Chapter 188: The Xu Family's Maiden, Zhou's Old Garden
Tang Thirty-Six reached out directly and pulled him back, shaking his head as he said, "No need to go."
Chen Changsheng glanced at him and asked, "Why?"
Tang Thirty-Six patted him on the shoulder and said, "That girl named Shuang'er brought back the marriage contract and also delivered a message from Xu Shiji for you. I believe that after you hear this, you shouldn't be thinking about annulling the marriage anymore. Even if you do want to annul it, you won't go to His Holiness the Pope."
"What message?" Chen Changsheng asked.
Tang Thirty-Six said, "Xu Shiji said he heard that you once told people in the Divine General's Mansion that unless Xu Yourong came to see you in person to express her intention to annul the marriage, you wouldn't agree. So from tonight onward, regarding the betrothal between you and Xu Yourong, he, as her father, will no longer interfere or meddle. But if you want to annul the marriage, you must see Xu Yourong face to face and tell her yourself that you don't want this union."
Chen Changsheng was momentarily stunned. He was just a youth, far from matching the cunning, slickness—or rather, shamelessness—of a big figure like Xu Shiji. He hadn't expected things to develop this way at all. He didn't like Xu Yourong; he had no fondness for her. After everything that had happened, even the trace of curiosity and longing from back then had completely vanished. Yet she had sent him that letter during the Ivy Banquet. Because of that letter, regardless of her true intentions, he was very grateful to her and unwilling to do anything that might harm her.
"Is that what Xu Shiji is thinking?" He shared his thoughts unreservedly with Tang Thirty-Six, then frowned and asked with concern.
Tang Thirty-Six sneered, "Don't try to match wits with someone like Xu Shiji. You're only fifteen this year; no matter how much you furrow your brow, it won't make you look profound—only laughably pretentious."
Chen Changsheng asked, "Then what does he really mean?"
Tang Thirty-Six looked at him as if he were an idiot and said, "Xu Shiji's meaning is so clear, and you still can't see it? He doesn't want to annul the marriage now, so he's pushing the excuse back to you, insisting that only if you annul it in front of Xu Yourong will it count. Obviously, he's betting that once you meet Xu Yourong and see his precious daughter, you absolutely won't be able to say the words to break it off."
Chen Changsheng was puzzled and asked, "Why?"
Tang Thirty-Six stared into his eyes, confirming that he truly still didn't understand, and couldn't help but sigh. "Because no one who sees Xu Yourong in person still doesn't want to be with her."
Chen Changsheng still didn't get it and pressed on, "Why?"
Tang Thirty-Six was exasperated, but he didn't know how to explain this principle that everyone else could grasp. After a long pause, he squeezed out a few words: "Because she's beautiful."
Naturally, it wasn't that simple, but it was the most straightforward and direct reason Tang Thirty-Six could think of at the moment, and probably the one most likely to convince this blockhead Chen Changsheng. Of course, this gave him a certain sense of frustration related to aesthetics or something else, so he was annoyed, and his voice naturally grew louder. The word "beautiful" happened to be an explosive sound, and thus, in the night before the library, a waterfall seemed to appear.
A moment of silence. Chen Changsheng took out a handkerchief, carefully wiped his face, then walked toward the small building. His back was quite desolate, and it was unclear how much time passed before he reappeared.
Tang Thirty-Six remembered his cleanliness obsession and apologized earnestly.
After Chen Changsheng finished bathing, he felt refreshed and clear-minded, with no dirt in his heart. He waved his hand to indicate it was nothing, but his expression seemed somewhat hesitant as he asked softly, "Her… is she really that beautiful?"
That night, the youths of the National Academy seriously discussed why the Eastern Divine General's Mansion had suddenly changed its mind and agreed to the betrothal with Chen Changsheng. Chen Changsheng thought it might be because his performance in the Grand Examination had been too stunning, but Tang Thirty-Six sneered and dismissed that idea. Tang Thirty-Six believed that the shift in Xu Shiji's attitude was likely related to the current political situation and this man's judgment of it.
Now, the situation in the Great Zhou Dynasty was very different from a few years ago. Whether Her Holiness the Empress wanted it or not, she would eventually have to start considering who to pass the throne to. As things stood, all the princes scattered across the various prefectures had a chance, Prince Chenliu also had a chance, but the Tianhai family had no hope at all.
It came back to that point: the subjects of Great Zhou could accept Her Holiness's rule, but they absolutely would not accept her relatives continuing to rule. Many people were waiting for the return of the Chen surname. Especially after Chen Changsheng took first place in the Grand Examination, His Holiness the Pope had already shown a certain attitude.
Xu Shiji was a trusted aide of Her Holiness the Empress, but he also had to consider the future of the Divine General's Mansion. Chen Changsheng and the National Academy had clearly gained the approval of His Holiness the Pope. Through this marriage, they could secure longer-term support. Even if that didn't work out, he didn't want Chen Changsheng to harbor too much hostility toward him.
After hearing Tang Thirty-Six's analysis, Chen Changsheng found it very reasonable. He thought to himself that a child from a noble family was indeed different from him. He then turned to ask Xuan Yuan Po's opinion, only to see that the demon youth had already fallen asleep like a mountain.
The next morning at five o'clock, Chen Changsheng woke up on time, roused Tang Thirty-Six and Xuan Yuan Po, and went to the gatehouse to start roasting meat. This had been agreed upon the day before—a celebration with Jin Yulu.
The gift list and name cards were stored in the academy's warehouse. No one disturbed the peace of the National Academy until the spring sun hung high in the sky, and the news that had been circulating in Chang'an for half a day finally arrived here.
A whole Cloud Mist Tusked Boar had been eaten down to just its skeleton and two long tusks, hanging over the campfire. It looked extremely ugly. Oil dripped down the remaining shreds of meat, falling into the dying embers with a sizzling sound, startling the speechless Tang Thirty-Six awake.
"What exactly did Qiu Shan Jun do that warrants joint proclamations of commendation from both the southern and northern altars of the State Religion, the Great Zhou court, and White Emperor City? Your first-place title hasn't even cooled off yet, and this already overshadows it."
He looked at Chen Changsheng sympathetically, but noticed that Chen Changsheng remained silent, his expression clearly indicating he already knew about this. Tang Thirty-Six was slightly surprised. "You know about this?"
Chen Changsheng said, "I found out last night at the Eastern Divine General's Mansion."
"Then why didn't you tell us last night?"
"I forgot."
The gatehouse of the National Academy fell silent, with only the sound of oil dripping onto the ashes.
"Disappearing for half a year, hiding his identity, following the organization that the Black Robe left among humans, and tracking down the location of the Zhou Garden—such skill and achievement are truly remarkable."
Jin Yulu returned to the room. He shared the news he had just received from the Li Palace, which naturally contained much more inside information than what was circulating in the capital. He was quite moved.
Tang Thirty-Six was on Chen Changsheng's side, so hearing this made him uncomfortable, but he couldn't refute it. Qiu Shan Jun, without any outside help, had sparred for days with those brutal and extremely powerful young demon elites, ultimately succeeding in opening the Zhou Garden first. One could imagine the fierce battles and even life-and-death trials he had endured. The Grand Examination, though seemingly intense, was actually strictly monitored, and its battles couldn't compare.
"That organization?" Chen Changsheng glanced at Jin Yulu.
Jin Yulu nodded. Only then did he understand that this matter was connected to the assassination attempt on Luoluo. The demon assassin captured by Xue Xingchuan must have been a member of that organization.
"What exactly is the Zhou Garden?"
This was the biggest question for the three youths of the National Academy at the moment.
Chen Changsheng and Xuan Yuan Po had grown up in the wilderness and mountains, and the Daoist scriptures had no records on this. Even Tang Thirty-Six, a child from a noble family, had never heard of the Zhou Garden. In his memory, when his grandfather used to hold him on his knee, drinking and reminiscing about the past, he had never mentioned those two words.
"The Academy, or rather the Green Leaf World, is His Holiness the Pope's small world."
Jin Yulu thought of that person's name, and his expression unconsciously turned serious, even somewhat awed. "The Zhou Garden is Zhou Dufu's small world."
Zhou Dufu—the strongest person on the entire continent for the past thousand years.
Whether it was humans, demons, or monsters, or those mysterious tribes living in forbidden lands and dangerous forests, all combined, he was the strongest.
Many years ago, he drifted away and was never heard from again. Many believed he was dead; many thought he had gone to another world. In any case, he left and never returned, leaving behind only a small world.
That small world was the Zhou Garden.
(Still holding strong.)