Today marks the seventieth birthday of Matriarch Su. The entire Homestead is draped in festive crimson, a sea …
Today marks the seventieth birthday of Matriarch Su. The entire Homestead is draped in festive crimson, a sea of lanterns and silks radiating joy to the heavens.
Guests huddle in hushed conversation: how did the Sus, of all people, secure the favor of the Dragon King of the Dragon Tide Clan? Word on the street is that by riding the coattails of the Dragon Tide Clan, they've seized a portion of the salt trade. That single move sent them soaring, leaving Xuzhou's local gentry scrambling in their wake.
Patriarch Su, a man of fifty who has yet to outgrow his hedonistic streaks, is lost in a drunken haze, his face flushed with the pride of a family reborn. The Matriarch shoots a scathing look at her useless son and then turns to her granddaughter, Su Wan, the true power behind the family. Only then does her gaze soften. But as her eyes drift to the outsider standing beside Su Wan, they narrow with venomous spite.
"Long Yuntian, Su Wan has serious matters to attend to. No place for an outsider. Withdraw to the guest wing now!"
This Long Yuntian possesses a sharp, ascetic face with eyes like distant stars, radiating a natural, frigid aura. His unkempt hair, bound loosely today, lends him an air of the wild, untamed jianghu. Despite the public humiliation, he remains silent. He is the matrilocal groom of the Sus. To the world, he is the greatest blemish on Su Wan's otherwise perfect life.
Long Yuntian's gaze falls on Su Wan, the woman who has once been cast aside by the matriarch but now stands at the center of power, the de facto head of the Su family. She acts as if he didn't exist, her face bright with charm as she shares a laugh with Luo Feng, the illegitimate son of the Vice-Governor, as if she'd completely forgotten who stood by her when she was thrown out of the Su Homestead in disgrace, who willingly took on the humiliating label of the matrilocal groom just so she could reclaim control of the family.
Long Yuntian raises his head, the suppressed dignity of his past resurfacing. His voice drips with cold irony: "Tell me, Matriarch, is this your plan? To pimp out your granddaughter to a bastard? I'm still Su Wan's husband, whether you like it or not."
A ripple of shock and murmurs sweeps through the hall.
Su Wan spins around, her eyes blazing as they lock onto Long Yuntian. Sensing the guests' prying eyes, Su Wan suppresses her fury. "Enough! For a matrilocal groom, obeying the Matriarch is the highest propriety. How dare you hurl such reckless insults on her very birthday?"
"Propriety? Ha! A fine word for it! Do you forget, Su Wan? When that old crone cast you out, claiming a woman had no place in the family business, who stood by you? Who took the brand of the 'matrilocal groom' just to fight that very 'propriety' by your side?"
The Matriarch trembles, her finger jabbing the air at him. "You insolent cur! Wan and I are of one blood; the past is buried. Now that she leads our house to greatness, how dare you, a mere outsider, to sow discord?"
The Matriarch glances at Su Wan and, seeing the anger flash across her granddaughter's face, finally relaxes.
"Blood is thicker than your lies. How dare you spout such filth against your elders? Bring paper and ink! Today, before all the honored guests, I, Su Wan, sever our ties. We're done from this day forth!"
Long Yuntian stands frozen, tears silently streaming down his face. The crowd buzzes, some sighing, others sneering, but the noise barely registers. Luo Feng can barely contain his glee. He no longer hides the hunger in his eyes as he leers at Su Wan.
"Greetings from the Suzhou Governor!"
At that announcement, the hall stirs again. The Matriarch and Su Wan quickly smooth over their expressions. Even the Patriarch, who's been half-dead drunk moments ago, jolts awake.
"Hahaha! I knew it! The Su name was destined for the halls of the Great Clans!"
"You! Long Yuntian! My daughter has cast you off. Why are you still here? And you, Luo's bastard, tuck away your pathetic lust! My girl is no prize for the likes of you. Only the Governor's firstborn is worthy!"
Su Wan frowns but feels a secret thrill. The Governor's firstborn... He must be a paragon of grace, a hero among men. She spares a glance at Long Yuntian, unkempt, a mere parasite clinging to her family's shadow. Her disgust curdles in her throat. Finally, she'll be free of this useless man.
Long Yuntian's gaze remains cold and distant. But as the Governor's envoy scans the room, his eyes lock onto Long, and his blood runs cold. He scrambles forward and throws himself to the floor in a frantic kowtow.
"Cao Yuan, formerly of the Flying Fire Battalion, Dragon Tide Clan, pays humble homage to the Dragon King!"
The entire hall is frozen in collective shock. But Su Wan, ever the pragmatist, is the first to grasp the gravity. Her knees buckle, and she collapses in a heap. "Hus... Husband..."
But this time, Long is no longer that considerate youth. He does not spare her even a fleeting glance. Instead, he helps Cao Yuan up, studying the man's features until recognition clicks. He offers a rare smile.
"You've grown quite a bit, haven't you? How does the Governor treat you? If he's shown you any slight, he'll have me to answer to."
"All's well. The Governor received word of your seclusion here. He intended to pay his respects in person, but the burdens of his office held him back. Hearing from the Dragon Guard that you wished to keep your identity hidden, he sent me instead. Little did we expect that the great Dragon King would be subjected to such indignity by this... pathetic Su clan!"
The Matriarch's face turns a deathly gray. She scrambles from her seat of honor in a blind panic. Her golden crown is too heavy, her silk robes too cumbersome; she trips and falls, yet she does not stop. She crawls toward him on all fours, a desperate, broken creature.
Long lets out a sharp, cold snort. He was once a favored guest at the emperor's table, yet here, in this house, he was treated as filth.
He casts not a single look back at the wretched crone, nor the trembling Lord Su, who thumps his head against the floor in mindless terror. Not even at Su Wan, broken and silent on the ground.
"Everything the Su family possesses was my gift. Now that I depart, I reclaim it all. From this moment on, the ruin of the Sus is of no consequence to me."
The matrilocal groom is gone. Only the Dragon King of the Dragon Tide Clan!