Now, Miss Ji, look around the Guangyang Palace. Who is the man you wish to marry?"
The Empress Dowager spoke gently because she knew that a woman who could say such words—that a man was only allowed to marry one wife and never be allowed to take a concubine—was definitely a ruthless character, so it was best for her not to target her.
After all, she was someone her son cared about.
Hai Ling's eyes were bright and clear, showing no panic, but filled with the light of calm wisdom.
A slight smile played on her lips, filling the hall with radiance.
She had no intention of getting married today. If she wasn't going to marry Ye Lingfeng, how could she marry someone else? Did all the people in this hall have any connection with the royal family?
Ye Lingfeng has just ascended the throne, and the court is currently unstable. He needs to select candidates to consolidate the court. Unexpectedly, he promised in court that he would only marry her. But if he needs to stabilize the court in the future, will she be able to stop him?
Although she didn't blame him, she didn't have a good impression of Mu Ye either. When they first met, he had targeted her for Jiang Feiyu's sake. Later, when Jiang Feiyu died, he didn't even go to see her until his death. That was three years of getting along. So, this man was cold and indifferent at heart.
As for Feng Zixiao, he was the person she hated the most. Because of the manipulation by the royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty, she lost her mother, Yan Zhi, and Prince Jing of the Southern Dynasty. This man was even less worth mentioning. He was a homosexual, but unexpectedly, he was bisexual.
Hai Ling thought for a moment, then looked up and saw that everyone in the hall was looking at her, waiting for her to make a choice.
Ye Lingfeng's handsome face was now covered with a cold, icy expression, and his deep pupils were filled with a sinister and chilling aura, shooting straight at Hai Ling.
If she dares to choose someone else today, he wouldn't mind confronting her on the spot and letting her know the consequences of provoking him.
Hai Ling was well aware of Ye Lingfeng's thoughts, but since she had no intention of choosing anyone, she slowly opened her lips to speak.
Chapter 81
Hai Ling slowly began, “I never expected that I would be so fortunate as to catch the eye of such outstanding individuals. It is truly an honor for me. However, if I were to choose in such a hurry, others might not be satisfied. Therefore, I have decided to set three questions for the sake of fairness. These questions will be delivered to you when the time is up. Whoever answers them best will be the one I marry.”
Actually, this is just a delaying tactic. As for the three test questions, she will set them up later to make things difficult for them. She will then say that none of them answered them correctly, so that none of them will have to get married.
Hai Ling was calculating in her heart, but below the main hall, there was a murmur of discussion. No one above spoke, their faces full of gloom as they glared at the woman standing in the main hall, who looked calm and radiant.
I have never seen such a bizarre scene before. Historically, only men have been chosen for the imperial concubine selection. I never expected that today it would turn into women choosing husbands, and each of them is a dragon among men, an emperor of a country. How can others bear this?
Ruan Jingyue was almost vomiting blood. She came full of hope, only to end up like this. Everyone was chasing after Ji Hailing to marry. Was she really that good? Ruan Jingyue believed that she was no less than Ji Hailing. Why did everyone treat her like a treasure, but not see her? Why didn't they choose her?
The lower part of the room was noisy and chaotic, but the Empress Dowager at the upper part of the room raised her hand to stop all the discussions.
The Empress Dowager looked at her son: "My son, what do you see?"
"Today's talent show is now over."
Ye Lingfeng was in a very bad mood. The thought that Ling'er hadn't chosen him directly made him very uncomfortable. Why didn't she choose him? He had said that if he married her, he would never take another concubine in this life.
The emperor's order brought the selection banquet to a halt, but it was already late; they had entered the palace at noon, and it was now evening.
Now that the selection banquet was over, it was natural for everyone to stay. However, they hadn't expected the selection banquet to turn out like this. Many of the young ladies waiting to be selected were furious, but there was nothing they could do.
Everyone stood up. Ye Lingfeng glanced at them and looked at Ji Zong.
"General Ji, immediately escort Emperor Jing, Emperor Wu, Prince Jing, and Princess Jingyue to the post station to rest."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
Ji Zong stepped forward, feeling relieved. He was genuinely worried that his daughter would hastily choose someone, but since she had decided to give three questions to test others, he was finally at ease.
Feng Zixiao and Mu Ye and the others stood up, led their respective subordinates, bid farewell to Ye Lingfeng, and walked out of the hall. When they passed by Hai Ling, both of them shone with a determined light in their eyes, and then walked out.
Behind Feng Zixiao and the others were Prince Jing of Nanling and Princess Jingyue.
Prince Jing, Ruan Xihao, had a face full of infatuation, and a smile played at the corners of his lips, making him look quite wicked.
Princess Jingyue, standing behind him, had a dark expression on her face, lacking her previous ethereal beauty. She flicked her hand and followed her brother out.
This trip to Beilu carried the hopes of her father and mother. It was a sure thing that she would marry into Beilu and become empress. Her father had even promised her a generous dowry and a grand wedding. But the final outcome was unexpected.
Ruan Jingyue was so angry that her heart was bleeding. She would not give up. She was determined to become the Empress of Beilu, otherwise she, Ruan Jingyue, would be ridiculed to death by the world.
In Guangyang Palace, all the people from the three kingdoms had left, and Emperor Ye Lingfeng also got up and walked out, followed by the Empress Dowager and others.
Their faces were all grim, and as they passed Hai Ling, they exchanged meaningful glances. They walked out of the main hall together, and the ministers behind them said in unison, "We respectfully see off His Majesty, Empress Dowager, and Imperial Concubine."
As soon as the emperor and his entourage left, the hall suddenly became noisy, with voices and discussions rising in waves.
The conversation was all about Hai Ling, with some even saying that she possessed demonic arts, and that her dance was so beautiful that it caused the flowers outside the palace to bloom in competition. Who but a demon could do that?
For a moment, the young ladies waiting to be chosen in the hall were saying all sorts of things. Hai Ling calmly looked at everything in front of her and coldly swept her gaze over them. Many people were stunned. Thinking that this woman might be the future empress, no one dared to speak after this thought arose.
Ji Shaocheng walked over with a stern expression. Inside Guangyang Palace, there were many women from Beilu who wanted to marry Ji Shaocheng, so seeing his gloomy and cold face, they naturally didn't say anything more. Inside the palace, people walked out one after another, no longer speaking ill of Hailing.
Ji Shaocheng walked up to Hailing and said gently, "Ling'er, let's go back."
"Mmm"
The people from the Ji family followed behind others and walked out.
Outside Guangyang Palace, eunuchs and palace servants escorted them out of the palace.
As darkness fell, Princess Zhaoyang, Feng Yao, stood before the main hall, a sinister smile on her face, watching the Ji family carriage depart. "Ji Hailing, Ji Hailing, this is only the beginning. Just you wait."
Feng Yao stared fiercely outside the hall. Someone inside walked up to her and slowly said, "Princess Zhaoyang seems to hate the Ji family's young lady. Why is that?"
The speaker was west Yan. west Yan squinted at Feng Yao with suspicion, feeling that this Princess Zhaoyang seemed to have some secret. Could it be that Princess Feng Yao and Ji Hailing had a bad relationship before in the Great Zhou Dynasty?
Upon hearing west Yan's words, Feng Yao realized that she had been too open about her feelings. Although she hated Ji Hailing and was trying to find a way to deal with her, she couldn't let others know. After all, Ji Hailing's identity was different now than before. She was the daughter of the Great General of Ji Kingdom. If she didn't handle things properly, it would bring trouble.
"What are you saying, Miss Xi? Feng Yao is just a little jealous. Don't you feel jealous, Miss Xi? Think about what happened in Guangyang Palace today. Any woman would be jealous. The emperors of three countries all want to marry Ji Hailing as their empress, while treating the other candidates as decorations. How can that not make people envious? Fortunately, I am not a candidate, otherwise I would be even more upset."
After Feng Yao finished speaking, she beckoned to her maid and left Guangyang Palace, leaving west Yan alone in the main hall, her face gloomy and ugly.
Thinking about how the Emperor had promised Ji Hailing in the Guangyang Palace today that he would only marry one Empress and never take a concubine, what was she to do? She still wanted to marry into the palace! At this thought, west Yan became extremely anxious and stomped her feet angrily.
"I'm going to find my aunt."
After saying that, he nodded and led a few people to the Empress Dowager's palace.
Late at night, the moon was bright and the stars were few. The full moon shone softly, its light like a thin veil, hazy and beautiful. Inside the Xiangwu Courtyard of the Ji Mansion, the two maids, Shimei and Shilan, were helping Hailing wash up. They noticed that their young mistress looked deep in thought, as if she was pondering something.
Shi Mei couldn't help but ask curiously, "Miss, what are you thinking about? Are you still troubled by today's events?"
It's really a headache. People from four countries want to marry her, which puts her in a difficult position. No matter who she marries, she will offend the others.
Hai Ling shook her head. She hadn't even thought about who she would marry. What she was thinking about now was how to quickly build up her own power, then return to the Great Zhou Dynasty to avenge her mother, kill Jiang Taotian, and retrieve the Dragon Heaven Technique. But thinking of the Ji family, she felt reluctant to leave. Ji Zong and Ji Shaocheng were truly devoted to her.
"Mei'er, I want to start an organization, otherwise it's simply impossible for me to kill Jiang Putian by myself."
Shi Mei and Dai Lan were stunned. They hadn't expected that at this moment, their young lady wasn't thinking about who to marry, but rather about avenging her mistress. They couldn't quite process what was happening. Before they could even speak, they sensed a strong, chilling aura from the shadows. It arrived in the blink of an eye. It was incredibly fast. By the time they rushed to the window, the person had already arrived. With a wave of his hand, powerful internal energy condensed in his palm, deflecting Shi Mei and Dai Lan's prepared attack, and then flashed in through the window.
Upon seeing this, Shi Mei and Shi Lan quickly lowered their heads and said, "Master."
It turned out that the person who came was Ye Lingfeng. Ye Lingfeng couldn't sleep because he thought about everything that happened in Guangyang Palace today, so he came to visit Hailing. However, he was in a bad mood, so there was a chilling aura around him.
"Go down to the mouth..."