OceanofPDF.com To Rule in a Turbulent World - Volume 5 - Arc 5: Eight Beats of Ganzhou Song - Chapter 61

Jul 30, 2026

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Eight Beats of Ganzhou Song follows You Miao and Qiao Rong through a night-long conversation that turns into a direct confrontation about Zhao Chao’s proposal. As court politics tighten and the Political Advisor seat remains vacant, pressure mounts for You Miao to act. Qiao Rong refuses to marry for convenience, insisting on honesty about desire, while You Miao weighs family obligations, imperial power, and the strategic consequences of releasing Nie Dan.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages291

Reading Time7 h 28 min

Arc 5: Eight Beats of Ganzhou Song

Chapter 61

[VOLUME 5] Arc 5: Eight Beats of Ganzhou Song [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) [CHAPTER 61] That night, You Miao and Qiao Rong talked until morning. “Why don’t you go to bed now?” Qiao Rong said at last. Feeling helpless, You Miao said,“How can I possibly go to sleep like this?” The emperor wished to crown an empress, but of all people, the one he chose had to be from the Qiao family. The Qiao family had never possessed any power or influence; at most, it was a fallen gentry clan of Jiangnan. This decision had to be aimed at You Miao somehow. Of all the people Qiao Rong could attract, why did it have to be Zhao Chao? But then again, it couldn’t be helped. Zhao Chao was aware of all that happened in Maocheng. If anything was to be blamed, it was the fact that Nie Dan and Qiao Rong were growing too close. But why did Zhao Chao want to marry Qiao Rong, disregarding Nie Dan’s feelings entirely? After listening to Qiao Rong for an entire night, You Miao had one last question.“Do you like him?” Qiao Rong didn’t answer, responding with only a sigh. You Miao was somewhat incredulous.“You actually do like him?” “Not so much like, but I don’t hate him,” Qiao Rong said.“He already made his feelings clear to me when I last went to see him.” “Clear, how?” “Either way, don’t worry about it anymore. I will marry, and I will do so willingly,” Qiao Rong said. “How can I not worry?” You Miao protested.“On the personal front, you’re my cousin; I’m from your mother ’s side of the family. On the business front, once this marriage is locked into place, our family will be tied to this ship called Zhao Chao—and we can forget about ever leaving it!” “If the emperor wants to marry me, do I even have the right to decline?” Qiao Rong countered.“If I refuse him, forget Yang Prefectural City or Maocheng—who in all of Tianqi would still dare marry me?” “My da-ge can marry you,” You Miao declared. “Please; he won’t marry me. You men are all the same,” Qiao Rong said. You Miao could detect underlying meaning in her words, and he frowned.“What did my da-ge say to you?” Qiao Rong’s breathing turned harsh, and she only replied after along pause.“Miao-zi, why don’t you go rest? I’m tired. We can talk again tomorrow.” When he asked for her hand in marriage, Zhao Chao had to have assumed it was already a sure bet, as it was impossible to make a decision like this in a scant few days. Qiao Rong, too, had to have already known where things stood; she wouldn’t have waited until today to suddenly be confused. Disregarding the matter of whether You Miao even had the power to refuse the emperor ’s request, the key question was—why her? After You Miao returned to Yang Prefecture, the news of his return had somehow spread, and a great number of people came knocking at his door over the next several days. Ping Xi and the old gang had visited; everything they wanted to discuss was centered around the current situation at court. Whether Nie Dan was released depended on Zhao Chao’s attitude toward the court situation and whether he could reconcile with the ministers. Things were still tense at the imperial court; a problem that would have to be resolved sooner or later. The ministers were busy trying to save their behinds, while still regarding the emperor with various degrees of enmity. The Political Advisor position was still vacant, and everyone unanimously believed that You Miao would return—the only trusted aide that Zhao Chao had left was him; there was no way he’d allow You Miao togo home and work the fields, and not to mention that Li Zhifeng was still a general in the army. “How’s Li Yan getting along?” You Miao asked. “He doesn’t interact with us anymore,” Lin Luoyang replied, resigned.“The Hanlin Academy is now in Li Yan’s hands, and he’s taken over state affairs, too. If you don’t return to court, things will likely return to how they were in the old capital.” “Not possible,” You Miao said dismissively. He kne

FAQs

Why does the emperor insist that the empress must come from the Qiao family?

The emperor’s choice is tied to an intention involving You Miao, despite the Qiao family having little power or influence.

What is the core issue behind Qiao Rong’s reluctance to marry Zhao Chao?

Qiao Rong frames it as a matter of personal willingness and genuine feelings, not merely using marriage to secure Nie Dan’s release.

How does court politics influence You Miao’s situation after he returns to Yang Prefecture?

Visitors push him to address Nie Dan’s case and the marriage outcome, while tensions at court and power shifts make his role increasingly critical.

Jul 30, 2026

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