Protect Our Clan Leader

Chapter 1040: Chapter 64: The Wind Rises in Shangjing! Shou Zhe is Doomed (Seeking Monthly Votes)_2 Chapter 1040: Chapter 64: The Wind Rises in Shangjing! Shou Zhe is Doomed (Seeking Monthly Votes)_2 “` The Level Eight Lingjin Tree required growth on a small-scale Wood Type top-quality Spirit Vein, and it needed constant nourishment. It would produce a batch of Spirit Cotton only every ten years.

Even with considerable improvements to the weaving technology, it could barely produce over a dozen rolls of White Cloud Spiritual Silk, amounting to only about one or two hundred sets of clothing. The majority of these were supplied to the Imperial Household or exported to the Immortal Dynasty.

After all, there were too few cultivators in Da Qian who could afford clothes made from White Cloud Spiritual Silk.

This wasn’t a matter of affordability, but of willingness. After all, clothes were consumables, unlike Magical Treasures, which could be passed down for several generations.

In Return to Dragon City, the Jin Family, an inconspicuous Fifth Grade Prominent Family within Shangjing City, earned an annual gross income of no less than tens of millions of Qian Gold, all thanks to the cultivation of this Level Eight Lingjin Tree in their suburban estate. They lived a very comfortable and satisfying life, indeed causing much “envy, jealousy, and hatred” among many Prominent Families.

The extent to which Zhao Yuanqing was favored within the Zhao Clan was evident from the fact that he wore clothes made of White Cloud Spiritual Silk. His person also carried the Zhao Clan’s ambitions of achieving an alliance with a family possessing Divine Skills of not just the Five Spiritual Passages but even the Six.

Compared to the various statuses within the Zhao Clan, the few from Rong Commandery Prince’s Residence, though part of the Imperial family, were after all not from the main Direct Line, and ultimately their foundation and aura were somewhat weaker. From the way they were hosting and the attention they were paying to the visitors, the difference in real status was evident.

The Rong Commandery Prince had already lived six or seven hundred years as a Purple Abode Realm Profound Martial cultivator, and was well into his later years.

At this point, his hair had turned completely white, yet he remained vigorously spirited, his face full of vitality and enthusiasm as he warmly welcomed the Zhao Clan delegation. “Brother Zhikun, I’ve heard that you’ve earned great Merit Points once again on the battlefield beyond our domain. With such Merit Points, after a few more years of experience in the cabinet accumulating sufficient reputation and networking, it will be even more natural for you to succeed the position of the predecessor Hong Bo. Congratulations, congratulations~” “Commandery Prince Your Highness flatters me,” Zhao Zhikun replied with a composed smile, “Battling enemies is our duty. When I was on the battlefield beyond our domain, I also heard of the splendor of the Rong Commandery Prince from back in the day. It’s just a pity that I was not born in the right time to witness it with my own eyes.”

After exchanging a few compliments.

Commandery Prince Consort Zhao Yijing offered a slight smile to the Rong Commandery Prince Consort, “Ninth Grandmother, I heard that Little Princess Xue Ning has taken up residence in the Imperial Palace again? The Old Ancestor really dotes on her.”

The Rong Commandery Prince Consort, Meng from the Fourth Grade Meng Family, came from a powerful family; her strongest family member, Meng Yuanbai, the Old Ancestor, served as the Three Talents Chief of the Third Grade, a position that was very much in the spotlight.

Meng Yuanbai and the Meng Family, one holding a prominent Third Grade position in the government and the other being the Commandery Prince Consort from the Imperial family, supported and benefitted each other, forming a relatively stable and strong power structure.

The Meng Family, valuing this very point, was willing to marry their young Sky Pride daughter off to the old Rong Commandery Prince as his second wife.

However, this power and status fell short when compared to that of the Kang Commandery Prince Consort.

Even though the Meng Family’s seniority was higher than Zhao Yijing’s and she was slightly older, she maintained a full smile with a somewhat ingratiating look on her face. “The Imperial Guard came with a message that the Old Ancestor ordered Xue Ning to stay in the palace to entertain a few young guests.”

The most presentable figure in the entire Rong Commandery Prince’s Residence was, of course, Little Princess Xue Ning. Although she was young, her seniority was high, being of the same generation as Kang Commandery Prince Wu Chengsi.

The Rong Commandery Prince was of the same generation as the Prince of Yong’an, as well as the grandfather of the Kang Commandery Prince, the Tai Commandery Prince. This showed the close blood relationship between them.

After another round of casual conversation and pleasantries.

Finally, the Kang Commandery Prince Consort explained her visit: “Ninth Grandfather, Ninth Grandmother. Yijing came this time to propose a marriage for Yuan Qing. Yuan Qing is from the Direct Long Line of the Zhao family, with extraordinary talent, and is most likely to inherit the position of Duke An in the future.”

Proposing a marriage.

In fact, with the Zhao Clan sending the Kang Commandery Prince Consort, the Purple Abode Realm Great Heavenly Proud Zhao Zhikun, and the Zhao Clan’s Direct Line descendant Zhao Yuanqing, all this pomp had led the Rong Commandery Prince couple and Wu Yingcai couple to anticipate what was coming.

Looking at the young generation from the Prominent Families across the entire Da Qian, there were virtually none who matched up to Wu Xue Ning, yet Zhao Yuanqing indeed barely qualified as one.

The reason for saying “barely” was because Xue Ning was a Great Heavenly Proud and also a Direct Line noble lady of the Imperial family, possessing even more revered status than an ordinary Heavenly Proud.

Generally speaking, in matrimonial alliances where the woman marries into a more powerful family, Xue Ning could easily be matched with an Emperor’s son from another empire, or with First Grade Prominent Families, or even with Overquality Prominent Families of the Immortal Dynasty.

“Commandery Prince Your Highness,” Zhao Yuankun helped to speak, “Our Zhao Clan and your De Xin Prince’s line have intermarried quite frequently and are closely related. If the Little Princess could unite with Yuan Qing, it would be a strong alliance. Although our Zhao Clan is not on par with a First Grade Prominent Family, we have the advantage of being close to home. Should the Little Princess marry into our family, it would be as if she had never left her parental home, able to return whenever she pleases.”

The Rong Commandery Prince couple had also considered this matter. If Xue Ning were to marry off to another country or the Immortal Dynasty, although it would match her talents and status better, she would ultimately be too far from home. Additionally, the Zhao family was actually not bad; once the Kang Commandery Prince ascended the throne, they would also be a top-tier Prominent Family with immense power in the court, and their mutual interests would be more closely intertwined.

However, Wu Xue Ning was no ordinary child, and her marriage carried too many benefits and was tied to many interests, which they couldn’t decide on their own.

Although the Rong Commandery Prince couple were somewhat tempted after listening, they did not dare to make the decision on their own, repeatedly saying, “This matter must be reported to Old Ancestor De Xin and his opinion consulted.”

“`

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com