The main gate of the Li family's Prince's Mansion was open! This aroused the curiosity of passersby, as it was rare for such a grand mansion to open its main gate. The opening of the main gate usually indicated the arrival of distinguished guests or an important event. And for many, it's human nature to watch the spectacle; although they dared not crowd around, they certainly took a few extra glances.
The carriage stopped a hundred meters away from the Prince's mansion. Qin Mu helped Li Gang down from the carriage, and servants hurriedly entered the mansion.
"Haha! Lord Li! Duke Yi! Forgive me for being late in welcoming you!" Li Gang looked around as soon as he got off the carriage, then deliberately slowed down his pace. Just as he arrived at the Prince's residence, Li Shentong was already striding over, laughing and cupping his hands in greeting from afar.
"I apologize for coming uninvited, Prince Li!"
"We apologize for our abrupt arrival, Your Highness!" Li Gang and Qin Qiong smiled and returned the greeting with clasped hands.
Qin Mu, who was one step behind, was naturally ignored as a junior. Li Shentong could pretend not to see him, but he couldn't just stay in the back and wait for someone to introduce him. As soon as they finished speaking, he stepped forward and bowed slightly: "Junior Qin Mu greets the Prince and my two elder brothers."
"Hmm!" Li Shentong nodded to Qin Mu without making a sound, while the other two people next to him winked and smiled at Qin Mu.
"Huaidao, right? I'm your sixth brother, Li Xiaojie." Li Xiaojie, who looked to be in his early twenties, said with a grin.
The Li family has good genes. Li Shentong is good-looking, and Li Xiaojie and Li Xiaoyi are all quite handsome, although they look a bit frivolous.
Li Xiaojie showed goodwill, which pleased Qin Mu. He then bowed and greeted them, "Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother."
"It's really lively at home today," Li Xiaoyi muttered.
Qin Mu's heart skipped a beat, and he cupped his hands in greeting, asking, "Seventh Brother, have we had guests at home?"
"Stop keeping me in suspense." Li Xiaojie gently patted Li Xiaoyi, then turned to Qin Mu and said, "Right in front of you, two groups of people came and inexplicably proposed marriage to the old man."
"???" Qin Mu raised an eyebrow, then said, "What a coincidence."
“Yes! What a coincidence!” Li Xiaojie said, looking at him meaningfully.
It's too much of a coincidence to be true. How could three families propose marriage on the same day? Qin Mu refused to believe there was no reason behind it. More likely, it was all aimed at him.
"Thank you, Sixth Brother! May I ask which two families came?" Qin Mu asked in a low voice.
"Do you remember the person you exchanged couplets with at your teacher's house?" Li Xiaojie asked.
Qin Mu certainly remembered that overconfident guy who never gave his name from beginning to end, and besides, he wouldn't forget him either.
Qin Mu nodded slightly.
“That guy was usually very confident, but after you defeated him, he disappeared. I thought he went back to Taiyuan,” Li Xiaojie continued.
"That fellow is called Wang Quan, and he calls himself Young Master Ying. Although he is a bit arrogant, he does have real talent and learning. Besides, he's here to propose marriage, not to compete. Huai Dao, don't be careless," Li Xiaoyi reminded him.
"Thank you, Sixth Brother and Seventh Brother. Who is the other family?" Qin Mu asked gratefully.
"The last one is the one we should pay the most attention to: the Gongshu family's Gongshu Pan in the Northwest, which is known as the 'Little Master Craftsman'," Li Xiaoyi said solemnly.
"The Gongshu family? From the Northwest? I've never heard of them." Qin Mu asked, frowning.
“The Gongshu family holds a special position in the Northwest. They have always remained neutral and secluded, so their reputation is not well-known,” Li Xiaoyi said.
"Don't underestimate them just because they're not powerful. Most of the cities and fortresses in the Northwest were built with their help, so the families and sects in the Northwest all have to give them some face," Li Xiaoyi continued.
"The Gongshu family! Could they be descendants of Gongshu Ban?" Qin Mu asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Exactly. The reason I told you to be careful is because the Gongshu family has a special status. Their appearance in Chang'an this time is unclear. If they propose marriage to His Majesty, His Majesty may be in a difficult position. As you know, our family is, after all, a member of the imperial clan.” Li Xiaoyi glanced at Li Shentong’s back in front of him and said with some helplessness.
Qin Mu understood. As members of the imperial family, many were used by the emperor for marriage alliances. If the emperor spoke up, Li Shentong's family certainly wouldn't dare to object.
Li Xiaoyi reminded himself that he needed to finalize things today to avoid any unforeseen changes.
A fierce glint flashed in Qin Mu's eyes. He clenched his fist, and an inexplicable anger rose in his heart. For the first time, he felt an urge to kill someone.
After a while, Qin Mu suppressed his anger, took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Seventh Brother! I understand."
“Yes! We all love Ruoxi very much, so we don’t want her to marry someone she doesn’t like, but sometimes we have no choice. Ruoxi has become very outstanding over the years, so many people are interested in her.” Li Xiaoyi nodded slightly.
“Indeed! Ruoxi is naturally strong, and many people covet her, but fortunately, the cowards in Chang'an have all been frightened by her. However, this matter cannot be delayed for long, after all, Ruoxi will eventually get married,” Li Xiaojie added.
"So, Sixth Brother and Seventh Brother, you've been protecting Ruoxi and letting her play happily." Qin Mu said with a smile. He recalled the first time he met Princess Changning, when he beat her up without saying a word.
"Yes! She has to have some happy days, what if she marries someone she doesn't like in the future!" Li Xiaojie sighed.
Li Xiaoyi felt a sense of kinship with Qin Mu, and that making Princess Changning happy was a decision made privately by their family, unknown to outsiders who simply thought they were protecting and indulging her.
"Fortunately, my little sister has taken a liking to you, and you treat her well too. We are both very satisfied with that." Li Xiaoyi smiled and patted Qin Mu.
"Speak politely and don't get physical," Li Xiaojie reminded him.
They soon arrived outside the Li family's main hall, where the three stopped talking and followed quietly behind.
Upon entering the hall, Qin Mu narrowed his eyes slightly and noticed four people sitting inside, with three more young people standing behind them. What surprised Qin Mu most was that he recognized five of these seven people.
Seeing Qin Mu's astonishment, a young man over there winked and smiled at him.
Upon seeing that person, Qin Mu couldn't help but flash a bright smile.
The appearance of Wang Ji, Wang Gui, and Wang Quan's family was not unexpected, but the appearance of Qin Xian, the second son of the Qin family from the Three Passes, in Chang'an was unexpected, not to mention his friend Qin Yue.
Li Shentong, as the host, began introducing the group to Li Gang and his companions. Of course, the main focus was on the two men from the Gongshu family. They were two men with somewhat blank expressions and looked quite similar, making it easy to tell at a glance that they were father and son.
If it weren't for the significant age difference between the two men from the Gongshu family, one would really think they were brothers. They even had similar temperaments. The young man was quite handsome, also dressed in a dark blue robe, and was slightly taller than Qin Mu.
They greeted each other and sized up their opponents. They were all old foxes, all smiling, their inner thoughts hidden.
Wang Quan raised his chin at Qin Mu, a provocative smile playing on his lips.
Qin Mu returned a sinister grin, then made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand across his neck, expressing his feelings.
Wang Quan glared at Qin Mu, his eyes blazing with fury, as if he wanted nothing more than to pounce on him and start a fight.
At this point, how could a fight possibly break out? Qin Mu was too lazy to pay attention to him, gave a disdainful smile, and turned his head away.
The two's behavior caught the attention of most people. Qin Yue raised an eyebrow and looked at Wang Quan with great interest. To be honest, he was also surprised by Qin Mu's sudden appearance.
As the guests took their seats, Li Shentong felt a terrible headache coming on. No one had ever come to propose marriage before, but today everyone was crammed in together. He still preferred Qin Mu, but he couldn't simply refuse the Wang and Gongshu families. Putting aside the families' social standing, the matchmakers were no pushovers either: one was Wang Ji, a prominent Confucian scholar and a member of the Wang family's main branch, and the other was the second-in-command of the Qin family of the Three Passes.
Li Shentong secretly resented Qin Qiong's family for their lack of secrecy, which caused trouble and put him in a difficult position.
Actually, this can't be blamed on Qin Qiong's father. It was originally a good thing, a happy event for the Qin family. Who would deliberately keep it a secret, except for the instruction not to tell Qin Mu at the time?
When the master has a joyous occasion, the servants who are out inevitably say a few words. In just one day, the news somehow reached both families.
Qin Mu was also very curious about this. He had been thinking about why the two families were targeting him, but he realized that he might have been overthinking it. What the other family cared about was the Li family's identity. They had come together today simply to prevent others from getting there first.
"Thank you all for your high regard, but my daughter's marriage is still her own decision," Li Shentong said with a wry smile, bowing to both sides.
“Master Li, you are mistaken. The marriage of one’s children is of course decided by the parents and the matchmaker. How can one make such a decision on one’s own?” Wang Gui said with a smile.
"My son met the princess in Chang'an last year and was immediately captivated by her beauty. He begged for a chance in the latter half of the year. So I beg you, Your Highness, to understand my son's infatuation and give him a chance," the middle-aged man from the Gongshu family said, bowing.
He couldn't refuse someone who only wanted one chance, even though Qin Mu really wanted to say no, but it wasn't his place to speak.
"As you all have seen, all three of you have come to propose marriage. I only have one daughter, and I can't possibly marry her off to three different men, can I? So I'll leave it to my daughter's own choice," Li Shentong said, spreading his hands.
Li Shentong's words made Qin Mu feel very favorable towards him. After all, there are very few parents in this world who can make decisions for their daughters.
“The Prince’s words are reasonable, but I believe we should choose the best option,” said the middle-aged man from the Gongshu family.
"Does Mr. Gongshu Yu perhaps believe that the children of the Gongshu family are the most outstanding?" Wang Gui said with a faint smile.
"Of course! My son is not very talented, but he is now a master mechanic, just one step away from becoming a grandmaster of mechanics," Gongshu Yu said proudly.
Cultivators are incredibly diverse, and their understanding of realm classification also varies. After all, different cultivators manifest different levels of power in different places.
If a mechanical engineer can be called a master, then his skills in armor forging must be extraordinary.
“A single step can be an insurmountable chasm. Some people are trapped in the world of masters their whole lives, never taking that step. Brother Gongshu, you should advise your son to be humble and not arrogant.” Wang Gui said with good intentions, leaning forward slightly.
"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Wang! My son has always been very composed," Gongshu Yu said with a slight nod.
"I've heard that it's been almost twenty years since you became a Grand Scholar?" Gongshu Pan raised his eyelids and asked Wang Gui.
Seeing the seemingly curious look in his eyes, Wang Gui was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed. This was clearly revenge for his earlier words about refraining from arrogance and impetuosity.
"You brat, you really know how to rub salt in the wound! How dare you ask such a question? Apologize to the prince right now!" Gongshu Yu turned around and scolded.
Both of them had somewhat expressionless faces and appeared extremely sincere, but you could hear a hint of teasing in their tone when they asked.
Wang Gui, though angry, forced a smile and said, "Young man, you're right. I've been so busy with government affairs these past few years that I've neglected my cultivation."
Hearing Wang Gui's seemingly defensive words, Qin Mu couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
"Of course, your own child is the best. Since you all think your own child is good, why not have a competition?" Qin Xian suggested.
"I disagree!" Before Qin Xian could finish speaking, Qin Mu stepped forward and shouted angrily.
Everyone looked at Qin Mu in surprise at his sudden outburst.
"A princess is not a commodity. How can her fate be decided by a contest? This is the greatest insult to her!" Qin Mu glared angrily at Qin Xian.
“Brother Qin is right. Such behavior is indeed disrespectful to the princess,” Wang Quan echoed. He was naturally willing to spare no effort in helping to strike back at the opponent.
Knowing he wasn't a good person either, Qin Mu couldn't be bothered with him at all. He glanced at him and then looked away.
Ignored, Wang Quan's face turned cold, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.
"Hehe! Everyone misunderstands. I had no intention of insulting the princess! I misspoke just now." Qin Xian didn't expect Qin Mu to react so strongly to his words. Thinking that Sui Ning's words made sense, he couldn't help but twitch his cheeks and hurriedly clarified.
"Your Highness! I sincerely admire the Princess, and I beg Your Highness to grant my request." Qin Mu took a deep breath, bowed slightly to Li Shentong, and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.
"Hmph! In my opinion, no matter who the princess marries, she cannot marry you." Before Li Shentong could speak, Wang Quan loudly objected.
Qin Mu raised his head, making no attempt to conceal his murderous intent, and looked at Wang Quan. The hatred of killing his father and stealing his wife, even though Wang Quan had not yet succeeded, still filled him with rage.
"Oh! Why is that?" Gongshu Yu asked curiously, a slight smile playing on his lips. He also hoped that Wang Quan could strike at Qin Mu; he had heard that Qin Mu was the biggest rival.
"Isn't Qin, the patrol officer, only fifteen years old?" Wang Quan asked Qin Mu with a smile.
Qin Mu's heart sank. He guessed what Wang Quan wanted to say, turned around, and said to Wang Quan, "Sixteen!"
“That’s his age in the traditional Chinese way!” Wang Quan rudely interrupted Qin Mu, waving his hand and saying, “Think about it, everyone. The princess is almost eighteen, three years older than him. Not only will she have to wait four or five years to get married, but it would be a waste of her prime years!”
"Pah! You know nothing! A woman three years older than a man is a golden brick! The princess and I are a perfect match!" Qin Mu blurted out.
Unexpectedly, everyone stared blankly at Qin Mu.
Li Gang grinned and said, "Hehe! It seems that Huai Dao truly likes the princess. Why doesn't Your Highness grant her wish?"
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