On the way to the palace, Qin Yi's mind was still swirling with that divination text. Li Qingjun was beside him, and he couldn't ask Liusi for a detailed explanation. Every time he thought of the words "losing friends," it pulled all his focus. Nothing else seemed to matter.
Did he have any friends in this world?
Just a moment ago, Li Qinglin had called him a friend. But everyone knew that didn't really count. To Qin Yi, Li Qinglin was just a partner, so he shouldn't be too concerned about that.
And Liusi? They seemed close enough to share everything, but both knew there was still a gap between them. It was hard to say if they were friends. The gap was narrowing, though. If he had to say he had a friend, it would be Liusi. But he wasn't sure if Liusi felt the same way.
His relationship with Ye Ling was still shallow.
As for Li Qingjun, Qin Yi knew he had a bit of a crush on her. Did that count as friendship? Maybe it did, at least for now.
Losing friends... Whether it was losing Liusi or losing Li Qingjun, the thought sent a chill down his spine. He knew he couldn't accept either.
"Hey, what are you thinking about with that serious face?" Li Qingjun asked, unable to hold back.
"Oh, nothing much." Qin Yi forced a smile. "Is it a bit awkward for me to show up at the national banquet?"
"What's awkward about it? You're my brother and my friend. Why shouldn't you be there? Mang Zhan doesn't deserve it."
Another mention of the word "friend." Qin Yi pursed his lips, feeling like he didn't want to hear that word right now.
Still, he found it strange that Li Qinglin had invited him to the banquet. He couldn't help but ask the palace servant who was delivering the message, "Do you know why the prince called for me?"
The servant hesitated.
Li Qingjun noticed something was off and grabbed him, saying, "Stop stammering. What is it?"
After a long pause, the servant quietly said, "The prince of the West Wilderness proposed marriage to the king, suggesting a lasting alliance between the two countries..."
Li Qingjun's face changed dramatically.
Qin Yi narrowed his eyes, feeling a coldness creeping in.
"Stop!" Two palace guards blocked the entrance, pointing at the wolf-toothed club in Qin Yi's hand. "Put down your weapon."
"Get lost!" Li Qingjun had a weapon too. She swept her spear and sent the two guards flying, striding boldly into the hall. Qin Yi took the chance to slip in behind her.
What a joke! The wolf-toothed club was his main weapon. Why would he put it down just to go in there?
As they neared the banquet hall, they heard Li Qinglin's sharp voice inside. "The Southern Li has stood for a thousand years. The royal family has always valued martial prowess. Every princess has chosen her own partner freely. This is the dignity of our royal family. Even if there are marriages outside, they are to powerful nations, enjoying great honor. I have never heard of marrying into the enemy's family, being humiliated by foes! As the national teacher, how can you deceive us and collude with outsiders, bringing shame upon our country?"
"The prince is being too harsh," an old voice replied from inside. "The Southern Li and the West Wilderness have been at war for a hundred years. Do you not see the suffering of the people? Are you only concerned with the royal family's face? Moreover, I divined this. Our country is Li, and the West Wilderness is Dui. Li and Dui signify separation, which is a small matter. It suggests harmony between husband and wife. Where does the idea of humiliation come from?"
The king nodded repeatedly, clearly convinced by the so-called "divination."
Li Qinglin's expression was cold, and he was actually feeling frustrated. No matter if it made sense or not, his father would take any divination nonsense as gospel. But if they brought in a real expert to refute it, it wouldn't matter much, as those people wouldn't know the "immortal arts." It went without saying who the king would believe.
Outside, an unharmonious voice broke in, "Princess, who is that person inside doing the divination? Isn't this nonsense? Dui above Li below means this is a situation of water below and fire above, which leads to constant arguments and fights! This is definitely an ominous sign! How can one twist it into something auspicious? Did he get paid to say that?"
Inside the hall, everyone turned to look outside.
Li Qinglin showed a hint of a smile, and the person who had been standing and pointing angrily slowly sat back down.
Outside stood a man and a woman. Everyone in the hall recognized Li Qingjun, but who was the man? He looked quite handsome and fair, dressed in simple clothes but clean and tidy. He was tall and slightly slender, with bright, clear eyes and a mocking smile that added to his charm.
Strangely enough, this handsome young man was holding a wolf-toothed club. Thankfully, at that moment, Li Qingjun was also holding a silver spear, which somewhat lessened the oddness of the situation.
He was about half a head taller than Li Qingjun. Standing side by side, they looked quite compatible.
Of course, they matched well. Li Qingjun was slender and fair-skinned, and compared to the burly Mang Zhan, Qin Yi's fresh and elegant appearance seemed to suit Li Qingjun much better.
Several people in the hall couldn't help but think, "What a perfect pair." Then they looked at Mang Zhan, who was staring at Li Qingjun with shining eyes, and silently shook their heads, thinking, "Wild man."
Li Qingjun spoke up immediately, "Father! I won't marry!"
"Zhaoyang." The king, sitting on the dragon throne, temporarily avoided the question of whether his daughter would marry and instead asked curiously, "Who is this young man?"
Li Qingjun replied, "This is Qin Yi, my friend."
The ministers whispered among themselves.
The Southern Li had been established for a thousand years, which was an exaggeration. It had been several hundred years. Over the centuries, the royal family had seen many princesses hide their identities and mingle with the common folk.
Many had run off with common men, and some had returned home as old women, crying. It wasn't the grand image Li Qinglin painted, but it was true that choosing one's partner was a common practice.
Under this custom, the princess suddenly brought a young man of similar age and announced him as a friend in front of the king and ministers... This was almost like openly declaring she wanted to make him her husband!
Since it was fine for princesses to run off with common men, this Qin Yi, though dressed simply, wasn't a big issue. The problem was the timing of his appearance... People quietly glanced at Mang Zhan, who had a dark expression, gripping his wine cup so tightly that the veins were popping out.
Qin Yi sighed. He understood what Li Qinglin had in mind: he wanted him to be the one to ruin Mang Zhan's plans. Only he could be called a friend by Li Qingjun, and only he had the confidence to refute Donghua Zi's nonsense. Afterward, whether he could marry the princess as a commoner was still uncertain, but it was much better than finding some nobleman's son to come out.
Right now, it seemed like only Li Qingjun, this silly girl, was completely oblivious to what everyone was thinking... Wasn't it just introducing a friend?
Knowing Li Qinglin's thoughts, Qin Yi felt no resentment because he was more than willing to play this role.
The only problem was... Qin Yi slightly turned his head, his gaze landing on the chair beside the king.
There sat an old man in a Daoist robe, with white hair and a youthful face, exuding an air of immortality. He was also staring at Qin Yi with a smile, but his eyes were somewhat cold.
Donghua Zi.
Qin Yi took a deep breath, feeling a stirring in his heart.
It wasn't about other matters, not an obsession or a heart demon, but because this was the first boss he had been aiming for since he crossed over. Honestly, Qin Yi hadn't expected to face Donghua Zi for the first time in such a setting. He felt he wasn't fully prepared.
He knew that Li Qinglin's original plan wasn't like this; it was just that circumstances had changed.
As everyone was lost in their thoughts, the king on the dragon throne was saying, "Since he is Zhaoyang's friend... let him take a seat."
Li Qingjun pulled Qin Yi toward Li Qinglin, and someone was already adding a seat there. Just as they reached the center of the hall, Donghua Zi spoke up, "Is this young friend Qin also a cultivator?"
Everyone finally reacted, almost forgetting the romantic implications. The first question was that this young man had just openly contradicted the national teacher's divination!
This was a serious offense against the national teacher!
Qin Yi's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't back down. He stood firm in the hall and said loudly, "Indeed, that divination just now, I don't know who said it, but it was ridiculous. I heard that Donghua Zi, the national teacher, is highly skilled. He should be the one to interpret such a divination, not listen to an amateur's nonsense."
The expressions of the ministers changed dramatically. He had just called the national teacher an amateur right in front of him and accused him of spouting nonsense!
(End of Chapter)