Chapter 156

Chapter 156

Han Zhang knew nothing about the matter of Qianhu Hong, but even if he did, he wouldn't worry.

Because when it came to winning over a young man like Shao Langzhou—someone raised with every comfort and lacking nothing material—no external condition could compare to good looks and high emotional intelligence.

As for the Han family, other virtues aside, their looks and emotional intelligence were definitely presentable.

With his younger brother's handsome appearance and sharp mind, plus his own "battle-tested" elder brother backing him with advice, if Shao Langzhou, his future brother-in-law, could still be stolen away, then Han Zhang would just have to chalk it up to fate!

So, for the sake of his younger brother's marriage, after arriving in Yunyang Prefecture and resting for two days to settle in, Han Zhang seized the free time before his official post began and promptly brought Shen Qinglan to visit the military encampment.

Of course, the visit was just an excuse.

Han Zhang's main goal in coming was to talk Shao Langzhou into moving into the Han residence, giving his soon-to-arrive younger brother the home-field advantage.

Old General Shao, completely unaware of the young man's "sinister intentions," received the couple warmly when they came to visit.

After some small talk to break the ice,

Han Zhang finally got to the point: "...Old General Shao, besides thanking you for the escort earlier, I also have a bold request I hope you'll consider."

"Oh? What request? Lord Han, speak freely."

Old General Shao didn't seem bothered by the request and cheerfully told him to go on.

After all, if it was something he couldn't do, the old man could simply refuse outright—he didn't know Han Zhang well enough to feel awkward about refusing.

Seeing the old man was being so straightforward, Han Zhang didn't stand on ceremony and said frankly:

"I won't beat around the bush, General. I've just arrived in Yunyang and plan to clean up the local government, but I'm afraid of stirring up the deeply rooted powers here and bringing trouble on myself."

"I'm not worried about my own safety, but my husband recently found out he's pregnant. With everything at home up in the air and his first pregnancy, he can't help feeling anxious."

"I know Young Master Shao grew up in the military, that he's skilled in martial arts, has an upright character, and is thorough in everything he does... So I humbly ask—might the young master be willing to move into my home for a time?"

"First, he could protect Qinglan from any trouble; second, he could keep Qinglan company and help ease his anxiety during the pregnancy."

"I know this is sudden, but since I'm new here, I don't have many people I can trust. The young master is of noble character and highly skilled. And since he's a young man like my husband, it would be easy for them to spend time together closely. He's truly the best choice right now."

"I beg you to consider it, General. I'll never forget this kindness."

Han Zhang stood up and clasped his hands in a sincere plea.

Shen Qinglan also tugged at Shao Langzhou's sleeve, looking at him with hopeful eyes:

"Zhou Ge'er, please, just say yes! I just got here and you're the only person I know. Now that I'm pregnant, my husband won't let me go out on my own, and I'm so bored at home."

"Come keep me company! I'll have a troupe put on a play for you—a play... well, it's a new kind of opera, and it's really good!"

"And the storytellers I brought—they tell stories you've definitely never heard before! I'll also have the cook make you delicious snacks every day—ones you've never even tried!"

"Zhou Ge'er, won't you come stay at our place?"

Though Shao Langzhou had spent years in the military and loved martial arts, he was still young at heart and curious about new things.

Add to that Hong Liyong's constant pestering, which drove him crazy—if he could stay at the Han residence for a while, he could both escape the nuisance and keep company with his good friend Qinglan gege. It was truly the best of both worlds.

His eyes lit up right away, and he looked at Old General Shao with pleading eyes: "Grandfather..."

"But..."

Old General Shao's heart softened at his grandson's hopeful look, but he still worried about the boy's safety.

Even though Zhou Ge'er was extremely skilled in martial arts, he was still young. The old man was uneasy about letting him go out alone—this was his only grandson, after all.

Seeing the old man's concern, Han Zhang pressed on: "General, I've already made sure the household is well-guarded. Inviting the young master over is mainly to find a good companion for my husband..."

"Besides... I hear the young master is at the age for marriage talks. Having grown up long in the military camp, he may be unfamiliar with running a household."

Hearing this, Old General Shao went quiet: "..."

Because his sons and grandsons had all died in battle, one after another, most of them before they ever got married. Those who had married into the family had either remarried and left, or—if their bonds had been deep—had followed their spouses in death or wasted away from grief.

Zhou Ge'er's own mother had died giving birth to him. His father refused to remarry, and with no women or young men in the household to care for him, the old general couldn't stand the thought of leaving the boy in the capital with only servants to look after him. So he'd had no choice but to bring his grandson with him to grow up in the military camp.

How could a rough old soldier like him think about teaching the boy how to run a household? So it seemed his Zhou Ge'er really didn't know much about running a household!

Han Zhang had expected this reaction, because he'd already done his homework on the Shao family while he was in the capital.

He immediately clasped his hands and said: "If the General doesn't mind, my husband is quite good at this sort of thing and could offer some pointers."

Hearing this, Old General Shao, for the sake of his grandson's future, finally nodded: "Since Lord Han thinks so highly of this little rascal of mine, I'll let him go bother you for a while."

Then he turned and instructed: "Zhou Ge'er, once at the Han residence, you need to watch what you say and do. Follow Lord Han and Master Han's arrangements, and don't be as willful as you are in camp."

"Grandfather, don't worry—I understand..."

Shao Langzhou immediately straightened up, barely able to hide his excitement.

He could finally shake off that clingy pest, Hong Liyong.

And so it was settled.

Shao Langzhou went back to his tent, packed a few clothes and his weapons, and that very afternoon headed back to Yunyang city with the Han couple.

By the time Hong Liyong found out, they were already long gone.

His face turned green with rage!

He had painstakingly cultivated an image of simple, devoted affection, bowing and scraping before Old General Shao. The rumors had already spread—most of his colleagues in camp assumed he and Shao Langzhou were about to get engaged, just waiting for the old general's final say-so.

Who could have predicted this guy coming out of nowhere and Han Zhang snatching the boy away!

Hong Liyong was furious and refused to accept it.

But for the moment, there was nothing he could do—he couldn't very well chase after them to the Han residence and drag the boy back, could he?

In his heart, he thought of Shao Langzhou as his, but that was just his private feeling. Publicly, the boy had no connection to him at all.

Old General Shao was still alive. Spreading those vague rumors about him and Shao Langzhou had already been the most he dared do. Any other sneaky moves, even if he wanted to, he didn't dare try.

"Damn it... that two-timing little tramp!"

In the end, Hong Liyong, unable to come up with a solution, could only fume helplessly.

...

Meanwhile.

Shao Langzhou followed the married couple, Han Zhang and Shen Qinglan, to the prefectural city and settled into life with the Han family quite smoothly.

Although they currently resided in the government office compound, which was only so-so in both size and layout—nowhere near comparable to the grand mansion they had purchased—

Shao Langzhou had grown up in a military camp and wasn't fussy about material things, so he didn't mind in the least.

He'd chosen to stay at the Han residence for two reasons: first, to escape Hong Liyong's relentless pestering, and second, because he and Shen Qinglan hit it off and got along great.

During the previous half-month of travel, they'd been too tired from the journey to really talk much.

Now that they had free time, the two young lads got together and found they had endless things to talk about!

Shao Langzhou told Shen Qinglan all about life in the military camp and his brave deeds on the battlefield with his grandfather, which made Shen Qinglan cry out in envy and awe;

In turn, Shen Qinglan shared gossip about the noble ladies and young lords of the capital, stories about fancy food, fun outings, and all the latest entertainment, and recounted his and Han Zhang's "love story," which had Shao Langzhou totally hooked...

This time, Han Zhang hadn't planned any of it!

Rather, the two got to talking and somehow ended up on the subject of Chang Gongjun's forced marriage proposal. Shao Langzhou grew curious and asked, and Shen Qinglan, who loved to show off, was happy to spill the story.

Of course, given that the couple had originally pledged themselves to each other in secret, he'd definitely spiced up the details of their love story.

So the version Shao Langzhou heard went something like this:

"...My husband and I fell in love at first sight! At the time, I was dressed as a man, pretending to be a guy, but he was into me from the very first glance. He even made a point of coming to my bookshop to write his stories, just to see me more!"

"...Our second meeting was at the temple fair! By then, my husband was crazy missing me. He was overjoyed to see me again, and he even entered the lantern riddle contest for my sake, won first place, and gave me the prize!"

"I was so happy that I swore brotherhood with him on the spot, and from that day on, we interacted as sworn brothers."

"Later, he confessed his feelings to me, saying he didn't care that I was a 'servant's son,' and was even willing to throw away his future to be with me as a sworn partner."

"My husband is exceptionally talented and handsome... I, of course, was moved as well, so I came clean and told him I was actually a young lad, and we agreed he'd come ask for my hand once he passed the imperial exams with flying colors."

"However, before that time could come, my mother and I encountered a pack of wolves on our way to offer incense. My husband stepped forward to save us and was gravely wounded, hovering at death's door..."

"We had vowed to stand by each other through life and death, so how could I bear to see him leave while I went on living and married another? I begged my mother to betroth us. Fortunately, heaven took pity, and my husband ultimately recovered..."

"At first, everyone looked down on our marriage, saying I had married beneath myself to a poor scholar and would surely suffer hardship, and that once he rose to prominence, he would certainly betray me."

"But I didn't care! Who can predict the future? 'Easy to find priceless treasures, hard to find a devoted lover.' Since my husband treated me with sincerity, I was willing to stake my entire life on him. Even if the outcome were less than ideal, I would never regret it."

"Time has proven I chose well—my husband has remained constant to me, and my in-laws have been nothing but considerate. Even when Chang Gongjun tried to force a marriage, my husband never wavered in his devotion... He'd rather abandon his career than betray me."

"As they say, 'good things come to those who wait.' Fortunately, I refused to settle during those three broken engagements back then, or I would never have been able to wait for the day I met my husband!"

Shen Qinglan delivered this lovesick monologue, brimming with happiness.

Shao Langzhou, who had grown up with the example of his uncle and aunt who died for love, was successfully led astray, finding Shen Qinglan's words deeply resonant and aspirational.

What is love, that it drives people to pledge life and death to each other?

He, too, wanted to find a husband as handsome as Lord Han, one who shared a mutual affection with him!