Chapter 74

......

The descendants of the Xuanwu families, who have a long lineage, must always act with restraint.

Especially before marriage, they must pay great attention to their appearance and reputation. Otherwise, their marriage prospects will be greatly diminished, and in the worst case, they might even have to settle for a lower match.

No Xuanwu family would marry their daughter to a notorious second-generation heir. Especially for the legitimate children, they must pay attention to these details, as they often relate to the face and reputation of both families.

Therefore, from a young age, the legitimate children of noble families can only be served by young attendants, and it is impossible for them to have a group of maids.

Taking a concubine before marriage is almost impossible. Every noble family values its reputation; how could they allow their legitimate daughter to marry someone who already has a concubine?

Moreover, in families like the Lingtai family, resources are often scarce, and they are always thinking about how to elevate their family to a higher level.

The patriarch taking a concubine is also rare, as high-bloodline women cannot be concubines. Having children with low-bloodline concubines would lower the status of their descendants.

Furthermore, children born to concubines are illegitimate, and their status is very awkward. With the Lingtai family's wealth and resources, how could they possibly spend a lot of effort on raising an illegitimate child?

However, in the Tianren families, which have more resources and more family assets, they need more talents to manage various family businesses. Therefore, the practice of taking concubines has gradually become more common.

Standing at the bow of the boat, Chen Fangjie was disheveled by the cold wind.

He was secretly envious of Wang Shouzhe's good fortune but also deeply worried. Could this Zhong family's Luoxian really be genuine, not a fake, but a true legitimate daughter of the Zhong family?

Indeed, this is not impossible.

Not long ago, Shouzhe secretly went to Bai Dao Wei, and in the end, someone from the Zhong family even came to deliver something. He then invited the Zhong family's Lingtai realm member for a meal.

Could it be that Shouzhe really has some unclear relationship with the Tianren family—the Zhong family?

However, with Shouzhe's status, it would be very difficult for him to marry a legitimate daughter of the Zhong family. Could this be a plan to... make a fait accompli first?

But what about the Liu family's young lady?

Such a disgrace to the family would not be tolerated by the powerful Liu family.

Could it be that with Shouzhe's wisdom, he has already secretly dealt with the Liu family's young lady?

Shouzhe, Shouzhe, you are playing a dangerous game.

Your future brother-in-law is weak and from a small family, so I can't help you this time. You'll have to rely on your own luck.

Chen Fangjie stood at the bow of the boat, thinking about how the Zhong family's young lady and Wang Shouzhe were secretly meeting in the cabin, while he could only stand here in the cold wind, worrying about him. It was truly a miserable situation.

Sigh!

This future brother-in-law is going to be a headache.

Fortunately, Wang Shouzhe doesn't know that his future brother-in-law is already standing in the cold wind, imagining a triangular love story for him. Otherwise, he would probably kick this future brother-in-law into the river to clear his head.

......

"Wang Mei, do you understand the more extensive plan that follows?" Wang Shouzhe asked calmly while drinking hot tea. "If you have any questions, you can ask. But this time, you will need to take some risks."

Whether to take risks depends on the potential gains. When it comes to significant gains and the opportunity to strike at the enemy, taking risks is inevitable.

"Master."

Wang Mei's "star eyes" glimmered slightly as she said softly, "For the master, I am willing to sacrifice my life."

Her voice was soft and ethereal, extremely pleasant to the ear, making one's heart feel warm.

"Pfft!"

Wang Shouzhe almost spat out his tea, glaring and saying, "Speak properly."

"This... Master, forgive me. I've gotten used to this tone. What I mean is, I am willing to sacrifice my life to deal with the Liu and Zhao families." Wang Mei smiled awkwardly and quickly returned to her originally somewhat plain voice, with a hint of hatred in her tone.

She is a family retainer passed down through generations, and her great-grandfather died in that fierce battle. How could she not hate?

Upon hearing her natural voice, Wang Shouzhe found it bland and uninteresting, frowning and saying, "Use the fake voice."

"Yes, Master, I will do as you say." Wang Mei obediently switched back to her soft, seductive voice, which made one's heart tremble, and even gave him a sideways glance.

"Ouch!"

Wang Shouzhe held his forehead; this voice was too overwhelming, and he couldn't handle it. He then waved his hand helplessly, "Forget it, forget it, use your natural voice."

"..." Wang Mei blinked her innocent eyes, thinking, "Master, you want me to do this one moment and that the next."

Your preferences are truly hard to understand.

......

At dawn.

The sky was still dark.

A boat set sail from Dingpu Dock, carrying Liu Shengye, the head of the Liu family, his young and promising descendant Liu Yongzhou, and several other key family members.

"Master," an excited middle-aged family member said, "We never expected this. After some investigation, we found that there are three Zhong families in the surrounding Wei cities. The one that best fits the identity of Zhong Luoxian should be the Zhong family of Bai Dao Wei, a Tianren family."

Liu Shengye's expression was very serious, but there was a hint of barely contained joy: "Zhong Luoxian has a noble identity, and it makes sense that she wouldn't want to reveal it in her current predicament. Please maintain your composure and don't disgrace the Liu family."

"Yes, Master," everyone responded.

Only Liu Yongzhou stood straight as a spear at the bow of the boat, his eyes occasionally flashing with intense heat.

Tianren family.

Luoxian is, no, is indeed a young lady from a Tianren family.

No wonder she has always avoided questions about her family background. Only a Tianren family could cultivate a young lady with such extraordinary grace, whose every word and gesture exudes an aura of unattainable nobility.

What made his heart burn even more was that Luoxian seemed to have a different attitude towards him, as if she wanted to be closer to him but also had deep reservations.

Seeing her occasionally frown, as if troubled, Liu Yongzhou's heart ached.

Indeed, the gap between their two families was enormous.

Thinking of this, Liu Yongzhou's burning heart cooled slightly.

But then he thought, his uncle Liu Shenghao is about to become a Lingtai elder, and the family will enter a period of expansion, with a significant increase in resources. And he, Liu Yongzhou, is already the designated successor to the Lingtai path.

With his status, even though there is still a significant gap between him and Luoxian, it is not an insurmountable obstacle. If the entire family supports him in his pursuit of the Lingtai path, and if Luoxian has feelings for him, they might succeed.

His heart burned even more, filled with hope for the future.

After a short while, the boat approached.

The Liu family saw a luxurious medium-sized pavilion boat.

"That is..." The Liu family members were surprised. Today's meeting with the grain seller was arranged by Zhong Luoxian. They didn't expect it to be such a luxurious and exquisite pavilion boat.

"Hmm?" Liu Shengye had good eyesight, and his pupils contracted. "Although this boat doesn't have a family banner, the emblem on the bow indicates that it belongs to the Donghai Wang Dantai family."

The Dantai family?

Donghai Wei is not remote like Bai Dao Wei; it is adjacent to Changning Wei. The Donghai Wang family is a well-known Tianren family, and its reputation is known throughout the surrounding Wei cities.

"This pavilion boat is extraordinary, and its owner is likely an important figure from the Dantai family," Liu Shengye said solemnly and cautiously. "Let's avoid it to prevent any unnecessary trouble."

Liu Yongzhou, however, had a thought. Could this be...

Sure enough, a graceful figure in a flowing skirt emerged from the pavilion boat.

"It's Zhong Luoxian," Liu Yongzhou said excitedly. "It turns out that the seller she found is from the Donghai Wang Dantai family. She truly lives up to being a legitimate daughter of the Zhong family."

The Liu family members were also excited, as the opportunity to connect with the Donghai Wang family was highly desirable.

The boat docked.

Following the instructions of the boatmen, the Liu family members boarded the pavilion boat. The luxury of the boat made them extra cautious. The cost of this pavilion boat must be no less than three to four thousand gold.

The Liu family's annual income could reach this amount, but with a large family and significant expenses, they could only save about five to six hundred gold per year.

"Mr. Liu," Zhong Luoxian's eyes first fell on Liu Yongzhou. Seeing him, she seemed pleased, but quickly composed herself. She then bowed slightly to the Liu family members, her voice ethereal, "Luoxian greets the elders of the Liu family."

The head of the Liu family, Liu Shengye, hurriedly led the others in returning the bow. Although Zhong Luoxian greeted them as a junior, they could not be disrespectful. She truly lived up to being a legitimate daughter of a Tianren family, so approachable.

Liu Shengye was now confident about the purpose of this trip.

After a brief exchange, Zhong Luoxian led them into the interior of the pavilion boat to meet the grain seller.

The Liu family members were even more amazed by the luxurious decorations and layout inside. They had underestimated the cost of the boat; just the various decorations alone must have cost no less than a thousand gold.

In the hall, a young man in a silk robe and a jade crown was lazily reclining on a couch. His entire presence exuded nobility.

The silk robe was made of ice spirit silk, with a faint icy white glow, making it extraordinary. Ice spirit silk is always very luxurious and expensive.

Wearing it in the scorching summer, one feels cool and sweat-free, and long-term wear can nourish the skin, whiten, and beautify.

Most importantly, ice spirit silk is very dense and resilient, making it difficult for ordinary blades to cut through, providing some defensive and fire-resistant effects.

Ordinary family descendants consider ice spirit silk a luxury item. It is said that the Lingchong master of the Changning Xu family secretly raises some ice spirit silkworms, making a lot of money, but even so, few in the Xu family can afford to wear ice spirit silk clothes.

The price is too high.

Even a set of undergarments costs hundreds of gold. This young man's silk robe must cost several hundred gold. The jade crown on his head also shone, clearly a valuable spiritual treasure.

Even the retainer standing behind him seemed to have a noble and impressive demeanor.

"Zhong Luoxian," the young noble