Although Xie Daoyun and her younger brother Xie Shao had deliberately kept a low profile on their return to Jiankang, news still spread swiftly. The rumors that had gradually begun to die away once again boiled over. An urgent report also arrived from Huaibei: Chen Caozhi had returned from Ye City, accompanied by the Yan Kingdom's envoy, Huangfu Zhen-
From court officials to commoners, everyone in Jiankang eagerly awaited Chen Caozhi's return, wanting to see how he would choose between the Wu Commandery Lu Clan and the Chen Commandery Xie Clan, those two great houses of the south and north. Would he continue his arduous pursuit of the Lu Clan Lady's hand, or turn to courting the Lady of the Xie Family? Judging by Xie An's response to the rumors, Chief Censor Xie An would not be as obstinate as Lu Shi, Minister of the Five Armies. Moreover, Xie An had always praised Chen Caozhi highly. Now that Xie Daoyun's anguished love for Chen Caozhi had been exposed and the gossip had run beyond all control, the Chen Commandery Xie Clan might very well simply marry Xie Daoyun to Chen Caozhi to stop all those wagging tongues-
But what would become of the Lu Clan Lady? Emperor Sima Yi's wish to take the Lu Clan woman as a consort had met with almost unanimous opposition both within and beyond the court. After initially waiting to see how matters developed, the great clans of the Southern Crossing, led by the Langya Wang Clan and the Taiyuan Wang Clan, had also explicitly opposed the Three Wu Lu Clan's attempt to enter the ranks of imperial in-laws. Huan Wen of the Western Headquarters would certainly not permit Emperor Sima Yi to ally with the Southerners to revive imperial authority, and Empress Dowager Chongde,