Chapter 2

Chapter Two

At the window of the carriage, a delicate face—no, a large, round face with thick eyebrows, fierce eyes, upturned nostrils, and protruding lips, broad-shouldered—no, the waist was blocked by the carriage, out of sight.

For some reason, Wang Zian felt that the moment their eyes met, the Cheng family's young miss actually gave him a very "alluring" smile.

Wang Zian immediately got goosebumps all over his body.

She could make the flowers wilt with her beauty!

He turned his head with lingering fear and glanced resentfully at the young woman who was hiding her daughter by the roadside.

Indeed, the prettier a woman is, the more deceptive she can be. He almost fell for her trick!

The "beauty" from the Cheng family's carriage made a fleeting appearance, and the window was instantly pulled down. Amidst the chaotic declarations of love and noise from the crowd, the carriage gradually moved away toward the East Market.

Pah!

What a bunch of losers, these lazy men who don't want to work hard, shameless, how can they even open their mouths!

Wang Zian looked at them with disdain and followed the carriage, mixing in with the crowd of men loudly declaring their love.

Ha—may whoever marries her have bad luck, and may they be scared to death in the middle of the night.

"No, I have to go and see who the unlucky fellow will be. Ha, I wonder what his face will look like when he suddenly sees his bride on their wedding night—"

Wang Zian pushed his way forward, maliciously criticizing the men around him in his mind.

What he didn't know was that at the moment their eyes met, a low exclamation of surprise also sounded inside the carriage.

"Ying'er, did you see, did you see, that scholar is so handsome! Stop, stop, I'll go and catch him for you—"

"Sister, don't be ridiculous. What catching? We're not bandits, and we don't kidnap brides. If Father finds out, he'll tear your mouth apart. Besides, I'm not really looking for a husband…"

A soft and gentle voice sounded softly, and the window that had just been lifted was immediately pulled down again.

Inside the carriage, a suppressed, rough laugh followed.

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm just following in Father's footsteps. Didn't Father do the same at Wagon Fort—Ouch, don't pinch, don't pinch—That young scholar is really handsome, I think he could really…"

If Wang Zian knew that he had almost been kidnapped to be a bandit's wife, he would have fled in terror long ago.

At this moment, he followed the carriage, oblivious to the danger, walking and stopping, whistling a cheerful tune, determined to get a good look at the drama at the Cheng family's event.

In the middle of the East Market, there was a large square. At the center of the square, a two-story pavilion had been set up.

In front of the pavilion, the crowd was dense, with well-groomed sons of the nobility, students from the Imperial College in blue robes, and ordinary people in tattered clothes, some of whom were even quite old…

Just thinking of the formidable image of the woman in the carriage, Wang Zian couldn't help but shudder. Well, misfortune comes from the mouth, and good fortune from the heart. At their age, they still want to enjoy a soft life; let's hope they find their own good fortune.

Too far away to see clearly, too close to risk being hit by a ball. Wang Zian looked around, trying to find a safe and comfortable spot.

"Your Majesty, look, this place seems quite good. It's safe and hidden, and my daughters won't see us here…"

Cheng Yaojin's eyes lit up as he looked at a corner not far ahead.

"Indeed, it's a good spot. It's sheltered from the wind and sunny, and there's an old crooked tree in front. Zhijie, you have good eyes—though I've told you many times, don't call me 'Your Majesty' outside, call me 'Erlang'—"

Li Shimin nodded, satisfied with the spot Cheng Yaojin had chosen.

"Alright, Your Majesty—"

Cheng Yaojin responded perfunctorily and found a corner to hide in. If his daughters found out he had sneaked out to watch, it would be the end of him.

"I think this is a good spot, Xuancheng, what do you think—"

Li Shimin turned to look at Wei Zheng, who had been frowning, and asked with a smile.

"I don't care. I just want to see what kind of son-in-law that old rascal Cheng is looking for!"

Wei Zheng flung his sleeve and replied with a resentful tone.

"Whatever kind of son-in-law he finds is none of your business. He's a hundred times better than your second son. Humph—You can't even get a fart out of him with a stick. Not only would my daughters not look at him, but even I feel embarrassed for him!"

Cheng Yaojin retorted mercilessly.

"Your brutes are the ones who cause trouble in Chang'an every day. Ha—The Four Pests of Chang'an, their reputation is much louder than your second son's…"

The two men glared at each other, then turned their heads away with a cold snort, ignoring each other.

Li Shimin couldn't help but feel a headache.

Ever since Wei Zheng's proposal for his son to marry into the Cheng family was rejected, he and Cheng Yaojin had been at odds, unable to stand each other.

"Old Cheng, to be honest, what are your daughters thinking? Even if Xuancheng's family isn't up to it, what about ours? Look, Chengqian, Qingque, and Ke, any of them would be a fine match. If you just nod, your daughters can choose. Why do they have to throw the embroidered ball? This is just a farce!"

Cheng Yaojin and Wei Zheng rolled their eyes in unison.

Your family isn't much better either!

…

Wang Zian looked around and saw three old men peering at the pavilion from a corner outside the crowd. His eyes lit up. This is the spot!

Leaning against the old crooked tree, with his back to the high wall, sheltered from the wind and sunny, the sense of security and comfort was perfect!

"Too bad, no sunflower seeds…"

Wang Zian shook his head with regret and walked over with his lamb meat.

"Three old brothers, watching the show…"

Wang Zian squeezed in between Li Shimin and Cheng Yaojin.

This spot had the perfect angle, the right amount of sunlight, and the support of the old crooked tree. It was an excellent position.

If it weren't for the fact that he saw this weak scholar with unsteady steps from a distance, Cheng Yaojin would have kicked him out as soon as he got close. But this guy had no self-awareness and actually squeezed him out!

Cheng Yaojin snorted in anger, ready to lash out, but at that moment, Li Shimin and Wei Zheng also turned to look at this suddenly intruding husky.

All three of them had the same thought: Whose son is this, such a graceful and handsome young man!

Even Cheng Yaojin, who was about to explode, softened his tone a bit.

"Whose son are you? Why haven't I seen you before?"

Wang Zian was also taken aback. He didn't expect these three men, who looked so shabby, to have such extraordinary presence.

Not to mention the thin old man and the burly man, the middle-aged man in his early thirties, with his sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, exuded a dignified and graceful aura. His narrow, deep-set eyes were calm and composed, and despite his slightly worn brocade robe, his noble demeanor was undeniable, drawing everyone's attention to him.

Pah!

So what if you're handsome? A man shouldn't look like that. Are you planning to live off your looks or what?

In short, no one who is handsomer than me is any good.