Chapter 16: Marriage Matters

The Marquis of Xuanwu's mansion is not inside the city, but has its own estate and castle, located several tens of miles away from the city of Xuanwu.

Previously, Shen Lang had only glimpsed at the castle from a distance and was deeply impressed by its grandeur. However, with his status, he was completely ineligible to enter the castle.

The Xu family, a wealthy and formidable force in the city of Xuanwu, is considered a powerful family.

However, the head of the Xu family can only enter the castle two or three times a year at most, and is usually received by the steward.

Although the Xu family estate is already quite large and prestigious, it pales in comparison to the grandeur of the Marquis of Xuanwu's mansion.

The Marquis of Xuanwu, a genuine feudal lord with his own fief, is entirely different from those aristocrats who only hold titles without land.

In the past few hundred years of history, the Marquis of Xuanwu's territory once exceeded five thousand square kilometers. However, due to the political turbulence, both the Dayan Dynasty and the Yue Kingdom have implemented a series of political reforms, and as a result, the Marquis of Xuanwu's fief has diminished significantly.

Nonetheless, the Marquis of Xuanwu still reigns as the highest authority in the city of Xuanwu.

The estate of the Marquis of Xuanwu spans over thousands of acres, with its own fields, farms, orchards, and vineyards, among other facilities.

The castle stands on a mountain over two to three hundred meters tall, occupying an area of over ten thousand square meters. Its walls are higher and thicker than those of the city of Xuanwu, and its garrison is even larger.

Thus, in the event of war, if the city of Xuanwu were to fall, this territory would not be considered conquered. However, if the castle of the Marquis of Xuanwu were to fall, then this entire region would truly be lost.

At this moment, Shen Lang entered this castle with a history spanning several hundred miles, the most noble building in the entire county of Nujiang.

...

The young lady of the Marquis of Xuanwu's mansion, Jin Mulan, removed her entire silver armor, revealing the sturdy attire she normally wears for martial arts training.

She practices martial arts all year round, standing taller than most ordinary men, with well-built and slender legs exuding absolute strength and beauty.

After shedding her snake-skin armor, Mulan entered the huge bath.

After a well-deserved bath, she put on a set of men's attire, and then went to visit her parents.

Dressed in men's clothing, she appeared even more valiant and distinguished, exuding a magnificent and aloof beauty.

"Father, Mother, I pay my respects!" Jin Mulan saluted.

The study in the Marquis's mansion was not as grand, but every item inside had a history of hundreds of years, extremely refined and understated.

Even most of the books in the study were over a hundred years old.

The Marquis of Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, in his fifties, was handsome, with a calm temperament, although occasionally his gaze seemed to penetrate the heart like a sharp sword.

He was a martial artist with a high level of martial arts prowess, yet most of the time he did not carry a sword, and instead often held books in his hands.

He held high status and power but rarely wore luxurious clothing. Most of the time, he wore cotton or linen clothing.

He rarely wore gold and silver ornaments, the only item that appeared to be noble was the jade pendant around his waist.

"Mulan, back already? How was the martial arts performance this time?" the Marquis of Xuanwu asked.

"It was good. I did not bring shame to the Jin family," Jin Mulan replied.

The Marquis of Xuanwu smiled and said, "That's good if you say so."

His gaze towards his daughter was filled with deep love and a complex mix of emotions, sighing softly, "If your brother had even a fraction of your heroic spirit, our Marquis of Xuanwu's mansion wouldn't have to worry about a lack of successors. It's a pity..."

"Father, is the situation very dire?" Jin Mulan asked.

"Very dire!" the Marquis of Xuanwu said, "The entire Dayan Dynasty is implementing new policies, and our kingdom of Yue is no exception. The will of the king is already very clear, and the transition of power between old and new forces will accelerate. The old aristocrats will be stripped of their fiefs and military power. In such turbulent times, if the successor of our Marquis's mansion is so incompetent, it's likely to ruin the foundation of our Jin family of several hundred years. What face will I have to see our ancestors after I'm gone?"

Speaking of his own son, the Marquis was truly filled with bitterness and regret at his lack of ability.

"If my daughter stays single for life, she will remain at home to assist her younger brother and protect the hundred-year-old foundation of our Jin family," Jin Mulan said coldly. "Anyone who tries to make me marry someone will bring ruin to our Marquis's mansion and will be our family's mortal enemy!"

The atmosphere among the three of them became very heavy following this statement. The sacrifices that the daughter was willing to make for the family grieved the Marquis and his wife to the point where they couldn't find any words of comfort.

After a while, the Marquis of Xuanwu changed the subject, "When you returned today, your cavalry injured someone on the streets of Xuanwu City?"

"Yes," Jin Mulan replied.

"Ensure proper medical treatment for him, and once he is healed, send him back home with some money. We need to maintain a good reputation, especially in times like these," the Marquis of Xuanwu said.

At that moment, a voice from the Marquis's attendant outside the door said, "Master, Physician An requests an audience."

"Let him in!" the Marquis of Xuanwu ordered.

A moment later, an aging old man walked in. He was one of the three physicians of the Marquis's mansion, and after Jin Mulan brought Shen Lang back to the mansion, it was him, Physician An, who was in charge of his treatment.

"Master," Physician An, whose name was An Zai Shi, bowed and said, "The young man who was hit has already regained consciousness and is unharmed."

Jin Mulan was taken aback because hadn't the young man been seriously injured from the collision?!

"That's good," Count Xuanwu said, but he was slightly surprised in his heart. Was it necessary to report such a small matter to him as a count? The steward could handle this matter with ease.

An Zaisei said, "After the young man woke up, he wanted to request an audience with the Count."

"See me?" Count Xuanwu was taken aback. This young man was really ignorant of the heights and depths of the sky. Even the officials of Xuanwu City dared not seek an audience with him, let alone an ordinary young man.

The physician An Zaisei said, "He said he has something very important to discuss with the Count, which concerns the marriage of the young lady."

Upon hearing this, Count Xuanwu couldn't help but become serious, and his brow furrowed. He nodded and said, "If he is not seriously injured, let him come to see me."

...

Shen Lang's body was indeed not seriously injured, but his muscles and bones were hurt, making it slightly difficult for him to walk. His complexion was a bit pale from staying up all night.

After arriving at Count Xuanwu's study, he bowed and said, "I am Shen Lang, paying my respects to the Count."

He was a citizen of Xuanwu City, to some extent also a subject of Count Xuanwu, so he should kneel and bow. However, Shen Lang came from modern-day Earth and naturally did not want to kneel to anyone.

Count Xuanwu's expression was not kind, but he did not feign authority. His gaze fell on Shen Lang's face, and he was quite surprised by his handsome appearance.

What a very handsome young man. Such looks are rare in rural families!

"Student?" Count Xuanwu said, "What are your achievements? I am aware of the scholars and officials in Xuanwu City, but I have never heard of the name Shen Lang."

Shen Lang said, "I am a student at the Coldwater Town Academy."

As he said this, Shen Lang felt a bit embarrassed.

The Coldwater Town Academy was merely an elementary education institution, roughly equivalent to a primary school in modern-day Earth. It was quite embarrassing to mention such an educational background, especially since he hadn't even graduated from the Coldwater Town Academy and was directly expelled.

Count Xuanwu frowned and said, "You are delicate and pampered, I presume your parents doted on you and allowed you to focus on your studies. But at your age, not even entering the schools of Xuanwu City, you are truly unworthy as a son, unfilial!"

At this moment, Count Xuanwu did indeed feel a bit disdainful towards Shen Lang. His own son was already very incompetent, but he was still much better than the young man in front of him.

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang felt a slight fondness towards the Count. He could clearly feel that the Count regarded all the people of Xuanwu City as his subjects. Upon hearing that Shen Lang was not a good student, he immediately reproached him on behalf of his parents.

"You were injured by the cavalry of my mansion. Is your body seriously injured?" the Count asked.

Shen Lang said, "My body is fine, just some muscle and bone pain."

The Count said, "You mentioned that you have important matters to tell me, related to my daughter's marriage. Speak."

Shen Lang said, "I heard that the Zhu family wants to propose a marriage to you. Zhu Hongxue wants to marry Miss Jin Mulan of the Count's mansion."

This was a secret, and almost no one knew about it yet.

Suddenly, the Count's face changed dramatically.

The Zhu family? The top dignitaries of the Yue Kingdom, the in-laws of the monarch, the governor of the Southern Province, and the general of the Southern Peace all come from the Zhu family.

Once Jin Mulan marries outside, who will protect the Count's mansion? Who will command the private army of the Jin family?

Someone wants to uproot the foundation of Count Xuanwu's mansion, to break the backbone of his family.

...

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