I attained immortality through meditation in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Zhao Zian poured her a cup of hot tea.

"Are you done talking?"

Murong Qingxue took the teacup and nodded.

"Then let's get down to business."

Zhao Zian sat down opposite her.

"The situation is more complex than we thought, but it's also more interesting."

Murong Qingxue raised her head and looked at him with confusion.

What's so interesting about this?

Her father was going to sell her to a stranger.

The people of the Duke of Anguo's mansion are searching for her everywhere, wanting to capture her and use her as a furnace.

This is absolutely desperate!

Zhao Zian was right.

This is killing three birds with one stone.

Minister Murong played this move very cleverly.

Announcing the marriage in a grand manner is tantamount to putting Murong Qingxue in a very difficult position.

If she shows up, she must accept the marriage; otherwise, she will be defying her father's orders.

She couldn't bear the blame of making the entire Murong family a laughingstock.

If she doesn't show up, things will get worse over time.

The Duke of Anguo's mansion would think that the Murong family had no intention of fulfilling the marriage agreement, and would instead vent all their anger on the Murong family.

At that time, Minister Murong will then act as a victim and complain to the emperor about the domineering nature of the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

It might even garner sympathy and allow them to completely sever ties with the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

As for that valiant cavalry general, it doesn't matter whether the marriage goes through or not.

He received favors from the Vice Minister's office, so he was guaranteed to make a profit.

Unfortunately, he overlooked one thing.

I am now with his daughter.

"Your father's move is called a calculated strategy."

Zhao Zian's voice pulled Murong Qingxue back to reality.

he analyzed.

"He made the wedding public to force you to show yourself."

"At the same time, it's also for the sake of the Duke of Anguo's mansion."

"This indicates that he has abandoned his engagement with the Duke of Anguo's family and intends to marry someone else."

"It's clear that the Duke of Anguo's mansion won't let this go so easily."

"They're looking for you because of their young master's 'spiritual practice'."

"To them, you are not a person, but a medicine, a necessity."

"So they won't give up."

Murong Qingxue felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this.

"Then... what should I do?"

Zhao Zian's lips curled up slightly.

"What to do? Simple."

"Your father wants you to marry the general, and the Duke of Anguo's mansion wants you to be their concubine."

"They all want you, but their goals conflict."

"If that's the case, why not let them fight it out themselves first?"

Murong Qingxue was stunned.

How is that possible?

One was a high-ranking official in the imperial court, and the other was from a duke's mansion.

Zhao Zian seemed to see through her thoughts and continued speaking.

"Your father's biggest advantage right now is the information gap."

"He thought you were still that weak woman who couldn't even kill a chicken, all alone, and couldn't escape his grasp."

"The Duke of Anguo's mansion is the same; they think they can just send some military men to capture you and bring you back."

"They have no idea that you have embarked on the path of cultivation."

"They don't even know that I'm here for you."

Zhao Zian stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open a crack.

"The waters of this capital city are not yet muddy enough."

"We need to add some bait so that the fish will jump out on their own and bite the hooks they shouldn't."

He turned around and looked at Murong Qingxue.

"Do you want to take back everything that belongs to you?"

"Do you want your father to regret your decision today?"

Murong Qingxue looked at the man in front of her.

She nodded emphatically.

"think!"

Zhao Zian tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"The first step is that we are no longer rats hiding in the gutter."

"We need to step into the sunlight, into everyone's sight."

"The most famous clothing store in the capital is Ni Chang Fang on Zhuque Street, right?"

Murong Qingxue nodded subconsciously.

That was the place where noble ladies of the capital loved to linger.

A single garment can easily cost hundreds of taels of silver, serving as a symbol of status and taste.

She used to go there often.

"Go there tomorrow at noon and pick out a few clothes you like."

Zhao Zian spoke of it casually.

Murong Qingxue's breathing stopped.

Should we go to the Neon Fashion Gallery?

Isn't that just walking into a trap?

The spies of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, and... that valiant cavalry general whom I've never met before.

They probably turned the capital upside down long ago.

The moment she appears, she attracts countless hungry wolves.

Are you scared?

Zhao Zian asked.

Murong Qingxue bit her lower lip and remained silent.

"It's normal to be afraid."

Zhao Zian did not laugh at her.

"Your father, the Duke of Anguo's mansion, they treat you as a commodity to be traded, a pawn to be manipulated at will. They are used to your obedience, your weakness."

"So, when this cargo suddenly developed its own will."

"When a piece tries to jump off the board, it gets angry and confused."

He walked up to Murong Qingxue and squatted down.

"But we're going to take advantage of their ingrained way of thinking."

"The more openly and openly you appear, the more caught off guard they will be."

"They'll think, 'What makes you think you can do this? Where did you get the nerve?'"

Zhao Zian took out a wooden plaque from his pocket and handed it to her.

The wooden sign is engraved with the character "Su".

"This is a token given to me by Manager Su of Jishetang. With this, I can mobilize the Su family's secret agents in the capital."

"Some information will be disseminated through the most appropriate channels."

"It inadvertently reached the ears of the Duke of Anguo's mansion and that valiant cavalry general."

He paused for a moment, then said.

"They will receive the message at the same time and rush to the Fashion Gallery simultaneously."

Murong Qingxue instantly understood Zhao Zian's intention.

This caused two groups of people who both wanted her to bump into each other on the busiest street in the capital!

"Your father wants to stay out of it and reap the benefits? Not so easy."

"The Duke of Anguo's mansion is used to being domineering, and that General of the Valiant Cavalry is a military man who has just risen to power and is at the height of his arrogance."

When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured.

"No matter who is injured or who has the upper hand, the news will spread throughout the entire capital immediately."

"At that time, the conflict between your father and the Duke of Anguo's mansion will be laid bare."

"Is he trying to smooth things over?"

"Will the emperor agree? Will the court officials agree? Will the general public in the capital agree?"

"He wanted to use you as a bargaining chip, so we made him flip the table too."

Zhao Zian put away the wooden sign, stood up straight again, and looked at her.

"Of course, all of this is based on the premise that you must be the perfect bait."

"You should act like a true noblewoman when choosing your wedding dress."

"Instead of a panicked fugitive."

"Xiaobai and I will protect you from the shadows and make sure nothing happens to you."

A small white head popped out from his arms. The little fox winked at Murong Qingxue, as if to say, "Don't worry."

Yeah, why should we?

Why should she be treated like an object, being snatched away from her?

Why should her father be able to sacrifice her entire life for his own future?

Why should that madman from the Duke of Anguo's mansion be able to treat her as a medicine?