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

Upon the street!

Xia Qian was momentarily stunned, somewhat perplexed as to why his young master would take an interest in a student from the Imperial Academy.

Could it be that this Imperial Academy student had offended his young master?

Yet he refrained from asking and silently committed the name Xu Xingchen to his memory.

Xia Chen’s primary purpose in attending this Literary Gathering had actually been to seek out Fang Zhiru and Xu Xingchen.

But, unexpectedly, neither of them had appeared.

Though Xia Chen had been drinking earlier, he had in truth been constantly attuned to the proceedings of the Literary Gathering, hoping to discern whether Xu Xingchen was present. From what he understood, Xu Xingchen was a man avidly engaged in court politics; with Princess Yaoguang hosting this Literary Gathering—a prime opportunity—he ought to have attended.

Yet, to his surprise, Xu Xingchen’s presence remained absent throughout.

“As expected, these preeminent figures of exceptional talent, although they have not yet attained prominence at present, each bear a certain measure of destiny’s fortune upon them; they are not so readily recruited.”

Xia Chen knew well that those individuals were currently lying low, biding their time and concealing their brilliance, awaiting the opportune moment from heaven!

Nevertheless, this Literary Gathering had not been without its gains—he had made the acquaintance of Xuan Zhenzi and Tianhai; in particular, Tianhai had already taken the bait he’d cast…

There might be rewards to reap in the future!

With this thought, Xia Chen stepped into a tavern; it was already past two in the afternoon. At Yaoguang’s mansion, he had consumed only wine and pastries, and with his recent rapid advancements in martial prowess, his appetite had grown increasingly voracious.

“Honored sir!”

Xia Chen had only just entered the private room and had not been there long when someone knocked upon the door.

A young gentleman, clad in a Confucian robe, stood at the threshold, gazing at Xia Chen with a smile.

His lips were red, his teeth white, his eyes gleaming like stars—restrained yet radiating a confidence that emanated from the very marrow of his bones.

“The main hall outside is already fully occupied; upon entering, I noticed that only two individuals—you, sir—had come into this private room. Thus, I have ventured boldly to inquire whether I might share your table!”

The young gentleman was exceedingly courteous, yet his opening request was to join their table.

Before Xia Chen could respond, Xia Qian rose with a furrowed brow; though they were neither overbearing nor inclined to oppress the weak—and lacked the unsavory habits of the capital’s noble scions—sharing a table was not something to be casually accepted.

Moreover, they had reserved this private room precisely for the sake of peace and privacy, especially given that his young master was no longer an ordinary figure.

“We do not—”

“Of course you may!”

Xia Qian had only begun to refuse when Xia Chen interrupted with a smile, rising to his feet.

Xia Chen’s smile was radiantly brilliant. As the ancient saying goes: Duke Jiang fished, and those willing took the bait—now, this fish… had cast itself into the net!

This man was none other than Xu Xingchen, whom Xia Chen had just instructed Xia Qian to seek out.

A man of prodigious talent—in the years to come, alongside Fang Zhiru of White Deer Academy, he would be hailed as one of the Twin Stars of Confucian-Daoism!

Unmatched in intellect, a master of calculating the affairs of the realm!

A preeminent figure of exceptional talent, truly endowed with the capacity to weave the heavens and thread the earth!

Xu Xingchen stood at the doorway, a smile lingering on his lips, yet his eyes meticulously scrutinized Xia Chen with utmost seriousness.

“It just so happens that dining with only two people is exceedingly tedious; moreover, with such a spacious private room occupied solely by the two of us for a meal, it feels somewhat wasteful—please, honored brother, join us!”

Xia Chen performed a Confucian salute, his movements so impeccably refined that the scholarly aura about him belied any hint of his origins as a martial scion of a military lineage.

“My heartfelt thanks to you, honored brother!”

Xu Xingchen clasped his fists in return, his gaze upon Xia Chen now tinged with added admiration.

This Imperial Son-in-Law hailed from an exalted family, attaining the rank of Fourth-Rank official at a tender age—yet not a trace of arrogance marked his demeanor; even his attendant bore no haughty air. Though the attendant had initially moved to refuse, no harsh words had been spoken.

His presence here was, of course, no mere accident—nor was it truly due to a shortage of tables prompting a desire to share one!

He harbored curiosity toward this Imperial Son-in-Law, whose name had recently surged through the capital. Having resided in the capital for seven years, he had inwardly appraised many of its notable figures.

Yet he had misjudged this son of the Marquis of Andong.

Especially after learning of his deeds at today’s Literary Gathering, Xu Xingchen resolved to see this man with his own eyes.

Xia Chen did not believe Xu Xingchen’s claim of merely seeking to share a table was genuine—he had just departed the Literary Gathering, and this man had followed close on his heels.

How could such a coincidence occur?

Though Xu Xingchen’s rise still lay some time ahead, Xia Chen refused to believe that a man of such near-demonic intellect would remain oblivious to the affairs of the court.

Thus, Xu Xingchen most assuredly recognized him.

“What is his intent in approaching me—to observe me, or does he harbor some other purpose?”

Xia Chen sank into contemplation within his mind.

Both young men wore radiant smiles upon their faces, yet their hearts remained as cold and composed as ice, their minds racing at a feverish pace.

Meanwhile, Xia Qian scratched his head off to the side, somewhat dazed—what was transpiring here? Why did he feel a bit out of his depth?

“After Xu Xingchen had taken his seat, he took the initiative to offer his name outright—‘My name is Xu Xingchen, courtesy name Changye; I am a student of the Imperial Academy. Might I inquire as to your name, honored sir?’—he harbored no intent to conceal his identity, for there was little need to do so—his presence in the capital was exceedingly low-key, known to very few.”

Xu Xingchen did not notice that Xia Qian, standing slightly behind him, experienced a subtle contraction of his pupils upon hearing the three characters of Xu Xingchen’s name; with an expression of utmost seriousness, he scrutinized Xu Xingchen, then glanced at his young master, whose face bore a warm and enthusiastic smile.

In that instant, Xia Qian understood why his young master had suddenly acted so peculiarly, permitting this man to join their table.

Wasn’t this the very person his young master had instructed him to investigate earlier?

Had this man delivered himself to their doorstep?

Xia Qian regarded Xu Xingchen, his gaze taking on an odd tinge.

“My name is Zhang Sheng!” Xia Chen played along with the charade, adopting an alias.

Xu Xingchen smiled and nodded, though inwardly he began his assessment.

“A man of bold and magnanimous disposition, approachable and unassuming, yet possessed of a guarded nature—when venturing abroad, he prefers not to reveal his true identity!”

Xu Xingchen never suspected that Xia Chen might already know of him; he possessed talents to shake the world, and precisely because of this, he understood that in the capital, one must not draw undue attention—nor was there any need to chase fame or reputation.

To maintain a low profile, he had even abstained from attending this Literary Gathering, instead discreetly dispatching a fellow student to gather information on his behalf.

Thus, beyond his classmates, few in the capital knew his name—which was why he offered it freely.

He studied the Way of Kingship, his aim to seek out a true dragon; until he encountered a worthy lord, he could not afford to be overly conspicuous. He lay in quiet dormancy—once he identified his enlightened master, he could, in an instant, soar nine thousand leagues aloft, his name resounding across the realm!

In his quest for a worthy lord, he had secretly observed the Crown Prince, as well as the Third and Fourth Princes.

Yet, in the end, he dismissed them all.

This left him profoundly disappointed—the direct royal lineage of Dawu’s current generation harbored no heroic sovereign. Yet, from his analysis of the realm’s currents, the nascent form of Dawu ending the chaos and unifying the world had already begun to take shape.

This plunged him into self-doubt—could he have misjudged the grand affairs of the realm?

When this notion arose, he contemplated departing Dawu altogether, venturing into the lands of Dafeng and Daqing to seek the true dragon destined by fate.

Yet some time ago, by a stroke of chance, he caught wind of Princess Yaoguang’s name.

This piqued his interest; the more he observed, the more exhilarated he became—for here was the figure he sought, one bearing the makings of an enlightened lord, capable of realizing his vision of kingly governance.

But what perplexed him was—why must it be a woman?

Never in the history of the realm had a woman ascended as emperor!

Xu Xingchen found himself ensnared in confusion once more, resolving to observe Yaoguang further for a time…

This Literary Gathering, a grand event hosted by Yaoguang, naturally warranted close scrutiny—yet at this juncture, Xia Chen entered his field of vision.

Thus, he came—to observe up close!

Two young men, each harboring their own designs, sat before the dining table—calculating against one another, observing one another.