Engagement

This was the first time Xu Yuan had seen this woman with sharp features.

Regardless of past lives or this life.

Because of the emperor's strange attitude, Xu Yuan could roughly guess that he should know the other person in this marriage alliance.

And she is most likely a princess or a county princess.

In retrospect, it is indeed a recognition, but it was a one-sided recognition, based on those official reports and internal documents concerning the Northern Border.

Wu Yuan,

Li Qingyan.

Alright, now Xu Yuan understands why the old emperor had that strange expression earlier.

In my memory, Mu Zhiyun was a typical obedient girl; the kind of obedient girl who would jump up in fright if you poked her from behind.

And Wu Yuan?

Ha, the number of people Yuan Hao, that psychopath, has killed so far is probably only a fraction of what she's killed.

Who the hell would dare marry a woman like that?

Xu Yuan took a deep breath and asked:

"I remember you were fighting in the Northern Border, weren't you?"

Wu Yuan narrowed his phoenix eyes, his slightly husky voice sounding very pleasant:

"The war in the Northern Border is not going well; the situation is temporarily at a stalemate due to the weather."

"The weather?" Xu Yuan asked deliberately.

Wu Yuan had no doubts and carefully explained:

"A blizzard has descended, a once-in-a-century blizzard, freezing everything in its path. Scouts Demon Beast can no longer see in the air, and soldiers are unable to leave their camps, forcing them to temporarily retreat and hold their ground."

Although he had already learned some things beforehand, Xu Yuan still nodded in a perfunctory manner and then asked:

"So the war in the Northern Border is still urgent. What are you doing back in the capital at this critical juncture?"

"I have important business to attend to in the Imperial Capital."

"Something wrong? What is it? Is it about this engagement?"

"It's none of your business."

"Tsk"

Xu Yuan clicked his tongue, looked at the stunningly beautiful face, and laughed:

"Although we're not very familiar with each other yet, this marriage is highly unlikely to fall through. In other words, I am your husband, and you can't even tell me this?"

Wu Yuan turned around, her red lips glistening, and looked at the man before her, smiling as she spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Alright, once we're engaged, I'll tell you immediately why we're returning to the capital."

"."

Xu Yuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"Don't you have any objections to this marriage?"

Why should I have any objections?

Wu Yuan stared at Xu Yuan with a strange look in her eyes. "I will eventually find a consort. As long as I don't object to your good looks, that's enough."

"."

Another woman lusting after him.

Xu Yuan smiled and shook his head, then suddenly noticed that the British woman in front of him was very tall.

She's at least 175cm tall, and with her long, slender legs, she could probably look him in the eye if she wore high heels.

After a brief eye contact, Xu Yuan didn't look away, and asked with interest:

"What I mean is, you don't care about my reputation? Or my personality?"

Wu Yuan stared at Xu Yuan for two seconds:

"Why should I care about such worthless things? As for personality, I don't care."

"." Xu Yuan.

Wu Yuan smiled at him:

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. Xu Changtian, tell me your opinion of me. It's unlikely that this marriage will be canceled."

"."

Xu Yuan's eyes flickered twice. "I wonder what the princess means by this opinion?"

Li Qingyan pointed to the path along the lake shore, indicating that they should walk and talk as they went:

"Anything is fine—temperament, appearance, figure—feel free to voice any dissatisfaction, and I'll consider whether I can change it."

"."

These words left Xu Yuan speechless once again.

In his previous life, he had also gone on several perfunctory blind dates arranged by the old man.

Marriage, business.

It's better for both sides to explain things clearly.

However, he hadn't expected that Princess Wu Yuan Li Qingyan, would have such a high level of understanding.

After a two-second silence, Xu Yuan slowly spoke:

"First of all, I think marriage requires a certain amount of privacy."

"Be more specific," Li Qingyan.

Xu Yuan's expression was serious:

"I have many friends, and sometimes I might have social engagements at night and not go home."

"."

Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes narrowed little by little, her voice steady. "Hmm, and then?"

Xu Yuan carefully chose his words: "I am a leisurely person by nature, and I occasionally go out for a walk to relax."

Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes smiled:

"Go on."

Secondly, I think...

"Yin He, do you think my daughter and your son can make a good match?"

Standing by the window, the old man in imperial robes stared indifferently at the distant lake.

A gentle breeze swept through the attic, and the tableware on the table inside had been cleared away by Eunuch Nie, replaced by a tea tray.

Xu Yinhe sat contentedly on the futon, pouring himself a drink.

"Changtian should be willing, but as for Wu Yuan, I don't know much about her."

Li Yaoxuan glanced back at Xu Yinhe and said calmly:

"Not much? Indeed. Even I don't fully understand Wu Yuan's temperament."

"You don't understand?" Xu Yinhe remained noncommittal.

"She grew up with that guy Mu Zhenbei, so naturally I don't know her well."

Li Yaoxuan's voice carried a cryptic smile, "But when I mentioned this to her before, she immediately agreed."

Xu Yinhe put down his teacup:

"So, does that mean the marriage is settled?"

Li Yaoxuan's eyes were somewhat strange as he turned and leaned against the window railing.

"Don't play dumb, I was referring to temperament."

"Although I don't know Wu Yuan's personality very well, she grew up in the army from a young age, which probably made her not very gentle. As for what your son has been doing in the Imperial Capital all these years, you should know what he has done."

To put it another way, if you two hot-tempered people are put together, you Chancellor Xu, need to figure out a way to resolve this.

Xu Yinhe pondered for a moment, then said slowly:

"Since he was able to cultivate, Changtian's temperament has changed somewhat, so he probably won't fight."

Before he could finish speaking, the room fell silent.

"." Li Yaoxuan gestured towards the window with his chin.

Xu Yinhe sighed.

Then,

"Bang!"

"Buzz--"

"Li Qingyan, are you out of your mind?! Do you think this is your own military camp?"

"Boom!!!"

The Black Dragon Carriage sped along Heavenly Peace Road, heading in the opposite direction from where it had come from.

The interior of the car was completely silent.

Xu Yinhe sat cross-legged with an expressionless face.

Xu Yuan sat quietly, his face bearing some bruises.

An incense burner sits on the tea table between the father and son, with wisps of smoke rising upwards.

They stared at each other, wide-eyed.

I don't know how much time passed,

Xu Yinhe's voice rang out softly, "How badly are you injured?"

This is just a pointless opening statement; how could this old man, with his cultivation level, not see that he only suffered superficial injuries?

Xu Yuan smiled and said:

"Wu Yuan acted with restraint."

Xu Yinhe nodded and asked:

"How did you two end up fighting by the lake?"

Xu Yuan shrugged, his answer ambiguous:

"I made a few jokes with that woman, but she doesn't seem to have a very good temper."

Xu Yinhe did not comment on these remarks.

Whether it's a genuine expression of emotion or an act, it won't affect the marriage, because none of the three have said they don't want to get married so far.

Xu Yuan sighed and suddenly asked:

"Father, let me just ask directly. My betrothed from the beginning was Wu Yuan, right?"

Xu Yinhe raised an eyebrow:

"Changtian, why do you ask that?"

Xu Yuan revealed a cryptic smile:

"The reason Your Majesty gave before was too lame. Mu Zhiyun is a gentle and weak woman; she wouldn't do something like threatening suicide."

Xu Yinhe's eyes looked strange:

"You seem to know that girl quite well."

"." Xu Yuan.

After clearing his throat, Xu Yuan continued slowly:

"Father, you mentioned to me on our way to the palace that you hadn't seen the Emperor in a long time."

"When you discussed things with Marquis of Martial Achievement before, I guessed that Marquis of Martial Achievement was most likely the emperor's mouthpiece. Moreover, when you mentioned 'they' as the main party, you were probably referring to the Imperial Faction rather than Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan sighed:

"Moreover, Father, you never said that my marriage partner was Mu Zhiyun; you always said it was a marriage discussed with Marquis of Martial Achievement."

"And then there's the matter of marrying into the family. Although it's an exchange of benefits, the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate wouldn't go so far as to make me marry into their family."

"I didn't think much about it before, but now that I think about it carefully, it does seem a bit unusual."

"."

Xu Yinhe sat opposite and listened attentively:

"Changtian, you're half right."

"Half?" Xu Yuan asked.

Xu Yinhe glanced in the direction of the palace:

"My initial choice for a marriage alliance was indeed Wu Yuan, but the Emperor disagreed, so I had to settle for second best. All those ambiguous statements before were out of necessity."

Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice:

Why does the emperor disagree?

Xu Yinhe calmly and softly instructed:

"If you become the emperor's son-in-law and have children, then I, as your father, will not only be the Prime Minister, but also a relative of the emperor."

"Li Yaoxuan is tolerant, but he also has his bottom line, and the imperial power is his bottom line."

"But if I were willing, after his death, through this connection and after careful planning, it wouldn't be too difficult to change the name of the palace."

"."

After speaking, there was silence.

Imperial power is supreme; there is no retreat.

Xu Yuan silently processed the information for a moment, then slowly said:

"Father, is the Emperor truly nearing the end of his life?"

Xu Yinhe's statement is ambiguous:

"I don't know, but it should be soon. However, before he dies, he will definitely do his best to instigate a war between the Prime Minister's Estate and the sects."

Xu Yuan understood very quickly:

"So, has the Emperor agreed to this marriage because of the war in the Northern Border?"

Xu Yinhe nodded:

"Yes, the sects in the Three Northern Prefectures are constantly increasing their troops, and the scale of the war is constantly expanding. Li Yaoxuan probably wants to use this marriage to completely bind us together, at least until he dies."

After hearing this, Xu Yuan asked in a low voice:

"So we're just going to be strapped onto the ship like this?"

Xu Yinhe smiled upon hearing this:

Why not?

"Life is full of disappointments, and although I, as your father, would like to wait a little longer, the tide has turned and we can't wait any longer."

"And,

"My goal and Li Yaoxuan's goal have been the same since we were young. Although we have some differences now, we are still on the same page. Since what he wants to do now is in line with our goal, then we are still on the same path."

"."

Xu Yuan realized that his perspective was still too narrow.

Xu Yinhe looked at Xu Yuan and, speaking slowly and deliberately, earnestly instructed him:

"Changtian, the royal family is not an enemy. Unless absolutely necessary, never take action against them."

The incense smoke rose gently, and the car was completely silent.

Looking at Xu Yinhe's serious expression, Xu Yuan sensed the deep helplessness in his father's eyes.

Comrades who have walked together for a lifetime must turn against each other at the end of their lives.

It's cruel, but it has to be done.

Because an emperor would never allow himself to leave such a Prime Minister to his descendants before his death.

If we don't make a move, it's tantamount to surrendering.

If Li Yaoxuan had lived longer, there wouldn't have been such a tense atmosphere between the royal family and the Prime Minister's Estate. Even if there were, it would definitely have happened after the threat from the sects had been eliminated.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan considered trying to save the emperor using the information in Cangyuan, but suddenly realized that it was too late.

Whether or not the information in Cangyuan can be left aside for now, at this point, it is impossible for the emperor to tell them the true state of his body.

Telling them is tantamount to setting a date for the start of war for the Prime Minister's Estate.

After a long silence, Xu Yuan chuckled twice:

"Yes, Father, Changtian understands."

Heaven Origin Mountain, bamboo forest on the back mountain.

The clanging sounds were incessant, and the wind pressure generated by the swinging of the giant sword almost crushed the surrounding bamboo forest.

The burly old man wielded a giant sword, but he was very fast. With a skillful flick, he sent a Ink Sword flying high into the air, and then he was about to smash it down with a quick move.

The girl in black had nowhere to hide, and blinked her eyes in disappointment.

The giant sword came to a steady stop an inch from the girl's cool and aloof face, and the powerful wind pressure made her long, black hair flutter wildly in the wind.

Sheathing his sword, Ran Jianli laughed heartily and patted the girl's shoulder in a carefree manner:

"Hahahaha, Qingmo, you've improved quite a bit. Although you didn't use your Source Qi, you can already last five rounds against me. Want to try again?"

"."

Ran Qingmo pursed her lips, said nothing, silently turned around, picked up her Ink Sword, and walked straight towards her small bamboo house.

"."

Ran Jianli's maniacal Sword Maniac, froze instantly. After planting the sword in the ground, he quickly stepped forward to follow the girl, cautiously asking from the side:

"Qingmo, I can't hold back when sparring with you, can I?"

"Qingmo, are you angry?"

"Don't be angry. I called you back because your master's wife missed you."

"Say something! When your master's wife comes back, she'll accuse me of bullying you again."

"."

Ran Qingmo stopped and shook her head. "I'm not angry with Master."

After saying that, he continued walking towards the bamboo house and slammed the wooden door shut.

"." Ran Jianli.

Ran Jianli, took a breath, and muttered to himself:

"What's wrong with this girl? She wasn't this upset when she lost a competition before."

"What are you doing standing there like an idiot at the entrance of Qingmo, you old codger?"

Suddenly, a clear and melodious voice came from the bamboo path outside.

Ran Jianli around and saw a middle-aged woman walk in. Time had etched some marks on her face, but she was beautiful and gentle.

Exhaling, Ran Jianli over and drew his greatsword, asking hesitantly:

"Xiao Wei, you've come at the right time. Our good disciple seems to have been acting a little strange since she went out today."

Luo Wei glanced at Ran Jianli, then looked at her disciple's small bamboo house:

"What's wrong?"

Ran Jianli rambling on and on:

"After Qingmo left, he kept sparring with me, and after losing about a hundred times, he got angry and left."

"." Luo Wei.

Ran Jianli quickly explained to his wife:

"Xiao Wei, you know Qingmo Qingmo's personality. He used to never get angry even if he lost all day."

Luo Wei rolled her eyes, took out a government gazette from her Sumeru Ring, and slapped it onto Ran Jianli's muscular chest.

"Take a look."

"."

Ran Jianli took it and glanced at it with a puzzled look. His carefree expression vanished instantly, replaced by a serious look in his eyes.

"Are Li Yaoxuan and Xu Yinhe still going to make a move?"

As the silent war raged in the frozen Northern Border, a message spread swiftly throughout the entire Great Yan via the official gazette.

Li Qingyan and Xu Changtian are engaged.

It's a bit late.