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Meanwhile, in the palace, Lie Fan stood on one of the balcony in his Palace, gazing at the moon and the moonlit city below him. Beside him was Jia Xu who was smirking at this point of time. "My sources say Lady Sun Shangxiang and Princess Wannian are already scheming."
Lie Fan chuckled. "Let them do whatever they want. Ma Chao could use someone to keep him on his toes."
Jia Xu arched a brow. "You approve of this union, Your Majesty?"
"Of course. The Sun and Ma clans united under the imperial banner? It's politically and militarily advantageous. At least for now, in the future they had to be weaken." Lie Fan's eyes glinted. "And also it's personally entertaining for me."
Jia Xu let out a cunning smile. "Sun Jian is going to have an aneurysm when he knew his protected one and only daughter, have someone she fnacies and try to get closer to without his notice."
Lie Fan grinned. "Even better to see, can't what to see what expression he would have."
Jia Xu hearing that shook his head. "You're enjoying this far too much, Your Majesty."
Lie Fan laugh. "That's the best part of being Emperor. I get to enjoy everything."
As the night deepened, the wheels of fate turned, some by design, others by the whims of a spirited young woman and her mischievous best friend.
And the next day, somewhere in training ground, not knowing why, Ma Chao who was training his martial arts suddenly sneezed violently.
Ma Dai, Ma Tie, and Ma Xiu, who were training alongside him, froze mid motion. Their elder cousin and brother was a fortress of health, injuries in war? Sure. But sickness? Almost never. To see him sneeze like that made them blink in disbelief.
"Brother, are you alright?" Ma Tie asked, lowering his practice spear.
Ma Chao sniffled slightly, waving his hand. "I'm fine, just a strange chill came over me, not from the weather or exhaustion. More like… someone was talking about me. It tickled my nose."
Ma Xiu grinned wide. "Ladies, no doubt. Someone's definitely gossiping about you, Brother. Probably that merchant's daughter from two days ago, what was her name? Lin something?"
Ma Tie joined the tease with a laugh. "Or maybe that noble girl who brought her entire family to visit last week. Honestly, at this rate, we need a waiting list for your suitors."
Ma Chao's hand twitched. The wooden staff he was using suddenly spun faster.
Ma Dai, who known Ma Chao the best compared to his two younger brothers, stepped in immediately, eyes widening as he felt the tension. "Alright, alright, knock it off you two before he turns you into a cautionary tale."
The tone was light, but the intent was clear. Ma Tie and Ma Xiu paled and scrambled to make their exit, their training session suddenly finished as they bolted like startled rabbits.
Ma Dai chuckled as he watched them flee. "They're lucky you're in a good mood today."
Ma Chao merely snorted and returned to his drills, the rhythmic sound of strikes filling the courtyard once more.
Meanwhile, over at the Ma Clan residence, Princess Wannian, at a pregnant state but still moving with the poise of nobility, arrived at the gates, flanked by Sun Shangxiang and Cheng Pu, who had insisted to be assigned as their chaperone but was notably less strict today due to Wannian presence.
The guards at the gate panicked for a moment. The Emperor's sister was not someone you received casually. Servants were dispatched in a flurry, some to alert the Ma Clan elders, others to summon Ma Yunlu.
By the time the trio were led into the main hall, the best tea leaves in the residence had already been prepared and laid out in delicate porcelain.
The elders arrived first, bowing low to Princess Wannian and offering more measured respect to Sun Shangxiang, recognizing her lineage as the daughter of Sun Jian. Cheng Pu, however, received no acknowledgment.
"Princess Wannian honors our humble household!" the eldest Ma uncle proclaimed, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the ground.
Wannian offered a polite but distant smile. "I've come to visit Lady Ma Yunlu. There's no need for such formality."
Her tone was pleasant, but the underlying message was clear, which is 'I'm not here for you.'
The elders exchanged uneasy glances. They had been locked in a quiet but fierce power struggle with Ma Chao and his siblings ever since their father's death, each side vying for control of the clan's future. Wannian's sudden appearance and her obvious favor toward Ma Yunlu was an unwelcome complication.
Then at this time came Ma Yunlu. She all but ran into the hall, her cheeks flushed with joy. Her eyes lit up as she saw Wannian, embracing her like a long lost sister.
"You came! I'm so happy! Why don't you tell me you were coming!" Ma Yunlu exclaimed, hugging Wannian.
Wannian hugged her back, careful of her swollen belly. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
Ma Yunlu then turned to the unfamiliar faces beside her. "And who are your companions?"
Wannian beamed. "This is my dearest friend and childhood companion, Sun Shangxiang. Daughter of Duke Wulie, Sun Jian, and little sister to Sun Ce, Marquis Dingdong. And this is Cheng Pu, Sun Clan's old general, though he's mostly playing the role of an overprotective uncle for Shangxiang today."
Ma Yunlu offered Sun Shangxiang a warm smile and an extended hand. "So you're the famous little lady of the Sun Clan. I've heard stories about your bow skills. A pleasure to finally meet you."
"Likewise," Sun Shangxiang replied with a grin, shaking her hand firmly. "I've heard you and Brother Zhao Yun are to be married soon. Congratulations."
The two young women began exchanging stories and jokes quickly, the energy in the room softening.
Meanwhile, the elders stood stiffly. Though they had bowed and spoken their pleasantries, they were now being completely ignored.
Wannian didn't even gave them a glance anymore after their earlier interaction. She knew well their behind the scenes maneuverings, the quiet attempts at seizing control over the younger generation of the Ma Clan. They had tried more than once to push against Ma Chao's authority.
Their discomfort only grew when they attempted to engage Cheng Pu, who gave them a stony glance before turning away, remembering quite well how they had snubbed him earlier.
Finally, after enough awkward silence, Wannian turned to the elders with a calm smile that dripped with finality. "You may go. I am here only to speak with Lady Ma Yunlu."
The elders bowed once more and retreated, their faces red with embarrassment.
When the hall was cleared and the tea was refilled, the conversation turned to more private matters.
"Yunlu," Wannian said, sipping her tea, "you know how I trained a little with the sword, but this one here—" she gestured at Shangxiang, "—she could probably throw me into a river with one hand."
Sun Shangxiang laughed, modest but proud. "Not that strong, but I've had a good teachers."
"Oh? Who taught you?" Ma Yunlu asked curiously.
"My father, my brother, Uncle Han, Uncle Huang, and Uncle Cheng, when they had time. I was always a bit of a handful growing up," Sun Shangxiang said, throwing a glance at the old general.
Cheng Pu sighed. "More like a storm in human form."
Ma Yunlu chuckled, already warming to her. Then she leaned forward, intrigued at something. "Oh by the way, do you favor any particular weapon?"
"The bow and the twin swords," Sun Shangxiang answered. "Though I'm decent with a spear too."
"Decent?" Wannian snorted. "She's being modest. She once disarmed three of Brother Sun Ce's best guards in under a minute."
Ma Yunlu gasped. "That's incredible! My brother Ma Chao is a spear master, perhaps you could spar with him sometime!"
Shangxiang's cheeks pinked slightly. "I... wouldn't want to trouble him."
Wannian who sipped her tea, shot her a knowing look but said nothing of it, changing the topic to something else.
"I wanted you two to meet," Wannian said softly. "We've each grown up in different worlds, but now we're all part of the same story. It's good to know who you'll be standing beside."
Ma Yunlu nodded, understanding not just the words, but the intent behind them. She was no fool. Wannian didn't just want her to meet a new friend, she wanted a bond formed. Bridges built between powerful houses through the women who would one day hold as much sway as the men.
On the other hand, outusde of the main hall, the Ma Clan elders stewed in their embarrassment.
"That little brat," one uncle muttered. "Princess or not, she has no right to dismiss us like servants! We are her elders and part of the Ma Clan!"
Another sighed. "She's the Emperor's sister. She can do as she pleases. The Emperor have ignored us, what makes those close to him doesn't ignore us as well."
"And what of that Sun girl? Since when is the Sun Clan is so brazen? Just because they were chummy with the imperial family?"
The eldest uncle stroked his beard, his expression dark. "This is Ma Chao's doing. He's been cozying up to the Emperor since way before us after all. Now his sister reaps the benefits while we're left scrambling."
Their grumbling was cut short when a servant hurried in.
"My lords! Lord Ma Chao has returned from training!"
The elders exchanged glances. If anyone could salvage this situation, it was Ma Chao himself.
Ma Chao strode into the residence, his training clothes damp with sweat, his spear slung across his back. Ma Dai followed close behind, while Ma Tie and Ma Xiu who had wisely choose not to join them to avoid further "lessons."
The elders intercepted him before he could retreat to his quarters.
"Nephew! A moment!"
Ma Chao arched a brow. "What is it, elders?"
"Princess Wannian is here," the eldest uncle said. "With Lady Sun Shangxiang. They're with Yunlu now in the main hall."
Ma Chao stilled. "Sun Shangxiang?"
"Yes! The daughter of Sun Jian! They arrived unannounced, dismissed us without a second glance, not giving us any respect whatsoever. They-"
Ma Chao tuned out the rest of the rant. His mind raced. Sun Shangxiang. The fiery, unpredictable girl who he had once saw in the training ground, accompanied by guards of the Sun Clan.
The one whose laughter echoed across training yards, and whose arrows never missed their mark. The one who, for some inexplicable reason, made his pulse quicken when their paths crossed at that time. Noticing the weridness on Ma Chao, Ma Dai nudged him. "Cousin? You're spacing out."
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 34 (201 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 966 (+20)
VIT: 623 (+20)
AGI: 623 (+10)
INT: 667
CHR: 98
WIS: 549
WILL: 432
ATR Points: 0