Phoenix Rising

030

"Zhenghuan, is there no way you can accede to the marriage proposal?" the king asked, looking at the younger man pleadingly.

They were now within the confines of the king's study and there was no one else in the room except the two of them. The banquet guests had long left the palace and it was late into the night, but this discussion could not be delayed further. Even though King Shunde had managed to stall for time by suggesting that the marriage alliance be discussed a separate day, he would still need to give the Shon ambassador an answer eventually and that answer had to be one that the latter could accept.

"No," Zhenghuan said, staying his ground. "My answer is the same as it was back there. I will not marry the princess of Shon."

"But the king of Shon has specified you in his proposal, to reject his request would be a direct offense to the king and the princess. Political marriages are common. You don't have to like the princess—even if you marry her you don't have to face her every day if you don't want to! If you prefer, we can even arrange for her to continue staying here in the capital while you return to Anyang. That way, you would at most have to see her once or twice a year. I am not asking you to take her as your wife—all I am asking is that you accept her into your household as one of your concubines, that is all."

If any of the court officials heard what the king was suggesting, there would have been an uproar. The Shadow Lord was merely a subordinate to the crown and the king could easily issue the order to have him marry the princess—he would not be able to say no—yet the king was here wasting time trying to convince the younger man to nod his head, even to the extent of offering to make the Shon princess a mere concubine.

"Your Majesty, forgive me but there is no way I can accept this proposal. I will not marry a woman I do not love."

"You don't always get to marry the one you love!" the king bellowed angrily.

"If I do not marry the woman I love then I will not marry at all," Zhenghuan said quietly, seemingly oblivious to the king's anger. He knew that his words had struck a raw nerve in the king, because the latter was acutely aware of what it was like to have to marry someone he didn't love. King Shunde respected his queen, that much was true, but he could not convince himself—or anyone else—that he loved her. He had dozens of women in his harem, many of whom had borne him children, yet they all knew that the one woman that he loved had slipped out of his grasp.

Even a king had to lose sometimes.

King Shunde sighed, sinking back in his seat. "Is it because of Yu Zixi?"

Zhenghuan remained silent, neither denying nor agreeing to that.

"Alright, if your mind is made up then there's nothing else for us to discuss. I will have to identify another candidate for this alliance." The king rubbed his sore temples, closing his eyes as he ran through the possibilities in his mind.

"The princess would much prefer to enter the household of the crown prince," Zhenghuan suggested. "If you grant her wish, I expect she will be appeased."

"No," the king rejected. 'She cannot marry Ru-quan."

"Why not?"

King Shunde opened his eyes, glaring at the young man. "Zhenghuan, you know full well why I will not allow that to happen. If Ru-quan marries the princess of Shon, he will have the kingdom of Shon behind him."

"Is that not a good thing? He is the crown prince and he will inherit the crown one day. His marriage to the princess of Shon will ensure that our two kingdoms enjoy continued peace."

The king slammed his palm against the table, his eyes blazing angrily. "Do you think that just by feigning ignorance you can pretend as if the truth doesn't exist? Zhenghuan, staying away for the capital doesn't change a single thing. You cannot hide forever! Just because you have adopted the surname Du does not make you—"