I want to marry him!

"What? Li Zhiwei?!"

As Jiang Xiaobai said those words, Jiang Jingcheng visibly froze. "What, was there someone else with that name at the Poetry Gathering?"

But the moment he said it, Jiang Jingcheng realized.

Indeed, how could there possibly be such a coincidence? In the next instant, Jiang Jingcheng's expression visibly changed.

"You unfilial son! You unfilial son!!"

A furious bark suddenly exploded inside the carriage, making even the guards outside tremble.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Jingcheng glared at Jiang Xiaobai, veins throbbing on his forehead as a terrifying surge of energy roiled around him.

"Didn't I tell you already? You could choose anyone at tonight's Poetry Gathering, but absolutely not Li Zhiwei!"

"Are you... deliberately trying to anger me to death?"

"Father, please calm down first."

"Calm down?"

Jiang Jingcheng raged, "Do you know that old bastard Li Bingzhang was just making snide remarks right to my face? Every word out of his mouth was a jab at our Marquis's Residence!"

"And barely had I left before you turned around and told me you chose his daughter?"

"Guards, my saber! Bring it in here! I'm going to hack this idiot to death!!"

Outside, the guards all ducked their heads, not daring to make a sound, much less hand him a saber.

"Ahem..."

Watching Jiang Jingcheng seethe with fury, Jiang Xiaobai cleared his throat. "Father, I know Chancellor Li just made you angry."

"But... don't you want to win back that lost face?"

Hmm?

At those words-

Jiang Jingcheng visibly paused.

His eyes, still burning with anger, narrowed slightly. "Of course I damn well do!"

"Then there you have it."

The corners of Jiang Xiaobai's mouth lifted. Leaning against the carriage wall, he said leisurely, "Hasn't the opportunity already been delivered right to you?"

Jiang Jingcheng immediately frowned. "What do you mean?"

"If the Li Family comes to our door with betrothal gifts in the next couple of days..."

Jiang Xiaobai's smile deepened as he continued, "Wouldn't you be able to turn the tables and put him in check?"

"You could really get him under your thumb for once! Hmph, let him see the might of our Jiang Family!"

As those words fell-

The carriage suddenly went quiet for a moment.

Jiang Jingcheng, whose face had been filled with anger, froze briefly before actually bursting into laughter.

Of course, it wasn't a happy laugh. Jiang Xiaobai had simply infuriated him to the point of laughter.

Looking at Jiang Xiaobai, Jiang Jingcheng clenched his fists until they creaked. "Might? Might, my ass!"

"Do you understand that you're marrying into their family, not bringing home a wife? If he comes to our door, he'll only laugh at me!"

"And once word gets out, where am I supposed to put my face?"

"Besides, do you know what happens when a military family marries into a civil official's family? His Majesty may grow suspicious of our Jiang Family!"

The more Jiang Jingcheng spoke, the angrier he became. "Guards, hurry! Bring me my saber! I'm going to chop up this fucking disgrace!!"

"Father!"

Watching Jiang Jingcheng's furious outburst, Jiang Xiaobai gave a bitter smile, but his voice remained solemn. "An ordinary noble family simply couldn't protect me!"

"Have you considered that my buying an official position might have been a trap from the start? And what if the one who laid that trap was the man on the throne? What would we do then?"

He stopped there, trusting that Jiang Jingcheng understood what he meant.

"The man on the throne?"

Jiang Jingcheng paused, his brows knitting deeply, though his anger had yet to fade. "That shouldn't be possible!"

Despite his words, they sounded distinctly weak. Clearly, even Jiang Jingcheng himself couldn't be certain.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Xiaobai understood and continued, "That's why I must marry into an even more powerful household!"

"And across the entire Imperial Court, the Chancellor's Residence, standing at the head of the civil officials, is unquestionably the best choice. Only then will my position as a live-in son-in-law hold firm!"

"Even if it really is the man on the throne, he'll have to weigh things carefully before touching me or our Jiang Family!"

"But..."

Jiang Jingcheng fell silent for a moment before finally frowning. "His Majesty won't agree!"

"No, he will!"

Smiling, Jiang Xiaobai said, "If His Majesty wants to take away our military authority, he'll have to compromise!"

"That girl Li Zhiwei is the Capital City's Greatest Talented Lady. Why would she take a fancy to you?"

Jiang Jingcheng frowned. "Even if we take ten thousand steps back and say that girl really does agree in a moment of madness, how could that old bastard Li Bingzhang possibly consent?"

"What do you think the Li Family is?"

"Do you think Li Bingzhang is some street-side vegetable seller who'll agree after a few words?"

He admitted Jiang Xiaobai's argument wasn't without reason, but how could that old bastard Li Bingzhang possibly agree to this?

What sort of reputation did Li Zhiwei have, and what sort of name had his son made for himself?

The very thought was impossible!

"I can't speak for anything else, but I'm confident about this."

Jiang Xiaobai remained composed as he listened. "Two days at most."

He raised two fingers and waved them, looking at Jiang Jingcheng. "Within two days, the Li Family will definitely come to our door."

"If they don't, we'll still have one day left. There'll be plenty of time to choose a woman from another family then."

Hmm?

Seeing Jiang Xiaobai's confident expression, Jiang Jingcheng looked surprised.

Indeed, looking at his son today, he inexplicably felt as though he were looking at a stranger.

As that thought crossed his mind, some of Jiang Jingcheng's raging temper subsided without him even noticing.

"Father."

Jiang Xiaobai continued, striking while the iron was hot. "I've never asked you for much. Just trust me this once, one last time!"

His tone was filled with sincerity.

Jiang Jingcheng looked up at Jiang Xiaobai. The usual cheeky grin was gone from that young face, replaced by an air of steadiness.

That was a rare sight in his son!

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Jingcheng looked at him and asked, "Do you... have some sort of plan?"

The very idea of his son making plans seemed somewhat unbelievable.

Yet at this moment, he truly couldn't see through his son anymore.

"I do!"

Jiang Xiaobai didn't hide it. Looking at Jiang Jingcheng, he said, "The first step is to marry into the Chancellor's Residence. The second..."

He paused before continuing, "I also want to find a master!"

Indeed, cementing his standing as the Top Graduate would be easy, but without a master's lineage, few people were likely to be convinced.

So he needed a master, and a famous one at that!

Only then could he avoid leaving others anything to seize upon and exploit again!

"A master?"

Jiang Jingcheng considered it. "The Dragon-Tiger Sect is a renowned major sect, and I'm on good terms with them. I'll make an introduction for you!"

"Father, I mean a literary master, not a martial master!" Jiang Xiaobai said helplessly.

"You unfilial son!"

At that, Jiang Jingcheng's expression darkened again. "Our Jiang Family has passed down martial arts for generations, and you want to study under a Literary Master?!"

"Are you trying to anger me to death?"

"Besides, with that shiftless attitude of yours, what teacher would take a fancy to you? Who would even dare accept you?"

"..."

Jiang Xiaobai looked helpless for a moment, then said earnestly, "I think Elder Lin would be a good choice!"

"You?"

As soon as Jiang Xiaobai said it, Jiang Jingcheng burst out laughing. "Do you have any idea what standing Elder Lin has? Stop indulging in impossible dreams!"

"Besides, Elder Lin announced long ago that his doors were closed and he would no longer accept disciples!"

Indeed, he wasn't deliberately trying to discourage his son, but the facts were right there before them!

"Then if I manage it, Father, you mustn't get angry!"

Jiang Xiaobai smiled as he spoke.

He knew that scholars were what his father hated most.

"Fine, I won't get angry!"

Jiang Jingcheng sneered. "Go on, then. I'd like to see just what would make Elder Lin take a fancy to you!"

Meanwhile.

Inside the hall of the Chancellor's Residence.

Li Bingzhang sat in the seat of honor, clearly in excellent spirits.

Especially when he recalled how Jiang Jingcheng had forcibly swallowed his anger before him, unable to vent it despite himself, the smile on his face grew even broader.

"That boor Jiang Jingcheng!"

Li Bingzhang lifted his teacup and gently blew on it, shaking his head with a chuckle. "He's always saying he looks down on scholars, that we civil officials have bellies full of twists and turns and aren't as straightforward as their military families."

"And now look at him. He's actually learned to send his son to a Poetry Gathering to gild his facade."

At that, Li Bingzhang chuckled softly. "But... in my view, he must have learned that his son bought an official position, hasn't he? He only came here... to curry favor and plead for leniency!"

"But with his son's reputation rotten to the core, who in the Capital City doesn't know about it? Now that he's bought himself the title of Top Graduate, this simply isn't something I can suppress!"

As those words fell, every servant attending in the hall lowered their head, not daring to respond.

Just then, soft footsteps suddenly sounded outside.

Immediately afterward, two figures slowly entered the hall.

Li Zhiwei led the way, followed by her maid.

"Zhiwei?"

Seeing his daughter, Li Bingzhang's smile immediately softened. "Why have you come back so soon?"

"Has the Poetry Gathering ended?"

"Not yet."

Li Zhiwei gently shook her head. "There's just something I wanted to discuss with you, Father."

"Oh?"

Li Bingzhang smiled at her words. "What is it? Are you short of silver again?"

"It isn't about silver."

At that, Li Zhiwei's voice paused slightly, and she hesitated.

Seeing this, Li Bingzhang didn't hurry her. He simply watched her with a smile, his expression seeming to say, Take your time.

After all, in his eyes, his daughter had always been well-read, sensible, and steady by nature. It probably wasn't anything serious.

Yet in the next moment, Li Zhiwei slowly said, "It's about Heir Jiang!"

"I want... to marry him."