Logging into the Game World Early and Starting with a Royal Marriage to the Empress

Within the private room!

“Brother Xu, being a student of the Imperial Academy, with Princess Yaoguang holding a Literary Gathering today—how is it that you did not participate!”

Xia Chen inquired with a smile; Xu Xingchen returned a faint smile.

“My talents and learning are meager—I’d rather not make a fool of myself there!”

Xu Xingchen shook his head, his demeanor entirely natural.

Xia Chen’s starry eyes gleamed brilliantly as he smiled and spoke: “I do not concur with that statement of yours!”

Xu Xingchen regarded Xia Chen with surprise; those words had merely been a humble excuse on his part. He had anticipated that Xia Chen might chuckle upon hearing them, perhaps nod and shift the topic without further comment—but he hadn’t expected Xia Chen to outright declare his disagreement. This piqued his curiosity, prompting him to pause and listen intently to what Xia Chen might say next.

“Had Brother Xu attended the Literary Gathering, it is likely that there would have been no opportunity for other scholars to distinguish themselves; Brother Xu is merely granting those other scholars a chance, choosing not to draw excessive attention to himself, nothing more!”

Xia Chen took a sip of the wine in his cup, his gaze resting calmly upon Xu Xingchen.

Xu Xingchen was momentarily taken aback; clever as he was, he hadn’t foreseen Xia Chen uttering such words.

Was this Xia Chen’s assessment of him?

But how could that be possible? Though he had resided in the capital for years, he had never revealed his intellectual prowess—even his closest classmates remained unaware of the vast depths within his mind.

How could Xia Chen know?

“Haha, your words are exceedingly pleasant, sir—far too adept at providing emotional flattery! I am twenty-two this year and have taken the imperial examinations thrice; yet to this day, I hold merely the rank of a licentiate. Were I truly talented, how could I have failed to attain even the rank of provincial graduate, still squandering my life at twenty-two!”

Xu Xingchen feigned a bitter shake of his head, his performance remarkably convincing.

“I have heard that in the distant realm of the Northern Darkness, there exists a fish named Kun, its body vast beyond all comparison, dwelling within the frigid depths of icy waters; this extraordinary fish is capable of transforming into a bird, known as Peng.

The Kun observes the grand currents of the realm, awaiting the opportune moment from heaven; at last, it leaps from the water’s surface, transforming into the Peng bird. The Peng bird is immense beyond measure, striking the waters for three thousand miles; it journeys from the Northern Darkness to the Southern Darkness, revealing its prodigious capabilities to all, and finally, with a swirling ascent, it soars nine thousand leagues aloft!”

Xia Chen recounted this allegorical tale with a smile; Xu Xingchen, seated across from him, only then exhibited a subtle shift in his expression. He had never heard of such an extraordinary fish-bird, yet this did not hinder his grasp of the meaning embedded within these words.

“I have also heard of a certain bird that for three years does not spread its wings, for three years does not utter a cry; all deem it a feeble bird, a foolish bird—yet someone with discerning vision recognizes its worth, laughing to the crowd: ‘For three years it does not spread its wings, preparing to grow its feathers strong; it neither flies nor calls, biding its time to observe the ways of the people. Though it does not fly, when it does, it shall pierce the heavens; though it does not call, when it does, it shall astonish all.’”

As Xia Chen concluded this tale, Xu Xingchen’s countenance finally underwent a complete transformation; his gaze sharpened upon Xia Chen. This was no mere coincidence, nor idle chatter—certainly not empty flattery.

“In my view, Brother Xu is akin to this bird—not flying, yet when you do, you shall pierce the heavens; not calling, yet when you do, you shall astonish all.”

Xia Chen laughed heartily, his demeanor bold and unrestrained, his bearing unparalleled, making others feel their own inadequacy by comparison.

His words did not cease there; he delivered a final, resounding blow to Xu Xingchen, bringing the encounter to its decisive close!

“When the Peng migrates to the Southern Darkness, it strikes the waters for three thousand miles, soaring with a swirling ascent nine thousand leagues aloft; all things are born of the interplay of yin and yang.

Brother Xu is like this Kun-Peng—at present still a Kun, though lurking within the frigid depths, you harbor ambitions to pierce the heavens; you await only the ripening of the moment, when, borne upon the winds of the sea, you shall strike the waters for three thousand miles, then ascend with a swirling flight nine thousand leagues, reaching the Southern Sea, achieving the transformation from ‘yin’ to ‘yang’!”

Xu Xingchen, upon hearing these words, fell silent for a prolonged moment; a chill coursed through his body. Never had he regarded the realm’s heroes as worthy of his notice.

He had always prided himself on his impeccable concealment, dwelling in the shadows as a mere spectator, watching the famed players of the capital’s stage don their costumes and perform this grand drama.

He relished this sensation of lurking in obscurity, observing the grand affairs of the realm while awaiting heaven’s timing.

Yet today, someone had forcibly, directly, and domineeringly torn through his disguise; his so-called dormancy now seemed a laughable farce.

“Hahaha, I have always deemed my intellect unmatched, reveling in my self-satisfaction, looking down upon the figures of the realm; today, meeting you, sir, I realize I am but a frog at the bottom of a well, gazing up at the sky!”

Xu Xingchen laughed with self-mockery, then rose to his feet, offering Xia Chen a respectful bow.

Xia Chen neither evaded nor flinched, calmly sipping his wine and accepting this gesture of reverence with composed assurance; at this moment, he presented Xu Xingchen with an image of unfathomable depth, beyond all conjecture.

If you do not cultivate, you see me as a frog at the well’s bottom, glimpsing the moon above.

If you do cultivate, you see me as a mayfly beholding the vast azure heavens!

“Master Xu possesses the talent to weave the heavens and thread the earth, yet has remained in dormancy—could it be that you are seeking a worthy lord!”

Xia Chen posed yet another question with serene calm; Xu Xingchen’s heart jolted once more.

Even this he knew? What manner of monstruous being was this Xia Chen!

Could he truly see through the hearts of men? He had never spoken of such matters to anyone!

“I merely feel that my learning remains insufficient; and with Dawu presently enjoying peace and prosperity, whether I am present or absent makes little difference—thus, I see no urgency.”

Xu Xingchen, after a long silence, finally responded; his words grew markedly more cautious, yet he still dared not open his heart fully to converse freely with Xia Chen.

He felt his current predicament was exceedingly perilous—this Xia Chen seemed to understand him as intimately as the lines of his own palm, while he knew nothing of Xia Chen beyond marketplace rumors.

For instance—what was Xia Chen’s true disposition? Was his heart broad and magnanimous? Did he possess the capacity to embrace others? And, most crucially, could he be trusted?

He was, after all, a leader within the Lamplighters—a chief of a spy organization!

To entrust his future prospects, his very life and fortune, into such hands—was that not far too dangerous?

“Oh, is the realm truly at peace? Yet how is it that, in my observation, this world is replete with scenes of devastation among living beings, the populace enduring lives of unrelieved hardship, the common people unable to pay their taxes, and in certain regions even the phenomenon of selling sons and daughters has emerged—this, surely, is an omen of a dynasty’s twilight!”

Xia Chen’s demeanor turned faintly cavalier; at this moment, he resembled a scion of the nobility—though his words carried a gravity that would pale the faces of listeners, he uttered them with casual ease.

Xu Xingchen’s pupils contracted; he lifted his head, and for the first time, he regarded Xia Chen squarely—his gaze no longer evasive or retreating. His entire aura underwent a profound transformation; he ceased concealing his sharpness, as if he had become an entirely different person.

“What intent lies behind these words, Young Master Zhang?”

“Better to address me as Young Master Xia—we are both men of keen intellect; you deliberately sought me out, so for us to feign ignorance while fully aware of the truth—what a tedious charade that would be!”

Xia Chen’s lips curved upward; he abandoned the role-playing, determined to deliver a seismic jolt to the psyche of this youth who deemed himself unmatched in intellect.

Sure enough, Xu Xingchen’s expression shifted once more; his inward wariness toward Xia Chen deepened immeasurably. What manner of man was he? How could he know everything!

Was the reach of the Lamplighters truly so pervasive?

Yet many of these matters he had never divulged to another soul!