As soon as Ye Lingfeng appeared, he coldly ordered Shi Mei and Shi Lan.
Shi Mei and Shi Lan naturally dared not disobey their master; how could they not know what kind of person he was? However, they didn't forget to look at Hai Ling for instructions. Hai Ling, not wanting to make things difficult for them, nodded, signaling them to leave. Soon, only Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling remained in the room.
Ye Lingfeng, exuding a chilling aura and with flames blazing in his eyes, slowly approached. Hai Ling raised an eyebrow, wondering what was wrong with this man so late at night. However, judging from his current expression, he seemed extremely dangerous, so she subconsciously stepped back, keeping a distance until she had nowhere left to retreat. Then she stopped and suddenly shouted angrily.
"Ye Lingfeng, what do you want to do?"
Unfortunately, Ye Lingfeng ignored her, his deep pupils radiating an unfathomable cold light, burning intensely like ghostly flames.
Hai Ling was genuinely afraid that he might do something improper so late at night. With a thought, she put on her Fire Cloud Boots and Wind and Thunder Gloves. If this man dared to touch her in the slightest, she would definitely make him pay.
To everyone's surprise, Ye Lingfeng didn't touch her. He simply walked up to her and slowly said, "Ling'er, I'll help you avenge your mother."
Hai Ling was taken aback, realizing that Ye Lingfeng had overheard his earlier conversation with Shi Mei, which was why he said that.
However, she would never entrust this matter to someone else. Now Ye Lingfeng is the emperor of Bei Lu, and she cannot harm him for her own selfish reasons. Although he has people from the Cold Demon Palace under his command, Jiang Putian is by no means a mere figurehead. If the people from the Cold Demon Palace fail and are eventually discovered by Jiang Putian, then he will definitely retaliate against the people of Bei Lu. At that time, a war will be inevitable. Moreover, thinking of her mother Du Caiyue's death, she wants to kill that man with her own hands and use his blood to pay tribute to her mother.
Besides, she didn't want to owe Ye Lingfeng any favors right now. She already owed him a lot in the past, and if she used the people from the Cold Demon Palace again, she would have no choice but to marry him. Unfortunately, this was not the way out she wanted, so Hai Ling proudly raised her head and refused directly.
"unnecessary."
Actually, when she first came to Beilu, she had ulterior motives. She wanted to use the Ji family's manpower to build her own power base, and then return to the Great Zhou Dynasty to avenge her mother. If it weren't for her mother's revenge, she wouldn't have come to Beilu at all; she would have been fine anywhere else. But now that she was involved with the Ji family, and they had treated her so well, giving her warmth and care, she was afraid that using the Ji family to build her own power would hurt Ji Zong and Ji Shaocheng's feelings. That's why she hadn't acted yet. Now, she only wanted to use her abilities to build such an organization and then return to the Great Zhou Dynasty.
As for whether or not to get married, she hadn't even thought about it.
However, when she refused, Ye Lingfeng became furious. He stretched out his hand and braced himself against the wall, placing Hai Lingyin in the middle, and spoke in a sinister tone, enunciating each word clearly.
"Ling'er, why won't you marry me? I will never betray you."
He promised her he would only marry one wife, and he had never married another woman before. If he had wanted to marry another woman, he wouldn't have waited until today to marry her.
But Ling'er was unwilling to marry him at all, which frustrated him greatly. So what if he had supreme power? He was at the pinnacle of power, and he wanted her to enjoy the scenery with him. Was that wrong? He knew she hated people in the royal family, but he would definitely let her know that there were exceptions among the royal family. She just needed to give him a chance.
"What about your three questions? I'll definitely solve them, and then I'll make you marry me."
Ye Lingfeng didn't relax. He wasn't the kind of person who was easily stumped, and for someone like her, it was worth it no matter how many difficulties he set up.
Hailin didn't answer, but looked at him and gave a cool reminder.
"Ye Lingfeng, you shouldn't be thinking about this right now. Don't forget that your throne isn't secure yet. You should be thinking more about how to stabilize the court."
"Are you worried about me, and that's why you don't want to marry me?"
Ye Lingfeng narrowed his eyes, his expression softening, and the depth in his eyes becoming clearer and more lustrous. Could this be what Ling'er was really worried about? Was she speaking entirely from his perspective, which was why she didn't want to marry him?
"You're overthinking it. You've helped me many times during the Great Zhou Dynasty, and I feel I need to remind you."
Hai Ling immediately shook her head, denying that she was doing this for his sake.
However, Ye Lingfeng accepted this reasoning and stopped being angry. His face shone brightly, filling the room with light. With a wave of his hand, he released an object that dangled in mid-air, swaying back and forth.
Hai Ling looked over and saw a white jade pendant, but it was carved with a ferocious demon king's head. Could this be a token of the Cold Demon Palace?
"Since you don't need my help, and you want to build up your power, then you can manage the Cold Demon Palace. That way you'll have power."
Unexpectedly, he gave her the Cold Demon Palace with a single move. Hai Ling had no intention of accepting it and calmly shook her head.
"I don't want anything from you, 'Ye Lingfeng.'"
"What's mine is yours, why should we distinguish between us? Besides, I've transferred quite a few people from the Cold Demon Palace to build the Royal Feather Guard, and the rest are a bit disorganized, so I might as well hand them over to you to manage..."
Ye Lingfeng ignored her, stretched out his long, slender hand, and forcefully pulled Hai Ling's hand. Hai Ling quickly put away the Wind and Thunder Gloves, and the token of the Cold Demon Palace was handed to her.
Ye Lingfeng walked out in a cheerful mood, saying as he went, "I'll wait for your three questions, and then I'll marry you and bring you into the palace."
After he finished speaking, he vanished in a flash, leaving Hai Ling speechless as she stared at the white jade Demon King Token in her hand.
Outside the room, the two maids, Shi Mei and Shi Lan, walked in. When they saw the white jade Demon King Token in Hai Ling's hand, they looked at each other and smiled happily before walking up to Hai Ling.
“Miss, didn’t you want to build an organization? I’ve given you the White Jade Demon King’s Token, which means I’m giving you the Cold Demon Palace. You can now take charge of the people in the Cold Demon Palace, and then you can go back to the Great Zhou Dynasty to kill Jiang Putian.”
"No, this is a huge gift. If we accept the Cold Demon Palace, I don't know how I'll repay Ye Lingfeng."
I already owed him so much from the past, and now I've taken over the Cold Demon Palace.
Hai Ling really didn't know what to say. Ye Lingfeng was truly, truly good to her. It wasn't that her heart wasn't warmed or moved, but how long could his care last? She was terrified, afraid that she wouldn't be able to bear the weight of his love in the future.
“Miss, you’re overthinking it. The Cold Demon Palace is different now than before. Only half of its manpower remains. More than half of its forces have been transferred by Master to form the Royal Feather Guard. However, not many people know about this. As for the remaining half, Miss, you can train them properly and make them completely trust you from the bottom of their hearts before you can use them.”
"oh."
Hai Ling raised an eyebrow. Even if the Cold Demon Palace only had half its manpower left, it was probably still quite a lot. Moreover, how could she use Ye Lingfeng's people again? She hadn't forgotten his words: "What's mine is yours, we are inseparable." These words had a hidden meaning, and she absolutely could not use them.
Thinking of this, Hailing handed the white jade magic token to Shimei: "Keep it safe, and return it to him when you see him again..."
Shi Mei accepted the offer as instructed, but did not forget to remind Hai Ling.
“Miss, building an organization or force isn’t easy. First of all, ordinary people won’t easily risk their lives for you, so even if you organize them, they’ll still be cowards who are afraid of death and completely useless. But the people in the Cold Demon Palace are different. Many of them are beggars, or cripples who have been rejected by others, and some were even rescued by you from other people’s hands. That’s why those people are willing to risk their lives for you.”
After Shi Mei finished speaking, Hai Ling's heart stirred. She was indeed tempted and wanted to train the people of the Cold Demon Palace properly. If she could subdue them, she could take them back to the Great Zhou Dynasty to seek revenge on Jiang Batian. But how could she use these people with a clear conscience?
"Never mind, let's go to sleep, it's late."
This matter of revenge is not urgent, especially since Jiang Putian is currently fighting against the barbarians in the northwest of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
If she were to approach Jiang Rutian now, she would become a notorious villain in the eyes of the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, if she wanted to get rid of Jiang Taotian, she should first make Jiang Taotian infamous before killing him. This would be the only way to uphold justice and be universally condemned.
Shi Mei and Shi Lan responded and helped Hai Ling to sleep.
In the palace, Ye Lingfeng had just returned when he saw his personal eunuch, Xiao Luzi, pacing around the door. When he looked up and saw Ye Lingfeng had returned, he quickly came over to greet him.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has sent someone to invite you to Cining Palace?"
"Oh, then let's go to Cixi Palace."
Ye Lingfeng paused for a moment, then turned around and led Xiao Luzi and the others to Cixi Palace.
The Cixi Palace was quiet. On one side of the main hall, the Empress Dowager was resting on a soft couch. Today's selection of concubines was really a headache.
The young lady from the Ji family actually made a scene in the palace, saying that if anyone wanted to marry her, he could only have one wife in his life.
A woman like her truly deserves a good man. If her son were west Lengyue from the Cold Demon Palace, she would marry him without hesitation.
But now my son is the emperor, the newly enthroned emperor of Beilu. The court is still unstable and needs Gong Nan, as well as Princess Ruan Jingyue of Nanling. If the two countries can make peace, at least there will be no external turmoil.
The Empress Dowager was deep in thought with her eyes closed when footsteps sounded at the entrance of the main hall. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Ye Lingfeng leading his men over.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty."
"Sit down," the Empress Dowager said, sitting up straight and gesturing for Ye Lingfeng to sit next to her.
Ye Lingfeng remained silent, sitting quietly beside the Empress Dowager. Only his deep, dark eyes gleamed as he watched his mother, wondering what she wanted to say next.
"Son, today is the talent show. Are you really planning to marry Ji Hailing?"
"yes."
Ye Lingfeng was very firm on this point. In fact, if it were up to him, he would not hold a selection of concubines and would directly make Ling'er the Empress of Beilu. However, his mother said that this was not in accordance with the ancestral rules. He had just ascended the throne and was breaking the rules because of this. The court officials below also spoke up, so he agreed. However, he was prepared to announce in front of everyone that he would make Ling'er the Empress of Beilu, so that everyone would know that she was the person he loved.
Unexpectedly, Hai Ling didn't want to marry him and even gave him three tests. Thinking of this, Ye Lingfeng's face turned cold.
The Empress Dowager glanced at him and could tell he was in a bad mood. She knew it was because Ji Hailing was going to give him three test questions.
"Son, what about Princess Jingyue of Nanling Kingdom?"
"What should we do?" Ye Lingfeng raised an eyebrow, his slightly narrowed eyes revealing his coldness and ruthlessness. He had given all his affection to Ling'er and had no feelings for other women, so he said indifferently, "If she is willing to form a marriage alliance, then we will choose someone for her. If she is not willing, then she can return to Nanling Kingdom."
He wouldn't let that woman into the palace just because of some kind of marriage alliance between two countries.
"Otherwise, Feng'er should make the young lady of the Ji family empress and Princess Jingyue imperial concubine."
The Empress Dowager could see that Ruan Jingyue admired and loved her son, so it was probably impossible for her to marry someone else for a political alliance. However, if she were to suffer a little grievance and become the Imperial Noble Consort of Beilu, then she would definitely be willing.
However, as soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, Ye Lingfeng's expression changed. His handsome face was covered with frost, and his eyes were cold and sinister as he raised his head to stare at the Empress Dowager.
"Mother, I have said that I will only agree to your selection of concubines. As for who to choose as a concubine, that is my business. I am the emperor, and my word is law. In the Guangyang Palace, I said that I would only marry Ling'er as my empress and that I would never marry anyone else in this life. Mother, please give up this idea."
The Empress Dowager sighed, "It seems that the origin of everything lies with the young lady of the Ji family."
"It's not unreasonable for an emperor to marry two women, is it?"
The Empress Dowager wanted to try again, but Ye Lingfeng got angry and simply waved his hand, saying, "This matter is no longer worth discussing."
Then he rose and said, "Your Majesty, I am tired, and so is Your Majesty. Please rest early."
After he finished speaking, he strode away from Cixi Palace. The Empress Dowager reached up and touched her throbbing temples, sighing inwardly, "What kind of mess is this?"
The post station in Beilu was not located within Bianliang City, but rather on the outskirts of the city, within a radius of dozens of miles, and was guarded by soldiers. Entering was extremely difficult, especially since Ji Zong had set up a military formation within the post station, and one could easily be captured if one was not careful. Therefore, the post station had always been very peaceful.
At this moment, a crashing sound came from the courtyard where the envoy from the Southern Feather Kingdom was staying, clearly indicating that someone was angrily throwing things.
Inside the main hall, a stunningly beautiful woman was unleashing a furious rage.
A sinister-looking man sitting below her spoke softly to her.
"Alright, Jingyue, don't be angry. It's not over yet. Maybe things will turn around."
"So what?"
Ruan Jingyue screamed, panting. Her elegant demeanor in public was completely gone. Her beautiful face was filled with anger, dark and brooding. She looked down at her elder brother, the emperor, and said, word by word, "Brother, is Jingyue not as beautiful as Ji Hailing? Am I, a princess of a nation, inferior to the daughter of a minister?"
Not only Ye Lingfeng, but even the emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Feng Zixiao and Mu Ye, both wanted to marry that woman. It seemed as if they didn't even see her. If even one of them had chosen her, she wouldn't be so angry and embarrassed.
She was the most beautiful woman in the world, yet in the end, she was inferior to someone who appeared out of nowhere.
Ruan Jingyue stared intently at her elder brother, Ruan Xihao. When Ruan Xihao heard her question, his eyes welled up with tears, and he smiled gently: "In your eyes, Jingyue is the most beautiful woman in the world, and no one can compare to her."
"But why don't they all think so? Why did Ye Lingfeng marry that woman as his empress but not me? And why did he promise in the palace that he would only marry one wife in his life, and that he would never marry another woman if that woman entered the palace?"
This cut off all women's escape route. Tell me, which emperor in the world didn't have women in his harem?
Ruan Jingyue's words left Ruan Xihao speechless. How could he possibly know what others were thinking? Besides, that woman was indeed quite good. Not only others, but he himself had considered marrying her, since he couldn't marry her after all. Ruan Xihao looked at Ruan Jingyue, a pang of pain shooting through his heart, followed by a wicked smile that concealed his true thoughts.
"Why don't you marry her, brother?"
Ruan Jingyue suddenly spoke, startling Ruan Xihao. To be honest, he did want to marry her, but he had three rivals in love ahead of him. Would Ji Hailing choose him instead of the other three and be content to be the Princess Consort of Jing?
Besides, given his notorious reputation, it's unlikely any woman would easily marry him.
How to marry?