Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

The temptation was too great, and Zhou Qingfeng was tempted after just a little thought.

Because the Python-Sparrow Royal Family is supreme and is currently recognized as the unified empire of the Five Turbid World.

All the city lords under heaven submit to him and pay tribute, obeying the call of the Python Sparrow royal family. If he could directly enter the power center of the empire, he would have a larger and broader platform in the future. Even if he was not qualified to inherit the throne as the emperor's son-in-law, the upper limit of his career would still be very high.

As long as one has the backing of the royal family, and the status of being the emperor's son-in-law as a member of the imperial family provides security.

Their power will be several times, even ten times, greater than it is now, or at the very least, much greater.

At the very least, he could become a city lord appointed by the royal family, enjoying the status and position of a feudal lord.

The fact that Emperor Gengshi could make such a decision demonstrates his extraordinary breadth of vision and strategic acumen.

Of course, it could also be a trap. If I really agree, I will inevitably lose the support and resources of the Sword Tower, and I may not be given important positions in the royal family in the future. After all, it is very cost-effective to simply use a princess to put the leading figure of the new generation of the Sword Tower on the sidelines and render him useless.

At that time, he would be isolated and helpless. Because he had betrayed the First Family and turned to the Python Sparrow Royal Family, the First Family would certainly not help him. They might even take the opportunity to kick him while he was down. He would also be suppressed within the Royal Family. That would truly be a situation where he would be left with no one to turn to.

But if I disagree, do I have the right to disagree?

The marriage arranged by Emperor Gengshi was something she simply couldn't refuse.

If it were a great disrespect and disobedience, it would be labeled as such.

Damn it, they're definitely going to die.

If you agree, you'll most likely be sidelined; if you don't agree, you'll most likely be kicked out.

Damn... this game of power has reached a dead end.

It seems they are only one step away from being kicked out of the game.

Zhou Qingfeng was flustered and felt his scalp tingling; he really didn't know how to break this situation.

Now fate has once again presented two forks in the road.

To verify his suspicions, Zhou Qingfeng decisively summoned the Crimson Bucket from the depths of his consciousness.

Silently say: Draw lots!

[Neutral Fortune Telling: Marriage agreed upon, neutral]

[A very bad omen; refusing a marriage offer is inauspicious.]

Following the principle of choosing auspicious if there is good fortune, and neutral if there is no good fortune, it seems that the only option is to agree to the marriage, otherwise the result will be either death or disability.

Having reached his current position, Zhou Qingfeng has not encountered any danger for a long time, or rather, there are very few things that warrant his divination. Most of the time, he can solve problems through his wisdom, strategy, and power.

The role of the divination stick is diminishing, and it seems to have become almost invisible.

However, at crucial moments that determine the course of his fate, the divination bucket always provides Zhou Qingfeng with the most accurate guidance.

As the saying goes, choice is more important than talent, which is more important than effort.

Zhou Qingfeng pondered for a moment and said, “Mother, imperial power cannot be challenged. Since the emperor has already issued the imperial decree, he will not take it back. If I refuse, it will be disobeying the imperial decree. The emperor can punish me for a serious crime of disrespect at any time, and the Sword Tower will also be implicated.”

"Right now, our Sword Tower is implementing the Millennium Breakthrough Strategy. Once we achieve this strategic goal, we will be able to reverse the situation. From then on, the sky will be high and the land will be wide, and our Sword Tower will be free to roam. At this moment, we must not provoke the Emperor, and we must not give the Emperor any leverage. Otherwise, the Emperor will be able to legitimately call on all the city lords in the world to gather a million troops to attack our Sword Tower."

"Hmm, that makes sense." The First Lady gave a soft "hmm" and smiled slightly.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng changed from a squatting position to kneeling, facing the First Lady, and said sincerely, "I am not interested in Princess Yaoyue's beauty, nor am I interested in the status of being a member of the royal family. Mother has treated me with the kindness of a mountain, and has regarded me as her own son. I will never forget such deep affection and kindness. Rather than being the emperor's son-in-law, I would rather stay by Mother's side at all times, serving you tea and water and being filial to you."

The First Lady put down her fishing rod, lay on her side in the lounge chair, propped her chin up with one hand, and smiled at him: "Your mother knows you are filial."

Zhou Qingfeng clasped his hands and said, "Since ancient times, marriage has been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Marriage is a major event and should not be taken lightly. What I think is not important. What is important is that Mother is satisfied. If Mother is satisfied, then I am satisfied. If Mother is not satisfied, then I will never accept this marriage."

The First Lady smiled and said, "Alright, since that's the case, let's make it a double blessing and marry another one. We'll choose a duchess from within the First Family to be your concubine, and she'll accompany you to the capital to marry the princess."

Zhou Qingfeng said respectfully, "It is a major life event for Mother to decide. I have no objections."

Zhou Qingfeng had thought it through clearly. He accepted the convenience and resources that came with being the fourth young master, so he had to pay the price for it. Noble families had the right to talk about freedom of marriage. The positions of principal wife and concubine were only for political marriages and binding interests.

The position of principal wife was originally designed for the duchesses of the first family.

Therefore, he never planned to get married. He was just waiting for the First Lady to grant him a marriage, so that he could completely merge with the bloodline of the First Family and the offspring born from their union would be indistinguishable from each other, thus forming a deep bond. This was an unspoken understanding between Zhou Qingfeng and the First Lady.

However, the emperor preemptively arranged the marriage, forcing the first family to settle for second best.

Since the First Family could not allow Zhou Qingfeng, whom they had painstakingly nurtured, to be snatched away by the royal family, they could only adopt a roundabout strategy: to have the First Family's duchess marry Zhou Qingfeng, and she had to marry into the Zhou family at the same time and on the same occasion as the princess.

This is to tell the world that although the princess is of royal lineage, the noblewoman of my first family is just as noble.

Two distinguished individuals arrived at the Zhou residence together, their status and identity being equal.

This is the first one that wants to be respectable.

Even if the first family were to marry off their daughter, she could not be a concubine.

Even in special circumstances, one may be forced to become a concubine.

They should enjoy the same level of treatment as royal princesses.

In addition, this move can also thwart the royal family's attempt to hijack the marriage. If the royal family feels that the plan has been disrupted and wants to break off the engagement, then everyone will be happy. The First Lady will definitely agree wholeheartedly and quickly promote the concubine to the main wife, leaving no opportunity for the royal family to take advantage of the situation.

Zhou Qingfeng lived a clear and insightful life, always knowing what he wanted. In order to obtain the power and influence he desired, he would continue playing this game of power until he had the last laugh. Therefore, he was willing to sacrifice some insignificant things.

From the current perspective, Zhou Qingfeng is not at a disadvantage in this marriage.

The First Lady smiled as she looked at Zhou Qingfeng, finding him more and more pleasing to the eye and growing increasingly fond of him. She reached out and pinched his cheek, saying, "Go on, cultivate diligently, and strive to improve your cultivation. When you emerge from seclusion this time, we'll discuss together which girl to marry. It has to be one you find agreeable. There's no rush with the Emperor; I will give him a promised answer. As for when we'll go to the capital to get married, we can discuss it slowly."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Mother, I take my leave."