"Almost there."
Ye Tian Yun said as they reached the last turn before getting in front of the Fang Clan.
Jun Xie took a deep breath, "Why is there still a huge crowd? Did something happen?"
Ye Tian Yun shrugged, "Maybe they are still here because of the Gao Clan's entourage?"
Jun Xie frowned, "Do these people have so much free time?"
Ye Tian Yun shrugged, "It's not like there's anything else to do other than cultivation."
"Hmm, true."
Just as they were talking among themselves, a commotion began among the crowd in front of them.
"They are leaving." Jun Xie pointed it out.
Ye Tian Yun nodded.
The Gao Clan entourage was leaving the Fang Clan.
The crowd watched as, one by one, the four carriages from the Gao Clan left the Fang Clan.
They were discussing and still giving their theories behind the visit; Ye Tian Yun didn't bother to listen to any of them this time.
He was rather focused on a certain carriage.
This time it was the second last.
'She's a distraction.'
Ye Tian Yun shook his head and omitted unnecessary thoughts.
Without turning back, he said to Jun Xie, "Let's go; we need to enter right now."
"No, wait."
"Hm?" Ye Tian Yun glanced at him and saw the latter pointing in the direction of Fang Clan's gates.
Upon turning his head towards the gates, Ye Tian Yun noticed some guards making a temporary stage, and beside them was a very familiar figure.
Prime Minister Fang Yuan!
Ye Tian Yun frowned upon seeing him. 'Why is he here?'
As if someone had heard his question, the guy said it loud.
"Is that the Prime Minister himself!?"
"Yes! But what is he doing?"
"Can't you see it? He's going to announce something!"
"Yes!" Someone else exclaimed, "I am sure he's going to announce something related to Gao Clan!"
"I bet it's about marriage between Young Master Fang Yunru and Third Mis of Gao Clan, Gao Suyin. After all, if it weren't something so important, he wouldn't have personally come to announce it."
"Yes."
Many agreed on this. While others thought the marriage between these two clans was almost impossible, after all, almost everyone knows that Fang Clan is one of the preparators behind the Gao Clan's current predicament.
"What's the announcement?" Jun Xie nudged Ye Tian Yun, hoping for an answer.
Unfortunately, even Ye Tian Yun was unaware; he did know something.
"Whatever the announcement be, it will heavily affect my plans."
"Oh?" Jun Xie frowned, "Isn't he going to announce marriage between-"
"No."
"Ok."
Just then, the guards completed arranging the stage.
Prime Minister Fang stepped forward, and suddenly, his body rose from the ground and landed on the mini stage.
'I wonder which level he is in the Nascent Realm...' Ye Tian Yun thought to himself.
He didn't pry the former's exact cultivation; that would be putting himself at risk.
"Citizens of the Xin Kingdom!"
Prime Minister Fang's qi-induced voice spread through the street. In fact, it instantly covered half of the Capital City!
"I am Fang Yuan, Clan Head of the Fang Clan!"
Almost anyone who heard the voice paused from whatever they were doing and waited for the announcement.
"I announce the dawn of alliance between the Fang Clan and the Gao Clan!"
"From today, the Fang Clan and Gao Clan will stand together, in happiness or in times of trouble. We will stand together and face the future!
"And we will mark this alliance with an auspicious occasion - a marriage!"
As everyone waited with their bated breath, Prime Minister Fang ended the announcement.
"Three weeks from today, the Young Miss of Gao CLan, Gao Suyin, will become the Daughter-in-law of the Fang Clan by marrying my son, Fang Chen!"
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Woah!
Woah!
Loud exclamations were heard all around the city!
Young Master Fang Chen was getting married to Third Miss Gao Suyin!
Boom!
The news exploded in the minds of whosoever heard it, and everyone knew that this was going to be the new hot news in the Capital City!
Within the crowd, Ye Tian Yun was a bit surprised. Somewhere in his heart, he had seen it coming.
But the one standing beside him, Jun Xie, had his mouth opened wide, jaw almost touching the ground.
"Thi.. this…"
He looked back and forth between the Prime Minister and Ye Tian Yun.
A few streets away from the Fang Clan's main gate, in a certain carriage of the Gao Clan, Gao Suyin froze upon hearing the announcement.
After a moment, she leaned back on the seat and let out a sigh.
'Was this the right decision?'
She was now doubting herself.
'Ye Tian Yun is more interested in the Princess….'
'How ironic it is… his marriage was getting fixed here, but he was busy flirting with the Princess….'
If Ye Tian Yun heard her thoughts, he would be shocked because Gao Suyin was aware of his visit to the Purple Spring Garden!
'If only I could convince Father to not agree to this marriage… if only…'
A few streets north of her carriage, another carriage was slowly moving towards an unknown direction.
"Hm?"
Inside the carriage was a beautiful young lady, but she was wearing plain clothes - opposite of what her aura indicated.
"Cousin Fang Chen is getting married? With Gao Suyin?"
She frowned.
"I wonder what Father thinks about this."
A mile away from her was the Royal Palace.
Prime Minister Fang's announcement echoed through the hallways of the Royal Palace.
In a certain hall, a middle was sitting with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, a huge pressure overwhelmed the whole palace, suppressing everyone within the range.
The middle-aged man took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
'Fang Yuan… you bastard!'
Boundless anger spread through his veins.
The man was none other than the King of Xin Kingdom, Xin Xue Jian!
"Fang Yuan… ah, Fang Yuan… how dare you to forget your place!"
"I am the one who brought your clan to the peak, and now you dare to instigate against me? Against you master? Hmph! Then so be it. I will show you the wrath of a King!"
Clenching his fists, King Xin stood up and called out.
"Eunuch Sun!"
"Yes, your Majesty!"
"Bring the Crown Prince here!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
A carriage was entering the Ling Clan when the announcement echoed throughout the city.
"Sigh, this is not good!" Ling Yun let out a loud sigh upon hearing the announcement.
"How is it not good?" Ling Feng'er couldn't help but ask, "Don't tell me you're interested in the Third Miss of Gao CLan."
"Nah, it's not like that," Ling Yun shook his head, "Well, there are two reasons."
"First, Gao Suyin is like my sister, and seeing him getting married to someone useless… I don't know what the Gao Clan is thinking."
"Oh? Fang Chen is useless?" Feng Yun frowned. She had heard Fang Chen was part of the God's Legion, but that was it.
However, she was sure that Wang Yao wouldn't keep any useless person beside him.
"He's good for nothing," Ling Yun frowned, "I still remember how he used to harass the young girls, especially Sister Gao Suyin, using his clan's backing."
"I don't understand why the Gao Clan even allied with the Fang Clan; after all, Prime Minister Fang is solely responsible for the Gao Clan's miserable state."
"Maybe this Fang Chen is not what everyone thinks he is." Ling Feng'er argued.
"Highly unlikely," Ling Yun added, "But honestly, it's the second that makes me sigh."
"What's the second reason?"
"Fang Yunru. He is the one who should get married to that Gao Clan girl."
"Why?" Ling Feng'er chuckled.
"So that I don't have to deal with him, and I won't have any more rivals in my quest for the Princess!"
"Oh? But earlier, when we mentioned the Princess, I thought you weren't much interested in her." Ling Feng'er asked, showcasing her confusion.
Ling Yun's face turned serious.
After a moment of silence, he said, "Brother Feng, the whole situation is not as simple as it looks."
"The whole world thinks that the Three Young Masters of Capital City - Gao Xuan, Fang Yunru, and me - are chasing the skirt of Princess Xin Xue Qing to win her heart for the Royal Bloodlines Trials.."
"This rumor would have been true a year ago, but now, things are opposite."
"I don't think there are many people who know this, but Gao Xuan and Feng Yunru are not my rivals, but they are my best friends. We three did start fighting with each other, but slowly we became friends, and today, I trust them with my life, and I know that they do the same."
"Even though our clans hate each other, we slowly bonded over the years."
"And now, out of my two best friends, none of us is after the Princess. Are you interested in knowing why?"
Ling Feng'er was intrigued, "Why?"
Ling Yun clenched his teeth, and with an emotionless voice, he said.
"Because a year ago, one of them died."