MuLan Chooses a Husband

Shen Lang's mind spun at lightning speed, countless plans flashing through it.

At that moment, the gate ahead slammed shut, leaving him outside.

That was normal. The Earl was about to discuss confidential matters. Shen Lang was, after all, merely an outsider and could not possibly be allowed to take part.

"Who has come from the Zhu Family?" the Earl asked.

"Great General Who Pacifies the South Zhu Lin, younger brother of Governor-General Zhu Rong," the confidant replied, handing over a secret letter delivered by carrier pigeon from Nujiang City.

The Earl read it once, and his face turned ashen.

Great General Zhu Lin himself? This was exceedingly bad.

It meant the Zhu Family was determined to get what it wanted! A marriage proposal could have been made openly and aboveboard, yet General Zhu Lin had rushed here in secret. Clearly, he wanted to catch the Earl's Manor off guard and leave the Jin Clan no chance to refuse.

Zhu Hongxue's proposal to Jin MuLan was no ordinary political marriage. It was meant to carry out the New Policy.

What was most important in seizing Xuanwu Earl's Manor's fief and military authority? Making the Earl's Manor lose the general commanding its troops. The Earl's Manor's Young Lord was a useless fool with no prospects, utterly incapable of preserving the family estate.

Once Jin MuLan married Zhu Hongxue, it would be like tearing out one of the Earl's Manor's supporting pillars and indirectly stripping it of military authority.

The Earl's Wife asked in a trembling voice, "Husband, can we refuse?"

The Earl shook his head. "No. The Zhu Family is a colossal force. Rejecting them publicly would be the same as openly turning against them. Besides, the Monarch may also be behind this proposal."

Jin MuLan said, "Your daughter will never marry out. I must remain at home to assist my Younger Brother and protect the Jin Family's century-old foundation. Whoever wishes to take it away will have to step over my corpse."

The Earl breathed heavily, his brows tightly furrowed as he paced anxiously around the room.

Jin MuLan said, "Father, your daughter can ruin her own face."

Then she directly drew a dagger. At a single command from the Earl, she would slash her stunningly beautiful face to pieces.

"No!" Xuanwu Earl said resolutely. "It is true that I wish to protect the family's century-old foundation, but before that, I must protect my daughter from harm. And even if you ruined your face, the Zhu Family would still propose marriage, unless..."

Jin MuLan said, "Unless your daughter marries today, brings a Live-in Son-in-Law into the family, and completes the wedding rites before Great General Zhu Lin arrives. Then it will become an established fact, forcing him to retreat in the face of difficulty and leaving him unable to propose to me!"

That was right. This was already the only way. Even an engagement would not do, because there was no such thing as an engagement when taking in a son-in-law.

Great General Zhu Lin was less than two hundred li from Xuanwu Earl's Manor. He could arrive tonight.

Even if they were taking in a Live-in Son-in-Law, Xuanwu Earl had originally intended to choose carefully.

To marry tonight meant wedding invitations had to be sent out before noon. Within two hours, they had to decide on the son-in-law candidate.

Looking at his beautiful yet strong daughter, Xuanwu Earl's heart softened. "MuLan, the Zhu Family is blazing like the midday sun, and Zhu Hongxue has a future bright as brocade. He is an excellent Husband. I cannot sacrifice your happiness for the family's interests. Why not consider it again?"

Lady MuLan of the Earl's Manor said, "Father, being able to devote myself to the family is my greatest happiness. After you are gone, Younger Brother will certainly be unable to protect the foundation left by our ancestors. I will never marry out."

The Earl was instantly filled with boundless heartache and emotion. Then he picked up brush and ink and wrote five names on a sheet of white paper.

All five were outstanding young men, and the finest candidates for a Live-in Son-in-Law in the Earl's mind.

The Earl dearly loved his daughter. He had begun looking for a Husband for her three years ago. But taking a man into the family was difficult to bring up, and more importantly, Jin MuLan had always refused.

But time was now pressing, and a decision had to be made quickly.

The first name among the five candidates was Wang Lian.

A young talent who had passed the provincial examination at eighteen, he was now the Chief Registrar of Xuanwu City and a distant relative of the Earl's Manor.

The second name was Mo Ye, a martial arts prodigy from Xuanwu City. He had passed the Martial Examination at sixteen and was currently training diligently for the Martial Scholar examination.

These two were both young men with limitless futures. The remaining three were young talents from within the Earl's Manor itself, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Raised by the Jin Clan from childhood, their loyalty to the Earl's Manor was beyond doubt.

All five admired Jin MuLan beyond measure and dreamed of her day and night.

More accurately, every young man within several hundred li regarded Jin MuLan as the woman of his dreams.

"Jin Zhong, send people to find these five men and bring them to the manor as quickly as possible. Let MuLan choose," the Earl said, handing the list to his loyal servant.

The Earl already felt deeply sorry for his daughter. Thus, he had only selected five candidates, while leaving the final decision to MuLan.

"Yes!" Jin Zhong took the list, tucked it into his robes, walked outside, and dispatched more than a dozen riders to find them.

The Earl said, "MuLan, though time is short, Father will surely find the finest candidate for you and ensure you happiness for life. These five young men are all exceptional. Choose one carefully."

Just then, Shen Lang walked in and said, "Earl, Lady MuLan, may I join the competition? I want to marry you too!"

The moment those words came out, everyone present froze. For a while, none of them reacted. It had truly caught them completely off guard.

Then even Xuanwu Earl, with all his fine cultivation, could no longer restrain himself. He nearly exploded on the spot.

It was not only the Earl. Especially the others present, the way they looked at Shen Lang made it seem as if they wished to tear him into ten thousand pieces.

You? You wanted to marry the Earl's Manor's young lady?

Your looks were certainly good enough, but with a face like yours, you were suited to being a male courtesan, not indulging in such wild fantasies.

What family background did you have? You were merely a peasant so poor you lived in a thatched hut.

Of course, no one could choose their birth. If you were outstanding enough, the Earl might not be unable to consider you. After all, finding a son-in-law willing to enter the family who also came from a wealthy clan was difficult.

But Shen Lang, why not piss and look at yourself? You had studied for ten years and could not even graduate from Town School, getting expelled outright.

In terms of later Earth, that was like specializing in studying yet still failing to finish elementary school at eighteen.

Born into a poor farming family, yet unable to carry on your shoulders or lift with your hands, gluttonous and lazy—a complete piece of trash.

Everyone in Xuanwu City knew that Shen Lang had something wrong with his head and low intelligence.

Compared to the five candidates listed by the Earl, Shen Lang was worth less than a single coin.

Those five young talents were either overflowing with literary brilliance or peerless in martial arts. Shen Lang, on the other hand, was utterly good for nothing.

Most unbearable of all, Shen Lang had abandoned his parents for wealth and status to become the Xu Family's Live-in Son-in-Law. Now that the Xu Family had thrown him out and Xu Qianqian had cast him aside, he still wanted to marry the Earl's Manor's precious daughter? What did he take the Earl's Manor for?

How many times nobler was Xuanwu Earl's daughter than Xu Qianqian? Even when selecting a Live-in Son-in-Law, they had to choose from a thousand and pick from ten thousand. You truly were a toad dreaming of eating swan flesh!

The Earl's Wife stepped forward and vigorously rubbed her Husband's back, saying softly, "Husband, do not be angry. Everyone says this Shen Lang is mentally impaired, and he is still a child. Why lower ourselves to his level?"

Xuanwu Earl let out a long breath.

That was right. He was someone sick in the head, and still a child at that. Why should a dignified Earl quarrel with him? "Men, send this wastrel home first. Also give him ten gold coins. Remember to hand them to his parents, not to him," the Earl said. "Tomorrow, send someone to bring him to the manor to study and discipline him properly."

"Yes!" Two warriors stepped forward, seized Shen Lang by the arms, and forcibly dragged him outside.

Shen Lang said, "Lady MuLan, believe me, I am far more suitable than those five. As your Husband, I will not disappoint you. Do I not even have the right to compete?"

Jin MuLan looked at Shen Lang for a long while before saying, "I remember now. Three years ago, when I went hunting, I accidentally struck you with my horse as well. You are Second Fool..."

Hey! Goddess, that was far too blunt and hurtful!

That was right. No one in Shen Lang's village called him by name. They all called him Second Fool, because there was also a Big Fool in the village. He had been Shen Lang's only friend back then.

After Jin MuLan's warhorse accidentally injured Shen Lang, she immediately carried him up and asked the villagers what his name was and where his home was. They answered that he was Second Fool.

Upon hearing the words "Second Fool," the Earl's face twitched despite himself.

Shen Lang said, "Lady MuLan, I want to marry you too. I certainly will not let you down."

Jin MuLan's gaze upon Shen Lang was filled with gentleness.

There was even a trace of tenderness in it.

Three years ago, after hearing Shen Lang's story and learning that he had low intelligence, she had felt great sympathy for him. She had visited him several times and sent the best doctors to treat him.

In short, Jin MuLan looked at him as though looking at a child. Back then, Shen Lang's low intelligence truly had made him little different from one. MuLan was disappointed by the scheming and deception of the adult world, yet kind toward the innocence of children.

Thus, Jin MuLan looked at Shen Lang and said, "All right. I will add you to the list. You may compete fairly as well."

Others looked down on Shen Lang, but she did not.

The Earl was about to speak and stop her, but Jin MuLan smiled. "Father, what are you worried about?"

The Earl gave a bitter laugh. Yes, what was he worrying about?

MuLan was merely kindhearted and sympathetic, which was why she had included Shen Lang among the candidates. She could not possibly choose him anyway, so why borrow trouble before it arrived and get angry over nothing?

"Men, take Shen Lang to the sixth study!" the Earl ordered.

One hour later!

The other five young talents were brought to Xuanwu Earl's Manor and separately placed in five studies. Shen Lang was in the sixth study.

They did not meet one another and did not know who the others were.

Jin MuLan would personally choose, examining them from behind a screen.

Time was pressing. The candidate had to be decided before noon, and the wedding would take place that evening. At most, they had one hour to select one of the six men as Jin MuLan's Husband.

MuLan entered the study. The Earl's Manor's husband selection had officially begun!...