The Assistant Minister of Rites opened the conversation, and the others naturally did not want to be left out.
“In my house, there is also a little girl, eighteen years old, beautiful and intelligent.”
“In my family, this little girl has both beauty and talent, excelling in everything from playing musical instruments to chess and painting.”
“A match between talented men and beautiful women, with men skilled in literature and women skilled in martial arts, is truly a perfect match. In my family, the little girl has been strong since childhood, skilled in riding and archery”.
Everyone tried to promote their daughters, each praising their unique qualities.
Qin Jian’an and the Second Mother finally understood that they were here to propose marriage.
Unexpectedly, Feng’er was already so popular in the Imperial City?
However, Father Qin hastily interrupted the conversation.
“Wait, please wait everyone.” Qin Jian’an interrupted the others.
When everyone turned to look at him, Qin Jian’an continued, “Respected gentlemen, haven’t you forgotten? My son Feng’er is already married to a daughter of the Liu family. I would like to express my gratitude for your kind intentions on behalf of Feng’er.”The Assistant Minister of Rites smiled and waved his hand. “I thought you had something important to say. With your son’s talent and Miss Liu Jianli’s beauty, they are a natural match. We all know that.”
“What about all of you?”
“Well, having several wives and concubines is not unusual for a man, especially for people like us. For a talented son like you, it’s normal to have multiple wives.”
Father Qin was taken aback, and the Second Mother raised her eyebrows and pinched Father Qin’s waist.
Father Qin winced in pain and immediately regained his composure.
“With your status, can you bear to let the jewel in your palm become a concubine in the Qin family?”
“With your son’s limitless future, the young lady who marries into the Qin family will naturally enjoy prosperity. Besides, there is no shame in being under Liu Jianli. Among all the women in the world, those who can compare with Liu Jianli are extremely rare.”
This statement was true. With her extraordinary beauty and talent, Liu Jianli was the youngest third-realm sword god in history.
Any title she held could overshadow most women in the world. Were it not for her marriage to Qin Feng, there would be a constant stream of suitors.
Father Qin and Second Mother exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond.
Just then, another visitor arrived at the Qin residence.
This time, it was a heavyweight – the War Duke, Lie Ying!
The officials in the hall were shocked; he was a second-rank military official, second only to Liu Tianluo, the general of the Liu family!
“Why is he here too?” The Assistant Minister of Rites swallowed hard, rose quickly and said, “I have disturbed you for a long time today. I’ll take my leave. As for the matter of my daughter, Mr Qin, please consider it carefully.”
The other officials also bowed and said goodbye, clearly afraid of War Duke Lie Ying!
A crowd of officials hurriedly left the hall and headed for the gates of the Qin residence.
A tall and powerful middle-aged man with black beard walked towards them, it was War Duke Lie Ying.
“General Lie.” The crowd greeted him with a forced smile and quickly dispersed.
Lie Ying raised an eyebrow, but didn’t pay much attention. Following the lead of the Qin family gatekeeper, he walked towards the main hall.
“Is this General Lie? May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?” Father Qin patriarch asked respectfully, clasping his hands.
Lie Ying looked around and asked directly, “Where is that boy of yours?”
Father Qin and Second Mother exchanged glances; could it be another marriage proposal?
Lie Ying continued, “I heard about an academic dispute after I returned from killing demons some time ago.”
“I don’t care about those weak scholars at the National Academy, but I was intrigued by the military strategies displayed in The Hundred Battle Martial Arts Board. I’m here to request the remaining contents of those military strategies from your child.”
The Second Mother breathed a sigh of relief; at least it wasn’t a marriage proposal.
Father Qin repLied, “At this moment, Fēng’er should be teaching at the Peaceful Academy. He’ll probably be back by sundown.”
“Peaceful Academy? Teaching?” Lie Ying grumbled, “Talents like him should be leading troops into battle, killing those demons and mountain bandits. How can he waste time in some damn academy doing such petty things? No offence, but do you even know how to raise your son properly?”
Father Qin’s forehead veins bulged with anger. ‘If such an outstanding son wasn’t raised by me, then was he raised by you?’
“How to raise a child is a matter for our Qin family. There’s no need for the General to trouble himself” Qin Jian’an said in a deep voice.
The Second Mother also gave him a strange look. ‘To visit someone’s home without showing proper etiquette and speaking so rudely… Truly, what a boorish warrior!’
Lie Ying realized his mistake and scratched his head. “I tend to say whatever comes to mind. It’s always been like this. Please don’t blame me.”
With this statement, Father Qin’s anger eased slightly. Generals who fought on the front lines were accustomed to killing, so their temperaments tended to be straightforward, which was understandable.
However, the following words of the War Duke further enraged Qin Jian’an.
“Looking at you, it doesn’t seem like you can cultivate outstanding military talents like him.”
“You!”
“Sir, calm down. Have a cup of tea.” Second Mother hastily interjected.
“Since your boy won’t come back until evening, I’ll just wait here. There won’t be much to do when I go home anyway.” Lie Ying said casually and found a seat.
Seeing an empty teacup on the table, he picked it up and asked, “Any wine?”
The atmosphere in the room became awkward. Lie Ying, treating himself like an uninvited guest, drank and ate meat without reservation.
Father Qin and Second Mother could only vaguely understand why the officials had hurriedly left when they saw War Duke.
After filling his stomach with food and drink, Lie Ying wiped his mouth and asked, “Were the people who came to your house earlier also looking for those military strategies?”
Qin Jian’an didn’t want to answer, but out of courtesy, he explained briefly.
“Seeking marriage?” War Duke stood up excitedly, slapped his head, and exclaimed, “Why didn’t I expect that if the two families were to get married and let that kid come to serve as a staff officer in my army, wouldn’t it be easy to capture him?”
“My daughter is nearly six years old. It’s just the right time to arrange an engagement for her.”
Father Qin and Second Mother’s mouths dropped open in disbelief. This person dared to say anything, even such outrageous suggestions.
Naturally, Father Qin rejected the suggestion.
Lie Ying snorted coldly, “You look down on my Lie family?”
As he spoke, the aura of someone accustomed to the battlefield inadvertently appeared and pressed down on Qin Jian’an.
Seeing this, Lie Ying thought to himself, ‘This is not good.’ His intimidating aura was not something an ordinary person could withstand.
However, what happened next took him by surprise. In the face of Lie Ying’s astonishing momentum, the seemingly inconspicuous head of the Qin family calmly picked up a cup of tea as if nothing had happened.
“What are you?” War Duke stared, his eyes wide open.
At that moment, the gatekeeper reported again, “Reporting to the master, the head of the Liu family is visiting.”
“The in-laws are here?” Second Mother exclaimed in surprise.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter