{"id":3878,"date":"2026-06-06T01:58:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T01:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pursuit-of-jade-87\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T01:48:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T01:48:28","slug":"pursuit-of-jade-87-2","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/ko\/chapter\/pursuit-of-jade-87-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursuit of Jade 87"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Chapter 87<br><br>Fan Changyu had never expected Xie Zheng to say such things.<br><br>To say she wasn&#8217;t moved would be a lie.<br><br>Yet she also understood clearly that if she nodded her head now, her future life might no longer belong entirely to her own choosing.<br><br>Just as Xie Zheng, as Marquis Wu&#8217;an, had responsibilities to bear and duties to shoulder, a Marquis&#8217;s wife also had obligations that came with her rank.<br><br>What he needed was a wife who could stand beside him and walk alongside him, not someone he would have to constantly accommodate and carry forward.<br><br>A sparrow draped in phoenix feathers would never become a phoenix.<br><br>Only by undergoing her own rebirth could she grow true phoenix plumes of her own.<br><br>The rain outside seemed to be easing.<br><br>Water that had accumulated atop the tent dripped from the edges into puddles below with soft plopping sounds.<br><br>In the silence, each drop sounded especially clear.<br><br>Fan Changyu clenched the hands resting on her knees.<br><br>In the end, she raised her head and looked at Xie Zheng.<br><br>With just a single glance, Xie Zheng already knew her answer.<br><br>Whether it was his pride refusing to yield, or simply because he didn&#8217;t want to hear her rejection spoken aloud, he suddenly said,<br><br>&#8220;You don&#8217;t need to answer.&#8221;<br><br>At that moment, Xie Qi&#8217;s voice came from outside the tent.<br><br>&#8220;Marquis, Mr. Gongsun is urging you to come over.&#8221;<br><br>Xie Zheng merely said,<br><br>&#8220;Farewell.&#8221;<br><br>Then he rose, lifted the tent flap, and left.<br><br>After he was gone, Fan Changyu sat staring at the gently swaying tent curtain for a long time.<br><br>\u2014<br><br>After Xie Zheng entered the tent, Xie Qi had deliberately stayed far away.<br><br>When he came to deliver the message just now and noticed that the candle inside had been extinguished, his heart had skipped a beat.<br><br>He was afraid he might have interrupted something important.<br><br>Yet Xie Zheng emerged almost immediately.<br><br>His expression didn&#8217;t look very pleasant.<br><br>It seemed things were not quite what Xie Qi had imagined.<br><br>Naturally, he didn&#8217;t dare ask any questions and simply followed silently behind him.<br><br>Unexpectedly, Xie Zheng suddenly stopped and asked,<br><br>&#8220;I remember you have a younger sister?&#8221;<br><br>Xie Qi had no idea why his lord was suddenly asking about this.<br><br>A shadow crossed his face.<br><br>&#8220;Yes.&#8221;<br><br>Both of his parents had died when he was young.<br><br>He and his sister had been sold to a human trafficker.<br><br>To fetch higher prices, traffickers usually sold pretty girls to brothels while boys were sent to the imperial palace.<br><br>Some great clans that trained death soldiers also bought children from traffickers.<br><br>He had been purchased by Wei Yan.<br><br>Among ten children of the same age, only one would eventually become a death soldier.<br><br>The unlucky ones died.<br><br>The fortunate survivors became household servants.<br><br>During the final brutal selection, he had been stabbed several times.<br><br>His injuries were beyond saving.<br><br>Ordinarily, he should have been wrapped in a straw mat and thrown into the wilderness for wolves to eat.<br><br>But he wanted to live.<br><br>With untreated wounds covering his body, he somehow survived through the night.<br><br>By the next morning, he still hadn&#8217;t died.<br><br>At the time, the Marquis had only been a teenager.<br><br>He had already begun working for Wei Yan, but everything he received\u2014from possessions to servants\u2014were things Wei Xuan had rejected first.<br><br>Wei Xuan chose the victorious death soldier as his personal attendant.<br><br>The young Marquis walked through the dark dungeon, examining everyone one by one.<br><br>Instead of selecting the lightly wounded survivors who could still serve as household servants, he chose Xie Qi.<br><br>The steward warned that he might not survive.<br><br>Living through the night with such severe injuries was already a miracle.<br><br>But the Marquis had said,<br><br>&#8220;He&#8217;s trying so hard to stay alive. Wouldn&#8217;t it be a waste if he died?&#8221;<br><br>Thus he was taken away.<br><br>A physician treated his wounds.<br><br>After he recovered, he became the Marquis&#8217;s personal guard and was given the name Xie Qi.<br><br>From that day onward, he served only Xie Zheng.<br><br>Later, he even killed the death-soldier attendant who served Wei Xuan.<br><br>As for his sister&#8230;<br><br>By the time he finally found her, she had already become a renowned courtesan in a small town.<br><br>Given his current identity, he dared not openly acknowledge her.<br><br>One careless mistake could place her in danger.<br><br>After all, using family members as hostages was a tactic he had seen countless times.<br><br>Secretly, he gave her money.<br><br>He also pressured the brothel owner and helped her buy her freedom.<br><br>She now ran an embroidery shop.<br><br>Xie Zheng asked,<br><br>&#8220;When your sister got married, there was a wealthy young master who admired her. Why did she still choose a blacksmith?&#8221;<br><br>This happened after Xie Qi&#8217;s sister had redeemed herself.<br><br>When he learned of her wedding, he didn&#8217;t dare attend openly.<br><br>Instead, he requested leave from Xie Zheng and secretly watched from afar.<br><br>The wealthy young master had attended the wedding too.<br><br>Xie Qi and several close brothers, including Xie Wu, secretly kept an eye on him.<br><br>If the man caused trouble, they planned to drag him into an alley and beat him senseless.<br><br>Unexpectedly, the young master simply drank himself unconscious at the banquet.<br><br>They had discussed the matter afterward.<br><br>Xie Zheng had probably heard about it then.<br><br>Now that he suddenly brought it up again, Xie Qi was puzzled.<br><br>As her brother, though, he answered honestly.<br><br>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think there was anything wrong with my sister marrying a blacksmith.&#8221;<br><br>Xie Zheng paused and glanced sideways at him.<br><br>&#8220;Why?&#8221;<br><br>Xie Qi replied,<br><br>&#8220;My sister doesn&#8217;t know I&#8217;m alive.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;She doesn&#8217;t know I found her.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;If she marries a blacksmith and he treats her badly someday, she can support herself with her embroidery shop.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;She can decide to divorce him at any time.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;And if trouble arises, the neighbors can help her.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;But if she&#8217;d married that wealthy young master, she&#8217;d have faced his entire family alone.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;If something happened, his family was so powerful that getting justice would be difficult.&#8221;<br><br>This was another story like the tofu vendor&#8217;s.<br><br>Only this time, the tofu vendor hadn&#8217;t chosen the wealthy young master.<br><br>Thoughtfulness appeared on Xie Zheng&#8217;s face.<br><br>He said nothing more and continued toward the command tent.<br><br>The guards at the entrance immediately greeted him.<br><br>&#8220;Marquis.&#8221;<br><br>As he approached, they lifted the curtain.<br><br>The tent was brightly illuminated.<br><br>At a glance, Xie Zheng saw the elderly man seated below the place of honor.<br><br>His expression softened slightly in surprise.<br><br>&#8220;Teacher.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao stroked his beard.<br><br>&#8220;I heard you went after the enemy. How did it go?&#8221;<br><br>The bruise around Xie Zheng&#8217;s eye caught his attention.<br><br>He assumed it was a battlefield injury.<br><br>The angle of the strike was certainly peculiar.<br><br>A fist had gotten close enough to hit his face.<br><br>Had it been a blade instead, he might have lost the eye entirely.<br><br>Viewed that way, it was fortunate.<br><br>Gongsun Yin noticed it too.<br><br>This was the first time he had ever seen Xie Zheng return from battle with a black eye.<br><br>For some reason, he immediately remembered the bruise he&#8217;d seen on Xie Zheng&#8217;s face in Lucheng before.<br><br>The more he looked, the more similar they seemed.<br><br>His expression became increasingly strange.<br><br>Could Fan Changyu have hit him again?<br><br>But he had just come off the battlefield.<br><br>That shouldn&#8217;t be possible&#8230;<br><br>Xie Zheng acted as though he hadn&#8217;t noticed either man&#8217;s scrutiny.<br><br>Lifting his robes, he sat in the seat of honor and calmly said,<br><br>&#8220;Shi Yue&#8217;s head has been taken.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao nodded in satisfaction.<br><br>Then he asked approvingly,<br><br>&#8220;I heard Shi Yue had a formidable brother named Shi Hu.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;A giant of a man with tremendous strength.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;When I was below the mountain, I saw him fighting the Jizhou troops.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;He was troublesome.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Did you kill both brothers by yourself?&#8221;<br><br>Xie Zheng frowned immediately.<br><br>&#8220;I brought five hundred cavalry and took a shortcut down the mountain.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;I intercepted and killed Shi Yue.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;I never encountered his brother.&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin looked surprised.<br><br>&#8220;General Ge Daqing, one of your strongest commanders, was severely wounded by Shi Hu.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;If you never fought him, who else in the army could possibly defeat such a man?&#8221;<br><br>The vanguard and Left Guard Battalion had suffered heavy casualties during the battle.<br><br>Most of the officers were so badly injured they couldn&#8217;t even leave their beds.<br><br>Military physicians had spent the day treating them one by one.<br><br>Xie Zheng asked,<br><br>&#8220;The battle report didn&#8217;t mention how many enemies the Left Guard Battalion killed? Or which enemy generals they slew?&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin picked up a report and handed it over.<br><br>&#8220;Neither the vanguard nor the Left Guard Battalion reported killing Shi Hu.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;But Shi Hu is definitely dead.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;The Grand Tutor and I assumed you killed him.&#8221;<br><br>Xie Zheng replied,<br><br>&#8220;Shi Hu did not die by my hand.&#8221;<br><br>At that moment, Xie Wu entered carrying tea.<br><br>After listening for a while, he hesitated before finally speaking.<br><br>&#8220;Shi Hu was killed by Madam.&#8221;<br><br>The moment those words left his mouth, all three men turned toward him.<br><br>Gongsun Yin still didn&#8217;t know that Fan Changyu had secretly gone to the battlefield.<br><br>Both shocked and confused, he asked,<br><br>&#8220;She was on the mountain. How could she have killed Shi Hu?&#8221;<br><br>Xie Wu secretly glanced at Xie Zheng before carefully answering.<br><br>&#8220;Madam didn&#8217;t know the Marquis&#8217;s true identity.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;She feared something might happen to him during the campaign.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;So she drugged the Marquis unconscious and joined the Left Guard Battalion in disguise.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;I couldn&#8217;t stop her.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;And I was worried something might happen to her, so I followed.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;The generals of the Left Guard Battalion all fought Shi Hu and were defeated.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Morale was collapsing.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;When Madam confronted him, she had no suitable weapon.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;After several fierce exchanges, she finally seized Shi Hu&#8217;s spiked hammer.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Then she killed him with three strikes.&#8221;<br><br>Xie Wu had wanted to tell Xie Zheng about this achievement ever since they left the battlefield.<br><br>He feared Xie Zheng would only focus on her unauthorized participation in the battle.<br><br>Unfortunately, he had never found the right opportunity.<br><br>Gongsun Yin was so stunned by Fan Changyu&#8217;s accomplishment that he remained speechless for a long time.<br><br>He completely forgot to laugh at the embarrassing fact that Xie Zheng had been drugged unconscious.<br><br>Finally, he muttered,<br><br>&#8220;If someone kills a black bear, you can say the bear was strong but not intelligent.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;But Shi Hu&#8230;&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;He wasn&#8217;t merely strong.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Ge Daqing possesses the courage to hunt tigers and bears.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;He&#8217;s also a veteran of countless battles.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Yet even he couldn&#8217;t defeat Shi Hu.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;And Miss Fan not only defeated him but took his weapon and killed him with three hammer blows?&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin sucked in a sharp breath.<br><br>Looking at Xie Zheng, he said,<br><br>&#8220;In the entire realm, I thought only the Marquis possessed such courage.&#8221;<br><br>Leaning back in his chair, Xie Zheng merely frowned and remained silent, lost in thought.<br><br>When Xie Wu mentioned that Madam had killed Shi Hu, Grand Tutor Tao immediately felt something was odd.<br><br>This ungrateful brat had clearly forgotten his teacher.<br><br>Getting married was such a major event, yet he hadn&#8217;t even informed him.<br><br>Then he heard that the woman hadn&#8217;t known Xie Zheng&#8217;s identity and had gone to the battlefield in his place.<br><br>The entire matter left him bewildered.<br><br>Now hearing Gongsun Yin mention that the woman was surnamed Fan, he thought:<br><br>Surely it couldn&#8217;t be such a coincidence?<br><br>Could it really be Fan Changyu?<br><br>He raised his old eyes toward Xie Zheng.<br><br>&#8220;When did you get married?&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;And why didn&#8217;t you write to tell this old man?&#8221;<br><br>Earlier, Gongsun Yin had intentionally kept Fan Changyu&#8217;s relationship with Xie Zheng secret.<br><br>Now, despite his surprise, he smiled and waited for Xie Zheng to explain everything himself.<br><br>Instead, Xie Zheng said,<br><br>&#8220;It&#8217;s a long story.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;When I met misfortune, the wedding was held under rather humble circumstances.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;When we hold another ceremony in the future, I will certainly ask Teacher to serve as the witness.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao knew full well that Xie Zheng&#8217;s marriage could affect the balance of power throughout the court.<br><br>Thinking about Xie Wu&#8217;s description of the woman who had killed Shi Hu, he narrowed his eyes.<br><br>&#8220;Is she from a military family?&#8221;<br><br>After a brief silence, Xie Zheng answered,<br><br>&#8220;No.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao said,<br><br>&#8220;Regardless, she sounds like a fine girl.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Treat her well.&#8221;<br><br>Thinking of Fan Changyu&#8217;s rejection, Xie Zheng felt a heaviness settle in his chest.<br><br>He merely answered,<br><br>&#8220;Yes.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao then shifted the topic to the current political situation.<br><br>&#8220;With Shi Yue dead, Prince Changxin has effectively lost an arm.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;The Chongzhou forces at the mountain&#8217;s base have either died, fled, or been captured.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;After reorganizing the surrendered troops, you can march directly south and besiege Chongzhou.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Join forces with He Jingyuan and attack the city together.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;But will the court really allow you to finish this war so quickly?&#8221;<br><br>The prolonged stalemate at Chongzhou had always been influenced by political struggles in the capital.<br><br>At first, Wei Yan had tried to arrange for Xie Zheng to die on the battlefield.<br><br>Now, military pay and supplies from the court had been delayed for months.<br><br>Someone clearly did not want this war ending too quickly.<br><br>Weapons.<br><br>Supplies.<br><br>Military wages.<br><br>All of it meant money.<br><br>As long as fighting continued at the front, officials in the capital had the perfect excuse to request additional funds from the Ministry of Revenue.<br><br>As for how much of that money actually reached the front lines&#8230;<br><br>That depended entirely on the conscience of the officials skimming funds at every level.<br><br>Both the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue were controlled by Wei Yan&#8217;s faction.<br><br>Even if the Emperor ordered an audit, the records would show that all supplies had been delivered.<br><br>The army had supposedly received everything it needed.<br><br>If the rebels still weren&#8217;t defeated, then the blame would fall on Xie Zheng&#8217;s incompetence.<br><br>Xie Zheng sneered.<br><br>&#8220;Wei Yan wants to cover up the mess Wei Xuan created in the northwest.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Now he probably wants me to hand over the military merits from destroying the Chongzhou rebels.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao lowered his eyelids.<br><br>&#8220;In my opinion, that may not be a bad thing.&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin frowned.<br><br>&#8220;What do you mean, Grand Tutor?&#8221;<br><br>The old man countered with a question.<br><br>&#8220;How many men in Great Yin have been granted a marquisate before reaching twenty?&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;When the moon is full, it begins to wane. When water is full, it overflows.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Given your Marquis&#8217;s achievements, what reward can the Emperor possibly grant him after he returns to the capital?&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Right now, Wei Yan&#8217;s faction is at the height of its power.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;The Emperor naturally wants him and Wei Yan to destroy each other.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;And after Wei Yan falls, who do you think will be next?&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin nodded.<br><br>&#8220;I understand that.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;But even if the Marquis wants to step back now, the political currents of the capital won&#8217;t allow it.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao chuckled.<br><br>&#8220;Youth&#8230;&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin sensed deeper meaning in those words.<br><br>&#8220;I&#8217;d appreciate your guidance.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao replied,<br><br>&#8220;How far must he step back?&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Simply far enough that when Wei Yan falls, the Emperor&#8217;s next target isn&#8217;t your Marquis.&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin immediately understood.<br><br>&#8220;You mean&#8230; let the Li faction fight Wei Yan first?&#8221;<br><br>He thought of Li Huai&#8217;an, grandson of Grand Tutor Li, who was currently managing Jizhou in He Jingyuan&#8217;s absence.<br><br>Shock filled his heart.<br><br>He looked toward Grand Tutor Tao.<br><br>The old man understood exactly what he was thinking.<br><br>&#8220;Even without your Marquis, Wei Yan still controls the Ministry of War and He Jingyuan.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Grand Tutor Li has no military power.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;That&#8217;s why he&#8217;s never dared confront Wei Yan directly.&#8221;<br><br>If the Li family had come to the northwest, it was clearly because they wanted military authority.<br><br>All Xie Zheng needed to do was throw out the enormous prize of military merit from crushing the rebellion.<br><br>Both the Li faction and Wei Yan&#8217;s faction would pounce on it like hyenas fighting over meat.<br><br>Wei Yan had no choice but to compete.<br><br>If he didn&#8217;t seize that power, it would eventually be used against him.<br><br>Xie Zheng could certainly keep all the military merit for himself.<br><br>But winning the war while Wei Yan cut off all supplies would severely weaken his forces.<br><br>In exchange, he would receive little more than a meaningless imperial reward while placing himself at the center of every political storm.<br><br>No matter how one looked at it, it wasn&#8217;t worthwhile.<br><br>Meanwhile, the Li family had come to the northwest and then done nothing.<br><br>It was almost as if they knew Xie Zheng would eventually throw the military merit into the open.<br><br>If Wei Yan wanted that merit, he could only rely on He Jingyuan.<br><br>Yet Li Huai&#8217;an currently managed all affairs in Jizhou.<br><br>Every account book and document passed through his hands.<br><br>The moment he uncovered any wrongdoing, it would be easy to strip He Jingyuan of power given how heavily the young Emperor relied on the Li family.<br><br>At that moment, Xie Zheng suddenly spoke.<br><br>&#8220;If that&#8217;s the case, then Prince Changxin&#8217;s rebellion almost seems as though it was designed specifically to hand military authority to the Li family.&#8221;<br><br>Both Gongsun Yin and Grand Tutor Tao were startled.<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao shook his head.<br><br>&#8220;The Li family isn&#8217;t capable of manipulating Prince Changxin to that extent.&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin agreed.<br><br>&#8220;I&#8217;ve heard Prince Changxin&#8217;s wife died in the Eastern Palace fire.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;His eldest son was burned so badly he was left unrecognizable.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;He endured patiently for years.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;His hatred toward the court is certainly genuine.&#8221;<br><br>Yet Xie Zheng&#8217;s eyes shifted slightly.<br><br>The Imperial Grandson&#8217;s people had connections with Prince Changxin&#8217;s household.<br><br>Yu Qianqian&#8217;s son resembled the late Emperor somewhat.<br><br>And Crown Prince Chengde had looked even more like the late Emperor in his youth.<br><br>When Changning had been kidnapped, she had also seen Yu Bao&#8217;er within Prince Changxin&#8217;s estate.<br><br>Pieces were beginning to fit together.<br><br>Looking at Gongsun Yin, Xie Zheng said,<br><br>&#8220;After returning from the mountain, send word to the capital.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Secretly investigate the Eastern Palace fire.&#8221;<br><br>Gongsun Yin looked puzzled.<br><br>&#8220;Why suddenly investigate that case again?&#8221;<br><br>The corner of Xie Zheng&#8217;s mouth lifted slightly.<br><br>&#8220;I suspect the Imperial Grandson is in Prince Changxin&#8217;s estate.&#8221;<br><br>That statement shocked both men even more.<br><br>Still, it remained only a theory.<br><br>Evidence was needed.<br><br>Outside, the night watch announced the passing of midnight.<br><br>Xie Zheng instructed both Grand Tutor Tao and Gongsun Yin to return and rest.<br><br>Yet Grand Tutor Tao remained seated.<br><br>Assuming the teacher and student wished to speak privately, Gongsun Yin yawned and returned to his quarters.<br><br>After years together, Xie Zheng could understand Grand Tutor Tao&#8217;s intentions with a single glance.<br><br>&#8220;You have something you want to ask me, Teacher?&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao nodded.<br><br>&#8220;With Young Friend Gongsun present, I couldn&#8217;t ask about private matters.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;You got married this time.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Was it a marriage?&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Or a concubine?&#8221;<br><br>Xie Zheng answered simply.<br><br>&#8220;A marriage.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao paused in surprise before smiling.<br><br>&#8220;You&#8217;re already twenty-one.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Most men your age have children running around.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Yet you&#8217;ve remained alone.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Being able to marry according to your own wishes is a good thing.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;But your expression seems troubled.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Why?&#8221;<br><br>The reason Xie Zheng had never married was simple.<br><br>He belonged to the Xie family, yet had been raised by Wei Yan.<br><br>The Xie clan had once been a great family.<br><br>But the larger a clan became, the more idle relatives it accumulated.<br><br>By his father&#8217;s generation, the family had already begun declining.<br><br>Only his father had supported the clan&#8217;s reputation.<br><br>None of the collateral branches had produced worthy successors.<br><br>For a great family, nothing was more dangerous than a lack of heirs.<br><br>Thus when his father died in battle and his mother followed him in death, Wei Yan took Xie Zheng away.<br><br>Not one relative dared protest.<br><br>In some ways, being taken by Wei Yan had benefited him.<br><br>Had he remained with the Xie family, he likely would have been spoiled into uselessness.<br><br>Though Wei Yan was harsh, he spared no effort in cultivating him because of his father&#8217;s reputation and former military influence.<br><br>He forged Xie Zheng into the sharpest blade in the entire empire.<br><br>Ordinary men had female elders who helped arrange marriages.<br><br>Xie Zheng grew up in the Wei household.<br><br>Wei Yan never arranged a marriage for him.<br><br>The Xie clan didn&#8217;t dare act without Wei Yan&#8217;s approval.<br><br>Some relatives had tried foolish schemes, attempting to push distant cousins and obscure relations toward him.<br><br>Their shameless behavior drew ridicule from Wei Xuan.<br><br>Even Wei Yan looked down on the Xie family because of it.<br><br>Later, Xie Zheng entered the military, and marriage discussions were delayed further.<br><br>After establishing his reputation, his marriage ceased being a personal matter.<br><br>It became a matter of political alliances.<br><br>The reformist faction dared not marry daughters to him.<br><br>Wei Yan&#8217;s faction was impossible as well, since Wei Yan feared giving him powerful in-laws.<br><br>Neutral officials wanted no part in the struggle.<br><br>The higher his status rose, the harder marriage became.<br><br>Xie Zheng then told Grand Tutor Tao about Fan Changyu.<br><br>&#8220;She saved me when I was at my lowest.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;I had no choice but to conceal my identity.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Now she knows everything.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;She minds my status and has no desire to marry into a noble household.&#8221;<br><br>After listening, Grand Tutor Tao nodded approvingly.<br><br>&#8220;A remarkably clear-headed woman.&#8221;<br><br>Suddenly, Xie Zheng knelt before him.<br><br>&#8220;Student wishes to ask a favor.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao narrowed his eyes.<br><br>&#8220;Does it concern that girl?&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Yes.&#8221;<br><br>The old man sighed.<br><br>&#8220;If she doesn&#8217;t want to marry you, what can an old man like me possibly do?&#8221;<br><br>Xie Zheng lifted his head.<br><br>&#8220;I ask that Teacher accept her as your adopted daughter.&#8221;<br><br>Instantly, Grand Tutor Tao understood.<br><br>&#8220;You want to give her a prestigious family background.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;And silence public criticism?&#8221;<br><br>Xie Zheng remained silent.<br><br>The old man changed the subject.<br><br>&#8220;And if she still refuses?&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;What if she only wants an ordinary life?&#8221;<br><br>The young man knelt quietly.<br><br>His lips tightened.<br><br>After a long silence, he answered,<br><br>&#8220;I&#8217;ll smooth every road before her.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;If she&#8217;s willing to walk beside me, I won&#8217;t let her stumble.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;If she still refuses&#8230;&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Then our fate ends there.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao sighed.<br><br>&#8220;Get up.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;It just so happens that this old man has no children.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;Having an adopted daughter would give meaning to my later years.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;But you must do something for me as well.&#8221;<br><br>Xie Zheng replied,<br><br>&#8220;Anything, Teacher.&#8221;<br><br>Grand Tutor Tao was still thinking about Fan Changyu.<br><br>&#8220;Do you have any capable young officers under your command?&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;While traveling, I met a divorced young woman.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;I promised one of her elders that I&#8217;d find her a good husband.&#8221;<br><br>He paused before adding,<br><br>&#8220;The man must be honest and broad-minded.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;The girl was previously married.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;He must not mind that.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;She&#8217;s straightforward and sincere.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;If she ends up with someone too calculating, she&#8217;ll be completely taken advantage of.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;He doesn&#8217;t need a high military rank either.&#8221;<br><br>&#8220;She doesn&#8217;t understand all the social customs noblewomen deal with.&#8221;<br><br>As Xie Zheng listened, the description sounded oddly familiar.<br><br>But then he remembered that Grand Tutor Tao had said the woman was divorced and that he was helping fulfill a promise to her elder.<br><br>Fan Changyu couldn&#8217;t possibly know any elder connected to Grand Tutor Tao.<br><br>So he dismissed the thought entirely and agreed to 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