Later on, at Qing Qui Council Meeting...

"Enough is enough, I decide my marriage, it's my life!!!", an angry Feng Jiu shouted to the council members at their meeting.

"Am I not your queen? If so where is my respect?"

An angry Bai Yi seething thru his teeth addressed Feng Jiu: "Your highness should remember to put Qing Qui's subjects before her own desires. When it comes to have the future royal heir, she needs to submit to the council decisions for the benefit of the kingdom."

"Is this how you see me, like a breeding machine? I am not a piece of meat, nor an adornment. When I took the crown and sworn to represent Qing Qui, I knew from that day forward that Qing Qui interest were first, but that does not mean to disrespect me in front of all realms like you did father. You ruined my reputation as queen, I had to resort using force to gain my respect back by showing my stance in the face of humiliation."

"You speak of reputation as queen? How about that as your father I had to work hard to put to an end all the nasty rumors circulating about the torrid relationship you presumably maintained with Dong Hua Dijun. It was a miracle that reputable and respectable families wanted to establish an alliance with Qing Qui again. As Fox King I had to do what was necessary to eliminate those rumors that tainted your reputation. Your foolish acts shamed us all in the past. And now I see Dong Hua Dijun back in your life after he refused my marriage proposal years ago. Did you forget that queen?"

Feng Jiu was receiving this lashing from her father and fury was building up within her. She was huffing and breathing hard. She was trying not to let her resentment take control of her actions.

Bai Zhen upon hearing all of this, decided to intervene on behalf of his niece. "Elder brother, I was the one who asked Dong Hua Dijun to train our queen in preparation for the ceremony at the last minute having no one to train with. He graciously accepted my offer and he complied with her training as all of us bared witness that our queen skills have greatly improved under his tutelage. I can assure nothing improper happened between them during her stay at Tai Chen Palace while she was training."

Zhe Yan also spoke, "I can testify on this as well, high god Mo Yan and myself witnessed her training during her stay at Tai Chen Palace. I'm afraid those rumors are just rumors Fox King. Our queen reputation remains intact. We have to keep our allegiance with the heavenly realm clear. If we falsely accuse Dong Hua Dijun of using his authority to degrade our queen during her stay at Tai Chen Palace, you will compromise Qing Qui's reputation. We can't act based on rumors from people who wish to destroy the prosperity that our realm has achieved thru our queen's hard work."

Bai Zhi was irritated with the subject that his son brought up at the council table. Whispers filled the room suddenly. The council elders support was divided between Bai Yi and Zhe Yan testimony. He could feel that his granddaughter has been treated unfairly.

Feng Jiu honed her fox hearing and could tell the conversations apart from each one. Her delicate and small hands turn into fists, she slammed the marble table once and the impact was felt in the whole room loud enough to silence everyone. She was unaware that her action caused a dent on the table. Her anger manifested into her hands.

Zhe Yan and Bai Zhen eyes were wide open by her strength. It was obvious that her temperament was rising up.

"ENOUGH!!!! I will not tolerate this lack of respect against my person or against the former emperor of all realms his majesty Dong Hua Dijun. How easy is to curve your loyalty and allegiance when doubtful information arises without facts. May I remind all where Qing Qui loyalty stands. We have a strong political alliance with the heavenly realm. I'm not looking to compromise this based on rumors. Do you want to start a war and end the peace that Dijun worked so hard to achieve over the past millennials?"

Bai Yi stand up to face his daughter, he was not being reasonable. "Oh? And where her highness loyalty truly stands?"

"Is the Fox King afraid to lose face and his precious reputation that has decided to imitate other kingdoms customs and whore me to Cang Yi to gain more power?"

Bai Yi lost his composure and angrily slapped Feng Jiu's face. Zhe Yan stood up to intervene, he remained in front of Feng Jiu, in order to protect her from more physical assault; he was raging mad glaring at Bai Yi. "Enough Bai Yi, you should appease your anger this is not the way to resolve this situation."

Feng Jiu lift her hand and to hold her face where his father slapped her. Her angry eyes were teary.

Bai Zhi was mad as well. "Son! That is enough, at the end you went behind the council elders and went into negotiations with Cang Yi without our consent, specially my consent as your superior and emperor. That is a violation of our customs. You are aware of our protocol and acted against it. I'm disappointed at you. As a father you can't exert your will upon your daughter without considering the ill consequences. There is no reason to infuse physical harm to Xiao Jiu. Is a marriage alliance more important to you than our queen's contentment? After all this is her happiness and life, not ours. This meeting is deferred."

Zhe Yan took Feng Jiu to his peach blossom home to calm her down. Her mother was there too.

"I prepared a hibiscus rose cream, let me put it on your face my dear." Feng Jiu let her mother apply the cream on her right cheek, his father hand marked Feng Jiu's face. It throbbed her face when her mother touched it.

"I'll be in the kitchen I will fix you a concoction for you to rest."

"Thank you great uncle Zhe Yan for intervening on my behalf," she gave him a sad smile, she wanted to cry so much but held back her tears. "Please don't make the medicine too bitter", she pouted at him.

Zhe Yan's heart was aching to see Feng Jiu like this. Zhe Yan left them alone so they can freely talk to each other. Feng Jui needed her mother support right now.

"Mother, have father ever mistreated you in any way?"

"No, never. Bai Yi has a strong temper, typical fox hot head temper, but he has never been violent towards me. We have a respectful relationship. I'm dismayed that this happened between you two."

"I'm used to receiving his beatings since I was younger because of me getting into trouble all the time, but this was different. This was not done as discipline, it was more to humiliate me in public."

"I heard the commotion held at the meeting. I was unaware that Bai Yi met with Cang Yi to allow him to marry you. When I saw Cang Yi at the ceremony grounds openly proposing to you, I thought he was acting defiantly towards our clan, but when I heard him that he had Bai Yi backrest, I immediately saw the anger at your grandfather's face. He was unaware as well. This was uncalled for. However, Xiao Jiu I want to ask you in confidence something my dear."

"I think I know what you going to ask me mother. Let me save you the time. I don't love Cang Yi. He is a good lad, from a respectable family. And I felt bad that I had to resort to these means at him to break the marriage contract, but in my heart, there is only one man that I love as long as I live, and no one is going to change that, not even himself nor fate. I chose him to be my mate mother. You and I know how this goes. We imprint with our chosen mate. And I don't care what he did in the past, or what that stupid rock has engraved. I'm the owner of my own destiny and fate. I don't believe in all that nonsense." Feng Jiu lowered her voice to her mother.

"Then you have made a lifetime decision to be in solitude for the rest of your life?" She was padding Feng Jiu's hair.

"If it comes to that, then yes. I can't marry no one else, I'm sorry mother. I know that as queen part of my responsibility is to produce the next heir to the throne, but I can't go against my heart. It will be life sentence that I'm not willing to take. Nor even for Qing Qui. I will be selfish in that aspect in my life. I will not renounce my love for Dong Hua Dijun. I will die loving him mother." Tears started to run down her face.

"Come here kittling, mother utterly understand."

"Mother" .... She held Feng Jiu while she cried herself to sleep. Feng Jiu needed to unburden her sadness, anger, frustration, humiliation. She was an emotional mess in her mother's arms.