Such a blatant slap in Yi Zhen's face made even her, who was usually calm, blush with embarrassment.
No one had expected that the woman Prince Zongzheng Fengyi wanted to marry was not Yi Zhen. All the court officials and their wives exchanged glances and started whispering speculations.
Emperor Zhao Huan gave Yi Zhen a deep look, then smiled and said,
"Oh? Could it be that the Seventh Prince wants to marry my Fifth Princess, Yi Shu?"
Shaking his head, Zongzheng Fengyi smiled and swept his eyes over the officials, saying,
"No, it's not either."
"The woman I'm here to propose marriage to is Miss Yun Xi, the second daughter of the Yun family."
"What!?"
His words stirred up a huge wave, and the entire court was in an uproar.
Yun Xi stopped her hand while picking up food and looked at Zongzheng Fengyi in disbelief. All she could think was: Is this Seventh Prince crazy?
The wine cup in Yi Yuan's hand shattered with a "bang".
Zongzheng Fengyi seemed not to notice and just continued on his own,
"I've long heard of General Yun's great reputation, and the soldiers under the Yun family are the bravest and most skilled in battle. I've also heard that Miss Yun is talented and resourceful, and she was the champion of this year's Qingyun Competition in the Great Yin Empire.
"I, Zongzheng Fengyi, most admire and like such a woman. Before I came, I also inquired and learned that Miss Yun is not yet married. Therefore, I, this prince, am here to propose marriage."
"You're dreaming!"
Yi Yuan's eyes were filled with killing intent, and the broken pieces of the wine cup in his hand clattered to the ground.
"Xiaoxi is my wife."
"Hey—"
Zongzheng Fengyi waved his hand indifferently and said,
"Your Highness Yu'an, you're wrong. Miss Yun and you are not yet married. How can she be considered your wife?
"If our two countries reach an agreement on the marriage alliance today, then Miss Yun will be my princess consort. And I..."
"I advise you not to have such wild fantasies."
Yi Yuan's aura was as cold as ice, and his piercing eyes stared fixedly at Zongzheng Fengyi in front of him. It seemed that as long as he dared to say one more word, Yi Yuan would not hesitate to take his life.
Yun Qi, who was sitting at the same table as Yun Xi, also stood up to support Yi Yuan and said,
"Thank you for your admiration, Seventh Prince.
"However, the Seventh Prince may not be aware that my younger sister and His Highness Yu'an have already been engaged, and the engagement banquet was held not long ago. All the people of the Great Yin Empire know about it. The Seventh Prince can easily find out with just a little inquiry."
Zongzheng Fengyi narrowed his deep amber eyes slightly and locked eyes with Yun Xi from afar. Suddenly, he smiled and said,
"It doesn't matter. I, this prince, don't care.
"Moreover, according to the rules of our Ying Kingdom, even if a woman is married, if she doesn't like her husband, she can get a divorce and remarry. Besides, Miss Yun has only been engaged to His Highness Yu'an. It's no big deal to me.
"The person I've taken a fancy to is Miss Yun herself. It doesn't matter who she's engaged to or whether she's married."
This meant that he was determined to marry no one but Yun Xi.
He didn't want Yi Zhen, the proper princess of a country, but instead insisted on proposing marriage to a young lady who was already engaged. He even declared that it wouldn't matter if she was already married. This was truly a great insult to Yi Zhen.
Some of the court officials and their wives who had seen Yi Zhen's true colors after her failed attempt to frame the queen for harming Yun Xi and was punished, all sneered at Yi Zhen, who had stood up and returned to her seat, and began to watch the show with interest.
But surprisingly, the one who should have been the most embarrassed, Yi Zhen, actually smiled.
Although she hated Yun Xi, a mere daughter of a court official, for daring to steal her thunder as a princess, compared to being sent far away to marry into the Ying Kingdom, and...
This outcome was actually the best for her.
"Father,"
Yi Zhen spoke again,
"The Seventh Prince and Miss Yun have never met before, yet he likes Miss Yun so much. I actually think there's quite a bit of fate between them.
"Since the Seventh Prince is so sincere, and the Jiahe rice seeds are related to the livelihood of all the people in the world. And as the daughter of the Yun family, Miss Yun must understand the importance of food and supplies better than ordinary people. If their marriage comes to fruition, it will bring such great blessings to the common people and will surely become a tale for the ages."
These light words instantly put Yun Xi in a difficult position.
She couldn't move forward, nor could she retreat.
Yi Yuan slapped the table hard, and his aura was so overwhelming that it made people gasp for breath.
He was the only one in the entire Great Yin Empire who dared to show his anger without any scruples in front of Emperor Zhao Huan.
The noisy hall instantly fell silent.
"What do you mean by that, Fourth Princess?"
Yi Yuan's face was as cold as water,
"I've already said that Xiaoxi is my wife. But the Fourth Princess still wants to push my woman into another man's arms right in front of me. Do you think I'm dead?"
"Since it's a matter of benefiting the people. The Fourth Princess is a princess of the country, enjoying the taxes and offerings of the people. You should set an example. Although the Seventh Prince didn't take a fancy to you, you have the responsibility of being a princess. You should repeatedly plead and offer yourself to make contributions to the Great Yin Empire, instead of just blindly pushing someone else's wife out as a scapegoat."
These words were really cruel and merciless.
Yi Zhen's small face turned deathly pale, and the emotions in her eyes churned violently. Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Zongzheng Fengyi gave a cold snort and forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes,
"I've long heard that His Highness Yu'an is decisive and ruthless in handling matters; I didn't expect his tongue to be so sharp. But..."
Suddenly, his eyes turned fierce. Zongzheng Fengyi swept his gaze towards Yun Xi, who had been silent all this time, and said firmly,
"Who I want to marry is up to me. If Miss Yun refuses, then I'm afraid I can't give you the Jiahe rice seeds."
The hall exploded in an instant.
Some people thought that the common people were the most important, and it was a blessing for Yun Xi to be able to exchange herself for the rice seeds to benefit the people, so she shouldn't decline; while others stood on Yi Yuan's side and thought that it was a sign of incompetence under the Minister of Revenue that they had to rely on a woman to obtain the rice seeds instead of cultivating them on their own, so she shouldn't marry...
The two sides argued non-stop, and the noise made Emperor Zhao Huan's head ache.
"Enough!"
Emperor Zhao Huan roared angrily, stopping the quarreling people below.
"What kind of behavior is this, making such a ruckus in front of our distinguished guests!?"
"Yun Xi..."
Emperor Zhao Huan turned to Yun Xi, who had been silent all this time, and asked gently but with authority,
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
What could she say? Of course, she wouldn't marry.
Yun Xi didn't believe that Emperor Zhao Huan didn't know that she didn't want to marry, yet he still asked this question. Either he wanted her to agree, or he wanted her to find another way to avoid the marriage while still getting back the rice seeds.
He really knew how to make things difficult for her.
Standing up and tidying her clothes, Yun Xi slowly walked to the center of the hall and bowed gracefully. Her eyes were clear and determined,
"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant's daughter, will not marry."
It was straightforward and final.
Everyone's expressions changed.
Emperor Zhao Huan's expression was unreadable. His deep gaze landed on Yun Xi, and he only said two simple words,
"Why?"
Taking a deep breath, Yun Xi raised her head neither humbly nor arrogantly and said,
"Firstly, I'm in love with His Highness Yu'an and we've already decided to spend our lives together. I dare not climb up to the Seventh Prince. Secondly..."
"Because the Seventh Prince is from the Ying Kingdom. My father has been guarding the southwest for more than a decade. Nine out of ten soldiers of the Yun family died at the hands of the Ying soldiers. Even my grandfather died on the battlefield fighting against the Ying army. The blood feud is as deep as the sea and cannot be crossed.
"Therefore, any citizen of the Great Yin Empire can marry, but I, your humble servant's daughter, dare not and cannot."