Chapter 258
Chapter 258
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Ugh! Shen Jian didn't know what to say.
“In the past, Father and Mother would have been overjoyed even if you married a widow like her. But now our family has risen in status and established itself, so you can raise your sights a little and marry a beauty. You can marry a beautiful woman of good standing and class.”
His younger brother, Shen Jian, felt that the very words his brother had just spoken were classless and snobbish.
‘You’ve accomplished so many great things, brother, so I thought you were an amazing person. But for you to speak like such a snob now… don't shatter the idol I have of you in my heart.’
“I’ve met Old Master Lin’s granddaughter. She’s a very innocent, kind, pretty, and elegant young lady. To refuse such a good bride and insist on marrying the widow Liu… Brother, have you lost your mind?”
The problem was that Shen Jian was the only one who wanted to marry the widow Liu. After a long pause, Shen Jian finally spoke.
“Brother, this is what I think. I’m only enjoying wealth and glory because of you. By myself, I’m just a worthless prodigal. I… I’m not worthy of Miss Lin.”
Shen Lang was surprised.
‘So that’s what he was thinking. He has an inferiority complex.’
“Then let’s be honest. Do you like Miss Lin?”
“She’s pretty, comes from a good family, and is even cultured. Who wouldn’t like her? But I think the Lin family only agreed because the Countess acted as a matchmaker. That would be unfair to Miss Lin, so I offered to call off the marriage first. It makes it easier for the Lin family to shift the blame, too.”
Shen Lang smacked his younger brother on the back of the head.
“That’s a loser’s mentality. That kind of thinking is no good.”
Then, Shen Lang immediately dragged his brother to the Count’s estate and stood him before Miss Lin. Before they could even properly face each other, Miss Lin’s face turned red, and she looked as if she wished she could hide it. She was certainly pretty, but she was a timid and shy girl.
Shen Lang asked her.
“Lin Yinyin, do you truly like my younger brother, Shen Jian? This boy here thinks he’s not worthy of you and said he couldn’t bring himself to marry you, for which he got a thorough beating from our mother.”
At that moment, Shen Jian felt like he could die of embarrassment and wanted to dig a hole to crawl into.
“Brother, I, I’ll be going now…”
Shen Lang pulled his brother back, preventing him from escaping. Miss Lin quickly nodded her head, then fled even more quickly. This woman wasn't lying; she clearly liked Shen Jian. Why? Her father was a scholar, and her grandfather was also a scholar, so her entire family discussed nothing but profound words and phrases, which was no fun at all. Her grandfather, in particular, was an old-fashioned man. But Shen Jian was kind-hearted and fun, and crucially, he was the Master’s younger brother. How could this marriage not be a good thing?
The next day, fearing the two would change their minds, the two families hastily finalized the marriage. The Lin and Shen families were officially engaged.
* * *
The next day, Shen Lang left the Count of Xuanwu’s estate and headed for the capital. Shen Lang’s procession was extremely lavish; his clothes alone filled several carriages. Thirteen and dozens of the Count’s warriors followed Shen Lang, along with Huang Feng and nineteen masters from the Thousand Blades Society. The procession of over a hundred guards was magnificent, its presence quite imposing.
Mulan and his mother-in-law first saw him off for thirty li, then another thirty li, and finally, another hundred li. It was the very picture of a reluctant parting. In the end, Shen Lang and Mulan even achieved the feat of a rocking carriage.
Three days later, as soon as Shen Lang arrived in the capital, he headed straight for the royal palace to request an audience with the King!
* * *
King Ning Yuanxian asked.
“What was his demeanor on the way here?”
The Grand Eunuch replied.
“He drew the attention of the people as he passed through the streets, and his behavior was truly insolent and unrestrained.”
The King said nothing. Beside him, the Sixth Prince, Ning Jing, asked.
“In what way was his behavior insolent and unrestrained?”
The Grand Eunuch answered.
“Though he is merely a live-in son-in-law, he arranged a luxurious procession as if he were a provincial governor, with over a hundred cavalrymen as his escort. Moreover, whenever he passed through the post stations of the various commanderies, he always stayed in the finest garden quarters. If an official of the Prefect’s rank or lower was staying in the finest quarters, he would send his soldiers to drive them out and forcibly occupy the space.”
It was indeed arrogant and insolent behavior. Even the heir of a noble family would not dare to act as Shen Lang did. Heirs of old, established noble families, in particular, became more reserved and cautious with each passing generation.
The Grand Eunuch continued.
“When he entered the capital, this servant personally observed his expression. Instead of showing awe at the sturdy city walls, he curled his lip and wore a look of contempt.”
Beside them, the Sixth Prince, Ning Jing, remarked.
“The capital of our State of Yue is adorned with all sorts of rare treasures and magnificent architecture, so even ordinary nobles are intimidated when they arrive. For a mere country bumpkin to look down on it is truly amusing. I worry he may harbor some grand ambitions in his heart.”
King Ning Yuanxian still said nothing. The Grand Eunuch went on.
“This servant deliberately led him to Xuanwu Gate. When he looked up at the gate, he said, ‘Ah, I’m home.’ Your Majesty, for this man to be so brazen as to call Xuanwu Gate his own front door, it seems he does not possess the heart of a loyal subject.”
The King frowned slightly. He inwardly grumbled at the former king for having bestowed the name Xuanwu upon the Count of Xuanwu's estate.
‘Is Xuanwu a name that can be casually given as a vassal’s title? Look at other countries. Is there any other nation that uses Xuanwu as a title? Then why was there no Count Azure Dragon?’
The first king of Yue was a warrior who had neglected his studies. He was a man who made decisions on a whim and consistently ignored the dissenting opinions of his subjects rather than listen to them. He had happened to hit it off with the first Count of Xuanwu and gave him the title of Xuanwu, so what could be done about it now? The succeeding kings could not change the title even if they wanted to.
The Grand Eunuch said.
“What is more infuriating came later. On Xuanwu Avenue, we encountered the Third Princess.”
The Eldest Princess, Ning Luo, was twenty-eight this year and had been married to King Kun, the ruler of the State of Nan'ou. The Second Princess, Ning Han, was twenty-six and had been acclaimed as the number one beauty of Yue ten years ago. But she had completely vanished from public view, and no one knew her whereabouts.
Of course, as mentioned before, she was wandering the seas with Zuo Ci, the master of the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion. The Second Princess was still unmarried due to a misfortune that had befallen her fiancé. Princess Ning Han was the King’s most cherished daughter, so that affair remained a source of grief for him.
The Third Princess, Ning Yan, was twenty-four this year and already married. However, she had a fiery temper and was on bad terms with her husband, so she spent the entire year in the capital of Yue, running amok as she pleased and stirring up trouble with everyone.
The King asked.
“What did she do this time?”
The Grand Eunuch replied.
“The Third Princess was racing her horse.”
To openly ride a horse on Xuanwu Avenue was an act that could easily injure innocent commoners, so it sounded like a serious problem, but it wasn't. While Xuanwu Avenue in the State of Yue was not as grand as the national roads of the Great Yan Dynasty, it was still ninety meters wide. A ninety-meter-wide avenue was equivalent to a modern 30-lane highway.
The Xuanwu and Zhuque Avenues of the Great Yan Dynasty were a full one hundred and fifty meters wide. Of course, the Zhuque Avenue of the Tang Dynasty in China was also one hundred and fifty meters wide. Seeing them made one wonder why such wide avenues were built in the first place, and there were many such avenues so wide and long that they could shatter one's perception of roads.
When the ninety-meter-wide Xuanwu Avenue in Yue was first completed, the central sixty meters were mostly left empty and unused, and it was originally stipulated that only the royal family could pass through the center.
But as time passed, that rule gradually changed, and now many powerful and influential families had begun to travel down the center of Xuanwu Avenue, while ordinary commoners and low-ranking officials could only use the sides of the road. Therefore, no matter how frantically the Third Princess, Ning Yan, rode her horse, she was unlikely to collide with the common folk.
“Causing a scene again!”
The King cursed once but said no more. He felt sorry for his third daughter, so he could not bring himself to reprimand her easily.
“After seeing the Third Princess’s cavalry, we quickly moved to one side and prostrated ourselves on the ground. But that live-in son-in-law, Shen Lang, did not even get out of his carriage. He arrogantly opened the window, looked at the Third Princess, and even offered a comment.”
“What did he say?”
“His words were so excessive and crude that this servant dares not repeat them.”
“Speak.”
“He said, ‘This woman’s rear is plenty big and perky, and her waist is quite nice, but her thighs are too thick.’”
The King’s expression changed in an instant. Beside him, the Sixth Prince, Ning Jing, said angrily.
“This cur is courting death. How dare he be disrespectful to my third sister! He is truly asking to be killed.”
The Grand Eunuch said in a trembling voice.
“He added another comment, but this servant could not understand what it meant.”
“Tell me.”
“He said, ‘Maybe it’s because I’ve been holding back too much lately, but even seeing a woman like this gets me hard.’”
The King couldn't quite understand Shen Lang's phrase "gets me hard," but he could guess its meaning from the context.
The King’s face turned ashen with anger, and he said in a chilling tone.
“Hahaha… That upstart truly does not fear death, it seems.”
The Sixth Prince, Ning Jing, said.
“Royal Father, that alone shows how presumptuous he is, holding no regard for our Ning Clan or the King.”
The King asked.
“Where is he now?”
“He is waiting in the Renci Pavilion.”
“Is he being respectful?”
“An ordinary person, even a provincial governor, would kneel while waiting for an audience with Your Majesty. But he found a chair, sat down, and even asked why a guest wasn't being served tea. He is extremely insolent and rude, utterly beyond tolerance.”
The King's face grew even darker.
“Then let the cur wait just like that.”
* * *
Inside the Renci Pavilion of the Yue royal palace.
A junior eunuch was grinding his teeth. Usually, when an official arrived here, they would all hand him a gold coin and ask him to show them where to kneel. Most of the golden tiles paving the floor of the Renci Pavilion were solid, but exactly three were hollow. Banging one's head on a solid golden tile wouldn't produce a sound, but even a light tap on a hollow one would echo loudly. This would make it seem as if one held Your Majesty in the highest reverence. Of course, the golden tiles here were not made of real gold, but were merely yellow floor bricks.