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Chun Ma was walking in the Jong pavilion's garden with Xuanyin next to him. Predictably, the atmosphere was uncomfortable. The two of them barely spoke five words since leaving the dining room.

'Marrying her isn't such a bad idea, now that I think about it. A pretty wife is always nice, but more importantly, if Fang Yuan is cut from the standard protagonist cloth, he likely has some feelings for Xuanyin. If I have her under my thumb, he'll have to think twice if he wants to make trouble for me.'

Having put is thoughts in order, he looked at the white-robed girl and smiled.

"Let's sit under the plum trees. The servants should be on their way with our tea."

Xuanyin nodded, but didn't say anything. She didn't even make eye contact with him.

The corner of Chun Ma's lips twitched. Surely, she didn't think he'd let her and her family ride the Jong clan's coattails without doing anything?

"Ms. Xuanyin, what do you think I gain from marrying you?"

When they'd seated themselves next to a round, wooden table, Chun Ma posed the question over steepled fingers. His dark eyes stared into hers from underneath swordlike eyebrows.

Her expression remained unchanged, but Chun Ma detected a hint of unhappiness in her posture.

"I don't know."

Her answer drew a raised eyebrow from him. Cultivation required good comprehension, otherwise practitioners wouldn't reach enlightenment. Most likely, she wasn't actually stupid, she just didn't care to put much thought into the matter.

Sighing, Chun Ma was just about to spell things out for her when their tea suddenly arrived. After the tray with their teacups and noodle bowls was placed on the table, he dismissed the female servant with a wave of his hand.

He took a sip of his steaming beverage before continuing.

"Do remember, the engagement isn't set in stone. I can change my mind before the week end. Consequently, the reason your mother told you to accompany me was for the purpose of getting into my good graces. You should understand what I'm saying, right?"

After saying what he wanted to say, Chun ma tilted his head back and stared contentedly at the wispy clouds, floating in the blue sky. The weather was a bit chilly today, but otherwise excellent.

Xuanyin was no longer able to remain impassive. Of course, she already knew this was the case, but she'd hoped Chun Ma wasn't sharp enough to pick up on all the small details.

"If you have a request for me, young master Jong, please ask."

Resignedly, she lowered her head to hide her look of displeasure. However, she didn't manage to hide the stiffness in her back and shoulders from Chun Ma.

The youth rolled his eyes.

"I have plenty of maidservants, Ms. Xuanyin, and they've received training while you haven't. You'll need to offer me more than service, I'm afraid."

His tone was filled with dry amusement.

Evidently, being judged as inferior compared to a common maid wasn't something the girl was able to swallow. Jerking her head upwards, she sent Chun Ma a glare filled with violence.

"Am I supposed to guess what you want, then? Just spit it out!"

Her voice was venomous. Evidently, she didn't have the patience to keep up pretenses.

The young master of the Jong clan chuckled.

"Oh my, that's not proper behavior at all. A dutiful wife wouldn't argue with her husband like that, would she?"

His eyes, locked with hers, twinkled merrily.

Xuanyin looked like she was one second away from shattering the porcelain cup in her hands and tossing the shards into his eyes.

"We're not married yet."

The statement was delivered like a warning.

'Since we aren't, don't count on me acting like a proper wife.'

That was basically what she was saying.

Chun Ma realized that, if he continued provoking her, she'd most likely throw all caution to the wind and break things off immediately.

He decided to take a step backwards.

"Now, don't get too upset, you'll choke on your noodles if this continues."

Xuanyin's face, red from anger, clued him in on the fact that he'd only stoked the flames further. Before she could blow her top for real, he quickly interjected another sentence.

"After we're done, let's visit Plum Blossom city. There will be an auction today at the Fluttering Petals pavilion—I'm sure you'll find something that interests you."

He smiled winsomely, presenting the offer with confidence. If there was one thing all women enjoyed, it was shopping.

"It will be my treat."

The youth knew, if he asked his mother for money, she'd happily give him as much as he wanted, given that it was for treating Xuanyin.

Since Chun Ma was young, she'd wanted nothing more than for him to live a normal, quiet life, as much as possible. Needless to say, the idea of gaining a daughter-in-law, the first step in realizing that plan, was incredibly exciting to her.

Xuanyin's expression changed a few times, like she couldn't understand what he was thinking. Just a few seconds ago, he was trying to extort something out of her, yet now he suddenly became generous.

She decided to not think too hard about it.

"Do whatever you want."

After delivering that statement, she crouched defensively in her seat, like a turtle withdrawing into its shell.

Chun Ma wasn't impressed.

'This is annoying. I'll put up with her attitude for today, but if she keeps acting like this, then it's better to drop the engagement. Gaining one pawn isn't worth this much effort.'

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Jong Hyun was sitting in his office with his wife, Jong Min. She'd just explained their son's intentions—that he was going to deliver his final verdict at the end of the week. Until then, he was planning on getting to know Mu Xuanyin better.

The sect master couldn't suppress a sigh.

"This was a bad idea from the start, Min."

He was against Chun Ma's marriage. No matter how he thought about it, letting others get close to their son didn't make sense. The possibility of his secret being revealed was too risky. However, he wasn't able to persuade his wife. She'd always held out hope that the boy would be able to live a normal life.

Jong Min stared quietly at her hands, folded in her lap.

"He can't live like a prisoner for the rest of his life, Husband."

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

While she understood Hyun's worries, she wasn't willing to give up so easily. 'You won't know until you try' was her motto. If Chun Ma was unwilling to go through with the marriage, then she'd respect his wishes. Until then, she'd do her best to matchmake for him.

"Nothing changes a man like a woman."

She smiled teasingly at her husband. Before he married her, he was a very different person.

Jong Hyun snorted.

"You're hoping he falls for the girl."

From his tone, it was clear he didn't think much of his wife's plan.

Jong Min shook her head at him.

"He's fifteen, Husband. It's the perfect age for falling in love."

She sounded very sure of herself.

Hyun wanted to refute her, but he couldn't. When he was that age, girls were the only thing on his mind. Eventually, he sighed and stuffed his face into his hands.

"Alright, Min. I've already agreed, I just hope this doesn't become a disaster."

The sect master sounded exhausted. However, a hint of irritation suddenly appeared between his brows.

"Although, I have to say, the Mu clan truly disappointed me today—both father and daughter have equally poor attitudes. Our Jong clan gave them a lot of face, yet they're unable to appreciate our good intentions."

His voice grew more displeased as he continued talking.

Min wasn't able to refute him. She too was unhappy about what'd transpired during their luncheon.

"Lady Mu wasn't unpleasant."

Her defense sounded weak, even to her own ears.

Jong Hyun was about to reply when a servant suddenly rushed in, carrying a paper slip in his hands. He almost scolded the man, but when he saw the look of distress on his face, Hyun realized it was serious.

"It's an urgent letter from the capital, Sect Master."

The servant hurriedly stuffed the item into his hands before bowing and standing off to the side.

Hyun looked at the man with dissatisfaction.

"Did you read the missive?"

The servant's face immediately turned white.

"That's… I apologize, Sect Master. I wanted to confirm the gravity of the situation before disturbing you. I'm willing to accept any punishment."

The man lowered his head even further and drops of sweat beaded on his forehead.

Jong Hyun waved his hand dismissively, suddenly losing interest.

"Never mind, you may leave."

The servant didn't need to be told twice. He disappeared out of the room like he was fleeing a sinking ship.

Before Hyun could read the letter, Min spoke up.

"Would you prefer if I left, Husband?"

Her tone was obedient.

However, the sect master shook his head.

"No, you can stay."

Without wasting any more time, he unrolled the slip of paper and read the hurriedly scrawled characters, inked in black. Immediately, he shot up from his seat, looking shocked to the bone.

"How is this possible…?!"

His manner was like that of a startled horse.

Min glanced concernedly at him.

"Husband, what happened?"

Her tone was a mix of curiosity and worry.

Hyun didn't reply immediately. Instead, he reread the letter, seemingly wanting to confirm whether or not his eyes were deceiving him.

After a handful of seconds, he expelled a turbid breath before running a hand through his thick, dark hair.

"The emperor… is dead."

His voice was deathly serious.

When Min heard his words, her face immediately turned white. Disbelief was written all over her features.

"How can that be? Did he fall ill?"

She couldn't think of any other possibility for his sudden passing, but last she heard, the emperor was in good health.

Hyun didn't directly give a reason for the ruler of The Great Tang's death. Instead, he revealed another, equally shocking, piece of information.

"The first prince is also… dead."

He sounded like he couldn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth.

Jong Min's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. Her mouth opened briefly before she shut it again. She was so shocked that her mind blanked.

The handsome sect master took a deep breath before delivering another piece of shocking news, like three arrows, striking in quick succession.

"The sixth prince, Tang Yisu, killed them both. Now, he has taken the title of emperor for himself."

For anyone who understood the royal family's politics, that revelation was beyond unbelievable.

Tang Yisu was the son of concubine Shang Yin'er—a woman without a noble bloodline or any backing. When the boy was young, his mother died of an illness, leaving him behind to fend for himself.

Needless to say, his future was, and turned out to be, bleak.

It was important to understand that the emperor's descendants relied heavily on their mothers to fight the war of succession. How could they navigate the intrigue of the court when they were only children? Consequently, the concubines with the strongest backings, notably in the form of their familial ties, were able to propel their own child ahead of all the others.

The mother of the first prince, Dan Hye, was a member of the Dan clan, the very same Dan clan that headed the number one Diancang sect. Compare first prince Tang Ha-Seong to sixth prince Tang Yisu—even when the latter's mother was still alive, he had little to no backing to speak of. Among the nine royal siblings, he was the undisputed dark horse.

Yet, now he'd apparently won the succession war, killing not only his eldest brother, but his father, the emperor! It was about as believable as a fable about a street-beggar becoming king!

The news understandably struck quite a blow to Jong Min. Not many knew of it, but she was also a descendant of the Dan clan. However, she wasn't from the main familial line. Being able to marry Jong Hyun, the inheritor of the Mount Hua sect, could already be seen as her good fortune.

"There must be a secret behind all of this."

Her voice was weak, but resolute. Most likely, Tang Yisu was a puppet emperor, put on the throne by someone else. However, she had no clue who the mastermind was—the Tang royal family had too many enemies.

Jong Hyun nodded somberly.

"I'll have to investigate this matter thoroughly, but one thing is for certain—a violent upheaval is awaiting us."

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