Beauty Portraits: I Build a Harem in Another World

Page 56

So... he's actually willing to use his daughter as a bargaining chip?

“Actually… His Holiness the Pope is in a very bad situation right now. Once he steps down or loses power, both his son and Her Holiness the Holy Maiden will surely die!” Maggie hesitated again, but her eyes were even redder. It was clear that the news she received last night had greatly impacted her, to the point that she even knelt down and kowtowed to Qin Feng on the spot. “Her Holiness the Holy Maiden’s fate will be even worse… I beg Your Majesty, please generously help His Holiness the Pope this time. This will also help Her Holiness the Holy Maiden!”

"You mean..." Qin Feng's expression suddenly became even stranger, "You're begging me to accept the Holy Maiden as a disciple?"

“I…I’m begging…” Maggie wanted to argue a bit more, but then she realized that it wouldn’t make any difference in the end, so she could only sigh. “Yes, Your Majesty, I beg you to accept Her Majesty the Holy Maiden. Even if it’s for you, at least you can give Her Majesty a place to stay.”

"..."

Well, given Qin Feng's personality, how could he possibly refuse such a request?

Although, based on Charlene's real age, Saint Regina should be... well, forty years old now?

They're all middle-aged women!

But Qin Feng didn't care. Call him a pervert or whatever, sometimes what men are after is an identity, a thrill, and a sense of accomplishment...

After all, there are plenty of pretty 17 or 18-year-old girls on the street, and you can easily coax them into going to a hotel with them by spending some money. But can playing with them feel the same as playing with a minor celebrity?

Is the feeling of dating minor celebrities the same as that of socialites who frequent high-society circles?

So even though Empress Inazuma Haruko Yoda was also in her forties, Qin Feng still indulged in his pleasures without hesitation, and even enjoyed it immensely, simply because she was an empress, and her status and position were completely different...

Otherwise, how could Inazuma have so many bizarre rules, and why did the successive Inazuma empresses all meet with unfortunate ends after stepping down?

It is precisely because of their status as empresses that men feel a greater sense of accomplishment and conquest when they play with them!

However, even though Haruko Yoda is of a certain age and has lived in the palace for a long time, she is actually quite eager for men, but she is not someone that ordinary men can just play with!

It's a dream come true that she would willingly let men play with her!

However, Qin Feng did it.

Not to mention someone like the Holy Maiden of Light, she's a rare find that you simply can't have no matter how much skill or money you have!

Even though she was forty years old, Saint Regina was still...

But the most crucial point is that Qin Feng doesn't care about age at all now. He has plenty of ways to turn the Holy Maiden back into a twenty-year-old girl. What does it matter if she's a little older then?

Hmm, looks like we need to find a suitable goddess for Regina!

Meanwhile, Charlene was unaware of her son's thoughts, nor did she know that Qin Feng had already begun arranging the goddess soul for Saintess Regina. So, after Maggie carefully explained Pope Randolph's true thoughts, she was still somewhat hesitant. After all, the hatred she felt for Pope Randolph was not something that could be eliminated in a short time, nor could it be eliminated. Moreover, based on her previous thoughts, she didn't care how Randolph and her son died.

The worse your fate, the better!

The question is, is Regina also Pope Randolph's biological daughter?

Charlene might not care about Randolph's life or death, but if Regina was involved, or even her life was in danger, Charlene certainly couldn't stand idly by. So after hesitating for a while, she finally didn't say anything to stop the progress of the matter. But after Maggie left, she immediately reached out and pulled her son, "You little rascal, let me tell you this first, even if Regina comes later, you're not allowed to touch her. If you have any problems, come at your mother!"

"Mom, you said it yourself!"

"Hmph, I'm your mother, do you think I'm afraid of you!"

"What are you waiting for……"

"You little brat, how could you be here... um..."

"..."

Two days later, the state funeral of the old emperor Qin Ziming was finally held with great solemnity. For a time, the entire capital was plunged into deep mourning. Everyone knelt by the roadside in mourning clothes to watch the huge procession pass by. The officials, who were also deeply saddened, also cried all the way until the old emperor was finally buried in the ancestral mausoleum.

It sounds like a simple matter of a sentence, but in reality, the entire state funeral lasted a whole day, and the process was extremely complicated, with various rituals, rules, and requirements... Where are you, Mei? I sing of you, Lin Kong, your Lin Zai Zai, are you gone...?

Qin Feng was so busy from beginning to end that he didn't even have time to drink a sip of water.

But it's finally over!

Even after returning to the palace that night, Qin Feng couldn't get a proper rest for a while, because as usual, he had to respond to all the condolences from the outside world, thank those who came to mourn, and deal with a bunch of other things that had been temporarily put aside during the vigil.

Moreover, strictly speaking, the real protagonist on the day of Emperor Qin Ziming's state funeral was not Qin Feng.

Because on the same day, something else happened that shocked and caused a sensation throughout the entire continent...

Just as the capital city fired cannons at dawn to announce the start of the state funeral, all the countries that had some connection with the Qin Empire expressed their condolences, either remembering or offering blessings. For example, the Rangxi Empire to the north of the Qin Empire, despite the fact that the old emperor had spent almost his entire life fighting against the Rangxi Empire and that the two sides had clashed many times, was the first to stand up and express his remembrance, calling him a great adversary!

But no one expected that the Western Church of Light would also speak out!

Pope Randolph delivered a public speech this morning. He first reviewed the contributions made by the Holy See and himself over the years, and frankly admitted that the Holy See still has many shortcomings, including some wrong decisions he had made in the past, such as launching the Holy War, which not only led to the destruction of the Kelvin family, the strongest family on the continent, but also plunged millions of people in the Western Continent into grief. Even now, the lingering effects of the Holy War have not been completely eradicated... For this, he sincerely apologized to all the people of the Western Continent!

Then Pope Randolph changed the subject, speaking sincerely that he had recently sensed his impending death and had become increasingly aware of the will and call of the God of Light. Therefore, he hoped to completely end the mess he had created before leaving office.

How to end it?

Simply put, Randolph first declared the complete end of the Holy War era. From then on, the Kelvin family and other necromancers would no longer be targets of the Holy See. Although the Holy See disliked those who associated with darkness, it also understood that where there is light, there will inevitably be darkness. This is the fundamental rule of the existence of all things, and no one can violate it.

Secondly, Randolph declared that the persecution of the Kelvin family was a completely wrong act, so not only would Cowen Kelvin be exonerated in history, but the Vatican would also provide appropriate compensation to the Kelvin family.

Furthermore, the Holy See announced the establishment of formal diplomatic relations with the Qin Empire of the Eastern Continent. The Holy See will not only set up an office in the capital of the Qin Empire, but will also fund the construction of an unprecedented super cathedral.

In light of the recent illness of Emperor Qin Ziming of the Great Qin Empire, the Holy See extends its deepest condolences, and Randolph also wishes the new Emperor Qin Feng of the Great Qin Empire a future of great success…

He even announced that he would send His Holiness the Holy Maiden to the Great Qin Empire for a five-year visit, partly to attend and congratulate the new emperor Qin Feng on his coronation, and partly to spread the faith of light in the Great Qin Empire!

To be honest, Pope Randolph's speech was like a bomb, directly causing a huge storm on the continent!

Not only were the countries of the Western Continent dumbfounded, but some countries of the Eastern Continent couldn't help but curse on the spot...

Chapter 146: This is a resounding slap in the face.

Just a while ago, you were fighting to the death, saying you wanted to assassinate Qin Feng, the third prince of the Great Qin Dynasty. You were also saying you wanted to wipe out the remnants of the Holy War. And you were also saying you wanted to do everything in your power to punish the Great Qin Empire!

Well, just over two months later, the Pope suddenly changed completely. Not only did he want to exonerate the Kelvin family, but he also established diplomatic relations with the Qin Empire and even funded the construction of a cathedral. What exactly is he up to?

Not to mention that your Holy See actually sent Her Majesty the Holy Maiden to the Great Qin Empire in the Eastern Continent to be stationed there permanently...

I'm asking you, do you even have a sense of reason?

Even if they turn on you, it shouldn't be as easy as flipping through a book!

Most importantly, these things certainly cannot be decided by Pope Randolph alone; they must be approved by the Qin Empire. But who doesn't know that the old emperor of the Qin Empire is dead?

You can't say that the old emperor was in the mood to have a heart-to-heart talk with your Pope when he was critically ill, can you?

To put it more bluntly, Pope Randolph of Light had already secretly reconciled with the Third Prince of the Great Qin Empire... oh, now the new Emperor Qin Feng, and they may have even reached some unknown agreements!

However, anyone who looks at the enormous sacrifices and concessions made by Pope Randolph, and even his willingness to admit his mistakes, would know that the Qin Empire had definitely gained the most from this agreement!

Does this mean that the Holy See of Light has been taken down by Qin Feng, the third prince of the Great Qin Empire, without anyone noticing?

Combined with the fact that Qin Feng's previous expedition to Inazuma had completely taken over the Inazuma Empire, everyone began to panic!

So at this moment, nobody cares about such a trivial matter as the Holy Maiden being sent abroad. What everyone cares about is what means the new emperor of the Great Qin Empire used to force the Pope of Light, who was thousands of miles away, to submit.

Who is his next target?

Those countries that sided with the Holy See and clamored for sanctions against the Qin Empire are now in a completely awkward and bewildered situation!

Just like the Weinan Empire, located on the southwestern border of the Qin Empire, it was so regretful on the spot that it was practically bursting with rage...

At the time, the Weinan Empire judged that the Great Qin Empire had completely offended the Holy See, especially since it had been jointly condemned and sanctioned by so many countries, and would inevitably fall into chaos. At that time, they would have the opportunity to fish in troubled waters, and perhaps they could even seize a large amount of territory from the Great Qin Empire. Therefore, they did not hesitate to jump around and do as much trouble as possible.

But who would have thought that in just two short months, the Great Qin Empire not only did not experience any chaos, but also managed to take care of the Holy See!

The problem is that, since the Weinan Empire took the lead in causing trouble, the Qin Empire naturally knows who around it has ulterior motives, who is a friend and who is an enemy. They will inevitably become the primary targets of suppression for the new emperor of the Qin Empire!

Therefore, the Weinan Empire completely backed down, taking advantage of the state funeral of the old emperor Qin Ziming today to sing praises and try its best to whitewash the long-standing 'friendship' between the two countries...

Moreover, since the Pope of Light has openly stated that he wants to establish diplomatic relations with the Great Qin Empire, this naturally represents the intention of the Holy See of Light. At the same time, the various countries of the Western Continent were confused and quickly changed their stance, saying that their previous relationship with the Great Qin Empire was just a misunderstanding.

This is definitely a massive face-slapping moment...

In this situation, the whole day is naturally very lively, with all sorts of situations that make people laugh and cry, and the onlookers are having a great time watching!

But an even bigger surprise came the next day.

Because the Qin Empire has officially announced that the new emperor's enthronement ceremony will be held on an auspicious day a month from now, and the Qin Empire will also hold a grand military parade, therefore, distinguished guests from all countries on the continent are welcome to attend the ceremony...

What is a military parade?

It's very simple. It's just a casual display of the Qin Empire's military strength, a show of force to the outside world, a way to warn neighboring countries at the same time: you'd better not mess with me, or I'll dare to attack you!

Therefore, under normal circumstances, such an "invitation" is just a formality, because only countries with extremely close relations with the country in question will send delegations to attend the ceremony. As for other countries, why would those that are close but have poor relations come to support you?

Besides, if you come here, you'll have to put up with your attitude. Nobody's stupid enough to do that!

Those who were far away mostly looked down on it, thinking, "It's just a military parade, what kind of tricks can you come up with?"

If you're so capable, send your troops to attack me!

But the problem is, this time it's completely different...

Because after the official announcement of the Qin Empire, the first to respond was the Inazuma Empire. Empress Haruko Yoda immediately stated that she would personally lead a delegation to the Qin Empire to attend the ceremony.

That's alright. After all, who on the entire continent doesn't know that the Inazuma Empire is actually a vassal state of the Qin Empire? Even though the two countries were fighting fiercely before, that's all in the past. In fact, Haruko Yoda is now Emperor Qin Feng's person. It's understandable that she would take the opportunity to meet her lover and enjoy some of his favors. Naturally, she's the fastest to run away!

The second to respond was Pope Randolph of Light. He first thanked Emperor Qin Feng of the Great Qin Empire for the invitation, and then said that he had not left the Holy Court for many years, so he was willing to go out and see the world, especially the Eastern Continent, where the power of the Holy Court had never extended. He would then set off for the Great Qin Empire with His Holiness the Holy Maiden.

Without a doubt, upon hearing this news, most people on the Western Continent thought they had misheard...

It is important to know that in any country in the Western Continent, an emperor must personally go to the Holy See to receive baptism and investiture from the Pope in order to officially inherit the throne and be recognized by the outside world.

Because in the Western Continent, divine authority is supreme!

And this is the most crucial point: everyone must go to the Holy See on their own. No Pope ever 'condescends' to go and find someone. This is simply unbelievable, and it makes one wonder what kind of agreement the new emperor of the Great Qin Empire and the Pope of Light have reached.

The most crucial point is that the Pope and the Holy Maiden have both gone to the Qin Empire. How can the political leaders of the various countries in the Western Continent not go?

Are you actually a country from the Western Continent? Are you in cahoots with the Church of Light?

Or are you already having ulterior motives?

This made things even more exciting, and all the countries of the Western Continent expressed their desire to come and witness the ceremony!

Since you're coming, you can't very well come empty-handed... right? Mei, I'll sing your praises, but you're empty-handed, Lin Zai Zai, are you there...?

This incident caused a huge stir, instantly alarming the entire continent.

It should be noted that the Western Continent and the Eastern Continent have never had much contact. After all, their customs, cultures, and civilizations are completely different, and even their races are somewhat different. Therefore, there has never been a case of emperors from various countries of the Western Continent going to the Eastern Continent for a "collective sightseeing tour," let alone the Pope of Light personally making an appearance. This is simply unheard of!

After all, this other world is not as advanced as Earth. Although it is a magical civilization, its progress is still in the era of cold weapons. Even though magical messages can travel thousands of miles in an instant to any corner of the continent, people cannot. Currently, the fastest way to travel on the continent is probably by riding a griffin. However, griffins can only carry small groups. If there are large groups of people, they can only travel by carriage on the ground, which takes a lot of time!

At the very least, if the Pope of Light were to personally lead the procession, the entourage would be no small number. In other words, if he wanted to arrive before the coronation ceremony of the Great Qin Empire, he would have to prepare to depart in the next few days.

A round trip takes more than a month. Do you really think other national leaders have nothing better to do?

But the problem is, if the Pope of Light went, how could you not go?

Do you dare not go?

Chapter 147: Wu Zetian Emerges, Catherine Undergoes a Dramatic Change

The problem is, with so many countries from the Western Continent rushing to say they want to attend the ceremony at the Qin Empire, what do the countries from the Eastern Continent think?

Naturally, people were filled with anxiety, wondering whether to go or not.

If I don't go, will I offend someone? Will I be isolated? Will I miss out on some opportunities?

If so many countries reach some kind of agreement with the Qin Empire, wouldn't they be completely unaware of it if their people weren't around?

So, shall we go... for a bit?

This led to an unprecedented scene on the mainland, and also set an unprecedented record, because until now, no country on the eastern or western continent has ever had its coronation ceremony attended by leaders of all the countries on the continent!

However, the Great Qin Empire has now accomplished this, because the leaders of all the countries, whether in the Eastern Continent or the Western Continent, have indicated that they will arrive at the Great Qin Empire on time to attend the ceremony. Even the Weinan Empire, which had previously been making a fuss, is doing the same!

The moment this news broke, everyone in the entire Qin Empire was thrilled. The new emperor hadn't even ascended the throne yet, but his prestige had already reached its peak, greatly enhancing the nation's prestige!

After all, only he could do that!

Unfortunately, Qin Feng couldn't enjoy the adoration from the people right now, because he was... very busy!

After his status as the successor emperor was confirmed, many things came to a standstill because of the mourning period that followed. These included imperial etiquette and authority, political consultations and handling, and even the redivision and reorganization of the palace's areas and functions… Mei, I'm here, I'm free. Lin, are you here?

All these things suddenly came to light as soon as the old emperor's state funeral ended. Qin Feng was also completely caught up in his busy schedule. Every morning after waking up, time was no longer his to do. He was constantly being pushed to do this and that. Even eating felt like rushing from one meal to another. Not to mention being able to be intimate with his women or anything like that. It was simply a luxury!

Ultimately, it's because Qin Feng has too many past debts. If he had started attending court sessions like the eldest prince Qin Yu from the age of sixteen, and had continuously studied how to become a good emperor, then these problems wouldn't exist now!

But we all know what Qin Feng, the Third Prince, was like before. Unfortunately, the old emperor didn't give him much time to grow, so he can only start to cram now!

In addition, there is another very important matter.

As the saying goes, a new emperor brings a new court!

The current court officials are all from the old emperor's era. While this group is not unusable, with the new emperor on the throne, some personnel adjustments are inevitable. For example, General Bai Hao, even though he is already an imperial marshal, is the first person Qin Feng will promote after the state funeral because he is not only Bai Zhiwei's father, but also accompanied Qin Feng on the expedition to Inazuma and made great contributions.