Douluo Continent: Dark Demon God Biao, inheriting the position of an evil god

It wasn't until the banquet ended, after watching Dai Yuntian and the other two leave, that I finally understood.

Xu Jiawei plopped back into the main seat, abandoning all imperial demeanor. He grabbed the half-full pot of imperial wine beside him, and without even using a wine cup, he gulped down several mouthfuls directly from the spout.

The strong liquor went down his throat, but it couldn't dispel the pent-up frustration in his heart.

"boom!"

He slammed the wine jug down on the table with a dull thud, his face flushed with alcohol and, more importantly, with undisguised anger.
"That Dai Yuntian is a real scoundrel! He shows absolutely no respect for the royal family! I am, after all, the Emperor of Xingluo! This is outrageous!"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and took another swig of wine, his cheeks turning slightly red.

The empress beside him, her still-beautiful face bearing a hint of helplessness, sighed softly, picked up a silk handkerchief to wipe the wine stains that had splattered on his lapel, and said quietly:

"Your Majesty, please don't just blame the other family's child for being heartless. When you look into it, it seems that our royal family hasn't shown much mercy to the Dai family either."

"Ok?"

Xu Jiawei looked over, his eyes blurry with drunkenness.

As the empress straightened his slightly disheveled collar, she slowly and methodically berated him: "Think about it, Dai Hao, the dignified hereditary Grand Duke of the White Tiger, a pillar of the empire, is 'exiled' to the harsh frontier year after year by you, under the guise of guarding the nation's gate."

How many times a year can a father and son, a husband and wife, even see each other? This treatment… to put it bluntly, isn't it almost like exile?

She glanced at Xu Jiawei and continued, "At your banquet tonight, you bypassed the actual head of the family and only invited the wife and underage son. How could they not understand your intentions? How could they not have some reservations?"

“That Dai Yuntian looks gentle, but he’s arrogant at heart. You schemed against him with a marriage alliance, and you expect him to give you a good look? The fact that he patiently sat through the whole thing without flipping the table is already a sign of respect for the royal family.”

Xu Jiawei sobered up a bit after being nagged by the Empress. He opened his mouth to refute, but found that it seemed... that was indeed the case.

He put down the wine pot somewhat sullenly and muttered, "Well... he really doesn't respect the dignity of the royal family at all! Jiu Jiu is such a good child, is it really beneath him?"

The Empress gently shook her head, knowing that her husband was losing face, so she didn't press him further. Instead, she said softly, "Your Majesty, things have come to this point, and getting angry is useless. I think this matter... may still have room for maneuver."

"Rotate? How do you rotate?"

Xu Jiawei said irritably, "Didn't you see how resolute that kid's attitude was? Things have already come to this point, how can we change course? We can't really go after that little girl from the Zhu family, can we? That kid could publicly refuse marriage for her tonight, and tomorrow he'd dare to turn against the royal family for her! This path is blocked!"

"I didn't persuade that girl from the Zhu family."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in the Empress's eyes as she lowered her voice and said, "Since Dai Yuntian likes that girl so much, why don't we... go with the flow and even help him out?"

"Help him? How?"

Xu Jiawei was puzzled.

“Isn’t he a man of great loyalty and a man of his word? Then let’s ensure that his ‘loyalty’ and ‘promise’ don’t become obstacles to his acceptance of Chang Chang.”

The Empress explained gently, "Your Majesty, it's said that for a man to pursue a woman, it's like climbing a mountain, but for a woman to pursue a man, it's as easy as piercing a thin veil."

"Jiujiu is a girl who is both beautiful and talented. We were wrong before. We always thought of using our power to coerce her and forcing her into marriage."

“But for a prodigy like Dai Yuntian, ordinary power and benefits might not be of interest to him. But what if it were genuine admiration and unconditional following?”

Xu Jiawei frowned: "The Empress means... that Jiu Jiu should take the initiative? This... this is outrageous! My royal princess has already been publicly rejected today, losing all face. Does she have to take the initiative to pursue me? If this gets out, what will become of the royal family's dignity? Wouldn't we be laughed at by the whole world!"

As he spoke, he became agitated again, feeling that the idea was utterly absurd.

The Empress rolled her eyes at him, her tone tinged with disappointment: "Your Majesty! What time is it, and you're still worrying about saving face! Is face more important, or substance? Is the risk of being laughed at more important, or a son-in-law who might become a god in the future?"

"Think about the records of our ancestors from ten thousand years ago. That White Tiger Douluo, Senior Dai Mubai, his talent back then was probably not even as good as Dai Yuntian's today, right? But what happened? He became a god!" The word "god" struck Xu Jiawei's mind like a thunderbolt.

He jolted awake, sobering up almost instantly, and stared wide-eyed at the Empress.

The Empress pressed on, her voice seductive: "If Dai Yuntian can truly reach that level in the future... what does this little bit of 'undignified' behavior today matter?"

"At that time, who would dare to laugh at our royal family for what happened today? Perhaps great scholars and historians would rack their brains to find a reasonable explanation for this 'good story,' and even turn it into a beautiful tale."

"History is written by the victors, Your Majesty!"

Xu Jiawei froze, his eyes flashing rapidly, his breathing becoming heavy: "Huff... huff..."

Yes, if Dai Yuntian can become a god in the future...

The humiliation I suffered today is utterly insignificant!
Using a princess, even if it's just a "possible" way to bind a future deity, is a deal that seems incredibly worthwhile!
"But……"

Xu Jiawei was still somewhat hesitant: "Even if we're willing to swallow our pride, what about Jiu Jiu...? Will she agree? That girl is proud and arrogant. After suffering such humiliation today, can she really lower herself to... actively pursue Dai Yuntian?"

"I can go and persuade Jiu Jiu."

The Empress was full of confidence: "That child is intelligent and sensible. She felt hurt by being rejected in public, but if we analyze the pros and cons for her, especially the potential heights Dai Yuntian may reach in the future, she will understand the importance of it."

"To be able to accompany a future deity, even if not as the principal wife, is an honor and opportunity that far surpasses that of an ordinary empress! What's more..."

The Empress paused, a sly glint in her eyes: "Who said Jiu Jiu has to become a concubine?"

"Ok?"

Xu Jiawei was stunned again: "But Dai Yuntian is already engaged to that girl from the Zhu family, and she's his legal wife..."

"His Majesty!"

The Empress interrupted him, saying something astonishing: "Since it is a princess of my royal family marrying into the family, she should naturally be treated as a princess of the royal family! How can the position of an ordinary concubine be worthy of her noble status, and how can it reflect the sincerity of my royal family in the marriage alliance with the Dai family?"

She leaned slightly forward, her voice lower but clear: "Why doesn't Your Majesty... issue a decree, or even enact a new royal law? It should clearly stipulate that any princess of the Star Luo Empire who marries a nobleman who already has a principal wife can, exceptionally, also have the position of 'principal wife'! Wouldn't this solve the status problem?"

Xu Jiawei's eyes widened suddenly, and then his face lit up with wild joy. He slapped his thigh and almost jumped up:
"Oh my! Your Majesty, wonderful, wonderful! You are truly my lucky star. How could I not have thought of that!"

He paced back and forth excitedly, increasingly convinced of the brilliance of the plan.

Yes, who says a man can only have one legal wife?

Secular etiquette?

what is that?
Even with royal privileges and the emperor's final right of interpretation, secular etiquette can be "adapted to local conditions" and "handled on a case-by-case basis"!
As long as Xu Jiawei opens his mouth.

Once the bill is passed, it would be reasonable, justifiable, and legal for Xu Jiujiu to marry Dai Yuntian as his "official wife".

No one can find fault with it!
Zhu's daughter was the legal wife, and Xu Jiujiu was also the "legal wife," so they were equals.

This fulfilled Dai Yuntian's "affection" and "promise" to Zhu Lu, gave Jiu Jiu a respectable status, and firmly bound him to the royal family and the Dai family!
In any case, the final interpretation right belongs to the royal family, so what can the world do to object?

"Hahahaha!"

Xu Jiawei's mind raced with delight, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. His earlier frustration vanished, replaced by a sense of clarity and a bright future: "Excellent! Fantastic! Let's do it this way! Tomorrow… no, I'll summon the Cabinet and the Ministry of Rites to discuss this matter tonight! We must finalize and promulgate this bill as soon as possible!" (End of Chapter)