"So you're saying it's not a sure thing that I'll be able to win the lady's hand in marriage?"
Chen Sheng's brow furrowed, sensing the hidden meaning in her words.
"No."
Nie Xiangjun, however, shook her head.
"You're different from them. Your background is clean, and you aren't deeply entangled with any of the court's factions. You have no established power base. This means as you grow stronger in the future, it will be easiest for you to fully integrate with our Nie Family.
"The family is paying very close attention to you. One of either Lingshan or Lingxi will marry you—that is certain. Otherwise, why do you think I would personally make this trip to Ning'an Prefecture?"
To the Nie Family, marriage alliances with the True Inheritors of Major Sects were more about exchanging benefits and consolidating power. They required a delicate balance and weren't strictly essential.
