Chapter 33: Hearts Entwined in Harmony

Indeed, Zhang Zixing’s voice echoed repeatedly.

“Welcome, the Eldest Lady of Yiyang Marquis…”

“Welcome, the Fifth Lady of Jianzhang Marquis…”

One by one, airships descended, and Qian Ye had already quietly retreated to the edge of the landing field, distancing himself from the chaos. He silently counted: there were two imperial duchess adoptive daughters, ten marquess’s legitimate daughters, and three governor’s legitimate daughters. Not to mention the numerous female members of their extended families in their entourages. This group of noble ladies was clearly here for Wei Po Tian, the very “trouble” that the Crown Prince had been evading.

Suddenly, a thought struck Qian Ye; during this period, Blackstream City would be extremely “safe.”

Fifteen noble ladies, each with a hundred-strong retinue, meant that thousands of elite troops had suddenly appeared in Blackstream City. They might not have the coordination and synergy, but with their high ranks and top-notch equipment, they could easily overwhelm an equal number of the empire’s main force in a fight.

Moreover, with so many noble ladies and a fleet of the imperial main force coming to Blackstream City, the high command of the expeditionary forces must be aware. Therefore, even if they had any intentions, they would not choose this time to act.

Qian Ye thus gained another buffer period. As time passed, his control over the reorganized Darkflame and Blackstream City would only grow stronger.

In this light, the trouble brought by Wei Po Tian was not entirely without merit.

However, the sudden influx of so many people highlighted the poverty of Blackstream City. There simply weren’t enough off-road vehicles to transport everyone. Even with multiple trips, it was insufficient. In the end, only the noble ladies and their companions and maids rode in the vehicles, while the accompanying guards had to share military trucks with Zhang Zixing’s men, enduring a bumpy ride into Blackstream City.

From the moment Nangong Ling disembarked from the airship, Qian Ye lost the opportunity for a private conversation with Wei Po Tian. Now, Wei Po Tian was surrounded by more than ten noble ladies, bombarded by their incessant chatter, leaving no time to talk to Qian Ye. Qian Ye, for his part, had no intention of helping Wei Po Tian out of this situation; he certainly wouldn’t seek trouble by approaching those noble ladies.

Upon returning to the division headquarters, Qian Ye immediately summoned Song Hu and Duan Hao, and began requisitioning residences from the prominent and wealthy residents of Blackstream City for these noble ladies. However, the standards of the local elite were far below those of the imperial clans. Although the local gentry were eager to flatter these noble ladies, the process was still not smooth.

The logistics of housing thousands of people were already extremely complex, and these nobles had additional demands. Moreover, the imperial nobles from the upper continent inherently looked down on the residents of the abandoned lands, their haughty demeanor evident in every word and action.

Just arranging the accommodations took up the entire afternoon. Throughout the process, Qian Ye, along with the Darkflame members, heard more than once phrases like, “This is indeed a rural place. Why can’t you clean up a bit? If my lady gets sick, can you bear the consequences?”

The true noble ladies were either generous or graceful, at least in front of Wei Po Tian, they would never lack in etiquette.

But their attendants and maids were much more difficult to deal with, often more arrogant than the noble ladies themselves, acting as if they had eyes on top of their heads. Perhaps from these companions and maids, one could see the true attitude of the noble ladies.

Fortunately, the imperial army led by Zhang Zixing did not have so many quirks. The 7th Division headquarters freed up half of their barracks, and even the accompanying warriors were content with sharing rooms, making no special demands.

By the time all the unexpected and prestigious guests were settled, night had already fallen.

Qian Ye finally found a chance to grab Wei Po Tian, dragging him forcefully to a secluded spot, lifting him by the collar, and angrily demanding, “What is this about!?”

Qian Ye was already tall among his peers, and Wei Po Tian was half a head taller, with a much larger build. Yet, when Qian Ye, who seemed “slender” in comparison, lifted him, Wei Po Tian was almost powerless to resist.

Wei Po Tian gave a few embarrassed laughs, realizing he couldn’t dodge, and said, “Alright, alright! Qian Ye, can you put me down first?”

Qian Ye snorted coldly, loosened his grip, and with a thud, Wei Po Tian fell to the ground like a boulder.

Rubbing his sore neck, Wei Po Tian, still wary, couldn’t help but say, “This kind of strength, even the few vampire viscounts I’ve fought don’t have. Are you even human?”

“I’ve told you before, I’m not,” Qian Ye replied impatiently, “Spit it out, no more stalling!”

Feeling the familiar aura of danger, Wei Po Tian shrank his neck, giving a dry laugh, “Hehe, well, wasn’t it just after my birthday?”

That “just” was actually close to half a year ago, on Wei Po Tian’s coming-of-age day. Qian Ye had intended to visit the Far East Province after finalizing the Darkflame’s creation, but the sudden outbreak of the Eternal Night War interrupted his plans.

“So what? What happened next?”

During the Eternal Night War, half of the upper continent’s defense zones engaged in battles with dark races. Wei Po Tian, in the Broken Wing Angels, participated in several battles. His birthday banquet was canceled, and on his birthday, he single-handedly held off two dark viscounts, returning severely injured.

Wei Po Tian, blushing, said, “Well, while I was recovering, my family told me that since my birthday had passed, I was of age and should think about getting married.”

Staring at Wei Po Tian, Qian Ye, who had known him for so long, was surprised to see him display such shy and awkward behavior.

Qian Ye, suddenly intrigued, laughed, “Right, and then?”

Wei Po Tian’s face turned even redder, like a boiled shrimp, “Then… of course, matchmakers started coming! It turns out, my family had already spread the word about my matchmaking.”

Qian Ye was even more puzzled by Wei Po Tian’s reaction. Wasn’t this a normal thing?

Noble families’ most important activity was matchmaking, which was as significant as forming alliances with other factions. Wei Po Tian, being the heir apparent and showing exceptional talent, was an ideal match. The news naturally attracted the daughters of dukes and marquesses.

But Wei Po Tian, usually so at ease in social settings, was now acting more bashful than the noble ladies pretending to be innocent.

Qian Ye suddenly realized a possibility, “So, you’re still a virgin?”

Wei Po Tian’s face turned purplish red, and he shouted, “You’re the virgin! I’ve been peeping at girls bathing since I was ten, and by fourteen, I was already playing with two at once. I may not be as lecherous as Song Qi, but I’ve had at least a hundred or so!”

Qian Ye chuckled, not believing him. Noble families typically provide maids to their sons upon reaching adulthood, but few indulged excessively in women. The time before coming-of-age was crucial for cultivating primal energy, and the stricter the family, the more disciplined the core offspring.

Only the indolent would indulge daily in wine, women, and song. Thus, Song Zining’s reputation as a womanizer was often discussed, and having a harem at his young age made him an anomaly among the nobility.

To outsiders, Song Zining’s fondness for women and miscellaneous studies was seen as self-destruction, even if he had great talent. For this reason, even within the Song clan, few paid attention to his activities before the ten-year assessment.

Under Qian Ye’s piercing gaze, Wei Po Tian’s bluster diminished, and he finally admitted, “Ah, it’s not the same. Forget it, as brothers, I’ll just tell you. You can laugh if you want. You don’t know, just as I was starting to recover, Nangong Ling came first, claiming to be on a tour, conveniently passing through the Far East Province. She was just the first, and soon, a whole group came…”

Even Qian Ye could tell that Nangong Ling’s tour was just an excuse, and her real reason was to see Wei Po Tian. But it was common for young people to meet before marriage. While the essence of a marital alliance was uniting two families, the feelings of the individuals involved were also important. However, having a group come at once was unusual.

“How could this be? This isn’t how noble families usually behave,” Qian Ye was surprised.

Even if he didn’t understand the high nobles, he knew they valued their family’s reputation. The Far East Wei family, despite their high status, was just a marquis. Even the imperial selection of consorts didn’t involve such pickiness. Moreover, truly established noble families were not keen on marrying into the royal family.

Wei Po Tian’s expression was one of utter despair.

The situation was both complex and simple. Many dukes and marquesses favored Wei Po Tian, leaving the Wei family patriarch with a difficult choice. Somehow, Lord Bowang decided to let the younger generation choose, saying he would not disapprove if they liked each other.

Surprisingly, the dukes and marquesses accepted this unconventional decision. The fact that many noble ladies toured and coincidentally passed through the Far East Province indicated their tacit approval of Lord Bowang’s approach.

Three additional daughters of earls, who originally had lower status, joined the mix. Their chances of being chosen as the future matriarch of the Wei family were slim, but since Lord Bowang allowed mutual affection, their fathers quickly jumped at the opportunity.

“Then you ran to me?” Qian Ye said calmly, but Wei Po Tian sensed the underlying threat.

Stuttering, Wei Po Tian said, “Well… I hadn’t seen you in a while, so I came to visit…”

Qian Ye glanced at Wei Po Tian and said coolly, “You were injured, and they just came to visit. It’s common for friends. Why were you so tense and bashful?”

“Common? How could it be common?” Wei Po Tian, suddenly furious, exclaimed, “You have no idea what I went through!”

It turned out that the noble ladies arrived at the Wei family in succession, taking turns visiting Wei Po Tian’s sickroom. Eventually, the time became too hard to divide fairly, so they divided into groups, rotating every few days.

Wei Po Tian, heavily injured and bedridden, endured various “care” from the noble ladies. But they, born into luxury, had little experience in manual labor. Their methods of “caring” were often horrific.

Wei Po Tian, unable to even turn over, suffered greatly. The most infuriating part was being manhandled by the noble ladies and their companions and maids, who took liberties with him.

Recalling that nightmare, Wei Po Tian finally burst out, “Damn it! It felt like going to a brothel with the guys, always touching chests and butts. But this time, I was the girl, being picked and prodded. A room full of johns, and I was the only girl!”

Qian Ye, hearing this, looked at Wei Po Tian, his expression changing. Finally, he couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

“Qian Ye!!” Wei Po Tian gnashed his teeth.

Qian Ye laughed even harder, almost bending over.

Wei Po Tian, enraged, lunged at Qian Ye, grabbing his shirt, and roared, “Are we still brothers?”

“Yes, of course, hahaha!”

“If you are, stop laughing!” Wei Po Tian shouted.

“Okay, okay, okay, I won’t laugh,” Qian Ye, freeing himself from Wei Po Tian’s grip, lightly dodged away.

Before Wei Po Tian could react, Qian Ye burst into laughter again.

Seeing Qian Ye’s uncontrollable laughter, Wei Po Tian felt a wave of powerlessness, “Qian Ye, is this how you treat your brother?” Enraged, he tackled Qian Ye, and they both tumbled to the ground.

Qian Ye still couldn’t stop laughing, and Wei Po Tian, unable to do anything, sighed, “I don’t want it to be this way! If I had half of Song Qi’s thick skin, it wouldn’t be like this!”

At that moment, the night suddenly fell silent, even Qian Ye’s laughter paused for an instant.

A leaf drifted past Wei Po Tian’s eyes.

Instinctively, Wei Po Tian, who disliked leaves, grabbed it, crushed it, and muttered, “Why is a leaf falling in this season?”

At that moment, a gentle voice spoke, “What is so amusing, and what does it have to do with me?”