Chapter 61

Proofreader: Mim

As the setting sun disappeared behind the Xian Naiyue Mountain, its golden afterglow gilded the stately Duhu Mansion in brilliant hues of amber.

The Bamboo Courtyard rustled in the breeze, and the fading light of dusk bathed the courtyard in a warm glow.

When Qin Ne arrived, Xie Lanxu was in the midst of bathing and changing for the evening’s victory banquet.

Taozi went to inform him of the visitor, but when she returned, she instead led Qin Ne to the front hall to wait, offering him tea to pass the time.

Qin Ne ended up waiting for nearly two incense sticks of time, but Xie Lanxu had yet to appear. Feeling idle, he struck up a conversation with the timid maid serving him.

“What is your name?”

“This servant is called Xigua,” the young girl replied, her large, round eyes blinking up at him.

Perhaps this is some custom unique to the Eastern Palace, Qin Ne thought to himself, perplexed.

“I didn’t see anyone else on my way here. How many maids and servants are stationed in the Bamboo Courtyard?”

“Just Sister Taozi and me.”

“Only two maids to serve His Highness, a prince of imperial blood?” Qin Ne frowned in confusion.

“There used to be more people, but His Highness said too many hands invite disorder, so he sent them all away,” Xigua replied. Then, as if remembering something important, she added, “Oh, and there’s also Longyan, a treasured warhorse! His Highness brought it back from the Xipeng Horse Ranch.”

“…”

Qin Ne nodded, feigning understanding. Inwardly, though, he was still trying to make sense of the strange customs that seemed to govern the Eastern Palace.

But something suddenly occurred to him.

“If there are only two maids here, and Xigua is in this hall while Taozi is guarding the entrance… then who is assisting His Highness with his bath and clothes?”

“His Highness doesn’t allow anyone to assist him,” Xigua explained matter-of-factly. Seeing Qin Ne’s surprised expression, she quickly added, “His Highness doesn’t like anyone approaching his bathhouse or bedroom. He handles everything himself.”

That explains why it’s taking so long, Qin Ne thought to himself, now enlightened.

Just as the thought settled, Xigua caught sight of someone approaching the hall and quickly stood up to bow.

“His Highness has arrived!” she announced.

Xie Lanxu stepped through the doorway, fully dressed and groomed. He wore a flowing robe of pale lavender and a ceremonial hairpiece adorned with a silver ginkgo leaf cradling a lustrous pearl.

Qin Ne stood and began to kneel in greeting, but Xie Lanxu immediately reached out to pull him up.

“No need for such formalities; there are no outsiders here,” Xie Lanxu said casually.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Qin Ne replied, standing straight once again.

Qin Ne explained that he had specifically come to accompany Xie Lanxu in the same carriage to the banquet.

Xie Lanxu saw through his intention—there was something Qin Ne wanted to say. Not wishing to cause unnecessary fuss, he agreed to ride with him.

When they reached the gates of the Duhu Mansion, Lu Han and the siblings from the Li family were already waiting there. As key contributors to the recent victory, Li Zhi, Li Cien, and their blind elderly grandmother had all been included on the invitation list for the evening’s celebration.

Because Li Zhi was a woman favored by Xie Lanxu, Qin Ne couldn’t help but spare her a few extra glances.

While she was undoubtedly clever and resourceful—something proven in previous operations—she remained enigmatic and difficult to pin down.

Despite their past successes working together, Qin Ne found it hard to like her.

His instincts told him not to trust her.

When it came time to board the carriages, Li Zhi and her siblings shared one carriage with their grandmother, while Xie Lanxu and Qin Ne rode in another.

It wasn’t until the carriages had traveled some distance that Xie Lanxu finally spoke, his tone calm and indifferent.

“Speak your mind. What’s troubling you?”

“Your Highness, I’ve received word that both the Lu and Moqi families plan to propose marriage alliances with you at tonight’s banquet,” Qin Ne began cautiously, gauging Xie Lanxu’s reaction.

But Xie Lanxu’s expression remained as composed as ever, showing no sign of surprise or concern.

Seeing no response, Qin Ne continued.

“In my humble opinion, the Lu family would be an excellent ally,” he ventured. “Lu Han holds both military and administrative power in Mingyue Tower, commanding a large, well-disciplined force that secures our borders. More importantly, Lu Han has only one daughter. If Your Highness were to marry into the Lu family, they would undoubtedly devote their full support to you.”

Xie Lanxu remained silent, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the carriage window. His lack of reaction left Qin Ne uneasy, his thoughts churning as he tried to decipher the prince’s thoughts.

“What does Your Highness think?” Qin Ne finally asked, gathering his courage.

After a long pause, Xie Lanxu answered, “I understand.”

Relieved, Qin Ne let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

Before long, the carriages came to a halt one after another. The group disembarked and made their way toward the banquet venue.

Because the Lu family’s main residence was located near government offices, hosting the event there would have been inappropriate. Thus, tonight’s celebration was being held at a Lu family villa outside the town, situated by the shores of Liuli Sea.

The villa was a masterpiece of design, with a network of channels that brought crystal-clear seawater directly into the gardens. Guests were seated along these channels, each in front of their own low dining table laden with exquisite food and drink.

Xie Lanxu and Lu Han, being the highest-ranking attendees, were naturally seated at the head of the arrangement.

Meanwhile, Li Zhi, her siblings, and their grandmother were placed further downstream, seated beside the younger members of the Moqi family.

At one point, Moqi She discreetly tugged on Li Zhi’s sleeve.

“There’s something you absolutely need to know,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper. “But you have to promise me you won’t cry about it, alright?”

Li Zhi couldn’t help but laugh at his seriousness. “Alright, I promise. What is it?”

Moqi She leaned closer, his expression turning even more mysterious. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he revealed, “My father plans to propose my tiger of a sister, Danliao, as a bride for His Highness!”

After delivering this revelation, he stared at her intently—mainly watching her eyes, as if trying to catch her breaking her promise.

Li Zhi, however, had been prepared for this moment ever since Xie Lanxu’s triumphant return—or perhaps even earlier.

She had already said everything she needed to say and shown every vulnerability she needed to show. Now, all that was left was to see whether things unfolded according to her plan.

“Danliao is beautiful, bold, and accomplished—a true heroine,” Li Zhi said with a calm smile. “They would make a fine match.”

Moqi She blinked, stunned by her reaction. “That’s all you have to say?”

“If they were to marry, with the support of you and your brothers, His Highness would surely become even more formidable,” Li Zhi added, her smile unshaken.

“That’s not what I meant!” Moqi She stammered, his words stumbling over themselves. “Aren’t you upset? Angry?”

“There’s nothing for me to be upset about.”

Li Zhi’s gaze shifted to Xie Lanxu, seated upstream. Despite his young age, he navigated the crowd of seasoned officials and power players with effortless grace, exuding a commanding presence.

Wherever he stood, the light seemed to gather around him.

With a serene smile, Li Zhi said, “I know what I want.”

Moqi She, entirely missing the subtle undertone of her words, groaned in exasperation. In his eyes, she was just another hopelessly lovesick fool, blind to her own despair.

He sighed loudly, shaking his head in dismay.

Midway through the banquet, Xie Lanxu leaned toward Lu Han, said a few words, and then rose from his seat, heading toward the garden’s winding corridor as though to take a walk and clear his head.

As soon as Xie Lanxu left, Moqi Ling, the head of the Moqi family, quickly excused himself and hurried after him.

With Moqi Ling gone, Lu Han could no longer sit still either.

In just a short span of time, three of the most important people at the banquet had disappeared.

“Aren’t you going to chase after them?” Moqi She grumbled at Li Zhi, his expression practically begging to possess her body and drag her over himself.

Li Zhi remained still, a calm smile lingering on her lips.

“You’re really going to make me die of frustration!” Moqi She shook his head in exasperation, muttering to himself as though he were the one personally wronged. He took a large swig of wine to soothe his bitterness.

—–

The winding garden corridors were flanked by apricot trees, their branches swaying gently in the evening breeze. In spring, these trees would bloom into a sea of golden flowers, transforming the area into a veritable paradise.

Moqi Ling hurried through the corridors, glancing left and right as he searched for any sign of Xie Lanxu. Even as he walked, he couldn’t help but admire Lu Han’s taste in designing such a picturesque estate.

But he quickly turned his attention back to the matter at hand. He knew Lu Han shared the same intention as himself—to propose a marriage alliance with Xie Lanxu. However, as an old hand who had spent decades maneuvering through the treacherous waters of politics, Moqi Ling was well aware of the disparity between their two families.

Compared to the Moqi family, the Lu family, with its control of both military and administrative power, was undoubtedly the more tempting ally.

To win Xie Lanxu as a son-in-law, Moqi Ling had to act fast—he needed to propose before Lu Han could.

His persistence paid off. After searching through most of the winding corridors, Moqi Ling finally spotted Xie Lanxu’s figure sitting in a small pavilion behind an artificial rock formation.

Delighted, Moqi Ling quickened his pace, his heart brimming with determination.

“Your Highness!” Moqi Ling called out, his expression practically shouting “What a coincidence!”

Xie Lanxu raised his eyes, greeting him with a light, unhurried smile.

Refined and elegant, Xie Lanxu radiated the warmth of jade. Moqi Ling’s heart surged with joy—surely, today would be the day he secured the perfect husband for his daughter!

A short while later

Sweat dripped down Lu Han’s face as he hurried through the same corridors, cursing his past self for designing them to be so labyrinthine.

By now, Moqi Ling had likely already approached Xie Lanxu about the marriage proposal. Meanwhile, Lu Han was still wandering around his own estate, desperately trying to locate them. The thought of this humiliation made his blood boil.

Just as he was drowning in regret, Lu Han’s eyes lit up—he spotted the silhouettes of Xie Lanxu and Moqi Ling in the pavilion behind the rock formation.

Relieved but wary, he made his way over. Yet, his excitement dimmed when he noticed Moqi Ling’s peculiar expression.

Moqi Ling’s face showed neither the joy of success nor the disappointment of failure—it was something far more complicated.

Sensing that events may have taken an unexpected turn, Lu Han mentally braced himself as he approached the pavilion.

“Your Highness, Brother Moqi—what a coincidence!” Lu Han greeted them with a bow, his pace slowing to a casual stroll as he entered the pavilion.

What struck him as odd, however, was Moqi Ling’s unusually strange demeanor.

Lu Han could see no signs of celebration on Moqi Ling’s face. But equally, there was no apparent frustration—

Realizing this situation might not be as straightforward as he had anticipated, Lu Han sharpened his focus.

“Are you both out here for some fresh air?” Lu Han asked nonchalantly, trying to ease his way into the conversation.

“Ah… age is catching up with me—I can’t hold my liquor like I used to!” Moqi Ling quickly played along. “I think I’ve sobered up enough now. My four children are still at the banquet; I’d better get back to keep an eye on them before they’re coaxed into drinking too much. If Your Highness has no further need of me, I’ll take my leave.”

“Please, go ahead,” Xie Lanxu replied with a polite smile.

After Moqi Ling departed, Lu Han couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming awkwardness settle over the pavilion. In his entire life, there had never been a moment quite as uncomfortable as this.

“What were you discussing with Brother Moqi just now?” Lu Han asked, his voice tinged with curiosity as he tried to alleviate the awkward tension.

“Oh, we were discussing this pavilion,” Xie Lanxu replied with a faint smile. “The hollowed base and the koi swimming underneath—it’s a rather unique design.”

“Ah… yes, yes, indeed…” Lu Han’s mouth was dry, and his nerves were frayed. The more he tried to formulate a coherent segue into his true intentions, the more his thoughts became muddled.

Sensing Lu Han’s discomfort, Xie Lanxu decided to ease his burden.

“Commander Lu, if there’s something you wish to say, speak plainly. With our friendship, there’s no need for formalities or preambles,” Xie Lanxu said with a reassuring smile.

Relieved by Xie Lanxu’s understanding, Lu Han took a moment to collect himself before continuing.

“My son, before he passed, was often disrespectful to Your Highness. Yet Your Highness bore no grudges and even went to the lengths of bringing his remains back from the distant fields of war…”

His voice broke slightly as he lowered his head, pausing to regain his composure.

“Your Highness’ grace and kindness have left my wife and me deeply grateful, unable to ever repay such a debt… I have a daughter at home—she’s not unattractive, skilled in embroidery, and well-read. I believe she could hold meaningful conversations with Your Highness. If Your Highness doesn’t find her unworthy…”

Before Lu Han could finish, Xie Lanxu interrupted him with a warm laugh.

“Of course I don’t find her unworthy.”

“Your Highness—” Lu Han’s face lit up with joy.

But Xie Lanxu clasped Lu Han’s hands, smiling as he continued, “I’ve always regretted not meeting Commander Lu sooner. Though we are not blood brothers, I consider you closer than one.”

“…”

“I would be honored to adopt your daughter as my goddaughter and from now on address you as Brother Lu,” Xie Lanxu said. “Would you be willing?”

This… this wasn’t something one could simply refuse… but saying yes didn’t feel quite right either…

Lu Han’s lips trembled as he finally realized the meaning behind the strange expression Moqi Ling had worn earlier.

And then, a truly absurd thought entered his mind.

“Your Highness wouldn’t have just adopted Moqi Danliao earlier, did you…?”

“Indeed,” Xie Lanxu replied with a smile. “Rest assured, Brother Lu—I will treat both Xuan’er and Danliao as my own daughters, equally and without bias.”

When Lu Han left the pavilion, his mind was still spinning.

Xie Lanxu had called him Brother Lu so many times that he was thoroughly disoriented. By the time he came to his senses, his daughter had gained a godfather.

Thinking of how he would explain this to his wife later, Lu Han felt his head ache.

Was this marriage proposal considered successful… or not?