Chapter 70: The Imperial Consort

Within the Hall of Chengde, one could hear a pin drop! Just moments ago, the civil and military officials and their families had been whispering amongst themselves, but now, like Du Long, they all stared blankly at the scene before them, mouths agape in disbelief—each face a portrait of comic astonishment.

In the section reserved for second-rank military officials, Du Zhentian and his wife were similarly stupefied. They had braced themselves for their beloved son to be punished for offending the emperor, yet not only was there no punishment, but a monumental favor had fallen from the heavens, leaving the couple dizzy with joy. Only when their colleagues came forward to congratulate them did they finally emerge from their stupor.

Among the civil officials, Zhao Lin’er’s face was pale as death. Over the past year, no matter how others mocked her for her supposed lack of discernment, she had endured it. Even when her former fiancé revealed startling talent, she managed to ignore it. But now, that same man—whom she had once rejected—had been granted a royal marriage by the emperor, destined to become the future consort, and in that instant, the fragile defenses she had built within herself collapsed utterly.

She could not accept that the man she had discarded so easily had, in just a year or two, risen to become the consort of the dynasty, a peer among the empire’s elite sons. Looking back at the man to whom she had entrusted everything, she saw not only indifference but outright disregard and humiliation in front of others. In that moment, Zhao Lin’er felt a profound sorrow for her mistaken choice; yet in this world, there was no remedy for regret.

In the first-rank civil officials’ section, Fan Tong could hardly believe his ears. That the emperor would so swiftly grant the marriage of Princess Fire Phoenix to Du Long meant that the young man, upon becoming the consort, would immediately stand on equal footing with himself among the elite sons. All the schemes he had devised to deal with Du Long were rendered useless.

After all, conflicts among the elite required careful deliberation to resolve. On the dragon throne, the emperor’s gaze lingered intently on the handsome young man below, recalling the scene from the previous night, when the Supreme Emperor had summoned him.

“My son! The reason this old man decided to grant Phoenix’s request is the result of careful consideration—not mere indulgence in her whims. There are several reasons; listen carefully as I explain.”

“First, I once told you that, while you may decide the marriages of your many children, for Phoenix—my only granddaughter—I wish her to wed the man she loves. You haven’t forgotten this, have you?”

“Second, the Fan clan has recently become increasingly arrogant and domineering, forming factions within the court. At this moment, winning the loyalty of Du’s Loyal Martial Legion as staunch supporters of the royal family, thereby balancing court factions and intimidating those with ulterior motives, is of utmost importance.”

“Third, some time ago, I happened upon Du’s son in Treasure Pavilion—guess what he was doing? He was selling first-grade spiritual elixir! As far as I know, he has sold such elixirs to Treasure Pavilion more than once; thus, I surmise that he has, at minimum, a master of elixirs of first grade or higher behind him.”

“Analyzing the quality of his elixirs, I found them to be of superior grade. Calculating the quantity of materials he buys and his success rate, it appears his master is at least of second-grade strength.”

“Based on these findings, I had him investigated and discovered that his cultivation method is peculiar—not one owned by the Du family. This suggests an enigmatic mentor, probably the second-grade elixir master, who must possess at least sixth-stage strength in pill cultivation.”

“In summary, the mysterious master behind this young man not only crafts elixirs for profit but also instructs him in advanced cultivation methods. Otherwise, with merely second-stage qi strength, he could never have defeated Fan Tong, the Fan clan’s direct grandson.”

“In light of the empire’s current situation and the Du family’s power, agreeing to Phoenix’s request is a timely opportunity. Through her closeness to Du Long, we can uncover his secrets and achieve multiple objectives at once!”

These were the words spoken by the Supreme Emperor the previous night, compelling the emperor to grant the marriage today. Even without those reasons, if the old man wished to interfere with Princess Fire Phoenix’s marriage, there was nothing the emperor could do.

After all, the Supreme Emperor was the only spirit-ranked figure in the royal household; his word alone could depose the emperor. “This brat is lucky indeed!” the emperor mused, his gaze complex as he looked at the stunned Du Long below. Seeing the young man kneeling there in silence, he barked in displeasure, “You brat! The Supreme Emperor himself has granted this marriage—do you intend to defy the imperial command?”

Startled by the emperor’s rebuke, Du Long quickly regained his senses and bowed respectfully, “Du Long thanks Your Majesty and the Supreme Emperor!”

At this, both the emperor and empress smiled with satisfaction. Since the matter was settled, regardless of personal feelings, the youth was now their son-in-law. The empress said, “Du Long, rise and return to your parents.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Du Long replied respectfully, then rose and returned to his parents, stealing a glance at the ranks of the royal family. There he saw Princess Fire Phoenix blushing shyly as she gazed at him.

Truth be told, Princess Fire Phoenix was only outwardly spoiled; in reality, she was a sensible and lovely princess. Du Long felt a complex, indefinable sentiment toward her. Before his rebirth, he had often suffered at her hands, mostly because she caught him bullying others, and she intervened for justice. He deserved the scoldings he received.

After his rebirth, he became less unruly and grew closer to the princess, yet a sense of inadequacy lingered—he never considered their relationship might deepen. Without such thoughts, he remained unburdened.

He never imagined he would one day become her consort. Honestly, Du Long had no objection; Princess Fire Phoenix was flawless in both beauty and temperament. Even now, it all felt unreal to him.

His mind blank, he stood behind his parents. He responded mechanically to the stream of congratulations, and paid no heed to when the New Year’s sacrificial ceremony finally concluded.

As in previous years, Du Zhentian and his wife brought Du Long to offer wine and New Year’s greetings to the emperor and empress. This year, their family’s toast attracted countless envious, jealous, and resentful gazes.

“Haha! Zhentian, you’ve raised a fine son! Even the Supreme Emperor personally granted the marriage of Phoenix and Du Long. Frankly, as her father, I feel reluctant to let my precious daughter marry this rascal from your family!” the emperor joked cheerfully.

“I wonder what good deeds this brat did in his past life to win the hand of Princess Fire Phoenix. As your humble servant, I thank Your Majesty and Her Majesty for their favor!” Du Zhentian replied respectfully.

Princess Fire Phoenix could hardly wait and quickly raised her glass to the Du family, “From now on, we’re family! Come, let’s finish this glass together! Heehee!”

Everyone looked at the princess and shook their heads with helpless smiles. The emperor seized the chance to joke, “Zhentian! See that? Even I can’t control this girl—your family will suffer for it in the future! Hahaha!”

“Father…” Princess Fire Phoenix protested, stomping her foot coquettishly.

“Hahaha, come, let’s drink!”

After draining her glass, Princess Fire Phoenix stepped forward without hesitation, took Du Long by the arm, and smiled at Du Zhentian and his wife, “Du Long and I are off to find our friends now!”

“Go on, go on!” Zhou Ruoxue replied with a warm smile. Truthfully, she genuinely liked this cheerful and lively princess—the perfect complement to the introverted and gentle Qinglian.

In the youth gathering area, Du Long was soon surrounded by friends offering wine and congratulations. Even those who normally ignored him seized the opportunity to pay their respects.

Those who had never gotten along with Du Long could only glare from afar, for he had now ascended to the ranks of the elite sons, and they would have to keep their distance.

In a secluded corner, Zhao Lin’er sat alone, pouring herself drink after drink. If not for the rule against leaving during the New Year’s celebration, she would have fled this place of turmoil long ago.

All the young people knew how dreadful her mood was today, and no one sympathized; everyone avoided her, and no one lingered in her area.

Throughout the banquet, Du Long was not only the center of attention, but Du Zhentian and his wife were as well, constantly toasted and congratulated by officials. The couple grew exhausted, yet could not neglect the goodwill of others and nearly drank themselves under the table.

Finally, having dealt with all the guests, Du Long seized a chance to slip away with Princess Fire Phoenix toward the Imperial Garden. With the princess leading the way, no palace guards dared obstruct them. Those with keen ears bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Princess and Consort!”

Du Long could only shake his head with a wry smile. For those more perceptive, he generously tossed handfuls of gold coins, delighting the guards and making them feel more affinity toward their new consort.

Among the closest guards, news spread quickly: Princess Fire Phoenix was showing the future consort around the Imperial Garden, and their greetings would earn them generous rewards—drinking money from the consort!

Thus, as Du Long left the Imperial Garden, he found that, whereas only a few well-informed guards greeted him on the way in, by the time he departed, every guard along the route called out to him. Before long, his stash of several thousand gold coins was depleted, leaving him only a pile of large-denomination banknotes yet to be given out. All his hundred-coin notes had been spent!