Zhou Yan wished to enter the mortal world for experience, and naturally, he had to immerse himself in the lives of ordinary people to truly understand their struggles.
Zhou Yan wandered around and found that while the entire Luoyun Dynasty wasn't exceptionally opulent, the populace was stable, and everyone seemed happy.
Zhou Yan could tell that this wasn't just a show for him; it was the actual state of the country.
This demonstrated that although the power of each dynasty varied, their methods of governance were vastly different.
After a long while, the two were about to leave when a voice called out to Zhang Hua.
"Your Highness... Brother, why are you out here too?" A woman, dressed demurely and virtuously, approached Zhang Hua, accompanied by several maids.
"Xiyan, why did you run out? You didn't sneak out again, did you?" Zhang Hua looked at his sister with great exasperation.
"I'm bored to death staying in the palace all day. You can't keep me locked up forever."
Zhang Xiyan's smile was as beautiful as a flower; she was lovely, lively, and cute. She then asked in a low voice, "I heard a powerful Immortal Master has arrived at the palace. Why aren't you staying in the palace and instead came out to sightsee?"
"Ah, this..." Zhang Hua really wanted to say that the Immortal Master she spoke of was right beside them.
But Zhang Hua dared not speak, fearing Zhou Yan's displeasure. He stammered, saying nothing.
"I know! You must have come out to participate in the Poetry Appreciation Gathering, right? I also came out specifically to participate in this gathering. I heard it's very lively and fun."
Zhang Xiyan looked at Zhang Hua with an "I understand" expression, believing herself to be quite clever.
Zhang Hua could only force a bitter smile. Since his sister thought so, he would let it be.
"This must be your new guard, right? He looks quite good."
Zhang Xiyan glanced at Zhou Yan. He was handsome, refined, and possessed the air of an extraordinary master. He indeed looked quite good.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hua nearly lost his footing. He quickly pulled his sister aside and hurriedly said, "This isn't my guard, this is..."
At this moment, Zhang Hua heard a telepathic message and quickly said, "This is a friend of mine, a distinguished guest, named Zhou Yan. Don't offend him."
"Oh, so he's a distinguished guest. I almost mistook him for a guard. My apologies, how impolite of me."
Zhang Xiyan grinned, looking incredibly charming and lovely. She quickly apologized to Zhou Yan, unaware of who he truly was.
She was cheerful, but unfortunately, she was soon to be married to someone she disliked. She could only go out to relax more often.
Although she didn't want to marry someone she disliked, the other party was not someone she could refuse, and even the entire country dared not offend him. She didn't want to cause her entire nation to suffer because of her refusal.
Zhou Yan also sensed a trace of sorrow within her spirit and asked, "Miss Zhang Xiyan, you seem a little unhappy."
"It's nothing. I just want to see more of my homeland's customs and traditions before my wedding. Perhaps I won't have another chance later," Zhang Xiyan replied.
"Sister, you don't need to worry. You don't have to get married," Zhang Hua began to say, but then stopped himself from explaining further.
"Brother, I know you dote on me, and Father dotes on me too. But I know this is the best outcome. I don't want the entire country to be put in a difficult position because of me."
Zhang Xiyan forced a bitter smile. She only knew that an Immortal Master had arrived at the palace but not why he was there or his power level, only that he was very strong and highly respected.
Furthermore, besides her father, the Emperor, only her brother Zhang Hua could get close to him.
In Zhang Xiyan's understanding, this person was likely a newly hired retainer for the palace, or someone dispatched by the Xuanyin Hall, possibly to escort her away.
It was precisely for this reason that Zhang Xiyan wanted to take one last look at the prosperity of the dynasty, lest she never have the chance to return.
"Oh, little princess, could you tell me what's troubling you? I'm quite curious," Zhou Yan asked.
"Shh!" Zhang Xiyan placed a finger to her lips, urging Zhou Yan to speak softly. "Could you please not mention the word 'princess' outside? I don't want outsiders to know."
"Alright, alright," Zhou Yan nodded. This young girl was indeed quite cheerful. Even knowing she had to marry someone she disliked, she maintained her optimism, cheerfulness, and smiles, which was truly rare.
"Let's go to the poetry gathering," Zhang Xiyan said.
"This..." Zhang Hua glanced at Zhou Yan.
"Why wouldn't we go if there's excitement? Don't be so rigid," Zhou Yan said.
"Exactly! See, Mr. Zhou Yan is so understanding and much more interesting than you," Zhang Xiyan quickly chimed in.
Zhang Hua smiled helplessly and nodded. If his sister knew that Zhou Yan was that very Immortal Master, he wondered if she would still be so casual.
It was precisely because she didn't know that she was so unrestrained, treating him merely as Zhang Hua's friend, and very casually at that, which pleased Zhang Xiyan greatly.
"What about your question from before? Why didn't you continue?" Zhou Yan asked.
"You don't know?" Zhang Xiyan looked at Zhou Yan, utterly bewildered.
Since he knew she was a princess, why wouldn't he know about the forced marriage with the son of the Grand Elder of Xuanyin Hall?
However, Zhang Xiyan was not one to dwell on things. Many people knew about this matter, so she simply explained the situation.
It turned out that last time, the son of the Grand Elder of Xuanyin Hall, Sun Chenyi, had come to the imperial city to recruit disciples. Zhang Xiyan, out of curiosity, had gone out to watch the fun.
But at that time, a child's ball rolled and hit Sun Chenyi while playing, and he was about to kill the child. Zhang Xiyan immediately stepped forward.
As a result, the other party naturally took notice of Zhang Xiyan and threatened to forcibly take her away. However, upon learning that Zhang Xiyan was a princess, he refrained from outright abduction.
But the other party was unwilling to give up. Using some unknown method, the tribute payer last year was none other than Sun Chenyi himself. He declared that if Zhang Xiyan was not married to him, he would report to the sect, demanding an additional twenty percent of Luoyun Kingdom's wealth.
Luoyun Kingdom's tribute to Xuanyin Hall was already substantial. Adding another twenty percent would be enough to plunge the entire Luoyun Kingdom into ruin.
However, the other party's father was the Grand Elder of Xuanyin Hall, and accomplishing such a feat would surely be easy for him.
Considering all factors, Zhang Xiyan naturally agreed, but with a condition: she would only marry after she turned sixteen, which was this year.
She had also demanded a permanent reduction of twenty percent of Luoyun Kingdom's wealth. However, Sun Chenyi only agreed to ten percent. Even though Zhang Xiyan was unwilling to marry, she still agreed for the sake of her entire country.
Even knowing that the other party was an utterly wicked scoundrel and that he would torment her in every possible way, Zhang Xiyan still agreed.
After Zhou Yan understood, he felt a measure of respect for Zhang Xiyan. Such a woman was indeed remarkable. Zhou Yan felt that he could indirectly help many people.
Yes, I, Zhou Yan, am a good person through and through.