"This..." Wang Yu's expression carried a hint of hesitation. Challenging a woman as a man had already cost him face. If he didn't use a weapon, he might lose control during the fight and ruin the young lady's reputation. How could he bear that?
Xing Yuan, too lazy to waste more words with him, simply said, "If you want to fight, do it my way. If not, please step aside and don't block my path!"
Wang Yu agonized for a moment, but then decided that martial arts knew no borders or genders. He shouldn't be so constrained by such things. He agreed.
"Please, you go first!" Wang Yu offered a polite refusal.
Xing Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. He had sought her out first, so it was only fitting that she make the first move, acknowledging his effort.
The two began to spar. Xing Yuan inherited the memories of the original host, along with some prior combat experience. Even though both possessed top-tier inner energy in this world, Wang Yu couldn't hold out for long against Xing Yuan and was quickly suppressed and struck several times.
Wang Yu, mindful of Xing Yuan's female identity, was unwilling to resort to underhanded tactics, nor was he willing to concede defeat. He truly took several hard blows from Xing Yuan.
After Xing Yuan vented some of her pent-up frustration, she released him. With a face full of apology, she claimed she had heard of the Blade King's formidable martial arts and had been too nervous to hold back, thus striking a few extra times.
Although Wang Yu knew she was deliberately venting her anger, he swallowed his pride for various reasons. Forget it! After all, he was in the wrong first, and what was wrong with being struck a few times when outmatched? They were just superficial wounds that would be invisible in a couple of days.
Wang Yu cupped his hands in a gesture of surrender and said, "This time, Wang is outmatched! However, we did not use blades today. I hope next time we meet, I will have the honor of witnessing your swordsmanship."
With that, Wang Yu didn't linger. He turned, activated his Qinggong, and with a few flashes, he was gone.
Xing Yuan frowned. What a strange fellow. Never mind, she should first inquire about her elder sister's preferences in this life! Otherwise, she might accidentally step on a landmine.
A banquet was the best place to gather information. Xing Yuan changed her attire and mingled among various noble ladies, subtly eliciting details about Bai Qingyue's experiences and preferences in this life.
Bai Qingyue was the legitimate daughter of the current Prime Minister, Bai Yulin, and his original wife. However, Bai Qingyue's mother had always been in poor health. After giving birth to her, her condition worsened, and she passed away within a few years.
A few years later, Bai Yulin elevated his former concubine, Madam Yue, to the position of his official wife. Bai Yuelin's status also soared due to her mother. This Madam Yue was quite cunning and completely controlled Bai Yulin after her promotion.
Furthermore, Bai Yulin, accustomed to balancing matters in his position as Prime Minister, often acted as a master of balance in his family affairs as well. Bai Qingyue received what was due to her, but other matters were left to the women in the inner court to handle.
Madam Yue, however, had always disliked the daughter of the former principal wife. Having been suppressed by a sickly woman for so many years, she now reveled in her newfound authority. While she didn't directly harm Bai Qingyue, she made things difficult for her openly and indirectly, using her own daughter to embarrass Bai Qingyue.
Fortunately, Bai Qingyue was intelligent from a young age. After the initial few times when she was caught off guard, she managed to evade Madam Yue's subsequent schemes. Over time, Bai Qingyue developed a detached and indifferent disposition, rarely attending any banquets unless absolutely necessary.
However, even with Bai Qingyue's caution, she still fell victim to a scheme orchestrated by Madam Yue, who had been watching her with covetous eyes.
Although Bai Yulin didn't dote on his嫡女 (legitimate daughter) excessively, he attached great importance to her marriage due to his own status. Madam Yue, unwilling for her own daughter to forever be inferior to the former principal wife's daughter, prepared a "good marriage" for Bai Qingyue.
A maidservant secretly stole Bai Qingyue's personal belongings. Coincidentally, the maid, seeing how much Bai Qingyue cherished half of a jade pendant, took it upon herself to steal the pendant.
Before this half of the jade pendant could reach the person arranged by Madam Yue, Feng Liyan, who had been keeping watch outside the Prime Minister's mansion, discovered it. With a moment's thought, he understood the entire sequence of events.
Feng Liyan seized this opportune moment to force the Prime Minister to take a side. The jade pendant naturally fell into his hands, becoming a bargaining chip to threaten the Prime Minister. However, he truly hadn't expected that this jade pendant, which he merely considered to be of slightly better quality, was actually a token of betrothal.
What could Bai Yulin do even if he figured it out afterward? In the eyes of others, he had already aligned himself with the Second Prince. He could only continue down this path.
While Xing Yuan was busy gathering information, Wang Yu stealthily approached a room and climbed in through the window.
"What, had a spar?" Feng Lipan turned around, his eyes deep and unfathomable, completely unlike the naive and chuunibyou demeanor he displayed in public.
Indeed, having grown up in the imperial palace, if he were truly as harmless as he appeared, he likely wouldn't have survived this long.
"Yes! I must thank His Highness the First Prince for the information. Wang has always kept his word and will serve you for half a year!" Wang Yu cupped his hands in a respectful bow.
"Mm, and what was the outcome?" Feng Lipan spun a jade thumb ring on his finger, his eyes filled with amusement.
"Wang lost! However, I did not use any weapons. Once I fulfill my promise to Your Highness, I will definitely return to challenge her again." Wang Yu's eyes held a hint of frustration, yet he was genuinely happy to have found a worthy opponent.
He had a premonition that Xing Yuan's strength was far more than what she had revealed, and he wouldn't lack fights in the future.
"Oh?" Feng Lipan was somewhat surprised. Wang Yu's strength was undoubtedly top-tier in the martial world. For him to lose to an assassin, who was rumored to be unskilled in close combat, was truly rare.
After all, assassins were called assassins because, compared to fighting, their expertise lay in killing!
However, he bore no ill will towards Xing Yuan, and in fact, they could even be considered friends. Therefore, Feng Lipan wasn't overly concerned. It seemed the matter of selecting a consort needed to be expedited. Otherwise, when his second brother returned, he might think Feng Lipan intended to participate in this uninteresting power struggle.
His future Imperial Consort's status and position were not important; what mattered was that he found her pleasing to the eye. He already had a few candidates in mind, but he hadn't yet made a decision.
Never mind. Since all these individuals caught his eye, why not present them to the Empress for a decision? After all, she was his nominal mother! If his mother decided who he should marry, no one would likely find fault with it.