Old Rogue had shouted it without knowing the proper etiquette. As for Verdant Green Maiden, she was only there for the fun of it. It wasn't going on her tab anyway!
Pay up?
Not a chance!
In all her thousands of years, had Snake Girl ever given anyone such an expensive gift?
You should be thanking your lucky stars she hadn't taken yours!
Still, after Ten Thousand Greeting Money was announced, the Lü Family did treat Liu Ji and Verdant Green Maiden with great hospitality.
Verdant Green Maiden understood that the Lü Family wasn't doing this because they truly believed Liu Ji could pay the twenty thousand coins. Where would Old Rogue get that kind of money? They were after his status.
Sishui Pavilion Chief, local tyrant of Pei County!
He had connections on both sides of the law.
Liu Ji himself was worth far more to the Lü Family than a mere ten thousand coins.
During the feast, Verdant Green Maiden looked over the Lü Family's belongings.
Everything from gold vessels to pearls and kingfisher-feather jewelry was worth a fortune. Snake Girl stared so hard her eyes nearly popped out. In her life, she had never seen so many treasures outside a State Ruler's palace.
She leaned close to Liu Ji and whispered, "Liu Lao San, how about we team up and haul all this stuff home?"
At that, even Liu Ji looked at Verdant Green Maiden in surprise.
Then he lowered his voice and leaned closer.
"Verdant Green Maiden, when do we make our move? How about tonight? I'll call a few more brothers."
Verdant Green Maiden: "..."
"You're actually going to haul it away?"
Snake Girl had only been saying it for fun. Old Rogue really meant to do it!
Just then, Duke Lü walked over to them.
Verdant Green Maiden thought he'd overheard her and Liu Ji and had come to catch the snake. She was about to leave Liu Ji behind as a distraction and make her escape. Her hand was already on Liu Ji's shoulder when Duke Lü clasped his hands to them and said, "Would the two of you join me in the inner room for a chat?"
He wasn't here to catch the snake?
Verdant Green Maiden blinked, then saw Liu Ji accept.
As Duke Lü headed to the inner room, Liu Ji turned to her, glanced at the hand on his shoulder, and asked, "Verdant Green Maiden, you weren't about to shove me out there to take the fall, were you?"
Verdant Green Maiden withdrew her claws, clenched her fist, and gave a light cough. Shaking her head with an air of righteousness, she said, "Of course not! Do I look like that kind of snake?"
Seeing how serious she looked, Liu Ji chuckled and patted her shoulder.
"I knew it. How could Verdant Green Maiden be that sort of person? Come on, let's see what Duke Lü wants with us!"
Verdant Green Maiden: "..."
Only after Liu Ji stood up did Hong Luan quietly land on her shoulder and ask, "He saw through you, didn't he?"
"So what? As long as I'm not embarrassed, someone else is."
Verdant Green Maiden said calmly.
Hong Luan added, "Do you think Liu Lao San is the type to get embarrassed?"
He certainly wasn't!
Verdant Green Maiden pushed herself up from the table and followed Liu Ji into the inner room.
Inside, Duke Lü bowed deeply to Liu Ji and explained that he practiced face reading. He said Liu Ji's face was one in ten thousand—a face radiating unmatched nobility!
"Hey, that's exactly what you said back then, Verdant Green Maiden!"
Liu Ji was delighted. He jabbed Verdant Green Maiden with his elbow.
It was only because Verdant Green Maiden didn't care about such etiquette. Anyone else would have beaten Liu Ji up by now.
"Oh? You can read faces too, miss?"
Hearing Liu Ji's words, Duke Lü turned to Verdant Green Maiden with interest. "May I ask who taught you? My family's art of face reading was passed down from our ancestor, Jiang Tai Gong!"
Jiang Tai Gong?
She couldn't find the book's title. Maybe searching for the author would help—it might have been renamed!
Verdant Green Maiden remembered. There had indeed been a saying that the Lü Family was descended from one branch of the Jiang Qi Imperial Clan, scattered long ago.
She looked Duke Lü up and down and said, "Mine was too."
"Hmm?"
Duke Lü was taken aback.
What did she mean, hers was too?
While Duke Lü stood there baffled, Liu Ji smoothly picked up the conversation and steered it elsewhere.
Duke Lü didn't dwell on Verdant Green Maiden's words. He chatted with Liu Ji instead.
As they talked, Duke Lü was deeply won over by Liu Ji's eloquence. Combined with the supposed reading of his face, it was enough to make him insist on marrying his daughter to Liu Ji. Verdant Green Maiden, standing beside them, was dumbfounded.
Was it really this easy to arrange a marriage these days?
Verdant Green Maiden looked at Duke Lü and asked, "Aren't you going to think it over?"
Duke Lü smiled and shook his head. "There's no need. Liu Gong has such fine bearing. My daughter marrying him would be a happy match!"
"Well, this is..."
Verdant Green Maiden leaned back in stunned disbelief.
She looked at the grinning Duke Lü and Liu Lao San, her expression complicated.
Verdant Green Maiden had thought Lü Zhi would protest—or simply refuse—when she was told she'd be marrying Old Rogue. But when Duke Lü told her, she accepted at once!
"You're not going to refuse? Liu Lao San is so much older than you."
Verdant Green Maiden tilted her head at the quiet, well-behaved Lü Zhi.
Lü Zhi looked at her, smiled faintly, and shook her head. "I cannot refuse my parents' command. Besides, Liu Ji is Sishui Pavilion Chief, and my family needs his help. Since Father says his face speaks of immeasurable nobility, I see no harm in marrying him."
Verdant Green Maiden rested her chin in her hand and looked at Lü Zhi, clucking her tongue and shaking her head.
"Well, this is..."
Snake was at a loss for words.
The future Empress Lü was still a docile little lamb at this point.
On the way home, Liu Lao San wore a broad grin. He'd gone to mooch a meal and somehow mooched himself a wife!
It was a tremendous stroke of luck.
When Liu Tai Gong heard, he was even more impressed with Liu Ji!
Liu Ji and Lü Zhi's wedding ceremony was set for the following month. The Lü Family took care of all the preparations. Old Rogue had only brought a little dog meat as a gift and come home with a beautiful bride. It had happened so easily that Verdant Green Maiden was almost gnashing her teeth with envy. "Old Heaven really treats Old Rogue well."
Hong Luan tilted her head and asked, "Do you want to get married too?"
"Do I look like I have that kind of skill?"
Verdant Green Maiden rolled her eyes and clucked her tongue. "Sigh... Should we send them a wedding gift too?"
Hong Luan asked, "But what should we send?"
At Hong Luan's question, Verdant Green Maiden immediately began rummaging through her things. "Let me look. I remember I prepared something for that girl, Bao Si, back then..."
"That was several hundred years ago! Stupid Snake, where's your brain?"
Hong Luan teased.
Verdant Green Maiden paused, then blinked. "Oh, right."
Why had her memory been so bad lately?
Verdant Green Maiden shook her head, took a deep breath, and said, "Never mind! Let's go hunting in the fields and bring them back an ox."
Snake Girl's wedding gift was certainly generous. She managed to resist eating even a single bite of the whole ox.
The Lü Family's wedding procession set out beneath the evening sun.
Liu Tai Gong had also fixed up the house to welcome his new daughter-in-law.
The guests chatted and laughed in the courtyard. Lu Wan led a large group of brothers in organizing things, while Liu Ji beamed from ear to ear. Xiao He arrived with a jar of wine and a bolt of silk to offer his congratulations. He still couldn't help marveling at Old Rogue's luck—somehow, he'd even managed to bring home a wife.
"Of course! You know who I am!"
Liu Ji looked proud.
Surrounded by children, Lü Zhi arrived at the Liu Family's home.
But just then, a black-clad rider came racing down the street. The rider held the Black Xuan Water Banner high and shouted, "The Emperor has died! The whole realm mourns! All celebration is forbidden!"
Before you continue