Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 215: Marriage Alliance (Extra)

Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Marriage Alliance (Extra)

Marquis Zhenbei sacrificed Xie Jue and requested Huazhen as compensation. Xie Jue merely lost his sight, while Huazhen was to marry into Beiman. Now, with Fengyu being ordered to accompany her, the Marquis Mansion would naturally not oppose.

Moreover, this was Dugu Jing’s proposal.

"National General, Princess Huazhen has already accepted the marriage alliance, and the Ninth Prince has specifically chosen Fengyu. It is an honor for the Feng Family. The union of the two nations through marriage is a beautiful tale. Should your daughter be considered more exalted than a princess, that she refuses to marry afar?" Mr. Wu sneered, each word laced with venom.

Feng Changqing, a mere military officer, was no match for the eloquence of civil officials. Being a close lieutenant of Marquis Zhenbei, he had wholly adopted the Marquis’s brash manner. He retorted without hesitation, "If you want to marry off your daughter, that’s your business. Don’t drag me into it. Pah! Who wants to be like you, selling off your daughter to seek favor!"

The crowd: "..."

Mr. Wu’s face turned crimson. "You... you... Your Majesty, this subject’s sole wish is for lasting friendship between Beiman and the Yanyang Dynasty, with absolutely no selfish motives. National General’s comments... this subject cannot accept them. I ask Your Majesty to deliver justice!"

Feng Shu tightly gripped Fengyu’s hand, her palms damp with cold sweat. Fengyu gently patted Feng Shu’s hand but was inwardly calculating her strategy.

What reason should she give if she wanted to decline? When even Princess Huazhen had consented to such a match, could the daughter of a mere military general claim greater privilege than a princess? Since ancient times, marriage alliances had been the swiftest means to secure peace between nations. Sacrificing one woman for the soldiers of Ningzhou—who would find fault with it?

If her parents defied the imperial decree for her sake, it would undoubtedly implicate the entire family.

There should have been no tarrying over this marriage; her indecisiveness had been foolish. If she had been engaged earlier, none of this would have happened. Fengyu shifted her gaze toward Xie Xun from the corner of her eye. He sat beside Xie Zhang, his face dark as still water, gripping a wine cup with a hand taut with concealed fury.

Their eyes met for the briefest moment before parting. The gathered officials, both civil and military, fixed their attention on Fengyu. Her less-than-salutary reputation in the capital might have been widely rumored, but this was the first time many had seen her in person.

The newly-come-of-age maiden possessed a delicate, willowy figure and wore a flowing ensemble in spring green with a white pleated skirt. Her features were as finely wrought as a painting, her teeth white and lips as red as cinnabar, a beauty unmatched in her generation. Jeweled hairpins with dangling pearls accented her elegance, glimmering richly. Outshining even Princess Huazhen in splendor, she radiated an undeniable poise and grandeur.

It was said that the concubines of the Beiman Royal Court were often shared among brothers. While Dugu Jing ostensibly sought a concubine for his elder brother, the truth was clear—Fengyu’s breathtaking beauty had caught his eye.

With looks such as hers, it wasn’t surprising that she could captivate the young war god.

Su Yuejiao knelt beside Feng Changqing, kowtowing. "My husband and I have fought on the battlefield for over a decade. We have only two daughters, and Fengyu is weak and frail. After the peace negotiations, I had planned to take her out of the capital to seek renowned doctors for treatment. She is truly unsuitable for a marriage alliance. I beg Your Majesty to retract the decree."

Both parents knelt before the imperial court, and Feng Shu and Fengyu followed suit behind them.

Emperor Jianming’s displeasure deepened. The Feng Family, emboldened by their ties to the Marquis Mansion, dared to defy the imperial decree and reject the marriage alliance. Did they truly think their daughter more noble than a princess?

"Insolence!" Emperor Jianming scolded coldly. "Marriage alliances concern the dignity of the state and are not for you to decide!"

Xie Zhang restrained a furious Xie Xun and said impassively, "Your Majesty, a marriage alliance should foster goodwill, not enmity. It should be entered into willingly. Mr. Wu is a high-ranking official with a well-reputed daughter. His offer to marry her into the alliance could achieve the best of both worlds."

The Crown Prince chuckled dryly. "The Ninth Prince desires Fengyu for the alliance—so it cannot be Mr. Wu’s daughter? Princess Huazhen has already bridged this gap. Can a daughter of the Feng Family not do the same?"

Xie Zhang rose and bowed to the Crown Prince with a demeanor that was both icy and respectful. "Since the negotiations began, Dugu Jing has requested to duel me in martial arts. He was granted his wish. He then demanded to hunt alongside Xie Jue in Xiyanshan, and this too was granted. Now he asks for whoever he pleases for a marriage alliance. May I ask, Your Highness, since these peace talks began, has there been one wish he hasn’t gotten? Our soldiers fight and bleed on the battlefield to defeat Beiman, and yet this has now given Dugu Jing license to act unchecked in Yanyang? Is this unbridled acquiescence our answer?"

The Crown Prince, publicly refuted, wore a sullen expression.

Xie Zhang shifted his piercing gaze to Dugu Jing. "Ninth Prince, the battlefield is our domain as men. Life or death is determined by skill—do not make things unbearable for a defenseless woman."

Dugu Jing spread his hands, his tone audacious yet feignedly innocent. "It was your side that proposed selecting concubines for the marriage. I merely wished to choose someone to my liking. If you do not agree, then so be it—this prince is indifferent."

The crowd: "..."

As Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao exhaled in quiet relief and prepared to rise, Princess Huazhen stepped forward and knelt before them. "Father Emperor, if concubines are to be selected, it should be with my wishes in mind. Fengyu and I are drawn to each other like kindred spirits who’ve met too late. I desire her to accompany me in marriage to ease my longing. General Shao Wu, this is my wish—not the Ninth Prince’s."

Xie Zhang’s expression darkened slightly as Marquis Zhenbei interjected indifferently, "Shouyu, sit down."

"Yes!" Although worried for Feng Shu, Xie Zhang could only glance at her with concern. She kept her head bowed, her face unreadable, but he knew her heart must be fraught with anxiety.

Surprisingly, Xie Xun had calmed and even had the leisure to drink, as though simply watching a spectacle. This demeanor gave Xie Zhang a foreboding sense; whenever his younger brother adopted such a stance, trouble was certain to follow.

Among the assembled noblewomen, some speculated whether Princess Huazhen had gone mad. Bringing a young woman of such extraordinary beauty with her to Beiman’s royal court—how could she hope to secure King Beiman’s affections like this?

To Emperor Jianming, his impression of Fengyu remained tethered to a fleeting encounter at a prior palace banquet. Given the incident involving Prince Kang, his perception of Fengyu was steeped in disdain. He saw her as a seductive and cunning woman, for whom he held no fondness.

Dugu Jing’s request for Fengyu had been refuted by Xie Zhang with sound justification. But with Princess Huazhen stepping forward to select Fengyu as her concubine, no one could reasonably oppose her.

Princess Huazhen was the most esteemed princess of the Yanyang Dynasty. She was marrying far away—what grounds did the Feng family have to refuse?

The emperor asked gravely, "One final time—National General, do you consent to this marriage?"

Su Yuejiao replied anxiously, "Your Majesty, my daughter is slow-witted, uneducated, and her reputation is ruined beyond repair. Furthermore, she is frail—so much so that the Imperial Physician has claimed she will not survive past eighteen. She is truly unfit for this union. I implore Your Majesty to revoke the decree."

Once again, Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao refused the marriage!

Emperor Jianming’s displeasure sharpened. "Does the National General and his wife intend to defy my decree?"

Feng Changqing gritted his teeth. If he must resign from his post as National General, so be it. He would retire with Fengyu to their ancestral home in Liling and seek treatment. The cessation of conflict in Ningzhou no longer required his service as National General.

"Your Majesty, marriage alliances are for the sake of peace between two nations. My daughter is frail and ailing—she would not survive the journey to the Beiman Royal Court. Please reconsider. My wife and I are willing to resign and take our daughter to seek medical care."

"Father, Mother..." Fengyu was overcome with emotion. She could not bear for her parents to disobey the emperor and risk their lives. Her father’s years of military service and hard-earned achievements could not be thrown away on her account. She had already devised her plan: acceptance of the marriage was no issue. She could simply escape en route to Beiman and seek freedom in the open world beyond.

"Fengyu is full of life—how could she not live past eighteen?" Princess Huazhen mocked. "I am a princess of noble standing, willingly marrying into Beiman for the sake of peace. Selecting you as my concubine is an honor you should cherish."