Chapter 51 A Military Family's Daughter, The Discussion of Marriage

Qishan Camp, royal tent.

Beast-shaped charcoal burned in a copper basin, emitting heat. Emperor Yi sat upright in the main seat, fiddling with a white jade thumb ring.

Crown Prince Zi Shou stood to the side, clad in scarlet armor, looking spirited.

Chen Yuan sat in the guest seat below, wearing a plain white long robe, his face thin.

He held a cup of hot tea, the rising steam obscuring his features.

"In lifting the siege of Mount Qi, Yuaner deserves the top credit." Emperor Yi broke the silence in the tent, his voice deep and resonant.

Chen Yuan put down the teacup, stood up, and bowed with hands clasped.

"It was all thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune and the Crown Prince's divine bravery. This subject merely wagged his tongue; I do not deserve the top credit."

His tone was calm, without a hint of emotion.

Emperor Yi stared at Chen Yuan for a moment. This youth was too quiet. Thirteen years of silence seemed to have truly worn away all his sharp edges.

But those three strokes casually drawn before the canyon reminded Emperor Yi of the late king's trembling before his death.

The testing must continue.

"I have always been clear about rewards and punishments." Emperor Yi raised his hand, signaling Chen Yuan to sit.

"Speaking of which, you are eighteen this year. Back then, the late king arranged a marriage for you. The other party is the daughter of General Old General Huang Gun, who guards the East Border, Huang Yuerong."

Hearing this, Zi Shou's eyes lit up. He strode to Chen Yuan's side and patted his shoulder.

"I've heard of that girl from the Huang Family! They say she grew up in the military camp and is skilled in archery and horsemanship. Brother, you're getting married!"

Chen Yuan coughed twice from Zi Shou's slap.

He took out a white handkerchief to cover his mouth, and after calming his breathing, looked at Emperor Yi again.

"Since Your Majesty has brought it up, this subject shall naturally comply."

No surprise, no fear or trepidation, not even a hint of curiosity.

Emperor Yi narrowed his eyes. Old General Huang Gun held heavy military power and had a stubborn, foul temper. Huang Yuerong was even more famous for her fiery nature.

Shoving such a woman into the Chen Manor—this stagnant water should finally show some ripples.

"Good. Old General Huang will return to the capital to report on his duties in half a month. At that time, I will personally preside over your wedding."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Chen Yuan bowed again. He picked up the teacup once more, a very faint light flashing in his lowered eyes.

At the same time, thousands of miles away in the East Border camp.

Yellow sand filled the sky, and the gale whipped grit against the tents, making a rustling sound.

In the center of the training grounds, dust flew everywhere.

A woman wearing silver soft armor held a twelve-foot red-tasseled spear, her figure shifting and moving.

Her long hair was tied up high, her brows sharp, and her eyes held a sense of wildness and defiance.

Opposite her, three burly deputy generals were surrounding her in a flanking formation.

"All together now!" the woman shouted.

The three deputy generals exchanged glances and attacked simultaneously, brandishing their weapons.

Instead of retreating, the woman advanced. Using the power of her waist, she swept the red-tasseled spear out, the shaft whistling through the air with a sharp crack.

The deputy general on the far left raised his blade to parry. The spear shaft slammed into the back of the blade, the immense force numbing his arms and sending him stumbling back.

Immediately after, the woman's wrist flickered, the spear tip dancing like flowers in a feint.

The butt of the spear accurately struck the right deputy general's abdomen. He groaned and doubled over on the ground.

Seeing this, the last deputy general roared and raised dual hammers to strike down.

The woman held the spear with one hand, blocking the hammers with the shaft. She took the blow head-on, her feet sinking an inch into the yellow soil.

In the next instant, she used his own momentum against him, the spear tip sliding up the hammer handle to point directly at the general's throat.

The spear tip stopped half an inch from his throat.

"Good match." The woman withdrew her spear and stood in place, her breathing steady.

"The Young Miss's martial arts have improved again; we are ashamed." The three deputy generals cupped their fists, thoroughly impressed.

This woman was none other than Old General Huang Gun's daughter, Huang Yuerong.

"Rong'er! You're messing around again!"

From the edge of the training grounds, an old general with white hair and beard, clad in heavy armor, strode over. It was the commander of the East Border, Old General Huang Gun.

Huang Yuerong turned, threw the long spear to a nearby guard, and casually wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Father, how can sparring with the soldiers be called messing around?"

Old General Huang Gun glared at her and pulled a roll of yellow cloth from his sleeve.

"An urgent dispatch just arrived from Chaoge. His Majesty has brought up your marriage contract with that boy from the Chen family again."

"I'm returning to the capital in half a month to report on my duties. You will come with me to prepare for the wedding."

The smile on Huang Yuerong's face vanished instantly.

She snatched the yellow cloth, scanned it, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it on the ground.

"I'm not marrying him!"

"Presumptuous!" Old General Huang Gun barked. "This is a marriage contract set by the late king, and the current King personally brought it up. How dare you disobey!"

Huang Yuerong met her father's gaze without flinching.

"Father! If I, Huang Yuerong, am to marry, I will marry a world-shaking hero! A warrior who can slay generals and seize banners on the battlefield! What kind of thing is that Chen Yuan?"

"I've heard from the merchant caravans from Chaoge—he's just a sickly weakling who pants after walking too much! A scholar who can't even lift a chicken; does he deserve me?"

"Shut up!" Old General Huang Gun's beard trembled with rage. "Back then, at five years old, Chen Yuan proposed a plan to control the floods. He has the talent of an Eminent Scholar!"

"That's old news from thirteen years ago!" Huang Yuerong sneered.

"He now is just a useless person who can't even lift a blade. To have me, the tiger daughter of a general's house, serve a medicine jar? In his dreams!"

After saying that, she turned and left, stroding into her own tent.

Old General Huang Gun looked at his daughter's back and sighed deeply. He knew her temper.

This girl was stubborn and admired the strong. This marriage would likely not end easily.

Inside the tent

Huang Yuerong walked to the desk, pushed aside the military books, spread out a roll of parchment, and dipped her pen in ink.

She didn't use a Wolf-hair brush for writing, but a pen carved from hardwood. Her handwriting was forceful and wild.

A moment later, she rolled up the parchment, stuffed it into a bamboo tube, and sealed it with wax.

"Someone, come!"

A guard lifted the curtain and entered.

"Take this letter and deliver it by 800-li urgent dispatch to the Chen Manor in Chaoge. Hand it personally to Chen Yuan!"

The guard took the bamboo tube and left to carry out the order.

Huang Yuerong walked to the weapon rack and reached out to stroke the cold blade of her spear.

"Want to marry me? First, let's see if you have the life to survive my spear."

Three days later, in the city of Chaoge.

A fast horse galloped through the city gates. The rider held high a banner bearing the Huang Family totem, racing straight toward the Chen Manor.

The news spread like wildfire.

The Young Miss of the Huang Family has sent a challenge to Chen Yuan!

Teahouses, wine shops, streets, and alleys instantly erupted in commotion.

"Have you heard? Old General Huang's daughter sent a challenge to the Eldest Young Master of the Chen family!"

"What challenge? Wasn't it a bestowed marriage?"

"Ha! What kind of person is that Huang Family girl? I heard she can tear apart tigers and leopards in the East Border!"

"She looks down on Young Master Chen for being a frail scholar. The letter says she wants him to take three of her moves."

"If he can take them, she'll accept her fate; if not, Young Master Chen has to go before the King himself to cancel the engagement!"

"Three moves? With Young Master Chen's constitution, he'd be gone after half a move!"

"The Chen Manor is going to lose all face now. Canceling the engagement makes him a coward, but not canceling it is seeking death."

The entire nobility of Chaoge was watching the show. Inside the Vice Prime Minister's Manor, several ministers gathered, stroking their beards and sneering.

Back then, Chen Yuan had suppressed them until they couldn't breathe. Now, seeing this former prodigy suffer such a great humiliation, they felt an indescribable satisfaction.

Chen Manor.

In a side courtyard, several stalks of emerald bamboo swayed in the wind.

Chen Yuan sat at a stone table with a chessboard before him. He held a black piece in his hand, hesitating to place it.

Princess Yin Rong sat beside him, her eyes red, tightly clutching the parchment challenge.

"This is too much! The Huang Family is simply too much! Yuaner's health is already poor, and she dares to send such a challenge! I'm going to the palace right now to beg the King to rescind the order!"

Princess Yin Rong was about to stand up as she spoke.

Chen Yuan put down the black piece and reached out to pull his mother's sleeve.

"Mother, sit down."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable strength. Princess Yin Rong was stunned for a moment and sat back down on the stone stool.

Chen Yuan picked up the parchment, his gaze sweeping over the wild handwriting.

"A real man should wield a three-foot sword to achieve immortal deeds, rather than growing old over classics as a useless scholar..."

Chen Yuan softly read the contents of the challenge, a very faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Between the lines, there was undisguised contempt and arrogance.

"Yuaner, you can't go. She has practiced martial arts since childhood and doesn't know her own strength. What if she hurts you..." Princess Yin Rong was full of worry.

"Rest easy, Mother." Chen Yuan casually tossed the parchment onto the stone table. "It's just a letter; it won't hurt anyone."

Just then, a light laugh came from the neighboring courtyard wall.

"Xiao Yuan, someone's bullying you to your face, and you can still endure this?"

Bixiao leaned over the wall, peeling an orange, her face full of amusement. Qiong Xiao stood beside her, also looking curious.

Chen Yuan didn't look up, but simply picked up the warm water on the stone table and took a sip.

"If you two Seniors are so bored, why not go to the front yard and help the servants sweep the floor?"

"You!" Bixiao was choked up. She threw an orange peel at Chen Yuan, but it was deflected by an invisible current of Qi and fell to the ground.

Yunxiao walked out of the room, her white clothes as pure as snow. She glanced at her two sisters on the wall, and they immediately pulled their heads back.

Yunxiao walked to the wall and looked at Chen Yuan over the low boundary.

"The Huang Family has guarded the border for generations and holds high prestige in the military. This woman acts recklessly, but she is also a person of true character. How do you plan to respond?"

Chen Yuan looked at the endgame on the chessboard.

The black pieces had been forced into a corner by the white ones, seemingly with no way out.

"The King's bestowed marriage is a test. The Huang Family's challenge is resistance. The entire court is waiting for me to make a fool of myself."

Chen Yuan picked up a white piece, his fingertip rubbing the warm, smooth stone.

"She wants three moves."

Snap.

The white piece landed.

The originally Death Qi-laden chessboard was instantly filled with killing intent, its atmosphere completely transformed.

"I will accept."

Chen Yuan stood up and smoothed the wrinkles on his robe. He looked at the emerald bamboo in the courtyard, his eyes as deep as an ancient well.

"A warrior's pride can only be shattered with something even harder."