Is My Daughter Not Beautiful?

Thinking about it this way, his guilt immediately vanished, and he even felt that he was doing a good deed.

He readily admitted to it. As for his determination to "never see another woman again"—

Well, what man hasn't had to save face a few times?

Looking at his expression, Yan Chongli, "Keep pretending, I can't help but expose him."

"Oh? Just admiring your talent?" he drawled. "Isn't my daughter beautiful?"

Shen Jingchuan blushed, embarrassed that he had been called out in public, and awkwardly replied.

"Of course, Senior Sister is also a renowned beauty."

His voice grew lower and lower until it was almost a mumble.

"Master, please don't say it. I'm just too embarrassed to say it."

Yan Chongli laughed heartily, the depression he had felt from being dismissed from office for several days had dissipated considerably, and he hadn't expected his disciple to have this side to him.

"Alright, since you've agreed, don't delay any longer." He stopped smiling and said seriously, "The situation in the court is not peaceful right now. You should find a matchmaker as soon as possible, pick an auspicious day, and go to propose marriage."

"After you've had dinner today, you can stay at the mansion. We'll discuss this further later."

"You're unfamiliar with this Capital, completely clueless. I'll have Wenbin help you."

Yan Chongli didn't explain, but turned and gave instructions to the person outside the door.

"Someone, go and fetch the young master."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure lifted the curtain and entered.

The newcomer was dressed in white, with a jade belt around his waist, and was leisurely fanning himself with a folding fan.

In this freezing weather, while others are bundled up in cotton-padded coats and still feel cold, he's fanning himself as if it were the height of spring.

"Father, you called me?" He first bowed to Yan Chongli, then smiled at Shen Jingchuan, "I heard that a distinguished guest has arrived at our home. It is your precious disciple, Father, so I have come to see him."

Upon seeing this, Shen Jingchuan immediately knew that this was most likely his senior brother Yan Wenbin, his future brother-in-law.

He quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Your junior brother, Shen Jingchuan, greets your senior brother."

Yan Wenbin reached out and helped him up, looking him up and down several times with delight in his eyes.

The entire Yan Household was handsome. His father was a dashing old man, his sister was a great beauty, and Yan Wenbin himself was naturally handsome as well, exuding the refined elegance of a scholar, in no way inferior to that father and daughter.

He had long heard of the apprentice his father had taken on.

At the poetry competition that year, Shen Jingchuan won first prize and stole the show.

After the poetry gathering ended, he went to a brothel. In his drunken stupor, he picked up a pen and wrote several poems, every word and phrase of which could be passed down through the ages.

Yan Wenbin could recite all those poems by heart, and he often exclaimed in admiration.

What captivated him even more was that this junior fellow student was not only a talented poet, but also a romantic at heart.

Legend has it that Bai Ruoli, the most beautiful of the Eight Beauties of Great Qian, fell in love with him at first sight, abandoned everything in the brothel, and devoted herself to him.

It is said that his junior brother angrily threw away a thousand gold coins on the spot.

Such elegance and talent make him the epitome of a romantic and talented man in the world.

This story is still circulating in the Capital today, and has long been turned into a tale by storytellers and told in teahouses.

It is said that on that day, Shen Jingchuan wanted to redeem Bai Ruoli from her brothel, but the madam refused to release her, demanding an exorbitant price, clearly intending to control him.

Without saying a word, Shen Jingchuan angrily spent a fortune on the spot to redeem the person.

That ransom still tops the list of ransoms at the Great Qian Brothel, and no one has ever broken it again.

But what truly makes this story so moving is what follows.

Bai Ruoli herself is a romantic at heart.

Upon hearing the madam announce that amount, fearing that Shen Jingchuan hadn't brought enough money, she immediately took out all her savings accumulated over the years to help him out.

Although her savings were far from enough to cover that astronomical sum, she still gave it all.

But Shen Jingchuan truly possessed the integrity of a scholar; he refused to spend a single tael of her money.

One was willing to spend a fortune for her, and the other was willing to give everything for him.

The tale of talented scholars and beautiful women is a favorite among storytellers, and this particular story spread like wildfire, making countless women in brothels envious.

Yan Wenbin himself was a person who loved poetry, wine, and romance, so he naturally didn't think there was anything frivolous about it; on the contrary, he admired it immensely.

"Oh, no need for formalities." He took Shen Jingchuan's hand affectionately. "To be honest, I feel ashamed to call you junior brother."

"You are now renowned throughout the land, a true genius. I am merely riding on my father's coattails, holding the empty title of senior brother."

Shen Jingchuan quickly shook his head.

"Senior brother is too modest," he said with a smile. "I have long admired your great talent, Yan Household has a long and distinguished tradition of learning. My meager skills are nowhere near yours."

The two were exchanging pleasantries, Yan Chongli each other, when Yan Chongli shook his head and put his teacup down on the table.

"Alright, that's enough." He glared at the two of them. "Stop bragging to each other and sit down properly."

Yan Wenbin and Shen Jingchuan exchanged a glance, smiled, and sat down as instructed.

Yan Wenbin glanced up unconsciously, staring blankly at the person in the main seat, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, before finally managing to utter a sentence after a long while.

"Father, what... what's wrong?"

Luckily, he was Yan Chongli's biological son and had seen what his father looked like when he was young; otherwise, he would have suspected that he had gone to the wrong house and recognized the wrong father.

Yan Chongli stroked his beard, laughed heartily, and looked calm.

"What's the panic?" He waved his hand. "It's a medicine Jingchuan found for me, it's good for your complexion. After taking it, I feel lighter and younger. You don't need to make a fuss."

He didn't mention the fifty-year extension of his lifespan, afraid of frightening his son.

Yan Wenbin slowly came to his senses, circled his father twice, and marveled at him.

"This... this effect is too amazing." He was both amused and exasperated. "From now on, I dare not walk with you when we go out."

Just then, a young maidservant tiptoed in and curtsied.

"Master, the banquet is almost ready. Shall we... begin?"

Yan Chongli waved his hand dismissively.

"Let the feast begin," he ordered. "Have everything brought out."

The banquet was set out, and more than a dozen steaming hot dishes were served one after another.

Yan Chongli sat in the main seat, with Yan Wenbin and Shen Jingchuan on either side. Yan Wenbin couldn't see his sister, which puzzled him.

"Father, why didn't my younger sister come?" He looked at Yan Chongli. "My junior brother isn't an outsider; he's one of us. It shouldn't be a problem to have her come out to join us and greet the guests, right?"

He simply took it as a matter of etiquette.

Yan Chongli straightened his face.

She can't come out.

Yan Wenbin was taken aback. "What's wrong?"

"I have already betrothed your younger sister to Jingchuan," Yan Chongli calmly. "With the marriage arranged, how can the two of them meet again, as she is an unmarried girl?"

Yan Wenbin, holding his wine glass, froze on the spot.

He usually admired romantic and talented men the most, and he would applaud their romantic escapades, wishing he could be the protagonist himself.

But when it came to his own sister, he felt a pang of unease, a bittersweet feeling.

His precious younger sister, whom he had grown up with, was getting married, and to such a notorious womanizer no less. As her older brother, he was a little taken aback.

But my sister will get married sooner or later. Marrying a renowned and talented man like Shen Jingchuan would not be a bad thing for her, considering both his talent and looks.

This kid... he's just like me, too much of a womanizer.

But since his father had already spoken, it was no longer his place to make the decision, no matter what.

He then thought again, having such a talented man as his brother-in-law would be a source of pride for him.

Fine, I guess I'll just have to accept it.

Yan Wenbin's expression kept changing, which Shen Jingchuan and Yan Chongli noticed. They assumed he was just reluctant to part with his sister, which is how older brothers are, and didn't think anything of it.

During the meal, Yan Chongli and his son mostly talked about poetry and literature.

This terrified Shen Jingchuan.

To be frank, all his poems were copied from the famous works of "predecessors" in his mind. When it comes to the intricacies of composition, meter, and lyric writing, he is not even a half-baked expert.