The sudden turn of events threw the scene into an absurd stalemate.
If it had been some wandering female cultivator disguised as a man, the Blue Smoke Island Domain would absolutely not have been so courteous. They would have seized the offender without a second thought, regardless of the consequences.
Truthfully, this was already an affront to the Blue Smoke Island Domain.
However, the backing of one of the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms left the Domain's royal family seething inwardly with no way to push back outright.
A starved camel is still larger than a horse. Even if the Yan family had been on a gradual decline in the Eternal Divine Kingdom, it remained a formidable power among the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms.
Picking a fight with such a force without good reason would be exceedingly unwise.
Fortunately, the two Yan family elders had been reasonably amiable in their demeanor, and had appeared in time to cut this farce short before it was finalized. Otherwise, once the matter was set in stone, the Blue Smoke Island Domain would have become the laughingstock of the world.
"Elders, Miss Huang'er — His Majesty the Emperor has placed great importance on this marriage tournament. Had Miss Huang'er been a man, this match would truly have been made in heaven. But alas..." The middle-aged prince clearly could not agree to let Huang'er take away Princess Bi.
There was no precedent for such a thing in this world. How could a woman marry another woman?
"Huang'er, that's quite enough. If you keep up this charade, you'll damage everyone's dignity. The Blue Smoke Island Domain has already been remarkably patient — we can't..." Elder He attempted to persuade Huang'er.
"Elder He, please don't interfere in this matter. I entered the martial tournament as a participant, and Princess Bi has made her choice. Regardless, there must be some resolution."
Huang'er was ordinarily amiable with everyone, but on this matter, she was unexpectedly stubborn.
Elder He and Elder Quan exchanged a helpless glance. They understood that once Huang'er had dug in her heels like this, there was absolutely no way they could forcibly stop her.
If they tried, the situation would only spiral further out of control.
Elder Quan smiled bitterly. "Huang'er, this is Princess Bi's lifelong matter — we absolutely cannot joke about it with them."
"Who's joking?" Huang'er's tone was cool. "How do you know Princess Bi doesn't agree? What if she does?"
Everyone's faces were strained with awkward smiles. You've already revealed yourself as a woman — of course she wouldn't agree. Even if every decent man in the world had dropped dead, no one would choose to marry a woman, surely?
All eyes turned to Princess Bi.
Clearly, everyone hoped to hear Princess Bi herself deliver a firm rejection, putting an end to Miss Huang'er's ambitions once and for all.
Princess Bi's expression remained aloof, but her words were stunning: "If I must marry a man I have no desire for, I would rather follow this Miss Huang'er."
The moment these words left her lips, the entire hall erupted in commotion.
Huang'er merely smiled serenely. "Everyone — are you at a loss for words now? Princess Bi has spoken with her own lips. What more do any of you have to say?"
The members of the Blue Smoke Island Domain's royal family wore iron-grey expressions. Princess Bi's response had left them feeling both furious and powerless.
The situation was already on the verge of spiraling beyond their control. The royal family's face had been completely lost. Even a fool could see by now that Princess Bi had never wanted any part of this marriage tournament in the first place. Agreeing to marry Miss Huang'er was simply her way of protesting the entire affair.
But with things as they stood, turning this around would be far from easy. If Miss Huang'er refused to yield, there was little they could do to resolve it.
"Miss Huang'er, this matter concerns the dignity of our royal family. I humbly ask that you show us mercy." The middle-aged prince spoke to Huang'er in a low voice, his words tinged with a note of pleading.
"Does this not also concern the dignity of my Yan family? If I withdraw now, where does my Yan family's honor go? How about this — I have an idea."
"Please, do tell," the prince said quickly.
"I can agree not to marry Princess Bi. However, Princess Bi and I could swear an oath of sisterhood and become sworn sisters. That way, the tournament is not in vain, and the matter is resolved. What do you all think?"
Huang'er had actually planned all of this from the moment she first stepped into the arena. Her entire sequence of actions had been laying the groundwork for this final move.
"This..." The royal family members glanced at one another. Sworn sisters — that, at least, was somewhat passable.
At least both sides could save face.
"So the marriage tournament..."
"This tournament naturally comes to an end. And as for any future marriage tournaments — when the time comes for a suitable husband, I, as her sworn sister, should naturally have a say in vetting him, shouldn't I?"
She had made weighty matters appear effortless — her handling of this was nothing short of perfect.
The royal family members exchanged glances and quiet looks, knowing full well that if this continued, the Blue Smoke Island Domain would only lose even more face. They went with the flow and decided to bring this embarrassing farce to a close.
At least, ended this way — though it had been somewhat of a spectacle — their dignity was not entirely shattered.