Chapter 160: A Man May Be Killed, But Not Be Cuckolded

Xue Mingrui shook his head and said, "No, that won't do. Youyun is stubborn and straightforward, incapable of taking a roundabout path. What if he draws his sword and hurts someone? Besides, we couldn't possibly afford to hire him."

Wu Yue? That dark-robed young man who stood behind the Prince of Qinghe earlier? Jiang Lan had some impression of him. He indeed knew martial arts and seemed quite skilled; she could barely sense his presence at all.

"Then what are we going to do?" Xue Mingfang sighed.

Xue Mingrui's gaze suddenly shifted toward Jiang Lan, scaring her so much that she pressed herself hard against the wall. "Second Cousin, that look in your eyes tells me something is up."

Seeing the corners of Xue Mingrui's mouth curve upward, Jiang Lan became even more certain.

"No, Second Cousin, let's talk this through."

Xue Mingfang looked over as well.

Jiang Lan felt that her two cousins' eyes were brimming with secrets she knew nothing about. In this desperate situation, her only hope was the honest and simple Fourth Cousin.

"Fourth Cousin, what is this all about?"

Xue Mingfang coughed and glanced away, not daring to meet Jiang Lan's eyes. This was the first time he had ever gossiped about someone else's misfortune right in front of them. "Well... in Jiankang City, while there are figures like Marquis Mu whom young ladies chase after like ducks to water, there are also... presences that people go out of their way to avoid."

Jiang Lan stared in utter disbelief, pointing at herself. "Are you saying that person is me?"

All three cousins nodded in unison.

"Who told you to chase after that princess of the Liang State."

"And break into her boudoir in the middle of the night."

"And then end up getting attacked so that the whole city was talking about it, known to everyone."

Jiang Lan massaged her temples. Could she even explain herself regarding that incident?

"So if I go, will it actually work?" Having no other choice, Jiang Lan decided to sacrifice her dignity for the greater good.

Xue Mingrui shook her head. "Merely standing guard is useless. We have to spread the word."

"Right, we need to let those restless young ladies in their boudoirs know that you'll be there," Xue Mingfang added.

Fourth Cousin still had some conscience left, offering a sympathetic, "Younger Cousin Lan, you've suffered."

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Jiang Lan knew she had absolutely no right to refuse.

"But aren't I supposed to host the young master of Lord Li's household?" Jiang Lan tried one last struggle, but alas, it failed.

"You can take him along with you; it might even have an even better effect," Xue Mingfang replied immediately. The other two nodded one after another, indicating the idea was sound and feasible.

"Could it be that he, just like me, belongs to that category of people unliked by women?" Jiang Lan desperately searched for kindred spirits to comfort herself.

"No, he... well, you'll find out when the time comes."

Watching her three cousins hesitate with words trembling on the tips of their tongues, Jiang Lan felt an itch in her heart and desperately wanted to throw punches.

As the four of them chatted with great enthusiasm, Fourth Uncle Xue walked over with a smile frozen stiff on his face. Catching a brief moment to grab these rascals, he chided, "If I catch you lot slacking off again, see if I don't sort you out."

"Fourth Uncle~"

"Fourth Uncle~"

The four of them obediently emerged from the corner and went to the entrance to welcome the guests.

The Shen family of the General's Mansion, the He family of the Marquis of Weiyuan's Mansion, the Xing family of the Ministry of Rites... Counting them up, nearly everyone of any standing in the capital had come, and even the wife of the Mayor of Jingzhao had brought her young daughters along.

If she didn't know it was because she had been smiling too much, Jiang Lan would have genuinely thought her face was rotting away, as her entire facial muscles had grown completely stiff.

"Younger Cousin Lan, you might want to massage your face. It looks rather peculiar," Xue Mingrui reminded her.

Jiang Lan turned around, massaged her cheeks, and asked, "Is it much better now?"

"So-so."

Jiang Lan was about to massage them further when Xue Mingrui nudged her. "The Princess Consort of Anyang and the Heir Apparent have arrived."

Jiang Lan's hand paused, dropping to her side. *Talk about a narrow escape,* she thought to herself.

She saw the Princess Consort approaching with grace and vibrant charm, radiating a warm familiarity. As soon as she arrived, she struck up an easy rapport with Lady Gu and the others.

Behind her stood the Heir Apparent, Chen Yu, clad in a raven-colored robe, his hair secured by a simple wooden hairpin with no other ornaments. Overall, he looked refined, carrying an air of effortless elegance and appearing completely harmless.

*How utterly deceptive,* Jiang Lan thought.

Chen Yu also noticed the gaze coming from the wheat-toned figure and offered Jiang Lan a faint, gentle smile.

Jiang Lan didn't care at all and rolled her eyes at him. Chen Yu's expression froze for a moment, but then, remembering his younger brother's past antics, he let out an internal sigh of resignation and relaxed.

After the Princess Consort and the Heir Apparent passed by, Xue Mingrui nudged Jiang Lan's arm. "Were you just rolling your eyes?"

Jiang Lan was startled. "Didn't you just say you were standing right in front of me answering questions? How could you possibly have seen it?"

"I just guessed."

"You tricked me?" Jiang Lan looked utterly incredulous. "Is this how you act as a cousin? There's just no guarding against you."

Xue Mingrui explained with a deadpan expression, "I'm only doing this for your own good. That Heir Apparent of Anyang, Chen Yu, is fiercely formidable. For all these years, I've never been able to figure out his game; he's as unpredictable as the weather. Better not provoke him."

*I've already provoked him,* Jiang Lan thought inwardly.

"I'm not joking with you. Take your cousin's advice and stay far away from him," Xue Mingrui warned once more.

Beside them, Xue Mingfang chimed in, "Second Brother is right. He's not our kind of person. Younger Cousin Lan, you'd better keep your distance from him."

Xue Mingst nodded in agreement.

Jiang Lan nodded, promising, "As long as he doesn't provoke me, the two of us will live in peace."

Seeing Jiang Lan's promise, Xue Mingrui and the others finally felt at ease.

Jiang Lan had hoped to properly rest her arms, but no sooner had they seen off the Heir Apparent of Anyang than Prince Yi's Heir Apparent, Li Shengmao, and Princess Ningyuan arrived.

Seeing her cousins looking at her with greenish, gloating eyes, Jiang Lan felt a surge of unvented frustration.

Xue Mingrui patted Jiang Lan's shoulder to comfort her. "Forget it. It's a marriage bestowed by the late Emperor; even if spring winds blow it back to life, you still have to deal with it, don't you? At worst, you can go chase the Liang princess too, and then the two of you will be even."

"Not even."

"Fine, not even then. Younger Cousin Lan, looking at this setup, she'll probably call off the marriage without you even having to ask," Xue Mingfang chimed in from the side. "Am I right, Cousin?"

Xue Mingst nodded. "A real man need never worry about finding a wife! This is beyond toleration!"

"Take the long view! Take a roundabout path!" Xue Mingrui offered counsel nearby. "We just wait quietly. After all, this is a marriage bestowed by the late Emperor. If Younger Cousin Lan takes the initiative to break off the engagement, he'll surely be attacked from all sides. Besides, the other party is a princess after all, so we must show some courtesy. Just wait and watch. We're in no rush anyway—aren't you still yet to reach adulthood? Prince Yi's Heir Apparent has been of age for over three years now. Who can afford to drag this out longer? Isn't that obvious enough?"

Xue Mingrui raised his eyebrows, wearing the expression of a master strategist.

Jiang Lan gave him a thumbs-up. "As expected of Second Cousin!"

"Second Brother is brilliant!"

"Isn't this a bit ungentlemanly? She's a young lady after all," the honest Xue Mingst remarked.

Xue Mingfang slapped Xue Mingst on the head. "Silly brother, she didn't care about the engagement and got close to other men. We're already leaving her some face—what else do you want? Let her cuckold him?"

"No way! A scholar may be killed, but he cannot be cuckolded!" Xue Mingst declared righteously.

The four of them clicked instantly, reaching a complete consensus.

More people arrived in a steady stream afterwards, and Jiang Lan and the others were kept busy until day turned to dusk. Just as she finally managed to sit down, Jiang Lan's head began to throb again.

"Great Scholar?"

"It's you!"

As it turned out, that young master from Lord Li's household was none other than the "Great Scholar" from the other night. Jiang Lan wanted to run, but there was nowhere left to escape.

"My friend, we truly are bound by fate~ Li Huaining, living in Jiangying Lane. You've been there before."