Deep into the quiet night.

Jiang Duxu stood upstairs, leaning on the railing and gazing at the rock garden and flowing water in the backyard, lost in thought.

Jiang Yuan hesitated, then walked up to him. She curiously tilted her head to look at his profile, then also looked down at the rock garden and water. After a short while, she tilted her head again to look at her grandfather.

“Stop looking,” Jiang Duxu said with a touch of annoyance. “It’s so late, why aren’t you resting?”

Jiang Yuan asked, “Then what are you thinking about?”

It was a very impolite question, as if she had just mimicked Lu Xingzhou.

Jiang Duxu, however, did not get angry. He remained silent for a long time before answering, “Are you also blaming Grandpa?”

Jiang Yuan said nothing.

“Lu Xingzhou talks without consequence… You should know that it’s not something outsiders can pontificate about. Our illegal crossing into this realm was a desperate last gamble for survival. If we were to stubbornly maintain the facade of being a Gan Yuanzhe, only inviting trouble and making things difficult for ourselves… that would be irresponsible to everyone.” Jiang Duxu smiled. “Of course, Lu Xingzhou wasn’t wrong to scold us. This isn’t the spirit of a Gan Yuanzhe; it’s the helpless pursuit of stability, and it truly meant sacrificing you.”

Jiang Yuan finally spoke, “But now he has offered other options, so it’s no longer helpless. Unless you still covet the so-called most efficient choice.”

This time, it was Jiang Duxu who remained silent.

Jiang Yuan then added, “But, Grandpa…”

“Hmm?”

“If Lu Xingzhou wants to hinder us, then this so-called most efficient choice might not be efficient after all.”

Jiang Duxu looked at Jiang Yuan with some surprise, feeling as if his granddaughter had grown up considerably overnight.

Or perhaps, more accurately, she had finally learned to consider problems from multiple perspectives. For example, she now understood that the significance of a third party wasn’t solely about snatching a bride.

Lu Xingzhou’s words this evening were very honest, even revealing secrets beyond what was necessary. However, some things remained unsaid—since he harbored resentment towards the Huo family, if the Jiang family insisted on marrying into the Huo family, then they would become enemies.

The destructive power Lu Xingzhou could unleash… that would certainly not be insignificant.

With such an enemy lurking, would the so-called best and most efficient choice still hold true?

Evidently, it would no longer be, becoming instead a risky choice.

Unless Lu Xingzhou was killed. But from beginning to end, Jiang Duxu had never entertained such a thought. Not to mention weighing the consequences of murder, he truly hadn’t even considered it.

His spirit had been lost.

“Unworthy of Gan Yuan… unworthy of Gan Yuan…” Jiang Duxu murmured, then suddenly laughed.

Jiang Yuan leaned back slightly, wondering if her grandfather had been driven mad by the scolding.

“You’ve found yourself a good backer,” Jiang Duxu said with a faint smile. “With Lu Xingzhou’s words tonight, no matter who we ultimately choose to cooperate with, your marriage to Huo Xingyuan is off the table.”

Jiang Yuan was overjoyed.

“Don’t be too happy too soon. There always has to be a plan; simply telling Huo Xingyuan the engagement is off won’t do. If we break off the engagement here, how do we explain it to the Emperor? Clearly telling him we’ve found another partner? That would be far from smart.”

“What’s the big deal? Just let Lu Xingzhou come up with an idea, he’s so cunning.”

Jiang Duxu turned to look at his granddaughter, his expression very strange. “I haven’t even said we’re cooperating with him. Where did this sense of dependence on him come from?”

“Ah?” Jiang Yuan was stunned, not quite understanding herself.

Jiang Duxu said exasperatedly, “Tonight, when he first spoke to you, his words were meant for me; later, when he spoke to me, half his words were meant for you. Including that last line about ‘whether for the Huo family or for me,’ that’s a man’s heart-capturing trick by playing hard to get. Grandpa used it a lot when he was young, so be careful.”

“Did you really use it a lot? Then why do I only have one grandma?”

“?” Jiang Duxu angrily retorted, “I’m not a lecher! Are you comparing me to Lu Xingzhou, who married four women at once! Do you still think there’s nothing wrong with that?”

Jiang Yuan certainly couldn’t think there was nothing wrong with it, but she instinctively didn’t want to see Lu Xingzhou’s last words as a heart-capturing tactic.

Such beautiful words… and what he said wasn’t wrong, either.

Jiang Duxu glimpsed his granddaughter’s expression and knew what she was thinking. He said exasperatedly, “Alright, go rest. Tomorrow, I’ll use the excuse of sea trade to meet with Lu Xingzhou again. I’ll ask him to connect us with the Tianyao Shengzhu, and we’ll meet her first to gauge her attitude before deciding anything else. After all, Lu Xingzhou’s attitude might not fully represent the Tianyao Shengzhu, even if he married her junior sister.”

“Oh.” Jiang Yuan couldn’t be bothered to think so much. No matter how the cooperation proceeded, she only needed to know one thing: Grandpa had confirmed he was abandoning his plan to marry her to Huo Xingyuan.

This was more important than anything!

In other words, Lu Xingzhou and her so-called cooperation had completed its necessary part, and indeed, he didn’t need to sacrifice his own marriage.

But the ancient realm information he wanted no longer needed to be obtained from her, Jiang Yuan…

Thinking this, wasn’t Lu Xingzhou giving something purely for free? Jiang Yuan chuckled at the thought, took a comfortable shower, and slept soundly.

Lu Xingzhou, however, was so tired that he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Although the events of the past few days were mostly verbal sparring, they involved a lot of internal deliberation, leading to some fatigue. There were still many things to consider later, but Lu Xingzhou was temporarily too lazy to think about them. He decided to get some good rest first.

He still felt a bit drowsy after waking up the next day… which meant the value of sleep now couldn’t compare to the Da Huanxi Jile Jing…

No matter, he would soon be able to experience “great joy” every night, legitimately and openly.

With that thought, he arrived at the Ministry of Rites and peered into Sheng Yuanyao’s “security office” outside, but his wife wasn’t there.

Lu Xingzhou curiously pulled a subordinate general aside and asked, “Where is your General Sheng?”

The general laughed, “Is Langzhong here to find his wife?”

Lu Xingzhou smiled broadly. This felt good; the whole world knew she was his wife, and it was wonderful not to have to hide anything.

As for “female brother,” it might be fun for a moment, but not in the long run.

“Yes, I’m looking for my wife. Where did she go?”

“She didn’t come in today. Someone from the Sheng manor reported her absence.”

Lu Xingzhou’s heart skipped a beat. “Is she sick?”

The general looked at him as if he were an idiot.

Please, General Sheng is a third-rank mid-level cultivator. It would be one thing if you said her cultivation went awry, but to say she got sick from cultivation?

Oh right, your wife once said your father-in-law, who had broken through to first-rank, was sick. So, it just goes to show, a man shouldn’t get a wife. How sagacious a doctor he was, and now he’s like this after just getting engaged.

Lu Xingzhou ignored what they were thinking, turned back directly, and rushed to the Sheng manor.

Sheng Qingfeng had obviously gone to court and wasn’t home. A group of Sheng family servants blocked the entrance. “Apologies, Lord Lu, but no meeting before the wedding.”

“Damn.” Lu Xingzhou pushed his way in without another word. The servants half-blocked, half-let him in, and someone whispered, “In the disciplinary room in the back.”

Someone even led the way toward the disciplinary room, shouting, “Stop, don’t come this way!”

Thanks to them, Lu Xingzhou quickly found the so-called disciplinary room and kicked the door open.

Sheng Yuanyao wasn’t as miserable as he imagined. She was meditating cross-legged with her eyes closed. The kicked-open door startled her out of her trance. She opened her eyes to see Lu Xingzhou stepping in, bathed in sunlight.

Before Sheng Yuanyao could fully comprehend the situation, Lu Xingzhou picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the small dark room.

Sheng Yuanyao also understood what was happening, and her mouth spread into a wide grin. Then she felt that smiling like this in front of a crowd of servants might not be appropriate, so she “shyly” buried her head in the man’s chest.

Madam Sheng appeared slowly at this moment, her face stern. “Alright, go to court properly. I’ll talk to your father when he returns. You’re on official duty; is this where the rule of ‘no meeting before the wedding’ applies?”

Lu Xingzhou quickly put Sheng Yuanyao down and said with a conciliatory smile, “Yue…”

Madam Sheng glared. “Hm? The betrothal gifts haven’t been exchanged yet. Can you just call me that?”

Lu Xingzhou could only say, “Madam Sheng is right. I will arrange it as soon as possible…”

Madam Sheng was clearly not pleased about this matter either. Who would want their daughter to marry along with three other women? After understanding the situation, she almost snatched the door bolt from her husband to hit someone: Is this what you meant by saying you and A’nuo were closer to him?

Even the usually unruly Sheng Yuanyao hung her head and dared not speak, feeling guilty from the boomerang effect.

But since things had come to this, seeing her daughter’s overjoyed expression, the couple had nothing more to say. As long as their daughter was happy. Anyway, Lu Xingzhou indeed seemed to have a bright future.

She then said, “Normally, this matter requires an elder to oversee it. Will you have the Huo family come, or will the Guoshi be responsible for this?”

The person who supposedly had “calculated everything” was suddenly dumbfounded.

He hadn’t accounted for this.

Having the Huo family come was clearly impossible. The nominal “elder” was indeed the Guoshi.

But asking Ye Tinglan to discuss with Madam Sheng how to marry Sheng Yuanyao would be worse than having Lu Xingzhou directly charge into the ancient realm.

Madam Sheng saw him in a daze and added, “If the Guoshi is to be considered her junior sister’s maternal family, then we do need a different person. You were originally from the Yanluo Dian, right? Our Zhenmo Si had intelligence that you were raised by Yan Jun since childhood. Does she also count as an elder? She could also come.”

Lu Xingzhou was sweating profusely. “That doesn’t count.”

Madam Sheng’s face was stern. “Neither this nor that works. Where is your sincerity?”

Lu Xingzhou’s mind raced, seizing a straw. “A teacher at the Dan Xueyuan is also a teacher. I’ll go beg Instructor Meng, and perhaps even see if Principal Qin is willing to appear.”

Meng Li held a second-rank official position, had high moral standing, and sufficient qualifications. If Principal Qin Zhiyu was added, it would be even more prestigious. Madam Sheng’s expression finally softened a bit. “Then we will wait.”

Lu Xingzhou’s earlier arrogant demeanor from kicking the door was gone. He sheepishly pulled Sheng Yuanyao and slipped out the door.

Even after they had walked a long distance from the Sheng manor, Sheng Yuanyao remained silent, which made Lu Xingzhou a little puzzled. “What’s wrong with you?”

“N-nothing.” Sheng Yuanyao’s heart was actually pounding.

Overnight, she had transformed from a “brother” to a wife, holding hands openly on the streets of Jingshi. This made the girl’s heart flutter, and she hadn’t quite adapted yet.

Her face was radiant like a sunset cloud from beginning to end. Lu Xingzhou looked down at her, momentarily in a daze.

Who was this shy girl… was she that A’gua?