Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Why were four of the candidates Han Zhang had screened out previously married?

The reason was simple: people in ancient times married young!

In this era, young ladies and lads typically began seeking marriage partners around thirteen or fourteen, and some even started matchmaking as early as eleven or twelve.

By eighteen, if someone still hadn’t secured a marriage engagement, it was either due to special circumstances causing delays—like mourning periods or broken engagements—

or it meant the girl or lad had serious flaws in personality, health, reputation, and so on.

Thus, based on Han Zhang’s age requirements, it was perfectly normal that most of the remaining candidates were widowers or divorcees.

Han Zhang had no objection to marrying a divorced lad.

Coming from the modern world and having survived the apocalypse, he was highly accepting of this.

Since he had decided to be a kept man, it was only right that his wealthy spouse had some imperfections.

However, those with children from a previous marriage were a no-go.

It wasn’t out of disdain or contempt; it was simply because most parents loved their children and would naturally be biased in the future. He needed a husband who would devote himself wholeheartedly to him.

Since he was marrying for profit, he naturally wanted to maximize his benefits.

Thus, in the end, only three remained: a widower, a divorcee, and an unmarried lad with a bad reputation.

At this point, the final step could be taken.

That was, to consider appearance!

Although he could tolerate many things for the sake of being a kept man, this was ultimately about choosing a partner for most of his life. He still wanted someone whose looks appealed to him.

After all, he had principles; he didn’t plan to abandon his husband the moment he got ahead.

“Alright, I’ll pick from these three!”

And so, Han Zhang went back to climbing over walls.

He had chosen officials of the fourth and fifth ranks, whose households had limited security. With his apocalypse-honed skills and plant powers as cover, sneaking into these mansions was far too easy.

First, the legitimate son of a fourth-rank official at the Court of Judicial Review, a lad who had returned home after being widowed.

—He had a gentle personality, was skilled in managing household affairs, and was filial to his parents-in-law, but his appearance was merely pleasantly good-looking… a maybe.

Second, a concubine-born son of a vice commissioner of the Office of Transmission, a lad who had returned home after a divorce.

—He was absolutely stunningly beautiful, not only good at managing household affairs but also adept at singing and dancing, a beauty who could make studying more enjoyable. Unfortunately, he was also quite realistic and wanted to climb the social ladder… out of the question.

Third, the legitimate son of a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites, still unmarried.

He had a simple nature, loved to eat and play.

The reason he remained unmarried was due to inner courtyard conflicts. His siblings had repeatedly stolen the fiancés he had already been betrothed to, delaying his marriage.

His character wasn’t seriously flawed, but he had a hot temper. When he couldn’t win an argument, he would resort to whipping people, and he was also a little crybaby—lively, delicate, and prone to tears.

A classic beautiful fool, easy to coax and deceive.

Most importantly… this lad was stunningly good-looking.

His features were picturesque, his bearing extraordinarily graceful.

He fit Han Zhang’s aesthetic entirely.

“Perfect, Shen Qinglan, you’re the one!”

Han Zhang didn’t think twice and cheerfully settled on his choice.

A rich and beautiful husband—how wonderful.

…

Meanwhile.

In the capital.

At the residence of Shen, a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites.

Shen Qinglan, whose marriage had been stolen yet again, was running through the mansion with a whip, chasing someone while crying and throwing a tantrum.

“Shen Qingquan, how could you do this? It was bad enough that those two concubine-born ones from the second and third branches seduced my fiancé—we were already enemies. But you’re my own brother from the same mother, and you’ve come to steal my marriage too…”

“Wah… Three engagements have fallen through in a row, and now I’m the joke of the entire capital. Shen Qingquan, I disown you as my brother!”

Yes, Shen Qinglan’s bad reputation and the fact that he remained unmarried at eighteen were not only due to his bad temper but also because all three of his engagements had been stolen by his siblings seducing his fiancés.

Once or twice, people might sympathize, but three times, outsiders inevitably suspected that something was wrong with him.

Why else would a perfectly good lad be so utterly rejected?

Yet reality was that Shen Qinglan was really being wronged!

Even the finest lady or lad couldn’t withstand men’s fickle hearts. Although his half-brothers and half-sisters were not as good-looking as him, they were gentler in personality, had learned from their concubine mothers how to please men, and were willing to humble themselves.

His first two fiancés were shallow and lustful, so the outcome was predictable.

As for the third fiancé, he truly liked him and had fallen in love with him at first sight, uncaring about reputation when they got engaged.

Unfortunately!

That third fiancé was a sentimental man who pitied the weak.

He liked Shen Qinglan, true, but he also pitied his own brother from the same mother. In the end, he wanted to marry both brothers with equal status.

Proud as Shen Qinglan was, how could he accept such humiliation?

Naturally, he refused on the spot.

With three engagements falling through consecutively, Shen Qinglan had become “infamous” in the capital.

How could he not be angry and aggrieved?

Shen Qingquan, who was being chased and whipped, was equally humiliated and unwilling to accept it.

"Second Brother, ruining your marriage was my fault, but now that things have blown up like this, how can you put all the blame on me?"

"You've already had two engagements fall through; this time you shouldn't have refused the Earl's Heir's offer of a co-wife position, and you certainly shouldn't have stirred up trouble, turning our Shen Mansion into the capital's laughingstock..."

He admitted, he did harbor some secret feelings for the Earl's Heir of Jinyang Manor.

After all, the Earl's Heir was not only of noble status but also had a refined and gentle appearance, with a mild and kind nature—admired by most of the capital's young ladies and lads, and he was no exception.

But he never truly intended to steal his elder brother's fiancé; he only wanted to bury those feelings deep down.

Who would have guessed that the Earl's Heir also felt the same toward him... He couldn't help himself and got involved with the man, and afterward, he was full of regret and guilt toward his brother.

Yet Second Brother was simply too foolish.

If Second Brother hadn't been so impulsive, ignoring the bigger picture by yelling and causing a scene, how could things have turned into such an embarrassing mess?

Thinking of this,

Shen Qingquan looked toward Lady Shen with some resentment, "Mother, will you just watch Second Brother hit me like this? You've always favored him since we were young."

"Quan Geer, how can you speak of your mother like that..."

Lady Shen was deeply hurt by her son's resentment.

Master Shen, however, scolded them.

"That's enough, Lan Geer! How much longer are you going to carry on? Quan Geer is right—if you weren't so foolish, how would things have turned out like this? Domestic shame must not be aired; why couldn't you save your grievances for behind closed doors, instead of making a spectacle of us for everyone to mock?"

"Now look—your marriage is ruined, Quan Geer's reputation is tarnished, and the whole household's honor is gone. And you still have the nerve to throw a tantrum..."

The accusations came one after another, and Master Shen was truly displeased by the shameful exposure.

Lady Shen, more distressed for her son, couldn't help but defend him: "Husband, stop it. Lan Geer has been through this time and again; how can he not feel wronged?"

"Glory or disgrace, it's all tied together! Can he disregard the family's reputation just because he's wronged? A soft mother spoils the child—look at him, a fine young lad constantly wielding a whip. Even without the broken engagements, he'd probably never get married!"

Master Shen was furious, and in his anger, he couldn't hold back his harsh words.

As soon as he said them, he regretted it.

It wasn't that he truly favored the concubine-born children and Fifth Brother, but all three engagements had implications for his own career, and between his career and Lan Geer, he would naturally choose the former.

Still, he did care for Lan Geer, his legitimate son, and didn't want to hurt him too deeply.

But.

Shen Qinglan had already burst into tears, tears streaming down his face in sorrow. "Father..."

Just then,

The second brother closest to Shen Qinglan, Shen Huaizhi, finally arrived.

"Father, it's ridiculous—every time the glory goes to you, and the disgrace falls on Lan Geer!"

"In the first two engagements, Lan Geer already swallowed his pride. Now, after a third time, who could possibly endure it any longer?"

"Father, if you have the ability, go and settle accounts with the Earl's Heir of Jinyang. The reason our family's disgrace spread is because he insisted on enjoying the pleasure of a full household, wanting to marry brothers as co-wives—who can't see the farce in that?"

Shen Huaizhi spoke as he pulled his younger brother behind him protectively.

Finally, someone was fully on his side, and Shen Qinglan couldn't help but cry even harder: "Wuwu, Second Brother, they're all bullying me..."

The two brothers had the closest relationship.

Shen Huaizhi comforted him tenderly: "Don't be afraid, Second Brother will protect you."

As soon as he said this, before Shen Qinglan could be happy,

Master Shen grumbled irritably: "Protect him? You, who can't even recite the Three Character Classic properly, only know how to play with crickets and fight cocks, a wastrel who can't even manage yourself—how dare you say such a thing?"

He and his wife had five legitimate children in total.

Among them were two sons, two young lads, and one daughter.

The eldest son, eldest daughter, and youngest young lad were all clever, bright, and well-mannered.

But the second son and second young lad seemed like genetic anomalies—one was a lazy good-for-nothing who got headaches from reading, and the other was a beautiful but brainless hot-tempered lad.

And of course, these two were the closest, turning into a pair of mischievous demons when together.

Sure enough,

Shen Huaizhi, after being scolded, didn't feel ashamed but instead boasted proudly.

"So what if I'm a wastrel? Though I'm a wastrel, I'm reasonable and know right from wrong. I don't dote on concubines and neglect my wife, and I love my younger brother—I don't sell him out for gain. I'm truly outstanding!"

Master Shen, who was being indirectly criticized, was left speechless.

Shen Qinglan sniffled and nodded in agreement: "Exactly, Second Brother is the best, ten times better than you, Father."

Shen Huaizhi continued: "Anyway, Mother and Father, you need to come up with a plan to compensate Second Brother properly. If Brother Lan is not satisfied, then let's tear this household apart."

Shen Qinglan echoed: "Second Brother is right. If this time doesn't satisfy me, I'd rather never marry. I'll stir up the Shen Mansion into chaos, then go to a temple and live out my days with a lamp and a prayer—at the very least, that's how my life will end!"

The two brothers acted like they couldn't care less about the consequences.

Master Shen was furious.

Lady Shen wiped her tears and pleaded: "Husband, think of the bigger picture. Think of the bigger picture."

The barefoot didn't fear the shod.

In the end, Master Shen had no choice and asked gruffly: "What compensation do you want?"

"Besides following the previous rule and giving me half of Quan Geer's dowry, Father, you also need to compensate me with 10,000 silver taels from your private stash, not from the main treasury."

Shen Qinglan said.

Master Shen thought it over—although it would hurt him financially, it wasn't too unreasonable.

"Fine, take the silver notes, and this matter is settled. No more stirring up trouble from now on."

Shen Qingquan felt a pang of regret over the portion of his dowry being taken away, but he dared not speak up, knowing that ruining his brother's marriage was his fault, leaving him on shaky ground.

Shen Qinglan added: "It's not over yet! Since Father won't stand up for me, then from now on, don't interfere with my marriage—I'll decide it for myself."

"No," Master Shen refused without a second thought.

Marriage was not something a young lad could decide on his own.

Shen Qinglan snorted coldly: "Father, if you're unwilling, fine. Then I won't live anymore. I'll ruin the Shen family's reputation right this instant! So you won't have to saddle me with another loser with your blind eyes."

Master Shen was speechless.

Master Shen, who really had bad eyesight, could only sigh and give in.

"Alright, alright. From now on, your marriage is your own decision. I won't interfere."

And that was that.

The matter ended there.

Only then did Shen Qinglan settle down, finally satisfied.

Master Shen finally breathed a sigh of relief, waved his hand irritably, and warned the servants nearby.

"Everyone, get out of here! If anyone dares to leak a single word of what happened in the residence today, don't blame me for being heartless—I'll sell your whole family into slavery!"

"Yes, Master."

The servants knelt in fear.

Seeing this, Master Shen left, telling his trusted aide to get the banknotes from his private stash.

He failed to notice Madam Shen, Shen Qinglan's mother, who while wiping her tears was exchanging a knowing look with her attendant.

And so, that same night.

The secret stash that Master Shen had carefully hidden for years was discovered by Madam Shen and her sons, Shen Huaizhi and Shen Qinglan, who had prepared ahead and quietly emptied it out.