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Why did he purposely ignore her? Was he displeased that she spoke up for the vast sisterhood of women? She had merely spoken the truth. Women inevitably suffered a great deal because of these worthless men. Every single one of these fellows studying at Dongxu Mansion, and those outside taking the imperial examinations, surely carried several unpayable debts of romantic karma on their backs: infatuated young sweethearts waiting at home, young maidens in the pleasure houses waiting to redeem themselves, and whatever else—three wives and four concubines...

Unable to bear his inscrutable contemplation, she blinked uneasily and simply took the initiative to ask, "Do you think... is this answer correct?"

"Are you fond of cutting the sleeve?" That was why he lacked any manly vigor, reeking heavily of rouge and powder, devoid of masculinity like a sissy? The person was like that, and so was the poem—the verses lacked ambition and backbone; they were neither loyal to the ruler and patriotic toward the country, nor imbued with a chivalrous spirit reaching to the clouds. Instead, they were lingering with affection, as tender as water, like a charming woman sighing mournfully.

"...Ah?"

What, what? What kind of evaluation was this from an examiner? Did she hear him wrong?

"This humble scholar's answer..."

She wanted to pull the topic back to the right path, but the examiner, already overtaken by wicked thoughts, refused to let her have her way. "Since that's the case, how about trying it out with me."

"...Huh?!" Her pupils suddenly dilated.

Try it out with him? Try out... what? What could a man... and a man try out together? Her mind certainly held no improper, unspeakable deeds that could be done between a man and another man.

"Try out liking me."

"... " Hey now, my good man, what did that tone of yours—like asking "Do you want to buy this puppy to take home and raise"—even mean?

Zhu Bafu's face turned ashen. Facing the examiner who was abusing his power to solve his own romantic problems, she swallowed hard with difficulty.

How should she politely decline the examiner adult's invitation? Should she say straight out that she had no interest in men? Was she blind? If she had no interest in men, did that mean she was going to marry a woman and spend her life with her in the future? Then should she say she had no interest in him? That would be even blinder! Don't take her for someone ignorant of how corrupt the official circles were and how dark the examination grounds were. A thing like him who used his official position to coerce a candidate, saying things like "Try out liking me," clearly had a subtext warning her, a pretty boy.

"Hmph, if you know what's good for you, submit to this lord and be his male favorite and kept captive. Otherwise, hehehe, don't even think about setting foot in an official career for the rest of your life."

Sweat poured like rain; she was anxious and conflicted. It was all her fault for showing off for no reason and chanting a love poem to him. Now look at what she had done—the man had gotten the wrong idea.

"My lord, you, I, we..."

Seeing her troubled expression, Li Chenjing raised an eyebrow. "What? Is it that hard to like me? Or... do you hate me? Am I really that unappealing to you?"

"No, no, no! My lord is as lovely as a flower, peerlessly handsome, and outshines all the flowers—it's this humble scholar, this humble scholar who is unworthy of you!" Flattery never fails, no matter how much you lay it on. Cut the idle chatter and lay it on first.

"Unworthy?" He sneered. "That is my most hated excuse in this life."

"Ah?" Did she stroke the horse's hoof the wrong way?

"Unworthy of me? Then who do you want to be worthy of?"

"...I, I... at the very least, it ought to be a female."

"What are you muttering about? Speak up."

"This humble scholar is saying that this humble scholar's family has been an only son for three generations, and they are still waiting for this humble scholar to continue the incense and bloodline for the Zhu Household. Therefore, please be clear-eyed, my lord, and let this humble scholar go back to find a wife." Xiaojiu truly was the only twig left on the family tree, so saying this wasn't really lying, was it?

"Progeny?" Regarding her thorough consideration, Li Chenjing turned a deaf ear and merely cast a sidelong, ambiguous glance at the Imperial Guard standing watch outside the door, then suddenly lowered his voice to make a promise. "I have no intention of stopping you from propagating your lineage, nor do I plan to do anything out of bounds to you. Marriage is up to you, as long as you are willing to try it out with me." As long as he obediently listened and put on a good show with him for that fellow to see, that would suffice.

Ah? Did he take her for a three-year-old toddler? What the hell use was a flimsy guarantee like that? Generally speaking, when a man promised a woman, "I'll just hug you and absolutely won't do anything extra," he was already stripping off clothes and tugging at waistbands in his heart!

Still, a man and a man... how were they supposed to go out of bounds? She had only perused springtime picture manuals of men and women; if it was men and men, wouldn't the taste be a bit too heavy?

Shaking her head to clear it, what on earth was she thinking? She was a dyed-in-the-wool woman; why should she care how men did it with men?

Her cheeks burned hotly, and she cautiously raised her head to steal a glance at Li Chenjing upon the dais. Unlike her own unease, he sipped his tea leisurely and self-contentedly, as if what he had just said was merely the simplest of examination questions.

This was too bizarre. She had no choice but to ask, "Wh—why did Lord Li suddenly take an interest in me..."

"You sent me a love letter. I want to try out what it feels like to be liked."

Why did he say it in such a pitiful way, as if no one had ever liked him before? Wasn't he involved with that courtesan sister...

"Ev—even if that's the case, there's no need to find a man..."

"Women are too trouble-prone." Creatures who spoke of romance one second, only to turn around and resent fate, curse the heavens, and weep bitterly while recounting how bitter, difficult, and impossible it was to stay together with you—he had no desire to fathom them.

Zhu Bafu stared in wide-eyed shock. What kind of logic was this? Women were too much trouble, so he was going to find a man to resolve it instead?

"If you are unwilling, then forget it. Be on your way." Seeing her endlessly conflicted, he did not press her too hard. With a flick of his sleeve, he prepared to dismiss her.

"Wait!" Zhu Bafu stretched out her neck. "If I... if I don't agree to you, am I going to be harmonized out of personal spite by you?" That was what she truly worried about. Lacking fame and an official career was a minor matter; lacking silver to support a family was a major one!

He raised his brows with official stiffness, noncommittally taking a sip of tea before languidly tossing out a playful reply. "You can... try it out?"

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Historical Romance

Woman Dressed as a Man