“Hahaha, De Quan, you know me well!” When the Emperor heard De Quan"s reply, he instantly laughed heartily.

When De Quan received the praise, he knew that his answer was correct. Now was the perfect time for him to make a suggestion to His Majesty.

“Your Majesty, the farewell feast for the Phoenix King Valley"s members is coming up. This old servant thinks that the elder will definitely take the chance to bring up the alliance by marriage. If Your Majesty doesn"t want to go through with it, it is better to come up with an excuse beforehand. The people of the Phoenix King Valley are cunning and crafty. The excuse has to be seamless.”

The old emperor muttered to himself for a moment and he spoke up. “You are right. This Emperor has to make the proper arrangements.”

The old emperor was hesitant about the alliance marriage between Pei Wuchen and Feng Wan"er not solely because of her behavior. It was also because he felt that Luo Chu wasn"t as useless as he had imagined.

The partners of the princes had to match their status. While the marriage was an important matter, it was also a bargaining chip used to pave one"s future path. The Emperor had always doted on his third son and he used to look down on Luo Chu as Pei Wuchen was the last disciple of the Phoenix King Valley Master. In terms of cultivation, she was a wastrel. She couldn"t compare to the son he was most satisfied with. Moreover, the Phoenix King Valley promised him plenty of benefits. Feng Wan"er and Pei Wuchen were also mutually in love.

However, everything seemed to be different now. Luo Chu was too mysterious. Her bizarre medical skills neutralized a poison that stumped many divine physicians. She even managed to treat the Empress Dowager"s old illness.

She was even able to move his second son. Everyone knew that the Second Prince was a 1000-year sago palm that would never bloom. He got rid of all the young ladies who approached him in the past but Luo Chu managed to break the barrier around his heart. He even risked his life to save her at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range.

As for the incident at the Falling Cloud Mountain Range… The old emperor heard the rumor where the Green Flame Eagle abandoned its children to save Luo Chu.

She was really mysterious.

In the old emperor"s opinion, Luo Chu definitely had an expert behind her. Even if he was wrong, she had definitely met with some type of chanced encounter. With her current capability, she was already good enough to be a consort for the Third Prince. As for being well-matched... she might be an orphan, but she was still a descendant of a loyal and brave official. Other than the imperial edict to tie them down, the Emperor could simply give Luo Chu"s late father the t.i.tle of a First-Rate Official and her late mother the t.i.tle of a First-Rate Official Madam. He would then make an exception and grant her the t.i.tle of a County Mistress without giving her any land. If he were to do that, she would be worthy of marrying into the imperial clan.

As for whether Luo Chu wanted to get married or not, the old emperor didn"t care. In his opinion, it was heavenly grace for an orphan like her to marry into the imperial clan. Everyone else would fight for the position and there was no reason for them to refuse the opportunity.

As the old emperor made his plans, the day of the farewell feast arrived.

Apart from the members of the Phoenix King Valley, the important officials of the imperial court were present as well. Everyone was drinking and enjoying the feast while the dancers danced along with the music. The hall bustled with activities.

After three rounds of liquor, the dancers finished their performance. Officials and n.o.bles from the Cloud Water Nation carried out casual conversations with the members of the Phoenix King Valley.

Feng Wan"er constantly tugged at the sleeves of the Phoenix King Valley Elder as a subtle hint for him to help her ask about the alliance marriage. The elder"s sleeve was nearly ripped apart and he was extremely frustrated with her constant urging. “Your Majesty, this old one has something to ask.”

“Oh? Elder, please say it. As long as this Emperor knows about it, I will tell you everything.” The old emperor clearly knew that the topic of the alliance marriage was about to be brought up.

“This old one thinks that Wan"er and Wuchen have been childhood friends and now that they are of age, why not allow them to enjoy the rest of their lives together? I have watched Wuchen grow up and there is no need to worry that Wan"er will fall into the wrong hands.”

The instant the words left the elder"s mouth, everyone fell silent. There were several officials who felt that it was a pity as their daughters no longer had hopes of marrying into the imperial clan. After all, everyone knew that the Emperor was very willing to accept Feng Wan"er as a daughter-in-law.

“This Emperor appreciates Elder"s kind intention. Wan"er is indeed a good child, but Wuchen has not fulfilled his duties as a filial son. After all, he has been living at the Phoenix King Valley for a long time. His mother and I aren"t willing to let him go yet. Why don"t we push the marriage back for now?”

The Emperor"s response was like a clap of thunder resounding in everyone"s ears. Did he just reject the alliance marriage? 

The elder"s expression became extremely awful and his face became as black as coal. He placed his reputation on the line when he asked about Feng Wan"er"s marriage. He never expected to be slapped in the face in front of so many people.

Feng Wan"er"s face was also deathly pale and a single thought went through her mind. My marriage with Wuchen is done for. The only man I care about is going to leave me forever.

“Your Majesty, why don"t we set a date for the engagement first? It won"t be too late to conduct the ceremony after Wuchen does what he needs to do.” When the elder saw Feng Wan"er"s deathly pale face, he tried one last time to salvage the situation.

The old emperor laughed as he had an excuse. “How can I do that? Wuchen still has two elder brothers and they have yet to be bestowed with a First Consort. If Wuchen is the first to marry, he will break the hierarchy. How will we answer to our ancestors then? Wan"er has a n.o.ble status. How can I wrong her and allow her to be a concubine?”

It was clear that the old emperor was calling off the alliance marriage at this point. The elder was helpless and had no choice but to accept the outcome. He held firmly onto Feng Wan"er hand as he was afraid she would go wild and drag her reputation down the drain. He was extremely afraid she would agree to be a concubine just to marry Pei Wuchen. If that were to happen, the Phoenix King Valley"s reputation would be dragged through the mud.