The Betrothal Letter!

"Cooperate?"

Li Zhiwei raised her head and looked at Jiang Xiaobai, confusion in her expression. "What do you want to cooperate on?"

"No rush."

Jiang Xiaobai shook his head. "Finish what you promised to give me first. We can talk afterward."

Ah!

Only then did Li Zhiwei realize that, without her noticing, the ink had already been ground.

She immediately took a sheet of blank rice paper and slowly spread it out, then looked up at Jiang Xiaobai again. "What would you like me to create... Heir Jiang?"

"Oh, paint a Mandarin Duck Painting first," Jiang Xiaobai said with a smile.

A Mandarin Duck Painting?

The color in Li Zhiwei's face had only just settled, but now a faint blush crept back into her cheeks.

Still, she was no ordinary woman. After a brief hesitation, she softly answered, "All right."

With that, she lifted her brush, dipped it in ink, and touched it to the paper.

Soon, a pair of mandarin ducks nestled against one another gradually took shape on the rice paper.

The brushwork was so exquisite that even Jiang Xiaobai could not help nodding inwardly in approval.

Once the painting was finished, Jiang Xiaobai slowly spoke. "Next, I'll dictate, and you'll write."

Li Zhiwei nodded lightly at his words.

Then she lifted her brush again and stood before the desk.

Jiang Xiaobai watched her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, and slowly recited, "Knowing hearts share a song before falling flowers; fine rain gently stirs the mist beyond the willows. Betrothing the spring breeze to cut a length of silk; a letter takes shape beneath the moon, sent to your side."

As those four lines of poetry fell from his lips.

Without thinking much of it, Li Zhiwei wrote down what Jiang Xiaobai dictated, a hint of surprise appearing on her face.

This poem is good!

Just as she was admiring it, Jiang Xiaobai spoke again. "There's one last step."

Li Zhiwei looked up at him. "What?"

"Your seal, of course, Miss Li."

Jiang Xiaobai smiled. "You painted the picture and wrote the words. How could it be complete without your seal?"

Li Zhiwei nodded lightly at that.

Then she took her seal from beside her, gently breathed on it, and solemnly pressed it onto the painting and calligraphy.

The red seal landed.

In an instant, the entire painting seemed to gain a soul.

Jiang Xiaobai stepped forward, gently picked up the work, and studied it carefully before praising it aloud. "Beautiful calligraphy, beautiful painting, and of course... a beautiful woman."

As he spoke those final words, Jiang Xiaobai's gaze settled on Li Zhiwei.

Hearing that, Li Zhiwei immediately lowered her head again.

With her former temperament, she would probably have flared up long ago.

Yet now, for some reason, she felt both annoyed and embarrassed!

The guard accompanying Jiang Xiaobai stood to one side, utterly dumbfounded by what he heard.

His heir...

Since when had he become so good at this?

But just as the atmosphere in the room grew intimate once more.

Li Zhiwei seemed to suddenly remember something and spoke softly. "You haven't finished explaining the cooperation you mentioned earlier, Heir Jiang..."

"Oh, it's nothing major, really. I just want to marry into your Chancellor's Residence."

As Jiang Xiaobai's words fell, the room abruptly went silent.

The guard had been marveling inwardly at his side, but upon hearing that, he nearly leaped into the air.

"Heir!"

The guard's eyes went round, his face filled with shock.

Clearly, even he had never expected Jiang Xiaobai to say such a thing.

Li Zhiwei, too, visibly lost her composure for a moment.

Indeed, she had likewise never imagined that Jiang Xiaobai would suddenly make such an astonishing declaration.

A moment passed.

Only then did Li Zhiwei barely steady herself and look solemnly at Jiang Xiaobai. "Heir Jiang... what do you mean by this?"

Jiang Xiaobai did not answer immediately.

Instead, he slowly walked to the window and pushed one panel open.

The night breeze blew in, dispersing some of the room's stagnant atmosphere.

Only then did Jiang Xiaobai turn around and speak calmly. "It's very simple."

"Your Chancellor's Residence needs an opportunity, and I... need a way to survive."

"If I marry into the Chancellor's Residence, there will be at least three major benefits for you."

"Oh?"

Li Zhiwei's expression grew intent. "Which three benefits?"

"First!"

Jiang Xiaobai slowly raised one finger. "Declaring your stance."

"My Jiang Family commands the troops of the Northern Frontier, while the Chancellor's Residence stands at the head of the civil officials. You've never been particularly close to my Jiang Family. In fact, everyone knows that Chancellor Li has always had quite a few criticisms of us."

"But if I marry into the Chancellor's Residence."

"It will amount to telling every civil and military official at court, and His Majesty, that the Jiang Family is willing to bow its head and willingly relinquish its future."

"From that point onward, I will no longer be the Jiang Family Heir, but a live-in son-in-law of the Chancellor's Residence."

"To His Majesty, that offers reassurance and an answer. To the Chancellor's Residence, it counts as a meritorious deed."

"Because in the eyes of outsiders, your Li Family will have... preemptively defused the potential threat posed by our Jiang Family, on behalf of the court and His Majesty."

As Jiang Xiaobai finished that explanation.

The look in Li Zhiwei's eyes shifted slightly.

Jiang Xiaobai raised a second finger and continued. "Second, gaining renown."

"You've seen what happened tonight, Miss Li."

"If I really were a useless empty sack, that would be one thing. But since I've displayed such talent, then with the title of Top Graduate added to it... many things in this world will be different."

"What will outsiders think then? They'll only think that the Chancellor's Residence has a torch-bright eye for talent, and that you, Miss Li, have the discerning eye to recognize a pearl."

"The Profligate Heir whom everyone once spat upon will have transformed into a true Young Prodigy after entering the Chancellor's Residence."

"When that happens, I won't be the only one to benefit. The reputation of your Chancellor's Residence will rise another level as well."

Here, Jiang Xiaobai paused, a more meaningful smile forming at the corners of his mouth. "After all, people always love passing around such beautiful tales."

"Especially tales of a talented scholar and a beautiful lady."

Those words brought another involuntary blush to Li Zhiwei's face.

But she did not interrupt him.

Because she understood that Jiang Xiaobai's words were not without reason.

At that moment, Jiang Xiaobai slowly raised his third finger.

"Third, seizing the initiative."

Jiang Xiaobai continued, "Miss Li, have you considered what would happen in the end if you really submitted a jointly signed Imperial Petition tonight and blew the purchase of official posts wide open?"

"Well..."

Before Li Zhiwei could speak, Jiang Xiaobai continued, "Things aren't as simple as you imagine. At best, only the Imperial Examination will be thrown into turmoil. At worst... the entire court may be shaken."

"And besides..."

Jiang Xiaobai paused and looked at Li Zhiwei. "If the person behind this has other intentions, do you think Chancellor Li, as the head of the civil officials, can keep himself unscathed?!"

"Heh, perhaps it's His Majesty himself who wants to strike at your Chancellor's Residence."

"But if our families are joined through marriage, your Chancellor's Residence can remain safe as long as he hasn't completely stripped our family of military command."

Once Jiang Xiaobai finished, Li Zhiwei fell silent, her brows knitting ever more tightly.

Though Jiang Xiaobai's words were somewhat exaggerated, that possibility certainly could not be ruled out!

"So..."

Jiang Xiaobai smiled at the thoughtful Li Zhiwei. "So, by marrying into your family, I wouldn't be causing trouble for your Chancellor's Residence. On the contrary, I'd be giving you a card that lets you advance or retreat."

As Jiang Xiaobai finished that last sentence.

The room fell silent once more.

This time, even the guard said nothing.

Because he suddenly realized.

What his heir had just said... really didn't seem to be nonsense!

No.

It wasn't merely that it wasn't nonsense.

Every sentence carried an indescribably seasoned shrewdness!

Li Zhiwei stood there, her eyes flickering constantly, clearly digesting everything Jiang Xiaobai had just said as quickly as she could.

She had originally assumed that Jiang Xiaobai was joking.

But now it seemed that not only was he serious, he had even... thought through all the advantages and disadvantages in advance.

A moment passed.

At last, Li Zhiwei slowly raised her head and looked at Jiang Xiaobai. "But your family is a general's household, and ours is the Chancellor's Residence. His Majesty wouldn't approve of you marrying into our family!"

"No!"

Jiang Xiaobai shook his head. "Every member of my Jiang Family is loyal and true, and my father is utterly devoted to Great Hua's Imperial Family!"

"His Majesty is certain that my father will never rebel. So as far as he's concerned, I can marry into any household, including your Chancellor's Residence!"

"Because... His Majesty needs an excuse, an excuse to take military command away from our Jiang Family!"

Indeed, a marriage alliance between a military family and the chancellor was difficult to accept.

But to put it bluntly, his father's loyalty was blind. There was no way... the emperor could fail to see that.

Thus, if he married into her family, the reigning emperor might hesitate, but would ultimately agree.

After all, opportunities to seize military command did not come so easily!

"Then you... are giving up so much merely to stay alive?"

Li Zhiwei could not help asking.

Indeed, if he married into her family, Jiang Xiaobai would become a laughingstock, an enormous laughingstock.

That was not something an ordinary man could bear!

"Is staying alive not enough?"

Hearing that, Jiang Xiaobai suddenly smiled. "Of course..."

At this point, Jiang Xiaobai lifted his gaze slightly and settled it on Li Zhiwei, his voice lowering as well. "If I can also marry the Greatest Talented Lady, whose name is renowned throughout the Capital City, along the way."

"Then this bargain... is even less of a loss for me."

"You!"

Hearing that, Li Zhiwei became both embarrassed and annoyed again, her face beneath the veil instantly flushing once more.

Yet faced with Jiang Xiaobai's smiling expression, she had no idea how to refute him.

Jiang Xiaobai chuckled softly, his expression turning serious again. "Miss Li, I'm not joking."

"You need time, and so do I. Cooperation between our two families is the best way to break this deadlock right now."

"If you're willing, you can discuss this with Chancellor Li first."

"As for whether it succeeds or not, I'll wait for your answer."

Here, Jiang Xiaobai paused briefly and looked at the painting and calligraphy. "However, I'll be keeping this Betrothal Letter as a pledge of our love for now..."