My brother is so cunning

Chapter 962 The Forced Melon is Big and Sweet
"whispering sound……"

Wen Rui sneered and said, "That old codger Yue Lao has really committed a lot of sins! I forgot to take care of him recently, and he's been living comfortably in the Heavenly Prison for a while. Luckily, the Empress reminded me. I'll give him a good beating when I get back!"

After uttering this harsh statement, Wen Rui sneered, "Which rule of Heaven states that Long Ji and Hong Jin are locked together for eternity? Does Hong Jin, that traitor who betrayed his master, abandoned his ancestors, abandoned his country for personal gain, and turned against his own side in battle, deserve to be a symbol of marital fidelity? Is setting him up as a role model to encourage men to cheat?"

"It was nothing more than using a honey trap, sacrificing your precious daughter, and turning a weak-willed fool to his side. Don't make it sound so noble; what decent person would go back to their hometown to get married halfway through a war? In the end, they set a flag, and the couple both died by my great-grandmother's sword. Consider it karma!"

Wen Rui's words were incredibly sarcastic, each one provoking the Queen Mother's nerves and testing her emotional control.

The Queen Mother of the West, finally losing her temper, retorted angrily, "The Dragon Virtue Star Lord abandoned darkness for light, unlike you who aided and abetted evil..."

"That was my absolute loyalty!"

Wen Rui said with righteous indignation: "King Zhou is so tyrannical. My father and I still managed to save the crumbling empire. We have done right by the king and the country, by the people and the common folk, and by our master, Jieshi! Compared to me, what right does a traitor who betrayed his master and ancestors have to be called 'Virtue' in his title? Take away his 'Virtue' and never use it again!"

At this point, Wen Rui said with a playful expression, "I find it strange that both the Heavenly Court and the Western Religion like to reward traitors. Does the Heavenly Dao encourage betrayal?"

Wen Rui relentlessly attacked Longde Xingjun Hong Jin for his treason and betrayal of the religion and the country, and the Queen Mother of the West really couldn't argue with him.

Upon hearing him mention the word "treason," I was startled and immediately became alert, not daring to follow suit.

If this were to awaken Wen Rui, causing him to break free from the family's inherited obsession with loyalty and harbor rebellious thoughts, he would only be shooting himself in the foot.

However, she simply couldn't swallow the thought of the Queen Mother accepting her already married daughter, or of the two stars Hongluan and Longde, who were set up as models of faithful marriage in the world, divorcing her and then remarrying her daughter to Wenrui.

Being a god is hard, and even excrement is hard to swallow. The Queen Mother of the West felt the sorrow of mortal cattle and horses thousands of years later.

The claim that she married several of Wen Rui's daughters to curry favor with him was already quite offensive, but it was still within the threshold of the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother's tolerance.

After all, the Jade Emperor could tolerate rumors that his nephew had scared him so much that he crawled under the table.

Even if rumors later circulated that the Jade Emperor was so frightened by the monkey that he hid under the table, he would probably still have tolerated it.

However, if word got out that she was forcing her daughter to divorce and marry a local tyrant along with her two other goddaughters, the Queen Mother's reputation would be tarnished.

Sending flowers to one's daughter—where is even a trace of the dignity of the Supreme Goddess King?
However, the Queen Mother of the West could not refuse outright, nor could she find merit in Longde Xingjun. So, she had a sudden inspiration and came up with a way to evade the question.

“Little Celestial Venerable Wen, marriage is ultimately a matter between two people. As a mother, I cannot forcibly break up my daughter’s perfect marriage and force her to marry you.”

The Queen Mother sighed and said, "If she is unwilling to remarry, I hope that you will not force her, otherwise it will greatly damage your reputation if word gets out."

"A forced melon may not be sweet, but it quenches thirst."

Wen Rui looked exhausted and his words became increasingly offensive, but he quickly changed the subject: "However, I'm quite picky. I only like big, sweet, and thirst-quenching melons. If she's unwilling, then so be it. I'll only marry the two fairies, Yueying and Jiangyun, and I will never have any other improper thoughts." The Queen Mother secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: Luckily, this fellow isn't completely wicked. After all, he's Wen Zhong's son, and due to family traditions, even if his character is bad, he'll still be fair.

"That's good. Then I will summon Princess Longji to come and explain things to you in person."

The Queen Mother regained her composure and said slowly, "But please, Little Celestial Venerable, do not go back on your word. If Longji refuses, you must not try to pressure or threaten her indirectly."

“No problem, I can swear a solemn oath that I will never let her marriage become a widow’s, whether she agrees or not.”

Wen Rui spoke frankly and openly, even swearing an oath by his inner demons. The Queen Mother was immediately reassured. However, a thought struck her, and she took out a jade slip, saying, "We don't need to make the oath by our inner demons. Let's sign a contract instead."

Wen Rui was stunned. He took the jade slip in a daze, only to find that the Queen Mother of the West had already inscribed the contract terms on it with her mind.

"What? You're afraid to sign?"

"It's not that I'm afraid to sign, it's just that Your Majesty, how did you know about my habits..."

As Wen Rui signed his name on the jade slip, a smile gradually appeared on the Queen Mother's face. She finally felt relieved. She then summoned the fairy maiden who was attending her and ordered her to go to the Heavenly Palace of Doufu to summon the Red Phoenix Star Lord and Princess Longji to come to Yaochi Wonderland for a talk.

Before the fairy maiden left, the Queen Mother of the West specifically instructed her not to reveal the purpose of inviting her there on the way, lest the girl overthink things.

The Queen Mother was worried that if Princess Longji was afraid of Wen Xiaotianzun's power and wanted to share the burdens of her husband and parents, she might choose to sacrifice herself, which would be a case of good intentions leading to bad results.

She wasn't afraid that Wen Rui would be angry and embarrassed after being rejected by Long Ji. After all, he was Wen Zhong's son, so how bad could he be?
You can suspect him of rebellion, but you can't suspect him of going back on his word or breaking his promise. After all, this guy has the title of the ancestor of merchants, and he has never broken a promise in all these years of doing business in the Three Realms.

Once the contract is signed, there's no fear of him going back on his word. Presumably, he wouldn't ruin his reputation built up over hundreds of years for a woman.

The fairy went to find Princess Longji. Wen Rui and the Queen Mother remained silent, both confidently waiting for Princess Longji to arrive and make the final decision.

To ensure the fairy maiden's swift return, the Queen Mother of the West specially used her phoenix carriage. Sure enough, not long after, a strikingly beautiful figure appeared at the entrance of the Queen Mother's Palace.

Princess Longji walked into the main hall with a blank expression, looking around in confusion. She saw the neat rows of Yaochi maids lined up on both sides of the corridor, then the long jade table in the center of the hall filled with delicacies, and finally Wen Rui sitting opposite the Queen Mother.

She was still a little confused when the fairy rushed over with the Empress Dowager's edict. Upon seeing her, she said, "There's no time to explain. Get in the carriage quickly, Her Majesty is anxious to see you!"

Longji thought something terrible had happened to his mother, and no matter how much he questioned the fairy along the way, she remained silent, only saying that he would know when he arrived.

She arrived with trepidation, only to find Wen Rui and her mother sitting together. She was completely bewildered by the scene and couldn't figure out why they had summoned her.

(End of this chapter)