1423 Unprecedented Genius
"Xiu Mei, because of your reckless actions, we've lost several powerful allies. Even worse, they have formed an alliance that will now directly challenge us. At this rate, there will be war, and our victory isn't guaranteed." Emperor Xiu sighed in front of his beloved daughter. He would've never imagined that his most precious and gentle daughter would cause such trouble, and it was all for a single soldier.
"Can we even call them allies when they have clearly planned on opposing us for some time now? If I hadn't acted and exposed their true faces, we wouldn't have known about it until we had a sword stabbed in our back!" Xiu Mei rebuked.
The room fell silent after Xiu Mei's words.
"Your Majesty, I have to agree with the Princess on this matter. Her actions and reasoning aside, it showed us the true colors of those traitorous bastards. The Lee Family and the others would have eventually stabbed us in the back if given the chance regardless if Princess Xiu had beaten their children or not. We should immediately start preparing to deal with them." One of the most trusted and experienced Royal Advisors there said.
"Not just that. Those families are rumored to have some shady business running in the shadows. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to secure any solid evidence that could incriminate them yet," said one of their Generals.
"I am actually glad that the Princess had done what she did. Those children are infamous troublemakers. We've received a mountain of complaints from the citizens because of them. Moreover, it exposed their true colors to us, allowing us to take action faster."
The majority of people in the room expressed their support for Xiu Mei. Seeing this, Emperor Xiu could no longer find it in him to punish her and sighed, "You got lucky this time, Xiu Mei. I won't punish you as the Emperor, but as your father, I have to ensure you won't do something so reckless again. That young soldier who made you do this… I forbid you from seeing him again."
"What?! But father—!" Xiu Mei immediately tried to protest.
But she was quickly rejected, "If you agree to never see him again, I will allow him to continue working as a soldier for us. However, if you refuse, I will have him removed immediately. The choice is yours."
Xiu Mei clenched her teeth in frustration. Despite her ability to defeat those young masters, she remained powerless against her father's authority. Emperor Xiu could have Tian Xian executed for encouraging Xiu Mei's actions, leaving her with no recourse but to lament her situation.
"I… I understand. I will not see him again, but you have to keep your promise and not touch him! If you break this promise, I will hate you forever!" Xiu Mei said before turning around and stomping out of the room in anger.
Since that day, Xiu Mei kept her promise and did not approach Tian Xian once. However, she would occasionally sneak a peek at him from afar to ensure that he was still there and Emperor Xiu did not break his promise.
Tian Xian knew that Xiu Mei's disappearance was most likely related to what she did for him and refrained from even mentioning her name, as he was worried about stirring the hornet's nest.
Of course, he would notice someone staring at him from afar from time to time, but he pretended to be oblivious to it for obvious reasons.
'Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for protecting me. I, Tian Xian, swear to protect you until my last breath.'
After making that vow to himself, Tian Xian intensified his training regimen, pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion each day until he collapsed from sheer fatigue.
Two and half years passed in the blink of an eye. It has been four years since Tian Xian became a soldier for the Xiu Family. He recently turned 16, officially becoming an adult. He also reached the realm of Spirit King with unprecedented speed, shocking the entire army. Moreover, he mastered every weapon known to man, becoming a powerful force that could fight those several levels above his own cultivation.
The reputation of the prodigious talent Tian Xian had reached every corner of the Xiu Family, earning admiration even from the Emperor himself.
"I knew he was talented even before he started his cultivation, but to think I almost threw away such a monster! I'm so glad that I didn't quietly get rid of him that day!" Emperor Xiu sighed out loud before the presence of several individuals.
"Tian Xian… He started training for the royal guard a year after he joined us and graduated a year later, becoming the youngest royal guard in our army's history at the age of 14," said the General of the army, who also held Tian Xian in high regard.
He continued, "He's just turned 16 and he can already fight me toe to toe despite having a lower cultivation base. I have never seen a monster like him before."
"We should properly secure him within the Xiu Family before it's too late. Our situation with the Seven Heavenly Order has only been worsening for the past three years. We'll need his strength when war eventually breaks out in the near future," suggested the Royal Advisor.
"Indeed," agreed the Emperor, his expression grave. "Tian Xian's talent is our greatest hope against the impending storm. We must ensure his loyalty and commitment to our cause. However, how should we go about this?"
"The easiest and most common method would be to give him one of our daughters. I have three daughters, but they are all married," said the General in a regretful tone.
"I have two daughters. One was recently married and the other is only 10 years old…" The Royal Advisor sighed.
"I only have sons…" said another Royal Advisor.
"I have a daughter who is 17 years old and not married, but she already fancies some disciple from the Grand Sword Academy," said the Royal Treasurer.
"You should introduce your daughter to Tian Xian, Royal Treasurer! I'm sure she'll like him better than that disciple!" Emperor Xiu suggested.
However, the Royal Treasurer shook his head and sighed, "It's not that simple. She may not be married, but she's already given her body to that disciple, and they plan on getting married once that disciple becomes a Core Disciple."
"Aiya! You should've said that first!" Emperor Xiu sighed.
"Anyways, does anyone here have a daughter who isn't married and who is still pure? Tian Xian is an unprecedented genius who probably won't appear again in our lifetime!"
The Royal Advisor there suddenly raised his hand and spoke, "Um… Your Majesty, what about Princess Xiu? If I recall correctly, she was pretty close with Tian Xian before that incident with the families from the Seven Heavenly Order."
"Xiu Mei?! Impossible! I will let him have anyone—anyone but her!" he immediately refuted.
"But Your Majesty, we don't have anyone else. Furthermore, it will pretty much guarantee that Tian Xian will stay loyal to the Xiu Family if his wife is Xiu Mei, who is of direct lineage..."
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Very quickly, the others started voicing their approval of Xiu Mei and Tian Xian's marriage despite being responsible for their separation several years ago.