The Grand Enterprise of Becoming a Live-in Son-in-Law

Only after quite a while did Xuanwu Earl calm down. "The Zhu Family's marriage proposal is extremely secretive. Even I didn't know about it. How did you know? Whose mouth did you hear it from?"

Yes, everyone present turned their eyes toward Shen Lang. How could someone of such humble status know something so secret? Shen Lang said, "The Xu Family daughter's new fiancé, Zhang Jin!"

"Zhang Jin?" Xuanwu Earl said. "The new commander of Xuanwu City's garrison?"

"Yes, him." Shen Lang said, "When I married into the Xu Family and Xu Qianqian threw me out, her new fiancé Zhang Jin said they needed to hold the wedding as soon as possible because the Zhu Family was going to propose marriage to your family. Zhu Hongxue wanted to marry Miss Jin MuLan. He took me for a fool and let it slip without guarding his words. Afterwards, he even told Xu Qianqian that she absolutely must not reveal it."

At that moment, a trusted aide of the Earl's Manor leaned close and whispered into the Earl's ear, evidently informing him of Shen Lang's background.

In Xuanwu City, Shen Lang was something of a celebrity.

When everyone else had been too afraid to marry into the Xu Family, Shen Lang had stepped forward. He had become famous throughout Xuanwu City at the time.

Everyone knew that some foolish good-for-nothing had become the Xu Family's live-in son-in-law. Every detail of Shen Lang's background had been dug up, including how he had studied for nearly ten years without even completing the Town School's elementary curriculum, and how there seemed to be something rather wrong with his intelligence.

"Just two days ago, the Xu Family publicly announced that their live-in son-in-law Shen Lang had stolen household property and molested a maid, and was therefore expelled from the Xu Family." The Earl's aide raised his voice slightly at the end, clearly doing so deliberately for Shen Lang to hear.

Upon hearing this, Xuanwu Earl furrowed his brow deeply.

Whether Shen Lang had stolen the Xu Family's wealth or molested their maid was hard to say. The Earl was inclined not to believe it.

But Shen Lang had studied for nearly ten years, failed even to finish the Town School's elementary education, and been sent straight home. There was no question that he was unlearned and unskilled. Such a young man was truly disappointing.

Moreover, in everyone's eyes, Shen Lang had only agreed to marry into the Xu Family because he coveted vanity and luxury. The Earl despised nothing more than young people who were lazy, gluttonous, and vain, so his impression of Shen Lang was exceedingly poor.

Under ordinary circumstances, he would certainly have given him a lecture. But there was no time for that now, because the information Shen Lang had brought was too important. It directly concerned the fate of the Earl's Manor.

Furthermore, he immediately judged that Shen Lang's words were basically true.

The Zhang Family was a newly risen noble house of the Yue Kingdom, and their backer was the Zhu Family.

Zhang Jin's father, Zhang Chong, had only just become Nujiang Prefecture Prefect, entirely because Tiannan Province Governor-General Zhu Rong had recommended him.

So it was not strange at all that Zhang Jin knew the Zhu Family's secret.

Xuanwu Earl Jin Zhuo had looked into Zhang Jin before. Even the powerful figures of Xuanwu City had been somewhat astonished—just how desperately short of money was the Zhang Family? The dignified son of a Prefect had actually married a wealthy merchant's daughter, and one who had previously taken in a live-in son-in-law at that.

Earl Jin Zhuo could understand it. The Zhang Family had risen too quickly, their foundations were unstable, and if they wanted to continue expanding, they needed vast sums of money. Yet all eyes were on the Zhang Family, making it difficult for them to embezzle silver. Finding an extremely wealthy in-law was therefore essential.

Thus, the marriage alliance between the Zhang Family and the Xu Family was a classic union of power and money.

"Immediately dispatch several teams to investigate every official road. The moment you find anyone from the Zhu Family, return and report at once." The Earl ordered, "The key now is to learn how far the Zhu Family's marriage envoys have come."

"Yes!" A trusted aide ran out. He would personally lead men to investigate the Zhu Family's whereabouts.

Then the Earl said to Shen Lang, "Young man, I do not think highly of you. But the matter you revealed is extremely important, and you have rendered great service. I will certainly reward you handsomely. Tell me what you want. So long as it does not violate the laws of the kingdom or moral principles, I can grant it all."

Shen Lang's favorable impression of the Earl rose once again.

This was what they called forthright. The matter had not even been verified, yet he was already offering a generous reward.

The Earl's meaning was already very clear. No matter how much money or land Shen Lang wanted, he only needed to name a number. And whatever trouble Shen Lang had, the Earl was willing to solve it for him.

In other words, the crisis posed to Shen Lang by the Xu Family, the Lin Family, and Tian Heng could be dissolved in an instant.

The Earl only needed to send someone to deliver a single message, and those three families would never dare touch a single hair on Shen Lang's head again.

But Shen Lang wanted far more than that.

Such an important bargaining chip would be far too cheap if it was only exchanged for lifting this crisis, only used to deal with the Xu Family and Tian Heng.

He wanted to use this opportunity to remain in the Earl's Manor, then find a way to get close to Jin MuLan, constantly show off, constantly make his presence felt, and finally marry... the Goddess.

Shen Lang swore that with his overflowing talent and handsome face, he could leave a deep impression on the Goddess in half a month at most.

"I wish to remain at the Earl's Manor and seek a position," Shen Lang said with a bow.

He did not mention that the Xu Family and Tian Heng wanted to murder him, because there was no need. As long as he remained at the Earl's Manor with a position, those two families would naturally not dare harm his family.

The Earl immediately frowned upon hearing this. He had already held a poor impression of Shen Lang. It was one thing for a young man to be lazy and refuse to study properly, but the crucial thing was that he had become the Xu Family's live-in son-in-law. That was vanity, and an enormous act of filial impiety.

Moreover, he felt that Shen Lang wanted to remain in the Earl's Manor with ulterior motives. In truth, the Earl's gaze was indeed sharp.

But since he had spoken the words, he would certainly agree.

And Shen Lang was still young. Even if he had bad habits, they could be corrected under the Earl's Manor's strict discipline.

The Earl said, "Since you wish to seek a position within the Earl's Manor, I can agree. And since you have earned merit by reporting this, I certainly will not make you a servant. But..."

The Earl's tone turned stern. "But you absolutely will not come to my Earl's Manor to enjoy comfort. Nor will we allow you to be lazy and gluttonous. Instead, you will be disciplined very strictly. Can you endure such hardship?"

Hardship?! Forget it. What Shen Lang least wanted in this life was hardship and toil.

But for the Goddess, he could endure a few days of hardship for now. Only a few days, of course. Any more than that would be unbearable.

"Yes!" Shen Lang naturally agreed at once.

Then the Earl stepped forward, squeezed Shen Lang's shoulder, and shook his head. "Your physical condition is too poor, and you are too old to practice martial arts. At your age, studying properly is the only path to a future. From now on, you will study alongside the Young Lord. Your parents indulged you, but my Earl's Manor will not. We will certainly polish you into worthy material."

Shen Lang could not help but freeze. Wasn't this the high-class study companion servant from Flirting Scholar? "All right. Your body is injured, after all, so go rest first. Tomorrow, you will study alongside the Young Lord. I will send someone to inform your parents, then deliver a sum of gold coins to them." The Earl said, "Whatever trouble you have, I will resolve it all as well."

Look at that. This was how magnanimous important people were.

"Yes, Earl," Shen Lang said.

The Earl's Wife said, "Jin Zhong, take Shen Lang to the manor's tailor to have him measured and make him several new outfits."

"Yes," the old servant replied.

Warmth rose in Shen Lang's heart once more. The Earl and his wife truly were good people.

"Earl, Madam, Miss, I shall take my leave first," Shen Lang said with a bow, then withdrew.

However, before he could reach the door, someone rushed inside. It was the Earl's trusted aide, the very man who had just been about to lead men onto the official roads to investigate how far the Zhu Family had come. Not even a quarter of an hour had passed, yet he had already returned in a hurry.

"Master, disaster!" The aide knelt and said, "A carrier pigeon message has just arrived from our spy in Nujiang Prefecture. A major figure of the Zhu Family arrived in Nujiang City last night, and his destination is our Xuanwu Earl's Manor!"

"What?" the Earl cried out.

"What?" Shen Lang cried inwardly.

This was fatal!

He had successfully carried out the first step: remaining in the Earl's Manor.

Over the next few days, he had planned to carry out the second step—constantly show off, constantly make his presence felt.

Only then would come the third step: finding a way to marry into the Earl's Manor.

That was right, marry in.

Because the current situation was simple: Jin MuLan could absolutely never marry out.

But a major figure of the Zhu Family had actually already arrived in Nujiang City. He would reach Xuanwu Earl's Manor tonight to propose marriage to Jin MuLan, which meant there was no time at all.

What constant displays? What constantly making his presence felt? There simply was not enough time.

Damn it, they would not even give me half a month. They would not give me three days, not even one day! In other words, Jin MuLan would be married today, and Shen Lang had at most two or three hours left! Otherwise, his Goddess would belong to someone else, and his glory and wealth would fly away.

No, the Goddess is mine!...