After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 129

The constant stream of matchmakers was nearly trampling the threshold of Zhou Xun’s house, and the noise from the matchmakers was unbearably annoying. Zhou Xun had intended to go out in the afternoon to escape the commotion, but he was intercepted by another matchmaker in the parlor. This particular matchmaker arrived with a determined air, as if ready to conquer the obstinate young master Zhou.

 

“Young Master Zhou, you may not know this, but you’re currently ranked third on this month’s list of the best eligible bachelors in the capital. It’s perfectly normal to have so many matchmakers seeking you out,” said the matchmaker, a wart on her lip bouncing as she spoke rapidly. “But as the saying goes, we in the service industry prioritize quality over quantity. A delayed heavenly match is always better than an early mismatch, right? I have here…”

 

“Wait, what is this best eligible bachelor list in the capital…?” Zhou Xun, who had been sipping tea, nearly choked on hearing the matchmaker’s words.

 

“Oh, this! It’s a list we matchmakers privately share amongst ourselves, featuring the most eligible young men in the capital. After you became the top scorer in the imperial examination, you ranked third. You’re the prized disciple of Minister Shen, a confidant of the Emperor, and you live in Vermilion Bird Lane. You have a house, a carriage, no family to worry about, and with your future prospects as a top scorer, your future is limitless. Although your orphan status and lack of a visible family fortune or aristocratic background reduce your score a bit, the pure love story of healing a cold aloof man and rising to the top with him as his wife is very popular nowadays!” The matchmaker beamed. “Oh, and good news—when your top scorer status was first announced, you were only fifth. But after everyone saw your face during the parade, you moved up to third.”

 

“…Who are the first and second?”

 

“First, of course, is Li Miao, the heir of the Duke Protector. Wealthy, powerful, of noble lineage, with a future title, and a top scorer himself—he’s the domineering noble young women adore. Second is Xie Zhengqing, the young master of the Xie family. He ranks second mainly because girls worry he might leave the capital for military campaigns again. But now that he’s been staying in the capital for a while, his rank has climbed back up from fifth. Plus, the gentle, watchful military man persona is quite popular too! As for fourth…” The matchmaker continued down the list until she reached the tenth spot. “Yan Jia ranks ninth because the strict family rules of the Yan family are quite daunting…

 

Oh, and Prince Rongfeng ranks eleventh…”

 

Zhou Xun interrupted her, “The Emperor isn’t on the list?”

 

“The Emperor? Although he’s the Emperor, it’s said that serving an Emperor is like living with a tiger…” The matchmaker trailed off, recalling the Emperor’s formidable reputation. “No matter how much wealth and honor, it must be something one can enjoy safely, right?”

 

Zhou Xun looked at the figure in dark clothes walking in from the doorway:…

 

“Besides,” the matchmaker continued, “the Emperor used to have a whole harem of male consorts. If you were a girl, you wouldn’t want to enter a place full of men either, and you wouldn’t want to marry a man who only likes other men, right? Oh? And who is this young man?”

 

The Emperor stood behind her, smiling amiably, “Haha, I’m Zhou Xun’s friend.”

 

“Oh, a friend, a friend,” the matchmaker beamed. “This young man is quite handsome too! Have you settled down yet?”

 

The Emperor sat beside Zhou Xun and laughed heartily, “I have. Don’t worry about me; continue your conversation. I’d like to listen as well.”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

“Oh,” the matchmaker was disappointed but quickly regained her composure. “Young Master Zhou, do you know what your strengths are? Your strengths lie in your simple family background and excellent personal qualities. Therefore, if you want to find the best match, you need to consider what kind of girl would be interested in someone like you. Just like the young ladies from great families who are trained to be noble wives are interested in General Xie, you are most suitable for the daughters of scholarly families, or the concubines’ daughters from major families, or even princesses who don’t care about your background. For example, the daughter of Imperial Censor Chen…”

 

“Too minor,” the Emperor said.

 

The matchmaker:…

 

“The third daughter of the merchant Chu family…”

 

“She even has a circle of luminous pearls on her shoes, too extravagant!” the Emperor said.

 

“Princess Ruihua…”

 

“Her? No, no, she’s too frail.”

 

“It’s not that these ladies aren’t good enough for me; it’s that I’m not good enough for them,” Zhou Xun suddenly said. “Thank you for your kind intentions, but I…”

 

“Hey, you tell me, what kind of girl do you think is suitable?” The matchmaker, annoyed by the Emperor’s interruptions, retorted.

 

Zhou Xun:… These two are arguing and completely ignoring me.

 

“Well… first, she should have a noble background,” the Emperor said. “Zhou Xun is the prized disciple of Minister Shen and the top scorer.”

 

“Alright, fine.”

 

“And… she should be healthy, like to exercise,” the Emperor continued. “Zhou Xun is only twenty now; he has another eighty years to live. His partner needs to be able to accompany him till old age.”

 

The matchmaker spat out her tea, “You’re making it too difficult; that requires a warrior’s daughter!”

 

“She should also be kind-hearted, sunny in disposition, talkative to draw him out of his shell since he’s too quiet, talented…” The Emperor went on for a long while. The matchmaker, exasperated, said, “There’s no such perfect person in the world!”

 

“Actually, I have a friend who’s quite suitable,” the Emperor suddenly stammered. “There are many good people in this world.”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

He was about to whisper to the Emperor, “Is this friend of yours yourself?” when the announcement of the princess arriving at Zhou Xun’s residence was heard. Soon, a beautiful figure in men’s clothing appeared in the parlor. She looked at the two men, especially at the Emperor, and said in surprise, “You… why are you here?”

 

Before the Emperor could respond, the matchmaker exclaimed in shock, “What, the friend you mentioned is the princess?!”

 

The Emperor:…

 

With the matchmaker mistakenly thinking that the friend was the princess, the other matchmakers quickly dispersed, not daring to make any match for the princess. The Emperor couldn’t help but exclaim in astonishment, “Oh my god!!”

 

Zhou Xun silently shrank back.

 

“It seems I came at a bad time,” the princess said, her demeanor shrinking slightly in unconscious fear upon seeing the Emperor. “Should I leave?”

 

“No, I should leave,” the Emperor said, seeing that Zhou Xun and the princess had something to discuss. He stood up, “I’ll go out first.”

 

Zhou Xun glanced at the princess and said, “I’ll see you out.”

 

He stepped out of the parlor and said to the Emperor outside, “You shouldn’t…”

 

“I was pretending, haha.” The Emperor gave him a mischievous smile. “Am I not a confident person?”

 

Zhou Xun:… You’re really very confident.

 

“I’ll wait for you,” the Emperor said. “You can talk to her first… Why does she look like a mouse seeing a cat when she sees me?”

 

“Probably because you used to be quite terrifying,” Zhou Xun said.

 

“Oh…” The Emperor scratched his head. “You go ahead; I’ll wait in your room?”

 

Zhou Xun was about to nod when he saw the Emperor suddenly blush and say, “Wait, don’t misunderstand, I didn’t mean it that way!!”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

“What nonsense are you thinking about,” he muttered. The Emperor embarrassedly scratched his face, pinched Zhou Xun’s cheek, and then slipped away.

 

Matchmakers were coming in an endless stream, almost wearing out the threshold of Zhou Xun’s house. The noise from their matchmaking chatter was incredibly annoying. Zhou Xun had planned to go out for some peace and quiet in the afternoon, but he was once again trapped in the reception room by a matchmaker. This particular matchmaker was vigorous and confident, determined to see this obstinate young master Zhou through.

 

“Young Master Zhou, you may not know, but you’re now ranked third on the list of the best bachelors in the capital this month. It’s only natural for so many matchmakers to come to you,” the matchmaker, with a mole on her lip, spoke rapidly. “But as the saying goes, in our service industry, it’s not about quantity but quality! A late-arriving perfect match is always better than an early-arriving ill-fated couple. I have here…”

 

“Wait, what is this list of the best bachelors in the capital?” Zhou Xun, who had been drinking tea to soothe his parched lips from a whole afternoon of polite refusals, almost choked on hearing this.

 

“Oh, that! It’s a list we matchmakers privately share among ourselves, featuring the most eligible young men in the capital. Since you became the top scholar, you’re ranked third. You are the close disciple of Master Shen Huijun and a confidant of the emperor, living in Vermillion Bird Alley. You have a carriage and a house, no parents to take care of, no sisters-in-law to deal with, and you’re a top scholar with a bright future. Although being an orphan deducts some points, and having no visible family assets or noble background deducts some more, the market still favors a pure love story of healing and growing old together with a high-cold male god!” The matchmaker grinned. “Oh, and there’s good news! Originally, you were ranked fifth when the news of you being the top scholar first came out, but after everyone saw your face during your public tour, you rose to third…”

 

“…Who are the first and second?” Zhou Xun asked.

 

“The first is naturally the heir of the Duke of Protecting the Nation, Li Miao. Rich, powerful, from a noble family, with a future title, and very domineering—the girls love that. The second is Xie Zhengqing, the young master of the Xie family. He’s second only because the girls worry about him going off to war again, but he’s been in the capital for a while now, and his ranking has risen. Plus, the gentle and considerate gentleman-general is a hot favorite! As for the fourth…” The matchmaker counted down to the tenth. “Yan Jia is ranked ninth. The Yan family’s strict family style is too exhausting…”

 

“Oh, and Prince Rong Feng is ranked eleventh…”

 

Zhou Xun interrupted her, “The emperor isn’t on the list?”

 

“The emperor? Though he’s the emperor, serving him is like serving a tiger…” The matchmaker hesitated, recalling the emperor’s past reputation. “No matter how much wealth and glory, one must live to enjoy it, right?”

 

Zhou Xun looked at the person in dark clothes who had just walked in:…

 

“And besides,” the matchmaker continued, “the emperor used to have a group of male concubines in the palace. If you were a woman, you wouldn’t want to enter a place full of men, nor marry a man who only likes men, right? Oh, who is this gentleman?”

 

The emperor stood behind her, smiling kindly, “Haha, I am Zhou Xun’s friend.”

 

“Oh, friend, friend,” the matchmaker beamed, “This gentleman is also very handsome! Are you married?”

 

The emperor sat beside Zhou Xun and laughed heartily, “I am. Don’t mind me, keep talking. I’m here to listen too.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

“Oh,” the matchmaker looked disappointed but quickly regained her composure, “Young Master Zhou, do you know what your advantages are? You have a simple family and excellent personal qualities. Therefore, if you want to find the best spouse, you must consider what kind of girl would like someone like you. Just as those who like General Xie are mostly well-bred ladies groomed to be high-ranking madams. And you are most suitable for the legitimate daughters of scholarly families, or the secondary daughters of great families, or perhaps princesses who don’t care about your background. Like the legitimate daughter of Official Chen…”

 

“Too low-ranked,” the emperor said.

 

Matchmaker: …

 

“The third daughter of the merchant Chu family…”

 

“She even has a circle of luminous pearls on her shoes, too extravagant!” the emperor said.

 

“Princess Ruihua…”

 

“Her? No, her health is poor.”

 

“It’s not that these ladies are unworthy of me, but that I am unworthy of them,” Zhou Xun suddenly said. “Thank you for your kindness, but I…”

 

“Well, what kind of girl do you think would be suitable?” The matchmaker, irritated by the emperor’s constant interjections, asked.

 

Zhou Xun: …These two are arguing as if I don’t even exist.

 

“Uh… first, she must be of noble birth,” the emperor said. “Zhou Xun is the close disciple of Prime Minister Shen and the top scholar.”

 

The matchmaker: “Okay.”

 

“Then… she must be healthy and like to exercise,” the emperor added. “Zhou Xun is only twenty now; he has to live another eighty years, so his partner must be able to accompany him to old age.”

 

The matchmaker nearly spat out her tea. “That’s too much to ask! That would have to be a military woman!”

 

“She must also have a good heart, be cheerful, talk to him often because he’s too reserved. And she must be talented and…” He continued on. The matchmaker, speechless, said, “There’s no such perfect person in the world!”

 

“Actually, I have a friend who’s quite suitable,” the emperor stammered, hesitating, “There are many good people in this world.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

He was about to whisper in the emperor’s ear, “Are you talking about yourself?” when he heard the announcement of the arrival of the Grand Princess at Zhou Xun’s residence. Soon, a beautifully dressed figure in male attire appeared in the reception room. She looked at the two of them, especially the emperor, and asked in surprise, “You… what are you doing here?”

 

Before the emperor could speak, the matchmaker exclaimed in shock, “What? The friend you’re talking about is the Grand Princess?!”

 

Emperor: …

 

The other matchmakers, mistakenly thinking the friend was the Grand Princess, quickly dispersed, not daring to compete with her. The emperor couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, “Oh my god!!”

 

Zhou Xun quietly shrank back.

 

“It seems I came at a bad time,” the Grand Princess said, her demeanor shrinking slightly in fear upon seeing the emperor. “Should I leave?”

 

“No, I should be under the carriage,” the emperor said, standing up. Seeing that Zhou Xun and the Grand Princess seemed to have something to discuss, he added, “I’ll go out first.”

 

Zhou Xun glanced at the Grand Princess and said, “I’ll walk you out.”

 

He went outside and said to the emperor, “Don’t…”

 

“I was just pretending, hehe,” the emperor gave him a roguish smile, “Hmph! Am I someone who lacks confidence?”

 

Zhou Xun: … You’re quite confident indeed.

 

“I’ll wait for you,” the emperor said. “You go talk to her… Why does she look like a mouse seeing a cat when she sees me?”

 

“Maybe because you were quite terrifying in the past,” Zhou Xun said.

 

“Oh…” The emperor scratched his head. “Well, you go ahead. I’ll wait in your room?”

 

Zhou Xun was about to nod when the emperor suddenly blushed and said, “Wait, don’t misunderstand, I didn’t mean it like that!!”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

“What nonsense are you thinking?” Zhou Xun muttered, the emperor embarrassedly scratched his face. He pinched Zhou Xun’s cheek and then slipped away.

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

He returned to the hall, where the Grand Princess was still waiting. Seeing him, she seemed to relax slightly and asked, “Did my brother say anything?”

 

Zhou Xun shook his head.

 

He looked at the Grand Princess, dressed in dark blue male attire, her long black hair tied in a ponytail down her back. She sat in the chair, seemingly uncertain and undecided about what to say to Zhou Xun.

 

But Zhou Xun knew she would come. He had long been prepared.

 

Everything was within his expectations.

 

Given the Grand Princess’s personality, if he had approached her and offered his help to ruin Zhou Cai’s marriage, it would have raised her suspicions. No one cherishes gifts given freely; they would only see it as a sugar-coated poison pill.

 

April 28th, such a good day. It was the day of Yan Jia’s wedding and Zhou Cai’s grand return to the capital. Zhou Xun knew exactly what Zhou Cai intended to do. No one hated him like Zhou Cai did, and no one understood Zhou Cai like he did.

 

Zhou Cai, who once left the capital in disgrace, could not bear to return quietly. He brought his achievements from Yunzhou and invited the entire capital’s elite to announce his return with a tale of shared hardships, just as he had three years ago, when he wore the red robe of a top scholar and made the entire capital cheer for the promising young man.

 

This grand wedding would make Zhou Cai forget all his past darkness and embarrassment, making him believe he was still a legend.

 

Therefore, he

 

meticulously decorated this stage with the capital’s elite as the red carpet, the talents and beauties as the pillars, and his achievements in Yunzhou as the lanterns. The stage was set, and Zhou Cai, unable to refuse such hospitality…

 

“How could I not use this stage to put on a good show?” he murmured. “This is your gift to me, Zhou Cai.”

 

Yes, he would turn Zhou Cai’s grand stage into his own. The climax of this play, once about Zhou Cai’s return, would now announce Zhou Xun’s return.

 

Zhou Xun was patient. He would be a good director, not a suspect extra. And now that the Grand Princess had come to him, despite knowing Zhou Xun had ulterior motives, she still came.

 

He held the reins.

 

They sat facing each other. The Grand Princess pondered for a while, then, as if making a significant decision, said, “You say a story should be written by the people in it. But sometimes, the people in the story may not be as good at writing it as the storyteller.”

 

Her dark eyes looked at Zhou Xun. “What kind of story does Young Master Zhou think this should be?”

 

“What kind of story does the Grand Princess want to write?” Zhou Xun placed the teacup in his palm. “Or perhaps… does the Grand Princess know what kind of story Miss Yan plans to write?”

 

The Grand Princess was stunned. She looked at the clouds outside in the twilight and said, “She once told me that the clouds beyond the Great Wall are beautiful, different from the ones in the capital. I asked her why, and she said because the clouds in the capital are low, but the clouds beyond the Great Wall are high.”

 

“High clouds,” Zhou Xun said, “That’s what the books say. If you don’t go and see, how would you know if the clouds are high or not?”

 

The Grand Princess looked up at Zhou Xun. They remained silent. After a long time, Zhou Xun smiled. “There is a small gate in the Yan family, in the southwest corner, by the osmanthus tree. The gate is old and close to Miss Yan’s room.”

 

The Grand Princess suddenly laughed heartily. “Sometimes I think you’re a devil.”

 

She lifted a cup of tea, held it at chest height, and drank it all. “Forget it, I came to you first! I’ve finished my tea; do as you please! I’m leaving.”

 

And with that, she was gone for three days.

 

Two days later, a strange rumor spread in the capital. It was said that the Yan mansion was burgled at night. The thief was agile and swift, and almost fought with General Wan… that is, the Princess Consort. But as General Wan was chasing the thief, Miss Yan suddenly fell into the water, and they had to give up the chase.

 

Three days later, the Grand Princess visited Zhou Xun’s residence again. It had rained that day.

 

“I went to see her.” She looked down at the tea in her cup. “She said that at this point, if she left, her father would be heartbroken. She talked to me for so long, a whole hour, and in ten sentences, eight or nine were about her father, and…”

 

She laughed, “It’s funny.”

 

“But you’ve made up your mind, haven’t you? If someone doesn’t like you, why would they talk to you for an hour without mentioning themselves once? She didn’t dare to talk about herself.”

 

The Grand Princess looked at Zhou Xun, then laughed again. “Yes! But how could a caged bird dare to escape on its own?”

 

Then she lowered her head again. “Actually, you knew all along, didn’t you? Once I went to the Yan mansion and saw her, I would never leave the capital. Her hands, once used for writing and embroidery, are now full of needle marks… She told me she’s not good at embroidery. But when she was ten at the villa, she embroidered the best handkerchief for me.”

 

Zhou Xun stood up, still calm, “In that case, I have a gift for the Grand Princess.”

 

“A gift?”

 

“I know the Grand Princess likes horse racing. There’s a fine steed in your stables, capable of covering hundreds of miles in a day. It would be the best choice to take someone to see the clouds beyond the Great Wall, right?” Zhou Xun said, walking towards the backyard. “The auspicious time is at dusk. There’s still some time before the northern city gate closes. From the Yan mansion to the city gate, it won’t take an hour on that horse. As your advisor in this matter, I should offer some proof of my loyalty.”

 

The Grand Princess followed him. Finally, he turned a corner and parted the branches. Her eyes lit up at what she saw.

 

“Wouldn’t the Grand Princess want to tell the world that you saved her? That day, it shouldn’t be Zhou Cai there, and a few days later, the person in the hall shouldn’t be Zhou Cai either—that should be your place. Zhou Cai has stolen your story and is marrying your girl. Are you willing to let that happen? You won’t be content. You won’t let the world think your story belongs to him and her. She was always yours; you should take her away, even if it’s on her wedding day.” Zhou Xun said softly, “So, I prepared this gift for you.”

 

Before them, in the middle of the bamboo grove, hung a newly made, bright red…

 

Wedding dress.

 

The sunset light outlined its golden edges. It hung there quietly, like a flower blooming in flames. Zhou Xun continued, “A general needs a fine robe to reclaim his city. I think the Grand Princess needs a dress she likes to ignite the flames of this war. Maybe it’s not a perfect fit, but it’s good enough as a flowing robe on horseback.”

 

The Grand Princess looked at the dress and laughed. “Such a dress can’t be made in three days—it would take at least seven. You had it made right after the Qionglin Banquet, didn’t you? You knew from the beginning that I would do this?”

 

“Given the chance, who wouldn’t want to reclaim their lost ground?” Zhou Xun said.

 

The Grand Princess laughed heartily. She picked up the dress, the red silk draping over her hands, and wore it like a battle robe. “I’ve investigated the matters between you and Zhou Cai. Minister Shen and the emperor have covered it well, but there are always fragments. It’s hard for non-royals to find out, but I have my ways. It’s interesting. I knew you were using me, yet I still find you so thoughtful, so considerate. I even want to thank you…”

 

“Thank you.” Zhou Xun heard the Grand Princess’s voice, sounding very solemn, “Thank you.”

 

Zhou Xun smiled and said, “Just giving a little push.”

 

“No,” the Grand Princess said seriously, “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

 

Zhou Xun’s always calm smile froze:…