The Imperial Capital's Schemes and Stratagems

"Whoa…"

The Si Nan Family's private car drove smoothly along the elevated highway. As the vermillion city walls grew larger in my vision, eventually looming over me like a colossal mountain, I couldn't help but let out a sigh. Only up close could one truly grasp the grandeur of these high walls; I had to admire human ingenuity.

"Liu Ye, before we reach the Si Nan Family's estate, there are a few things I need to tell you."

Si Nan Yuan's voice beside me brought me back to reality. Seeing her serious expression, I knew it wasn't a trivial matter. I straightened my posture and prepared to listen attentively.

"The Imperial Capital, as the capital of Tianyuan Kingdom, is a melting pot of all sorts, with countless major and minor powers, and more influential figures than stars in the sky. You need to understand all of this," she paused, then continued, "First, tell me, how much do you know about the Imperial Capital?"

"Um… the two biggest powers in the Imperial Capital are the Si Nan Family and the Cleon Family, and the Si Nan Family has always had the upper hand over the Cleon Family. There's also the Imperial Palace, but it's just a puppet for the two great families, holding no real power. That's all I know."

"Is that all… That's far too little. Let me supplement your knowledge about the powers in the Imperial Capital. This is also Elder Hong's request.

In the Imperial Capital, besides the Si Nan Family and the Cleon Family, there are some very formidable powers. Although they don't compare to the two great families, one must still be wary of them.

First is the Xiuchun Workshop. Despite its feminine-sounding name, the Xiuchun Workshop is actually the largest equipment manufacturing organization in the Imperial Capital, far surpassing even the Si Nan Family's private arms factories. The Xiuchun Workshop also has several affiliated martial arts schools, and almost all factions conduct business with them; they absolutely cannot be underestimated.

Then there's the Chen Family. Their influence is comparable to the Xiuchun Workshop, but one harms people, and the other heals them. The Chen Family is a long-established family of healers, and almost all medical institutions in the Imperial Capital are under their purview. They also frequently interfere in the Spiritual Medicine business, controlling the sale of Spiritual Medicine in many large markets. It would be very troublesome to fall out with them."

And so, for the next hour, Si Nan Yuan continued to tell me about the various powers in the Imperial Capital. At first, I listened intently, but as she went on, I nearly fell asleep… How could anyone remember so many miscellaneous factions!

"Pay attention!"

Si Nan Yuan suddenly shouted, startling me.

"Next is the last one, and the one we need to be most careful of besides the Cleon Family: the Tartaglia Family!"

"Tartaglia?"

What a comical surname… Wait, Elder Hong mentioned something about "not inferior to a young lady from the Tartaglia family" earlier. Could it be this Tartaglia?

"After listening to all of this, you should understand that the Imperial Capital has many dark forces, engaging in all sorts of shady dealings. Within the entire dark underworld of the Imperial Capital, Tartaglia is undoubtedly a dominant force. Their enterprises encompass all the famous casinos, dance halls, and high-class brothels in the Imperial Capital, controlling the smuggling of various dangerous goods and human trafficking. The Tartaglia Family has no shortage of desperate individuals; they possess the ruthlessness of wolves and the cunning of foxes. Such a group is the most dangerous!"

So, the Tartaglia Family is like the local mafia bosses?

"However, no matter how dangerous they are, they are still forces operating in the shadows, unable to see the light. They can't compare to the overt major powers like the Si Nan and Cleon families. If the two great families were to seriously intervene, they could annihilate them completely. But the dark world needs a ruler to maintain order, otherwise, it would descend into chaos."

"I see… It seems the Tartaglia Family isn't in an easy position either. In the end, their fate is still decided by the two great families. If they step too far out of line, their demise would be a matter of minutes."

"Your understanding is truly quick. The Tartaglia Family has always been troubled by this, which is why someone like Haoyue Tartaglia exists."

"Haoyue… Tartaglia? That name and surname seem a bit mismatched."

"Haoyue Tartaglia is the adopted daughter of the Tartaglia family head; she merely took on the surname. It's said that when she was only 11 years old, many major powers came to propose marriage. On her 14th birthday, countless young masters and heirs attended her birthday banquet despite the Tartaglia family's notorious reputation, all just to catch a glimpse of her beauty. Now she's 19, and she has firmly secured the title of 'Imperial Capital's Number One Beauty.' Not to mention her own outstanding abilities, she is now one of the most prominent figures in the Imperial Capital."

Amazing… This is practically a real-life Mary Sue, and she's the same age as me.

"As you know, the Si Nan Family is currently in a power struggle among its four sons. The Tartaglia Family has long spread rumors—they intend to betroth Haoyue Tartaglia to the winner of the Si Nan Family's succession battle. This means the victor of the power struggle will receive not only power and profit but also this 'Imperial Capital's Number One Beauty'."

"I understand… Expanding their influence in the world of light through a political marriage and further consolidating their position? It's cliché, but very effective."

"…I have to admit, in many ways, you are indeed far superior to the young lady. You understand as soon as it's said, making my explanations entirely unnecessary and, frankly, a bit boring."

"Hey, hey, hey…"

"You must be careful of the Tartaglia Family, not because of your identity or anything else, but because of your appearance."

"Appearance?"

She suddenly reached out and pulled down the hood I was using to conceal my face. She looked closely at my face, her usually indifferent eyes now filled with admiration. Gradually, admiration turned into enchantment, and enchantment into obsession. She stared at me like this, falling silent.

"Um… Ms. Yuan?"

"…! Ah, my apologies, that was rude." She quickly pulled the hood back down, averting her gaze somewhat flusteredly. Hey, hey, you look kind of cute like that.

"In any case, from my perspective, purely based on looks, you are absolutely on the same level as her, perhaps even subtly surpassing her."

"Thank you for the compliment, but what does that matter… Ah!"

So that's how it is… Haoyue Tartaglia is a key figure in the Tartaglia Family's revitalization plan. A significant part of her value comes from her beauty. If I suddenly appeared as a rival with comparable looks, it would inevitably diminish her value, which is something the Tartaglia Family would never want.

"Then that's easy to handle, right? I just need to keep my face covered the whole time?"

"No."

"Nani!?"

"You are now considered part of the young lady's faction. For the young lady to truly establish herself within the family and even the entire Imperial Capital, she needs sufficient 'chips.' These chips can be her own strength, financial resources, or—"

"—Her subordinates. So you want me to show my face and boost her prestige? But besides me, there are also Rui Feng and Rui Xin, right? They aren't bad either."

"They aren't bad, but to be honest, neither their appearance nor their strength matches yours. Moreover, the young lady trusts you immensely, and your standing in her heart is extremely high. So… you understand what I mean, right? We don't have the luxury of letting capable individuals idle around right now."

"I see…"

At this point, I had no room to refuse.

Realizing I was in too deep and could no longer argue, I gave up and sighed. What was that saying again? In this world, you can't always do as you please…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ahem, those who have read extensively might notice that the character Haoyue is inspired by a girl from Strange Moon.

In response to the requests of many readers, we are now launching a VIP ad-free feature.

Click to view