Chapter 112

 After the Cannon Fodder Top Turns to Farming, He Gets a Happy Ending with the Aloof Protagonist (Transmigration)

At the Qionglin Banquet—personally hosted by the Emperor of Great Ning for the newly successful imperial scholars—Jiang Baiye, a commoner with no official rank, was invited to attend. It was an unprecedented move that sparked heated discussion throughout the imperial court.

"His Majesty is clearly still brooding over that incident from years ago; he’s doing this deliberately to send a message to certain people."

"I heard that the beloved partner of the late Emperor Hongwen died after being hounded by the vitriolic condemnation of those very people. Emperor Hongwen eventually went mad and took his own life out of grief, leaving behind the law that permits marriage between men." Jiang Baiye looked at the imperial decree Lu Lizhi had brought back, his heart stirred once again.

"Otherwise, I’d have to follow you into death out of love, too."

Lu Lizhi glared at him. "I certainly weighed the consequences carefully before doing this. The various special exceptions His Majesty made for me, along with the contents of the secret documents he bestowed upon me, made me sense a deeply hidden intention."

He seemed to see a reflection of himself—someone fulfilling the dying wish of a beloved father, though that ruler faced far more constraints beyond his own control.

"So, this 'reckless' act was actually meant to set a precedent; His Majesty will surely value you even more highly from now on." Jiang Baiye grasped the underlying implications. "Alright then, Lu Lizhi—do you actually want to marry me or not?"

Lu Lizhi ignored him completely. "Let's go!"

A faint flush of red lingered behind his ears.

Jiang Baiye smiled and hurriedly followed after him. "Wait, let me get a good look at our top scholar—and the top scholar's husband, too."

Madam He walked over, beaming from ear to ear. She looked them over and brushed off their clothes. "You both look splendid. Off you go!"

The two of them happily boarded the carriage sent by the palace. While others might have assumed Jiang Baiye would be feeling awkward or anxious, he was actually busy fantasizing with Lu Lizhi about the delicacies they were about to enjoy.

"You have to take me along to these kinds of banquets from now on. Once they get used to seeing my face, they’ll eventually find me less of an eyesore." Jiang Baiye wasn't afraid of a few cold words; besides, it wouldn't stop him from enjoying the fine food and drink.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a bit clingy?"

"You look so good—I have to keep a close eye on you!"

Lu Lizhi’s eyes sparkled, filled with a warm, smiling light. "Then tonight, you can look to your heart's content."

Jiang Baiye: "..."

At the Qionglin Banquet, Jiang Baiye also spotted the imperial consort who had recovered thanks to the medicinal formula he had provided; this was, after all, one of the reasons the Emperor of Da Ning had invited him. Upon hearing this, the crowd was astonished: "That miraculous prescription actually came from *him*?"

"Don't forget, Huichuntang rose to prominence rapidly thanks to that very remedy; I hear this man is one of Huichuntang's proprietors."

Public goodwill toward Huichuntang had been steadily growing over time. Meanwhile, many officials who had previously patronized Shanyitang began to feel uneasy after seeing two of that rival clinic's physicians make serious blunders in succession.

After all, who would dare gamble with their own life?

"When you really think about it, the presence of Jichun Pharmaceutical Workshop has quietly woven itself into every aspect of our daily lives."

In this day and age, everyone falls ill at some point—whether with a minor ailment or a serious sickness—and Dr. Pang’s arrival propelled Huichuntang’s reputation to new heights.

While Huichuntang might still lack the deep-rooted heritage required to be called the absolute number-one medical establishment in the Great Ning Dynasty, its popularity and word-of-mouth reputation were certainly second to none.

As the crowd chatted, the cultural performances—featuring scholars, traditional music, and dance—proceeded smoothly on stage. Jiang Baiye had been watching with a smile for only a moment when he felt a sharp pinch on his thigh.

"Is it a good show?"

"Er..."

"How about I dance for you when we get home?"

Tu Huan, listening nearby, was speechless: *What kind of outrageous thing is that to say?*

Jiang Baiye immediately adopted a posture of pious concentration, fixing his gaze strictly on his own nose and heart, not daring to let his eyes wander. Seeing him look like such a timid, "pretty-boy" pushover, someone nearby snorted with laughter. “So *this* is the man our top scholar—the *Zhuangyuan*—was so desperate to marry that he specifically petitioned the Emperor for a decree? Hah, I wonder what was going through his mind; the man is just a merchant.”

“A merchant, sure—but just see if *you* can manage to never get sick.”

“Exactly. I seem to recall someone saying not long ago that medicine prices had dropped significantly, allowing them to buy better quality medicine for their elderly father,” Yi Ziyun chimed in supportively.

Just then, a performance by a scholar in green robes concluded. During the brief lull, the Emperor of Da Ning offered some words of encouragement and once again brought up the subject of Jiang Baiye.

“I hear that medicine prices across Da Ning have dropped by twenty to thirty percent compared to a few years ago. Officials in many regions report that more and more of our people can now afford medical treatment.”

As soon as he said this, the crowd erupted in flattery; some even began composing impromptu poems praising His Majesty as an enlightened ruler of a golden age.

The Emperor’s ears grew weary of the constant praise—this year’s batch of successful scholars seemed particularly prone to gushing—so he hurriedly changed the subject to Xian Zhuang.

“I’ve heard Qishan speak of it; it’s said to be an intriguing place with many delicacies I’ve never even heard of. I wonder when I might find the time—I’d certainly like to go and see it for myself!”

Upon hearing this, the crowd began to whisper amongst themselves: “Xian Zhuang? What kind of place is that?”

“If Master Qishan is there and speaks so highly of it, it must be something special!”

Jiang Baiye’s eyes lit up at the thought—this was essentially a massive, free advertisement. He quickly rose to offer a few words of acknowledgment.

Listening from below, many in the crowd felt a sudden, eager urge to visit the place themselves. They had all visited the place and missed it dearly, so naturally, they praised it highly.

"I even heard that some people went there seeking medical treatment and ended up not wanting to leave."

That settled it—given the chance, they would certainly have to take their families to see it. Jiang Baiye had thoroughly whetted their appetites, especially with mentions of things they had never even heard of before.

The Emperor of Da Ning mused to himself that Jiang Baiye was truly a cunning merchant; he wondered how his newly favored official—a man so aloof and pragmatic—had come to fancy such a person.

At that moment, Lu Lizhi’s gaze was fixed affectionately on Jiang Baiye—an ardent, joyful look that went unnoticed by anyone else.

Once Jiang Baiye sat down, looking completely composed and unruffled, Lu Lizhi lowered his voice and said, "I’ve realized there isn't a single situation you can't handle."

"Is that so? Do you admire your husband?"

Lu Lizhi gave him a playful, reproachful look. "You even dared to bluff His Majesty; I’ve never heard of some of the things you mentioned."

Jiang Baiye chuckled. "I’ll just make them a reality later. Besides, you’re there to back me up, so what is there to fear?"

"That makes sense."

Tu Huanwen wished he could switch seats; the lovey-dovey atmosphere was nauseating—someone save him! Song Haocheng, sitting opposite, saw that he looked like he was on pins and needles and cast a sympathetic glance his way. Then, looking at the hitherto silent Lu Qingchuan, he thought to himself: *Here is someone no less impressive than Lu Lizhi; young in years, yet remarkably poised and mature.*

From his observations so far, the young man seemed to harbor no ill will toward Lu Lizhi.

The Emperor of Great Ning had also shown him special regard; in the Emperor's view, Lu Qingchuan’s literary talent was on par with Lu Lizhi’s. Setting aside personal bias, it would truly be a difficult choice between the two.

Lu Lizhi was well aware that Lu Qingchuan had recently been under immense pressure from the Lu clan. Not only had he failed to secure the top spot in the imperial examinations, but the very person—Lu Lizhi—whose actions had caused the reputation of the Jiangyi Lu family to plummet was the one who had achieved the rare feat of winning first place in all three stages of the exams.

Just as Lu Lizhi pursed his lips, Jiang Baiye turned slightly to offer him a toast. "You’re welcome to visit Xian Zhuang sometime—bring plenty of people along."

Lu Qingchuan was taken aback; then, glancing at Lu Lizhi, he immediately raised his cup. "Splendid. It sounds like such an interesting place; I imagine my grandfather would be quite intrigued as well."

As he spoke, he cast a meaningful look at Lu Lizhi.

Lu Lizhi remained impassive.

Jiang Baiye whispered—loudly enough for others to hear—"How much money do you think I should fleece them for?"

Lu Lizhi couldn't keep a straight face and chuckled. "The more, the better, of course!"

Lu Qingchuan... couldn't help but smile as well. The entire Qionglin Banquet proceeded in a remarkably harmonious atmosphere—though Jiang Baiye did drink a bit too much. Of course, amidst the endless socializing and hobnobbing that kept others too busy to eat, the couple actually managed to sample a wide variety of dishes; notably, they rarely served themselves, preferring instead to place choice morsels onto each other's plates.

Tai Song had deliberately kept his distance, yet watching this display made his eye twitch involuntarily; he felt as though his luck had simply run dry.

"When you eventually take office, don't forget to give him a hard time." Jiang Baiye said this because Tai Song harbored such deep-seated prejudice; should he ever try to make things difficult for Li Zhi in the future, Li Zhi need not hold back.

"Rest assured." Tai Song aspired to join the Grand Secretariat, after all—so it remained to be seen who would make it there first.

Lu Li Zhi smiled gently at him and raised his cup in a distant toast; sensing a blazing fighting spirit in that gesture, Tai Song merely snorted.

Why had he ever considered taking the young man on as a student? Thank goodness it never happened—otherwise, the lad would have done nothing but give him endless aggravation!

And yet, Tai Song mused, had the young man truly become his student, he would have felt compelled to set him straight—perhaps by finding an outstanding young lady of noble birth in the capital; surely, he wouldn't be able to resist that!

"What a waste of such promising talent," he remarked to the group of veteran court officials beside him. Had Tai Song realized that these were the very people the Emperor of Danning least wished to see at that moment, he might have exercised a bit more caution. Unfortunately, His Majesty was adept at masking his emotions; only when witnessing the interaction between Lu Lizhi and Jiang Baiye did a look of wistful longing briefly cross his face.

"Your Majesty..." The woman beside him gently patted the back of his hand, offering silent comfort.

While the Qionglin Banquet was in full swing—celebrating a future bright with promise—news of Lu Lizhi’s historic triple-crown victory in the imperial examinations inadvertently reached the ears of Jiang Yueming, who lay in the cold, pitch-black depths of the Grand Court of Revision’s prison.

He coughed up blood as he listened to others speak of how cheap and effective Jichun’s medicines were, how prestigious Huichuntang had become, and how Jiang Baiye had risen to prominence—even attracting a marriage proposal from the new top scholar. Ultimately, he breathed his last and collapsed, dying with his eyes wide open.

"A prisoner here has died of illness!"

"What bad luck. Drag the body to the mass grave."

As for Physician Hu—who had been imprisoned and completely forgotten for so long—he had long since lost his mind, unable to accept reality due to his own arrogance.

As the night deepened, Lu Lizhi wrung out a damp towel and wiped down the drunken Jiang Baiye, paying special attention to the area he intended to use shortly.

His cheeks burned hot, yet he was filled with affection. "It’s up to you to give us a second little one."

Seeing that Jiang Baiye remained in a hazy, drunken stupor after the cleanup, he simply climbed on top, ready to take the initiative himself. At a critical moment, Jiang Baiye regained a bit of sobriety and steadied him. "Has no one ever told you that you shouldn't try to conceive after drinking?"

Seeing his disbelief, Jiang Baiye added, "Drinking affects... um, quality. It makes it easy to end up with a fool for a child."

Lu Lizhi was startled and hurriedly tried to climb down. Jiang Baiye, amused and exasperated, turned and pinned him down. "What do you take me for, Lu Lizhi? A baby-making machine?"

"You're being fierce." A drunken man could be a bit frightening, yet—aside from the issue of childbearing—Lu Lizhi actually quite liked it when he was this fierce in bed.

"Be reasonable. Aren't you satisfied with having Jiaojiao? You're about to take up your official post; pregnancy would be inconvenient, and childbirth carries huge risks. Do you want to make me cry again?"

Lu Lizhi’s heart warmed instantly at the mention of Jiang Baiye’s tears—tears from a man who never cried and refused to admit to it.

As he spoke his thoughts aloud, Lu Lizhi curled his fingers slightly. "I wanted to have one that bears your surname..."

Jiang Baiye nearly blurted out, "Fine, let's have one—I'll have one with you right now."

"Father and Mother have been so good to me; I couldn't let your family line end with us."

"You didn't think that way before."

"I didn't know it was possible back then. Now that there's a chance... it would give Jiaojiao a companion, and I also want to use the kids to get a bit of payback on my behalf."

"'Kids'?" Jiang Baiye took a sharp breath, his voice rising in surprise. Lu Lizhi nodded shyly. "Just think—if we raise our little ones well and grow our clan, what would the Jiang and Lu families matter then?"

Well, well—he certainly lived up to his reputation as a man. "We'd need a whole brood for that, wouldn't we?"

"That makes sense."

Jiang Baiye: "..."

"No, I'm drunk; let's save it for another day."

"As long as *it* works, that's all that matters." Lu Lizhi began to entwine himself with Jiang Baiye; the bed creaked and groaned, struggling to withstand the strain before things had even truly begun.

At the last moment, however, Lu Lizhi grew apprehensive. Blushing, he whispered, "Keep it down—Father and Mother are right next door."

"Regretting it now?" Despite the words, Jiang Baiye had no intention of going all the way; instead, he planted kisses on Lu Lizhi’s lips, which were flushed a deep, blood-red.

Lu Lizhi let out a soft hum. Steeped in the scent of alcohol on Jiang Baiye’s breath—a mix of mild aversion and intoxicating allure—he felt his head spin. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.

When he woke the next morning, Jiang Baiye was no longer by his side.

Jiang Baiye was busy making preparations for their wedding—something Lu Lizhi was still unaware of. Now that the necessary formalities in the capital were complete, the newly appointed Hanlin scholars had been granted a two-month leave.

Their triumphant return to their hometown would also mark the day they tied the knot. @Unlimited Great Stories, All at Jinjiang Literature City

Lu Lizhi never imagined that Jiang Baiye's wedding procession would travel all the way from the capital to Xuanhe Prefecture with drums and gongs.

The wedding procession, stretching for several miles, passed through countless places, a truly high-profile and extravagant affair!

Dressed in wedding attire, holding his already heavy baby in his arms, Lu Lizhi was still somewhat dazed.

Lifting the carriage curtain, he saw the groom riding a tall horse with a large red flower pinned to his chest. Looking at himself, dressed identically, and the baby reaching out curiously for his bright red robes, Lu Lizhi was still in a daze.

"Good boy, Daddy's going to marry your daddy." Lu Lizhi, still in a daze, listened to the occasional sound of firecrackers, the sound of congratulatory money being scattered, and the occasional smug laughter of Jiang Baiye.

"This bunch..." Lu Lizhi had originally planned to keep the wedding ceremony as low-key as possible, but now, the whole family knows about it.

Everyone is worried that their savings won't be enough.

Jiang Baiye spent over 20,000 taels of silver on the wedding ceremony alone, which is enough to prove how extravagant it was.

Jiang Dazhu and Granny Li, as representatives of the older generation from both sides of the family, had already made preparations at Xuanhe Prefecture. The officiant, Master He, was still fresh from his experience officiating at his son's wedding.

No one was left out—matchmakers, ceremonial masters, and all other necessary personnel were hired from the very best in the business, and the arrangements were made to the highest possible standard; the Hanmo Pavilion restaurant and teahouse had even been notified well in advance to reserve seating.

As for the reason—

Lord Qingyuan was returning!

The crowd erupted in a buzz of excitement; after all, wasn't Lu Qinghong supposed to be in Xuanhe Prefecture?

"What is going on? What is Hanmo Pavilion up to? Where are Old Master Yi and Proprietor Ning? Why haven't they made a move?"

Immediately following this, the Yongyuan Shop released several new volumes of *Wen Fengliu* all at once.

The public was astonished to discover that the plot had reached a turn that was peculiar, yet not entirely abrupt 

Qi Jiu—the protagonist—had actually fallen for a man!

And this man had topped the imperial examinations, becoming the very embodiment of the meaning Qi Jiu had sought all along.

"The top scholar? Surely not... it can't be who I think it is."

"But what about before? Could there be two Lord Qingyuans?"

At the Lu family estate in Xuanhe Prefecture, Lu Jisheng and Lu Qinghong were thrown into a state of agitation and confusion, their composure shattered by the doubts swirling around them.

They had already been caught off guard when Lu Lizhi revealed his identity as a member of the Jiangyi Lu clan; now, what the hell was this new development?

"Quick, find that Shen Feng. If he dares to pull any stunts, I won't go easy on him!" Lu Jisheng snarled; he still refused to believe there was any connection between Lord Qingyuan and Lu Lizhi.

Lord Qingyuan’s work had reached such extraordinary heights that even Master Qishan admitted he could no longer compete—such high praise! How could Lu Lizhi possibly be worthy of that?

Meanwhile, Old Master Lu—who had heard rumors of the wedding from afar—had rushed to Xuanhe Prefecture, arriving just as Lu Lizhi was stepping out of an ornate, eight-bearer wedding sedan.

There was no bridal veil; he stood tall and elegant, clearly one of the grooms.

Holding one end of a red silk ribbon—with Jiang Baiye holding the other—he walked slowly toward the wedding hall, every step taken with earnest care and brimming with joy.

The onlookers packed the streets and alleys near the Lu estate so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through. Thanks to the buzz generated beforehand by Jiang Baiye and his associates, quite a few people had come specifically for the sake of Lord Qingyuan.

"Did you hear? Is it really Lu Lizhi? That’s the new top scholar who swept all three imperial examinations!"

There was so much news that the crowd didn't know what to marvel at first: Lu Lizhi’s triple-first achievement, the fact that he had married a man, or the revelation that he might actually be Lord Qingyuan!

"Look over there—Shopkeeper Ning and Elder Yi are both heading to the Jiang family estate!"

"So, is it really Lu Lizhi? But then, what about the situation with Lu Qinghong?"

At that moment, Lu Qinghong and Lu Yusheng even had to wear veiled hats to conceal their identities; otherwise, they would certainly have been confronted publicly.

"Over there—damn it, they actually came here to watch the spectacle!" The two of them had come to apprehend Shen Feng.

Shen Feng had come to snatch the child amidst the chaos, driven by a sudden, impulsive urge to see little Jiaojiao again.