Chapter 6: The Bridal Dowry That Altered Fate

Qian Ye stepped out of the armory and saw Song Zining chatting with a young girl at the entrance.

Behind the counter, Old Lu was dozing off, his back against the chair, a slight snore escaping him. However, the moment Qian Ye stepped over the alloy threshold, Old Lu’s left eye suddenly opened a sliver, immediately focusing on the Dongyue in Qian Ye’s hand, a barely perceptible light flickering through it.

At that moment, the personal guard swiftly walked to the counter and, with both hands, presented two plaques, saying, “Old Lu, we’ve selected our equipment. Please take a look.”

Old Lu lazily shifted his sitting posture, finally lifting his eyelids fully. He took the plaques and glanced over them—a level five firearm and the nameplate of the ancient sword, Dongyue. The retrieval information section already recorded An Renyi’s name, the date, and the purpose.

Old Lu appeared to be slightly senile, his hand trembling as he held the plaques closer, nearly touching his nose. In this movement, he casually brushed his little finger, and the inscription of “Ancient Sword Dongyue” suddenly faded, silently changing into “Unfinished Heavy Sword.”

Old Lu waved his hand, tossing the two plaques to the armory keeper for archiving, then yawned and waved at Song Zining, who was about to say something. “Alright, alright. Your people are always meticulous. You can go now. I need some more sleep. I have an all-night card game tonight, and I must beat Old Fu to the point where he has to pawn his trousers!”

Song Zining smiled, “I have to accompany a friend for drinks tonight, so I won’t be able to come and cheer you on. I wish you victory over the other three players.”

Old Lu’s eyes were already closed, and he only waved a hand, resuming his snoring.

At that moment, the young girl beside Song Zining, in a sweet voice, said, “Brother Zining, you haven’t been back in such a long time. What kind of drink are you having tonight? Are you going to gallivant with that guy again?”

Song Zining’s smile was as gentle as a warm spring breeze, “I just arrived in the afternoon and haven’t even seen Zhiyuan yet!”

He looked up and saw Qian Ye standing across from them, watching curiously. A mischievous gleam flashed in his eyes, and he called, “Little An, come here.” Then, he introduced to the girl, “This is my brother, An Renyi.”

The girl turned around, her large, expressive eyes gazing at Qian Ye. She was around fourteen or fifteen years old, only reaching Qian Ye’s chest, with a petite and delicate figure. Yet, her face was strikingly beautiful, creating a unique and captivating contrast.

The girl called out gracefully, “Brother An!”

Qian Ye was taken aback, not knowing what to say, and mumbled a response. He heard Song Zining, filled with laughter, say, “Yunqing is my cousin, daughter of Lord Gunxun.”

At that moment, a group of people seemed to have been waiting at the entrance for some time. One of them called the girl’s name. Song Zining, with a smile, bid farewell to the girl and hooked his arm around Qian Ye’s shoulder, pulling him out the door.

The leader of the group was actually a War General. Seeing Song Zining step aside, he approached the counter and, with great respect, addressed the closed-eyed old man, “Old Lu, we are here to collect equipment for the guest warriors of the Shan Gui Tang and Miss Jingchu, and Miss Yunqing needs to enter the Level 3 martial gear section to change her equipment.”

From the names reported by the War General, it was clear these people were all collateral descendants of the Song Clan. Currently, there were over twenty names on the list of heirs for the Song Clan, with less than half being direct descendants. Though no collateral had ever risen to the position of clan head in centuries, the positions of elders were something they could strive for.

Old Lu continued snoring, showing no signs of waking. The captain, seemingly used to this, did not mind and simply opened the ledger on the counter, finding the record for the guest warriors. A manager, hearing the commotion, came out and escorted them into the armory.

The captain stayed outside, speaking softly to the manager, “Manager Li, why is Old Lu out today?”

Manager Li also lowered his voice, “Old Lu’s actions are always deliberate. How would I know? But from what I can see, he might be here to observe the young people participating in the Great Exam, to see if there are any talents worth nurturing.”

The captain’s eyes brightened, and he spoke enviously, “If that’s true, it would be a stroke of luck. I wonder which lucky fellow will get that chance.”

In the courtyard outside the armory, Qian Ye and Song Zining stood on the steps, waiting for the personal guard to bring the car.

Still with his arm around Qian Ye’s shoulder, Song Zining whispered, “What do you think of that girl? If you’re interested, I can play matchmaker. You can marry her after the exam.”

Qian Ye was startled, almost thinking he had misheard. He had never considered marriage, let alone with a highborn lady. “Isn’t she the daughter of a baron?”

“Only a Viscount. It sounds good but can’t be inherited. Anyone can buy it by donating enough military funds to the Empire.” Song Zining waved dismissively and began to extol the numerous benefits.

According to him, it was a shortcut to success. For example, Cousin Yunqing, the only daughter of Viscount Gunxun, had a dowry that was equivalent to the equipment cost of a full division in a main army corps.

In this era, with money and equipment, one could easily gather followers, especially those willing to die. By marrying her, Qian Ye’s small battalion could instantly rise to a full division, making him, at the very least, the lord of a city in the Evernight Continent.

Moreover, with Song Zining’s lack of scruples, Qian Ye felt reassured. He could marry more than one. When he met someone he liked or someone with a generous dowry, he could marry them. The Empire might have strict rules about concubines, but on the Evernight Continent, there weren’t so many restrictions.

As for any potential trouble from the original wife’s family, it wasn’t a problem. As long as Qian Ye’s strength continued to grow, once he became a general, who would dare to challenge him? So, the number of wives he could have depended on his power.

Song Zining concluded, “A dowry can change your fate.”

By the time Song Zining finished, Qian Ye was speechless, feeling that there was no point in arguing. Song Zining, however, still had an expectant look on his face. Qian Ye, exasperated, said, “Isn’t that girl underage?”

Song Zining was surprised, “What does her age have to do with marriage?”

They stared at each other for a while before Song Zining exclaimed, “You like more mature women? That works too; I know a few.”

Qian Ye didn’t bother to respond.

Song Zining continued, “Are you already considering having children? If you don’t like them, just don’t let them bear your children. It’s not easy for women to have children, but it’s even harder for them not to.”

He looked at Qian Ye, suspiciously, “You can’t possibly be unaware of this, can you? The mermaids from the Hidden Spring Mercantile Group are experts in bedchamber arts. Haven’t you used their services properly? Here, I recently acquired a pair of sisters. I’ll share one with you tonight.”

Unable to tolerate it any longer, Qian Ye delivered a light elbow jab to Song Zining’s ribs, pushing him away, and then strode towards the approaching SUV.

When Qian Ye got into the car, the SUV sank slightly, creaking under the weight. Although the vehicle was designed for speed rather than load, the fact that it was pressed down so much was still surprising.

Song Zining caught up and, seeing the situation, tried to lift the Dongyue. To his surprise, he couldn’t lift it. Using his origin power, he estimated its weight and laughed, “A fine weapon, perfect for the tournament.”

Heavy weapons were extremely draining of origin power, but on the limited space of a tournament platform, they were powerful. If the user could control the battlefield, they could perfectly execute the strategy of overwhelming force.

On the way back, Qian Ye learned why Song Zining had left the Wen Dao Manor so early. He hadn’t met with the elders responsible for family affairs because there were important guests from another clan. Though the matter was highly confidential, Song Zining had his ways of gathering information.

At this, Song Zining scoffed, “What important guest? It’s Zhao Jundu. Those old men are getting more ridiculous by the day.”

Qian Ye was also surprised. Zhao Jundu, though representing half of the Zhao Clan, was still a junior and not yet formally titled. The Song Clan giving him such high honors was, in effect, losing face. Both clans were among the Four Great Clans, and such a low stance was not only undignified but also indicated a concession of status.

Qian Ye thought for a moment and asked, “Does the Song Clan need something from the Zhao Clan?”

Song Zining was stunned. Though Qian Ye was straightforward and not a master of strategy, he often hit the nail on the head, whether in military tactics or martial prowess. His keen insight extended to the intricacies of clan politics as well.

Song Zining explained, “My elder brother, Song Zicheng, has yet to marry, and there are rumors that he plans to marry a princess. This isn’t just to secure the next clan head; it’s a move to align with the Imperial Family, perhaps with the silent approval of most of the elders. The Zhao Clan is a staunch supporter of the Imperial Party.”

That’s why the elders were so eager to please the Zhao Clan, and with Zhao Jundu’s capabilities, he was likely to become the next clan head.

Song Zicheng, the eldest son of his generation, was the heir to the current clan head and, nearing thirty, had already reached the rank of War General. In terms of age, strength, and ability, he was the leading candidate for the next clan head.

The Song Clan’s current situation made it highly likely that power would skip a generation, making Song Zicheng the top contender.

Qian Ye now fully understood the reasons behind it all.

The weakening of the Song Clan had reached a dangerous point, with no capable successor in three generations. For a wealthy clan with a branch whose dowry could equip a division, this was like a lamb among wolves. The lesser families might not dare to act, but other clans had fewer scruples.

It was important to remember that the Imperial Clans were not inherent. Over the Empire’s thousand-year history, the number of clans varied, with as many as nine during the most prosperous times and as few as three at the least.

The Song and Zhang Clans had a long-standing feud, currently tempered by the presence of the Empress Dowager, Lady Zhang. However, Zhang Boqian was at the peak of his power, and if anything were to happen, the Zhang Clan might be the first to act against the Song Clan.

In Qian Ye’s view, aligning with the Imperial Family wasn’t a wise choice for the Song Clan. The situation with the Song and Zhao Clans was different. While marrying an imperial princess might secure the clan head and duke titles, it wouldn’t necessarily preserve the Song Clan’s position in the Empire. Could a single woman really have that much influence?

Qian Ye could tell from Song Zining’s sardonic expression that he shared similar thoughts.

However, Qian Ye didn’t want to comment further on the Song Clan’s internal affairs. Slightly worried, he asked, “Could Zhao Jundu pose a threat to you?” If the Song Clan treated the Zhao Clan with such deference, even a small hint of displeasure from Zhao Jundu could cause significant trouble for Song Zining.

Song Zining shook his head, “Don’t worry. He might kill me directly, but using the Song Clan to pressure me isn’t something he would do.”

Qian Ye frowned. The SUV stopped at a large courtyard at the foot of Cloud Mountain. Song Zining smiled, “We’re at the Chanyin Pavilion. Let’s enjoy tonight and leave all worries for tomorrow!”

Before them stood a grand, golden hall, with wide open windows and doors. The music and dancing filled the air. This was the finest entertainment house of the Song Clan. Since most business deals were concluded during banquets, the Song Clan’s musicians and fine wines were legendary.