The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

The white-haired old man was Li Chongyang, the patriarch of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion.

He hunched over and spoke with a chuckle.

"Your Majesty is too kind. We are all acting for the sake of the Great Qian Dynasty and the honor of the royal family. How can this be considered a coup?"

The middle-aged scholar was Zhou Lan, the patriarch of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion.

He echoed her, his voice gentle, but his eyes were full of calculation.

"Your Majesty, we simply feel that it is indeed inappropriate for the princess to marry a stable boy. If Your Majesty insists on doing so, it may discourage the people of the land."

Murong Yuan's hand rested on the armrest of the dragon throne, his knuckles turning white and veins bulging.

These three old geezers are clearly using this as an excuse to make a fuss.

Yesterday, the spirit beasts went berserk, causing heavy casualties among the Imperial Guards, who did not leave their seclusion to help suppress them.

Upon learning that the emperor's seclusion had been interrupted and his cultivation had not broken through, it was now the weakest time for the Great Qian Dynasty.

The three old men were there to test Murong Hao.

If he backs down today, more people will jump out tomorrow and press him further.

Until they sidelined the emperor and seized control of the entire Daqian Dynasty.

Murong Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions.

"What if I insist on granting this marriage?"

Zhao Qing had a smile on his lips.

"If Your Majesty insists on this, we dare not object. However, we believe that the princess's husband should be at least a seventh-rank martial artist with a matching family background."

He paused, his gaze falling on Wang Long at the end of the line. He looked him up and down, his eyes full of disdain.

"How could a fifth-rank stable boy, with neither family background nor cultivation, be worthy of the princess?"

Li Chongyang echoed this sentiment.

"Exactly! An old horse herder dares to marry a princess? He should take a good look at himself in the mirror!"

The two men's voices echoed in the court, and many officials lowered their heads and chuckled.

Qin Minglan trembled with anger upon hearing these words.

"Those old bastards, they've gone too far!"

She clenched her fists, wishing she could rush out and give each of those men a sword.

Luo Hanyi's face was also ashen as she looked at Wang Long.

Murong Qing's face was also very pale, her eyes were red, she was biting her lip, and her fingers were twisting the hem of her clothes.

She desperately wanted to rush out and say that she didn't care about Wang Long's status; she only cared about him as a person.

But she can't.

Murong Qing is a princess, and her every word and action represents the royal family.

If she loses her composure now, it will only make those three old men even more smug.

Murong Yuan's tone was calm.

"What do you want?"

The white-haired old man spoke with a smile.

"This old minister believes that Wang Long has disrespected the royal princess and should be executed according to the law."

"If Your Majesty considers his meritorious service in protecting the country, you may punish him leniently, strip him of all his titles and honors, banish him from the capital, and never employ him again."

Zhou Lan echoed this sentiment.

"I second that. A stable boy is a stable boy; even if he rises to a higher position, he will never become a phoenix."

"If a stable boy were to marry a princess, how would the world view the royal family? Where would the Great Qian Dynasty's reputation be?"

"I second that! That old bastard should—"

"Have you said enough?"

An aged yet calm voice came from behind, interrupting the officials.

Everyone's eyes turned simultaneously in the direction from which the sound came.

Wang Long walked slowly out from the end of the line, his hands tucked into his sleeves, looking calm and composed.

Although all three were ninth-rank experts, Wang Long did not take them seriously.

He walked slowly, as if he were taking a stroll.

Wang Long walked up to Zhao Lie and the other two, stopped, and looked up at them.

"He keeps calling me an old geezer and a stable boy."

Wang Long's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

"You guys are really making a lot of noise."

Zhao Qing frowned, looked him up and down, and sneered.

"Lowly things."

Wang Long wasn't angry; instead, he smiled.

"You guys are indeed noble, hiding in your own beds and playing with eggs during the Great Qian Dynasty's crisis~"

"They keep talking about status and lowliness."

"Go back a few generations, your ancestors were beggars, so what? Were they lowly too?!"

The three men's faces darkened.

"How dare you! You're just a stable boy!"

"How annoying."

Wang Long waved his hand impatiently.

"Let's go home. Don't embarrass ourselves here."

Zhao Qing's face turned bright red, and his finger pointing at Wang Long was trembling.

"You...you..."

Li Chongyang's expression also darkened. He stared at Wang Long, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"A mere fifth-rank stable boy dares to spout nonsense in the imperial court? He's courting death!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Chongyang raised his ebony cane and pointed it at Wang Long!

A sharp burst of spiritual energy shot out from the tip of the cane, heading straight for Wang Long's face!

A full-force strike from a late-stage ninth-rank martial artist is enough to kill a fifth-rank martial artist on the spot!

"How dare you!"

Murong Yuan was enraged and killed someone right in front of him.

This shows a complete disregard for him, the emperor!

Luo Hanyi and Qin Minglan rushed forward immediately.

"Uncle!"

Murong Qing couldn't care less about anything else and cried out in worry.

Wang Long did not dodge, a faint smile on his face.

The three patriarchs were furious, feeling that Wang Long was showing them contempt!

They are the most honored and respected people of the Great Qian Dynasty.

I was actually looked down upon by a stable boy!

Just as this spiritual energy was about to strike Wang Long...

"Chirp!!!"

A sharp cry came from Wang Long's arms!

The sound was clear and loud, piercing through the clouds, and it made the tiles of the Hall of Supreme Harmony fall down with a crash!

Golden light burst forth from Wang Long's arms, like a small sun, illuminating the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony!

Everyone instinctively raised their hands to cover their eyes.

The golden light dissipated.

A ten-zhang-long chick hovered above the Hall of Supreme Harmony, its wings spread wide, blotting out the sky!

He easily blocked the attack.

Little Chick lowered its head, its golden eyes fixed on Li Chongyang, and opened its beak, revealing its throat filled with golden flames.

Another angry cry.

The sound was so loud it made people's eardrums buzz, and the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony trembled with the roar.

The officials turned pale, collapsed to the ground, and trembled all over.

Zhao Lie and the other two's expressions changed drastically, and they subconsciously took several steps back.

"A...a ninth-grade spirit beast?!"

Zhao Qing's voice was trembling, and his eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets.

"How is this possible?! How could a stable boy like him possibly possess a ninth-grade spirit beast?!"

Li Chongyang's expression also changed completely.

He had lived for over two hundred years and had seen countless spirit beasts, but among the ninth-grade spirit beasts, there was only one in the entire Great Qian Dynasty: the Turbulent Sea Dragon.

The aura emanating from this giant golden bird was more than ten times stronger than that of the Sea-Turning Dragon!

Zhou Lan stared at the giant bird hovering above the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a glint of greed flashing in her eyes.

"Ancient divine beast... Nine Heavens Mystic Bird..."

His voice was hoarse, filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"A legendary being that surpasses even the ninth rank..."

Zhao Qing also realized what was happening, and a glint of greed flashed in his eyes.

He lowered his voice and spoke to the two people beside him.

"If we can capture this spirit beast... who in the entire Great Qian Dynasty would be our match?"