Maybe he cares about her now, but what about in the future? How much affection and love can sustain a person for a lifetime?
Modern society has a monogamous system of equal constraints, so even if men have flaws, most of them tolerate them. However, many still have extramarital affairs, having mistresses. As long as they are rich, they can have multiple mistresses. What is an emperor? He is the richest master, so having three palaces and six courtyards is naturally indispensable. So, would she still want to marry such a man? It would be better not to lose her heart in the first place and hold on tightly, so that she wouldn't feel pain.
Hai Ling figured it out and stopped worrying about it. She looked up at the field and saw that Ye Lingfeng had scored another goal. Thunderous cheers erupted from the sidelines once again. She smiled faintly, picked up Little Lion Ball, and turned to leave.
She hadn't gone far when she heard exclamations behind her. Turning around abruptly, she saw a steed galloping towards her. The man on horseback, with his flowing black hair and brocade robes, was like a dazzling shooting star in the clear, dim moonlight. He was galloping towards her, holding a snow lotus that emitted a delicate fragrance. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, leaped off his horse, and with a long, slender hand, presented the snow lotus to her.
Hai Ling was stunned. She never expected that Ye Lingfeng would give her this precious snow lotus in front of everyone.
This is clearly a public declaration that he will marry her.
At the Ji family's horse farm, everyone was stunned. No one spoke; they all stared blankly at the scene before them.
The stunningly beautiful, domineering, and aloof emperor actually falls for this Miss Ji.
Indeed, Miss Ji and the Emperor standing together are a match made in heaven, but why do their hearts ache so much? Why?
Of all the people present, Hai Ling was the first to react. She didn't reach out to take the snow lotus. She had just thought of giving up on him and not getting involved in the royal family, but now he was giving her a snow lotus in front of everyone. This was a public declaration of love. Moreover, he was the emperor. If she accepted the snow lotus, it would mean that she accepted him. If she didn't accept it, he was the emperor of the country and probably wouldn't allow her to refuse. So she was really in a dilemma.
Hai Ling was slightly angry. Her clear, dark eyes gleamed with a stubborn and arrogant light as she glared coldly at Ye Lingfeng. Ye Lingfeng did not speak, but his unfathomable eyes were filled with a determination to win her over and a captivating arrogance. His gaze clearly told her that she had no choice but to accept his offer today, and if she refused, he would not hesitate to announce on the spot that he would marry her.
Their eyes met in mid-air, and Hailin quickly gave in.
However, when she actually accepted the snow lotus, she was unwilling. This man was so forceful in wanting to marry her. How could she give in to his wish? With this thought, the corners of her lips suddenly curled into a dazzling smile, so beautiful and captivating that Ye Lingfeng's heart skipped a beat. He was immersed in her smile, and the next moment he heard a soft voice.
"Qiuqiu, do you like the snow lotus that the Emperor bestowed upon you? Take it."
Little Lion Ball Ball innocently became the target. It peered at Ye Lingfeng, sensing the man's powerful, bloodthirsty aura. His gaze was so sinister it almost devoured it. The little lion couldn't help but swallow hard. This man's gaze was even fiercer than their Lion King's! How terrifying! But its master had spoken, how could it disobey? Ball Ball cautiously extended its paw and snatched the snow lotus with astonishing speed.
Ye Lingfeng's lips curled into a smile, his entire being exuding a chilling and imposing aura. "Fine, very well. She actually refused the snow lotus and let a little yellow lion take it instead. Does this mean she doesn't want to marry him? Does she think he'll allow it?"
The people around the horse racing track looked at the new emperor. He was smiling, but it was unsettling and inexplicably oppressive. No one dared to speak.
Ye Lingfeng's magnetic and languid voice rang out at just the right moment: "Alright, since Miss Ji has accepted Xue Lian, then I should return to the palace."
He had to put the selection of concubines on the agenda, and then, in front of the whole world, choose her to enter the palace as his empress. From then on, she would become his beloved empress.
As soon as Ye Lingfeng finished speaking, Ji Cong and the other old ministers reacted and quickly bowed over, kneeling on the ground in a dark mass.
"Your Majesty, we respectfully see you off."
"Your Majesty, please take care."
Ye Lingfeng glanced at her with a gleaming light, his eyes subtly reminding her, "Ling'er, you can't escape."
The eunuch's voice rang out: "His Majesty is returning to the palace."
The group quickly left. Behind the horse riding field of the Ji residence, everyone waited until the Emperor left before slowly getting up. At this time, all the women looked at Hai Ling with jealousy. Thinking of her previous attitude, many people scolded her for being arrogant. The Emperor had given her a snow lotus, but she hadn't accepted it and had a small pet take it instead. This clearly showed that she didn't respect the Emperor. This woman was too hateful. That was a gift from the incomparably handsome Emperor, and she didn't even care about it. She was too despicable.
Many ministers came to congratulate Ji Cong. Everyone knew what had happened that night; the Emperor clearly favored this young lady from the Ji family.
Of course, this Miss Ji is indeed worthy of the Emperor. She is stunningly beautiful, and her every move exudes elegance and grace. She is also decisive and efficient in her work. Such a person is born to be in a high position.
So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this Miss Ji is destined to enter the palace as Empress.
Ji Cong returned the greetings one by one and ordered the steward of the Ji residence to lead the servants to see the guests out of the residence.
The banquet hosted by the Ji family finally came to a successful conclusion, and Hailing officially entered the social circles of Beilu as a young lady of the Ji family.
The events of the night alarmed Ji Cong and Ji Shaocheng, so once everyone had left, the two men from the Ji family entered Xiangwu Courtyard.
"Ling'er, you saw the Emperor's attitude tonight. If nothing unexpected happens, the Emperor might be interested in you. Do you like the Emperor?"
Ji Cong spoke first. The Emperor was outstanding, his political skills and strategic acumen were unmatched by ordinary people. Such a man should be very popular with women. However, as a father, Ji Cong did not want his daughter to enter the palace, because the palace had always been a great melting pot. Those who went in were corrupted, and if they were not corrupted, they could not survive. Although Ji Cong had not spent much time with Hai Ling, he knew that his daughter was of noble character and could not tolerate even the slightest impurity. Therefore, he said that she was not suitable for life in the palace.
"I?"
Hai Ling frowned. It would be a lie to say that she had no feelings for Ye Lingfeng at all. When he was the Left Prime Minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he was the first person besides her mother that she was willing to get to know deeply. At that time, she had feelings for him, but now she could only control her own heart.
Because of her marriage to Feng Zixiao, she deeply understood how terrifying the royal family was. Sometimes, in order to consolidate the court, it was necessary to use the power of various parties to maintain a balance. Most of the women in the harem were used to appease the ministers and consolidate the peace between the court and the royal family. As the emperor of Bei Lu, Ye Lingfeng's Bei Lu appeared peaceful on the surface, but through tonight's events, she saw some discrepancies. These people seemed to obey Ye Lingfeng on the surface, but she feared that many of them were not convinced in private.
Ye Lingfeng, a prince who had been living in exile, ascended to the throne in a short period of time. This left the ministers in Beilu, who had been plotting for many years, in a difficult position. Naturally, they were dissatisfied and many probably thought that Ye Lingfeng must have climbed to the throne by chance. They were determined to find fault with him as soon as possible and remove him from the throne.
The most effective and direct way to appease these ministers right now is to select their daughters to enter the palace as concubines, which can stabilize the unstable political situation.
Does she intend to share a husband with another woman? Besides, her father is one of the emperor's targets for courting. So, in the eyes of outsiders, Ye Lingfeng probably wants to use her to consolidate his power, which is why he is showing her kindness.
Hai Ling was deep in thought when Ji Cong saw that she didn't speak. He naturally assumed that his daughter was unwilling, so he raised his thick eyebrows and spoke up decisively.
"Ling'er, if you are unwilling to marry, the Emperor absolutely cannot wrong you. You are the treasure of our Ji family. Our Ji family has made many great contributions to Beilu. The Emperor has no reason to force my daughter to enter the palace, does he?"
Ji Shaocheng's face was also cold and stern as he spoke slowly and deliberately: "Ling'er, if you don't want to marry, then don't marry. Don't be afraid of what the emperor will do to you. Our Ji family has made great contributions and has done right by the royal family. There is no need for my sister to go to the palace to accompany the king."
Ji Shaocheng truly did not want Hailing to enter the palace. Just think about it, the emperor would definitely have three palaces and six courtyards in the future, and Hailing's temperament would probably not be able to bear it. As a daughter of the Ji family, even if she did not marry into the palace, she would eventually marry a man of exceptional talent and ability. Moreover, with him and her father around, they would absolutely not allow that man to take a concubine, so that Ling'er would not suffer.
The father and son were of one mind: they would not allow the daughters of the Ji family to enter the palace.
Hailing was deeply moved by her father and brother's words. In fact, it would be understandable if they wanted her to marry, since what family would fight against the royal family, and what family would look down on the royal family? It was probably only the two of them. It was clear that they genuinely wanted her to be happy.
"Father, brother, don't think about it anymore. Let's talk about it later. Maybe the Emperor doesn't actually want me to enter the palace."
"Yeah?"
Ji Cong and Ji Shaocheng disagreed with such words. As men, they understood the burning flame in the Emperor's eyes—the possessiveness he exuded over the woman he loved.
However, let's not bother Ling'er with this matter. Let them go to the palace to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager and express their thoughts. I believe the Empress Dowager will not make things difficult for the Ji family.
With that thought in mind, Ji Cong and Ji Shaocheng smiled and got up, gesturing for Hai Ling to rest early. They then instructed Fu Yue and the others to take good care of their young lady before leaving.