“I’m also acting on someone’s request. You should know how many sons the Lu family has. That Lu Yuanpeng… although he was a dissolute wastrel in the capital before, thankfully, after joining the Bai Family Army, not only has he repeatedly achieved military merits, but he’s also deeply favored by His Majesty!” Lu Jin smiled warmly as he praised Lu Yuanpeng. “I heard that the Third Madam of Chancellor Lu’s family… that is, Lu Yuanpeng’s mother, saw your eldest daughter at Imperial Teacher Tan’s birthday banquet and found her extremely demure and gentle. She felt she would complement perfectly with the Lu family’s lively grandson perfectly. So… Chancellor Lu, seeing that you and I can exchange a few words on ordinary days, asked me to come and sound out your thoughts.”

Wei Bugong’s daughter was the legitimate eldest daughter of the family. In just over a month, she would reach the age of the hairpin ceremony. Indeed, as the Lu family’s Third Madam had said, their eldest daughter was extremely demure with a steady temperament. Perhaps because she was the legitimate eldest sister, she commanded considerable authority among her younger siblings.

Although this Lu Yuanpeng was a wastrel, he was ultimately Chancellor Lu’s legitimate grandson—the sixth young master of the Lu family!

This Minister Wei Bugong had been promoted exceptionally by His Majesty. Speaking of family background… theirs was leagues behind the Lu family—no match for the Lu family!

Seeing that Wei Bugong hadn’t yet recovered from his shock, Lu Jin could guess what Wei Bugong was thinking. After all, Wei Bugong had never been one to seek connections above his station, which was precisely why Chancellor Lu valued Wei Bugong.

“After you return home, discuss this matter thoroughly with your wife. Another day, I’ll have my wife visit to meet with her. Whatever decision you and your wife make will be fine. Chancellor Lu said… he knows his young grandson’s reputation wasn’t good before, and he also wants to ask the child’s own opinion. He doesn’t want to create a resentful couple through parental arrangement and matchmaking—that would be his fault!” Lu Jin smiled as he tactfully concluded his words.

Chancellor Lu’s meaning was very clear: this marriage would only count if not only Wei Bugong agreed, but also Wei Bugong’s legitimate eldest daughter consented.

“But this… I heard that the fourth and fifth young masters of Chancellor Lu’s family haven’t had marriages arranged yet. How could they skip over these two young masters to plan marriage for the youngest?” After speaking, Wei Bugong thought of the most outstanding Lu Yuanqing, Lu Fourth Young Master of the Lu family, and fearing Lu Jin might misunderstand that he wanted to curry favor with Lu Yuanqing, he quickly said, “I don’t mean to curry favor with Lu Yuanqing, just… find it rather strange.”

“How could I not know your character!” Lu Jin pulled his cloak tighter and sighed. “That Lu Yuanqing naturally needs no mention. Although the fifth young master is a concubine’s son, he never causes trouble or stands out in the capital. Only this Lu Yuanpeng… has been worrying Chancellor Lu sick! Naturally, Chancellor Lu pays him more attention!”

Wei Bugong nodded. “I’m grateful that Chancellor Lu doesn’t look down on our Wei family’s humble status. I’ll go back and ask my wife and daughter’s opinions.”

Hearing this, Lu Jin smiled broadly, cupped his hands toward Wei Bugong, and lowered his voice: “If this matter succeeds, Minister Wei mustn’t forget Lu’s matchmaking wine!”

Ever since Prince Gaoyi Bai Jinzhi returned with the Bai Family Army, the Bai family’s Third Madam Lady Li began secretly arranging Prince Gaoyi Bai Jinzhi’s marriage. Other families also began arranging marriages for their children.

Chancellor Lu knew that Lu Yuanqing’s marriage was no worry. The concubine’s son’s marriage… he heard there were already prospects. Naturally, Chancellor Lu wanted to show favoritism to his youngest legitimate grandson, Lu Yuanpeng. After all, Little Six still had no one interested in him. Compared to his elder brother Lu Yuanqing… the disparity was simply too heartbreaking.

Lu Yuanpeng, still unaware that his grandfather had already arranged his lifelong affair, was currently drinking and boasting with his old group of fair-weather friends from the capital at a wine house. He bragged about how he had slaughtered enemies left and right on the battlefield, how useless those Dongyi people were, and how his hands grew tired from all the chopping on the battlefield.

Naturally, Lu Yuanpeng also didn’t forget to boast about how mighty their His Majesty was and how he planned strategies with divine foresight.

Sima Ping held his wine cup, sitting carelessly leaning against the railing by the open lattice window, watching Lu Yuanpeng inside speaking eloquently like a storyteller. He seemed already slightly intoxicated and couldn’t help thinking about his mother wanting to arrange his marriage…

Sima Ping said verbally that the Sima family’s current situation wasn’t suitable for marriage arrangements—high-ranking families might not look favorably on the Sima family, while his mother probably wouldn’t be willing to consider lower-ranking families.

But his mother said they could seek his uncle’s legitimate second daughter.

Although his uncle’s family wasn’t as well-off as the current Sima family, the legitimate son in the family was accomplished in his studies. He heard he was already a candidate for higher examinations and had nearly become the top candidate in the prefectural examination. His prospects seemed unlimited.

When Sima Ping tried to decline further, his mother began using her usual tactics of crying and making scenes, lecturing Sima Ping about filial piety…

Feeling troubled, Sima Ping drank more than usual today.

“Sima Ping, you tell us if what this Lu Sixth Young Master is saying is true?”

“Right, we trust Sima Ping. This Lu Yuanpeng loves to boast most…”

“Good, good, good!” Lu Yuanpeng put one foot on a chair and shouted at Sima Ping at the top of his voice, “Sima Ping, you tell them! Have I spoken even one false word!”

“Everything you said is correct!” Sima Ping’s smile held both indulgence and resignation…

After all, he could never be with Bai Jinzhi. With Lu Yuanpeng’s personality being with Bai Jinzhi, their future days would probably be happy.

“Sima Ping!”

Hearing someone call his name from downstairs, Sima Ping turned to look down and saw Bai Jinzhi in a cloak sitting on a fine horse, looking up at him with a smile.

Perhaps Sima Ping had indeed drunk too much wine. His movements were languid as he leaned against the vermilion lacquered railing, gazing at Bai Jinzhi’s upturned face with a smile brilliant as a galaxy of stars. He didn’t promptly look away and bow in salute, but instead propped his head with his hand and gazed at Bai Jinzhi: “Did you go up the mountain to see Third Miss Bai?”

Publicly, the Bai family said… after Third Miss Bai’s grandmother passed away, she went to the pure temple in the mountains to pray for the Bai family’s blessings, and because she was injured on the face, she was recuperating in the mountains.

So their young miss still had to maintain the appearance of being in the mountains. On the first and fifteenth of every month, the Bai family would send people up the mountain to deliver necessary supplies. Sima Ping calculated the days and estimated that Bai Jinzhi should have gone to deliver things to Third Miss Bai in the mountains.

“Yes, I got many good things after returning from Dongyi, so I sent some to Third Sister!” Bai Jinzhi looked at Sima Ping’s slightly intoxicated appearance and smiled even more happily, gloating: “Lu Yuanpeng is there too, right! General Cheng gave you the rest days and you came to drink. The Bai Family Army has strict military discipline—you two won’t escape a beating with military punishment rods!”

Lu Yuanpeng and Sima Ping were like inseparable companions—wherever Sima Ping was, Lu Yuanpeng was sure to be there. These two definitely couldn’t escape their beating! Thinking of both of them getting their bottoms beaten bloody again, Bai Jinzhi was delighted!

Lu Yuanpeng heard Bai Jinzhi’s voice and was about to happily come up to greet him, but seeing Bai Jinzhi gloating, his face fell: “Bai Fourth Young Master, don’t go too far!”