Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

"Hey you, what's your name? Is your surname Cai?"

"My name is Shu Yingwen, and my surname is not Cai. May I ask what advice you may have for me, sir?"

Seeing that Shen Lang was watching him, the young man stood up and greeted him.

Only after standing up did Shen Lang get a more detailed look at the other person's appearance and physique.

Shu Yingwen wore a semi-transparent light blue outer garment that perfectly accentuated her figure.

Combined with his gentle, jade-like face and tender, affectionate eyes, any woman would be moved by his beauty.

This is true.

Shu Yingwen was a very special presence in Shuyu Tower. She was pretty and had a good temper, and she looked like a decorative mascot.

Moreover, her upright figure possessed a captivating charm that blended femininity with a hint of masculinity, like the body of a succubus, constantly drawing the attention of other women.

It's a real waste that a man like that doesn't become a prostitute or sell his body; at the very least, he should be a gigolo or something.

Shen Lang glanced at him and casually asked, "Shu Yingwen, right? I've never seen you before. What do you do?"

Shu Yingwen flicked his long sleeves and bowed respectfully to Shen Zhao: "This official, I am just an ordinary scholar from Ninghang, Jiangnan, who will visit Shuyu Tower next month."

"An ordinary scholar?" Shen Lang glanced around. "Could an ordinary scholar afford to spend money in a place like this?"

Shu Yingwen might not understand the word "consumption," but she roughly understood that Shen Lang believed he was not good enough to enter such a place.

So he patiently explained, "Sir, you misunderstand. I am here purely for the sake of making a living."

Earning a little money by writing and painting a few pieces is not for pleasure-seeking.

Shen Lang nodded: "So that's how it is? A mere scholar, traveling all the way from Ningbo and Hangzhou to the capital..."

So you just want to sell your calligraphy and paintings in brothels? Hah, your education is certainly unconventional.

Faced with Shen Lang's sarcasm, Shu Yingwen did not defend herself, but a courtesan standing to the side spoke up: "This official seems to have a great prejudice against our brothel."

That's true. In your eyes, we might be nothing more than lowly servants, but Young Master Shu is different. His talent and demeanor are captivating.

Moreover, he never looked down on us women who had fallen into prostitution; he treated us with ample respect.

Shen Lang interrupted her directly: "Respect? If you want people to respect you, don't do this job. Isn't it because this job makes money easily?"

You want it all, but you insist on putting on a virtuous facade. If you're going to sell, then sell. Don't act like you're so pure and innocent.

What I despise most are people like you who want everything but also want to maintain a virtuous image. You might as well be honest.

The truth is often the most hurtful, and these words instantly infuriated these self-proclaimed talented women of the brothel.

"How could you say such a thing?"

"It's so vulgar, it's absolutely vulgar!"

"What a disrespectful scoundrel! Shuyu Lou, you are not welcome."

"Seeing you say that makes me so angry I'm about to get Yu Yu syndrome."

They thought that Shen Lang's handsome and dashing appearance would win the girls' favor, but his words immediately damaged their impression of him.

As a result, Shen Lang pointed around and said in a deep voice, "Let me tell you, is there a murder case in Shuyu Tower right now?"

"Everyone here is a suspect. If you dare to utter another word, shall we take you to the Jingwei Division's prison for a night to see what's what?"

The whole place fell silent for a moment.

They had all heard of the Jingwei Division's prisons; the kind where a living person would be skinned alive if they went in.

What skills do these girls have besides letting men touch their delicate skin? Going to such vulgar places is no different from sending them to their deaths.

Seeing this, Shu Yingwen quickly said, "Sir, please don't frighten these girls. They are only forced into this situation by life's hardships."

If I have offended you in any way, please forgive me.

"Oh, so you've learned to speak up for others. Looks like you're a pretty good person."

Shen Lang patted his cloak and then put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come with me to the Jingwei Division. I suspect you are the mastermind behind tonight's murder."

Shu Yingwen hurriedly said, "Your Honor, you've misunderstood. This assassination case has absolutely nothing to do with me."

How did you know it was an assassination attempt?

Shen Lang narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his shoulder.

Shu Yingwen immediately winced in pain and hurriedly said, "I heard it from the Prince. Everyone in the entire Shuyu Tower heard it."

Shen Lang was taken aback, and when he turned around, he saw Jiang Shangxian running over, panting.

"you said?"

"Well, this isn't the first time I've encountered an assassination attempt. It's not unreasonable for me to shout out in my nervousness."

"rough."

Shen Lang was speechless for a moment, and could only shake off Shu Yingwen and look at Jiang Shangxian with a look of pity for someone with intellectual disabilities.

At this moment, Shu Yingwen bowed to Jiang Shangxian and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Jiang Shangxian immediately adopted a princely demeanor and said to him, "Hmm, you're really good, kid. You're self-reliant and have guts."

"I have high hopes for you, but whether you can become the son-in-law of the Emperor of Great Chu depends mainly on His Majesty's decision."

Shu Yingwen bowed and said, "I hope Your Highness can grant my request. I have admired His Majesty for many years and will never let him down in the slightest."

"I can't make that decision. You'll have to handle it yourself."

After saying that, Jiang Shangxian put his arm around Shen Lang's shoulder and said, "He wouldn't be the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on me, brother, don't worry."

Shen Lang chuckled and shook off his hand: "I can tell, Your Highness and this man surnamed Shu are quite familiar with each other."

Jiang Shangxian said, "He is my niece's admirer; she has been longing for him since she was a child."

Now that His Majesty is about to choose a son-in-law, he's come here specifically to test the waters. Let him be; it's none of our business.

"Oh, so the Empress is still his white moonlight?" Shen Lang's gossip spirit immediately ignited upon hearing this. "Come on, tell me, what exactly happened?"

"Is this the time to talk about these things? I just survived an assassination attempt; shouldn't you comfort me?"

"This matter can be handled by the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice. The Jingwei Division will only provide assistance."

Since I'm just killing time anyway, I might as well take this opportunity to share some interesting anecdotes to cheer myself up.

If all else fails, you can make a dirty joke, the important thing is to create the right atmosphere.

As they talked, the two sat down at a tea table in a corner, watching the busy scene of government officials coming and going in the hall, and started chatting casually.

"It's alright to tell you. Although this Mr. Shu comes from a poor family, he is a well-known talented man in the Ningbo-Hangzhou area."

I had the privilege of seeing your niece once when I was young in Beijing, and I've missed her ever since.

Hearing that my niece is about to find a husband, I rushed over to test the waters.

During this time, I've been supporting myself through writing at Shuyu Tower, which shows I have some backbone.

Shen Lang glanced at Shu Yingwen not far away and shook his head: "This scholarly air, apart from being a bit good-looking, I don't see anything different about him. Does your niece have a thing for this kind of thing?"

Jiang Shangxian slapped his thigh and laughed: "These days, men and women are all the same. Good-looking women will always attract unwanted attention. Although Shu Yingwen has a scholarly air about her,

But he was handsome and had a tall, upright figure; what woman wouldn't be attracted to him?

After all, before getting to know someone, isn't appearance the most important thing? I think there might be a chance.

Shen Lang stroked his chin: "That's quite interesting. There will definitely be a lot of people at the Empress's selection of a husband, right?"

Jiang Shangxian took a sip of water: "Of course! The Empress's selection of a husband is just like the Emperor's selection of a concubine. It gathers all the handsome men in the world for the selection. There are at least a hundred people. The scene must be very spectacular."

"Could the Empress choose a man who frequents brothels?"

"Going to and from brothels is fine, the key is to check if you've lost your virginity."

"What?" Shen Lang was immediately incredulous. "You can find out if a man has lost his virginity?"

"Hehe." Jiang Shangxian smiled mysteriously, "That's natural."

Alright then, His Majesty's ceremony for choosing a son-in-law is in three days, which also happens to be the day when salaries are distributed this month.

How about I, your older brother, personally show you around?"

"I am somewhat interested in that. I'd also like to see what the Empress's selection of a husband is like."

Since he had nothing better to do anyway, Shen Lang thought it wouldn't hurt to go to the palace for a visit.

I also want to meet Jiang Mengxuan, the most beautiful woman in the Great Chu, to see how she has grown up and whether seeing is believing.

Jiang Shangxian poured himself another glass of water, and just as he was about to drink it, he suddenly remembered something and stared intently at Shen Lang.

"Watch what I do?"

"Hehe, it's nothing, I was just thinking, brother, I was just thinking, it would be great if you were my in-law."

"baffling."

Shen Lang smiled and shook his head. Seeing that everyone from the government office had arrived, he simply got up to take his leave: "Your Highness, there's basically nothing more for me to do here, so I'll head back now. Let's make an appointment another day."

Jiang Shangxian waved his hand: "Alright, I'll stay and explain to them. You should go back and rest early. I'll come find you in a few days."

After watching Shen Lang leave, Jiang Shangxian coughed lightly and said loudly, "Investigate thoroughly for me. If you can't find out the truth, you're not allowed to stop work tonight!"