Lan Ruoting Had Harmed Me

He was on the verge of losing his temper. This was truly a case of "if this could be endured, what could not?"—the anger was showing signs of boiling over.

Normally, an accompanying Daoist priest could be considered a subordinate. Though this particular accompanying Daoist priest was somewhat different, and his limited personal strength meant there was no way to restrain him or impose any real control, the official relationship still existed on the surface. Had anyone ever seen a subordinate like this? He had actually dared to help his lord arrange a marriage without permission. Such a major matter, and he had not even given his lord a word of warning—what difference was there between that and selling his lord out?

The personal guard finally understood. So the Prince really had not known about this!

Lan Ruoting stroked his beard and fell silent for a moment, then waved for the guard to withdraw before slowly saying, "Your Highness, please calm down. This is probably connected to borrowing troops."

Shang Shuqing nodded slightly as well. "Brother, what Sir said makes sense. Marriage and borrowing troops aren't mutually exclusive; marriage might even help. Do you remember that before he left, he said he might have to make you suffer some grievance? Perhaps this is what he meant!"

Shang Chaozong struggled to calm himself, and the anger on his face gradually subsided. Once he had regained a little reason, he said heavily, "Feng Ruonan is one of Feng Lingbo's main commanders. How could she be married off so easily, much less to me? You want to marry someone's daughter while borrowing that person's troops—do you think that's possible?"

The two of them also found the matter strange. Marry someone's daughter in order to borrow troops? Feng Lingbo was not a fool. Besides, given Shang Chaozong's current circumstances, how could Feng Lingbo possibly marry his daughter to him? One impossibility piled atop another—this was absolutely impossible. The whole affair left them utterly baffled.

Shang Shuqing pondered. "By rights, Feng Lingbo would never marry his daughter to you. But judging from the people who came from both sides, even the Feng Family's steward came in person. It seems it really might be possible."

If it had been impossible, that would have been one thing. What Shang Chaozong feared was that it might actually be possible. Was this some kind of joke? He gritted his teeth. "Have either of you seen Feng Ruonan? I heard this woman is even more robust than a man. I wonder whether that's true."

The corner of Lan Ruoting's mouth twitched awkwardly. Shang Shuqing asked in her soft, gentle voice, "Brother, is appearance really that important?"

"..." Shang Chaozong froze, then hurriedly explained, "That's not what I meant. I just think Feng Lingbo can't possibly agree." His heart filled with self-reproach. He blamed himself for saying something that had made him forget his sister's feelings. After all, his sister's appearance...

No matter how much they guessed, they could not figure out the truth. The group immediately decided to go to the commandery city and get a clear answer in person.

The troops assembled. After paying their respects and bidding farewell before the new grave, they left the mountains with Shou Nian and the others, reached the official road, and thundered away.

All along the way, Shang Chaozong was utterly melancholy. In truth, he did not care about Feng Ruonan's appearance. Of course, if he really were to marry, who would not want a pretty, delicate wife? The key was that he knew his own situation. At his current juncture, he no longer had the right to pick and choose. So long as he could lead everyone onward, give them a way to survive, and win them a future, his personal gains and losses no longer mattered. He had long since abandoned any hope of romantic affection.

Once his anger had passed and he had calmed down to think, he instead began hoping that Niu Youdao would live up to his expectations. So long as the matter succeeded, he would accept even marrying a shrew!

Amid the rumbling hoofbeats, Shang Shuqing, her figure rising and falling on horseback, would occasionally turn her head to look at her melancholy brother.

She understood as well that if Feng Ruonan really was as the rumors described, then considering her brother's background, he would indeed be suffering a grievance. Yet she did not advise him, comfort him, or express sympathy, because she knew perfectly well that by reaching this point, the two siblings had no extra choices left. Their situation was no longer merely a matter concerning the two of them. The people following them had entrusted their lives and fortunes to the siblings. They were not an ordinary family of commoners; personal honor and disgrace no longer mattered. Let alone her brother marrying Feng Ruonan—even if Feng Lingbo wanted to take her as a concubine, she would grit her teeth and accept it. Unfortunately, her Ghost Face could ward off evil spirits, and lifting her veil could scare people half to death. She doubted any man would ever take a fancy to her!

Shou Nian, who was escorting them, occasionally glanced back. Around twenty monks followed behind the group, all changed into plain clothes and wearing felt hats to conceal their shaved heads. Each carried large and small bundles of scriptures on his back. He could not help wondering why Shang Chaozong had brought this group of monks along.

After a long journey, they met halfway with the five hundred armored cavalry sent by Guangyi Commandery to receive them. The two sides joined into an even larger cavalry force.

Shou Nian also noticed that, from time to time along the way, scattered subordinates of Shang Chaozong emerged from the mountain forests on either side and joined them.

The group's progress was clearly no match for the nonstop relay of horses and galloping speed Shou Nian had enjoyed on his way there.

It was already late. The Prefect's Mansion had just lit its lamps when a fast report arrived, announcing that Shang Chaozong's party would not reach the commandery city for another two hours or so. Niu Youdao decided to go to the city gates in advance to receive them. Some matters were better explained to Shang Chaozong and the others outside the Prefect's Mansion. If Shang Chaozong stubbornly refused to comply, he would have to find a way to escape. Escaping from the Prefect's Mansion, where experts abounded, would not be easy.

On this side, someone was sent to seek Feng Lingbo's permission. It was only proper for an accompanying Daoist priest to welcome his own lord, and Feng Lingbo did not stop him.

With permission granted, Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang had just left the guest courtyard when several people blocked their path. Taking a closer look, Niu Youdao saw that it was Peng Yulan leading a few others.

"Greetings, Madam!" Niu Youdao greeted her with a broad grin.

"If your eyes aren't failing you, take a look for yourself." Peng Yulan casually produced a sheet of paper and had someone beside her pass it to Niu Youdao.

Niu Youdao took it and glanced at it under the lamplight. He immediately broke into a cold sweat. Wasn't this the wager he had made with Feng Ruonan? It even bore the signatures of himself, Feng Ruonan, and Yuan Gang. He had a copy of the wager too. Without thinking, he knew that Feng Ruonan must have told her mother everything. He had hoped Feng Ruonan would care about her reputation and be too embarrassed to tell anyone. Who would have thought that big woman truly did not fear losing face!

Yuan Gang glanced at the writing and recognized it as well.

Niu Youdao said cheerfully, "Your daughter is really mischievous!"

He casually tried to pocket the wager, but Peng Yulan crooked a finger. Niu Youdao could only obediently hand it back. Trying anything forceful in front of her would probably earn him a beating he could not withstand. A wise man did not fight when the odds were against him!

Peng Yulan waved the wager and asked coldly, "I've seen shameless people before, but never anyone as shameless as you two. You actually managed to do something this utterly disgraceful!"

After learning the truth from her daughter, she had been stunned. He had actually borrowed her daughter's money—no, he had tricked her daughter out of money—to buy betrothal gifts and propose marriage to her daughter. The whole thing was so convoluted it was hard to say aloud, yet someone had actually managed to do it. How could a person be this shameless? Feng Ruonan herself was so humiliated and furious that she had wanted to smash her head against a wall and die. But her great revenge remained unavenged. Wouldn't dying be letting that despicable thief off too easily?

Feng Lingbo had learned about the matter afterward as well and told Peng Yulan to let it go. Compared to what had to be done for the marriage alliance, this small sum of money was nothing; men tended to be broad-minded about such things. But Peng Yulan could not swallow this grievance. Her daughter was already being wronged enough—how could she let her daughter be married off like this? She had to seek justice for her daughter.

Niu Youdao sighed. "Madam, I truly had no choice. You must have heard about the Prince's current circumstances. He really is short of funds—yes, short of funds—and it wouldn't do to propose marriage empty-handed. Mr. Lan had no choice but to resort to this underhanded tactic!" Feng Lingbo had previously asked whether this had been Lan Ruoting's scheme. This was the advantage of keeping a low profile and not taking credit; he could now dump all the responsibility on Lan Ruoting in one stroke.

Peng Yulan's face turned cold. "I don't care whether he's Mr. Lan or Mr. Purple. I'll find whoever signed the wager. These hundred thousand gold coins, and his..." She lifted her chin toward Yuan Gang. "When are you going to pay me?"

If it were only a matter of money, Niu Youdao could still push it onto Shang Chaozong. But there was no way he could agree to involve Yuan Gang. He had no choice but to be shameless one more time. His face immediately hardened. "Madam, if you put it that way, you're being unreasonable."

"Oh?" Peng Yulan gave a cold laugh and shook the wager in her hand. "I'm being unreasonable? Are you saying the black-and-white words on this paper are false?"

Niu Youdao waved his hand, his face solemn. "It isn't false, but here's the problem: if we go strictly by the wager, I haven't lost. Who can say I couldn't repay the money within an hour? The key issue is that the hour wasn't up when I was captured and brought to the Prefect's Mansion. If your daughter joined forces with the Prefect's Mansion to make this wager, then of course she could only win and never lose. But wherever you put it, that simply doesn't stand up to reason. Isn't that bullying?"

He had originally prepared those words for arguing with Feng Ruonan, but unexpectedly ended up using them against Feng Ruonan's mother.

"..." Peng Yulan was rendered speechless. After turning it over in her mind, she realized that he did indeed have a point. But then she thought again and saw the trap clearly. Her anger instantly turned into laughter. "Fine, let's set the wager aside. What about the ten thousand gold coins? Are you planning not to repay those either?"

Niu Youdao nodded repeatedly. "How could I not repay them? I'll repay them, certainly!"

Peng Yulan shouted, "When?"

Niu Youdao answered decisively, "Once the Prince returns, I'll have the Prince repay you immediately!" He certainly was not going to carry this debt himself.

"Good! I'll be waiting. Try breaking your word and not repaying it!" Peng Yulan threw down the threat and turned to leave. She was certain they could not afford to repay it at present. If they could produce the money, they would never have resorted to such a despicable scheme. She planned to use this to properly shame Lan Ruoting, the one who had come up with the rotten idea. Whether they repaid the money immediately or asked for more time and repaid it according to the wager, they could choose! With her keeping watch, she guaranteed that no one in Guangyi Commandery would dare lend money to Shang Chaozong. She had made up her mind to stand up for her daughter. If she did not vent this anger, she would choke on it. They had bullied her daughter far too much!

After she left, Bai Yao, who carried a sword in his arms, remained behind. He tilted his head slightly and gestured. "I heard you're going to receive the Prince. The Prefect ordered me to accompany you." It was partly to protect them from the Song Family's assassination attempts and partly to keep watch. There was no helping it: this fellow was Dongguo Haoran's disciple and might be useful in locating the hundred thousand Crow Generals.

Niu Youdao saw the contempt in his eyes and gave an embarrassed laugh. "I really am a poor man with no ambition. I'm sorry to have amused you, Senior."

Bai Yao said indifferently, "It was indeed a bit shameless."

"Alas! Lan Ruoting harmed me!" Niu Youdao shook his head with a bitter smile, extended a hand in invitation, and the group departed.