Xie Wan and Chen Caozhi waited in the entrance hall of the Lu Residence. Pacing back and forth in his high-toothed wooden clogs, Xie Wan glanced sideways at Chen Caozhi, who remained as unhurried as ever, gentle and composed. Inwardly, Xie Wan admired the young man's extraordinary bearing. Aside from his humble birth, his talents, looks, and character were all of the highest order. If he could truly become the Lu Clan's son-in-law, his official career would soar straight into the clouds. Although the Lu Clan was among the foremost great houses of the Three Wu, its younger generation had no particularly outstanding sons compared with the Wang and Xie clans. For the sake of the Lu Clan's future, taking Chen Caozhi as a son-in-law ought to bring more benefits than harm. Unfortunately, Lu Shi was stubborn and did not understand the need for flexibility. Without his consent, Chen Caozhi could never marry the Lu Clan Lady-
Xie Wan thought again of his own niece, already twenty years old, another matter that gave him a headache. A woman of great talent also had lofty standards; she practically considered everyone beneath her. Not one of the sons of the northern émigré families caught her eye. Were they to invite the sons of the great Three Wu clans to the Xie Residence's monthly Pure Conversation Gathering as well? Southerners and northerners seldom intermarried, and the Chen Commandery Xie Clan had no wish to set that precedent.
Although Xie Wan knew that Chen Caozhi was unrivaled in metaphysical debate, and that his talents had astonished everyone at the Minister of Works' Office yesterday, he had never considered pairing Chen Caozhi with Xie Daoyun. First, the story of Chen Caozhi and the Lu Clan Lady had been circulating far and wide for nearly three