Chapter 57: Chapter 53: Arranging a Marriage, the Maid Hong Wan

’Getting married and having children now? Where would I find the energy to take care of them? Wouldn’t that just be creating weaknesses and vulnerabilities for myself?’

’They could easily become a burden. I’m already walking on thin ice, barely able to fend for myself. Unless she’s a great asset and can actually help me, there’s no real need to get married. After all, for… other matters, maids are sufficient.’

’I need to find a way to deal with this, to put my mother off.’

Lu Mingyuan shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside. He asked tentatively, “Really? Anyone at all?”

Wang Zhaoyan patted her chest and declared, “Here in the Imperial Capital, my Wang Family is a prominent Noble Family, no matter what anyone says. This is even more so now that the Xie and Cui Families have fallen. Who wouldn’t give the Wang Family some face? Marrying into the Royal Family and becoming one of the Royal Family and Relatives is a tremendous blessing.”

At these words, the expression of a maid in red standing beside her turned slightly unnatural.

Lu Mingyuan, who possessed [Recognizing People], saw this subtle movement with perfect clarity. ’But why did she have such a strong reaction?’

He didn’t dwell on it and continued asking:

“What if your son wanted to marry Qi Muxue?”

His maternal grandfather had told him before that it would be excellent if they could win over the Qi Family. As a Great Scholar and descendant of a Confucian Saint, Qi Xingyan’s family had served as officials for generations and held immense prestige. Qi Muxue was a proper, blue-blooded descendant of a Confucian Saint.

Hearing this name, Wang Zhaoyan’s smile faltered slightly.

“Oh, Yuan’Er, you could have picked anyone. Why her, of all people?”

Lu Mingyuan frowned. “Is there a problem?”

Wang Zhaoyan began to explain earnestly, “Look, Qi Muxue is the most talented woman in the Imperial Capital. Countless scholars and talented men are pursuing her. Think of all the competition! Moreover, a woman like that may be polite and graceful on the surface, but her standards are incredibly high. She’s proud at heart, and very few can ever meet her approval.”

“To put it bluntly, it’s too difficult. She is the most talented woman in the Imperial Capital, and you are the number one profligate in the Capital City. Your statuses don’t match.”

“Yuan’Er, please pick someone else.”

Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan understood. ’My mother is worried about the scholars’ verbal and written attacks.’

’One scholar might not be a threat, but a group of them could ruin a Noble Family’s reputation or destroy a person’s good name.’

’In that case, if I can’t have the best outcome, I might as well crush my mother’s hopes for this entirely.’

’I’ll make the impossible even more impossible.’

Lu Mingyuan feigned anger. His expression changed as he crossed his arms and said, “What do you mean our statuses don’t match? Don’t tell me even you think I’m not good enough for her, Mother? I happen to like scholarly women.”

“Of course not… My son is the most outstanding…”

Wang Zhaoyan forced a smile as she tried to soothe him.

“But still, there are plenty of famous, talented women in the Imperial Capital. There’s no need to hang yourself from a single tree, right?”

Lu Mingyuan used [Recognizing People] to see the reluctance in his mother’s eyes. He immediately ramped up his acting, raising his voice a notch.

“Absolutely not!”

His tone was serious as he pointed to the sky and swore an oath, “Today, I, Lu Mingyuan, swear that I will marry no one but Qi Muxue.”

When he said this, it wasn’t just Wang Zhaoyan whose expression changed; the looks on the faces of the maids beside her, including Zi Yun, also shifted.

“Yuan’Er, why are you so devoted to Qi Muxue?” Wang Zhaoyan asked curiously.

Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment, then replied, “During the coup, things were chaotic. It was Miss Qi who saved me in the palace. Is that reason enough?”

“Fine…”

Wang Zhaoyan was speechless. She fiddled with her long fingers, a troubled look on her face as if she were trying to think of a solution.

Seeing her like this, Lu Mingyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s not easy for my Yuan’Er to finally find someone he likes. So, even if it takes all my energy, your mother will find a way.”

Whether she had thought of something or not, a smile appeared on Wang Zhaoyan’s face as she stood up.

“Just wait for my news. Also, you can keep these maids. There shouldn’t be any problem with them serving you. One of them is a Qi Cultivator with impressive Cultivation; she can act as another one of your guards.”

“With Mother’s arrangements, I can rest assured.”

Lu Mingyuan nodded, though deep down, he didn’t believe for a second that his mother could persuade Qi Muxue, let alone Qi Xingyan.

“It’s getting late. I’ll see you out, Mother.”

He supported Wang Zhaoyan by the arm and walked toward the door, whispering in her ear as they went:

“Who is that maid? Why does she look so cold compared to the others?”

He gestured with his eyes toward the maid in red.

A playful glint appeared in Wang Zhaoyan’s eyes. She shushed him and whispered, “This girl is the second daughter of the Xie Family, Xie Wanqiu. After the Xie Family’s fall, with three generations sentenced to beheading, she was supposed to be sent to the Music Bureau to serve as a Dancing Girl, becoming one of the Official Courtesans for others’ entertainment. Fortunately, when I was acquiring the Xie Family’s assets, I took a liking to her and bought her to be your maid.”

Lu Mingyuan was surprised. “The Xie Family from the Five Surnames and Seven Great Families?”

“The very same. This is her Divine Soul Spirit Contract. Keep it safe. Just order her around as you please. I’ll hold on to her servitude papers; no need to give them to you.”

With that, Wang Zhaoyan handed Lu Mingyuan a piece of Soul Jade.

Lu Mingyuan actually recognized this object.

In Great Yan, it wasn’t just mortals who could be enslaved; cultivators could be as well. The difference was that when a cultivator was enslaved, a wisp of their soul was extracted and bound by a Divine Soul Spirit Contract, then nurtured within a piece of Soul Jade to prevent them from turning on their master.

“What are you waiting for? Come and greet His Highness.”

Wang Zhaoyan sharply rebuked the group of palace maids.

Her warm and gentle tone was reserved only for Lu Mingyuan. For anyone else, she wouldn’t show such a pleasant face.

In the Harem, honest and kind people only get bullied. Only those with ruthless methods and real power can survive for long.

“This servant, Hong Wan, greets Your Highness.”

The maid in red took a step forward and bowed.

Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but size her up. She wasn’t young, perhaps twenty-six or twenty-seven. She was tall and slender, with long, straight, shapely legs. She wore green embroidered slippers, and her hair was tied up in a double-flat bun, giving her an exquisitely beautiful appearance.

Her bright, almond-shaped eyes were especially eye-catching, and a single beauty mark sat just below the slightly upturned corner of one eye.

She wore a simple, clean, cherry-red dress. Her oval face was as fair as white tofu, and her aura was delicate but not seductive. The front of her dress was quite full; she was well-endowed.

“From now on, you must listen carefully to the Sixth Prince’s words. Do you understand?”

“We understand, Noble Consort.”

The women spoke in unison, their voices soft and delicate.

Lu Mingyuan watched his mother disappear from view before turning his gaze to Hong Wan.

“Since you were chosen to be my guard, your Cultivation must not be low, right?”

Hong Wan replied respectfully, “Reporting to Your Highness, this servant is currently a Daoist Cultivator at the Sixth Realm, Divine Techniques.”

Her voice had a slightly husky, low quality to it—the classic voice of a mature, sophisticated woman.

Lu Mingyuan nodded lightly and mused, ’In the Great Yan Dynasty, there have always been more Martial Artists than Qi Cultivators. And yet, most of the cultivators who reach the Middle Fifth Grade and the Upper Three Grades are Qi Cultivators. For you to break through to the Sixth Realm is a testament to your talent.’

’Martial Artists practice Body Refining, Buddhist and Confucian Cultivators practice Refining the Heart, while Qi Cultivators practice Refining Spirit. Each has its own wonders. At the Middle Fifth Grade, Qi Cultivators have a greater advantage.’

’As for which is stronger, it’s really hard to say.’

’After all, every path thinks it’s the strongest.’

’Confucian Cultivators say Martial Artists are simple-minded brutes who only know how to fight and kill, while Martial Artists say Confucian Cultivators are mostly bookworms who only know how to preach grand principles.’

’Most Qi Cultivators are arrogant, looking down on everyone else as trash, not even worthy of being compared to a single hair from the Taoist Sect.’

’And the Buddhist Cultivators just watch them silently, chant “Amitabha Buddha,” and think everyone would be better off converting to Buddhism.’

’That’s pretty much the situation.’

’In terms of process, it’s easy for Martial Artists to get started in the Early Stage, but difficult to advance. It’s hard for Qi Cultivators to establish a foundation, but once their Dao Foundation is built, their Cultivation advances by leaps and bounds.’

Only after Wang Zhaoyan had left did Hong Wan dare to lift her head and study the man before her—the legendary number one profligate of the Capital City, a man who had left a legend in every brothel.

’So handsome.’

She was taken aback. To think that this was her first thought.

Seeing that she dared to raise her head and look at him, Lu Mingyuan activated [Recognizing People]. He could generally tell that this woman had a lot on her mind, far more complex than Zi Yun. She was, after all, the second daughter of the Xie Family—not as simple as Zi Yun.

’When Zi Yun first arrived, she didn’t even dare to look at me, she was so insecure.’

“Where’s your older sister?”

Lu Mingyuan suddenly remembered. Since she was the second daughter, she must have an older sister. If his mother was going to buy them, she would have bought the pair of sisters. How could she possibly have bought just one?

At the mention of this, a fleeting hatred flashed in Hong Wan’s eyes.

“She’s dead.”

“Dead?”

Lu Mingyuan looked extremely surprised.

Hong Wan nodded, her eyes turning red as her expression darkened. “Yes. My sister’s name was Xie Wanchun. Seven days ago, in the Music Bureau, she was tormented to death. After my Xie Family’s assets were seized, the high-ranking officials specifically requested her. Thankfully, the Noble Consort was there. Only because of her was this servant able to escape that sea of suffering. Otherwise, I would have met the same fate.”

Lu Mingyuan, however, just sighed and lamented, “What a pity. Another beauty’s life cut short.”

Seeing Hong Wan’s surprised expression, Lu Mingyuan chuckled and explained:

“It’s just my nature. I can’t stand seeing a woman sad. Cheer up.”

“We have plenty of time ahead of us.”

Hong Wan pulled herself together and nodded. “Thank you for your comfort, Your Highness.”

[Fluorescent Green Fate Grid – Reading the Room, Refinement Level increased to 35%]

Lu Mingyuan raised an eyebrow at the text that appeared before him.

’I’ve been using [Recognizing People] a lot these past few days, and it only went up by 15% in total.’

’Oh well. I’ll just have to grind it out slowly.’

’Time to start my martial training.’

…

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