Shen Xuan: "..."
He specifically glanced at Ziyuan beside him, but heard her say, "If Shen Ger wants to go, he certainly can. Noble women and 'gers' in the capital often go out for spring outings; many young ladies and gers have already gone over."
"I just came back from playing polo and I'm still a bit tired, so I don't want to go," Shen Xuan said, then sat down.
After all, his public identity was Xue Fenglin's fiancé. It probably wouldn't look good for him to leave so openly with a stranger.
However, even though Shen Xuan didn't go, Commander Pei didn't leave either. Instead, he brazenly sat down next to Shen Xuan, picked up the teapot from the table, and poured him a cup of tea, saying,
"Since Shen Ger doesn't want to go, then I won't go either. I'll just stay here and chat with you."
Shen Xuan: "..."
Although Commander Pei's appearance wasn't as astonishingly handsome as Xue Fenglin's, he was still quite dashing.
Just now, he had played polo against Ye Chen with equal skill, suggesting his martial arts were also formidable, which had already attracted some attention.
Now, as soon as he sat next to Shen Xuan, many young ladies and gers secretly glanced over.
Although Commander Pei's family background wasn't prominent, he already held a sixth-rank official position at a young age. Even as a military official, he was already stronger than most men his age in the capital.
Such a fine young man naturally caught the eye of some families at the banquet.
After all, not everyone wanted their children to marry into the highest ranks. Some upright families would deliberately seek talented scholars from less prominent backgrounds, simply hoping their children would not be bullied after marriage and would have lifelong support.
Shen Xuan was drinking tea, and Commander Pei watched him drink.
Shen Xuan felt his back tingle from being watched. To ease the awkwardness, he picked up an orange to eat, but Commander Pei took it from him.
He swiftly peeled the orange in a few movements, then offered it to Shen Xuan, saying, "Shen Ger, please."
Shen Xuan: "..."
He put on a stern face and said, "I don't want to eat it now."
Unexpectedly, Commander Pei said, "Then what would Shen Ger like to eat? Why not tell me, and I will bring it to you."
Commander Pei's words were truly presumptuous, causing those who overheard to cast curious glances.
Shen Xuan, unable to bear it any longer, got up and walked towards the mountains.
Commander Pei, however, seemed oblivious to his expression, and simply followed him.
Shen Xuan walked very quickly, and Jin Gui and Suyue struggled to keep up behind him.
After a moment, seeing that both of them were already panting, Shen Xuan stopped. He turned around and saw Commander Pei standing three feet behind him, smiling at him.
"Jin Gui, Suyue, step back," Shen Xuan's face darkened as he told the two.
Jin Gui and Suyue exchanged a glance, then retreated behind a bush about ten feet away.
It was then that Shen Xuan spoke to Commander Pei, "Commander Pei, there's no one else here. You don't have to keep up this act. I don't know what promise the Ye family gave you, but with your promising future, you could certainly marry a young lady from a prestigious family who doesn't care about background and live in harmony. Why waste your time on a ger who is already engaged?"
"Shen Ger is indeed clever," Commander Pei said, curving his lips. "I like clever people, you truly are the one I value."
"However, while Master Ye is my superior, he cannot force me to feel affection for anyone. The Ye family merely proposed a win-win solution for me to consider myself."
"It's just that I first investigated Shen Ger's background, learned that Shen Ger has opened a shop in the capital, which shows extraordinary intelligence. And then I saw Shen Ger's impressive appearance playing polo, and I felt this was a good deal."
Hearing that Pei Xia had actually investigated him, knowing even about his shop, Shen Xuan's expression changed. He then said,
"Commander Pei has many calculations in his heart. Since you're so clever and ambitious, why don't you directly marry a young lady or a ger from an aristocratic family? With Commander Pei's looks, I'm sure you could find one."
Pei Xia's expression shifted upon hearing this. He suddenly took a step forward, leaned close to Shen Xuan's ear, and said,
"Since Shen Ger praises my looks, I suppose I am not displeasing to Shen Ger's eye either."
"Although the Xue family Young Master has a high family status, his household is a den of dragons and tigers; just their own massive internal affairs are already in chaos."
"Moreover, there are still many like Xianzhu Jinning today, all of whom Shen Ger must personally deal with. Is Shen Ger truly willing to endure that?"
Seeing that Shen Xuan remained silent, Pei Xia continued, "Shen Ger, why don't you consider me? My parents died early, and after joining the army in my teens, I fought my way to a sixth-rank captaincy all on my own. Although I don't have family backing, everything I have is thanks to myself, and I am confident of advancing further in my official career in the future."
"I know you are like me, without parents or siblings. It's truly not easy for a 'ger' to establish his own household and open a shop."
"Aren't we two the same kind of people, a match made in heaven? With me, you can do whatever you want. Why bother considering so many social intricacies? With your intelligence and mine, we can build a family fortune sooner or later. Wouldn't that be much better than sacrificing yourself to the Marquis's residence and having to appease both the Xue and Ye families?"
It must be said that Pei Xia was indeed an astonishing communicator. his words coincidentally struck a chord with Shen Xuan.
Although Shen Xuan hadn't considered marriage, if he truly had to marry, after careful calculation, this Pei Xia would be an excellent candidate.
However, how could a person's heart and emotions be calculated?
If Shen Xuan's heart were only full of calculations like Pei Xia's, he could have simply left after departing the Xue residence. Why would he stay in the capital to attend banquets and play monkey with these aristocratic young masters?
Shen Xuan's heart sank heavily, and only then did he realize that he actually couldn't let go of Xue Fenglin.
The matter of love, its origin is unknown. Although he had been unwilling to admit it, he had indeed developed feelings for Xue Fenglin. It was only after Pei Xia's words enlightened him that he finally understood.
Thinking of this, Shen Xuan felt a sense of relief...
The look in his eyes became firmer. He looked up at Pei Xia and said, "Everything else can be calculated, but emotions cannot."
"Commander Pei, you keep saying you want to marry me, but there isn't an ounce of love involved. We've known each other for less than an hour, how much do you truly understand me?"
"Today, you want to marry me because my conditions are suitable, and I presume there's also a promise from the Ye family regarding your career behind it. Then, if there's someone more suitable than me, and a more advantageous backer than the Ye family in the future, how will you choose?"
At this point, Shen Xuan paused and continued, "Besides, I, a 'ger,' still have the confidence to establish myself in the world on my own. Commander Pei, you claim to have struggled to your current position by yourself, so why do you now wish to rely on a marriage to take a shortcut?"
Pei Xia froze, his expression looking insulted when he heard the word "shortcut."
He said somewhat angrily, "If I marry you, it would merely be a perfect match, a union of equals. How can you call it a shortcut?"
"Even aristocratic families like the Ye family still want to help Xue Fenglin choose a main wife with a strong family background, which is why they found me to lure you."
"You say I have no love for you, but does the Xue family Young Master have it? Why do you insist on hanging yourself on that one tree? Or are you truly, as the Ye family says, unwilling to let go of the Marquis's wealth and glory?"
"Because I like him," Shen Xuan said, looking at Pei Xia with great composure.
Seeing Pei Xia's bewildered expression, Shen Xuan sighed, "You love no one but yourself, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."
"Jin Gui, Suyue, let's go." Shen Xuan called back his two attendants. He had said what he needed to say and didn't want to get further entangled with Commander Pei here.
This time, Pei Xia watched Shen Xuan leave from a distance, not following him.
Once Shen Xuan was out of sight, he angrily drew the sword from his waist and cut down a small tree nearby.
He thought to himself that he had initially believed this Shen Ger to be as clever as himself, but unexpectedly, he was like those young ladies and 'gers' from deep within their chambers, talking about such ethereal things as love and affection. It was truly irritating.
***
Meanwhile, Shen Xuan led Jin Gui and Suyue deeper into the forest. Both remained silent, trailing closely behind him, afraid to speak.
Although they had hidden far away earlier, they had still overheard some of the conversation between Shen Xuan and Commander Pei.
Commander Pei was considered a talented officer in the army. After hearing his analysis, even Jin Gui and Suyue felt that what he said wasn't wrong.
However, they then vaguely heard Shen Xuan seem to say he liked The Shizi and directly rejected Commander Pei.
Jin Gui felt a thrill of excitement from hearing gossip, while Suyue thought to himself, 'This Shen Ger seems clever, but unexpectedly, he's foolish at a crucial moment.'
In these noble families, the word "love" was the most terrifying. The deeper one loved, the more deeply one would be hurt in the future.
Besides, what was The Shizi's status? It was still unknown whether he would marry this Shen Ger in the future.
If he broke off the engagement later and married someone else, who knew how sad Shen Ger would be.
Shen Xuan walked for a while and finally arrived at the legendary lakeside.
This lake was a barrier lake, its water crystal clear and blue. A clear spring flowed down from the mountain stream, and red leaves were reflected in the water, creating a beautiful and tranquil scene.
However, this magnificent scenery couldn't drown out the noisy commotion of some aristocratic young masters nearby.
Shen Xuan hid in the forest and looked closely. It turned out that Xianzhu Jinning, having lost the polo game earlier, had come straight to the mountains alone.
Coincidentally, upon reaching the lake, he encountered his old rival, Qian Ruofang, the talented daughter of Master Qian, the Minister of Revenue.
Qian Ruofang was known as a talented woman in the capital, skilled in all four arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Master Qian held an important official position, and many people sought to curry favor with him.
Qian Ruofang was naturally highly sought after and was one of the best candidates for marriage among aristocratic families.
Because of this, although her status was not as high as Xianzhu Jinning's, she was particularly prominent at banquets, often outshining Xianzhu Jinning in every aspect.
However, Xianzhu Jinning's dislike for Qian Ruofang was not merely due to jealousy. It was also because Qian Ruofang, like her father, Master Qian, was accustomed to being two-faced.
In front of those aristocratic young masters, Qian Ruofang always acted gentle and understanding, even speaking softly.
But privately, when interacting with other gers and young ladies, she couldn't hide her arrogance, and even her own illegitimate younger siblings had to cater to her mood.
Qian Ruofang always felt that Xianzhu Jinning was crude and unlearned, and being a ger, despite his title as Xianzhu, she openly disdained him.
And Xianzhu Jinning, known for his bad temper, how could he tolerate Qian Ruofang looking down on him? So, as soon as he saw her, he always looked for trouble.
However, every time Xianzhu Jinning confronted Qian Ruofang, he always ended up getting the worse deal.
He had a notoriously bad temper, and no matter the reason for their arguments, Qian Ruofang would end up looking like the victim, while he would gain a reputation for being unruly and vicious.
For instance, this time, as Xianzhu Jinning had just arrived at the lakeside, he saw Qian Ruofang emerge from the maple grove.
Upon seeing him, she immediately said with a look of disdain, "Xianzhu Jinning truly lost face today. A dignified Xianzhu, losing to a country ger in front of everyone."
Xianzhu Jinning was already full of anger, and naturally, he resented Qian Ruofang's taunt. He immediately stepped forward and said,
"You can't even ride a horse steadily, how dare you criticize me? If it were you, you wouldn't even be qualified to compete with that Shen Ger."
Qian Ruofang chuckled upon hearing this, "I am a woman. I don't need to lead armies or fight battles, so it's normal not to ride well. If it were a competition of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, I would certainly not lose to a country ger. But you, a Xianzhu, can't even write well. What accomplishments do you have to show off? You can only compete in polo, which is truly pitiful and laughable."
Xianzhu Jinning was stung by Qian Ruofang's words and immediately exploded in anger. Disregarding his status and image, he lunged forward, wanting to tear Qian Ruofang's mouth.
However, he was alone, while Qian Ruofang had two maids and an old woman with her.
The old woman was burly and, along with the maids, blocked Xianzhu Jinning. The two sides got into a fierce scuffle. By accident, Xianzhu Jinning's foot slipped, and he tumbled headfirst into the lake.
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