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

"Everyone says money is a bastard, but we can't live without it."

After receiving his salary, Shen Lang tossed and played with one of the five-tael silver ingots, occasionally wiping it with his sleeve.

Shen Lang loved money, he loved it very much. Only when he had heavy gold and silver in his pocket did he feel at ease.

In fact, with his abilities, he had plenty of opportunities to make money. He learned countless ways to make money in this world while battling the system's army.

But he didn't want to go through those troublesome procedures. His main point was to rebel and be carefree. Otherwise, he would have already bound himself to a system and taken off long ago.

Shen Lang found a way to sit down and continued to play with the silver in his hand.

According to the usual procedure, he should have left the Jingwei Division at this time to go out and have fun.

But today is an exception.

The Empress's grand ceremony for choosing a husband is about to begin, and he wants to see how lively the scene is, so as to broaden his horizons.

At the same time, Su Yun came out of the inner room with a worried look on her face, clutching two five-tael silver ingots in her hand.

As she passed by Shen Lang, she instinctively wanted to speak, but hesitated for a moment and then gave up.

"If you have something to say, don't give anyone a sour look."

Shen Lang wiped the silver in his hands and asked in an annoyed tone.

"No...nothing..."

Su Yun was too embarrassed to speak, so she gave a casual reply and went to the side by herself.

Since she wouldn't say, Shen Lang naturally had no reason to press her for details, and silently waited for Jiang Shangxian to arrive.

"The Commander has arrived!"

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a shout rang out, and Jiang Shangxian, with his plump body, slowly appeared in the courtyard of the Jingwei Division, accompanied by Qianhu Jiang Chaoyun.

"Greetings, Commander!"

Apart from Shen Lang, everyone else respectfully bowed to Jiang Shangxian as a subordinate.

"Don't mention it. Today is a happy day, there's no need for such a grand gesture."

Jiang Shangxian squinted and looked around, finally fixing his gaze on Shen Lang, who was still playing with the silver coins, and immediately moved closer.

"Good brother, today is His Majesty's wedding ceremony, and you're in charge of guarding the inner court. You absolutely mustn't cause any trouble for me."

Jiang Shangxian patted Shen Lang on the shoulder meaningfully, leaving Shen Lang completely bewildered.

"I said, do I look like the kind of person who would cause trouble?"

"Oh, of course it would be best if you didn't. Alright, the ceremony is about to start. Didn't you want to see a big event? I've got this opportunity for you as your older brother, so hurry up."

Without giving Shen Lang a chance to react, Jiang Shangxian coaxed and tricked him, pulling him forward.

This scene made Zhao Ang extremely jealous.

Why does this fat prince value Shen Lang so much, but never even glance at him?

Why is that?!

Jealousy distorted him beyond recognition.

"Your Highness, why do I keep having this feeling that I've been sold?"

"I already said it was just my imagination, why are you asking so many questions?"

"There's no need to rush, there's still more than an hour before the ceremony starts."

"You dare to be late for His Majesty's important matter? Are you out of your mind? Hurry up!"

Shen Lang was thus half-forced and half-accepted, and was practically carried to the Taiji Hall by Jiang Shangxian.

……

At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), a large group of talented individuals from all over the Chu Kingdom had already gathered outside the Taiji Hall.

Among them were contemporary talents, descendants of prominent families, and rising stars of sects.

In short, in Shen Lang's eyes, these people can all be described with one word:

That guy is so handsome, it's like a damn fool.

Sure enough, regardless of gender, whether it's an empress or a male emperor, their true nature is the same: they all value appearance.

"Your empress has good taste; at least at a glance, none of these hundreds of candidates are ugly."

"What nonsense are you talking about? His Majesty is not as superficial as you think. The criteria for choosing a suitable husband from these hundred or so talented men are unimaginably stringent."

"That'll be interesting to watch."

Shen Lang grinned mischievously.

"Look at these guys, they all rely on their looks to live off women, and they've actually become quite capable."

Jiang Shangxian grinned and said, "Do you know how many people want to live off a woman but can't?"

Hey bro, if you want to eat there, I'll add you to the list right now.

"I can still open this back door for you."

"Me? Tsk tsk tsk."

Shen Lang shook his head with a look of disgust.

"I'm a rather traditional person. The thought of a dozen men serving one wife just doesn't bother me."

It's inevitable that light will shine from above; I would never agree to such a ridiculous thing.

When choosing a wife, one should be practical; matching social status and background is most important.

Jiang Shangxian chuckled: "What are you thinking? Once His Majesty chooses a husband he desires, it's basically a two-person life together."

Besides, do you really think my niece is the kind of person who enjoys seeking pleasure? That's a rather superficial view.

"Forget it, don't you know who I am? I definitely won't get this job."

As he spoke, he glanced at the scene and then spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

"Look, isn't that Shu Yingwen? Look at him, his kneeling posture is so perfect, it seems he's determined to hold onto this job."

Following Shen Lang's gaze, Jiang Shangxian spotted Shu Yingwen and chuckled, "She's quite the devoted one. I wonder if she has any chance. Hopefully, she can hold out for the next couple of days."

"Wait a minute, two days? What do you mean?"

"Do you think choosing a son-in-law is like shopping and buying and selling, and it's over quickly?"

Marrying into an imperial family requires not only testing one's character and talent, but also, and perhaps most importantly, patience.

"I didn't ask you those things. What I mean is, am I supposed to stay here for two days?"

"Huh? Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Goodbye."

Without saying a word, Shen Lang turned and left.

Two days? Damn it, even the best show will get boring after two days if the actors aren't tired of it.

Why did I have to stay in this dilapidated palace and watch this group of women in kinis put on a show these past two days?

But as soon as he took his left step, fate was grabbed by the back of the neck by Jiang Shangxian.

"Brother, it's too late for you to leave now. Before the selection ceremony ends..."

You'd better not leave the palace; His Majesty's safety rests on your shoulders.

"Two days? Do you know how much income I can lose in two days?" Shen Lang said, his face full of displeasure, and flung his hand away. "Let me tell you, I can make over a hundred taels of silver just from taking orders from the underground fighting arena..."

"I'll give you an extra salary, 120 taels for two days."

"Well, actually, money doesn't matter. The key thing is that I'm a centurion in the Jingwei Division."

We must do our utmost to protect the scene and prevent any malicious individuals from harming His Majesty.

"That's right, let me show you some high-end goods."

Jiang Shangxian was relieved and then led Shen Lang to a plate containing red cinnabar pigment.

"Brother, do you know what this is?"

Shen Lang asked, puzzled, "What is this?"

Jiang Shangxian picked up a vermilion brush, dipped it in the paint, and said with a smile, "This thing is called 'Guardian of Yang Sand,' and it's specially used to test whether a future husband is chaste and virtuous."

"What? Men can really be tested?" Shen Lang was shocked.

Jiang Shangxian smiled and nodded: "That's natural. If there's a 'virility mark,' then there's also a 'yang mark.' This is a special secret recipe made by the royal family of Great Chu."

Once a man is aroused, if he has previously engaged in sexual activity, the sand particles will automatically dissolve and slide off his skin in about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

If you're a chaste person, this cinnabar can accompany you on your wedding night. Hehe, brother, do you want to give it a try?

As he spoke, Jiang Shangxian poked Shen Lang in the face.

"Stop messing around, I hate this thing."

Shen Lang instinctively raised his hand to block.

As expected, the scalp struck his wrist precisely, leaving a small, bright red dot the size of a broad bean.

"wipe!"

Shen Lang was shocked and quickly tried to erase it.

Just then, a bell rang.

"The auspicious hour has arrived; the selection ceremony for the groom shall officially begin!"

Jiang Shangxian immediately stopped Shen Lang and whispered, "The ceremony has begun, stop fooling around, come with me."

With that, he put down his pen and pulled Shen Lang down the steps of the dragon throne in the main hall.

Soon, the officials entered the venue one after another.

A fragrant aroma wafted through the air, and Shen Lang sensed a figure taking a seat behind him through the beaded curtain.