Published at 19th of September 2024 6:48 am

Chapter 117: Visiting the Fan Residence

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“Wait a moment.”

Shrugging off Fan Yuer’s tugging, Zi Liyuan turned towards Shen Yurou, who was looking at him with displeasure.

“Xiao Yurou, do well in your exam tomorrow. I’m off to handle some private matters.

In the next few days, you should also take care of your personal affairs and then continue studying that metal lizard.

Once I’ve dealt with my private matters, we’ll go to Dragon Academy together for the assessment.”

Feeling guilty was out of the question. In the Great Xia Empire, which capable man didn’t have three wives and four concubines? Which woman didn’t have three husbands and four admirers?

Besides, he was merely recruiting a woman with great potential as a subordinate…

Having said his piece, he patted Shen Yurou’s smooth and delicate shoulder, then turned and walked away with Fan Yuer without a hint of hesitation.

White Crane City, the Eastern District.

This was the true domain of privilege, where most of the powerful and influential noble families were located.

The Fan Family had been established for over two hundred years in White Crane City and was considered a mid-sized clan despite only occupying a remote location for their clan estate.

The members of the Fan Family living here were only the direct descendants and important branches of a few houses. The more distant relatives unless they had contributed greatly to the clan, did not reside within the family estate. Fan Yuer was the daughter of one of the seven third-tier stewards of the Fan Family, born to a concubine.

Because of her stunning beauty and the special status that came with being one of the ‘flower sisters,’ she made an excellent tool for marital alliances. Thus, her place in the family was second only to those legitimate sons and daughters with respectable talents.

Unexpectedly, just after the high school examinations for potential warriors were over, Fan Yuer brought a strange man home. The news spread through the Fan Family like the wind and caught the special attention of her father, Fan Hengcheng.

How could he not pay attention when his daughter was designated by the family as a tool for marital alliances?

If anything went wrong, he would definitely be held accountable and possibly even be punished by the family.

Therefore, Fan Hengcheng rushed back to his own courtyard as soon as possible, his face full of authority and even an angry expression as he waited for his troublesome daughter.

When Fan Yuer arrived at their branch’s courtyard with Zi Liyuan, she saw her father with a scowl on his face, sitting in the main seat of the hall, waiting for her with an ill-disposed look in his eyes.

“Father…”

“Who is this man? What is your relationship with him?”

Before his daughter could finish speaking, Fan Hengcheng forcefully interrupted her, eyeing the young-faced Zi Liyuan with disapproval and unconsciously furrowing his brow.

“Father, this is Zi Liyuan. He has come to ask for our hands in marriage, to take us sisters as his concubines.”

“You fool, do you even realize what you’re saying?”

With a “smack,” Fan Hengcheng slammed his hand down on the marble table leaving a half-centimeter-deep palm print, his face brimming with anger as he glared at his daughter who had taken matters into her own hands.

He truly hadn’t expected his daughter to dare to bring a man home to propose marriage. How could she be so bold?

Knowing full well that she and her sister were selected as tools for the family’s marital alliances, how could she still brazenly bring a foreign man home to propose? Wasn’t she afraid that the Family Head would blame her, and the entire branch would be punished by the family?

In that moment, Fan Hengcheng wished he could slap his troublemaking daughter to death.

“Father, your daughter knows what she’s talking about. Not all strategic marriages are created equal. Compared to that notorious elder from the Chen family, Li Yuan is this year’s national college entrance exam valedictorian! ” Faced with her father’s raging anger, Fan Yuer played her trump card.

“What?! National college entrance exam valedictorian?! Is he really the valedictorian?!”

The wrath on Fan Hengcheng’s face instantly turned to shock as he stood up his expression one of utter disbelief as he looked at Zi Liyuan.

“Yes, Li Yuan is the valedictorian of this year’s national college entrance exam.

Later, you can see the ranking information on TV.”

As she watched her father lose his composure, Fan Yuer felt a wave of satisfaction.

Being a concubine’s daughter, she had never received much favoritism from her father, who greatly valued sons over daughters, lavishing almost all his affection on the two sons born to his first wife.

Most of the various resources allocated to their fourth branch were given to these two brothers, which was why Fan Yuer and her sisters had to fight so hard to improve their standing within the family.

“Oh, my talented nephew, at first glance, you strike as a person of great talents. Please, take a seat and rest a while. Chunmei, quickly, bring out the best tea so our esteemed guest can have a taste.”

Fan Hengcheng, who had just been fuming, quickly changed his demeanor, even somewhat obsequiously inviting Zi Liyuan to sit and rest.

He didn’t doubt his daughter’s words, because telling such an easily busted lie would be pointless and would only result in severe punishment for her.

And a national college entrance exam valedictorian – what that represented he surely understood.

With such a promising candidate for a strategic marriage, who would choose a Chen family elder!

The previous marriage proposal was less about forming an alliance and more about selling his daughter in exchange for a substantial amount of resources to ensure that his legitimate son could secure a spot at the Nine Great Divine States Academy.

If he arranged a marriage with the national valedictorian, the Fan Family might benefit less in the short term, but what about in the future?

Every national valedictorian was guaranteed a spot at the Dragon Academy, the best among the Nine Great Divine States Academy, and would almost certainly enter the Sea of Realms within two years to become a firmly established Lord!

This was a golden opportunity. As long as they held on tight, within a few years the Fan Family’s foundational strength would soar, elevating them to a major ’ family, and perhaps even a noble clan!

Thinking of all this, Fan Hengcheng felt even more fervent. If he could make this marriage happen, this man would be his son-in-law!

“Yuer, you stay here and keep Li Yuan company. You can also take him to the back garden to see your sisters. I’m going to invite the Family Head and the elders over to discuss this marriage proposal right away.”

He didn’t want to leave any room for mistakes or foolish actions from the Family Head and elders, so Fan Hengcheng immediately rushed out of his own courtyard toward the main family estate.

“Is the title of national college entrance exam valedictorian really that powerful?”

Zi Liyuan, who hadn’t uttered a word the entire time, watched Fan Hengcheng rush away in a frenzy and turned to Fan Yuer, asking quizzically.

“Of course it’s powerful. It guarantees at least a peak fourth-turn powerhouse, with a very high chance of becoming a Lord of the Sea of Realms. For a family ’ without a Lord to rely on, it’s like a sturdy pillar they’d all want to cling to.” Fan Yuer gave him a meaningful roll of her eyes and then took Zi Liyuan’s hand, leading him to the back garden.

‘Let’s go. I’ll introduce you to your future sisters-in-law and let them see just how strong and handsome their future husband is.”

‘Wait, I didn’t agree to marry any of you, did I?”

“Get lost. Who can’t see through your little schemes? You pressured us into signing the Boundary Sea Contract, which means we can never betray you in our lifetimes. Do you really think we sisters could marry someone else?” She rolled her eyes again, and for this insincere fellow, Fan Yuer felt like biting him a few times. &

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