Chapter 587: Jianghu Experts? Just a Bastard Trying to Marry Into the Family!

【The hour of Shen, fifteen minutes in.】

【Today was not particularly sunny—just a faintly bright overcast day.】

【At the main gate of the Xie residence.】

【Xie Yuan turned toward the voice and saw that the speaker was Xie Qiyue of the Second Courtyard of the Xie family.】

【The younger generation of the Xie, Li, and Sima families stood toward the rear, clustering in small familiar groups.】

【Five individuals stood beside a luxurious carriage, their bearing exceptional—evident from the subtle glances cast their way by numerous young lords and ladies nearby.】

【This spot seemed one of the focal points; further off, other crowds had gathered, drawn by the sound and turning their heads.】

【You followed Xie Yuan forward.】

【"Xie Yuan, are your eyes just for show? I spotted you at a glance."】

【Xie Qiyue crossed her arms, displeased: "You're so slow—this is outrageous. You make me wait for you?"】

【Xie Yuan rolled his eyes: "What's the rush? We can't leave until the elder matriarchs are ready."】

【"What good is arriving early if you just stand around like a punished servant?"】

【Xie Yuan swayed his head lazily, calm and self-satisfied: "Xie Guan and I act with deliberation—something you couldn't possibly understand."】

【Only then did Xie Qiyue notice the young man standing beside Xie Yuan.】

【The youth wore a simple, elegant robe of plain fabric, his figure tall and slender.】

【His jet-black hair was tied with a jade hairpin; his face was strikingly handsome, his eyes like pools of ink, radiating a cool serenity.】

【A refined elegance emanated from his brow—clearly the result of years immersed in poetry and classics.】

【The youth smiled slightly, adding warmth to his demeanor, and greeted:】

【"Qiyue sister!"】

【Xie Qiyue was momentarily stunned, inwardly wondering: When did Xie Guan become so handsome? Why had she never noticed before?】

【Though only two months had passed, he felt utterly changed—more composed, more confident.】

【When she came to her senses, she was dumbfounded: What was this "Qiyue sister"?】

【Even Xie Yuan never called her that!】

【She had little contact with Xie Guan; she lived in the Second Courtyard and only saw him during clan gatherings mandated by tradition.】

【Many cousins and cousins-in-law in the Main Courtyard had isolated him—he was often alone.】

【Alone.】

【As a child, when she was still playful, she too had followed the crowd in distancing herself from him—never bullied him, merely stood aside, clapping and laughing at his misfortunes.】

【Even now, she'd only seen him a few times, through Zhang Yunzhi and Xie Yuan.】

【Yet his casual address didn't feel like that of a stranger—it felt like that of a… trustworthy elder brother.】

【At that moment!】

【A tall, broad-shouldered youth with a somewhat clumsy face stepped forward from behind Xie Qiyue, eyeing you with hostility and asking bluntly:】

【"Who are you?"】

【Xie Qiyue, sighing inwardly, replied: "This is my ninth cousin, Xie Guan."】

【The tall youth froze—he was clearly surprised that the Xie family had such a person; he had never seen you before.】

【But upon hearing Xie Qiyue's explanation, he seemed to relax—he had seen clearly how she had been momentarily stunned.】

【Xie Qiyue added: "The one Xie Yuan always says was touched by a transcendent and had his mind altered."】

【Two others stood behind Xie Qiyue, silently watching.】

【A man and a woman.】

【The woman wore a yellow embroidered maple-leaf gown; her features were delicate, her eyes serene and refined, befitting a lady of noble birth.】

【The man was fair and handsome, elegant as a jade tree; his face had sharp contours, his brows fine as willow leaves, exuding beauty from afar.】

【The woman smiled at you: "I've heard of you. The unfinished verse you composed at the Grass Hall poetry gathering—'Peng flies north, phoenix faces the sun, carrying books and sword on a boundless road'—was exquisite."】

【Her voice was gentle, soft as a whisper.】

【Xie Qiyue introduced: "This is Muqing sister—Sima Muqing, third daughter of the Sima family. Her father is the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works."】

【The Ministry of Works was one of the Six Ministries of the imperial court, overseeing all public construction, utensil standards, irrigation systems, and imperial tomb provisions—its authority immense.】

【You were slightly surprised: the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works was a high-ranking official of the fourth rank, second only to the Minister within the ministry.】

【It was a position of real power in court—currently, the Ministry of Works led the repairs after the Yellow River's breach.】

【As the daughter of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, Sima Muqing's family background was illustrious.】

【But it was understandable—the Nine Surnames all held high office or military command; none among them were ordinary.】

【You smiled: "Greetings, Miss Muqing!"】

【The woman returned the greeting.】

【Xie Qiyue pointed to the man: "This is Zhu Zhiqian—he studies at the academy and also serves in the Censorate."】

【The man's gaze settled on you, gave a faint nod, then turned to Xie Qiyue: "Yunzhi, why hasn't she arrived yet?"】

【After asking a servant, Xie Qiyue replied: "Yunzhi sister is with Shuwan sister—they'll be here any moment."】

【The man nodded.】

【The tall youth quickly interjected: "Qiyue, you haven't introduced me yet?"】

【His tone was slightly sour: "How did you forget me?"】

【Xie Qiyue's voice turned impatient: "Don't you have a mouth? Can't you speak for yourself? Must I do it for you?"】

【The tall youth looked embarrassed.】

【Xie Yuan stepped in to smooth things over: "This is Xue Hong—Xue brother. He's the current heir of the Xue family. His father is the Director of the Imperial Academy."】

【You were stirred: Director of the Imperial Academy—a third-rank official.】

【The highest institution of learning in Da Qi was called the "Imperial Academy," and its Director led the Imperial Academicians, overseeing the education of all students.】

【But Da Qi's Imperial Academy had long since lost its prestige—it was far less esteemed than private academies.】

【The Xue family had always been low-key among the Nine Surnames. Though the Director of the Imperial Academy held a higher rank than the Vice Minister of Works, the actual power was mostly nominal.】

【A flicker of doubt arose in you: Why had a Xue family member appeared here so unexpectedly?】

【Logically, today's outing should have involved only the Li and Sima families.】

【The Xie and Xue families had little interaction—when Grandmother Xie hosted the Hongjing Courtyard gathering, she hadn't invited anyone from the Xue family.】

【You didn't neglect propriety: "Greetings, Master Xue."】

【The tall youth wasn't unattractive—broad brows, large eyes, a strong, noble face—but his eyes carried a touch of naivety.】

【Xie Yuan leaned in and whispered: "Xue Hong insisted on tagging along with Qiyue."】

【"Xue Hong's martial talent is extraordinary—he's the top martial cultivator of his generation. He's about my age, already at the Fifth Realm."】

【You nodded thoughtfully.】

【Not long after!】

【A sound came from the main gate of the Xie residence; the crowd gradually fell silent.】

【At that moment!】

【All eyes turned toward the main gate.】

【You stood beside the carriage, watching nine elderly figures emerge—each radiating the quiet, unspoken authority of long-standing power.】

【They were the senior elders of the Xie, Li, and Sima families.】

【You recognized only Xie Hong and Grandmother Xie—the rest were strangers.】

【This was a conversation among great men; there was no place for the younger generation.】

【You wondered silently: Where was Lu Hua, who always followed Xie Hong?】

【The nine elders boarded their carriages.】

【Grandmother Xie, supported by her son, smiled contentedly as she slowly ascended her carriage.】

【The first batch of carriages slowly departed.】

【The atmosphere grew lighter.】

【The second group to emerge from the gate were the ladies of the Xie, Li, and Sima families.】

【You recognized only the Xie family members: Lady Yuan, Lady Zhuge, Lady Zhao of the Second Courtyard, and others.】

【You looked closely and finally spotted a figure wearing a white gauze hat and a wide Daoist robe.】

【And the man wrapped in a black cloak, his face hidden beneath a hood.】

【Xie Yuan nudged your shoulder and whispered: "Is this woman your second uncle brought back his second aunt—someone he found outside?"】

He answered himself: "No, she doesn't seem like that. She looks more like a martial arts heroine—a master of the jianghu."

【"Guang, what do you think?"】

【You smiled: "Maybe she's the Martial Alliance's leader!"】

【Lu Hua seemed to notice your gaze, gave a slight nod, then followed the group of ladies away.】

【You looked up into the crowd—they had already entered their carriages.】

【As you pondered quietly…】

【A woman's mocking voice rang out.】

【"Muqing sister, you've arrived and didn't even tell your elder sister?"】

【A sharp, sarcastic female voice came unexpectedly from behind.】

【"Oh? Muqing sister, you've come here and didn't even let me know?"】

【Sima Muqing frowned at the words.】

Xie Qi Yue simply froze her expression, her gaze fixed on the woman striding toward them.

You followed her gaze and saw a young girl in purple silk robes walking gracefully, her fingertips delicately holding several translucent, glistening lychees—plump, juice-ready—unusual in a season when lychees should not be available.

These are a specialty of the Northern Sea Dao, delivered at breakneck speed on horseback across ice during the depths of winter to Bianjing.

A single rider stirs red dust; the imperial consort smiles.

They are extremely expensive; ordinary people cannot afford to taste them.

The girl was tall, her skin as white as snow, her jet-black hair combed into a silken cascade reaching down to her hips.

Yet in her glances, there radiated an air of supreme arrogance.

Behind her walked another person you recognized: Xie Renfeng of the Xie family's Second Courtyard, his expression warm, smiling.

Xie Qi Yue snapped: "Li Yutong, why should Muqing come to our Xie household and report to you?"

Xie Renfeng spoke from behind Li Yutong: "Qi Yue, show some respect."

He carried himself like an elder brother.

Clearly, the tension between Xie Qi Yue's group and the purple-robed Li Yutong ran deep, the atmosphere exquisitely tense.

Li Yutong casually tossed away the lychee peels; her attendants hurried to catch them with utmost care, fearing even the slightest mishap.

Li Yutong ignored Xie Qi Yue entirely: "I'm catching up with Muqing. What business is that of yours, Xie Qi Yue?"

She turned to Sima Muqing: "There is order in age and hierarchy. Didn't your mother ever teach you that?"

Sima Muqing, seeing this, bowed slightly, her demeanor gentle as ever, her voice soft: "Muqing greets Sister Yutong."

Li Yutong lifted her chin and gave a faint, nearly haughty nod.

You couldn't help but wonder: why could a daughter of the Li family so brazenly try to overshadow a daughter of the Sima family?

Xie Yuan noticed your confusion and whispered: "Li Yutong's mother remarried into the Sima family; her first husband was from the Li family. Thus, they are not full sisters."

"They are half-sisters."

Hearing this, you paused slightly. In the Great Qi, half-siblings were common, but among the Nine Surnames, such tangled kinship was rare.

Yet upon reflection, it made sense—imperial families had countless such cases: uncles marrying their nieces, cousins wed to cousins.

Intermarriage among the Nine Surnames was routine.

Among the Nine Surnames, countless affairs flourished openly, and countless sordid deeds festered in secret.

Xie Yuan continued: "This has made them hostile, especially since Li Yutong constantly targets Muqing."

"It's a family matter between two houses—we can't interfere."

Li Yutong now looked coldly at Xie Qi Yue: "Looks like you had no mother to raise you."

Xie Qi Yue's face flushed with fury; she rolled up her sleeves. Her mother had died early, and no one in the Xie Fu dared speak of it—she was fiercely temperamental.

The tall youth Xue Hong's eyes turned icy: "If you bully Qi Yue, you're challenging me, Xue Hong."

Sima Muqing held back Xie Qi Yue and shook her head; she didn't want trouble stirred over her.

Li Yutong studied Xue Hong, sensing his anger—he was infamous among the Nine Surnames as a reckless fool, never choosing his moment, having already knocked down several young masters before.

She swallowed the words on her tongue and let out a cold snort.

Li Yutong's gaze swept over the group: Sima Muqing, Xie Qi Yue, Xue Hong, Zhu Zhiqian, and Xie Yuan.

All of them were annoying.

Suddenly, she noticed a stranger among them and raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp: "Who are you?"

Xie Renfeng smiled and introduced: "This is Xie Guan of the main courtyard—my cousin."

"Xie Guan?"

Li Yutong frowned slightly, as if recalling something, then sneered: "The bastard son the Xie family disowned? His mother was a lowly servant girl—yet he dares dream of marrying into the Li family, climbing the ladder?"

At these words!

Everyone's expressions shifted.

Xie Renfeng's smile deepened.

(End of Chapter)