Chapter 335: The Commands of Parents and the Words of Matchmakers

Mu Shulan sat cross-legged on a bamboo couch, dressed in the pale-blue robes of a Daoist nun, her black hair draped over her shoulders. She watched the boy running outside with a smiling expression. Two people stood beside her bamboo couch: on her left was her second uncle, Mu Wuzhen; on the right was a much younger man, whose features resembled both hers and Mu Wuzhen's, looking exceptionally shrewd and capable.

Hearing Mu Shulan's reply, both Mu Wuzhen and the man frowned. The man shook his head and spoke again: "Xiao Lan, the greater cause comes first. The situation is so favorable right now—you mustn't ruin the big picture over some trifling matter."

Mu Wuzhen nodded. Mu Shulan's face darkened for a moment, then she smiled and said, "Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, all the incense halls around Dongchang Prefecture have already been established. Xiao Liang's father has also given plenty of silver. Isn't my role here just to serve as a figurehead? What's so critical about it?"

At these words, even Mu Wuzhen's expression turned rather grim. He said in a deep voice, "Xiao Lan, you cannot speak like that. Without the rallying call of you, the Holy Maiden, how could we have seized control of the situation in Dongchang Prefecture so quickly? Now even Jinan Prefecture, Yanzhou Prefecture, and even Guangping Prefecture and Daming Prefecture in Northern Zhili—many of their circuit leaders are on the verge of turning to our side. At this moment, you occupy the very position of that Xu Hongru!"

At this, the man Mu Shulan called Fourth Uncle's face lit up with excitement. He cut in, "Second Brother is right. Xiao Lan, those Xu brothers suffered a huge loss in Xuzhou this time. It's true—you really can't touch that taboo in a name. Even their diehard supporters in Yanzhou Prefecture have sent people with letters to cozy up to us. Weren't those two brothers managing well in the other prefectures? But the rank-and-file incense followers' hearts lean toward us, and the circuit leaders and assembly masters can't do a thing about it! Xiao Lan, your father's methods are truly effective. Once the time is ripe, we'll let the Hierarch himself..."

"So Fourth Uncle still remembers these were my father's methods. If I hadn't given these methods to Second Uncle, our Mu family would have been forced back to Luanzhou by now, wouldn't we?" Mu Shulan interjected with a smile. The Fourth Uncle across from her froze for a moment, then fury surged up, his face flushing bright red.

The Fourth Uncle took several deep, heaving breaths there, his gaze turning cold. He said in an angry voice, "Xiao Lan, though you are my own niece by blood, if you disregard the greater cause, the rules are still the rules."

"Elder Sister, I've finished running!" Just then, the voice of that Li Yuliang sounded from outside.

"Elder Sister will be right there." Xiao Lan answered with a smiling promise. She sat on the bamboo couch, put on her shoes, and stood. Turning her head, her eyes curved like crescent moons as she said softly, "Fourth Uncle, do you believe that if I shouted right now, you would be hacked to death on this very spot?"

"You!"

"I know everything is for the Mu family. My father died for this, and I have to put myself on display and act like some painted whore. I can do all of that. But these trifling matters, Fourth Uncle, you needn't meddle in them. Can I not even make a single decision for myself?" Mu Shulan said, all smiles.

After speaking, she nodded to Mu Wuzhen in greeting, then stepped out of the room and waved, saying, "Come with Elder Sister."

"Second Brother, she is utterly without discipline. If she's this willful, what if she ruins the great undertaking? Better to send her off early to the Hierarch's rear residence in Luanzhou. The situation is already settled now. A calamity like her—if we discard her, so be it. From the moment she was born, they said she brought doom. Third Sister-in-law died in childbirth, and Third Brother also..." The Fourth Uncle grew more and more agitated as he spoke.

Mu Shulan's second uncle, Mu Wuzhen, furrowed his brow and said in a muffled voice, "Wujia, among us brothers, only you have a son. Sooner or later, everything will be theirs. There's no need for you to be in such a hurry. Is the greater situation truly settled? This Dongchang Prefecture alone still relies on this Li family to operate—you call that settled?"

Mu Wujia's face flushed crimson. He turned his head, about to retort and defend himself, but Mu Wuzhen waved his hand impatiently and said, "This whole scheme was devised by Third Brother, and it was specifically meant to be used on Xiao Lan. Do you truly believe Xiao Lan has revealed everything?"

The room fell silent for a moment. Mu Wuzhen continued, "The current situation exists because of her rallying call as the Holy Maiden. Only because of that is it so easy to establish incense halls and branch assemblies below and to summon heroes from all sides. Without Xiao Lan, do you think Xu Hongru would just sit idly watching from Yuncheng?"

Mu Shulan's fourth uncle, Mu Wujia, was so agitated he ground his teeth in fury, but in the end, he deflated and lowered his head. Mu Wuzhen's voice turned somewhat cold: "Fourth Brother, don't always keep your mind on Luanzhou. The Wang family has already been willing to give the title of Hierarch to Xu Hongru. Do you think they can still give you anything? Our Mu family is just a tool they're using to rap the Xu family on the knuckles."

In the courtyard, Mu Shulan was demonstrating fist and foot techniques with a convincing air, while Li Yuliang clumsily tried to follow along. If Zhao Jin and the others had seen this, they would have recognized these moves as the ones they had learned in the courtyard of Second Uncle Zhao Zhenxing's house. Mu Shulan taught with great care, just like an elder sister.

Mu Shulan paid no attention to her second uncle and fourth uncle inside the room, nor did she care about what they were saying now, because someone was eavesdropping there and would tell her all of it later. Her father had managed things for many years. Though he hadn't been able to save his own life, he had still left behind some reliable people. Especially once her title as Holy Maiden was established, naturally many people came flocking back to her side.

Linqing Prefecture was acclaimed as the third most prosperous place in the north. The first was the capital, the second was Jining Prefecture. To serve as an inspector in such a pivotal canal hub—you wouldn't trade it for a prefect's post anywhere else. Every year, silver flowed into the household like running water. A humble post with heavy authority, drawing in great wealth.

Although the River Patrol Inspector of Linqing Prefecture was merely an unranked minor military officer of the ninth grade, there was always a powerful patron standing behind him. This Inspector Li sent gifts to the capital every New Year and festival. It was said that a eunuch within the imperial palace was Inspector Li's clan elder brother, and the two were very close.

In Linqing Prefecture, in Dongchang Prefecture, in all of Shandong, no one dared look down on this Inspector Li. Otherwise, with countless eyes coveting such a fat and lucrative post, if he lacked sufficient weight, he would have been replaced long ago.

Thus, with Inspector Li's support and protection, not to mention the magistrate's yamen of Linqing Prefecture, even the prefectural yamen of Dongchang Prefecture had to show three parts deference. To speak more deeply, even the Shandong Thousand-Household Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard would give him some face.

Yet no matter how great the commotion, it was still confined to a single prefecture. Moreover, Dongchang Prefecture was only the smallest of Shandong's six prefectures. Most people only knew of her as the Holy Maiden. Even the Incense-Smelling Sect followers in Dongchang Prefecture knew only of the Holy Maiden, the Holy Lady; no one knew this was Mu Shulan, let alone spread this information outward.

Zhao Jin, who was currently in Xuzhou, naturally had no way of knowing either. When his parents brought up matchmaking, he instinctively thought of that girl he had spent so much time with day and night, but it was merely a thought that flickered past and was gone.

The discussions with Xu Zhenzhen were not easy. Zhao Jin went to sleep with his mind full of plans and schemes. Though he woke at the usual time the next day, he felt utterly exhausted.

Zhao Jin did have a plan for dealing with this kind of state. He dressed neatly and went out, arranged for Zhao San and his wife to prepare breakfast and deliver it to Second Uncle Zhao Zhenxing's residence, and then had them ready bathwater at home. He was going to train for two hours to fully recover.

He returned home drenched in sweat, only to encounter Ruhui right at his doorstep. Ruhui was all smiles at that moment. Seeing Zhao Jin, he greeted him politely and said, "Will the master be going to the freight yard today or returning to He Family Village? I'll go tidy things up at the freight yard and then come over."

This Ruhui looked as if he had just come out of Zhao Jin's own house, though Zhao Jin had no idea what he had come for. Zhao Jin recalled the man's strange behavior the previous night and remembered his parents' dislike for him, thinking to himself that Ruhui probably hadn't received any warm expressions when he entered this time.

"Did you need me for something?" As far as Zhao Jin could figure, Ruhui coming to his door was certainly to seek him out.

"Nothing at the moment. I merely came to pay my respects to the Old Master and Old Madam," Ruhui answered with a smile.

Zhao Jin was taken aback. Ruhui saluted and took his leave. Still puzzled, Zhao Jin entered the house. Both his parents were seated in the main hall.

He had expected his mother, He Cuihua, to offer her usual admonishments about that man being frivolous. Unexpectedly, He Cuihua's first words were spoken with a smile: "That Mister Cao is truly quite good. Xiao Jin, you brothers are still young; you should listen more to this Mister Cao."

Zhao Jin was stunned, wondering what on earth had happened. Last night his mother had been disgusted, and this morning her impression had done a complete turnaround. Only then did Zhao Jin notice that it wasn't just his mother beaming; his father, Zhao Zhentang, was also extremely pleased.

Before he could even ask, his father, Zhao Zhentang, explained the reason: "That Mister Cao is truly thoughtful. He came by this morning to ask for your birth date and eight characters, saying he'd find someone to match them and see if it's suitable or not. You really do need someone mature and steady by your side. How could those brothers of yours ever think of something like this?"

Zhao Jin was already beginning to get an inkling. His mother, He Cuihua, smiled and added, "No wonder Mister Cao was asking this and that last night—so he was making inquiries for you, Xiao Jin. Though your mother hasn't seen the Xu family's young lady in person, I still feel she can't be far off. At your age, you ought to have someone a bit older by your side. A wife three years older brings a golden brick. It's just a pity this girl hasn't bound her feet. At her age, it's too late to fix that now."

"What does that matter? You're a big-footed woman yourself," Zhao Zhentang said impatiently again.

At this, his mother, He Cuihua, also bristled, her brows shooting up as she snapped, "This old lady had a hard life as a child. How could I work with bound feet? Xiao Jin is a man of importance now—how can he not find someone proper? I hear that Miss Xu lost her mother early, and her father is soft-hearted, couldn't bear to let the child suffer, and so it's gone on until today..."

"Father, Mother, are you talking about Xu Zhenzhen?" Zhao Jin cut in to ask, feeling utterly baffled.

Not to mention that they had been separated by a screen the whole time and never met face to face, that brief conversation last night—how could any part of it possibly lead to talk of matchmakers and marriage? Though it had only been words, it was no different from a bloody battle beneath the city walls. Everything they'd fought over was their own vital interests, haggling over every ounce for the present and future.

Yet such a sharply adversarial negotiation had, by this morning, somehow transformed into a scene akin to a marriage arrangement.

Before Zhao Jin could even speak, his mother, He Cuihua, furrowed her brow and said with some worry, "This Miss Xu is already twenty this year. To reach this age and still not be betrothed—could there be something wrong with her? Even if not, isn't she a bit too old?"

In this era, it was normal for a girl to marry around sixteen. Exceeding that age was already considered advanced in years. Zhao Jin, however, had never really had any sense of this. Hearing his mother's words, he said reflexively, "What's so old about twenty..."