Gou Hanshi was truly worthy of being one of the leaders of the Mount Li Sword Sect's young generation, truly worthy of being the second Law that Qiushan Jun relied on for his intellect. He had kept quiet all this time, but when he finally spoke, he made it very difficult for the other party to respond. This was because his words hovered between reasonable and unreasonable, yet they seemed quite sensible.
Chen Changsheng was silent for a few moments. He had just prepared his response, but when he was about to open his mouth, preparing to continue no matter what tribulations this world sent against him, he, just like everyone else, heard the cry of a crane from outside the hall.
The cries of a crane were normally called crane calls.
This crane call was clear and unyielding.
A White Crane flew out of the darkness, its entire body as white as snow. It lightly drifted down to the floor of the great hall, its slender neck slightly turning, its expression proud and indifferent.
Quite a few people present recognized this crane. For example, when Xu Shiji saw it, the look on his face grew even more unsightly. When the disciples and the martial aunt from Holy Maiden Peak saw it, they felt rather nervous. When Gou Hanshi and the disciples of Mount Li saw it, they recalled that they had seen this White Crane several times outside their eldest brother's cottage.
Chen Changsheng also recognized the White Crane, but he had not seen it for several years. When he saw it now, he felt rather complex.
This White Crane came from the south, bringing Xu Yourong's letter.
...
...
Mo Yu finished reading the letter, then gazed at the crowd within the hall. She was met by only silence. She gave a soft sigh, then declared, "Let's just end it here for tonight."
The hall buzzed with the constant and rather annoying sound of discussion. Everyone was quite astonished, mystified as to the contents of the letter. Why did Lady Mo Yu want to directly declare the end of the Ivy Festival? With a gloomy expression, Xiao Songgong asked, "Are the contents of this letter inconvenient to divulge?"
Mo Yu lightly raised her brows. She naturally supported the marriage proposal of the southern diplomatic mission, but upon hearing the words of this Mount Li elder, she couldn't help but grow a little angry. She thought to herself, I just wanted to leave you all a little face by ending the Ivy Festival early, but since none of you can tell good from bad, forget about it.
She offered the letter to Prince Chen Liu then ceased to concern herself with this matter.
When Prince Chen Liu saw the letter, the expression on his face became rather brilliant.
Then he began to read the letter to the crowd, which had been one of the writer's requests in the first place.
The contents of this letter were very simple, only ten or so lines, but the meaning they wanted to convey was crystal-clear.
Contrary to the expectations of everyone in the hall, although this letter came from the south, it was not from Holy Maiden Peak. Xu Yourong was not at Holy Maiden Peak, as several weeks ago, she had gone to the Southern Sea to cultivate. If one calculated time, it was right before the southern diplomatic mission had left.
The tone of Xu Yourong's letter was calm and indifferent. She indicated her extreme respect for all parties involved in this matter, and she also gave her thanks to her teachers and elders that had come to the capital to make this marriage proposal, because this signified how much her teachers and elders cared for and were concerned for her. However, she held a different view towards this matter.
As the first half of this letter came to an end, she had not brought up any sort of matter, but many people within the hall knew the matter which she wanted to bring up. She had no idea that the southern diplomatic mission was coming to the capital to propose. In other words, before the southern sect took on this task, they had not asked for her opinion.
The looks on many people's faces became rather unsightly while some seemed relieved of a great burden. In brief, there were all sorts of wondrous expressions.
Yes, a marriage ultimately rested upon the order of the parents, the words of the matchmaker, and the approval of the heavens and earth, the sovereign, the parents, and the teachers. It had little to do with the marriage partners themselves and in the engagements of ordinary people, there truly was no need to obtain the approval of the bride. But Xu Yourong was not an ordinary person, especially given the fact that someone had just said certain things.
The gazes the crowd turned to Gou Hanshi were somewhat complex.
Tang Thirty-Six jeered, "So this is your so-called respect."
Gou Hanshi had earlier said that Chen Changsheng should respect Xu Yourong's view to have the bearing of a man.
Yet the southern sects had never even asked Xu Yourong for her opinion before sending people to the capital to propose. Was this respect?
Gou Hanshi was silent. He had not known that Junior Sister Xu was actually unaware of the situation. He was very confused over what the elders of Holy Maiden Peak were thinking, and he was even more confused over why Junior Sister Xu had sent the White Crane to deliver this letter. Could it be that she…really did not wish to marry his senior brother?
No, it shouldn't be this way.
He wanted to know what was written in the second half of the letter.
Many people thought the same, all of them looking towards the thin sheet of paper in Prince Chen Liu's hands.
In the second half of this letter, Xu Yourong did not express any rage or hate. Just as was mentioned before, for her teachers, elders, and family members to arrange a marriage for her could always be understood as out of concern and love.
She was the reincarnation of the true Phoenix, the sole candidate to be the next Holy Maiden of the south, and possessed a talent and potential envied and revered by countless people. She could possess even more freedom, was worthy of even more respect, thus Gou Hanshi's words, thus when her letter ever so faintly hinted that she did not approve of this marriage proposal, the crowd within the hall reacted in such a way. However, before she truly matured, she was first of all the young lady of the Divine General of the East's estate, the disciple of Holy Maiden Peak.
She could mention her opinion of the plans made by her family and teachers, but before the common people, she had to present a calm and deferential stance. Only this way could she be the perfect and flawless woman in the eyes of the common people. Of course, that the common people all thought her to be a perfect match with Qiushan Jun was perhaps also because she was so calm.
Yet the second half of this letter directly told everyone that they were all mistaken.
Xu Yourong clearly wrote in her letter that only the friendship of fellow disciples, the affection of brother and sister, existed between her and Qiushan Jun.
She respected her senior brother, but she had never thought about being with him.
She also wrote in her letter that she did not know if this letter would arrive in time, but regardless of whether it did, in brief…
She would not marry him.
...
...
It was a very simple ten or so lines, a very clear meaning, but it was lacking a bit in reasoning.
Everyone in the hall stared in shock at the letter in Prince Chen Liu's hands, incapable of speech.
Why? Just what was the reason for all this? How could she speak so calmly, so certainly?
This marriage was a marriage alliance between the southern sects and the Great Zhou Dynasty, the combined will of the Divine Empress, the Pope, the Holy Maiden of the south, and the Mount Li Sword Sect. In the face of this terrifying will, even if she was Xu Yourong, what reason did she have to reject it?
Xu Yourong used the final sentence of this letter to give an explanation to the entire world.
This explanation was very simple, yet irrefutable.
It was very similar to the explanation given for why Chen Changsheng opposed her engagement with Qiushan Jun.
"Because I already have an engagement. I have a fiancé called Chen Changsheng."
...
...
The hall was absolutely silent.
Earlier, no one had believed Chen Changsheng's words. Even when it was proved that his marriage contract was real, no one had sincerely acknowledged this matter, until the White Crane brought the letter, brought Xu Yourong's stance. This letter seemed to deliver a slap to everyone's faces.
Previously, when Mo Yu had been reading the letter, she was silently thinking, this stubborn girl, just what does she want to do?
Luoluo's eyes twinkled with stars as she sighed in praise, "She really is Xu Yourong…so cool."
Chen Changsheng slightly lowered his head, looking at his reflection in the golden bricks of the hall. When Prince Chen Liu had been reading the letter to the entire crowd, his expression had gradually grown calmer as the letter was read, his mind more relaxed, yet in the end, he was still left with a tinge of indescribable confusion.
You clearly don't want to marry, yet tonight you wrote this sort of letter. Just why did you do all this?
Just then, the White Crane slowly walked over to him and extended its neck to enthusiastically prod at him.
Chen Changsheng raised his head. Seeing the White Crane, he chuckled and snuggled its thin neck in the crook of his arm as he softly petted it.
Seeing this sight, the hall grew even quieter.
Everyone knew that other than when it was sending mail, this White Crane was inseparable from Xu Yourong, and it was extremely proud and aloof. Its closeness with Chen Changsheng could only mean that it and Chen Changsheng were old friends, extremely familiar with each other.
If the crane was like this, then what of the person?
It turned out that everything within the letter was true, not an excuse. And it wasn't because Xu Yourong was respecting her grandfather's dying wish and compelled into this marriage.
Perhaps she and this youth called Chen Changsheng were the true childhood sweethearts.
"Childhood sweethearts? Love more solid than gold?"
Tang Thirty-Six said as he looked at Gou Hanshi and the people of the southern diplomatic mission.
These were both phrases Gou Hanshi had used to describe the feelings between Qiushan Jun and Xu Yourong.
Tang Thirty-Six's seemingly indifferent smile contained much jeering and ridicule.
"It looks to me like he was just imagining things, no?"