"What? You think I can"t conquer her with my charms? You think I need the might of Green Gallop Country to force her to yield?" Nie Teng said, glancing at the middle-aged man who had spoken, with a fleeting brightness that seemed to s.h.i.+mmer out of his darkening eyes. Obviously, the man"s words were ringing in his ears, but his heart was not at ease.

Even without his status as the Crown Prince of Green Gallop, few could compare to his prowess. Who across these countries could overpower him?

"I dare not speak..." said the middle-aged man fearfully as he quickly lowered his head.

Nie Teng scoffed scornfully and said, "When it comes to women, the more they resist, the more my desire grows. If she came at my every beck and call, I would quickly lose interest."

"Yes, you"re absolutely right, Your Highness," said the middle-aged man in stammering agreement.

The arrival of the Green Gallop Crown Prince, the feast held in the Ruler"s palace, and their summoning of the Young Miss Feng to accompany him caused quite a commotion throughout the city.

The Young Miss Feng was, at the end of the day, an unmarried woman, and to be summoned to the palace as a companion, well, people were a bit shocked. It was disconcerting for them to see the Ruler make such a move. Even though she was invited into the palace, the Young Miss Feng was a young woman, the very object of the Green Gallop Crown Prince"s affections, summoned all on her lonesome to the palace. Who could guess what sort of trouble might befall her there?

If only Feng Xiao had not fallen into his stupor, he would surely be furious at word of this. If only the Old Feng Patriarch had not gone missing, he would surely go to the Ruler to try to speak reason to him. And yet, all that was left of the Feng Residence was the Young Miss herself. What weight could she possibly sway?

Perhaps it would be better for her to make her peace with a life together with the Green Gallop Crown Prince. At least this way she could use the man"s power to help the Feng Residence keep out the wind and rain.

Word of this unfolding drama ricocheted across the city. Their curiosity piqued, quite a few people made their way to inns near the Feng Residence where they could munch on snacks and sip their wine, watching to see if the Young Miss Feng would actually present herself to the evening"s feast.

And yet, as the day began to wane and the street began to light up with red lanterns hung at the storefronts of inns, the gates to the Feng Residence still remained tightly closed without sight of anyone coming or going.

"Huh? Did you see the Young Miss Feng leave? Do you think she"s already in the palace?"

"No way! She"d have to pa.s.s by here to head to the palace, and they haven"t even opened those gates. How could she already be in the palace?"

"You don"t think she"s skipping out, do you?"

"She wouldn"t, would she? If the Ruler sent a summons, you think she"d refuse?"

"Heh! Why not? She"s the daughter of the great General Feng Xiao! She"s got vinegar in that blood of hers. Hey, who knows, she might not be going after all!"

Meanwhile, in the palace, as the skies began to darken, the feast began with a tense stillness in the air for no other reason than the Green Gallop Crown Prince"s bated desire for the arrival of the person he wished to see most. In this stifling atmosphere, others that had arrived to accompany the honored guest were restless in their seats.

"What"s the deal? Didn"t I send one of you out to hasten her arrival? As late as it is, why is Feng Qing Ge still not here?" pressed the sullen Murong Bo as he looked to a servant as rage began to churn through his heart.

The servant hastily kneeled down before him and quickly said, "Ruler, I urge you to quell your anger. Perhaps the Young Miss Feng is still busy grooming and preparing for tonight? The people sent to fetch her should be back any time now!"

As he finished his words, the guards who had been sent to retrieve her from the Feng Residence came rus.h.i.+ng in. Shocked, the servant bowing before Murong Bo quickly exclaimed, "Ruler! They"ve returned."