Chen Shujin’s body stiffened abruptly, overwhelmed by shame…
Raising his head to look at Ji Ruyue, he sensed a chilling coldness in her beautiful eyes, and his heart grew even more uneasy.
He hastily performed a scholar’s bow to Murong Jing. “Miss, let’s just forget this. I have an elderly mother at home waiting for my care, and I truly am unworthy of Miss Ji. I must take my leave now…”
“Stop right there!” Murong Jing’s expression turned cold as well.
She found the woman before her exceedingly rude and spoiled. Even her beauty could not conceal her vulgarity.
How utterly detestable!
“This scholar is dignified, courteous, and filial—how could he be unworthy of a mere merchant’s daughter like you? It is said that merchants value their promises. Is your Ji family planning to go back on its word?”
Ji Ruyue let out a soft laugh, ignoring her question. Instead, she turned and gave a slight bow to the surrounding crowd. “My Ji family has been in business for generations. The name ‘Ji Merchant’ is known throughout Anzhao, and we have always upheld integrity. Fellow townspeople, you can all bear witness!”
“Today, on this Lantern Festival, my Ji family dared to set up this Zhaoxin Tai precisely to seek a good match. If this scholar had won the embroidered ball through his own abilities and triumphed in the literary and martial contests, would I, Ji Ruyue, have refused?”
She then turned her gaze back to Murong Jing. “But you, miss, have made a mockery of my Zhaoxin Tai and even tried to force this ill-fated match. What are your intentions? Though I may lack talent, I would like to reason this out with you! I ask everyone here to bear witness, lest it be said in the future that my Ji family has disgraced scholars.”
As she finished speaking, the crowd below the stage began to murmur.
Many townspeople who had received favors from the Ji family started pointing accusingly at Murong Jing and Chen Shujin.
Moreover, Ji Ruyue’s words were both reasonable and persuasive, leaving Murong Jing thoroughly embarrassed.
Murong Jing flicked her sleeve and shouted angrily, “How dare you! Who do you think you are, to speak so arrogantly!”
“And your Ji family’s actions are an insult to scholars. Knowing you are in the wrong, you persist. Do you admit your guilt?”
Murong Jing was the daughter of the Imperial Noble Consort, favored by Emperor Anzhao due to her mother’s status. She had been spoiled and willful since childhood, and her way of thinking naturally differed from ordinary people’s.
If she had merely found the situation amusing earlier, she now felt murderous intent.
Ji Ruyue was the first woman who dared to oppose her so openly!
Just as Master Ji was about to lose his temper, a tall, slender young man dressed in white robes stepped forward and spoke first. “Miss, you are mistaken. All matters should follow rules and procedures. This gentleman indeed did not participate in this Zhaoxin Tai, nor did he successfully catch the embroidered ball. Clearly, you interfered and forced the issue. This… does not seem to be in accordance with the rules, does it?”
His voice was gentle, his tone unhurried. His posture was upright, like a tall bamboo, and his scholarly aura made him appear exceptionally dignified.
His words carried an unmistakable tone of protection.
Master Ji glanced at him, and his anger inexplicably subsided somewhat.
Seeing the young man in white speak up, several other gentlemen accompanying him also stepped forward.
“Brother Wei speaks wisely. This is the Ji family’s grand matchmaking event, concerning Miss Ji’s lifelong happiness. How can it be treated so frivolously?”
“What business does a woman like you have meddling here? You’ve thrown a promising match into chaos. Could it be that you envy Miss Ji’s natural beauty and deliberately seek to ruin it out of jealousy?”
"Exactly, putting on airs and making baseless accusations—if we're really talking about guilt, then you're the one who should be punished!"
"Hurry up and leave, save yourself some dignity. A young lady like you…"
With someone taking the lead, the other contestants also began to show displeasure, chattering and criticizing Murong Jing one after another.
Although Chen Shujin came from a poor family, he was well-read and educated. Being publicly humiliated like this, he felt utterly disgraced and deeply ashamed.
He flicked his sleeve lightly and sighed, "Enough."
With that, he turned to leave.
Murong Jing, quick as lightning, grabbed him and pulled him back, shouting sharply, "Stop!"
Then, she turned to Master Ji, her tone aggressive as she demanded, "Fine, you want to argue with me? Then let me ask you: is there any explicit rule stating that women are not allowed to compete?"
Master Ji frowned, his eyes showing impatience. "Why would that need to be explicitly stated? The Ji family is seeking a son-in-law, naturally a man."
Murong Jing sneered and pressed further, "So, there is no such rule, then?"
Master Ji was left speechless by her question, his face turning livid with anger. "You! You're clearly twisting words and logic!"
Murong Jing took two steps forward, flicked her sleeve, and swept her gaze around the room. The commanding presence of someone in authority instantly silenced everyone present.
She raised a hand and pointed directly at Ji Ruyue, her tone icy. "Since your Ji family has no such rule, and this gentleman is unmarried and of similar age to Miss Ji, why can't he become Miss Ji's ideal husband?"
The young man in white shifted slightly to the left, skillfully positioning himself in front of Ji Ruyue. "Young lady, I do not know what grudge you hold against the Ji family that you must persist so stubbornly. Matters of marriage require mutual affection and agreement. Since the Ji family is unwilling, I ask you to show some mercy and leave quickly."
Murong Jing was angered by his attitude. Initially, she had not wanted to make too much of a fuss because of his handsome appearance, but now it was different. Her raised finger had not yet lowered when she suddenly turned it, pointing directly at the face of the young man in white. "Who exactly are you? State your name. How dare you offend me again and again?"
The young man in white remained calm and composed, entirely unfazed by her intimidation. "I come from the Wei family, one of the Four Confucian Scholars of Qinzhou. I am Wei Zizhang, the second son of the main branch."
Murong Jing furrowed her brows, pondered briefly, and suddenly burst into laughter. "I wondered who it was—so you're a descendant of the former Grand Tutor. The Wei family is known as a scholarly clan, yet they've fallen so low? Eagerly rushing to become the son-in-law of a mere merchant—what a disgrace to the reputation of a noble family!"
"You are utterly unreasonable!" Wei Zizhang's friend, hearing this, angrily slapped Murong Jing's hand away. Disregarding that she was a woman, he was ready to argue with her for daring to insult someone so openly in front of everyone.
But Wei Zizhang raised a hand to stop his friend. His eyes narrowed slightly as he said in a low voice, "A fair maiden is sought by a gentleman. This is simply following one's heart—where is the disgrace?"
Seeing this man stubbornly standing in the way, Murong Jing had completely lost her patience.
She pressed aggressively, but Wei Zizhang did not yield an inch.
Ji Ruyue's gaze lingered on that tall, straight figure, and a ripple stirred in her heart.
Wei Zizhang?
A man with friends all over the world and three thousand retainers.
He… was actually Guiyun Jun?
Ji Ruyue's heart trembled violently. In her previous life, she had come out too late and had no idea that Guiyun Jun had ever been here…
Before Ji Ruyue could speak to dissuade her, Murong Jing’s eyes flashed with anger as she glared resentfully at Wei Zizhang and the others, then waved her hand. "These people have disturbed me. Arrest them all!"
Immediately, a team of guards rushed out from the crowd, swiftly taking the stage without hesitation to subdue Wei Zizhang and the other three before escorting them away.
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, the atmosphere suddenly tense. Even Master Ji wore a look of alarm.
Murong Jing’s attendants, who had been below the stage, now leaped onto it. One of them held up a palace guard token high above his head and declared, "Changle Gongzhu is present! Show proper respect!"
Silence fell instantly as everyone knelt.
Murong Jing swept her sharp gaze over the sea of bowed heads, finally settling on the father and daughter of the Ji family.
Master Ji took a deep breath. Fiercely protective of his daughter and aware he had encountered a formidable opponent, he still refused to yield. "I absolutely cannot agree to this. This marriage selection involves multiple rigorous tests. Not only must one catch the embroidered ball, but they must also pass both literary and martial contests. Only the most outstanding candidate is worthy of becoming my son-in-law."