Chapter 10: Wang Cui Proposes Marriage

Gathering a hundred men, for a city of Luoyang with a population of hundreds of thousands, was no more than plucking a single leaf from a bamboo grove; but for a lone, penniless stranger, it was no different from a mayfly trying to shake a giant tree.

Yet Afulu had agreed without the slightest hesitation, entirely confident. Early the next morning, Afulu came to bid farewell to Liu Xian.

"Just wait for the good news!" he patted his chest, nodding heavily with an air of heroic grandeur. But the very next second, his expression changed entirely, and he pleaded, "I'll leave my brother here as collateral with you. Could you lend me some money first?"

"You really are my ancestor!" Liu Xian laughed and scolded, yet still advanced him two hundred coins.

After Afulu stepped easily onto the road leading to the marketplace, Liu Xian watched his retreating figure for a long time as he gradually faded into the distance. Afulu never once looked back.

Returning to his courtyard, a smile could not help but tug at the corner of Liu Xian's lips: "What a strange fellow!"

What did this young Jie Hu youth intend to do? Would he break into the chivalrous circles of the capital and make a name for himself, or would he rely on glib rhetoric to deceive a bunch of desperate outlaws? Whichever option he chose, neither would be a simple task, and Liu Xian seemed entirely oblivious to the possibility that he might already have been scammed by Afulu.

A-Luo brought him his breakfast and sat down beside him: "That dragonfly-like lad, what kind of creature is he anyway?"

"He," Liu Xian replied cheerfully, "I have a premonition: either he will become my dearest friend, or my sworn mortal enemy."

"Premonitions are hardly reliable. He is nothing more than an illiterate Jie Hu." Though clever, A-Luo ultimately lacked Liu Xian's broadness of mind, retaining a lingering aristocratic aloofness.

"No, true heroes do not ask their origins. Back in the day, Emperor Gaozu was merely a local pavilion chief, was he not?"

"Emperor Gaozu... You've only just met him, and yet you hold him in such high regard?!" Upon hearing this evaluation, A-Luo was extremely astonished.

"Affinity between people begins the very moment they first meet. Whether it be friends, sworn brothers, husband and wife, or even father and son, none can escape this rule," Liu Xian said as he sipped his porridge. "However, if a person fails to grasp a method to let the other party understand their strengths upon their very first encounter, they are utterly useless. Conversely, one who masters this can effortlessly become a leader and a chief."

Smiling, Liu Xian delivered his verdict on the young Jie Hu: "He is a born leader."

After finishing his meal, Liu Xian set off as usual to accompany the Prince of Shiping in his studies. As he led his horse out, gazing at the magnificent and fierce steed, Fanyu, in the stable, an itch arose in his heart. He desperately wanted to test the stamina of this thousand-li steed, but after locking eyes with it in mutual defiance for a moment, he ultimately gave up.

"It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality. I won't have a thousand-li horse to ride in the future, after all." Comforting himself thus, Liu Xian led out a cyan-maned horse as usual, leisurely making his way toward the Prince of Shiping's residence.

Speaking of which, the birthday celebration of Princess Yingchuan had already concluded.

Just as Sima Wei had stated previously, he had personally caught two wolf-cub foxes in the Wanan Mountains. Though he failed to find a tiger, he had hunted a bear and hurriedly fashioned a bearskin hat, presenting it to his younger sister on the day of the banquet, which indeed created a brilliant sensation.

The other imperial princes clearly had not put much heart into it. The more vulgar ones directly sent coral and agate, while the more refined ones offered chess pieces and festive lanterns.

In contrast, Sima Wei had arrived covered in dust, thrusting two small, cute foxes into his sister's arms before pulling out the bearskin hat himself, "unconsciously" revealing the scratches on his face and hands. The contrast in effort was immediately clear, moving Princess Yingchuan to tears and earning Sima Wei high praise from both the Emperor and the ministers.

Sima Wei was immensely pleased upon returning to his residence, once again hosting a banquet for his staff and celebrating lavishly.

At the banquet, Qi Sheng, Gongsun Hong, and the others showered Sima Wei with fulsome praise, attributing all the credit for the feat entirely to their lord. They flattered him until he floated on air, completely unaware of his surroundings and entirely forgetting about the existence of someone named Liu Xian.

Liu Xian harbored no resentment regarding this. Yet, recalling it now, although this Prince of Shiping possessed courage and execution skills, compared to the commoner Afulu, he lacked the most crucial self-awareness and independent judgment. Surrounded by such a clique of instigators and petty villains, how far could he possibly go in the future? Liu Xian held grave doubts.

However, that was a matter for the distant future. At least for now, the Prince of Shiping's residence remained a leisurely and pleasant place to be.

Upon arriving at the Prince of Shiping's residence, Liu Xian was surprised to find three carriages parked outside the gates. Looking further inside, the number of guards visible to the naked eye had nearly doubled.

This was quite unusual. He dismounted, greeted Qiu Hu, a familiar guard of the prince's estate, and asked, "Has some distinguished guest arrived at the manor?"

Qiu Hu laughed and said, "Nothing major. Today, the Fifteenth Highness and Princess Yingchuan are visiting, and they are inside playing with the Prince right now!"

"Ah." Liu Xian suddenly understood. As Sima Wei's sibling, it was naturally proper for imperial princes and princesses to pay visits, though Liu Xian had spent too little time in the prince's residence to have witnessed it firsthand until now.

He tethered his mount in the stable and walked toward the inner courtyard of the manor. Sure enough, even through the wall, he could hear the clamor of young voices. Stepping inside, he saw the Prince of Shiping, Sima Wei, standing at the archery range with bow and arrow in hand, aiming with one eye closed at a straw dummy about a hundred paces away. The surrounding staff members stood scattered about, flanking two youths in brocade garments who stood to Sima Wei's left and right.

Standing on the left was the Fifteenth Prince, Sima Ai. Thirteen years old this year and not yet enfeoffed, he was Sima Wei's full younger brother by the same mother. Though very young, his physique was slender and his gaze exceptionally sharp. The moment Liu Xian stepped onto the archery range, he caught the boy's peripheral glance, which radiated intense vigilance.

Standing on the right was none other than Princess Yingchuan, Sima Xiuhua. Clad in a green satin gown with wide sleeves and her hands cupped before her chest, she was indeed, just as rumor had it, a delicate and exquisite beauty carved from jade and pearl. Standing amidst the crowd and catching sight of her smooth, full profile, Liu Xian even felt a ripple of astonishment, thinking that while she might not rival Lady Luzhu, she was undeniably charming and adorable.

Qi Sheng and the others in the surroundings were similarly stirred. Despite already being married men with households of their own, they could not help but steal glances. Among them, Wang Cui's gaze was completely unmasked, as if a sudden summer snowstorm had frozen him entirely from head to toe.

Fortunately, Sima Xiuhua was long accustomed to such stares. She merely raised her head with curiosity, revealing an innocent and artless face as she asked, "Fifth Brother, why have you been drawing the bow for so long? Can you actually hit it?"

Sima Ai smiled and said, "Little Sister, it's not that Fifth Brother can't hit it; he wants to hit the straw dummy right in the throat to show off his real skill!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Sima Wei released the string. With a sharp "shhh" sound, the arrow flew straight and true, embedding itself precisely in the narrowest part of the straw dummy's neck. Judging by the length of the fletching, the arrowhead had pierced more than an inch deep into the wood, demonstrating that the archer was not only remarkably accurate but possessed formidable physical strength as well.

Seeing this, the onlookers could not help but chorus their praise.

Yet Sima Wei merely sighed and joked, "Fifteenth Brother, since you understood my intentions, why did you have to blurt it out? Little Sister will only think I'm showing off."

Sima Ai smiled. "It was precisely because I said that it made Fifth Brother's marksmanship—hitting precisely where he aims—look truly godlike!"

"Godlike? How could I dare lack self-awareness?" Sima Wei pointed at the standing guards and laughed, "The men I keep around are elite warriors picked from a hundred in the army. The so-called 'piercing a willow leaf at a hundred paces' is as easy as turning their hands for them. By comparison, this archery of mine is only good for showing off in front of you all."

Hearing this, the Princess tugged at her elder brother's sleeve and said, "But I only saw Fifth Brother being amazing!"

This simple compliment threw Sima Wei into a state of ecstasy. He actually picked up the Princess in front of everyone, set her back down, and indulged her, "Haha, whatever Little Sister says—even if you told me I could shoot down the sun—I would believe it to be true."

Hearing this, Xiuhua narrowed her eyes happily, revealing two shallow dimples at the corners of her mouth, and teased, "Then can Fifth Brother shoot down the sun?"

Sima Wei was at a loss for words. Qi Sheng stepped forward to rescue him, saying, "Your Highness, this is not antiquity; there is only one sun in the sky. If you shot it down, what a disaster that would be."

Xiuhua, however, refused to let it go. "Then can Fifth Brother shoot down the stars?"

"Hasn't our Prince already shot one down?" Wang Cui had been staring fixedly at the Princess for so long that he finally snapped out of it, offering frantic flattery, "Your Highness, you are the very star of our great Jin!"

This remark was exceedingly sycophantic. Even Sima Xiuhua, who had heard plenty of flattery, found it a bit too much to bear; too shy to pester her brother any further, she hid behind Sima Wei. Wang Cui only then realized he had spoken out of turn, becoming flustered and restless as everyone looked on and laughed inwardly.

Since Princess Yingchuan and the Prince of Changsha were present today, the prince's residence studies naturally went out the window. However, Sima Wei had no intention of dismissing everyone; instead, he simply threw a banquet, inviting the staff present to act as honored guests. Sima Wei had always been frugal in his diet, usually consuming only cured meat and radishes even during banquets, but today he broke all precedents: delicacies of land and sea were served in abundance, even including lychees sent all the way from Nanzhong.

The center of the banquet was, of course, Princess Yingchuan. Sima Wei not only summoned renowned musicians from the capital to play music on the side, but also played games with his little sister such as *cangguo* (hiding the hook), *shuanglu* (backgammon), *danjin* (pitch-pot), and other amusements. The staff mostly accompanied them on the side, but being well-versed in social tact, they treated the games merely as a formality and naturally dared not actually win.

Liu Xian was no different. When his turn came, the Princess was playing *chupu*—a gambling game involving five black and white dice to wager on sizes based on colors. Liu Xian readily lost three rounds in a row, allowing Sima Wei to take his place. He then calmly picked up a cup of tea, stood aside to watch, and thought to himself: Ah, these are the utterly mundane joys of the aristocracy.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, Wang Cui sidled up to him and whispered, "Huaichong, come over here for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."

Liu Xian was momentarily stunned. Before he could react, he had already been pulled by the sleeve into a corner by Wang Cui.

Wang Cui looked around cautiously to ensure no one was paying attention to them, then lowered his voice and asked Liu Xian, "Huaichong, what do you think of Princess Yingchuan?"

Liu Xian studied his flushed face and instantly understood his intentions. He said, "Naturally endowed with beauty, flawless as white jade, with a spirited and radiant disposition. Though she is still young, as the saying goes, 'see a drop and know the ocean,' the Princess will surely make an excellent match in the future."

Wang Cui nodded repeatedly, clearly in full agreement with Liu Xian's evaluation. He then asked, "Then tell me, given my background and conditions, is there any chance I might win the Princess's favor?"

Hearing this, Liu Xian looked Wang Cui up and down. Wang Cui was fifteen this year, the same age as Liu Xian. Yet he had an ordinary appearance, spoke in a rather archaic and stiff manner, and possessed only average perception—far from the stereotypical romantic and elegant literati of popular imagination. Still, being selected as a study companion at the Imperial Academy meant Wang Cui possessed his own unique advantage: immense resilience and diligence. Even in affluent surroundings, he forced himself to study painstakingly, thereby gaining extensive mastery of the classics.

"Hongyuan, to speak frankly: you have talent, perseverance, and genuine inner substance. I admire you greatly." Before Wang Cui could rejoice, Liu Xian continued, "But if you want to win the Princess's favor, it will clearly be very difficult."

"Ah!" Wang Cui nearly cried out, barely managing to suppress it before hurriedly asking, "Why?"

"Hongyuan, though your essays are well-written, your tongue is not nimble, your reactions are slightly slow, and you lack the handsome countenance of a Pan Anren. In matters of romance, these are all fatal flaws."

Wang Cui evidently had self-awareness. With every sentence Liu Xian spoke, his complexion grew a shade gloomier. Though he offered no rebuttal, disappointment was written all over his face.

Yet his infatuation with the Princess was so simple and direct. Catching another glimpse of the Princess, his spirits unexpectedly revived, and he continued to press, "I know what you've said, but even so, I still like her. Huaichong, don't you always have brilliant strategies? Can't you help me think of a way?"

*You want to become the Prince Consort, why are you asking me to think of a way?* Liu Xian amused himself inwardly.

Yet he also realized that although he had been marginalized by Qi Sheng and the others, he had unintentionally cultivated an image of someone indifferent to fame and fortune, with no desire to contend for power. Even if others remained wary of his intellect, it was not difficult for him to win their goodwill and trust.

After pondering for a moment, out of a sense of comradeship, Liu Xian decided to help Wang Cui, though he felt compelled to offer a warning first: "Hongyuan, do you truly wish to seek marriage with a Princess? Ha, this is a lifelong matter. If you and she prove ill-matched and end up seeking a divorce, dragging the matter all the way to the Emperor, do not blame me then."

A young man naturally only looks to the immediate present. The moment Wang Cui imagined the prospect of embracing Xiuhua, joy threatened to burst from his chest; any thought of blame vanished entirely. Overjoyed, he blurted out, "Speak quickly, Huaichong! If this actually succeeds, the grace of today is something I shall never forget for the rest of my life!"

Liu Xian glanced at him and sighed. "Actually, it is quite simple. Go straight home, plead with your esteemed father to submit a formal marriage petition to the Emperor on your behalf, and once the Emperor grants an audience to see you, the matter is settled."

Wang Cui was dazed. "It's really that simple?"

"It is precisely that simple," Liu Xian spread his hands. "You like the Princess so much your mind has grown muddled! Matters of marrying a Princess are ultimately decided by the Emperor anyway! You are the descendant of a meritorious marquis, your family background is pure and noble, and you genuinely adore the Princess. As long as you propose early enough, what reason would the Emperor have to refuse?"

"But after all, our family has only risen to prominence in the past few decades. My grandfather was enfeoffed as a Myriad-House Marquis after defeating Wu, which hasn't even been ten years. We still cannot compare to top-tier aristocratic clans like the Xun family or the Shi family!"

"That is precisely your advantage!" Liu Xian patiently explained. "The higher the status, the easier it is to become embroiled in power struggles; if the status is too low, it affects daily life. Therefore, if His Majesty genuinely wishes for his children to live peaceful and prosperous lives, your family's position is just right."

"Think of the late Duke of Lu, Jia Chong. He had three daughters: the eldest married the Prince of Qi, the second married the Crown Prince, and his most beloved youngest daughter—did she not end up marrying Han Shou, whose status was neither too high nor too low?"

This argument successfully persuaded Wang Cui. He was overwhelmingly excited. A matter he had thought immensely difficult had been resolved so effortlessly by Liu Xian. For a moment, he gripped Liu Xian's hands, lost for words of gratitude. In his heart, however, Liu Xian remained apprehensive: he truly did not feel that these two were a good match.

Nearby, Princess Yingchuan was still chatting and laughing merrily with her elder brother. At this very moment, she had no inkling that the trajectory of her own long decades of life had already been quietly sealed for her by a complete stranger.