CHAPTER 667: CHAPTER 667 I WANT TO MARRY YOU

The townsfolk rejoiced in their hearts as they all stood up, rustling to their feet.

Men, women, the elderly, and children all gathered around, of course, with women making up the majority.

In such a remote and small town, everyone was poor.

Once people become poor, no matter how attractive they are, they are but empty shells devoid of a soul.

It was the first time they had seen someone who seemed like a deity descended to earth.

Naturally, they wanted to get closer.

Especially those unwed girls.

There weren’t many prestigious families in this small town; most of the residents were merchants.

Being a hub for traders from all directions and walks of life, the local customs had gradually become more open over time.

Without too many protocols and rules, a young man and a girl could easily get together if they took a fancy to each other.

So, upon seeing such a man, the girls went crazy, pushing forward.

Hoping that the celestial handsome man would notice them, and maybe get picked by him to marry if they were lucky.

...

Zhao Junyao rode on his horse, smiling as he watched the people around him.

He initially thought that they were all cheering for him.

But gradually, he realized that was not the case, seeing so many women swarming towards him.

Zhao Junyao’s face darkened, and he quickly spurred his horse to gallop away.

Otherwise, he’d be in a sorry state if so many women surrounded him.

Xia Tingfeng followed behind, desperately trying to stifle his laughter.

Oh Emperor, wherever you go, a horde of unwanted admirers seems to follow.

Just as he was feeling amused, he suddenly heard a shout from the crowd.

"This one is not bad; if I can’t catch the Emperor, catching a high official will do!"

After a tender shout, everyone surged towards Xia Tingfeng.

He had just realized what was happening.

Before he could urge his horse forward, he was trapped within the crowd.

Zhao Junyao, who had already escaped the throng, looked back, then continued on his way, barely containing his laughter.

Dare to laugh at Us? That’s instant karma for you!

HAHA! Excellent, excellent, I’m quite pleased!

Zhao Junyao laughed loudly a few times before returning with his entourage to the Temporary Palace Annex.

It took Xia Tingfeng a full two Shi Chens to come back.

When he entered, he was in a disheveled state, his clothes crumpled, but thankfully, his hair was still in place.

Otherwise... Zhao Junyao truly would have thought he had been taken advantage of.

"HAHAHA..."

He couldn’t help but burst into laughter!

Usually, the people of the Capital City would be terrified at the sight of them, their faces filled with fear. This out-of-the-ordinary experience was actually quite refreshing. He wouldn’t rashly blame the townsfolk for not understanding propriety. After all, this was just the local custom, and he wasn’t that unreasonable. The only issue was, this made going out quite inconvenient. He had intended to boost the villagers’ courage, but look what had happened. Instead of emboldening them, he’d almost gotten himself into trouble. Hmm... perhaps he should travel incognito from now on, or else...

As he was mulling over this, Xia Tingfeng was still scowling on the other side.

"If Your Majesty has no further commands, I shall take my leave!"

He was still in a mess!

Zhao Junyao, seeing his state, had no choice but to nod his head, trying hard not to laugh.

After Xia Tingfeng left, Zhao Junyao laughed for a while longer before finally stopping.

...

The next morning, a servant reported that someone was seeking an audience with the Emperor.

As Li Shengan presented himself, Zhao Junyao was pondering how to dress to go out normally.

He had no wish to experience yesterday’s events ever again.

Hearing the announcement, he frowned.

"Who is it?"

Li Shengan hesitated for a moment before responding.

"Your Majesty, it’s a young lady!"

Zhao Junyao narrowed his eyes, "A young lady?"

Could it be that those women had found their way here? He was about to say he wouldn’t see her, but then he thought it might be something important, and refusing could be improper.

So Zhao Junyao instructed,

"Let her in!"

"Yes!"

After a short while, a girl entered.

Setting aside her appearance, just her attire and jewelry were quite eye-catching, different from the usual sights.

She wore a bright red dress, densely embroidered with intricate floral patterns, and her shoes were a jewel-blue, adorned with a variety of complex little designs.

Her headpiece was also quite strange, consisting of large, unnameable pieces of silver jewelry.

In short, she looked very different from the women of the Great Chu Dynasty.

Zhao Junyao glanced at her a few times before shifting his gaze away.

He had someone pour her a cup of tea and asked her to sit on a chair not far away.

The girl suddenly became quiet, not uttering a word, as if waiting for someone to speak.

"What is your name, and what brings you here?" Zhao Junyao asked.

The woman seemed to be waiting just for that question.

So as soon as he asked, she immediately responded.

"My name is Fengfeng, and I came here... just for fun!"

"Oh, and you... are you really the Emperor of the Great Chu?"

Zhao Junyao looked at her and nodded lightly.

"Indeed I am, why do you ask?"

It was truly... a bit odd for a woman to suddenly appear before him and ask such a question.

Upon hearing his confirmation, her eyes widened instantly and her face lit up with joy.

"WOW!"

"Emperor!"

That must be the right way to address him, she thought.

The self-named Fengfeng jumped up excitedly.

"Emperor!"

She called out again, her round cheeks and large eyes brimming with delight.

Zhao Junyao: "..."

The woman didn’t care about his astonishment; she just dashed directly in front of him.

"Emperor, I want to marry you!"

Zhao Junyao: "..."

Outside the door, Xia Tingfeng burst into laughter and then immediately stifled it.

But Zhao Junyao had already heard it.

For some reason, he felt that the advantage he had just gained was slipping away again.

Zhao Junyao took a moment before saying calmly,

"You... you’re Fengfeng, right?"

Fengfeng nodded her head.

"Yes, my name is Fengfeng, Emperor, I want to marry you!" she repeated.

"Uh..."

Zhao Junyao felt as if all the blood in his body was flowing backward, rushing to his brain. He desperately wanted to throw out this chattering woman who was causing him to lose face. But... reason told him he couldn’t! Because he was the Emperor!

Zhao Junyao suppressed the disdain and anger in his heart and commanded Li Shengan in as normal a voice as he could manage.

"Someone!"

"Take her away!"

Zhao Junyao felt like he was on the verge of an internal collapse. Even if he were desperate for women, he wouldn’t be interested to the point of considering a madwoman who couldn’t stop talking about marrying him. Besides, he wasn’t lacking women at all! If anyone in the world lacked women, it wouldn’t be him.

So, Li Shengan quickly came in, neck retracted.

"This... young lady!"

"You can’t just say anything in front of the Emperor. Please heed this old servant’s words and go home, okay?!"

The woman named Fengfeng was unwilling to leave and refused to go.

"But, he hasn’t said whether he wants to marry me or not!"

Li Shengan took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth,

"Miss, there’s a procedure for the Emperor to take a consort; it’s not something to be settled in a few words, please..."

"Huh?"

"Procedure? What procedure? I don’t care about any procedure; I must marry you for sure!"

Zhao Junyao: "..."

His mouth twitched, and the veins on his forehead throbbed as he struggled to maintain composure.

What kind of world was this where women could openly clamor to marry someone? It was utterly shameless.

Zhao Junyao continued to wave his hand.

"Take her away!"

This was not his type. Women should be virtuous and demure. Of course, a bit of liveliness was acceptable, but this...