Chapter Ninety-One: Defeated Before the Battle Began

Autumn dusk, the setting sun's afterglow painted the western horizon like blood.

Within the Lu family estate in Chang’an City, Bo Liangqi had somehow gathered a bunch of yellow flowers and happily darted into the courtyard where Tang Xiaoqi lived. Zheng Hui paced back and forth in the corridor, holding a book in his hands.

In the pavilion of the courtyard, Pei Wuniang carefully wiped the swollen face of Li Shengqing with a pure white silk handkerchief, holding a small medicine bottle in her other hand.

“You really are something. Even though you won the archery contest against Chen Lizhen, you couldn't resist being provoked and went to compete in the fist fight. You’re just a rough soldier, only know a few clumsy moves, and ended up beaten like this. That’s quite a heavy loss,” she chided.

Li Sheng gave a simple, honest smile, wincing in pain as he touched his injured face.

“Though I lost the fist fight, our contest was fair and square. I’m content with the outcome. Brother Chen Lizhen is straightforward and honorable; I get along well with him. I hope to meet him again someday and share a few hearty drinks.”

Pei Wuniang lightly tapped Li Sheng’s head with a displeased look. “Among the few who learn skills from Senior Brother, you’re the dullest. Look at Bo Liangqi—so young yet already knows how to flatter his master’s wife. Zheng Hui is a scholar, favored and respected by that Miss Xihua. And you? You haven’t learned a shred of Senior Brother’s style.”

“I’ve been studying military strategy seriously, I really have. I, Li Sheng, am no longer the reckless brute I used to be,” Li Sheng argued, his face flushed as he tried hard to defend himself against Pei Wuniang’s scorn.

“Look at Senior Brother. Though he hasn’t fully mastered the Nine-Star Linked Arrows, he’s turned it into something more spectacular than the nine-arrow chain technique. His horse-driving skills aren’t great, so he didn’t join the imperial contest, but his excuse was so convincing it earned him great respect. Have you learned even a fraction of those skills?”

Pei Wuniang jabbed her finger at Li Sheng’s forehead in frustration.

“Alas!” Li Sheng sighed. “Our soldiers are straightforward and blunt, not like that scheming Senior Brother. I’m fearless, but that Senior Brother scares me to the bone.”

“Hmph! What is there to fear? If you marry me, you’ll be his brother-in-law. Do you think he’d dare bully you then?” Pei Wuniang snorted, utterly dismissive of Lu Liao.

A dry cough sounded behind them.

Pei Wuniang turned, glaring unhappily at Lu Liao. “Lu Liao, you walk lighter than a cat, sneaking around like that—don’t you think it’s time to change?”

“Am I?” Lu Liao looked innocent. “Landing without a sound, looks like my qi cultivation has improved a lot.”

“That’s just your guilty conscience. You’re always eavesdropping on what people say about you. This is your home, not anywhere else. Behaving like this is really annoying.”

Pei Wuniang pouted and said bluntly.

“You, Pei Wuniang! No respect, no shame. You’re just a young girl hanging around him all day, talking about marrying you, becoming a brother-in-law. Have some dignity as a lady.”

Lu Liao’s face flushed, adopting the air of an elder.

“Pfft!” Pei Wuniang tilted her head disdainfully. “You and Xiaoqi’s wife are already expecting a child, so you hurriedly held the wedding. What right do you have to criticize me?”

“Hey! You’re out of line, even mocking Senior Brother now.” Lu Liao glared angrily at Pei Wuniang, who ignored him completely and turned to glare fiercely at the silent Li Sheng.

“When are you going to officially marry my junior sister? Be a real man and give me a clear answer. Let me make it clear now—my junior sister, though wild and unruly, is a descendant of General Pei Min and won’t become your concubine.”

“I’ll write home about this right away. I’m a guard following General Geshu Han to the capital; this matter must be reported to him as well,” Li Sheng stammered, barely daring to breathe.

“Write your letters, report as you please, but make sure this is settled quickly.” Lu Liao put on a serious elder’s demeanor toward Li Sheng, who was three years his senior.

“How long have I stayed at your place? You’re already trying to marry off this troublesome junior sister of mine,” Pei Wuniang glared acidly at Lu Liao.

“Are you going to marry this foolish guy or not?” Lu Liao puffed out his chest and looked Pei Wuniang straight in the eye.

“I’ll marry whoever I choose. Why wouldn’t I?” Pei Wuniang put her hands on her hips, refusing to back down.

“Done! Didn’t expect this seemingly silly junior sister to always see through my tricks and ruin my image. Finally, I’ve managed to marry off this annoying nuisance and get rid of her.” Lu Liao clasped his hands behind his back, muttering to himself as he walked away satisfied.

In the classics, poetry, chess, calligraphy, painting, horsemanship, archery, and driving, Lu Liao and Jun Ruochen of the Qin Marquis Mansion each topped four categories. The son-in-law of the God of Wealth’s ninth daughter would be chosen from these two outstanding young talents.

It was said that the God of Wealth, Wang Yuanbao, personally set three rounds of contests, the contents of which were kept secret until the day of the competition.

In the study at the Wang family estate’s central courtyard, Lu Jiu’s face was dark with anger as he glared at a plump, pale-faced old man sitting calmly at the desk.

“You old fat man, you’ve gone too far. You know well that most of the suitors are children of powerful officials. Your rules are so unfair—it’s obvious you’re setting this up for Qin Ruochen to win!”

Wang Yuanbao, dressed in a blue robe trimmed with jade, casually set down his ledger and smiled at his furious daughter.

“Liuli, as a merchant’s daughter, you should understand how important reputation and connections are. This contest is exactly about that. Fairness? When has the world ever been fair? The young Master Qin Ruochen of the Qin family is already renowned in the capital and is the legitimate heir of the Qin Marquis Mansion, so he naturally has many advantages coming into this match.

“Now look at the one you chose. In the classics test, he could have tied with Ruochen for first, but he chose to insult the Second Sage Mencius on his exam paper. He plagiarized poems from his master, the immortal poet Tai Bai, to sneak into first place. This offended your well-known sixth brother-in-law terribly.

“He performed poorly in music, calligraphy, and painting. In chess, he could have won easily but, lost his temper competing with Ruochen, barely scraping a victory.

“His horsemanship and archery aren’t bad, but his arrogance has alienated everyone—no cheers, not a single one. After winning four first prizes, he didn’t even participate in the imperial contest.

“This young man has great skills but many flaws. Two losses will knock some pride out of him. He doesn’t know his place yet.”

Wang Yuanbao’s words left Lu Jiu speechless.

“Couldn’t you have told me beforehand? I don’t care—I won’t marry anyone but him. If something goes wrong, I’ll become a nun and see what you do.”

Lu Jiu, unable to argue further, grabbed his father’s robe and began to sulk.

“If I told you beforehand, you’d just secretly warn that kid. Liuli, not everything in this world can be prepared for in advance. You have to face what’s coming, even if it’s a loss.”

Wang Yuanbao laughed as his beloved daughter swayed back and forth, but his mind was made up.

A few days ago at the archery contest range, the place was packed with spectators.

They looked baffled at the three red lines painted on the field and a long rope tied with a red ribbon in the middle. Was this some test of strength between the two suitors?

Lu Liao and Jun Ruochen were each called to an end of the rope by Wang family servants. Dazed, they exchanged a glance, unsure of what to do next.

“Those who have come to compete for the Wang family’s bridegroom, there are now only two contenders left. One is Master Qin Ruochen, descendant of the founding hero Duke Wing of the State, Qin Qiong, and heir to the Qin Marquis Mansion. The other is Lu Liao, grandson of the Grand Physician Lu Manman of the Imperial Medical Bureau and inheritor of the Health Hall.

“Now, stand beside the one you support and help pull the rope. Whichever side pulls the red ribbon over first wins,” announced Zhang Xun solemnly from the spectator stand after surveying the crowd.

Seeing the dense crowd behind Jun Ruochen and only the solitary Xi Hua behind himself, Lu Liao and Xi Hua felt chilled to the bone by the autumn wind.

Zhang Xun on the stand cast a mocking glance at Lu Liao with a barely perceptible smile.

Chen Lizhen gasped at the disparity in numbers, hesitated, then stepped forward to Lu Liao’s side.

“I will help you! Even if faced with thousands of troops, I, Chen Lizhen, fear no one,” he declared boldly, moving Lu Liao deeply.

They looked hopefully at the crowd, wishing more would come to their aid.

Old Lao Luren, with his graying hair, did not disappoint. He walked over gracefully.

“Poet Tai Bai is our idol. Now that his disciple needs help, I, Lao Luren, must not shirk my duty.”

After waiting a long while and no one else stepping forward, Lu Liao looked at their small group: himself, Xi Hua, Chen Lizhen, and the old man—only four. Opposite them stood the dense crowd behind Jun Ruochen. He sighed deeply. How could this contest even be fair?

As the saying goes, those who follow the right path gain many helpers, while those who lose it have few. But this situation was entirely different. That old Wang Yuanbao had designed this contest to bully his opponent with connections and reputation.

Feeling deeply aggrieved, Gu Xi Hua took out a white silk handkerchief. Lu Liao smiled, raised it towards the spectator stand, and waved it in surrender. After all, he had done his best. He had no desire to marry Lu Jiu; let that cunning God of Wealth do as he pleased.