Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 362: Chapter 359 Concerns

Chu Yi giggled and said, ”Could it be related to big brother? Could it be that he’s going to marry big brother?”

Li Suyue’s eyes widened.

Chu Minghou looked over.

Bai Ningshuang glanced at Chu Zhiyuan. Seeing that Chu Zhiyuan remained calm, she helplessly said, ”I heard from the Empress that Da Zhen indeed has this intention, to match you with the eighteenth Princess.”

”Mother, can the eighteenth Princess be a concubine?” Chu Yi said in surprise, ”Impossible, right?”

”Da Zhen’s intention is for the eighteenth Princess to be the official wife and Ruoling to be the concubine.”

”How can this be!” Chu Yi complained, ”There’s always a sequence, right? Sister Xiao was the first to be engaged, of course, she should be the official wife... right, Sister Li?”

”Yes, yes indeed.” Li Suyue quickly nodded.

Chu Zhiyuan cast her a glance.

Li Suyue’s advancement was incredibly fast. These days, she had already reached the Innate Sixth Layer, truly progressing by leaps and bounds, comparable to his own progress back then.

Chu Yi had also reached the First Layer of the Innate, advancing quickly as well.

The two promoted each other, practicing their skills daily, admiring strange flowers and plants, living a life both simple and fulfilling.

And thanks to the marvelous effects of the Eternal Spirit Divine Tree.

Li Suyue lowered her head in embarrassment, not daring to meet his gaze.

”Father, isn’t it?” Chu Yi turned to look at Chu Minghou.

Chu Minghou lightly coughed, and under Chu Yi’s stare, helplessly nodded, ”Yes.”

Only then did Chu Yi look at Chu Zhiyuan.

”Mother,” Chu Zhiyuan shook his head, ”I don’t want to marry a Princess of Da Zhen.”

”... According to the Empress, this is the intention of your Imperial Grandfather.”

”I already made it clear to Imperial Grandfather at the beginning, and he didn’t agree, did he?”

Bai Ningshuang said, ”It seems Da Zhen has made a huge concession to get your Imperial Grandfather to relent.”

”If Imperial Grandfather decrees a marriage, I will defy the decree, let this be known in advance to the Empress.”

”Yuan’er!” Chu Minghou hurriedly said, ”That would be unthinkable.”

Chu Zhiyuan looked at him.

Chu Minghou said, ”Your father has a willful nature, and he never tolerates resistance. Don’t think just because you’re talented you can oppose your Imperial Grandfather.”

Chu Zhiyuan said, ”If it were another matter, I could comply, but for something as significant as a lifelong affair, I don’t want to casually agree. I don’t want a lifetime without peace.”

Da Jing and Da Zhen have been at odds repeatedly, and the current alliance is just to stand against Da Meng.

No single court has remained powerful forever; they all rise and fall.

Though Da Meng is strong now, there will be a time when it weakens, and even the most diligent Emperor will eventually slacken as he ages; then the court will decline.

This is an unbreakable iron law.

Once Da Meng declines, Da Jing and Da Zhen’s alliance will also disband, leading to conflict once more.

At that time, the Da Zhen Princess will face difficulty.

Returning to Da Zhen would be impossible due to the knowledge of too many Da Jing secrets.

In Da Jing, she would be isolated and guarded against, leading to a lonely and stifling life.

No matter how strong the Da Zhen Princess is, she cannot withstand the entire environment’s rejection and alienation.

Rarely do Da Zhen Princesses who marry here end well, often languishing in grief.

By then, as the Da Zhen Princess’s husband, would he oppose all of Da Jing, or side with Da Jing and distance himself from the Da Zhen Princess?

It was bound to be a troublesome matter, so why get involved?

The eighteenth Princess is stunning, but so is Xiao Ruoling, and he isn’t so greedy as to want all the beauties in the world.

Complying with the decree now brings endless future trouble. Defying the decree now, too, will bring trouble.

But it would certainly be less than the future trouble— this is the concept of short term pain being better than long term pain.

”You...” Chu Minghou said, ”Don’t stubbornly go against your Imperial Grandfather’s wishes, be flexible.”

”Please advise, Father,” Chu Zhiyuan said with a smile.

Bai Ningshuang and others looked at him curiously.

Chu Minghou said, ”You could delay by saying that your cultivation is at a critical moment and it’s unwise to be distracted.”

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled, ”Father, Imperial Grandfather understands cultivation matters best, using cultivation as an excuse won’t work.”

Chu Minghou said, ”Then hurry and break through. Become a Great Grandmaster, and Father’s attitude will change.”

”Great Grandmaster, huh...” Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly.

Becoming a Great Grandmaster gives you more confidence, making your words more convincing. Look at the second Prince, Jing Wang, as an example.

Originally confined, after becoming a Great Grandmaster, he left directly with no one able to stop him.

Confinement as a punishment becomes ineffective for Great Grandmasters, illustrating the high status of Great Grandmasters.

Especially within the Imperial Family, becoming a Great Grandmaster brings immense confidence.

Despite any Imperial anger, it won’t be vented on a royal Grandmaster; it’s the Emperor who must defer once someone becomes a Great Grandmaster.

”Big brother, when will you become a Great Grandmaster?” Chu Yi asked curiously.

Li Suyue, forgetting her shyness, looked over curiously.

Chu Zhiyuan thought for a moment, finally shaking his head, ”It’s hard to say, it’s not possible in the short term.”

He was about to break through to the Ninth Layer Heaven, then achieve Grandmaster Perfection, and finally face the last major barrier.

Even a genius like Gao Jiuqu was stuck for five years, can he break through directly?

Chu Minghou said, ”Try to find a way to delay it.”

Bai Ningshuang snorted, ”Your Highness, you’re always coming up with random ideas.”

Chu Minghou said, ”Is my idea bad?”

”Father is someone who cannot tolerate sand in his eyes, will delaying really work?”

”... Father is not very supportive of this matter, he might play along, ignoring it half-heartedly.”

”I told you that you don’t understand Father, yet you don’t believe me... If Father agreed to it, he definitely won’t turn a blind eye, he’ll ensure it happens.”

Chu Minghou said, ”Does that mean Yuan’er is certainly marrying this eighteenth Princess?”

Bai Ningshuang said, ”Don’t think about whether to marry or not now, but whether she’ll be the official or concubine Princess.”

Chu Minghou hesitated, ”Would Father be so unreasonable?”

Bai Ningshuang snorted, ”How do you explain it to Da Zhen? Isn’t it more important to placate Da Zhen than to worry about An Guogong’s grievance? National affairs come first, after all.”

Chu Minghou sympathetically looked at Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan frowned in contemplation.

Bai Ningshuang said, ”Yuan’er, actually, marrying the Da Zhen Princess isn’t a big deal. The Ping Emperor married a Da Zhen Princess as a concubine... Moreover, this Princess lived well in the palace and enjoyed a long life.”

”What if we go to war with Da Zhen?”

”The Harem doesn’t interfere in politics. If the courts fight, how does it concern the Imperial Palace?”

”It can’t have no impact.”

”It’s not as serious as you think, don’t scare yourself,” Bai Ningshuang said.

Chu Yi giggled, ”Then, big brother, you should become Emperor. Who would dare speak against you then? ... If you can’t become Emperor, the Da Zhen Princess’s days won’t be pleasant either.”

Bai Ningshuang snorted, ”Just live behind closed doors; certainly, no one would dare offend the Prince Mansion. Haven’t our thirty years passed equally well?”

Chu Zhiyuan chuckled.

Bai Ningshuang gave him a fierce look, ”What, are we not living well?”

”Good, very good, better than ever,” Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

Bai Ningshuang said in a bad mood, ”In any case, you must forge your own way. With power and influence, who would dare speak because your Princess is a Da Zhen Princess?”

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

The key is to break through as soon as possible, no longer maintaining a leisurely pace.

The shortcut to breakthrough is the Glazed Blade Scripture.

Today, he would practice the Glazed Blade Scripture diligently, push the Spirit Transformation Realm forward, and significantly shorten the time to breakthrough to the Ninth Layer Heaven.

How to advance the Spirit Transformation Realm?