Chapter Fourteen: The Devoted Suitor Never Gets the Bride (Please Add to Your Favorites)

Zhu Yang was unaware that his life was already coveted by someone, all because of an absurdly imagined green hat. At that moment, he was busy compiling textbooks for his future "Central Lijian Empire".

Initially, Zhu Yang wanted to transcribe all the elementary, middle, and high school textbooks from his previous life. Yet, as time had passed, the memories had faded. Before transmigrating, he had already graduated from university, and after arriving in this world, nine more years had elapsed. Zhu Yang could recall a little of his high school math, physics, and chemistry, but most of the elementary and middle school materials had long been returned to his teachers. The only thing he could remember from his middle school textbook was the sentence, "I'm going to buy an orange, stay here and don't move, wait for me to come back." As for the rest, Zhu Yang simply could not recall.

Once upon a time, "The Back View" was a text he had to memorize, but now, only that line remained. "Sorry, language teacher, sorry, Mr. Zhu Ziqing, I am guilty. I shouldn't have wasted so much time on those silly social media posts!" Zhu Yang silently confessed in his heart.

The story about buying oranges could not be written, for Zhu Yang could never craft a piece as moving as Mr. Zhu Ziqing's. Left with nothing, he could only scribble some ridiculous essays. If these were used as textbooks, the "Central Lijian Empire" would not produce elites, but a legion of fools. The thought of an empire built upon such nonsense made Zhu Yang uneasy.

Thus, he decided to focus solely on mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology for his textbooks, leaving language lessons to the works of ancient masters. English? That would not exist. Before transmigrating, Zhu Yang loathed English, so in this world, he would do everything possible to eradicate it and make the whole world learn Chinese.

...

Days passed, and just as Zhu Yang was about to finish compiling Newton's three laws, Zhu Yuanzhang arrived at his small villa, accompanied by Jiang Huan.

"Zhu boy, what's with that expression?" Zhu Yuanzhang sat down boldly in front of Zhu Yang, flipping through the physics book he was writing.

"What are you writing here? I can't understand a thing!" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, pointing at the contents.

He recognized every character, but their arrangement baffled him. The symbols and formulas seemed as chaotic as tadpoles swimming in a river.

"It's only right you don't understand. If you did, I'd be truly shocked!" Zhu Yang snatched the physics book away and put it away carefully—after all, it was the only physics book in this world. If the old man damaged it, he'd have to redo the whole thing, which would be annoying.

"Tell me, old man, how did you find out where I live?" Zhu Yang looked annoyed at Zhu Yuanzhang. This place was supposed to be one of his escape routes. It was already a surprise that Wei Tonghe knew, but now even the old man before him did.

Zhu Yang felt as if some kind of plant had turned into a dog.

"I learned it by following that kid!" Zhu Yuanzhang pointed without hesitation at Liu Yuan, who was not far away.

In truth, Zhu Yuanzhang actually learned about the place from Zhu Biao and Jiang Huan.

"Me?" Liu Yuan pointed at himself, bewildered.

"Yes, you!" Zhu Yuanzhang showed no hint of guilt for blaming someone else, instead grinning cheerfully. "I was worried about you. After all, I was the witness to your encounter with Xu Miaojin at the Scholar's Tower. So when I heard the rumors, I rushed to the imperial examination hall. As soon as the doors opened, I saw him taking you into the crowd. At first, I thought you were being kidnapped, so I led my guards to follow you all the way until I saw you safely hiding in this villa. Then I was reassured. I knew you would be exhausted after nine days of exams, needing a good rest, so I didn't disturb you and left."

---

"So that's how it is. Thank you!" Zhu Yang thanked him, while glancing at Liu Yuan—fifty lashes were too little, he should have gotten a hundred.

Liu Yuan covered his backside and ran off; the previous fifty had not yet healed.

"No need!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and asked, "Zhu boy, do you really like Xu Miaojin?"

"Of course!" Zhu Yang replied without hesitation. He was not joking; back in college, it had taken great effort to win her heart. How could he not like her? She was gentle and kind, and above all, beautiful—so beautiful you could barely see her toes.

"Then shall I go to the Duke of Wei's mansion and propose on your behalf?" Zhu Yuanzhang offered.

"Duke of Wei's mansion? Ah..." Zhu Yang snapped to attention and realized the old man was speaking of a Xu Miaojin not the same as the one in his own heart.

He quickly said, "No need—I'm not interested in the Xu Miaojin of the Duke of Wei's mansion!"

"Hmm?" Zhu Yuanzhang assumed Zhu Yang was feeling inferior and afraid of rejection, hence unwilling to bring up the marriage issue.

He tried to reassure him, saying, "You needn't worry. Even if the Duke of Wei is now Xu Huizu, if his father, the Prince of Zhongshan, were still alive, and I personally went to propose, the Prince would agree!"

"It's not a matter of courage... Oh, old man, don't trouble yourself. If I really liked the Xu Miaojin of the Duke of Wei's mansion, I'd find my own way to marry her!" Zhu Yang wished to avoid further entanglement on the matter, as some things could not be explained.

"Well, you'd better hurry. I've heard that recently the Duke of Cao sent someone to the Duke of Wei's mansion to ask for her hand!" Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"Duke of Cao? Li Jinglong?" Zhu Yang's eyes lit up; he loved gossip, and immediately produced a pile of sunflower seeds for Zhu Yuanzhang, munching and asking, "Tell me, what happened in the end?"

"What else? Of course he was rejected!" Zhu Yuanzhang grumbled; as an emperor with countless affairs, knowing the event was enough—he had no need for the details!

"Tch, I knew he was rejected!" Zhu Yang replied.

He had read Li Jinglong's biography in his previous life; his wife was surnamed Yuan.

"I'm curious about how he was rejected. These are two ducal families, their status and influence are similar. Since their fathers who fought alongside the emperor are gone, a marriage gone wrong could turn the families into enemies!" Zhu Yang analyzed. "The Duke of Wei must have struggled to reject the Duke of Cao. Any inside story? Tell me!"

"No idea!" Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head, then glanced at Jiang Huan. "Little Jiang definitely knows. Let him tell you!"

"Hehe... Brother Jiang, come sit, I'll pour you some water!" Zhu Yang pulled Jiang Huan over to sit beside him and poured him a glass.

Jiang Huan looked at Zhu Yang, half amused, half helpless. He had never seen such a gossip-loving prince.

"Go on!" Zhu Yang urged.

"Alright, I'll tell." Jiang Huan, in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, recounted what he knew.

It turned out that Li Jinglong, though he had dirt on Zhu Yang and confidence he could have him killed, could not guarantee that in the future another Zhou Yang, Li Yang, or Chen Yang wouldn't appear. What if one of them won Xu Miaojin's heart at first sight? Then what would become of Li Jinglong?

---

So, unwilling to let dreams linger, Li Jinglong spent lavishly to hire the most renowned matchmaker in the capital and sent her to the Duke of Wei's mansion to propose.

Upon learning that the matchmaker was there for Li Jinglong, Xu Huizu was dumbfounded.

There were unspoken rules among the nobility for arranging marriages. Typically, the women of the families would first gather and gauge interest. If both sides agreed, only then would a matchmaker visit.

But Li Jinglong was not following custom at all. Though he was unmarried, his mother was still alive—he could have arranged for her to meet Xu Huizu's wife or his mother for discussion first.

"What should I do?" Xu Huizu was at a loss.

By inclination, Xu Huizu did not want his third sister to marry Li Jinglong. Although Li Jinglong held a military post, he was a delicate flower of the greenhouse—his reputation was empty, and at best, he was better than the usual wastrels.

But matters between ducal families could not be resolved by inclination alone, especially since Li Jinglong's father was the emperor's own nephew. If this reached the emperor, the Duke of Wei's mansion would be in trouble.

As Xu Huizu struggled with indecision, Xu Miaojin stepped out with her brothers Xu Yingxu and Xu Zengshou.

Xu Miaojin had been stifled for some time. Now that the rumors had faded and the public's attention was elsewhere, she invited her brothers to go boating on Xuanwu Lake.

Xu Zengshou, seeing Xu Huizu receiving guests, casually asked what was happening, and Xu Huizu, eager for advice, poured out everything, not noticing that Xu Miaojin and Xu Yingxu were right behind.

Before Xu Zengshou could respond, Xu Miaojin erupted in anger, "I'd rather marry that scoundrel Zhu Yang than Li Jinglong! At least Zhu Yang can write poetry and has the talent to win the top scholar's title. What does Li Jinglong have? Nothing but his family background. He's useless!"

Xu Miaojin was not usually a harsh person, but lately people kept bringing up marriage, and since she was thirteen, Li Jinglong had been like a persistent patch, following her everywhere. If any man spoke to her, the next day he'd be beaten black and blue.

Now, to marry such a man was intolerable for her.

Seeing his sister's fury, Xu Huizu's dilemma vanished; Xu Miaojin had already delivered the answer to the matchmaker.

Thus, Xu Huizu rejected Li Jinglong on the grounds of Xu Miaojin's unwillingness.

"It is said that that night, the Duke of Cao's mansion echoed with cries and shouts that never ceased!" Jiang Huan took a sip of water and finished.

"Tsk tsk... There truly is no happy ending for those who chase blindly!" Zhu Yang sighed, offering three seconds of silence for Li Jinglong.

(Xu Huizu's original name was Xu Yungong, but to avoid confusion with Zhu Yunwen, he changed it to Xu Huizu. For familiarity's sake, this novel will continue to use Xu Huizu.)