Outside the Lin Manor, the carriage came to a stop.
Chen Sheng straightened his robes and stepped down.
After the gatekeeper announced him, it wasn't long before the sound of footsteps echoed from within the manor.
A full-bearded, portly County Magistrate Lin Shou emerged first, accompanied by a beautiful noblewoman in splendid dress with fair skin and a voluptuous figure.
Without need for introduction, Chen Sheng had already guessed the identity of this beautiful woman—the Magistrate's wife, and also the legitimate daughter of the Yang Family.
He quickly stepped forward two paces and bowed in salute, his posture respectful yet dignified:
"This subordinate, Chen Sheng, pays his respects to Your Excellency the Magistrate, and to Madam."
"Commander Chen need not be so formal."
Lin Shou sized him up with a smile, his gaze appraising. Yet there was no anger stemming from their previous conflict; instead, an inexplicable amiability shone through, as if he rather appreciated this young commander.
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Chen Sheng straightened up, his expression calm.
Lin Shou turned to the wife at his side, his tone cooling somewhat:
"Madam, this official still has urgent affairs to attend to at the yamen. Take Commander Chen into the manor to meet the young ladies of the Yang Family. Commander Chen is a talented young man—you must not slight him."
"Rest assured, my lord. I understand."
Madam Yang dipped slightly, maintaining a proper yet somewhat perfunctory smile.
Chen Sheng keenly perceived the faint estrangement between the couple, but he immediately suppressed the irrelevant thought. What did the grievances of a great household have to do with him?
Lin Shou nodded and said no more. Under the escort of his guards, he boarded another carriage and departed directly.
"Commander Chen, please follow me into the manor."
Madam Yang turned back, her smile becoming lively once more. Her gaze lingered on Chen Sheng's tall, straight figure and handsome features, carrying undisguised appreciation.
"Madam, after you."
Chen Sheng shifted slightly aside, his posture impeccable.
At the county magistrate's residence, he naturally wouldn't lose his composure.
Madam Yang covered her lips with a light laugh and stopped declining, turning to walk gracefully forward.
Her figure was voluptuous. As her waist swayed, her rounded curves exuded a unique charm belonging to a mature woman, like a ripe peach emitting an aura that invited exploration.
Chen Sheng subconsciously glanced, then quickly collected his thoughts, lowering his gaze and focusing his mind.
The Magistrate's wife... this wasn't someone he could afford to touch.
At least, not now.
"Commander Chen is a pillar of the military, young and accomplished. I and the Yang Family naturally wouldn't try to fool you with mediocre beauties."
Madam Yang said softly as she led the way, "The young ladies of the Yang Family invited here today are all of the highest caliber in appearance, talent, and character. There will certainly be one who satisfies you."
"Madam overpraises. This Chen is merely a martial man, a crude fellow—how would I know how to be picky?" Chen Sheng's tone was mild, carrying a hint of self-mockery. Then his words shifted, carrying some sincerity: "Speaking truthfully, if I could find someone with even thirty or fifty percent of Madam's grace, this Chen would be fully satisfied."
His words were not entirely false. A marriage alliance was a matter of expediency; appearance was not the priority.
Unexpectedly, when Madam Yang heard this, her footsteps faltered almost imperceptibly. She turned her head to glance at him, a strange light flashing in her flowing gaze. She then shook her head lightly, her tone carrying a trace of self-pity:
"Commander Chen jests. I have already aged and faded—what grace is there left to speak of?"
Chen Sheng smiled and did not continue the topic.
His previous words had already bordered on overstepping. To go deeper would inevitably invite wild thoughts and unnecessary trouble.
Seeing him thus, an almost imperceptible trace of disappointment flashed through Madam Yang's eyes, so she smoothly shifted the topic and began introducing the scenery of the manor instead.
Walking to the outside of a garden full of blooming flowers, one could faintly hear the clear laughter of women.
Madam Yang stopped and, pointing at several beautiful figures in the garden, said with a smile:
"Commander Chen, please look. They are all there. Which one does the commander favor?"
Chen Sheng stepped forward as requested, his gaze sweeping over several women of marriageable age in the garden.
Honestly speaking, the appearances of these Yang Family women were all pretty and pleasant, but they largely fit the mold of ordinary noblewomen, without any particularly stunning quality.
He even had the absurd thought of "can I choose a different batch," which he then snuffed out self-mockingly.
Just as he was about to casually point out one person to complete this perfunctory task, a woman in white who had been facing away from him happened to turn around at that moment.
One could see her eyebrows were like distant ink-wash, her eyes like autumn waters, her skin surpassing snow, her temperament cold and elegant with a hint of grace. Her appearance was indeed the most outstanding among those present.
Chen Sheng's gaze focused slightly. He already had a plan and said softly:
"That young lady in white—might I ask who she is?"
Madam Yang followed his gaze, and her expression immediately became somewhat subtle. Hesitating a moment, she finally said in a low voice:
"Commander Chen, that is Xueyao... She... she was once Gao Qiheng's fiancée. She came to the manor for a short stay to clear her mind. Commander, why not... take another look at the other young ladies?"
She inwardly cried out in misery. How could it be such a coincidence? Having killed her fiancé, in the blink of an eye he takes a liking to the bereaved? This Commander Chen's taste is really too...
"Oh? Gao Qiheng's fiancée?"
Hearing this, Chen Sheng didn't retreat at all. Instead, astonishing brilliance suddenly erupted in his eyes:
"No, no need to change. It's her!"
If his previous choice of Yang Xueyao was solely due to her outstanding appearance, then after learning her identity, this woman's value in Chen Sheng's heart had become completely different.
He didn't have too many unusual fetishes; rather, he instantly saw the enormous room for exploitation within—just imagine, if the Gao Family learned that while the bones of their deceased direct descendant were still cold, his fiancée was about to form a marriage alliance with their enemy, how would they react?
This was undoubtedly a soft knife thrust into the Gao Family's heart, and even more so, an excellent catalyst to drive a wedge between the three great families!
"This... I'm afraid this is somewhat inappropriate?"
Madam Yang showed a difficult expression. Looking at Chen Sheng's increasingly bright eyes, the feeling that something was wrong grew stronger in her heart. An unspeakable thought uncontrollably popped up:
Could it be that this Commander Chen actually has a taste for... married women? If so, then earlier when she herself...
She didn't dare think further. Her cheeks grew slightly warm, and she hurriedly dispelled these absurd thoughts.
"What is inappropriate?"
Chen Sheng's tone was firm and decisive: "A fiancée ultimately hasn't passed through the door; she isn't a true wife. Now that Gao Qiheng is dead, the marriage agreement is naturally void. Miss Yang is a free woman.
If the Yang Family intends an alliance, this Chen feels Miss Yang is the most suitable candidate."
He deliberately emphasized the word "alliance," throwing the choice back to the Yang Family.
Madam Yang looked at Chen Sheng with a complicated expression. After a long silence, she finally sighed and instructed the maid at her side in a low voice.
The maid quickly walked into the garden. Before long, she led that woman in white—Yang Xueyao—over with graceful, delicate steps.
"Aunt, you seek me?"
Yang Xueyao's voice was soft, carrying some doubt. Her gaze swept past Chen Sheng. Seeing his extraordinary bearing and that her aunt was personally accompanying him, she knew in her heart he was no ordinary figure, so she nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"Xueyao, come, meet Commander Chen Sheng."
Madam Yang introduced, her tone carrying a trace of barely perceptible tension.
"This young lady greets Commander Ch—"
Yang Xueyao bowed according to etiquette, but halfway through her words, she suddenly stopped.
Commander Chen? In Changshan County, there seemed to be only one commander surnamed Chen... the murderer who had killed her fiancé Gao Qiheng in the street!
At this thought, her delicate body trembled slightly. She suddenly raised her head, a pair of beautiful eyes looking at Chen Sheng in disbelief. Emotions surged in her eyes—shock, fear, resentment, and a trace of helpless confusion intertwined, complex beyond words.
"Miss Yang is courteous."
Chen Sheng's expression was calm, a faint smile on his face, as if completely unaware of her violently fluctuating emotions.
"Xueyao," Madam Yang took a deep breath, knowing she could no longer avoid this. She had to steel herself and speak: "The reason for inviting you all here today is actually regarding the matter of a marriage alliance between the Yang Family and Commander Chen. Just now, Commander Chen... formed an excellent impression of you. What do you think?"
These words exploded like a thunderclap.
Yang Xueyao was completely stunned on the spot, her pretty face instantly losing all color, becoming pale as paper.
She had known Gao Qiheng for years. While it couldn't be called soul-deep, they had shared some affection. Her fiancé had just died, his bones still cold, yet in the blink of an eye the family was going to betroth her to her husband's murderer?
How could she accept this?
"Aunt, I..." Her lips parted slightly, her voice carrying a tremor, her resistance obvious.
However, before she could finish, Madam Yang interrupted, her tone carrying an unquestionable meaning:
"Enough, this matter is tentatively settled for now. You go back first. As for the specifics, your uncle will have his own considerations."
Yang Xueyao bit her lower lip. She looked at Chen Sheng, whose expression was calm but whose gaze was sharp, then looked at her aunt with a forceful attitude. The grievance and resentment filling her chest could only transform into a bitter whisper:
"Yes... Aunt."
She looked deeply at Chen Sheng, that gaze so complex it was heart-trembling, then turned and left with somewhat unsteady steps.
From beginning to end, Chen Sheng wore a faint, indistinct smile, calmly watching everything from the sidelines.
Watching Yang Xueyao's stricken back, he didn't feel the slightest guilt. Instead, he felt this matter... was getting more and more interesting.