The first ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and shone upon the imperial capital. The usually solemn and quiet imperial road became lively as the nobles and commoners alike rushed back and forth.
It was normal for the royal princess to marry into a noble family, which only brought joy to the upper class. However, this time was different. It was the engagement between the infamous fifth young master of the Nord family, the most powerful noble family in the Golden Leaf Empire, and the beautiful Princess Ming Yue, who was favored by the emperor.
For some insightful individuals, they had long known about the conflicts between the Nord family and the royal family. Throughout the eight hundred years of Nord family history, there had never been a descendant who married someone from the royal family. It was thus such a rare event.
However, ordinary people didn't have as much knowledge about the matter. They only knew about the playboy lifestyle of the Nord family's fifth young master and his legendary survival story in the Undead Mountain Range, which had become more and more bizarre with each telling. They just wanted to see this legendary figure.
Of course, there were also those who came to witness the beauty and grace of Princess Ming Yue. Those guys who consider themselves charming and talented, but are now regretfully sighing.
According to tradition, the engagement and wedding between the royal family and the nobles had to be held at the Temple of the Goddess of Life, representing the continuation and inheritance of life.
First, Qi Bei had to personally drive the carriage to the palace to pick up the princess, and then return to the Nord family for the first ceremony, which was to familiarize the bride with her future living environment.
After this ceremony, they would proceed together to the Temple of the Goddess of Life. After praying to the Goddess for blessings, the grand engagement ceremony would then officially begin.
At this moment, Qi Bei, dressed in his formal black and white outfit, was driving a carriage with eighteen flaming horses, slowly heading towards the palace at the end of the imperial road. Behind him were the black-armored soldiers who served as the ceremonial guard.
As Qi Bei looked at the men and women of all ages pointing and talking about him on both sides, he felt very uncomfortable. This didn't feel like an engagement but more like a free tour of a rare animal.
Qi Bei waved his hand to signal the elderly Nord family member in charge of the ceremony, who approached him and asked, "What can I do for you, Young Master?"
"Can we speed up?" Qi Bei asked.
"How is that possible? According to the rules, the carriage can only move twenty yards per minute, not a fraction more or less," the ceremonial official shook his head firmly. In his eyes, the thousand-year-old rules were divine and unchangeable.
Old stubborn fool! Qi Bei rolled his eyes.
"Everyone, let's speed up and head towards the palace!" Qi Bei stood up and shouted loudly.
"Yes." Behind him, a battalion of soldiers in black armor simultaneously raised their staffs and lined up in perfect unison.
"Go!" Qi Bei shook the reins in his hand, and the eighteen flaming horses neighed together, galloping forward with all their might.
The battalion of soldiers in black armor followed closely behind in perfect formation, as if charging forward.
"Young Master, stop, you can't do this…" The ceremonial official panicked and chased after them, while the dozen or so maidservants also looked pale.
Onlookers on both sides, however, were excited, shouting and cheering like they were watching a show.
At this speed, the huge palace gates soon came into sight.
The palace guards at the gate saw only a carriage rushing towards the palace at high speed, with hundreds of soldiers in perfect formation charging behind it.
Yes, charging. The unstoppable momentum could be felt from a distance.
"Woo…woo…" The leader of the palace guards trembled and instinctively blew the horn in his hand, which was the signal to be used when someone attacked the palace.
In an instant, the festive atmosphere of the palace was shattered, and a chill descended.
Fully armed troops rushed towards the main gate of the palace from all directions, and the joyous atmosphere was frozen in an instant, replaced by an air of solemnity and violence.
The commander of the palace guards stood on the palace tower at the gate, and when he saw the eighteen galloping flaming horses and Qi Bei in his ceremonial attire, he was momentarily stunned. He slapped the face of the guard leader who was on duty and shouted, "Are your eyes on your ass? That is the fifth young master of the Nord family, here to pick up the Princess. Stand down and open the palace gates."
"Yes, Commander!" The guard leader felt wronged. What the hell was going on? Does the procession to pick up the princess have to be so chaotic?
The alert was lifted, and the magical crossbows emitting a faint light were put away. The tightly closed palace gates slowly opened.
Qi Bei pulled the reins to stop the horses a hundred meters from the palace, and the carriage came to a steady halt.
Watching the palace guards on the palace tower retreat one by one, he smirked, feeling quite satisfied with the effect. It was somewhat unexpected, but it worked. After the engagement, he would leave the imperial capital anyway. He didn't care what others thought of him.
Shortly after, the battalion of soldiers in black armor stopped in formation behind him. Each of them looked calm and collected, displaying their impressive physical fitness. They were truly the strongest army in the empire.
After waiting for a while, another carriage carrying the ceremonial official and a dozen maidservants arrived.
"Young Master, what… what are you doing?" The ceremonial official tried to intercept the carriage, but he was already old and was gasping for breath. Qi Bei was afraid he might pass out.
In fact, the old man indeed felt like fainting now. How could the engagement be treated as a joke? But it was clear that this fifth young master didn't take the etiquette seriously at all.
"Let's go, we'll talk inside," Qi Bei interrupted the official. He didn't want to listen to the old conservative man's rambling.
"Young Master, it's not yet the appropriate time. Young Master, Young Master… Sigh, the world is in decline, and people's hearts are not like they used to be," the ceremonial official helplessly watched as Qi Bei drove his carriage into the palace gates, shaking his head with a sigh.
….
Inside the Golden Leaf Palace, Emperor Han Mo frowned as he listened to the report from the commander of the imperial army.
"Hmm, I understand. You may go now," Emperor Han Mo waved his hand and dismissed the commander. Though he was not happy in his heart, he couldn't show it.
As the commander of the imperial army left, a nondescript middle-aged man walked out of a side hall.
"Your Majesty, the incident at the residence of the Marquis of Lanling two nights ago has been investigated. It was caused by the Nord Family's Fifth Young Master, Qi Bei, who incited a riot when the two giant sun elephants gifted to the Marquis by the Nord Family suddenly went berserk. However, it's a bit suspicious that the Marquis ordered everyone in his residence to keep quiet about it," the middle-aged man said.
"Then why did the Elder Weir, who has always been at odds with the Marquis of Lanling, go to his residence?" Emperor Han Mo asked.
"Elder Weir went to examine the two giant sun elephants, and it's likely that the Marquis suspected they were poisoned," the middle-aged man replied.
"Have you found out if there was any foul play involved?" Emperor Han Mo stared at the middle-aged man.
"I haven't found out yet," the middle-aged man lowered his head.
Emperor Han Mo slammed the table and angrily said, "Go and investigate! Find out what was done to the two giant sun elephants!"
The middle-aged man trembled. He repeatedly nodded and agreed before leaving the room in fear.
Emperor Han Mo paced around the hall, his eyes flashing coldly as he muttered to himself, "Marquis of Lanling, Weir, don't let me find out that the necromancer's case is related to you."