NOVEL NEXT Chapter 261: The Emperor's Boundless Grace
Chapter 261: The Emperor’s Boundless Grace
Coming back to marry my husband?
The smile on the Marquis of Yong’an’s face froze.
The marquise also looked at her with a strange expression, probing, “May I ask who the husband you speak of is?”
Ling Ran extended her fair wrist and pointed directly at Xu Lian, “Of course it’s Brother Lian. We’ve been engaged since childhood. Who else but him could it be?”
The Marquis’ expression darkened, “What do you mean?
You’ve been staying in the holy land all this time and delayed this engagement. Our Lian’er has been delayed to this age because of you. Now our family has broken off the engagement and arranged a marriage with Prince Hui’s family. Yet you come back now and say you want to marry our Lian’er. What do you think of our family?
Do you think you can drag out the engagement as you please and marry as you wish?”
Ling Ran curtsied again, her beautiful face filled with apology, “I’m sorry, Uncle and Aunt. As a true disciple of the Sacred Land, according to the sect’s rules, I am not allowed to leave and return to the Sacred Land until I have mastered my master’s secret techniques. That’s why I had to keep delaying. It wasn’t my intention to prolong the engagement. When I found out that Brother Lian had been arranged a marriage with Prince Hui’s daughter, I was desperate and had to beg my master to allow me to return.”
The Marquis and the Marchioness exchanged glances and fell silent. So that was the reason. They had misunderstood her.
The Marquis sighed, “You are already an immortal cultivator. You should let go of this mundane world. Why do you cling to our Lian’er?”
Ling Ran said, “Since I was young, I’ve always thought of Brother Lian as my husband. Whether I am a cultivator or not, that will never change.”
The Marchioness also tried to persuade her, “You are a cultivator with a long life span. Our Lian’er is just an ordinary mortal. For you, he is but a fleeting presence in your long life. Why force it?
There must be many outstanding people in the Sacred Land. They are cultivators like you and would be a better match for you.”
Ling Ran stubbornly said, “I have already decided on Brother Lian. In this life, I will marry only him. Please, uncle and aunt, fulfill the engagement between me and Brother Lian.”
The Marquis shook his head, “Our Lian’er is already engaged to Prince Hui’s daughter. The wedding will take place in a few days. You should go back.”
Ling Ran refused to leave, grabbing Xu Lian’s hand and not letting go.
The Marquis and the Marquise both looked worried. They couldn’t hit her, and it wasn’t appropriate to scold her. After all, she was a cultivator and the granddaughter of Duke Wu Ling. They really didn’t know what to do.
The marquis said, “Lian’er, you talk to her. Persuade her properly.”
Xu Lian was also in a difficult situation. At the same time, he felt it was strange and asked Ling Ran, “We only knew each other as children. You shouldn’t have such deep feelings for me. Why are you so insistent?”
Ling Ran looked at him with affection in her beautiful eyes, “Brother Lian, ever since I went to the Sacred Land, I’ve been thinking of you every day. The feelings that weren’t deep have grown stronger with each day of longing. The more I can’t have something, the more I want it. You have become my obsession. If I can’t fulfill this desire and break this obsession, I’m afraid I’ll never become a strong cultivator in this lifetime. So no matter what happens, I must have you as my husband, even if it’s just for one day.”
“…” Xu Lian roughly understood. Cultivators value a natural state of mind. This obsession in her heart would become an obstacle to her cultivation.
Xu Lian thought for a moment and said half jokingly and half seriously, “How about you and the princess marrying me together?
The Marquis and the Marquise were stunned. Then the Marquis flew into a rage, grabbed a tree branch, and began to mercilessly whip Xu Lian.
Xu Lian could only run for his life. In his memory, this was the first time that he had been beaten.
The Marquis chased after him and shouted angrily, “You little brat!
How dare you say such a thing!
One is a princess, and the other is the granddaughter of Duke Wu Ling. Marrying even one of them would be our family reaching beyond our station.
If this gets out, people will think that our Yong’an Marquis’ family is incredibly arrogant. How can I face the court with this shame?
You spoiled brat, how could you think of marrying both the princess and Duke Wu Ling’s granddaughter? You’re not afraid of shortening your life span, but our family’s accumulated blessings might not be able to withstand such a blow!”
Seeing her eldest son being beaten until his skin split and his flesh tore, the marquise screamed in fright. Her second and third daughters and her youngest son all had incomparable talents and were cultivating in the holy land. She wasn’t worried about them. The only one she truly cared for was this eldest son, who had no talent for cultivation. He was the apple of her eye.
She cried and clung to the Marquis, “Stop beating him, my lord! Lian’er has always been like this since he was young – reckless in speech and action. If he said something wrong, it’s because I didn’t teach him well as his mother. If you want to hit someone, hit me!”
The Marquis’ heart immediately softened. He threw the branch aside and comforted the Marchioness.
Xu Lian also hurried over to the Marchioness, assuring her that he was fine and that it was just a minor injury.
The maids and nannies, who had been terrified, quickly brought ointment and applied it to Xu Lian’s wounds.
Xu Lian felt a little emotional as he experienced what Jia Baoyu must have felt – being the family’s precious treasure.
“Alright, I agree.”
After hesitating for a long time, Ling Ran made this decision.
The Marquis was stunned. The Marquise stopped crying. The maids and nannies all felt a bit dizzy. The granddaughter of Duke Wu Ling agreed to marry the eldest son to Prince Hui’s daughter?
Only Xu Lian seemed to have some understanding, vaguely guessing Ling Ran’s thoughts. She simply wanted to marry him to break her obsession and cultivate better in the future, not out of any genuine feelings.
Ling Ran looked at Xu Lian seriously, “That’s fine. After we get married, I will return to the Sacred Land to cultivate. Since I can’t stay with Brother Lian for long, it’s good that the princess can accompany him.”
“This…”
The Marquis opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.
Ling Ran smiled slightly, “Uncle and aunt, don’t worry. I won’t make any trouble for your family. I will convince my family and also discuss it with Prince Hui.”
The Marquis could only sigh, “Fine, do as you wish. I’ll just have to throw away my old face.”
Ling Ran said goodbye and left.
The Marchioness laughed and cried at the same time, gently hitting Xu Lian, “Are you satisfied now? Both the princess and Duke Wu Ling’s granddaughter are marrying you.”
Xu Lian said, “Mother, actually, Prince Hui’s family and Duke Wu Ling’s family aren’t at a loss. In fact, they might even benefit from it… After all, my three younger siblings are destined to become masters in the future. It won’t be difficult for them to take charge of the sacred land. As their elder brother, it’s only right that I enjoy the blessing of having two wives,”
Hearing this, the Marquis was so angry that he wanted to hit him again. But seeing the tear-stained face of the Marchioness, he gave up on the idea. The family’s precious treasure really couldn’t be beaten.
The next day.
No one knew how Ling Ran persuaded Duke Wu Ling and Prince Hui, but an imperial decree was issued from the palace, granting Xu Lian, the princess, and Ling Ran a marriage. Both the princess and Ling Ran would be Xu Lian’s main wives, with equal status.
As expected, the nobles and commoners of the city were all shocked. Never before had the eldest son of a noble family received such treatment. It was truly a display of the Emperor’s boundless grace.