Chapter 137
Chapter 137
“Chunhua, have you ever heard this saying?”
“What saying?”
“Think not of how long heaven and earth will last, but only of possessing them for a moment. All is but passing smoke and clouds, so we must live joyfully in the present. If two hearts are so enduringly connected, why must they spend every moment together from dawn to dusk? A fleeting brush of autumn wind and night dew is better than countless meetings in the mortal world.”
To summarize the beautiful poetry, it meant this:
‘Don’t say another word, and don’t worry about what happens next. Let’s just have some fun first, and we can talk later.’
Zhang Chunhua’s hair stood on end once more.
‘There are plenty of scumbags in the world, but this is the first time I’ve met one with such outstanding literary talent. To think he’d compose such elegant poetry, the kind that could be passed down for a hundred years, only to use it to deceive women and have an affair.’
Zhang Chunhua said resentfully.
“Shen Lang, do you truly only want my body?”
Shen Lang reached out and placed his hand over her heart.
“I want your heart as well. Chunhua, when we have feelings for each other, why should we care about trivial external rules? Those are just rituals for ordinary people. True love knows no bounds.”
“Then what if you had to choose between me and Jin Mulan?”
Shen Lang put on a pained expression.
“Then, it would mean we were fated to meet, but not to be together.”
“Why? Didn’t you say she abuses you every day and doesn’t treat you well?”
“Even if my wife were to torment me a thousand times, she is still my first love. Chunhua, I like you too, but I’m terribly sorry that she came before you. But who ever said love must be exclusive? When drinking tea, there is only one teapot, but have you ever seen only one teacup being used?”
*Slap!*
Zhang Chunhua could no longer bear it and slapped Shen Lang across the face.
“Shen Lang, you are a heartless and disloyal man. To think you were this kind of person. I must have been blind.”
With that, Zhang Chunhua leaped out of the carriage. She had to leave; if she stayed any longer, it would become truly dangerous. Otherwise, this scumbag would surely try to take her body. Shen Lang looked down at his hands, then brought them to his nose and sniffed. Outside, Jin Hui quickly said.
“Young Master, I swear, I really didn’t see a thing. I won’t say a word when we get back to the estate.”
“How could you not have seen anything? Just now, Zhang Chunhua clearly came to seduce me, and because I sternly rejected her, I even got a slap in the face. You didn’t see that?”
Jin Hui was startled, then nodded.
“I saw it, I saw it. The Young Master sternly rejected her and got slapped for it.”
Shen Lang sighed.
“I suppose I can’t help being handsome. It’s so exhausting, breaking so many women’s hearts every day.”
* * *
Zhang Chunhua entered Zhang Chong’s study, looking utterly defeated.
“How did it go?”
“He’s human scum, a good-for-nothing, a pervert, a lecher who deserves to be stabbed a thousand times and more.”
Zhang Chunhua, seething with anger, sat down in a chair, picked up the teapot, and drank directly from it. Next to the teapot were four teacups. Seeing them, she angrily swept the other three to the floor. Sitting cross-legged in the large chair, Zhang Chunhua continued.
“It’s true what they say—it’s better to see for yourself than to hear rumors. He’s the most despicable man in the world.”
“Did you suffer any loss?”
Zhang Chunhua said nothing.
“Did you find out about the situation at the Count’s estate?”
Zhang Chunhua recalled Shen Lang’s every word and action, then nodded.
“Since you dislike him, this father won’t force you.”
“No, who said I dislike him? He’s human scum, but still… a rather charming piece of human scum.”
Then she jumped down from the chair and left.
“The banquet is about to start. Where are you going?”
“To take a bath!”
‘A bath? Didn’t you just take one?’
* * *
When Shen Lang entered the Prefect’s Manor, he ran into Zhang Chunhua again. She had just changed her clothes, and the alluring demeanor from before had completely vanished. In her place was a lady so proper she could have come from a textbook. Every word and action, every frown and smile, was a model of etiquette. A young lady from a prestigious family with the absolute air of a true scholar had appeared.
“This young lady greets Mr. Shen.”
She performed her courtesies without a single flaw and stepped aside, appearing exceedingly polite. Shen Lang was even more polite in his reply.
“Greetings, Miss Zhang.”
Shen Lang looked only at her, his gaze not straying for a moment. Hah! What a pair of hypocrites. But just as Shen Lang was about to pass, Zhang Chunhua suddenly slipped a note into his hand. Shen Lang went to a secluded spot and opened it.
“Mr. Shen, save me. Zhu Wenhua has asked Governor Zhu Rong to propose to me. He’s serious this time.”
After reading it, Shen Lang tore the note to pieces and threw it away. Then he walked into the main hall of the Xuanwu Prefect’s Manor. At that moment, only Zhang Jin and an unfamiliar young man were in the hall.
“Allow me to introduce you. This is Young Master Wu Yuanhua, the heir to the Count of Jing'an. And this is Young Master Shen Lang, son-in-law of the Count of Xuanwu.”
Wu Yuanhua frowned. Some time ago, Lin Zhuo had contracted a venereal disease and infected dozens of people in the Count of Jing'an’s household. The Count’s estate had discovered the truth—it was Shen Lang’s doing. This frail-looking man was vicious to a chilling degree. Since then, Shen Lang had become an irreconcilable enemy of the Count of Jing'an. Wu Yuanhua merely nodded at Shen Lang and offered no further greeting.
Once everyone had arrived, the banquet began. The Fourth Prince, Ning Jin, seemed slightly surprised to see Shen Lang but soon paid him no mind. He despised Shen Lang, but he had no desire to argue with a man who was about to die.
Not many people were gathered today. Governor Zhu Rong, the Count of Jing'an and his son, Viscount Zhu Nanzheng and his son, Prefect Zhang Chong and his son, and the Hidden Yuan Society’s envoy, Shu Tingyu, were in attendance. The Count of Jinhai and Tang Yun were not present, to avoid the suspicion that the royal family was siding with the Count of Jinhai’s estate. It was a transparent charade.
There were two women present: one was Zhang Chunhua, and the other was a woman Shen Lang didn't know. It was the first time Shen Lang had met a woman who seemed to emanate the scent of books. This woman had a calm and gentle demeanor, a beauty who seemed to have walked straight out of a novel. It turned out she was Chi Yu, the daughter of the Spice King, Zhi Shanren. She remained quiet throughout, never speaking unless spoken to. However, Shen Lang knew that if a woman not born into a scholarly family exuded a more scholarly air than anyone, there was a ninety percent chance she was a schemer.
* * *
The banquet was a dull and uninteresting affair. Today’s event, in particular, was all about flattering the Fourth Prince, Ning Jin. Every other sentence was about how great the King was, how majestic, how fair and just. Shen Lang’s seat was arranged at the very back, and he was treated like a passerby whom no one acknowledged. Suddenly, Zhu Wenhua spoke to him.
“Shen Lang, I heard the Count of Xuanwu’s estate has borrowed so much money from the Hidden Yuan Society that they won’t be able to pay it back in this lifetime.”
“Is that so? Why was I not aware of this?”
“If the Count of Xuanwu’s estate falls, where will you go, Brother Shen Lang?”
Shen Lang replied in a grief-stricken tone.
“It is still unknown who the victor will be. Don’t you think you’re speaking too soon, Brother Zhu?”
But Shen Lang’s voice lacked any strength, as if he were slightly afraid. It was a masterful acting technique. He didn’t show all his fear, just a hint of it.
“Hahahaha. In any case, Brother Shen Lang is just a live-in son-in-law. It’s all the same no matter where you go to beg for food.”
Viscount Zhu Nanzheng frowned. He knew his son, Zhu Wenhua, hated Shen Lang, but the foolish boy wasn’t considering the occasion and was being too impulsive. Shen Lang was a dead man walking; what was the point of a useless argument with him? The important mission tonight was to propose to Prefect Zhang Chong.
With the Count of Xuanwu’s estate on the brink of destruction, vultures were circling overhead, waiting to pick apart the Jin Clan’s corpse. The Viscount of Nanshan’s power was weak, so it would be difficult for them to claim a large piece of the prize. But if they formed an alliance with Zhang Chong, not only would it help Zhu Wenhua climb the ladder of power, but it would also grant them a larger share of the spoils from the Count of Xuanwu’s remains. Thus, he secretly shot Zhu Wenhua a glare.
Right now, Zhang Chong’s heart was wavering, and he seemed reluctant to form a marriage alliance with the Viscount of Nanshan. It was imperative to finalize this marriage quickly. Zhu Nanzheng raised his cup to the Fourth Prince and Governor Zhu Rong with a pleading look. His meaning was clear.
‘Your Excellency the Governor, you must act as the matchmaker.’
Zhu Nanzheng and Zhu Rong both shared the surname Zhu and could be considered distant relatives. Of course, Governor Zhu Rong had agreed to be the matchmaker not because of their distant kinship. In his eyes, Zhang Chunhua was an alluring beauty, a potential cause of disaster. Hadn’t even the Fourth Prince, Ning Jin, sought her out several times since coming to Xuanwu City? Zhu Rong had to neutralize this threat in advance.
Although Zhang Chong was his supporter, it was better that the Zhang family not become entangled with the royal family through marriage. Otherwise, it would be difficult to command them in the future. That was why Zhu Rong was eager to marry Zhang Chunhua off to Zhu Wenhua. Governor Zhu Rong didn’t much care that Zhu Wenhua was an unimpressive man. After receiving the signal from Viscount Zhu Nanzheng, he smiled as if he had already made up his mind.
“Zhu Wenhua, I hear you are renowned for your talent. Why don’t you take this opportunity to recite a poem for everyone and liven things up?”
Zhu Wenhua was delighted and shot up from his seat.
“Yes, Uncle.”
He was shameless. Though both families shared the surname Zhu, they were as distant as strangers, yet he addressed him so familiarly as ‘Uncle.’ Zhu Wenhua raised his cup and gazed at Zhang Chunhua with a look of infatuation.
“I would like to dedicate a poem to Miss Zhang.”
Zhang Chunhua smiled, but inwardly she was frantic. The note she had given Shen Lang asking for help was genuine. If Governor Zhu Rong acted as the matchmaker, her father, Zhang Chong, would be completely unable to refuse the proposal.
“Her beauty could topple nations, yet rumor speaks truly of her virtue. The chiming jade alone can match her nobility; the fragrant orchid alone can vie with her scent.”
It was a well-written poem. Neither frivolous nor licentious, it expressed his desire for courtship while fitting the atmosphere of the occasion.
“A fine poem.”
The first person to speak was the Spice King’s daughter, Chi Yu. She looked at Zhang Chunhua beside her and said.
“Sister Chunhua, it’s a very beautiful poem, isn’t it? It praises your virtuous character.”
Zhang Chong was forced to offer praise as well.
“Young Master Zhu Wenhua is indeed full of talent!”
Zhang Chunhua kept a smile on her face, but inside, she was burning with anxiety.
‘Shen Lang, you scoundrel, hurry up and save me! If for nothing else, you owe me for trying to take advantage of me earlier. Do you think you can touch a woman and not pay the price?’
Just then, Governor Zhu Rong smiled and opened his mouth, about to begin the matchmaking. No one there could stop him. The Fourth Prince, for all his status, couldn’t openly snatch another man’s intended wife, so he couldn’t intervene. But Shen Lang was different. He was an open enemy, and in everyone’s eyes, a dead man walking. Who would argue with a dead man? A squabble might even cause unforeseen problems in the Gold Mountain Island dispute.
They were trying to crush and kill Shen Lang precisely because they feared his schemes would lead the Count of Xuanwu’s estate to victory in the Gold Mountain Island dispute. With the estate’s destruction imminent, they wouldn’t care how brazenly Shen Lang acted. Moreover, the Fourth Prince secretly did not want to see Zhang Chunhua marry Zhu Wenhua. Just as Zhu Rong was about to speak, Shen Lang opened his mouth and said calmly.
“Zhu Wenhua, is it fun to flatter the Prefect’s daughter like that? ‘The chiming jade alone can match her nobility; the fragrant orchid alone can vie with her scent.’ Isn’t that a bit of an overstatement?”
At his words, everyone’s expression changed. Zhu Wenhua was instantly enraged and asked in a cold voice.
“Shen Lang, what do you mean by that?”
“I just find it distasteful to see you compose such exaggerated poetry and flatter someone so excessively.”