Betrothal

This was the first time Xu Yuan had ever laid eyes on this sharp-featured woman— Whether in his past life or his present one. Given the Emperor's peculiar attitude, Xu Yuan had vaguely guessed that he would recognize the other party in this political marriage. Most likely, she would be a commandery princess or an imperial princess. As it turned out, he did know her, but it was entirely one-sided—he knew of her through internal gazette reports concerning the Northern Border. Wuyuan, Li Qingyan. Well then, now Xu Yuan understood why the old Emperor had worn that strange expression earlier. The Mu Zhiyun in his memories was a consummate good girl, the kind who would jump out of her skin if poked from behind. And Wuyuan? Hah. The body count racked up by that psychopath Yuan Hao probably amounted to mere pocket change compared to hers. Who the hell would dare marry a woman like that? Xu Yuan took a deep breath and asked, "If I recall correctly, aren't you fighting up on the Northern Border?" Wuyuan narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, her faintly raspy voice pleasant to the ear. "The campaign on the Northern Border isn't going well. Due to the weather, things have reached a temporary stalemate." "The weather?" Xu Yuan asked intentionally. Suspecting nothing, Wuyuan explained patiently: "A blizzard struck—a once-in-a-century blizzard. The land is frozen for thousands of li. Scout demonic beasts can't see a thing from the air, and soldiers can't even leave the barracks. We had no choice but to pull back and hold our ground." Though he had already learned something of this beforehand, Xu Yuan still nodded with feigned understanding and pressed on: "In that case, the war on the Northern Border is still urgent. What brought you back to the capital at a critical juncture like this?" "I naturally returned to the Imperial Capital on important business." "Business? What kind of business? For this betrothal?" "None of your concern." "Tsk." Xu Yuan smacked his lips. Looking at her strikingly handsome and peerlessly gorgeous face, he chuckled. "Though we aren't very familiar yet, this marriage almost certainly isn't going to fall through. In other words, this young master is your husband-to-be—you can't even tell me that?" Wuyuan turned around, her moist crimson lips curving as she looked at the young man, smiling word by word: "Fine. Once we're betrothed, I'll tell you immediately why I returned to the capital." "..." Xu Yuan fell silent, then suddenly asked: "Regarding this marriage, do you have no objections at all?" "Why should I have any objections?" Wuyuan gave him a rather peculiar look. "I must recruit an imperial son-in-law eventually. You have a handsome face, and as long as I don't find you repulsive, that's enough." "..." Yet another woman lusting after his body. Xu Yuan shook his head with a chuckle, suddenly noticing how remarkably tall this heroic beauty was. At least around one meter seventy-five. With those slender, long legs, if she wore high heels, she would probably be looking right into his eyes at eye level. Meeting her gaze, Xu Yuan did not look away, instead asking with keen interest: "What I meant was, don't you care about my reputation? Or my personality?" Wuyuan stared at him for two seconds. "Why should I care about worthless, superficial things like that? As for personality, it makes no difference to me." "..." Xu Yuan was speechless. Wuyuan pursed her lips in a smile at him. "Enough nonsense. Xu Changtian, tell me your thoughts on me. This marriage is unlikely to be called off." "..." Xu Yuan's eyes flickered. "I wonder what Princess means by 'thoughts'?" Li Qingyan pointed toward the path along the lakeshore, indicating they should walk and talk. "Anything. Temperament, looks, figure. If you're dissatisfied with anything, you can say it straight out, and I'll consider whether I can change it." "..." Those words completely threw Xu Yuan for a loop again. In his past life, under the old man's arrangements, he had gone through a few half-hearted blind dates. Marriage was business. Laying everything out on the table was best for both sides. Still, he hadn't expected Princess Wuyuan, Li Qingyan, to possess such an enlightened mindset. After two seconds of silence, Xu Yuan slowly began: "First off, I believe marriage requires a bit of private space." "Be specific," Li Qingyan said. With a serious expression, Xu Yuan said, "I have a lot of friends. Sometimes I might have social obligations at night and won't come home." "..." Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes narrowed bit by bit, her tone steady. "Mm. And then?" Xu Yuan chose his words carefully. "By nature, I'm an idle man who enjoys leisure. Occasionally, I'll go out to relax and unwind." Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes curved with a beaming smile. "Keep going." "Secondly, I think—" "Yinhe, do you think that girl of mine and this lad of yours will work out?" Standing by the window, the old man in imperial robes stared indifferently at the distant lake. A gentle breeze brushed through the pavilion. The tableware on the desk had already been cleared away by Eunuch Nie, replaced by a tea tray. Sitting comfortably on a prayer mat, Xu Yinhe poured and drank tea at his leisure. "Changtian should be willing. As for Wuyuan, I do not know much about her." Li Yaoxuan glanced back at Xu Yinhe, speaking unhurriedly: "Not much? Indeed... Even I do not know that girl Wuyuan's temperament very well." "You don't?" Xu Yinhe responded noncommittally. "She grew up following that fellow Mu Zhenbei, so naturally I wouldn't know." Li Yaoxuan's voice carried an enigmatic trace of a smile. "Yet when I brought this matter up with her earlier, she agreed without a second thought." Xu Yinhe set down his teacup. "So, does this mean the marriage is settled?" Li Yaoxuan gave him a rather odd look, turning to lean against the window railing. "Don't play dumb. I was referring to their temperaments. "Though I may not know Wuyuan's temperament well, she grew up in the army, and the nature forged there is hardly gentle. As for what that son of yours has done in the Imperial Capital over the years, you should know well enough." Translated: put two explosive tempers together, and you, Chancellor Xu, better figure out a way to deal with it. Xu Yinhe pondered briefly and said languidly, "Ever since he became able to cultivate, Changtian's temperament has changed somewhat. He shouldn't fight—" Before his words had finished, the room suddenly fell dead silent. "..." Li Yaoxuan jerked his chin toward the window. "..." Xu Yinhe sighed. And then— *Bang!* *Buzz—* "Li Qingyan, are you insane?! Do you think this is your military camp?" *Boom!* The black dragon carriage rolled along Tian'an Avenue, galloping in the opposite direction from which it had come. Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was dead silent. Xu Yinhe sat cross-legged, devoid of expression. Xu Yuan also sat quietly, bruised about the face. On the tea table between father and son sat an incense burner, delicate wisps of blue smoke drifting upward. They stared at each other in silence. After an unknown length of time, Xu Yinhe's voice drifted out faintly. "How bad are your injuries?" It was an opening pleasantry; with his father's cultivation, how could he fail to see that they were all superficial wounds? So Xu Yuan simply chuckled. "Wuyuan held back." Xu Yinhe nodded and asked, "How did you end up fighting her by the lake?" Xu Yuan shrugged, answering ambiguously, "I made a few jokes with the woman, but it seems her temper isn't very good." Xu Yinhe offered no comment on this. Whether an outpouring of genuine emotion or mere playacting, it would not affect this marriage, because up to this point, his third son had not uttered a single word refusing to wed. Xu Yuan sighed and suddenly asked, "Father, I'll just ask bluntly: from the very beginning, the one intended for my betrothal was Wuyuan, wasn't it?" Xu Yinhe raised an eyebrow. "Changtian, why do you ask that?" Xu Yuan revealed an enigmatic smile. "The excuse the Emperor gave earlier was too flimsy. Mu Zhiyun is a woman of gentle, timid nature. Threatening suicide isn't something she could ever do." Xu Yinhe gave him an odd look. "You certainly know that girl well." "..." Xu Yuan. Clearing his throat, Xu Yuan continued steadily: "Earlier, on the way to the imperial palace, you mentioned during our chat that you hadn't seen the Emperor in a long time. "When you negotiated with Marquis Wucheng earlier, my guess is that Marquis Wucheng was very likely the Emperor's mouthpiece. And when you spoke of deferring to them as the primary party, you were referring to the royal faction, not the Marquis Wucheng Manor." With that, Xu Yuan sighed. "Furthermore, from start to finish, Father, you never once said my marriage partner was Mu Zhiyun; you only ever said it was a marriage negotiated with Marquis Wucheng. "And the matter of marrying into the family as a matrilocal husband, too—though it was an exchange of benefits, the Marquis Wucheng Manor wouldn't have had the standing to make me marry into their family. "I didn't think much of it before, but looking back now, there were indeed several anomalies." "..." Xu Yinhe listened intently from across the table. "Changtian, you are half right." "Half right?" Xu Yuan asked. Xu Yinhe glanced back toward the palace. "The person your father initially wanted as your match was indeed Wuyuan, but the Emperor refused. Therefore, your father could only settle for second best. Those ambiguous words earlier were also out of necessity." Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice, "The Emperor refused—why?" Xu Yinhe instructed in a calm, soft voice: "If you become the imperial son-in-law and later father children, then your father would not merely be the Prime Minister, but also a maternal imperial relative. "Li Yaoxuan can endure much, but he has his bottom line. Imperial sovereignty and the dynastic succession are that bottom line. "Yet if your father were willing, then after his death, by using this connection and planning step by step, having this palace change its surname would not actually be all that difficult." "..." His words fell, followed by silence. Imperial authority stood supreme; there was no backing down. Xu Yuan silently digested this for a moment before speaking slowly: "Father, is the Emperor truly running out of time?" Xu Yinhe gave an ambiguous reply: "It is unclear, but it should be soon. However, before he dies, he will certainly do everything in his power to incite a war between the Chancellor's Manor and the sects." Xu Yuan caught on very quickly. "So the Emperor agreed to this marriage now because of the war on the Northern Border?" Xu Yinhe nodded. "Mm. Currently, the sects of the three northern provinces are constantly sending reinforcements, and the scale of the war is continually expanding. Li Yaoxuan likely wants to use this marriage to bind us completely together—at least tying us firmly together before he dies." Hearing this, Xu Yuan asked in a low voice, "So we're just boarding the boat and letting ourselves be tied down like this?" Hearing this, Xu Yinhe chuckled. "Why not? "Eight or nine times out of ten, life does not go as one wishes. Though your father wanted to wait longer, the overarching trend can wait no longer. "Besides, "Li Yaoxuan and your father have shared the same goal since our youth. Though there are some disagreements now, that goal remains the same. Since what he wishes to do now is advantageous to that goal, he and I are still walking the same path." "..." Xu Yuan realized his perspective was still too narrow. Xu Yinhe looked at Xu Yuan and exhorted him with utmost seriousness, enunciating each word: "Changtian, the imperial family is not the enemy. Unless absolutely necessary, never take action against them." Incense smoke curled upward, and silence reigned within the carriage. Looking at Xu Yinhe's solemn expression, Xu Yuan sensed the profound helplessness within his father. Comrades who had walked together their entire lives had to turn on each other at the end of their days. It was cruel, yet necessary. Because no emperor would ever allow such an overpowering Chancellor to remain for his heirs before he died. If they did not make a move, it would mean awaiting slaughter with bound hands. If only Li Yaoxuan could live a little longer, the tension between the imperial family and the Chancellor's Manor would not be so acute; even if tension existed, it would only come after eliminating the scourge of the sects. With this in mind, Xu Yuan felt an urge to use the knowledge from Cangyuan to try and save the Emperor, but he suddenly realized it was already beyond hope. Setting aside whether the information from Cangyuan offered a solution, matters had reached a point where the Emperor would never reveal his true physical condition to them. Telling them would be virtually equivalent to setting a start date for the Chancellor's Manor to go to war. After a long silence, Xu Yuan gave a dry laugh. "Yes, Father. Changtian understands." Mount Tianyuan, bamboo grove on the back mountain. Ringing clashes resounded endlessly. The wind pressure stirred by the sweeping of a greatsword nearly flattened the surrounding bamboo grove. The burly old man wielded the greatsword with astonishing speed. With a deft flick of force, an ink sword was sent flying high into the air, followed by a swift shift in stance as the greatsword crashed down. With nowhere to dodge, the black-robed young woman blinked despondently. The greatsword halted steadily an inch from the young woman's cool, aloof face, the powerful wind pressure whipping her long black hair wildly about. Sheathing his sword, Ran Jianli roared with laughter and heartily clapped the young woman's shoulder. "Hahahahaha! Qingmo, you've improved a lot! Even without using Source Qi, you can already last five exchanges under Master's blade. Want to go again?" "..." Ran Qingmo pressed her lips together without a word. She turned in silence, walked over to pick up her ink sword, and headed straight for her little bamboo hut. "..." The grin on Ran Jianli's face froze mid-laugh as he shouldered the greatsword. Stabbing the blade into the ground, he scurried after the girl, leaning in to ask cautiously: "Qingmo... when Master spars with you, I can't very well hold back, can I?" "Qingmo, are you mad?" "Don't be mad. Calling you back here was because your master's wife missed you, wasn't it?" "Say something... Once your master's wife returns, she's going to accuse me of bullying you again." "..." Ran Qingmo stopped in her tracks and shook her head. "I'm not mad at Master." With that, she continued toward the bamboo hut and shut the wooden door with a slam. "..." Ran Jianli was left standing there. Scratching the back of his head, Ran Jianli winced and muttered to himself, "What's gotten into this girl... In the past, even when she lost a spar, she was never this downcast." "What are you standing foolishly outside Qingmo's door for, you old geezer?" Suddenly, a crisp, clear voice came from the path through the bamboo grove. Ran Jianli looked back to see a middle-aged woman walking in. Time had etched some marks upon her face, yet she remained beautiful and gentle. Letting out a breath, Ran Jianli walked over, pulled his greatsword from the ground, and asked hesitantly, "Xiao Wei, you came just in time. After our dear disciple went out today, she seems to have come back acting a bit strange." Luo Wei shot Ran Jianli a glance, then looked toward her disciple's little bamboo hut. "What happened?" Ran Jianli rambled on, "After Qingmo went out and returned, she kept sparring with me. After losing a hundred-odd times, she got mad and walked off." "..." Luo Wei. Ran Jianli hastily explained to his wife, "Xiao Wei, it's not like you don't know Qingmo's temper. In the past, Qingmo wouldn't get upset even if she lost for an entire day." Rolling her eyes, Luo Wei retrieved a gazette from her Sumeru ring and slapped it against Ran Jianli's muscular chest. "Take a look for yourself." "..." Ran Jianli took it and glanced over it in confusion. His boisterous demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn look in his eyes. "Are Li Yaoxuan and Xu Yinhe really going to make their move..." While the silent war continued across the frozen Northern Border, a piece of news spread rapidly throughout all of Great Yan by way of the realm's gazettes: Li Qingyan and Xu Changtian were betrothed.