Chapter 35: Have You No Shame?

"Uncle, what on earth does His Majesty mean? Didn't the Ministry of Officials figure out my background and resume long ago?" The question had come so suddenly that even by the next morning, Zhang Qian still felt unsettled, and he had specifically run over to Zhang Ruoxu's house to ask this senior to offer some guidance.

"What else could it mean? His Majesty thinks highly of you and wants to take you as his imperial son-in-law!" It was rare to see Zhang Qian panic to such a degree, and Zhang Ruoxu was immensely amused, taking the opportunity to kick a man while he was down without a shred of sympathy. "Let me tell you, when His Majesty was young, he was famously handsome. Every single one of his daughters is as pretty as a flower. Moreover, none of their endowed estates are less than two thousand acres. If you miss this, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

"Uncle, your nephew is asking you a serious question!" Zhang Qian was left between tears and laughter by the teasing, and he couldn't help but issue a low protest.

"And aren't I giving you a serious answer?" Unable to understand why Zhang Qian was in such a rush, Zhang Ruoxu glanced at him and added with the composure of an elder, "What's wrong with marrying a princess? Apart from the fact that after tying the knot, it's not easy to take concubines or visit pleasure quarters, everything else about it is entirely beneficial to you with zero drawbacks. And you aren't naturally romantic anyway, even if it wastes such a fine appearance."

"Uncle, if you tease me again, I'm taking my wine back!" Zhang Qian could take no more, and he issued a warning through clenched teeth.

"Don't, absolutely not. Things brought right to my doorstep, how could there be any reason to take them back?!" Hearing this, Zhang Ruoxu decisively wiped away his smile, put on an expression of utmost solemnity, and emphasized, "Besides, I really wasn't intentionally joking. Yongzhao, you are truly not young anymore. If you weren't an official, but a commoner instead, and still didn't marry, the local government could force a wife upon you. When that time comes, whether she's blind, pockmarked, or lame, you'd have to accept her."

"The Great Tang has a rule like that?" Zhang Qian was given a fright, his eyes instantly widening into saucers. Realizing that Zhang Ruoxu was not joking, he couldn't help lightly patting his own chest. "Phew—good thing your nephew became an official in time..."

"Once an official, the Weinan County magistrate can no longer control you. But if you reach an advanced age unmarried, theoretically there are still authorities who manage it." Zhang Ruoxu rolled his eyes and added with a cold smile.

"Ah..." Zhang Qian was once again struck dumb with astonishment, remaining speechless for a long time.

No wonder in the twenty-first century, so many people chanted every day about dreaming back to the Tang Dynasty. Back in the Tang Dynasty, as long as you couldn't find a wife, the government would directly hand one out! (Note: The Tang Dynasty decreed that young men and women of commoner families who reached the appropriate age had to marry. Being single was a crime, and the government would forcefully arrange marriages, using it as a performance metric to evaluate local officials.)

Yet how could the quality and affection of a government-issued wife possibly be guaranteed? To be honest, it simply treated men and women like livestock, forcing them to provide the next generation of labor for the Great Tang in a timely manner.

"However, given Yongzhao's fine appearance and current career prospects, I reckon the authorities wouldn't believe you couldn't find a wife!" Seeing Zhang Qian battered and disheartened, Zhang Ruoxu finally had his fill of teasing, smiled, and steered the conversation back. "And His Majesty might not necessarily want to marry a princess to you, but rather asked on someone else's behalf. After all, neither His Majesty nor the Empress are single branches; there is a whole host of imperial relatives behind them. Who knows, perhaps some imperial relative happens to have a daughter of marriageable age, while the parents worry that after their daughter marries, she won't get along with her parents-in-law. Thus, you became the premier choice."

"Is that so?" Zhang Qian listened with partial understanding, his brows gently knitting into a knot.

"Sigh, I betrothed my daughter early on, otherwise, even I would be willing to marry my daughter to you!" Sympathizing with his lack of guidance from elders, Zhang Ruoxu smiled and added with a hint of regret, "Just think about it, you became a senior fifth-rank official in your early twenties—one cannot say your future isn't boundless. Even if you don't have much money on hand, relying solely on the court's stipend and official fields is enough for you to live quite tastily. Right now, what you lack most is family backing. For those imperial relatives, that is hardly an issue at all. As for not having your parents and elders around, in their eyes that's even more of a merit. Other pampered daughters marrying into a household where both parents are present worry about suffering under their parents-in-law. But marrying you, she gets to run the household and call the shots the moment she steps through the door."

These were all harsh truths, yet no matter how he listened, it made Zhang Qian feel awkward. He was just about to brace himself and quip back a few words when, unexpectedly, Zhang Ruoxu shifted the conversation once more and solemnly asked, "Forget it, let's stop talking about this nonsense. How did you answer Gao Yanfu? Did he give you any hints at the time? You didn't refuse, did you, Yongzhao? If so, this old man will truly have to admire you!"

"No! He didn't say anything and steered the conversation away!" Recalling the situation before heading to the imperial palace banquet yesterday, Zhang Qian shook his head gently.

Just as he was about to faithfully recount his actual response, a sound of light, shuffling footsteps came from outside the door. Immediately following that, Zhang Ruoxu's daughter, Zhang Qingheng, walked in with two maidservants. She first greeted him with formal grace and propriety, and then began directing the maids to pour hot tea for her father and their guest.

Zhang Qian's heart instantly surged with a trace of anticipation. While returning Zhang Qingheng's greetings and pleasantries, he weighed his phrasing in his mind. Before she could leave, he reported to Zhang Ruoxu in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, "Uncle, back then I told Commander Gao that when I was still under my master's tutelage, I had already betrothed myself to my junior martial sister, promising to marry her after three years. Although our contact with the martial school has been cut off for now, a true man must never break his word!"

"A junior martial sister, and you promised to marry her after three years? Really or not? You've never mentioned this to me before?" This time, it was finally Zhang Ruoxu's turn to be astonished. He furrowed his brows tightly and stared at Zhang Qian, looking him up and down.

"The junior martial sister is false, but the three-year promise is real!" Zhang Qian's face flushed slightly as he picked up his teacup to mask his inner panic.

Zhang Qingheng put down the teapot, curtsied lightly to her father and Zhang Qian once more, and tiptoed out of the room. Immediately afterward, she considerately instructed the maidservants to close the door properly.

Zhang Ruoxu's mind was entirely focused on Zhang Qian's response, completely failing to notice his daughter's demeanor and actions. Holding his teacup, he paced back and forth across the room a few times before asking in a low voice, "Whose daughter possesses such charm that it makes Yongzhao determined not to marry anyone else? Oh! This old man understands now—you're afraid that marrying a princess would bring restrictions!"

"That's not right either?" Before Zhang Qian could reply, he decisively overturned his own conclusion. "I just said a moment ago that you aren't some romantic literatus. Could there really be such a woman who made a three-year pact with you? But that doesn't make sense either; since you like her and she fancies you too, you should just marry her directly. Why wait three years? Could it be that her parents are snobbish and look down on you? Yet you're already a senior fifth-rank official now; if her parents look down on you, who could they possibly look up to? Even top scholars and top-three placers are only appointed as seventh-rank officials when they first enter office."

Zhang Qian had bitter words in his belly that he could not voice, so he simply remained silent. Zhang Ruoxu had lived a romantic life for the better part of a century and was by no means a rigid man. Guessing back and forth and finding every answer unconvincing, he actually clapped his hands together and laughed heartily. "This old man knows now—the woman you fancy just lost her father! She wants to observe a three-year mourning period for him, which is why she made a three-year pact with you!"

"Uncle, stop guessing. Anyway, apart from her, I won't marry anyone else in this lifetime." Zhang Qian was once again left between laughter and tears, so he simply laid out his attitude directly. "The reason your nephew came to see you today is to ask whether answering this way will displease His Majesty, and if he is displeased, what the consequences might be."

According to the performances in television dramas from the other spacetime, whenever an emperor arranged a marriage, if the recipient dared to refuse, dying ten or eight times wouldn't be enough to prove their love was stronger than gold. Therefore, yesterday after finishing his evasive words, he had tried hard to observe Gao Yanfu's reaction. Yet General of the Gate Guards Gao Yanfu was already an old fox; with a slight smile at the time, he had steered the topic elsewhere, giving him no inkling of any clues from beginning to end, nor offering any hints.

However, Zhang Ruoxu was thoroughly unimpressed by his worries. "Why on earth would His Majesty be displeased? Leaving aside the fact that she's likely just a relative of His Majesty, even if she were His Majesty's own daughter, he wouldn't look at you differently just because you answered that way."

Fearing that Zhang Qian wouldn't believe him, he paused and explained in a low voice, "You have rendered great service to the country on multiple occasions; how could His Majesty cast aside public affairs for private matters? Besides, as the saying goes, an emperor's daughter has no trouble finding a marriage. Every year, the number of blooming youths hoping to marry a princess, grand princess, or county princess can line up all the way from Chang'an's East Gate to the West Gate. Why would anyone need to hang themselves on your single tree?!"

"That's good, that's good!" Inwardly holding the screenwriters of those web dramas in utter contempt, Zhang Qian finally felt the clouds parting over his head. "Many thanks to Uncle for clearing this up. Your nephew still has some miscellaneous chores today, so I won't disturb you any further. Today's wine has been infused with the fragrance of sweet osmanthus; why don't you taste how it is? If..."

"Don't rush off yet. You still haven't said whose daughter she is?!" The fire of gossip burned fiercely within Zhang Ruoxu's heart. Unable to even spare the time to taste the new wine, he chased after Zhang Qian, demanding an answer repeatedly. "Hurry up and spill it, maybe this old man can help put in a word with her elders so she can shed her mourning garments early. A young woman's youth fades fast, and the days when she's blooming like spring flowers are few indeed. That's no way for a filial daughter to mourn..."

"Uncle, enjoy your wine slowly, your nephew takes his leave!" Zhang Qian had already utilized the most likely channel to pass a message to the ruby-adorned maiden; how could he possibly be willing to continue chattering about his own gossip with the old senior? He cupped his fists in salute and fled in panic.

With his long strides and quick feet, and having long since become a familiar face throughout the Zhang household, he shook off Zhang Ruoxu's "pursuit" without the slightest effort and emerged onto the outer path.

In the blink of an eye, he reached the spot where he had last encountered the ruby-adorned maiden. Knowing full well there was zero possibility, he still couldn't resist raising his head and looking around quietly. He wished nothing more than for the maiden to ride up to him on horseback once more, even if they merely brushed past each other, just so they could exchange a glance and quench the longing in their hearts.

Yet this time, the heavens did not favor him. Trudging all the way from Zhang Ruoxu's home back to his own doorstep, forget the ruby-adorned maiden—he didn't even catch sight of a single horseshoe print.

Just as he was feeling a twinge of disappointment, he looked up sharply and discovered that a large crowd had gathered right outside his gate. Men and women alike, it looked livelier than a festival.

Ever since that blind petty official came knocking to extort money last time and was frightened off by Zhang Ling, Zhang Qian remembered his doorstep hadn't been this bustling in a long time. Instantly, he gave a light cough and strode forward.

"The manor lord is here!"

"The manor lord is here!"

"The manor lord is finally back. Let's see if that shameless wretch still dares to talk nonsense!"

"Clearly he came here to extort us, yet he comes up with such a pretty excuse!"

"To hell with the Buddha; the Buddha has never blessed us. It's the manor lord who lets us earn food and money even in the dead of winter!"

"Manor lord..."

The gathering commoners heard the cough, and chatting among themselves, they cleared a path, every face filled with eager anticipation.

"What's going on, Steward Ren?" From the crowd's discussions, Zhang Qian vaguely sensed that some unwelcome guest had arrived. He warily slowed his pace and frowned as he questioned Ren Quan, who was standing in the center of the crowd.

"Benefactor, this humble monk is Hui'an. Greetings to you!" Before Ren Quan could speak, a young monk who looked three times prettier than a nun took the initiative to step forward.

"No need for formalities!" Zhang Qian glanced at the man and gave a slight wave of his hand. "What brings you to my house? Zhang is a disciple of the Mohist school, and my school has a teaching: 'If one neither hears nor sees it, one must assume it does not exist!'"

These words came from the classic Mohist text, *Clarifying Ghosts*. It was equivalent to telling the other party directly not to try hoodwinking him with Buddhist and supernatural nonsense. Who would have thought that the young monk Hui'an would not get angry in the slightest? Instead, he raised one palm, bowed to him, parted his vermilion lips, and smiled as he said, "The virtue of Master Mo is greatly admired by our Buddhist school as well. Today, this humble monk has not come to debate the existence of ghosts and deities with the Benefactor, but rather wishes to forge a good affinity with you."

"A good affinity?" Zhang Qian frowned again, stepping aside to firmly deny the other party any chance. "Forget it then. I don't believe in it, so you and I certainly have no affinity."

"The Benefactor is joking!" Hui'an beamed with a smile as radiant as flowers reflecting water. In a split second, he made several young maidens in the crowd feel deeply ashamed of their own appearance. "This humble monk has heard that the Benefactor's household possesses an ancient well imbued with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Therefore, I have come specially to request the use of this well for revering the Buddha. If the Benefactor is willing to part with it, then within the next three years, the Buddha will surely bless all honest practitioners of Buddhism throughout Weinan County, keeping them free from illness, pain, and calamities."