Chapter 226 - 163: Die Yi, the Concubine, Sending Several Princesses to Li Feiyu_3
The true identity and exact origins of Li Feiyu were unknown to anyone, but they speculated that Li Feiyu was most likely a powerful Practitioner of the True Martial Realm from the Devil Region, or less likely from some other domain.
The Collection and Supplement Method was deeply hated by the righteous path, but there were still many Practitioners who secretly cultivated it and captured female Practitioners in secret to use as cauldrons.
If Li Feiyu was the latter, then he was a True Martial Realm Emperor Wu pretending to be virtuous. In other domains, it was not good to harvest widely, so he came to the Daqian Empire to do these things, changing his identity so that no one could track him down.
“Since he has this particular inclination, it’s going to be much easier to deal with. There are countless beautiful female Practitioners in Daqian. Sending three or five to him each year to be his wives or concubines should be enough to stabilize this practitioner of the True Martial Realm,” the Daqian National Teacher said indifferently.
The Mentor of Daqian nodded and said, “Indeed, the Old Ancestor of Zhenxiong has already negotiated the terms with him, and they have all been granted to Li Feiyu. Meeting this request of Li Feiyu should be an additional condition.”
“No, this is a part of the alliance,” Emperor Qian said with a bitter smile and a shake of his head.
The Old Ancestor of Zhenxiong had revealed the terms of the alliance to Emperor Qian, who fell silent after hearing them. He had paid a steep price, but it was indeed worth it, as it could extend the life of the Daqian Empire by four hundred years.
With a Practitioner of the True Martial Realm in place, the Daqian Empire still had hope.
Although the emperor was somewhat displeased with the fifth condition of the alliance, fearing that certain unfavorable situations might arise, Emperor Qian had no choice as the Old Ancestor of Zhenxiong had agreed to it.
The Prophet, Head Supervisor, the Left Prime Minister, and others fell silent upon hearing this. They had also thought of some of the worst-case scenarios, either having beautiful Practitioner wives or concubines, or their daughters being such Practitioners.
“The worst-case scenario shouldn’t occur. The Old Ancestor of Zhenxiong is still here, and the alliance should keep Li Feiyu from causing trouble,” the State Preceptor pondered aloud.
Everyone nodded in agreement with the State Preceptor’s words, but no one could guarantee what Li Feiyu might do after the Old Ancestor of Zhenxiong passed away. They could only wait and see.
“Your Majesty, I believe we can send a princess to Li Feiyu first, preferably to become his principal wife. This would show the importance the Daqian Empire places on the master of the Li Manor and also help to bridge the relationship between the two sides,” suggested the last pillar of the nation cautiously.
“Hmm?” Emperor Qian’s pupils contracted slightly, somewhat displeased.
Is this a joke? On the very first day, you want me to send my daughter to be a mere cauldron?
In a few days, will you set your sights on my consorts, and years later, will you even consider sending off my empress?
Emperor Qian wanted to suggest sending their own wives, daughters, or female disciples first, and only consider the royal family at last. However, seeing that the State Preceptor, the Mentor, and other senior officials all nodded in agreement, he ultimately refrained from saying it.
Emperor Qian sighed and remained silent.
“How about Your Majesty finds a palace maid to bestow the title of princess and then send her over?” the Left Prime Minister suggested after some thought.
Without a real princess, it would be impossible to convey the level of esteem, but it was clear that Emperor Qian was reluctant to casually send his own daughter, so the Left Prime Minister had to make a suggestion.
However, the Left Prime Minister also knew that it was unlikely to succeed and that the master of the Li Manor would easily detect such deception, potentially worsening their relationship.
“That’s not possible!”
The State Preceptor, Mentor, Prophet, and others spoke out in unison to prevent it, as doing so would undoubtedly offend the master of the Li Manor, and they would all suffer the consequences.
Yet, upon hearing this, Emperor Qian had a flash of inspiration. He needed to send a princess but did not want to send his own daughter, and he couldn’t choose someone fake or inferior. It seemed like there could be a viable option after all.
He actually had thousands of brothers and sisters, and among them, there were hundreds of beautiful sisters. Some were married off, but a significant number remained in the boudoir.
They were the daughters of the former emperor, Emperor Chu Wuji, and could be considered princesses, or rather, elder princesses. Emperor Qian thought this would suffice. After all, they were all princesses.
“What do you all think of sending a few Imperial Highnesses?”
Emperor Qian spoke of sending several sisters at once, they were not his daughters, but his own sisters. Between daughters and sisters, Emperor Qian chose to send the latter.
Of course, Emperor Qian thought he could start by sending those with whom he had a mediocre relationship, and if the master of The Li Manor needed more later on, he would consider sending those closer to him.
“It’s feasible.”
“Your Majesty’s plan is ingenious.”
“Your Majesty is wise and sagacious.”
The senior officials were momentarily stunned, then immediately began singing his praises.
With the former emperor deceased, his daughters were now without support; only those close to Emperor Qian still held power. Sending some would be no harm; it was all for the sake of Da Qian.
“Let it be so.”
“Draw up a list, select three or four princesses from it; we’ll have a grand wedding in a few days and marry them all into The Li Manor.”
Emperor Qian nodded. This was good for everyone.
These princesses, powerless and without influence, might be used by the master of The Li Manor for Collection and Supplement Method, or they might not. By then, they would have found a suitable husband for themselves and could look forward to a bright future.
Emperor Qian sighed inwardly and left Chao Tian Hall.
The State Preceptor, the Mentor of Daqian, the Left Chancellor, and others exchanged looks, leaving with heavy hearts.
They only hoped that Li Feiyu’s cultivation of the Collection and Supplement Method was of a higher order so that he wouldn’t need to collect from a large number of female cultivators. If he could endure the four hundred years, they might avoid paying a price. Otherwise, they too might have to contribute.
Chengsheng Mountain, Chengdao Peak.
Han Li’s figure appeared at the summit, inhaling a breath of spiritual energy, feeling refreshed and clear-headed.
From today, his strength would enter the fast lane. It would suffice for The Li Manor to simply take in many wives and concubines to expand the lineage.
When compared to Han Mansion, The Li Manor had one significant advantage—that was, there was no need to be as inconspicuous as Han Mansion, nor was there worry about a shortage of cultivation resources. If there was a shortage, one could simply ask the Daqian Empire for more.
Han Mansion was in Yonchang Manor of Yuanzhou, while The Li Manor was in the Capital City of Yuanzhou. There was an entire province between them, a distance of about one and a half million miles, which meant nothing to Han Li.
His speed was now extremely fast, covering three hundred and ninety thousand miles in a single breath. He could travel back and forth in the time of four breaths, which was incredibly quick.
Once he advanced to the True Martial Realm, his speed would increase dramatically, and it might take only two breaths to travel between the two manors.
It was precisely because of this speed that Han Li dared to establish The Li Manor in the capital. With his strength, he could travel back and forth swiftly, making it virtually impossible for the outside world to discover that Li Feiyu was in fact Han Li.
Whether The Li Manor or Han Mansion faced difficulties, he could provide fast support and arrive quickly.
He planned to set up True Martial Realm formations for both Han Mansion and The Li Manor. Though he didn’t possess them himself, the Daqian Empire did, and he could procure a few Third-Grade formations to enhance the security of both manors.
Though Han Mansion and The Li Manor would both have many wives and concubines in the future, Han Li would not be overwhelmed. He could be with other wives and concubines in the other manor in a very short span of time.
In the future, when his strength increased, Han Li planned on merging the two manors, though he could also choose not to. He would decide based on the circumstances then.