Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

The window frame was pushed open with a creak, revealing a stunning face.

Everyone was so shocked by his appearance that they were speechless.

"Brother Wang, does Pavilion Master Wei look like this?" Chen Lun nudged his friend with his elbow.

No, it wasn't. It seemed like we just happened to meet someone with the same name.

Wang Fu came to his senses and quickly bowed and apologized, "Brother, I recognized the wrong person."

"Boss Wang, your hearing has become better since we last met in Xueshan Town." Wei Shizhang indirectly confirmed his identity.

Three months ago, he and Wang Fu had struck a big deal. They'd drunk three large jars of wine and feasted on three thousand taels of gourmet food at the Snow Mountain Restaurant. He still remembered the rare, heavy snowfall. The pines and cypresses on the mountain were blanketed in a dazzling silver blanket, creating a hazy, ethereal world of ice and snow.

"Brother Wei, I haven't seen you in months. You look even more handsome than before. That beard you shaved nicely!" Wang Fu exclaimed heartily. With such a handsome face, I'm afraid there aren't many who can compare to him in the world. He would be eager to show off his face every day, and he wouldn't be willing to let such an ugly beard tarnish his pearl. I really don't know what this Qingfeng Pavilion Master is thinking.

"Brother Wang, please come..."

Just as Wei Shizhang was about to decline his friend's invitation, an inopportune and delicate voice suddenly rang out.

"Master Wei, do you still remember this princess?" The noble lady in red who had previously generously thrown a gold ingot to Mei Boyan smiled brightly towards Magnolia Pavilion. Her naturally arrogant eyes revealed a hint of unruly and a strong interest.

Wei Shizhang certainly knew Princess Anxiang, the eldest daughter of the famous Duke Shun.

Two years ago, my mother introduced him to this girl. I still remember the disdainful look she gave me back then, and the line she said to Hongniang, "A toad aspiring to eat swan flesh." It really made him laugh. I wonder who the real toad is.

But he still had to give the respect he deserved, so he politely said, "Princess Anxiang."

Ruan Chuyin stood in the dark, looking carefully at the woman in red.

She had an oval face with somewhat ordinary features, but the raised corners of her eyes carried a calmness and confidence not often found in ordinary noble ladies. One glance revealed that her family background must be prominent and profound, with a rich and rich heritage. As expected, Wei Shizhang called out her title.

"Master Wei, would you be so kind as to come and have a drink with me?" Shen Yinghua raised her eyebrows and invited.

There were continuous gasps, and everyone was amazed at the princess's initiative and straightforwardness.

Share a drink? Is that what they meant?

Shen Yinghua had never imagined that beneath that scruffy beard lay such a handsome face! Had she known this, she would have agreed to the marriage proposal two years ago. Now that she was married, she was afraid she couldn't give him the position of legal husband. But if he insisted, she would have no choice but to divorce him.

He was so busy calculating in his mind that he completely forgot that there was another girl in Magnolia Pavilion.

Ruan Chuyin was a little unhappy when she heard this. She and "Big Bear" had just received their marriage certificate, and now someone came to try to steal her away, making it impossible for her to hide. Sure enough, Wei Shizhang pulled her out from the shadows, put his arm around her waist, and said slowly, "Thank you for your kindness, Princess. However, I already have a wife, so I won't bother you any more."

At this time, everyone's eyes slowly shifted to the noble lady in his arms.

She wore a flowing green dress, had fair skin, and a figure as graceful as a willow. Her eyes were as clear and bright as the moon, and her gaze was full of brilliance, as if possessing a kind of magic that would draw one in without realizing it. Her dark hair fell naturally over her shoulders, unadorned, with a natural curl that added a touch of laziness and charm to her temperament.

The lotus-colored veil was so light and thin that it could not hide her beauty at all.

The men present had already secretly outlined her outline in their minds.

Mei Boyan stared at the green dress in a daze, recognizing the white moonlight in his heart at a glance. But worried that it was just a dream, he twisted his thigh hard.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and deep down, I felt a surge of emotion. I thought I'd never see her again, but I didn't expect to see her again so soon. Could this be what they say in the storybooks: "Fated to meet, even though miles apart"?

"May I know what your name is, Madam?" Shen Yinghua still had a faint smile on her face. Just now I heard that noble lady was dissatisfied with Wei Shizhang, and now she is immediately called Madam?

Ruan Chuyin didn't like her questioning and aggressive look, and took out the bright red wedding invitation without hesitation.

This time, everyone really believed what Pavilion Master Wei said.

"My last name is Ruan." The sweet and soft voice made Shen Yinghua's heart tremble. The ice soul stone necklace she wore around her neck fully demonstrated Wei Shizhang's love for her.

Last name: Ruan.

There weren't any prominent families with the surname Ruan in Licheng. Looking across the entire Northern Moon, Yishui Prefecture was the only place with a Ruan-named imperial merchant. Could this girl be from their family? Then he asked, "Is Madam Wei from the Fuqing Cloth Shop in Yishui Prefecture?"

"No."

Ruan Chuyin's denial relieved Shen Yinghua of her concerns. She smiled faintly and said, "This princess has always believed that the wife of the Pavilion Master of Qingfeng Pavilion would be a noble lady even if she wasn't a royal relative. It's really surprising that your wife is nothing. It shows that Princess Mingzhu and the Princess are quite open-minded. If she were to be kept in our Shunguo Mansion, it would be fine, but she would never be the main mistress."

The air suddenly became thick with the smell of gunpowder. Every word Princess Anxiang spoke was laced with thorns and filled with hostility, making the ears extremely uncomfortable.

Ruan Chuyin stared at the woman in the bright red dress expressionlessly, suppressing the urge to swear as she cursed her ancestors in her heart.

This woman's eyes weren't even on her face. Look at her chin, it was tilted up more than seventy-five degrees. Her arrogant demeanor could have fooled anyone who didn't know her into thinking she was the Queen of Beiyue. Then, unceremoniously, she retorted, "Princess Anxiang, your conversation is even more sarcastic and vulgar than your appearance. But from this point of view, you seem quite consistent and honest."

There was complete silence all around, and everyone held their breath and stared at the two of them with wide eyes.

Wei Shizhang's face was as dark as the sky before a storm, and the aura around him had dropped to the lowest point possible. The true energy gathered in his left palm almost blasted out before his wife could open her mouth.

"How dare you scold this princess?" Shen Yinghua was so angry that her eyebrows raised sharply, and she raised a finger in anger and questioned.

She had known from a young age that her looks weren't outstanding, but she had a perfectly shaped face and a prestigious status that everyone envied. How could a lowly bastard from a remote corner dare challenge her?

"Ugly people often do bad things, black buns often have vegetables, there are many turtles in shallow water, and bitches often cause trouble. Madam, you should be more polite when scolding people." Wei Shizhang put his arms around his wife's shoulders and held her tightly in his arms.

"Wei Shizhang, you... you dare to scold this princess?" Shen Yinghua was so angry that her facial features were distorted, and the fingers pointing at the two of them became even straighter.

At that moment, a bell-like laughter echoed from the Fengya Pavilion on the second floor. A woman in blue clothes pushed aside the porch and shouted, "Shen Yinghua, why do you keep saying the same thing? You have such poor eloquence, and you have the nerve to show off. Can the Shunguo Mansion have a mistress? Is it the Shunguo Mansion or your princess?" Jin Xihe, with his harmless baby face, stared at her with a dagger hidden in his smile. His tone was as gentle as a spring breeze, far less offensive than her words.

Ruan Chuyin curiously tugged at Wei Shizhang's sleeve and asked, "Who is she?"

"Jin Xihe, the darling of the Right Prime Minister Jin Shi's family, is also Shen Yinghua's sworn enemy," Wei Shizhang replied. He hadn't expected her to be here, either. This was going to be a good show.

Right Prime Minister? He's quite an important figure! As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Ruan Chuyin smiled friendly towards Fengya Pavilion.

Jin Xihe raised his eyebrows in surprise, winked at Ruan Chuyin mischievously, and immediately turned his gaze back to the battlefield.

The moment her eyes fell, Shen Yinghua couldn't wait to curse: "Jin Xihe, will your father let you come back? I thought you would stay in Qingyun Temple forever! What does the affairs of our Shunguo Mansion have to do with you? You are old and no one wants you, who can you blame? Could it be that you have fallen in love with my father or the princess?" As soon as the words fell, she burst into laughter.

The chatter in the building suddenly erupted. Mei Boyan completely abandoned his storytelling musings and gazed intently at the three elegant rooms shrouded in smoke, his mind automatically spinning with various plots. Whether he could buy a luxury house this month depended on the support of these people!

"Shi Zhang, what did Shen Yinghua mean?" Ruan Chuyin didn't understand why people said Jin Xihe was an evil star when she looked so sweet?

Wei Shizhang sorted out his thoughts and explained the reason.

"Jin Xihe was Jin Xiang's only child. Madam Jin died shortly after giving birth to her. Jin Xiang subsequently married five more wives. Two died suddenly during pregnancy, one drowned accidentally, and one encountered bandits while visiting her parents and has never been heard from since. Another, the last wife Jin Xiang married ten years ago, choked to death while eating jujubes during her confinement. His youngest son died before he was even a year old."

"At the time, rumors circulated that Jin Xiang was cursed, so he invited Master Liaoyun from Qingyun Temple to exorcise the curse. Not long after, he took Jin Xihe away, and she's been living at Qingyun Temple for half the year since. Now, she's twenty-one, and still unmarried. I heard Jin Xiang was so worried about her marriage that half his hair turned white, and even asking the Emperor for a marriage was futile."

"It's useless even if the emperor grants the marriage?" Ruan Chuyin was stunned. How desperate would she be to avoid this?

"Jin Xiang has always valued family background. The candidates he wants to marry are all important ministers in the court. It's not easy for the emperor to ask for this."

I see. Ruan Chuyin could imagine how difficult this girl's life must have been since she was little, and her eyes instantly showed a hint of pity as she looked at her.

Jin Xihe stared at Shen Yinghua's ugly face, narrowing her eyes slightly. She hated the word "evil star" the most in her life. With a smile that didn't reach her eyes, she said, "If I like you, will you call me mother or give up the county horse? If you are really willing to do so and have such filial piety, I can reluctantly take them both in. I don't mind your father being old."

"Pfft." Ruan Chuyin couldn't help but burst out laughing. Wei Shizhang lowered his eyes slightly in embarrassment after hearing this.

The atmosphere in the building became noticeably more lively, and the discussions were even more heated than before, rumbling in my ears and making it feel like the roof was about to be blown off.

"Jin Xihe, do you still have any shame? A man should have this! Does your father know that you are so hungry that you will eat anything?" Shen Yinghua was so angry that her face was shaking and her voice instantly rose eight octaves, as if she was about to rush over and fight with him. The two servants behind her were so scared that they immediately rushed over and pulled him back from the window.

"I really don't know the truth."

A voice as loud as a bell rang out in the chaos.

Jin Shi and Lu Yinnian walked steadily into the building. All the noise stopped abruptly and everyone politely made way.

The two of them raised their eyes and glanced at Shen Yinghua lightly, then sat down in the lobby.

"Tell me how my daughter, starving and wanton, could have ate anything she wanted. How shameless is she?" Jin Shi picked up the teapot and poured a cup of hot tea for himself and the Crown Prince. The waiter beside him quickly came to his senses and came forward to serve, but Jin Shi waved his hand away.

"Dad! Shen Yinghua called me an unlucky star and said no one wants me! You have to make the decision for me!" Jin Xihe felt confident as soon as he saw his father coming. He wiped away his tears and snot, and his crying face was as pitiful as it could be.

"Jin Xihe, stop complaining! Would I have scolded you like this if you hadn't provoked me? You asked for it! Jin Xiang, Jin Xihe said she wanted to marry my father, and wanted me to call her mother, and even took my horse as her husband. Isn't she just desperate? What did I say wrong?"

I'm so angry! Is she the only one with a father? Shen Yinghua gestured behind her, and a servant immediately ran out.

"His Royal Highness is here, don't be so presumptuous! Both of you come down and answer." Jin Shi's face was ashen. If Lu Yinnian hadn't been there, he would have made Shen Yinghua suffer. His daughter had just returned to Licheng and was publicly humiliated and called an evil star. How unreasonable! Like father, like daughter. This girl was as abominable as her father. Disgusting!

Shen Yinghua was so angry she was confused. Only after Jin Xiang reminded her did she notice the Crown Prince. Her face immediately turned pale and red, and her heart was in turmoil. She had always had feelings for Lu Yinnian, but he had never looked her in the eye.

Ruan Chuyin looked at the bamboo-like figure downstairs, and for some reason, Zhou Ziyi's handsome face that infuriated both humans and gods suddenly popped up in her mind.

The two girls hurried to the lobby and stood together reluctantly.

Lu Yinnian stared at Shen Yinghua leisurely, with a cunning glint in his eyes.

Duke Shun, Shen Huanxi, was a member of the Yixiang Prince's entourage; winning him over would be a good thing. He then took the initiative to mediate, giving both sides a slap on the face. But in the end, he promised to act as a matchmaker for Jin Xihe, which delighted Jin Shi and completely eliminated his anger. Having supported the Crown Prince for many years, Jin Shi knew his character well. As long as His Highness took the initiative, he would certainly fulfill his promise.

Even if Jin Xi and his horoscope were not auspicious, he would still find a suitable husband for his daughter. With only one child like her, who else could he give all the glory he earned in this life to except her?

Shen Yinghua looked at Lu Yinnian in a daze. She had never thought that one day he would look her in the eye and take the initiative to help her out of trouble. It was really unbelievable.