After Dai Youheng's deft blend of deflection and counterattack, his heartfelt revelations and declarations of ambition so difficult to separate into truth and falsehood, even Xu Jiujiu, sharp-minded and accustomed to controlling the situation, felt unsettled for a moment. It was as though she had stepped into a fog woven from sweet words and calculation, leaving her unable to find her bearings.
She turned slightly aside, avoiding Dai Youheng's overly ardent gaze. Her fingertips unconsciously brushed the edge of a memorial on the desk as she steadied herself and forcibly steered the conversation back on course.
"Enough. Stop saying such things." Her voice regained some of its usual coolness, though a careful listener could still detect a faint tremor. "I believe you had no choice back then, Youheng."
She raised her eyes, her gaze once again calm and appraising as the reason befitting the Star Luo Empire Princess gradually returned. "But you must understand that marrying me will take far more than affection and talent alone. Within the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, you do indeed possess an unprecedented advantage now. Compared with those two half-crippled legitimate sons, you are extraordinarily gifted, already a Soul King while still so young, and physically sound besides. That is beyond question."
Then she shifted her tone and pointed out the most crucial issue. "But your birth as a concubine's son is also an indisputable fact. Within your Dai Family, the principle that strength commands respect might make up for that somewhat. After all, legitimate or otherwise, you still carry the Dai Family's blood. However, where the Zhu Family is concerned-"
Xu Jiujiu's expression grew grave. "Duchess Zhu Man and the Zhu Family's forces behind her will never sit idly by and watch you rise. If you gain power, it will mean completely severing the