"Your subject takes his leave."
Realizing he had finally weathered the toughest trial, Xu Yan let out a breath of relief as if pardoned from a death sentence.
After bowing to the old emperor, Xu Yan shot out of Wenhua Hall like a streak of smoke.
Once Xu Yan had left and the doors of Wenhua Hall closed again, Xu Kun slowly paced over to the imperial desk, where memorials awaited his review. He tapped the desktop repeatedly with his index finger, producing a monotonous, arrhythmic tap, tap.
"Let them grow close from a young age, then go through the engagement and all the other formalities when they're old enough. It seems... not entirely out of the question. All in all, our Sun Moon Empire would be the one coming out ahead."
On the surface, it looked as though Emperor Xu Kun had simply been remarkably open-minded about the matter.
The truth was, he was out of ideas too. ಥ⌣ಥ
At that very moment, while a certain overworked emperor in the palace—who worked year-round without a day off and seemed to wish he could split himself into several people to get more done—sat scowling at his desk, brooding in misery,
the atmosphere at the dining table in the Princess Mansion in Bright Capital's eastern district had grown almost unnaturally harmonious and cheerful.
As a princess of the royal family, Xu Tianzhen knew she had to maintain the proper royal reserve and the distance expected of a refined young lady.
The ever-gracious Qian Yuhan also knew that, as a guest, he should do his best to save his host's face without compromising his own dignity.
The two simply ate and chatted, discussing the delicious food on the table, the strange and wonderful customs of different places across the Douluo Continent, their personal interests, and the continent's long history, measured in tens of thousands of years.
Eventually, their talk turned from history to the Church's transformation into Spirit Hall, the collision between the Sun Moon Empire and the Douluo Continent, the so-called Holy War, Soul Masters, and Soul Tools.
Qian Yuhan was amazed by the splendid possibilities of Soul Tools, as described by Xu Tianzhen, a member of the royal family of the greatest Soul Tool power in the land.
Xu Tianzhen, meanwhile, was astonished by the vast knowledge and broad vision of the boy before her, who was a year younger than she was.
All in all, it was a lunch that left both host and guest thoroughly pleased.
When it was time to part, Xu Tianzhen even personally escorted Qian Yuhan to the gate of the Princess Mansion.
Just as Qian Yuhan was about to step over the threshold, Xu Tianzhen seemed to think of something and suddenly called after him. "You just arrived in Bright Capital. Where are you staying?"
"I'm staying at Xu Yan's place for now. I plan to move into the school dormitory once the term starts." Qian Yuhan paused, deciding to solve Xu Yan's problem before leaving and count it as payment for letting him stay the night.
"The school dormitory? What's so great about living there? School is already a pain, and then you have to squeeze into a dorm with other people after class."
At the mention of the dormitories, which seemed tiny and shabby compared to her own mansion, Xu Tianzhen pursed her lips in disdain. But soon, her eyes suddenly widened as she thought of something. "As it happens, I have a whole building at Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy. It's empty anyway, so why don't I lend it to you?"
"Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy?" Qian Yuhan looked at Xu Tianzhen in feigned surprise and asked, "As a member of the Sun Moon royal family, shouldn't you be going to Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy?"
"What's so great about Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy? Everywhere you look, everyone's an acquaintance. Even if I don't know them, they all pretty much know me."
At the mention of Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, the expression on Xu Tianzhen's face turned cloudy in an instant. She slumped, waved away the attendants standing nearby, then spoke to Qian Yuhan in a cautious whisper.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't want to go to Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy either. At first, I planned to study at Shrek Academy, but my father and the others wouldn't let me. They even confined me for two whole months! How could I let the princess suffer such an indignity? Even if I have to go to Mingdu Soul Engineer Academy, I absolutely won't go to Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy."
Old Qian, I've figured it out. This girl's rebellious phase came early. The best way to deal with that is to beat the rebellion out of her; reasoning comes second. The Rakshasa Phantom crouched in the shadow beside them as usual, muttering under its breath, while Qian Yuhan said nothing.
On the one hand, as an elder from the Douluo Continent, he could understand the old emperor of the Sun Moon Empire and the many considerations he faced as both ruler and elder. He felt that the younger generation really ought to listen to the advice of their elders, who had already succeeded in life.
On the other hand, as a very open-minded old-timer, he could also understand Xu Tianzhen's dissatisfaction from her point of view. He thought that elders should communicate more with the younger generation and figure out what the real problem was.
What was he supposed to do? It seemed he'd reached the age where he could understand both sides. How annoying.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Do you think I'm being unreasonable, just like Father does?" Xu Tianzhen's voice now carried a hint of dejection. Tears glimmered in her eyes as she slowly lowered her head and murmured, "That makes sense. You're a year younger than I am, but you're so mature. You must..."
Old Qian, you have to go along with her right now. Trust me, I'm right.
Seeing that Xu Tianzhen was clearly upset, the Rakshasa Phantom hurriedly reminded Qian Yuhan. But to its surprise, there were some things it didn't need to teach him. As an old hand, Qian Yuhan already knew what to do. For example...
"You haven't done anything wrong. Having your own thoughts is a good thing. Everyone has the right to decide how they want to live their life. There's nothing wrong with that."
Qian Yuhan gently lifted Xu Tianzhen's chin with his right hand. With his left, he held a tissue and tenderly wiped the tear marks from her cheek, coaxing her gently.
"But at the same time, I think your father—the emperor—has his own reasons, too."
"You know that the Sun Moon Empire and that side... don't get along very well. And you're his one and only precious jewel. How could he possibly feel at ease letting you travel halfway across the continent to study somewhere that isn't particularly safe?"
"But..." Xu Tianzhen started to argue, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she remembered all the things she'd done growing up:
Whether she'd thrown the entire royal family into chaos, stolen the consorts' cosmetics, or set fire to the main hall of her father's bedroom palace, her father had never once spoken harshly to her.
It was only when she'd stubbornly thrown a tantrum in Wenhua Hall, insisting she was going to Shrek Academy, that her father had lost his temper for the first time.
Maybe she really was in the wrong? Should she go apologize to her father? But going alone felt a little...
Wait! Hold on. I think I have the perfect person to go with me.
At that moment, as Qian Yuhan was wiping Xu Tianzhen's tears, he suddenly felt a strange chill, as if someone were eyeing him covetously.
Just as he turned to look for the source of the chill, he noticed that Xu Tianzhen was looking at him... a little strangely...
Before you continue