[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou":3,"chapter-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-103":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ink Saint of Great Zhou",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2292066,4481,"Chapter 103: The Gao Family","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-103",103,"\u003Cp>Through conversation, Lu Fang learned that the maid’s name was Xue’er, a servant to the Gao family’s eldest daughter, and that she had brought him into the Gao household to make him a son-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang had originally planned to flee immediately, but then he paused to wonder—was there some hidden reason behind this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, which family’s daughter would randomly drag in a stranger and demand he become a son-in-law?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no need to rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang could leave anytime he wished; he decided to hear out the Gao daughter’s reasons first—there was no harm in waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a thorough washing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue’er combed Lu Fang’s long hair and said, “You look like a frail scholar, yet your physique is so robust—my mistress will surely be pleased with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang probed a few questions, but Xue’er knew nothing—she only said he could ask the mistress when the time came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he stopped asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being properly dressed, Xue’er left, and Lu Fang sat alone in the room, waiting from noon until afternoon, then from afternoon until night, before a maid finally came to summon him to meet the Gao daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gao family’s rear courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a spacious boudoir, sandalwood incense drifted slowly from the censer, filling the room with fragrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mistress, the man has been brought.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maid bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the window sat a woman in her early twenties, bent over stacks of ledgers, her black hair tied with a green ribbon; when she looked up, her delicate face took one’s breath away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang couldn’t understand how a woman like this would suddenly seek out a destitute scholar and demand he become a son-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she merely spoke a word, surely many would rush to marry her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao sized up Lu Fang, nodded slightly, and said, “Let’s cut to the chase: if you become a son-in-law of the Gao family, I’ll ensure you never lack silver for the rest of your life—but we will not have marital relations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nor may you take concubines outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However, if you behave properly, after three years, I’ll give you Xue’er as a concubine to carry on your family line.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang frowned and said, “Why must it be this way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to know.” Gao Youyao resumed flipping through her ledgers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang smiled faintly. “That won’t do—I must know why. Otherwise, how can I tell if becoming your son-in-law will put me in danger?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Gao Youyao frown, Xue’er hurried to say, “Master Fang, it’s like this: Master Gao has only one daughter, and recently he fell gravely ill—he wants her to marry immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Choosing a controllable destitute scholar as a son-in-law was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue’er sighed. “The haste is to block Zheng’s son from marrying our mistress—he’s a idle playboy who only wants to seize the Gao family’s fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because of his rumors, no one in town dares to become a Gao son-in-law anymore—we’ve had to burden Master Fang with this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s the case?” Lu Fang raised an eyebrow. “Who is this Zheng official?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue’er replied, “He’s the county magistrate. The Zheng family has held high office here for three generations—they hold immense power. But don’t worry, as long as you don’t wander around, you’ll be safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang frowned. “This place is so close to the capital—how can a mere county magistrate act so tyrannically?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How bold of you to call him a mere county magistrate?” Gao Youyao said coldly. “In Beicheng, Master Zheng is a father and mother to the people. You think you can go to the capital to file a complaint? He has connections there too—what would you have me do? What can I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang fell silent for a moment, then chuckled bitterly. “So becoming a Gao son-in-law is even more dangerous than I imagined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue’er quickly added, “Mistress’s master is a sixth-rank martial cultivator—he’ll arrive in Beicheng soon. Then, Master Zheng won’t dare overstep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao shook her head. “Xue’er, you’ve spoken too much today. If he’s afraid of danger and refuses, then let him go. I see he’s just another arrogant scholar with no humility—otherwise, how could he have fallen so low?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue’er blushed and said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang nodded. “I never said I refused. I’m nearly starving to death. Even if it’s dangerous, I’ll become your son-in-law.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to see just how tyrannical this county magistrate was, right under the Son of Heaven’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, this Gao son-in-law role was only nominal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm. You’ve agreed—I still need to consider. Someone, take Master Fang away and treat him well. But rest assured, even if I don’t choose you, I’ll give you silver as compensation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao waved her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the maid led Lu Fang out, Gao Youyao stared silently at Xue’er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue’er pouted. “Mistress, why are you looking at me like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao rolled her eyes. “You little minx—have you taken a fancy to this Fang Lu? What’s so appealing about him? Destitute, arrogant, and his looks are merely average.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue’er squirmed and swayed her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mistress, Master Fang isn’t as bad as you think—he’s a true gentleman. There’s something about him—he makes you feel at ease just being near him. I can tell he’s no bad man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then it’s him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She and Xue’er had grown up together, like sisters; this search for a son-in-law was really about finding Xue’er a husband.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, she cared about Xue’er’s opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Gao Youyao didn’t dislike Lu Fang—she just thought he had no sense of reality. He was destitute yet still carried himself with scholarly pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, that was fine—at least his character was sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang was reading records about Beicheng when Xue’er knocked and entered. “Master Fang, Mistress’s master has arrived. She asks you to come with her to see Master Gao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.” Lu Fang rose and followed her toward the rear courtyard. On the way, he asked, “What illness does Master Gao have? Is it serious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue’er sighed. “My master…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Xue’er’s brief account, Lu Fang learned that Master Gao had once been a Confucian scholar, one of righteous spirit, though only at the ninth-rank level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, Master Gao had been in good health, but three months ago, he suddenly fell ill, growing weaker day by day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he often slipped into unconsciousness, rarely regaining full clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Gao Youyao’s master, he was a former friend of Master Gao named Wu Feng, whom she had studied under since childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they arrived at a courtyard, where Gao Youyao was conversing with a man in his forties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Fang sensed the man was a sixth-rank martial cultivator—he guessed this must be Wu Feng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Youyao gestured politely. “Master, you’ve traveled far and seen much—please examine my father. Could this strange illness be poisoning? It came on so suddenly.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1146,"2026-06-20T03:56:21.568Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ad0f72d7f0da9c6184bfd1cd43cea63f62107a6688750d62becc68c1e7994aa6","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-104","the-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-chapter-102",289,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ink-saint-of-great-zhou-cover.jpg"]