“What? Marry? Marry who?” Kuai Ran shouted in disbelief after listening to Kuai Liang and Liu Mang’s words. Yan Ran was standing by his side and pinched him in the arm after Kuai Liang asked the stupid question.
“That’s right! We are talking about a marriage between you two! Lady Yan Ran, Brother Kuai, are you two willing?” Liu Mang asked while laughing. He believed that Kuai Ran would immediately agree to this.
“Of course I am willing!” Kuai Ran immediately replied. He had long since fallen in love with Yan Ran. The reason why he is always broke is because he kept going to the brothel to see her.
Yan Ran did not speak but her blushing expression showed that she was also willing.
Kuai Ran quickly calmed himself down and then said, “Brother Wang… No… Your Highness. Uncle Kuai. I also want to marry Yan Ran but my father…” Even if Kuai Liang agreed to this, his father would never allow it. This is because the family would get criticized and be humiliated.
“Ran Lang. There is no need to worry about me. I don’t need any status as long as I am with you.” Yan Ran comforted Kuai Ran. She truly loved Kuai Ran and wanted to stay by his side even if she is unable to receive any status.
“Yan Ran, I…!” Kuai Ran also blushed. He felt extremely helpless. Despite being the heir to an influential family, he was not able to give his beloved a status. “Your Highness?” Kuai Ran spoke out. Meanwhile, Yan Ran was still confused as to how all of this is related to the King of Shu.
Kuai Ran understood that Liu Mang was the King of Shu. Liu Mang was royalty and was only second to the Han Emperor Liu Xie. The title that Cao Cao gave Liu Mang also helped cement the fact and allowed Liu Mang to hand out titles and status.
“Idiot boy! Why are you still standing there?” Kuai Liang scolded his nephew.
“This Kuai Ran greets Your Highness. I hope Your Highness is willing to bless the marriage between me and Yan Ran.” Kuai Ran quickly knelt down to Liu Mang. Originally, there were a lot of discrepancies between himself and Liu Mang but he knelt down immediately for his wedding.
“Sigh.” Liu Mang did not allow Kuai Ran to kneel as Liu Mang wanted a friend and not a subordinate. He already had plenty of subordinates but he did not have many friends. Kuai Ran seemed like someone that could be his friend. After all, they had already gone through a crisis together.
“Brother Kuai, you can just call me Hanyang!” Liu Mang said with a smile as he said his own name. This meant he already treated Kuai Ran as a friend. As Kuai Ran’s friend, Kuai Ran’s problems would also become his problems.
“Thank you, Youg Highness!” Kuai Ran smiled back.
“You are still calling me Your Highness? In that case, I won’t grant you status.”
“Brother Liu! Hanyang!” Kuai Ran quickly replied. At this point, whatever Liu Mang says, goes.
“Haha. Brother Kuai. You better take care of sister Yan Ran properly or I won’t be polite!” Liu Mang laughed and patted Kuai Ran’s shoulder.
Liu Mang spoke in a very relaxed manner but his words caused the other three to become frightened. After all, Liu Mang is the King of Shu. Even if it was no longer times of peace, Liu Mang was also the Lord of Yangzhou. Now, Liu Mang had just called Yan Ran ‘sister’. Even if Yan Ran does not receive a noble status, her name became something precious.
“Your Highness! You…!” Kuai Liang stared at Liu Mang as though saying that the status Liu Mang had given was too large. They initially thought that he would make Yan Ran the relative of one of his subordinates but he instead made her his own sister. If that is the case, how could the Kuai Family dare to marry her? It would be like establishing themselves as royalty. The other nobles would abandon and slander them. They would also no longer be able to send their children to school. Liu Mang would end up harming them instead.
“Brother Liu. This is too much!” Kuai Ran replied, feeling thankful and embarrassed. For him, this was a good thing especially when his father intends for him to marry someone from the Cai Family.
“This woman thanks Your Highness for the affection but this one cannot accept!” Yan Ran replied. She also wanted to become a noble and obtain status but she knew that there were no shortcuts to success.
“I have already recognized Yan Ran as my sister but there is no need to declare that she is a royal princess.” Liu Mang said to Kuai Liang.
Liu Mang also understood that if Yan Ran were to become royal princess, she would be the one in charge after marriage. Kuai Yue would not agree to this. That was why Liu Mang did not make her a royal princess. However, Liu Mang still raised her status by saying that she is his sister. As a result, Kuai Ran would be able to take her as a concubines but Yan Ran’s position would remain high.
After that, Liu Mang would have the option as to whether he wanted to declare her a royal princess and make her the primary wife. It is not strange for the concubine to become the primary wife especially since Yuan Shao and Liu Biao both have examples of their own.
Liu Mang wanted this imaginary royal princess to tie the Kuai Family to him. The moment the Kuai Family wants to get a primary wife, he would announce her as a royal princess. The Kuai Family would not dare to make a royal princess a concubine. It would be even better if Yan Ran could give birth to a few sons who would have to adhere to Liu Mang for the Kuai Family’s inheritance. In other words, Liu Mang would have the entire Kuai Family in his grasp.
Kuai Liang understood everything and could not help but glance at Liu Mang. He wanted to help Liu Mang to obtain provisions so that Liu Mang could help them against Cao Cao in the future. He never wanted to place the Kuai Family in Liu Mang’s hand. He wanted to refuse but when he saw Kuai Ran’s happy face, he was not able to say anything. If he were to refuse, Kuai Ran would not be able to marry Yan Ran. Kuai Liang also understood Kuai Ran’s feelings since his own wife was once a commoner when he was younger.
