When Miss Murong arrived, Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao naturally couldn’t stay. However, neither of them left; Mo Xiuyao casually picked up their used teacups and pulled Ye Li through a hidden door. There was a reason Prince Ding’s Manor had chosen this inn in An City – it was one of their secret locations. As the fourth largest city in Xiling, Prince Ding’s Manor naturally wouldn’t ignore it. Behind the hidden door was a small secret room, not as fully furnished as the outside, with just a table, a few stools, and a bamboo couch. Just as the two settled in, they heard Miss Murong requesting an audience and Xu Qingchen opening the door.

Xu Qingchen looked down at the richly dressed woman standing before him and smiled faintly, “Miss Murong, what brings you here?” Miss Murong’s beautiful eyes, visible above her veil, stared at Xu Qingchen. Seeing the elegantly smiling man standing at the doorway with no intention of inviting her in, she bit her lip and asked, “Won’t Young Master Qingchen invite me in?”

Xu Qingchen smiled lightly, “It’s getting late. Miss Murong coming at this hour… it might damage your reputation. Please return.” As he spoke, Xu Qingchen stepped back, clearly intending to close the door. Miss Murong grew anxious and grabbed his sleeve, “Young Master Qingchen…” Xu Qingchen looked at her with surprise, not expecting Miss Murong to be a martial artist. Though Xu Qingchen himself didn’t know martial arts, he knew many experts. With his experience, he could tell that Miss Murong’s skill level was above average, quite impressive among women.

“What is Miss Murong doing?” Xu Qingchen pulled back his sleeve and asked calmly, lowering his eyes.

“Young Master Qingchen… I… Mingyan has something to discuss with you privately, please forgive my boldness.” Miss Murong looked up at Xu Qingchen, speaking earnestly.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Qingchen finally stepped back to let her in. Miss Murong visibly relaxed at his concession and entered his room.

Xu Qingchen’s room was arranged with elegant simplicity, very different from the Murong family’s luxurious grandeur. Miss Murong looked back at Xu Qingchen in his plain white robes, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

She had originally been very confident – she was the most beautiful young lady in An City, the sole heir of the Murong family. So she could use the most beautiful jewels, the most luxurious clothes, the most exquisite delicacies. But seeing the man before her, she suddenly felt ashamed of her splendor, as if all the jewelry and fine clothes that others envied had instantly become vulgar.

She even began to regret following her maid’s suggestion to dress so formally to meet Young Master Qingchen – would he find her vulgar? Of course, the Xu family had been scholars for generations, naturally preferring elegant and refined things. Thinking of this, Miss Murong wished she could immediately return and severely punish the maid who had given her such advice.

“Please sit, Miss Murong. Have some tea.” Xu Qingchen sat down and poured a cup of tea, placing it across from himself.

Miss Murong thanked him and took a sip, but couldn’t help frowning. Since childhood, she had used only the finest and most exquisite things – even imperial princesses might not have been as pampered as her in material things. The tea Xu Qingchen served wasn’t particularly good and wasn’t even freshly brewed at the right temperature. If anyone else had served her such tea, she certainly wouldn’t have drunk it. But seeing Xu Qingchen drinking his tea without any change in expression, clearly not finding anything wrong with it, she could only silently endure.

Watching the woman across from him frown and suppress her reactions, a cold smile flickered in Xu Qingchen’s eyes. He certainly knew what she was enduring and why. Tea appreciation was indeed a refined pursuit, and the Xu family was naturally more skilled at such refined matters than most. Xu Qingchen knew the inn’s tea wasn’t particularly good, but though he was a refined scholar, he was still in the mundane world. When dealing with urgent public matters, having any tea to drink was good enough – who would care about the quality of the tea leaves, the water used, or whether the temperature was just right?

“What did Miss Murong wish to say?” Xu Qingchen asked directly.

Miss Murong had never met a man who treated her so unceremoniously. It wasn’t that Xu Qingchen was discourteous he was more modest and polite than most men she had met. But his every word and action made you feel his indifference toward you.

Miss Murong bit her lip somewhat aggrieved and raised her hand to remove the veil that had been covering her face, revealing a beautiful countenance. However, Miss Murong was disappointed again – Xu Qingchen’s gaze showed not even the slightest ripple of emotion. Whether the woman before him was veiled or revealed to be exceptionally beautiful seemed to make no difference to him. After watching Xu Qingchen for a long while and finally confirming that he truly didn’t care about her appearance, Miss Murong lowered her eyes to hide her frustration and defeat. “My name is Mingyan, Murong Mingyan pays her respects to Young Master Qingchen.”

The room fell silent, while Murong Mingyan secretly brooded. She had only seen Young Master Qingchen’s refined appearance and elegant manner but forgot that someone who dared to offend her grand-uncle and the Murong family from the moment he appeared wouldn’t be easy to deal with. After waiting a long while without Xu Qingchen speaking, Murong Mingyan looked somewhat aggrieved at the cold man before her and said through gritted teeth, “Young Master Qingchen… would you be willing to marry into the Murong family?”

At these words, not only did the hidden guards protecting Xu Qingchen nearly drop their jaws, but Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li in the secret room also changed their expressions. Ye Li’s pretty face darkened as she said coldly, “This Murong Mingyan is quite bold!” Mo Xiuyao nodded in agreement, “Indeed quite bold!” The Murong family dared to try stealing his wall corner – did they not want to live anymore?

Outside, Xu Qingchen remained as composed as ever, saying calmly, “What does Miss Murong mean by this?”

A bitter smile appeared on Murong Mingyan’s beautiful face as she stared at Xu Qingchen, “Young Master Qingchen also heard my grandfather’s words – they will choose a husband for me from among the Ten Great Masters to be the Murong family’s son-in-law.”

Xu Qingchen lowered his eyes, “I am not skilled in martial arts. Forget the Ten Great Masters, I couldn’t even defeat a third-rate expert. I’m afraid Miss Murong has come to the wrong person.” Murong Mingyan shook her head, “No, Young Master Qingchen is different. Young Master Qingchen’s name is known throughout the world, your talent surpassing others. If Young Master Qingchen is willing to marry into the Murong family, Grandfather would choose you even over the world’s greatest martial artist.”

Seeing Xu Qingchen’s indifferent expression, Murong Mingyan hesitantly asked, “Young Master… is unwilling?”

“I am not worthy of Miss Murong,” Xu Qingchen said modestly, but in reality was rejecting Murong Mingyan’s proposal.

Murong Mingyan’s expression changed slightly, “Why? If you marry me, the entire Murong family will be yours. Isn’t controlling the entire Murong family a thousand times better than serving Prince Ding in Li City? Or… or am I not beautiful enough to match Young Master Qingchen?”

Xu Qingchen shook his head, smiling as he looked at Murong Mingyan, “Miss Murong, marriage depends on fate. There is no such fate between us, please don’t force the matter. With your talent and beauty, plus the Murong family’s wealth, many fine young men in this world would be willing to marry Miss Murong.”

For a teenage girl to personally come to offer herself to a man only to receive such a response – tears glimmered in Murong Mingyan’s eyes. Looking somewhat unwilling at Xu Qingchen, she said, “Could it be that Young Master Qingchen already has someone in his heart? No… I’ve never heard of Young Master Qingchen being close to any lady, even the Nanzhao Princess Anxi is already married. I don’t believe there’s any woman more suitable for Young Master Qingchen than me.”

Young Master Qingchen drank his lukewarm tea with a relaxed expression, looking calmly at the tear-stained woman across from him, “Marriage sometimes has nothing to do with suitability. Perhaps one day I’ll meet a suitable woman. She may not be particularly talented or exceptionally beautiful and might come from an ordinary family. There’s no point in Miss Murong measuring by suitability. I assume Miss Murong has nothing else to say, so please return.”

Being rejected so unequivocally by Xu Qingchen, Murong Mingyan’s beautiful face was full of embarrassment. Her lovely eyes looking at Xu Qingchen also held a trace of resentment as she said through gritted teeth, “People saw me enter. If I say something happened between us, does Young Master Qingchen think people will believe you more or me?”

Xu Qingchen looked somewhat helplessly at Murong Mingyan, shaking his head, “Miss Murong, if you were an ordinary family’s daughter, people would naturally believe you more. But… now I’m afraid everyone in An City would believe me more.”

In people’s eyes, marrying Murong Mingyan was like getting a mountain of gold. Who would believe someone would push away a mountain of gold? Moreover, now not only would no one believe anything had happened between him and Murong Mingyan, but many would be willing to believe they were innocent even if something had happened. A woman was far too insignificant compared to the entire Murong family. Murong Mingyan started, quickly understanding Xu Qingchen’s meaning.

Her threat having failed, Murong Mingyan’s pretty face flushed red as she bit her lip and said resentfully, “I will make you marry me!” Xu Qingchen smiled without speaking, but his calm, unwavering gaze made it very clear: I will never marry you.

Finally, Murong Mingyan left in tears, covering her face. Xu Qingchen smiled faintly, closed the door, and sat back down to pour himself another cup of tea.

“Big Brother, what did that Murong Mingyan mean?” Ye Li pushed open the door, walked over to sit beside Xu Qingchen, and asked softly.

Mo Xiuyao followed behind her, saying teasingly, “What’s there to ask? Naturally, Young Master Qingchen’s outstanding beauty has moved Miss Murong’s heart. Among the Ten Great Masters, besides the Southern Marshal and Ling Tiehan… and Ren Qining, there aren’t many presentable figures. The Southern Marshal is not young and has lost an arm, Ling Tiehan is the leader of assassins in the jianghu, and Ren Qining isn’t well-known. When Miss Murong is truly looking for a husband, naturally she wants to choose one she approves of.”

Ye Li frowned, snorting lightly, “Just because she approves, Big Brother has to marry into their family? Who does she think she is?” If Big Brother had a moment of confusion and agreed, wouldn’t Grandfather and Uncle break his legs when he returned? For the Xu family’s eldest son to marry into a merchant family was one thing, but to choose such a presumptuous woman at that.

Xu Qingchen smiled as he took a teacup from beside him and poured her some cold tea, saying, “Li’er, your big brother has no plans to marry now. Besides, this is just Murong Mingyan’s wild imagination. How could Murong Xiong and the Murong family head agree? In my opinion… Master Ling is more likely.”

The Murong family definitely wouldn’t marry their daughter to the Xiling royal family, so their choices were extremely limited. If they wanted to counter the Southern Marshal, Miss Murong could only marry Mo Jingqi, Ling Tiehan, or Mo Xiuyao. But Mo Xiuyao hadn’t even appeared, so the final choice would only be between Mo Jingqi and Ling Tiehan. And Xu Qingchen believed Ling Tiehan was more likely. After all, the Yanwang Pavilion was also within Xiling’s borders, and an alliance with the Murong family would be a union of powers. Moreover, though Ling Tiehan had a grudge against the Southern Marshal, the fact that the Yanwang Pavilion and Ling Tiehan had existed peacefully for so many years showed the Southern Marshal’s wariness toward Ling Tiehan.

Mo Xiuyao furrowed his brow in thought and said, “Not necessarily. If Young Master Qingchen truly agreed to marry into the Murong family, Murong Xiong might give up on Ling Tiehan.” An alliance between the Murong family and Yanwang Pavilion would be good, but ultimately the future family head wouldn’t be from the Murong family anymore. But if the brilliantly clever Young Master Qingchen married in, it would be completely different. They could use the Xu family and Prince Ding’s Manor’s connections to check the Xiling royal family while having Young Master Qingchen’s unparalleled strategies and Murong Xiong’s supreme martial arts as a foundation. Even the Southern Marshal would have to think twice about moving against the Murong family.

“So… Brother Qingchen, you really must be extremely careful this time.” Mo Xiuyao earnestly advised – that losing a clever person to share governmental duties would truly cause him great trouble.

Xu Qingchen pondered the possibility Mo Xiuyao mentioned, then nodded and smiled after a moment, “Thank you for Your Highness’s reminder.” His response naturally meant he had a countermeasure in mind. Mo Xiuyao didn’t say more, taking Ye Li’s hand as he stood, “Use whatever people you need. Ah Li and I will stay in An City too. Be careful with everything.” Xu Qingchen nodded calmly, watching them leave.

After seeing off Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, Xu Qingchen frowned in thought about what might happen tomorrow. In the candlelight, a faint smile curved his handsome lips. He was willing to compromise on many things he didn’t want to push too far, but… hopefully the Murong family would also be sensible tomorrow.

“Young Master Qingchen.” A guard stood at the door reporting. Xu Qingchen sat up straight and turned his head to ask, “What is it?”

The guard walked in and presented a letter with both hands, saying, “News just arrived from White Tiger.” Xu Qingchen took the letter, and the guard respectfully withdrew. Opening the wax seal with the white tiger mark, Xu Qingchen raised an elegant eyebrow. This Ren Qining… though he seemed unremarkable, he turned out to be quite interesting. He only had himself to blame for trying to test Mo Xiuyao and Li’er. After resealing the letter, he called a guard to deliver it to Prince Ding and his Princess Consort. Xu Qingchen shook his head and turned to go rest in the inner room.

Back at their inn, Ye Li was still slightly angry. Seeing her pretty face slightly dark, Mo Xiuyao couldn’t help laughing, “Ah Li, how could your big brother be interested in such a woman? If you’re this angry, your husband might get jealous.” Ye Li gave him an annoyed glance. Mo Xiuyao smiled and pulled her into his arms, “Isn’t it so? It’s your brother’s marriage matter – if Ah Li is this concerned, shouldn’t your husband be jealous?”

Leaning in Mo Xiuyao’s embrace, Ye Li asked with some worry and hesitation, “Am I interfering too much?” Miss Murong wasn’t as bad as she thought, it was just that where her big brother was concerned, she always hoped for a more perfect woman. But as her big brother said, suitability wasn’t just about external conditions.

Seeing Ye Li’s worried, uncertain expression, Mo Xiuyao couldn’t help placing several kisses on her face before chuckling, “Ah Li, you’re just worried sick about him, that’s why you’re so anxious. What kind of person is your brother? If he truly liked someone, could any of you stop him even if you didn’t approve? Since he said this, he naturally truly doesn’t approve of Murong Mingyan. Ah Li’s judgment isn’t wrong – this Murong Mingyan isn’t worthy of your brother.” At times like this, Mo Xiuyao didn’t mind saying a few good words about Xu Qingchen.

Only then did Ye Li feel somewhat relieved, secretly reminding herself to comment less on her big brother’s marriage prospects in the future. People tend to be self-centered, thinking this is good and that isn’t, but in the end, marriage matters only need her big brother’s approval – others needn’t say more.

“Greetings, Your Highness, Your Highness.” A black shadow appeared silently in the outer room, standing respectfully at attention. Mo Xiuyao frowned in displeasure, “What is it?”

“Young Master Qingchen ordered me to deliver a letter.”

“Bring it in,” Mo Xiuyao said lazily, reclining on the bamboo couch.

The person outside hesitated for a moment before entering. The inner room’s window was half-open, and by the window, the Prince was lazily sprawled across the Princess Consort, unwilling to get up. Just then, a sharp cold light shot toward him, making him shudder and quickly present the letter, saying crisply, “This servant takes his leave.”

Seeing him sensible, Mo Xiuyao gave a noncommittal grunt. The messenger immediately fled like a gust of wind, as if granted a great pardon.

Mo Xiuyao half-lay on the bamboo couch, resting his head on Ye Li’s lap as he leisurely opened the letter, soon chuckling softly. Ye Li asked puzzled, “What is it?” Mo Xiuyao handed her the letter, smiling, “I said the Murong family made such a grand display to attract some powerful figures. This year’s martial arts conference has been too peaceful. Looks like we’ll have an interesting show tomorrow.”

Ye Li looked at the letter in confusion, her delicate brows gradually furrowing, “Even our people couldn’t investigate Ren Qining’s identity. Such a person…” Mo Xiuyao smiled, “Such a person must either have never appeared in the jianghu before or be from a long-hidden mysterious power. Heh… interesting. Ren Qining’s sudden emergence surely isn’t just for the title of one of the Ten Great Masters. It seems your big brother’s plan to unite others against Murong Xiong probably won’t succeed.”

“What do you think?”

“Think? Isn’t this your big brother’s responsibility now? Wife, we’re just two unremarkable bystanders. Don’t worry.”