The moment Li Xuancang stepped out of the Pei Residence, all the clamor of gongs and drums, the struggles between great clans, and the tangled disputes of marriage were shut away behind him.
He made his way home at an unhurried pace, his steps composed and his expression calm from beginning to end. There was not the slightest hint of frustration or anger, nor a trace of resentment or desolation.
He carefully reviewed everything that had happened, his mind clear.
This marriage had, from beginning to end, been a binding arrangement born of worldly calculations.
What the Pei Residence valued was his strength, his worth on the battlefield, and his usefulness in troubled times.
What his parents had hoped for was a steady road ahead for him, someone to watch his back, someone to rely on for the rest of his life.
Not one part of it had been a sincere match of kindred hearts, with love shared by both.
Pei Qingyuan already had someone in her heart. Her feelings for her childhood sweetheart had long taken deep root; she and he had always been travelers on separate roads.
If he continued to pester her, stubbornly fought to claim her, and coveted a marriage into power and status, he would only demean himself.
If she was not the right one, there was no need to force it. If there was no fate between them, then he should let go openly.
Everything he had thought along the way—all distracting thoughts, attachments, and restlessness—vanished like smoke.
He had once agreed to this marriage only to comply with his parents' wishes and follow the rules of the world.
Today's turmoil completely severed his attachment to worldly comfort and ease, leaving him suddenly enlightened.
He had been born humble, with no distinguished family to