After Liu Feng and the Eldest Princess of Chu Kingdom left, they followed Wei Xun out of the courtyard.
Before stepping out, the Eldest Princess turned her head and glanced at Xu Ming.
Xu Ming met her gaze, and in those beautiful eyes, he saw displeasure and scrutiny.
But he paid no mind to it, simply watching as she departed.
“You’re still watching even after she’s gone. Do you Eldest Princess so much? Love at first sight? Thinking about marrying her already?”
Wu Yanhan walked up beside Xu Ming, her tone sour enough to overturn a whole vat of vinegar.
At this moment, the martial aura surrounding her had completely receded.
Now, Wu Yanhan appeared like a dignified and graceful lady, nothing like the valiant warrior who had just smashed a pit into the ground with a single punch.
“No,” Xu Ming shook his head with a smile. “I just feel like she’s not simply here for a marriage alliance. I have a feeling there’s something more behind this.”
Even though she was jealous, she had to admit Xu Ming’s words made sense.
The world was full of talented young men, and Chu was no minor state—it was one of the top ten human dynasties. More than that, it was built upon the foundation of the former First Dynasty.
No matter how one looked at it, whether in heritage or strength, Chu had it all.
Not to mention, relations between Chu and Wu were anything but friendly.
On the surface, they appeared as allies, but if war were to break out between the two nations tomorrow, Wu Yanhan wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.
So no matter how famous Xu Ming was, it was hard to believe that the Eldest Princess of Chu would be sent to marry him.
Chu certainly wasn’t lacking in outstanding individuals.
“I’ll look into this matter,” Wu Yanhan said. “For now, try to stay away from this princess.”
“???” Xu Ming felt a bit wronged. “I’d avoid her if I could! Why would I go looking for her?”
“I’m just reminding you,” Wu Yanhan turned her head slightly and spoke slowly. “After all, for some men, wildflowers always seem more fragrant.”
Wu Yanhan’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes swept over him. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Absolutely not!” Xu Ming quickly made his stance clear. “To me, wildflowers will always be wildflowers—only homegrown flowers are the most fragrant!”
“Let’s leave it at that for now. Either way, His Majesty already knows about this,” Xu Ming changed the subject. “We should see what he has to say. He’ll consider more factors than us and will surely see the bigger picture.”
“I understand. I’ll also speak to my father and see his thoughts on this. I’ll be going now.”
With that, Wu Yanhan left the courtyard.
Xu Ming turned back. By now, the servants of the Xu residence were already cleaning up the broken tables and dishes from the earlier fight.
Although the battle had been intense, luckily, no one was injured.
As long as no one was hurt, there was still room for negotiation.
If someone had been wounded, things would have been far more troublesome.
Soon, the Xu residence settled down again.
But the events of today would not stay a secret for long.
It wouldn’t be long before the entire capital—perhaps even all of Wuguo (Wu Kingdom)—heard of what had happened.
Prime Minister’s Residence.
A middle-aged man dressed in a plain blue robe sat by a pond within the estate, fishing.
The Prime Minister’s Residence was vast—though not as grand as the Qin or Xu residences, it was still about seventy percent their size.
For generations, the Prime Ministers of Wuguo had lived here, so the estate carried an air of antiquity.
But despite its size, the residence housed only three or four servants, aside from the middle-aged man.
With so few people, the place felt somewhat desolate.
“You still have the leisure to sit here fishing?”
A man with sharp features, dressed in a three-clawed dragon robe, walked over.
Su Zihong pulled up a chair and sat beside him. “You’ve been fishing all day—have you caught anything?”
“I didn’t catch anything,” Xiao Mochi shook his head.
“If you didn’t catch anything, why are you still so into it?” Su Zihong rolled his eyes at him.
Xiao Mochi chuckled. “I haven’t caught anything yet, but how do you know I won’t catch something later?”
“Alright, tell me, what’s got you rushing over here ?” Xiao Mochi asked, his gaze still fixed on the calm lake surface.
Su Zihong put away his joking demeanor, his expression turning serious. “Mr. Liu is here.”
“Mr. Liu?” Xiao Mochi thought for a moment. “Could it be that Mr. Liu?”
Su Zihong nodded. “The very first prime minister of Wuguo (Wu Kingdom).”
Xiao Mochi’s eyes flickered with surprise. “Mr. Liu has returned? Where did he go?”
“Xu Residence,” Su Zihong replied calmly.
Su Zihong recounted everything that had happened at the Xu Residence. “Mr.Liu went to Xu Residence, bringing a congratulatory gift. That gift was none other than the marriage contract of the Eldest Princess of Chu.
“Chu State wants a marriage alliance with Wuguo, and the one they’ve chosen as the groom is Xu Ming.
“But Xu Ming didn’t agree. Then, that princess and Her Highness got into a fight—but the battle was left undecided.
“In the end, Eunuch Wei arrived at Xu Residence, and His Majesty invited Liu Feng and the princess to the palace.”
Su Zihong sighed in exasperation. “Say something, will you?”
Xiao Mochi shook his head. “There are too many questions in this matter.”
“As if that isn’t obvious?”
Su Zihong let out a deep sigh.
“Everyone knows that Mr. Liu was Prince Shan’s mentor, and Prince Shan was Mr. Liu’s most prized student. Back then, Prince Shan’s faction was no joke—their power was immense.
“But after Prince Shan’s defeat, Mr. Liu disappeared without a trace.
“Now, over two hundred years later—almost three hundred years—he suddenly resurfaces. That alone already means something.
“And more than that, he appears alongside the Eldest Princess of Chu. That makes it even more intriguing.
“It’s true that Xu Ming is an outstanding figure, but out of nowhere, Chu suddenly wants to marry off their Eldest Princess to him?
“I can’t wrap my head around it. It just doesn’t make sense. Their statuses are too mismatched.”
Xiao Mochi nodded, then suddenly, his eyes lit up.
He lifted his fishing rod.
A large fish dangled from the hook.
“See? You were just saying I wouldn’t catch anything. And now, here I am, with a fish.”
With that, Xiao Mochi tossed the big grass carp into a bamboo basket, rinsed his hands at the edge of the pond, and turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” Su Zihong asked.
Xiao Mochi waved a hand. “To the palace, to see His Majesty.”
“You’re going to the palace now?”
Su Zihong hurried to follow.
By the water’s edge, the fish in the bamboo basket was still flopping, struggling with its fate.