Drunken Flower Room - Chapter 5

The old Duke Protector erupted in fury. 

Pointing at Zhou Gu, he berated him, “You little brat! First, you learned to snatch women, and now you’ve learned to look down on people? Do you think you’re so precious? Let me remind you, your grandfather was a mere mud-stomper back in the day! And now you dare act like you’re above others? What’s wrong with a minor daughter from Jiangning Prefecture? You scorn her, but who knows? Maybe she scorns you for being a troublemaking fool who knows nothing!” 

Zhou Gu grinned, unbothered. “Even better. Let’s just cancel the engagement, then.” 

“Don’t you dare!” The old Duke Protector slammed the table forcefully. “Let me tell you something: this marriage was personally arranged by me. If you even think about saying the word ‘cancel’ again, you can pack your things and leave the Duke Protector’s household. From that moment on, you’ll no longer be part of this family.” 

Zhou Gu froze, startled by the ultimatum. 

The old Duke’s expression darkened as he issued a severe warning. “Do you know why this engagement was set for you in the first place? If not for your third brother being born prematurely and weak, this marriage would’ve been his!” 

Zhou Gu, recalling his now healthy third brother, quickly countered, “Well then, let’s switch now!” 

The old Duke glared at him. “Once decided, it’s final. The birth dates have been matched, the marriage contract written, your name is already on it. Switching would be a joke!” 

Zhou Gu grew increasingly frustrated. “Grandfather, I don’t understand. Jiangning is a thousand li away from the capital. Our family and the Jiangning Prefecture have nothing to do with each other. Why would you arrange for me to marry a minor daughter from their household?” 

The old Duke avoided explaining in detail. “Their family once did me a great favor. That’s all you need to know.” 

“But you’re the one repaying the favor! Why drag me into it?” Zhou Gu protested. 

“Because you’re the only suitable choice in this family. After all the years I’ve raised you, isn’t it time you gave something back?” The old Duke, seeing Zhou Gu’s reluctance, warned him once more, “This is not up for discussion. Unless you want to renounce your ties to the Duke Protector’s household, you will obey me as long as you bear our name.” 

Such domineering authority it reminded Zhou Gu of the time his grandfather forced him to study at the imperial academy instead of joining the army. 

Enraged, Zhou Gu shot back, “Fine, but why did it have to be a minor daughter?!” Then, recalling that the Su family had no legitimate daughters, only several daughters born to concubines, he fell silent. 

The old Duke, undeterred, made his decision. “The girl’s name is Su Rong. She’s the seventh daughter of the Prefect of Jiangning. Her biological mother passed away eight years ago, and she’ll be coming of age in a month. You will personally attend her coming-of-age ceremony in Jiangning to signify our family’s commitment to this marriage.” 

Zhou Gu refused immediately. “I’m not going!” 

“You must!” The old Duke’s expression was stern and unyielding. 

Zhou Gu glared at him in frustration. 

Ignoring Zhou Gu’s resistance, the old Duke continued, “In two days, you will travel with the Su family’s escort back to Jiangning. I’ll prepare the gifts for you. Stay there for a while. Given your age and impulsiveness, I don’t trust you to handle things properly. Take a steward and several guards with you. Once the girl’s coming-of-age ceremony is over, you can return. By then, I’ll arrange for your mother to visit Jiangning with an official matchmaker to finalize the marriage.” 

Zhou Gu complained, “It’s just a coming-of-age ceremony. If we’re serious about the marriage, couldn’t we just send a steward with the gifts? Why do I have to go personally?” 

“Your presence shows the Duke Protector’s household’s sincerity and seriousness about the engagement, reassuring the Su family. After all, we’ve had no contact with them for years,” the old Duke explained. “Our household is highly visible, and there are plenty of people watching us, waiting for any misstep. I don’t want rumors or trouble interfering with their family’s peace. Now that the girl has grown up safely, it’s time to make good on the arrangement.” 

Zhou Gu, still bewildered, pressed, “What exactly was the favor that makes you willing to ‘sell off’ your grandson and treat this so seriously?” 

The old Duke, annoyed, shot back, “‘Sell off’? What nonsense! It’s an honorable alliance between two families. Watch your mouth. Back in the day, your grandmother was a princess, and if she’d insisted on marrying only within her station, she wouldn’t have married me, a mere commoner. Without that marriage, there’d be no you or your father today. What’s wrong with marrying a minor daughter? Our household doesn’t judge by lineage. Stop making that sour face, I find it irritating.” 

Zhou Gu thought to himself, You’re irritated by me? Well, I’m irritated by you too! But seeing his grandfather’s firm stance, leaving no room for argument, Zhou Gu gave in. “Fine! Fine! I’ll go!” 

He was determined to see for himself what kind of person could make his grandfather so resolute, even threatening to disown him. 

The old Duke, satisfied with Zhou Gu’s reluctant agreement, waved him off. “Get out of here!” 

Without another word, Zhou Gu turned and left. 

Leaving the study with an unwelcome task hanging over him, Zhou Gu felt restless and annoyed. He had no desire to race horses that evening and instead returned to his Frostwood Courtyard. 

His personal guard, Zi Ye, who had grown up alongside him, noticed his gloomy expression and felt compelled to help. “Young Master, what’s wrong? Did the old man scold you again about Miss Qin?” 

“No.” 

“Then did he stop you from going horse racing?” 

“No.” 

Zi Ye was puzzled. “Then what is it?” 

Zhou Gu snapped, “If Xie Lin finds out I’m marrying a minor daughter, he’ll laugh at me until the end of time.” 

Zi Ye was taken aback. “Is your marriage actually being arranged now?” 

“Ugh,” groaned Zhou Gu, tossing himself onto the bed like a sack of discontent. “The minor daughter from Jiangning is coming of age soon. Grandfather wants me to personally attend her ceremony. Two days until we leave. I can’t even…” He grabbed a book and plonked it over his face, muffling his despair. “And if I dare back out of the engagement, Grandfather says he’ll disown me and toss me out. Like, literally out.” 

Zi Ye sucked in a breath, pondering the sheer level of doom in his master’s life. “Maybe… you could appeal to your mother? She adores you. Or your mother? Surely, they’d side with you?” 

Zhou Gu groaned louder, the sound of existential anguish reverberating through the room. “If Grandmother objected to the match, it wouldn’t have been arranged in the first place. And my mother? Ha! She’s practically Grandfather’s echo chamber. I’m doomed, I tell you. Doomed!” 

Zi Ye nodded solemnly. “Guess there’s no choice then, young master. You’ll just have to marry her.” 

Zhou Gu flung the book aside, glaring at his loyal yet infuriatingly reasonable servant. “No kidding! But why, just WHY, must I marry someone from a tiny place like Jiangning? Did Grandfather even give a reason for this injustice?” 

Zi Ye shrugged. “He said the Su family did him a great favor. What kind of favor, he wouldn’t say. Bit suspicious if you ask me.” 

Zhou Gu sighed dramatically. “And now I’m just fodder for Xie LIn’s ridicule. I can already hear him cackling!” 

“Well,” Zi Ye suggested hesitantly, “if Xie LIn laughs at you, there’s always the option of… beating him up again?” 

Zhou Gu sat up, incredulous. “What kind of solution is that?!” 

Zi Ye blinked innocently. “Didn’t you always say, ‘If you can solve it with fists, don’t waste words’?” 

The young master flopped back onto the bed, defeated. “If I punch him again, Grandfather will definitely whack me with his cane. I’ll be bedridden for a week. Not worth it.” He tapped his temple, a wicked glint in his eye. “But what if Xie LIn also gets stuck with a marriage like mine? Then we’d be equally miserable, and he’d have no right to mock me!” 

Zi Ye scratched his head. “But Xie LIn likes his women clever, beautiful, and skilled in scheming. Where do we even find such a person who can also fit the, uh, ‘lower family status’ requirement?” 

Zhou Gu groaned. “Don’t remind me! If I had known Grandfather would force this engagement on me, I wouldn’t have stolen Qin Luan from him! If she were still around, he’d be too busy swooning to care about my misery!” 

Zi Ye paused, considering this. “Maybe a brothel?” 

“A what?!” Zhou Gu sat bolt upright. 

Zi Ye nodded earnestly. “You know, like where Qin Luan came from? Brothel girls are trained to be graceful, smart, and stunning from a young age.” 

The young master stared, utterly appalled. “Are you seriously suggesting I send Xie LIn a wife from a brothel? If my grandfather finds out, it won’t just be my legs he breaks, it’ll be everything. EVERYTHING.” 

Zi Ye coughed awkwardly. “Well, you said you wanted someone clever, beautiful, and with a bit of guile… That sort of talent doesn’t pop up in humble households, right? Seems logical.” 

Zhou Gu narrowed his eyes. “Where did you even get this idea? Have you been hanging out with Xie LIn’s shady guards?” 

Zi Ye scratched his nose. “Uh, no. Just, you know, observation. Like how last week, the Marquis of Cheng redeemed a brothel girl, and within three days she made his wife so mad she fainted. That level of skill doesn’t grow on trees.” 

The young master looked horrified. “You’re saying this is the solution? Oh, heavens no. I may hate Xie LIn, but even I won’t sink that low.” 

Zi Ye gave up. “Then I suppose you’ll just have to settle for being laughed at for the rest of your life.” 

Zhou Gu glared. “Fine! I’ll find him a perfectly respectable disaster of a wife. The world’s full of bad matches, how hard can it be?” 

Zi Ye nodded sagely. “Two days until we leave for Jiangning, young master. Plenty of time to scheme on the road.” 

With that, Zhou Gu collapsed onto his bed, muttering, “Stupid Jiangning. Stupid marriage. Stupid Xie LIn.” The book resumed its place over his face, shielding him from the cruel reality of his world.