Volume One, Chapter 20: Is Lu Yunduan Going to Become a Live-in Son-in-Law?

Lu Yunduan gave Li Di a meaningful glance, and Li Di suddenly understood what the young man was implying.

Looking at the elderly eunuch before him, he sighed deeply and said, “I fear this marriage will not come to fruition. My daughter is already betrothed, and the wedding date has been set. It would be a betrayal of His Majesty’s goodwill.”

The eunuch’s sharp eyes fixed on him, uncertain whether his words were sincere or deceitful.

“Your Highness, how am I to explain this to the court?” the eunuch asked hesitantly.

“I will write a letter explaining the situation. Present it to the Emperor, and he will understand the circumstances,” Li Di said calmly and precisely.

Seeing this, the eunuch dared not say more. After Li Di finished writing the letter, he took it and left Bingzhou.

At that moment, Li Di approached Lu Yunduan with overwhelming presence, his eyes burning with murderous intent.

Grabbing him firmly by the shoulder, he growled, “You brat, what nonsense are you spouting? When did I ever promise my daughter to you? You’re ruining her reputation.”

Lu Yunduan smiled helplessly, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. “Your Highness, desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, I’m sure you don’t want your daughter to marry Mu Feng, do you?”

Though he spoke casually, Li Di knew this young man harbored ill intentions, plotting something beneath the surface.

He wasn’t about to let him off so easily and seethed, “You’re clearly setting your sights on my daughter.”

Lu Yunduan made no attempt to deny it, boldly confessing, “That’s right, I am interested in your daughter. Besides, aren’t you already aware of that?”

Li Di’s mind reeled, caught off guard and at a loss for words.

“You… sharp-tongued brat,” he muttered.

Lu Yunduan gladly accepted the insult. “Brat or not, it doesn’t matter to me.”

Li Di’s daughter, Liu Fengshuang, listened to their conversation, growing increasingly embarrassed.

What did that man just say?

That he was interested in her?

How could he be so blunt?

Wasn’t a confession in novels supposed to be a romantic affair?

[Affection +333]

[Affection +520]

Seeing the steady stream of affection points, Lu Yunduan turned to look at Liu Fengshuang.

This young lady actually harbored such feelings for him; it seemed winning her over was inevitable.

Li Di noticed Lu Yunduan’s persistent gaze on his daughter and stepped in front to block his view.

“Brat, what are you staring at?” he demanded.

Lu Yunduan shifted his gaze away from Liu Fengshuang.

---

“It’s nothing, I wasn’t looking at anything. I just wanted to ask if your words earlier still stand, Your Highness,” Lu Yunduan said.

Li Di knew exactly what words he referred to, but if he admitted it now, wouldn’t that be an acknowledgment of the marriage?

No, absolutely not. He must never say it.

“Did I say anything?” Li Di replied evasively.

Lu Yunduan had anticipated Li Di’s potential backtracking but was no fool.

He stepped close, lowering his voice. “Your Highness, the words you spoke earlier weren’t to me but to the Emperor. Now you deny it—are you going to deceive the sovereign?”

Li Di’s expression turned serious, filled with astonishment and panic. Astonishment that this man dared utter such words, and panic because if the Emperor heard this, it would mean the death penalty for his entire clan.

“Brat, are you threatening me?” Li Di growled.

“I wouldn’t dare threaten Your Highness,” Lu Yunduan said sincerely. “I’m only reminding you—if the Emperor does not receive news of the wedding, how do you think he will react?”

Li Di shuddered at the thought. If the Emperor discovered he had deceived him, no amount of explanation would save him.

Now, was he really going to have to marry Fengshuang off to this brat?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. The situation was far beyond what he had expected.

Seeing Li Di’s silence, Lu Yunduan added fuel to the fire.

“Your Highness, at this point, there is no other way.”

[Anger +999]

[Anger +999]

[Anger +999]

The triple 999s sent a chill down Lu Yunduan’s spine. Had he pushed too hard and provoked him?

Zhao Yun, standing nearby, also sensed the fierce killing intent radiating from Li Di. His hand moved to his back, tightening around his spear.

Lu Yunduan braced for the worst.

But in the next moment, to his surprise, Li Di placed his hands on Lu Yunduan’s shoulders and said earnestly, “Brat, I will marry Fengshuang to you, but you will only be a live-in son-in-law. Do you understand?”

What?

A live-in son-in-law? That’s fantastic!

Marrying into a wealthy family and skipping a lifetime of struggle—he hadn’t expected such fortune to fall into his lap.

“Very well, father-in-law, your humble son-in-law bows to you,” Lu Yunduan said promptly, kneeling down and bowing to prevent any change of heart.

---

Li Di was speechless; Liu Fengshuang was speechless; Zhao Yun was stunned; the servants were baffled.

[Admiration +666]

[Admiration +666]

[Admiration +666]

Clearing his throat, Li Di felt a chill crawl over him as he was suddenly called “father-in-law.”

“Don’t be so quick to change your tone or perform such grand gestures,” he said.

Lu Yunduan didn’t want to prolong matters. He knew that someone like the Prince of Yan was more cunning in deceit than he was and that delay would only make things worse.

“Father-in-law, I wish to enter the Wang residence as a son-in-law today.”

Li Di: “...”

Liu Fengshuang: “...”

The servants: “...”

Zhao Yun slowly gave a thumbs-up and murmured, “Impressive, truly the spirit of a hero.”

“No, you brat, why so eager? Do you think I’d go back on my word?” Li Di asked.

“If I didn’t fear you would, would I be in such a hurry?” Lu Yunduan replied.

Li Di stood there, regretting his impulsiveness more and more.

Such a rash mistake. How could he have agreed so hastily to marry off his daughter?

He shook his head helplessly. Now, there was no turning back.

Li Di gestured for Liu Fengshuang to come over.

She approached, having caught the gist of their earlier conversation.

She understood that deceiving the sovereign was a capital offense, and if the Emperor learned of this, it would mean total ruin.

Moreover, this man before her was her savior; offering herself to him was understandable.

It was a hundred times better than marrying that playboy from the capital.

Li Di was about to speak but was interrupted by Liu Fengshuang.

“Father, no need for further words. I understand everything, and I agree to this marriage.”