Chapter 260 - 179: You Can’t Go Wrong With This Person
"In that case, even a Qi Sensing Martial Master could never meet the Wen Family’s criteria. He’s destined to be a mere also-ran, someone not worth the Young Master’s attention," the young Scholar’s Attendant said.
"Oh? If that’s the case, then never mind."
Wu Wende smiled faintly, a cold glint flashing through his eyes for a moment. But his expression remained polite and gentle, the very picture of a refined scholar.
~~~~~~~
That night, Wen Tailai took a carriage to the Wen Family Villa in Earth City’s Xinyi Square.
As one of the closest relatives to this branch of the Wen Family from Shanyang Prefecture, and an elder at that, Wen Tailai was received with the highest honors.
"Uncle, what important matter brings you here tonight?" Widow Yu asked.
Although Widow Yu had married out of the family long ago, her husband had since passed away, and she had returned to the Wen Family of Shanyang Prefecture a few years prior.
For now, the other elders of their branch had not yet arrived, making her the most senior member present. Besides, she had met Wen Tailai, her uncle, when she was a child.
"Haha, it’s nothing too serious. Great Wei is currently in turmoil, with war on three fronts. Though our Wen Family is deeply rooted, we may not be able to fully protect you all in the future. So, the family has decided to find a pillar of support for some of you."
The eligible young women had already been informed of this.
He had come today simply because Wen Lan’s branch was his closest blood relation, making a special trip to give his advice and look out for them.
Wen Lan nodded, a natural sense of resignation washing over her.
’Being part of such a great family means enjoying wealth and glory that ordinary people could never imagine, but sometimes, you can’t even be guaranteed the most basic of freedoms.’
’Making a few sacrifices for the sake of the family’s interests is to be expected.’
"Must it be this way?" Widow Yu asked sorrowfully.
In fact, she herself had been married off for this very reason in the past.
She understood the reasoning behind such family arrangements, but she also knew the bitterness they entailed from personal experience. Naturally, she didn’t want her niece to follow in her footsteps.
"It must be so."
Wen Tailai shook his head and continued, "Rest assured, the men we are choosing from this time are all-round talents, accomplished in both literary and martial arts. They will certainly not disgrace a daughter of our Wen Family."
Marriage alliances are a necessary phase for any great family to grow and expand.
However, given the Wen Family’s current stature, they could no longer form marriage alliances with families of a similar rank.
Otherwise, how could the imperial family of Great Wei possibly rest easy?
Therefore, their only option was to recruit a husband into the family, finding a promising prospect to join them.
"I came today to tell you about one man in particular. I’ve reviewed his profile, and he is outstanding in every way. Even more remarkably, his literary talent is the finest among all the candidates."
"When the time comes, if you really can’t decide, you won’t go wrong choosing him."
Wen Tailai said with a faint smile.
His words piqued the curiosity of both Widow Yu and Wen Lan. But in front of Wen Tailai, Wen Lan was ultimately a bit too bashful to ask who it was.
Widow Yu had no such reservations. She immediately asked, "You’re so confident, Uncle. What has this man accomplished to be worthy of such high praise?"
"His Martial Arts are a given; the man is an Inspector for the Observatory. In terms of literary talent, he has composed two masterpieces for the ages, one of which, ’Jiang Xue,’ has spread throughout the entire Great Wei dynasty. A man like that... he’s not bad, is he?"
Wen Tailai was very confident. ’This young man my old friend recommended is truly exceptional,’ he thought. ’He possesses supreme Talent and such literary grace—he’s no good-for-nothing. He’s a perfect fit as a son-in-law for the Wen Family.’
’If the few young women of the main branch weren’t already engaged or married, he’d be a perfectly suitable candidate to recruit for them as well.’
It was no wonder he thought so highly of Fang Yue. After all, Fang Yue’s literary talent was extraordinary, possessing a transcendent potential. If he could truly continue to produce such timeless poetry and prose...
...then there was a chance he could fulfill the ritual requirements of the Wen Family’s Cultivation Technique, giving him the opportunity to become a Celestial Being.
At this thought, Wen Tailai couldn’t help but shake his head.
’Well, becoming a Celestial Being is still too far off. I can only treat it as a hopeful aspiration for now.’
"Oh, so he’s the author of that poem!" Upon hearing this, Wen Lan’s interest was piqued, and the reluctance that had been on her face completely disappeared.
’Sometimes, it’s just as the saying goes: if you can’t resist, you might as well embrace it.’
The Patriarch of the Wen Family cultivated the Literary Dao. This was, of course, due to the unique nature of their ancestral Cultivation Technique, which required it to reach the highest level of achievement: becoming a Celestial Being.
The core ritual involved absorbing immense amounts of Literary Qi.
Of course, becoming a Celestial Being was something an ordinary person wouldn’t even dare to dream of; most didn’t even know what the Celestial Human Realm was.
But that didn’t stop the Wen Family from seeking out marriage partners who possessed both brilliant literary talent and a high level of Martial Arts Cultivation.
So, upon learning that the suitor Wen Tailai had found for her was the author of such a poem, her feelings of resistance lessened considerably.
But unlike Wen Lan, a tempest was raging in Widow Yu’s heart at that moment.
’If I’m not mistaken, the poem "Jiang Xue" was written by Fang Yue.’
’Could the person Wen Tailai is talking about be Fang Yue?’
The moment the thought arose, Widow Yu couldn’t help but shake her head. ’How could Fang Yue possibly have escaped from Shanyang Prefecture?’
’Even our family had to go to great lengths just to leave Shanyang Prefecture in batches. Fang Yue has no family status, no background... I’m afraid he’s already...’
At this thought, Widow Yu couldn’t help but feel a wave of grief.
’If it hadn’t been for Nu, I wouldn’t have even wanted to leave back then.’
’Unfortunately, there are many times and many things in life you cannot decide or choose. You can only drift along with the current.’
"Remember, the man’s name is Fang Yue. Alright, I’ve stayed long enough. If I don’t get going, I won’t make it back tonight."
After saying this, Wen Tailai rose, bid them farewell, and departed.
Widow Yu and Wen Lan naturally hurried to their feet to see him off.
They watched until Wen Tailai’s carriage sped away and vanished around the corner at the end of the street.
Wen Lan finally snapped out of her daze. She asked, somewhat absentmindedly, "Who did our uncle just say? Fang Yue? Aunt, do you think it’s possible for such a coincidence to exist in this world—that there’s another person named Fang Yue, with the same name as that... that mud-legged peasant?"
"It must be someone else with the same name," Wen Lan reasoned, shaking her head with a small, derisive laugh. "Great Wei is so vast, with a population in the hundreds of millions. Besides, that Fang Yue is a mud-legged peasant. It’s remarkable enough that he could practice the Martial Dao; how could he possibly compose such a poem? It’s definitely not the same person!"
’I’m really getting carried away. What am I even thinking? How could that mud-legged peasant Fang Yue possibly possess such literary talent? I’m definitely overthinking things.’
"Mm. Perhaps."
At that moment, Widow Yu’s mind was reeling. The name, Fang Yue, combined with that vaguely familiar poem, was enough for her to be certain: the Fang Yue their uncle had mentioned was the same Fang Yue from her memories.
’In other words, Fang Yue really did escape from Shanyang Prefecture.’
’And by the looks of it, he’s come here.’
’I wonder if I’ll be able to see him again.’
As these thoughts churned in her mind, she found herself momentarily lost in a daze.
~~~~~~
「The next day.」
Wen Lan was finally settled in. Early in the morning, she washed her face, ate breakfast, and after getting all dressed up, she went out for some shopping.
It was a woman’s nature, after all, to love shopping regardless of time or place.
"Nu, stay close to me and don’t run off. I heard that here in Earth City, Qinglan Street has the best scenery, and the food at Ju Xiang Building is the most delicious..."
Wen Lan chattered on, listing all the local customs, famous streets, snacks, and attractions of Earth City.
Even though Wen Lan had clearly never been to this city before, right now she sounded like a seasoned traveler.
"Hey, Lan, isn’t that Yue? Quick, let’s follow! I think I just saw Yue!"
Just as Wen Lan was in the middle of her enthusiastic introduction, Nu, who had just promised to be on her best behavior, had already darted away like a wisp of smoke.