Lord of the Desert

Chapter 516 A Perfect Match
That same afternoon, at the Sanxi Hall.

Outside the panoramic view of the sunrise over Haizhou, the petal-shaped tail of the lapis lazuli incense burner with its unicorn design condenses into a straight line of smoke that rises and disperses into a wisp of cloud on the sun and moon relief on the ceiling.

"Father's eyes are so deep-set; he must be overworked lately."

Xiao Chu, dressed in palace attire, asked with concern.

"It's definitely not easy."

Beneath the plaque bearing the inscription "[Exquisite and Grand]", Emperor Xiao Ce sat facing south.

"The return of the three prefectures to the state has just been completed, and the rectification of the administration in the central prefecture is still in full swing; since the beginning of the year, the memorials I have been reviewing every day are as tall as a person, how can I not be exhausted?"

He took a sip of the nourishing soup his daughter had brought.

"As you may have heard, five days ago, the war broke out again in the northern frontier, and the two northernmost garrison cities of Hezhou were attacked by the giants; in the past few days, the Zhenbeiwei has been sending military intelligence reports from the capital every day, which shows that the situation is not good."

Xiao Chu had never been to the northern border of Da Hua, and Sheng Yu Army had never fought against the northern barbarians.

However, the Giants possess unparalleled individual strength and tactical wisdom among all races, and can even recruit humans on a large scale to serve them, making them no less troublesome than the Sea Clan and the Zerg.

"Please take good care of yourself, Father."

Aside from verbal advice, Xiao Chu had no other options.

"A team of imperial physicians are constantly attending to me, which is already a great help; but the world is full of troubles, and even with your brother sharing the burden, hard work is still inevitable."

Xiao Ce laughed.

"As the commander-in-chief of an army, how come you have the leisure to visit your father this time, when it's neither a holiday nor a festival?"

He finished the soup in one gulp, his brow, which was usually furrowed, relaxed for once, and gestured to his eldest son sitting next to him to pour him another bowl.

"Yes, it is about my daughter's future."

Xiao Chu took a deep breath, revealing a rare hint of tension.

“My daughter used to have no interest in love, but now she has someone she likes.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ce and Xiao Yan, who were father and elder brother, were visibly surprised.

"Whose son is so fortunate?"

Xiao Ce stroked his long beard, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart, and tried his best to keep his voice humble.

My eldest daughter is 29 years old this year. Her progress in martial arts has slowed down in recent years, and it's time for her to consider this matter.

He so comforted himself.

"It's Hong Fan."

Xiao Chu gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with her ten fingers, then suddenly released it.

"Hong Fan?"

The emperor and the crown prince's expressions suddenly turned serious.

As one of the most famous geniuses on the list of geniuses, there are few people in Shenjing who haven't heard of him, not to mention that he is also Xiao Chu's half-savior.

"Hong Fan, the Star Lord of the Sand World?"

Xiao Ce confirmed it again.

"It's him."

Xiao Chu replied directly, rising from his seat and kneeling before his father to show his resolve.

“You possess both talent and virtue, making you a perfect match for your son.”

"No!"

Crown Prince Xiao Yan blurted it out.

"Why?"

Xiao Chu turned to look at his elder brother and asked calmly.

Xiao Yan was speechless.

"Men should marry when they come of age, and women should marry when they come of age; this is the proper order of human relations. No matter how reluctant you are to part with your sister, she will eventually have her own family to marry into."

Xiao Ce smiled and continued the conversation.

“The Star Lord was chosen by the First Emperor, and he is sacred in his own right. I have heard of the reputation of ‘Blazing Star’ many times, and he must be a rare talent; but he comes from humble origins, and it is hard for me and your brother to feel at ease.”

“You wanted to join the army when you were a teenager. Your father and brothers couldn’t stand your fuss and had to agree. They were hoping that someone would be a stable person to keep you in check. But who would have thought that you would end up looking for someone even more troublesome? How can we be at ease?”

He waved his hand casually.

"Alright, alright, you've already achieved the second stage of innate harmony, why are you kneeling all the time? Don't hurt that blue-and-white porcelain tile under your knee." Hearing his father's sincere words, Xiao Chu was filled with mixed feelings of sorrow and joy.

“Hong Fan has lofty ambitions but comes from humble origins, so he has no choice but to make trouble; in the future, with my help, the conditions will be different, and he will not need to struggle so hard.”

Although she returned to her seat, she did not avoid the topic and gave a direct response.

"This matter concerns one's entire life and should not be taken lightly, nor should it be rushed."

Xiao Ce pondered for a moment, his brows showing increasing weariness.

“The country is busy lately, so please give your father and brothers some more time to consider this. You should also think it over.”

Xiao Chu nodded.

She knew that marriage was not a simple matter even for ordinary families, let alone for someone of her status, who could not be married off overnight.

After his eldest daughter took her leave and all footsteps were no longer audible, Xiao Ce was left alone with his eldest son, his face finally turning completely gloomy.

"Father, what should we do?"

Xiao Yan asked.

"What can we do? Of course, we can't do it!"

Xiao Ce was furious, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

"The great formation is weakening day by day, and time waits for no one; the abbot is only one step away from taking over the thousand stars in twenty or thirty years at most. How are we supposed to explain this to her then? I am her father and you are her brother. Are we supposed to shamelessly go to Chu'er and say that we are borrowing your husband's life for the sake of the world?"

The echoes faded away in the Sanxi Hall, leaving it utterly silent.

"How about I go and try to persuade her? If that doesn't work, then I'll try to get through to Hong Fan..."

Xiao Yan offered his advice.

"Advice? What gives you the right to advise me?"

Xiao Ce glanced at his eldest son, his brows furrowing deeply.

"Don't you know your sister's personality? We can't change her mind without telling her the truth. Don't try to pressure Hong Fan either. These two met on the battlefield and have been through thick and thin together. Using force will only backfire."

His mind raced, and he finally made up his mind.

“Your sister is meticulous and always considerate of others. Given the disparity in status between her and her beloved, she would surely clear away any obstacles on her side first. Therefore, Hong Fan is most likely unaware of this matter.”

"Although I have never met the young man surnamed Hong, the fact that he can attract the attention of both the abbot and the headmaster means that he must be talented and handsome. As outstanding among their peers, it is normal for them to develop feelings for each other. But in reality, there is no such thing as being indispensable to him in matters of love and affection. It is just that young people mistake a moment for a lifetime."

"Therefore, the best solution now is to stall! Find them something to do, keep them both busy, and as they spend more time apart and less time together, their feelings will naturally fade..."

After Xiao Ce finished speaking, he sighed sullenly, grabbed the golden bowl, and gulped down the now-cold tonic soup.

Meanwhile, in the lower left seat, Xiao Yan's eyes darted around, already having made up his mind.

······
Two days later, on the fifteenth of March.

The Northern City of Shenjing, Yi Mansion.

The babbling brook flows into the azure lake, and the turbulent wind carries the fishy smell of water through the empty corridor.

Fine wine and fruits were laid out in the waterside pavilion, where eight people had gathered.

Across the seventy feet of lake water, the banana leaf strings of the zither, played by the singer's fingers, produced gentle, melodious notes, yet only intensified the already tense atmosphere.

"There is something I must say, and I would like to ask you all for your opinions."

Yi She stared coldly at the half-burnt incense stick.

"Please speak freely, brother."

Everyone forced a smile, and some of the more lively ones immediately chimed in.

"I want to have a showdown with Hong Beom."

Yi She uttered a sentence in a daze, causing everyone to look at each other in bewilderment.

Which Hong Fan are you referring to?

The highest-ranking member of the royal family of Hejian, Queen Mingxu, asked inexplicably.

"That one on the list of prodigies?"

He was four years older than Yi She, wearing a light blue silk robe, and his eyes were pure black from studying the "Three Realms Illumination Sutra".

"Is it necessary? I haven't heard of any grudges between you. Surely it's not because of the Huaiyang Kingdom?"

Hou Mingxu lowered his eyelids, covering half of his dark eyes, and looked at his brother of many years.

(End of this chapter)