Chapter 22: A Cage, or a New Lease on Life?

Night had fallen and Wu Jian lay wide awake in bed, replaying what happened at dinner over and over again in his mind. He recalled the pandemonium that had taken place immediately after Emperor Hou Jun announced that he was wedding his daughter to Wu Jian. Almost everyone had begun talking at once, raising their voices more and more in an attempt to talk over each other. It was only thanks to the emperor’s presence that the situation calmed down so quickly.

However, Wu Jian would never forget the expression Hou Jingshu had worn when this announcement was made. The blood had rapidly drained from her face and she seemed to lose all her strength, her shoulders sagging as if they were being pressed upon by a great weight. It was clear that she had no idea what had been about to happen.

He felt bad for her.

He also wondered about himself. Wu Jian was not sure what to think or how to feel. For the whole of his life, he had been dedicated to getting stronger so he could stay by Wu Meiying’s side. His goal in life was to get strong, marry Wu Meiying, and raise a family alongside her. Now that goal seemed further away than ever before.

At that moment, a knock came at his window. He stood up, made his way to the window, and opened the shudders. A figure leapt in at that moment. It was, of course, Wu Meiying. He glanced outside and was surprised to see the guards normally present not stationed there. They must have gotten drunk during the party. He closed the shutters and turned as she pulled back the hood of her cloak, allowing her midnight hair to descend down her back. Then she undid the fastens to reveal that she was wearing cute pajamas.

“Mei…”

“I figured you would be brooding tonight,” Wu Meiying said with a bright grin.

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” he said. “You saw it. You knew the emperor was going to announce that I was marrying his daughter?”

Wu Meiying didn’t deny it. “I saw it in a dream the other day.”

Wu Jian sat down on the bed, placed his elbows on his knees, and leaned forward as he ran his hands through his hair. He didn’t know what to think.

“This is all happening too fast. What should I do now? I have no idea what I’m supposed to do in this situation,” he said.

“What do you mean?” asked Wu Meiying.

“I mean, if I marry Hou Jingshu, then…”

How can we get married?

The question was on the tip of Wu Jian’s tongue, but he didn’t ask it because he was afraid of the answer.

“What are you talking about?” Wu Meiying giggled as she skipped over to him and sat down so close their shoulders touched. She knocked into him once. “We can still get married.”

Wu Jian didn’t say anything at first, but when he did, each word was spoken with slow deliberation. “I suppose… we could practice polygamy, but if I marry Hou Jingshu, wouldn’t I be a simple prince consort? I would not become emperor. Are prince consorts allowed to have more than one wife?”

“That’s not actually how it would go,” Wu Meiying corrected him.

“It’s not?”

Smiling, she shook her head. “Don’t forget that Emperor Hou Jun came to us, not the other way around. He is marrying Hou Jingshu off, so that means we are not marrying into his family. Hou Jingshu is marrying into our family, which means she will become Wu Jingshu when you two marry.”

“I see. So I had it all wrong.”

Wu Jian nodded as he realized his thoughts and concerns had been incorrect. Now that she had pointed it out to him, that did explain why the emperor had come all this way instead of having the Wu Clan travel to the imperial capital.

However, that begged another question.

“Why is he marrying his only daughter to a small clan like ours?” he asked. That was what really didn’t make sense. They could not offer him anything of value for marrying his daughter—certainly, there were many noble clans back in the capital with far more wealth, power, and prestige than them. The Wu Clan was just a small clan living in the countryside.

“I don’t know, but I suspect it has to do with some kind of unrest that’s happening in the capital.” Wu Meiying crossed her arms and tilted her head. “While he made light of the situation, it sounds like the emperor’s sons are causing chaos in the kingdom. You know Emperor Hou Jun is getting up there in his years. His cultivation base also isn’t very high. I hear he’s only at the first subrealm of the Human Limit Realm. That might make him one of the strongest people in the Shang Kingdom, but it’s not very high compared to other monarchs. He’s already around two hundred years-old, so he probably won’t live for more than another two decades or so. I bet you anything his sons are preparing to fight for the throne once he is gone.”

While her words could have been considered insulting had anyone else heard them, Wu Jian merely nodded. Emperor Hou Jun had recently celebrated his 234th birthday not long ago. While that would not be old for a cultivator at the Deva Realm, who could live for at least one thousand years, that was not true for a cultivator who was only at the Human Limit Realm. They would live, at most, only one or two hundred years longer than a normal human. Three hundred was the longest any Human Limit Realm cultivator had lived in recorded history.

“So he’s marrying his daughter off to a small family way out in the countryside because he doesn’t want her being used as a pawn in his sons’ political maneuverings,” Wu Jian mused out loud.

“That’s what I think is happening, at any rate,” Wu Meiying said with a shrug.

“And what do you think I should do about this?” asked Wu Jian.

“Hmmm. First, I think we should accept Hou Jingshu as a part of our family. She’s even more of a victim in all this than you are. I bet you anything she’s feeling resentful and scared right now. As her fiancé, you need to be her rock and help make her feel safe, secure, and happy.”

“Do you think I can do that?”

“If anyone can do that, it’s you.”

Wu Meiying’s confidence was probably the only reason Wu Jian could also feel confident about this situation. He honestly didn’t know if he could love someone the way he did her, but hearing her say that he could made him believe in himself. Wu Jian would do his best to live up to those expectations.

“Okay. Then that’s what I’ll do,” he decided.

“Good. I would be very upset if you decided not to do your best to help her. I rather like Hou Jingshu,” Wu Meiying confessed with a smile.

He smiled back. “Are you gonna stay the night?”

“Can’t. Your mother will be arriving in five minutes to talk about Hou Jingshu, and I need to be gone by then.”

After saying that, Wu Meiying stood up. Wu Jian followed her as she donned her cloak and walked over to the window. She didn’t climb out right away. Turning around, she leaned over and kissed him on the lips, then leaned back and smiled.

“Goodnight, Jian.”

“Goodnight, Mei.”

Still smiling, she pulled the hood back over her head, climbed onto the window sill, and silently leapt outside. He watched as her figure disappeared into the thickets. Then he closed the window. Not long after, a knock came at his door. The person standing on the other side when he opened it was his mother.

“Mother, what are you doing here so late?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

“Can I come in?” Mother asked with a gentle smile. “I know you must be shocked by what happened at dinner tonight, so I wanted to talk to you about it.”

It’s just as Wu Meiying predicted. She must have had another dream about this happening as well. I’m always stunned by how accurate her visions are.

He once again had to marvel at Wu Meiying’s ability to predict the future. He didn’t know how she did it, but it was scary cool.

“Of course, Mother. Please come inside,” Wu Jian said as he stepped aside and allowed his mother into the room.

***

Hou Jingshu dreamed that she was back in the palace, that last night had been nothing but a nightmare, and that she was once again spending her days smiling as her family doted on her. It was a pleasant dream. She wished, hoped, that it was reality. However, when she opened her eyes and was greeted by the unfamiliar ceiling, reality hit her and caused tears to prick at her vision.

She was engaged to be married.

She knew almost nothing about her groom.

All she knew was that the familiar life she had known was now gone, ripped away from her by a decision she hadn’t made for herself.

It was not an unusual situation. Many nobles got engaged young. It came from an ancient tradition long before the first cultivators emerged from the world. The world had been rife with disease and war, and it wasn’t unusual for men and women to die as young as thirty. Those who were lucky might live to be forty, but that was never guaranteed. To ensure the continuation of family lines, people married as early as possible and gave birth to many kids.

In marriages like that, it was not unusual for the man to be ten or even twelve years older than the woman. Father was going against traditions by having her marry someone her own age. In that regard, she was quite lucky, but she still disliked the fact that she was being married off to someone she had never met until just a day ago. Of course, they were only engaged for now. Neither of them would marry until they came of age.

As thoughts of marriage turned over in her mind, she thought back to the previous day. While the announcement at dinner had put a damper on her mood, she wouldn’t deny that spending time with Wu Jian and Wu Meiying had been a lot of fun. They had shown her around, included her in their conversations with a friendly smile that made her feel at ease, and seemed to share similar interests to her. She liked them. However, she didn’t know if she wanted to marry Wu Jian just because they got along.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Hou Jingshu jumped when someone knocked on her door. She sat up in bed, covered herself with a blanket, and turned toward the door.

“Who is it?” she asked.

“It’s Wu Meiying. Can I come in?” came the voice.

“Ah. H-hang on just a second! I, um, I need to tidy myself up!”

“There’s no need to do that yourself. I can help you. Besides, I brought a change of clothes for you.”

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“Huh?!”

“Anyway, I’m coming in.”

“W-w-w-wait a minute!”

Hou Jingshu was shocked at Wu Meiying’s lack of decorum, but the other girl didn’t seem to care. She opened the door and entered the room. There was a bright smile on her face.

“What are you doing?! I’m not fully dressed yet!” Hou Jingshu shouted.

“Of course you’re not fully dressed. You don’t even have the proper attire you need for today anyway,” Wu Meiying said as if that was obvious. “Besides, what are you getting so flustered for? Didn’t you have maidservants to help you get dressed back at the palace?”

“That is completely different!”

At the moment, Hou Jingshu was wearing nothing but a simple nightgown. The gown was light blue and went down to her bare feet. Her hair had also been let down. More importantly, however, was how her hair was sticking up in all directions. It was so messy that she didn’t want anyone, especially not the beautiful Wu Meiying, to see it.

In direct contrast to her, Wu Meiying’s immaculate appearance was pristine and elegant, as if she had gone to sleep and woken up this way. Her dark hair was tied into a ponytail and carried a glossy sheen that Hou Jingshu couldn’t help but be jealous of. There were no bags under her eyes, her smile was bright and sunny, and she looked like she’d had a pleasant sleep.

Unlike Hou Jingshu who had barely slept a wink.

“That… look… you can’t just…”

She tried to articulate her sentences, but Hou Jingshu’s mind was so jumbled that she mixed up her words. Wu Meiying, on the other hand, just smiled at her. She was carrying a comb and a change of clothes in her hands.

“Please, do not worry. I won’t tell Wu Jian about how slovenly you appear in the mornings. This will be our little secret.”

“!!!!”

“I’m joking, of course. You look fine. Not slovenly at all. I promise,” Wu Meiying said with a giggle.

“… You are very mean,” Hou Jingshu determined. “Where did that kind girl from yesterday go? Was she just a phantom?”

“She is still here, rest assured. I am only teasing you because I like you.” That made Hou Jingshu blush, and Wu Meiying capitalized on her suddenly compliant nature. “Now, please get up. I’ll help you get dressed and comb your hair for you.”

Hou Jingshu thought about arguing with the girl, but she already had the vague sense that she would never win, thought better of it, and stood up. Wu Meiying smiled as she helped Hou Jingshu remove her nightgown. Then she helped her get dressed. Hou Jingshu couldn’t help but stare at her outfit in surprise as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“Is this… a training gi?” she asked at last.

Wu Meiying wore a smile as she stood behind a chair and bade her to sit down. “That’s right. I know your father always kept you from training because you’re the imperial princess, but since you are now going to be living with us, he’s not around to stop you.”

Hou Jingshu straightened like she had been shocked. She felt a jolt travel through her body. She was tempted to turn around and stare at Wu Meiying, but the other girl was currently detangling her hair with a comb and some water.

“I’m… going to train?” she asked as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Yes. Oh, but I suppose I should have asked if that was something you were interested in before making assumptions. My apologies.”

Wu Meiying giggled, but Hou Jingshu couldn’t help but think she was being teased again. This girl seemed to have known about her desire to train even though she hadn’t said a thing.

The truth was that Hou Jingshu had always admired cultivators. She used to sneak into the Imperial Academy and watch some of the matches between students—until her father had found out and forbade her from going anymore. Watching those people as they flung about techniques and fought with fists, feet, and weapons had been awe-inspiring.

Hou Jingshu wanted to be someone like that. She wanted to become a strong cultivator who commanded the respect of others, but her father had forbidden her from cultivating. He had said she would only be allowed to break through to the Hunger Realm. To that end, he had given her foods and alchemy pills that helped increase her strength so she could break through, but that was the extent of what she had been allowed.

And now Wu Meiying was telling her she could train.

She swallowed. “Am I… I mean, will I be training with you and Wu Jian?”

“Of course. That is why I came so early to get you.” Wu Meiying finished combing Hou Jingshu’s hair, tied it into a braid, and held it in place with a hairpin. “Wu Jian is already at our training ground. He and I train early every morning on our own before breakfast.”

Hearing that she would be allowed to train caused Hou Jingshu to slowly forget about her earlier anxiety. She still didn’t want to get married, but she did want to train, and that desire overrode her issues with her current circumstances. She could forgive everything else if it meant she could train as a cultivator.

Once her hair was in place, she followed Wu Meiying outside of the complex. The brisk morning air was chilly and caused goosebumps to break out on her skin. It wasn’t dark out anymore, but it wasn’t quite light either. She could see the sun peeking over the mountains and dying the sky in orange hues. The scent of flowers filled the air as she walked across the stone pavement, courtesy of the numerous gardens they passed.

 Then they finally reached the training ground.

Hou Jingshu once more found herself shocked, but it was not because of the cold.

Wu Jian was training.

He was currently shirtless, hanging from a bar and doing what looked like a really advanced stomach exercise. His body was parallel to the ground, his arms were straightened and held at forty-five degree angles to the bar, and he would slowly tuck his knees into his chest before straightening them again. Hou Jingshu could only marvel at the incredible example of physical prowess being put on display. More than that, she couldn’t help but feel her cheeks heat up at Wu Jian’s powerful physique.

As an admirer of cultivators, seeing someone with such an impressive body made her heart race.

And to think Wu Jian is my age. What sort of training does he do to get muscles like that?

As if he had sensed their presence, Wu Jian lowered himself to the ground and turned, presenting his front to them and causing Hou Jingshu’s mouth to dry. She felt like she should look away. No, she needed to look away as it was not proper for someone of her station to stare at a shirtless boy. And yet as he walked over to them with a smile, she found herself blatantly ogling his muscular chest.

I didn’t realize someone my own age could have such sculpted muscles…

“Good morning, you two,” he greeted.

“Good morning, Jian,” Wu Meiying said.

When Hou Jingshu said nothing, Wu Jian waved his hand in front of her face. She squeaked and leapt back. Placing a hand over her chest, she breathed deeply and tried to hide how hot her cheeks felt. They were so hot, she was certain it would have been possible to cook an egg on them.

“Go-good morning,” she muttered, finally pulling her eyes away.

He paused, then wryly asked. “Should I put on a shirt?”

Hou Jingshu’s blush, which she had just gotten under control, came back full force.

“I think that would be for the best,” Wu Meiying said with a giggle. Wu Jian nodded, and as he went over to put his shirt back on, she turned to Hou Jingshu. “You and I are going to be doing something different than what Jian does. Come. I’ll begin showing you the exercises you should start off with. Let’s get stronger together.”

Hou Jingshu still wasn’t sure what to think about this situation. She didn’t know how to feel. Everything was happening too fast for her to take in. However, when Wu Meiying said, “let’s get stronger together,” the worry in her heart was slowly quelled and replaced with something else, something fiery that blossomed within her chest.

“Yes.” Hou Jingshu nodded once. “Let’s.”

It was determination.

---

While Hou Jingshu is not happy about being forced into an arranged marriage, she doesn't dislike Wu Jian, and now he is helping her fulfill a long thought lost dream. Could this be the start of a loving relationsip?

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