Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in confusion. They were struck dumb, as they had thought
that Shirley would agree to marry Alston. Even if she didn't agree, they didn't know she would do it as
harshly as she did. None of them expected that Shirley would refuse Alston outright and in front of so
many people too! It would undoubtedly bring great shame to him.
"I'm sorry, Chief Bryant, but I think I misheard her." Alston's face was red with anger, and his veins
looked like they were about to pop from his head.
"Your Majesty, Shirley should have made it clear," Bryant replied with a morose expression on his face.
"Miss Shirley, why are you rejecting me? You should at least give me a reason," Alston protested
vehemently.
"It is because I am already engaged to someone else before you asked..." Shirley explained matter-of-
factly.
When everyone present heard this, they were also shocked, as none of them knew that Shirley was
already engaged. Of course, they all forgot that Shirley and Prince Basil were engaged in the past.
"What?! Miss Shirley, when did you get engaged to someone else?" Alston's eyes almost bugged out of
their sockets in his surprise.
"Have you forgotten already, Your Majesty? I was engaged to Prince Basil," Shirley replied.
"Ha! Basil? That man has been dead for a long time now. Your engagement doesn't count anymore."
Upon hearing Shirley's answer, Alston was exasperated. He didn't expect Basil, who was already dead,
to get in the way of his excellent plan. Of course, he knew that Shirley must only be using Basil as an
excuse.
"The engagement between Prince Basil and me was issued by the former emperor in person. And
even though Prince Basil had already died for the sake of our country, the previous emperor hasn't
abolished the engagement between him and me, so the engagement is still valid," Shirley replied with a
gleam shining in her eyes.
"Then I will immediately abolish your engagement to Prince Basil. That way, nothing can stop you,
okay?" Alston answered aggressively. He was not about to give the Ximen Clan any excuse, after all.
In the face of his stubbornness and aggression, Shirley couldn't help but hesitate. She covertly glanced
at Bryant because she couldn't think of any other excuses to say. Although Bryant expected that Alston
wouldn't give up easily, his eyes still narrowed in annoyance.
"If I do that, there won't be any more problems, right? Then Miss Shirley should agree at once," Alston
insisted with a grim face.
Shirley was quiet for a while before she opened her mouth and spoke hesitantly, "Actually, there is one
more problem..."
"What? What other problems do you have?" Alston's eyebrow twitched out of his control.
"Prince Basil... He has already taken me as his woman," Shirley suddenly spat out from between
gritted teeth.
At once, a dead silence settled over the whole square. Almost everyone was shocked because none of
them expected Shirley to say something like that. Why would she expose herself so shamefully?
Moreover, when did Prince Basil get the unruly daughter of the Ximen Clan to his bed? That was too
powerful of him.
However, because Shirley had claimed it in front of everyone, no one would doubt that what she said
was true. Even if Shirley didn't want to agree to the marriage, she wouldn't joke about her virginity.
Alston's face strained as if he was about to erupt in anger, but he calmed himself quickly so that he
would not lose control of the situation. He said coldly, "Miss Shirley, you are too fond of telling jokes! As
far as I know, Miss Shirley hated Basil to the point of death, and you have never contacted him, not
even once. Nothing could have happened between you!"
"Prince Basil once came to our Ximen Clan. If something happened between Shirley and Prince Basil,
it should be at that time!" Bryant piped in this time, adding a little lie. Although he was a little surprised
that Shirley would say such words as an excuse, he had no choice but to support her lies. If he didn't,
her words would have been in vain.
"No matter what happened between Miss Shirley and that dead man, it doesn't matter. I won't mind. As
long as Miss Shirley agrees to be my concubine..." Honestly, Alston was already infuriated, but he
brushed everything aside and kept insisting instead.
It painted a pathetic picture of Alston at that moment, as he was willing to ignore the fact that Shirley
might not be a virgin anymore just to make her agree to be his concubine. If Shirley agreed to this
marriage, then Alston was as good as a cuckold. Of course, most people knew that the real reason why
Alston wanted Shirley to agree to be his concubine was to take control of the Ximen Clan.
"But I've made up my mind to marry Prince Basil!" Shirley insisted, her voice going higher, as she was
getting impatient because Alston would not stop insisting on what he wanted.
Hearing Shirley's ridiculous words, all the people present whispered and pointed at her.
"What a bunch of nonsense! Miss Shirley, are you going to marry a dead man? I won't approve of this
marriage unless you marry a living man." Alston sneered with a sinister look.
"Your Majesty, Shirley has made it clear already. It doesn't matter whether you approve of it or not..."
Bryant reminded him seriously.
"Chief Bryant, do you and your clan want to disobey me and be an enemy of the royal family?" This
time, Alston made his position clear. He was done playing their ridiculous games.
"I only wish to respect Shirley's decision. I didn't mean to offend you, Your Majesty. How could I want to
disobey you and be the enemy of the royal family?" Bryant answered calmly. There was a strong
domineering character in his tone as if he was not afraid of Alston's threat at all.
"Miss Shirley, I'll ask you one more time, so think it over very carefully. Do you agree to be my
concubine or not? Remember that whatever you say next will directly affect the future of the whole
Ximen Clan..." Alston threatened, glaring at Shirley viciously. It was obvious now that Bryant didn't want
Shirley to be his wife. He simply needed her because he wanted the Ximen Clan!
Shirley hesitated a little at Alston's threat, looking a little intimidated. She looked at Bryant, her eyes
wide with fear.
"Shirley, say whatever you want to say!" Bryant told her firmly.
Shirley frowned at this, as her plump breast continued to jump up and down with her rapid breathing. It
was difficult to hide the contradiction in her heart at the moment.
Everyone present waited for her with bated breaths, as their eyes focused solely on Shirley. The next
words she would speak could determine the future of the Ximen Clan and the fate of the Holy Dragon
Empire.
"Where are you? Shouldn't you be here now?" at this time, a delicate figure standing in the crowd
muttered to herself anxiously.
And just when Shirley was about to blurt out her decision, the delicate figure suddenly walked out of the
crowd and asked loudly, "Miss Shirley, do you mean what you said just now that you are going to marry
Prince Basil?"
The figure took everyone's attention as she broke the silence, and they were all shocked when they
looked at who it was. They all recognized her! It was Sabina, Marcia's beloved disciple, and the future
successor of the Ji Clan!
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda