I am the snake demon!

The residence of the General Who Conquers the West.

"Father, my eldest sister hasn't eaten for three days. Please don't force her. Let her out."

Leng Jingchang, Leng Shih-hu's second son, said with a bitter face.

"Force her? Did I force her, or did this rebellious daughter force me? Giving up a perfectly good position as a princess and going to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion in mourning clothes, did she even consider the future?" Leng Shih-hu roared angrily.

"We can't entirely blame the eldest sister. She was supposed to marry Brother Zhenlan, but suddenly it turned into Xu Shi'an," Leng Jingchang said.

"It's all the same, she'll be the Princess Consort of Zhenbei no matter who she marries," Leng Shih-hu said.

"It's different. My eldest sister wasn't too happy about it to begin with, and she finally agreed. Now that someone else has been chosen, we've inexplicably become uncle and aunt. It won't sound good if word gets out," Leng Jingchang said weakly.

"What's wrong with that? Go to the border and see for yourself. Even among married couples, there are plenty of younger brothers and sisters-in-law, brothers and sisters-in-law together, let alone someone like Qinghan who isn't married yet," Leng Shih-hu said.

"Ordinary people are different from us," Leng Jingchang said.

"Pah. In the end, it's all because you're useless and didn't keep an eye on your older sister. If you had been more capable and kept an eye on her, none of this would have happened!" Leng Shih-hu said angrily.

"father."

Leng Jingchang looked miserable and helpless upon hearing this. He looked at his older sister and wondered if she was joking.

Conversely, it's more like the other way around.

"Alright, stop looking so gloomy. Your father isn't dead yet! Your eldest sister is a seventh-grade Daoist, much stronger than you. She can go without food for three days, or even seven days without eating or drinking, and she'll be fine." Leng Shih-hu said angrily, looking at Leng Jing-chang's expression.

"But this can't go on forever. We can't keep our eldest sister locked up indefinitely," Leng Jingchang said.

"Nonsense, do you think I don't know this? In the end, it's all because you and Jingyao are useless and can't even enter the Tongyou Realm. Our Leng family controls a third of the Northern Border's troops, but the only real expert we have is me. If I die, this huge family business will immediately fall apart! I've killed more people in my life than you've ever met. If I die, none of you will have a good ending!" Leng Shih-hu looked at his son, his brows furrowed, and cursed angrily.

"Our Leng family is not one of those sanctimonious families with hundreds of years of history. If the next Prince of Zhenbei is not a son-in-law of our Leng family, who knows what will happen to you people after I die? What kind of bullshit are you talking to me about now? If these principles were really useful, would I still be alive today?"

"Besides, what's wrong with Xu Shi'an? He's handsome, looks docile, and with me around, how could your eldest sister suffer? If he has a son, he'll be the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei, the future Prince of Zhenbei. That would be good for both the Leng and Xu families. But you all think you're all grown up and think you're more powerful than your father."

Leng Jingchang was so frightened that he dared not look up.

"Speak up! Aren't you very capable?"

Seeing his son's reaction, Leng Shih-hu was furious.

Leng Jingchang was caught in a dilemma.

"My lord, the young prince has arrived!"

Just then, a servant from the General of the West's residence rushed over to report.

"Young Prince?"

Upon hearing the servant's report, both Leng Shih-hu and his son showed a strange expression. Currently, only Bai Xuan was addressed as the Little Prince.

Why would Bai Xuan come to their residence out of the blue?

"Father, did he come for my eldest sister?" Leng Jingchang asked, puzzled.

"Who knows? We'll see when we get there." Leng Shih-hu immediately strode towards the main hall. When he saw Bai Xuan in the distance, he laughed loudly, "My servants have been slow to greet you properly. I hope my nephew will forgive them."

Upon hearing this, Bai Xuan immediately stood up and said, "Uncle, you are too kind. It was my presumptuousness to come without permission. I hope you will forgive me!"

"What are you saying? The Xu and Leng families are like family. You can come to the General of the Western Expedition's mansion anytime you want." Leng Shih-hu laughed heartily.

"If that's the case, then I'll have dinner here. I haven't eaten yet today," Bai Xuan said.

"Alright, would my General Zhengxi's Mansion ever skimp on your food?" Leng Shih-hu laughed upon hearing this.

"Uncle Leng, you're not joking, are you? Then I'll take it seriously and come to your residence every day," Bai Xuan said.

"That would be perfect. I also have a lot to say to you." Leng Shih-hu said, patting Bai Xuan on the shoulder, then pulling Bai Xuan to the outer room. He then ordered someone to bring fine wine and delicacies, saying, "Can you drink?"

"I can drink some," Bai Xuan said modestly.

"That won't do. Wine is the courage of heroes. How can you be a hero if you don't drink? Especially since you're going to command 300,000 Zhenbei Army soldiers in the future. If you can't drink, you'll inevitably be looked down upon. You have to practice your drinking capacity and become a heavy drinker. Come on, let's have a bowl." As Leng Shih-hu spoke, he picked up a wine jar, tilted it, and poured the wine into two large bowls.

Leng Shih-hu picked up a bowl of wine and drank it all in one gulp. Then he placed another bowl of wine in front of Bai Xuan.

Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow. Drinking too much is bad for your health, but he didn't try to stop him. After all, he should follow the host's lead. Besides, he guessed that Leng Shih-hu's intention was to get him drunk so that he would speak the truth. He couldn't argue with that, and it might not be a bad thing for him.

So, Bai Xuan took a bowl of wine, drank it down in one gulp, and then an unnatural blush appeared on his face.

"Good, this is the spirit of the men of the North. Fill it up."

Leng Shih-hu was overjoyed and picked up the wine jar again, filling it to the brim.

"Uncle Leng is going to train Shi'an, that's Shi'an's good fortune. I'll pour the wine." Bai Xuan smiled as he took the wine jar and filled it for him and Leng Shih-hu.

Seeing Bai Xuan's reaction, Leng Shih-hu's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction. He exchanged a few more polite words and asked, "Shih-an, what brings you to my residence?"

"To be honest, I've come here because of Miss Leng," Bai Xuan said.

"Poverty-stricken?"

Upon hearing Bai Xuan's words, a glint flashed in Leng Shih-hu's eyes. He said, "It's because of the girl's outrageous behavior at the mourning hall, isn't it? After we got back, I disciplined her strictly and locked her in the attic so she could reflect on her mistakes."

"No, Uncle Leng, Miss Leng is a woman of great loyalty and righteousness, and should be a role model for women. She should be rewarded, not punished," Bai Xuan said.

"Isn't this a punishment? Do you really want my daughter to be a widow in the prime of her life, fighting for that damned chastity arch?" Leng Shih-hu's expression changed immediately upon hearing this.

His daughter is in the prime of her life; even if she doesn't marry into the royal family, she shouldn't remain a widow.

Marrying into the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion and becoming the future Zhenbei Prince's Consort would be the best option; if not, then other arrangements will be made.

If Bai Xuan dared to suggest that his daughter should remain a widow, he would truly turn against him.

"Of course not. To tell you the truth, I have come to ask for Miss Leng's hand in marriage," Bai Xuan said.

"Um?"

Upon hearing this, Leng Shih-hu's expression changed again. He looked at Bai Xuan-dao and said, "You've only met my daughter once, yet you're proposing marriage?"

"That's right. Most of us from aristocratic families can't decide our own marriages. We can only choose within a limited range. To be honest, on the way back, my uncle had my cousin Duan Fuxue, who had verbally agreed to marry my brother Zhenlan as a concubine, accompany me. He was intentionally or unintentionally trying to match me with my cousin Fuxue. Although I was unwilling, I could only make contact because of the Duan family. Until I saw Miss Leng." Bai Xuan's eyes suddenly brightened as he said this, as if they were radiating light.

"When I first saw Miss Leng in front of the coffin, she was dressed in white, like a fairy descending to earth, graceful as a startled swan, like a swimming dragon, pure and holy like a snow lotus on a snow mountain, or like a fairy from the moon palace descending to earth. I never believed in love at first sight before, until I met her, I believed that there might really be love at first sight in this world."

"When Miss Leng arrived, my heart began to beat involuntarily. And when she was to enter my palace to remain chaste for my second brother, my heart beat even faster. How could there be such a devoted woman in the world? Though it is immoral, to tell the truth, I shamefully fell in love with Miss Leng. I thought that if I were to die one day, Miss Leng would love me just as much. With such a wife, what more could a husband ask for?"

As Bai Xuan finished speaking, a look of anticipation and longing appeared in his eyes at the right moment.

Leng Shih-hu was stunned. Was this a case of making a mistake that turned out to be a mistake?

This kid really did fall in love with Qinghan.

"If I miss this opportunity, I feel that I may never meet someone who moves my heart again in this lifetime, so I would like to ask Miss Leng for her hand in marriage," Bai Xuan said sincerely.

"But now Qinghan insists on remaining chaste for Zhenlan, what should we do?" Leng Shih-hu looked at Bai Xuan and pondered to himself. This kid likes Qinghan's infatuation, but Qinghan spends most of her time in Jiangnan with Yushuang and has hardly met Zhenlan. If he finds out it's fake, he's doomed.

Or should we just lie to this kid and make it a fait accompli, regardless of the consequences?

"Then let Miss Leng be my sister-in-law for now, so I can have a legitimate opportunity to get close to her. Proximity breeds affection, and over time, feelings will develop!"

Bai Xuan stared intently at Leng Shih-hu, and after a long pause, finally revealed his true purpose.

Upon hearing Bai Xuan's words, Leng Shih-hu suddenly became much more sober. "What are you talking about?"

Should I become the sister-in-law first?