A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 12 Wife Stealing
An hour before sunset, the sixth hall of this courtyard was already dark and gloomy.

However, the flashing red figures and sword energy in the hall added a touch of brightness to the otherwise somber space.

The swordswoman's slender and tall figure, her flowing long hair, and her fiery red outfit all indicated that she was a young girl brimming with youthful energy.

This is a hall filled with exquisite treasures. Above the north wall is a rosewood tea table with a marble top, and on each side is a rosewood carved armchair. On the east and west sides, there are eight rosewood chairs with tea tables on each side. The most remarkable thing is the floor, which is made of marble, and each piece is inlaid with marble fragments.

The girl moved with light and graceful steps, sweeping through every corner of the hall like the wind, carrying her sword.

Suddenly, she held her breath, her beautiful face filled with astonishment. She took a few steps back, turned around, and ran towards the back room.

A moment later, the girl in red helped a woman with a similar complexion, but equally beautiful, with eyebrows like distant mountains and a face like a lotus flower, into the hall. Her mottled white hair and numerous wrinkles inexplicably evoked a sigh.

I am not born, but I am old.

The beautiful woman bowed slightly and extended her hand, "Your Highness, please take a seat."

Liu Ju, who had been standing with Zhuo Shang outside the hall and had been watching the sword dance for a while, nodded, walked straight to the chair on the left side of the center, sat down, and then waved his hand, saying, "You are the host of this place, so sit here."

The beautiful woman bowed slightly again. "Very well, so I can speak with Your Highness."

He then removed the girl's support and sat down on the chair on the right side of the center.

Zhuo Shang had already left, and the young woman had also retreated to the back hall. In the dark hall, two capable maids came out at the same time, and lightly served two bowls of crisp tea. Only Liu Ju and the beautiful woman remained.

"My surname is Zhuo," the beautiful woman said softly.

“Her name was Wenjun.”

Liu Ju put his teacup back down.

The beautiful woman smiled, a smile tinged with bitterness. After "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate," even if people didn't know she was the daughter of the richest man in the Han Dynasty, they still knew the legendary love story of "The Qin Player Tempts Wenjun."

"Thank you for coming, Your Highness."

"Don't thank me, young lady. Even if I can't accept a commission worth two thousand gold coins, I'll still listen out of curiosity," Liu Ju said with a shake of his head and a smile.

There are two thousand weavers here, and each of them has a contract of indenture. In terms of market value, two thousand gold pieces is not enough.

It can be said that the weaver's contract was far more valuable than the weaving workshop itself.

A weaving workshop that's practically being sold off, a commission worth thousands of gold coins—everything here is so mysterious. Even if it's just to broaden one's horizons, it's still worthwhile.

Zhuo Wenjun felt a pang of pain in her heart. Her own troubles always attracted the gossip of others. Since things had come to this point, she had no choice but to continue. "Please take a look at this, Your Highness?"

As he spoke, he took out a scroll from the brocade box beside him. After unfolding it, Liu Ju stared at it intently.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand."

"Please explain, young lady."

"May I ask what Your Highness is missing from your list?"

"100 million……"

Liu stopped abruptly as soon as he spoke. "Yi" and "yi" are related. Without Yi, there is no Yi. This scroll is a love poem, but it is a poem without love.

"Young lady, who wrote this?" "It was my son..."

Seeing Liu Ju's unusual expression, Zhuo Wenjun explained, "My husband, Sima Xiangru, was sickly when he was young. My parents-in-law heard that it would be easier to raise a child if he had a humble name, so they gave him the nickname 'Dog Son'."

Sima's son?

Liu Ju didn't know how to evaluate this nickname. It was indeed despicable, but wherever he went, he would be called "my son," which either made him feel inferior to others or associated him with beasts.

Clearly, the love story of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun, which has been passed down for thousands of years, is not as beautiful as the legend suggests; at least now, their relationship has soured.

"I met my husband at my father's banquet in Linqiong. I was seventeen years old then, a widow who had just returned home. I have always loved music and am skilled in playing the zither and lute, so..."

A romantic drama of "playing the zither" or a marriage scam slowly unfolds before Liu Ju.

Sima Xiangru, in league with the magistrate of Linqiong County, put on airs, which aroused the curiosity of Zhuo Wangsun, the richest man in the Han Dynasty. Zhuo Wangsun then hosted a banquet, inviting many heroes from the county, including Sima Xiangru.

Sima Xiangru displayed his superb musical skills at a banquet, arousing the curiosity of Zhuo Wenjun, who had returned to her parents' home at a young age. She was captivated by his talent, or perhaps she was attracted by his looks.

Then, that very night, she ran away from home and eloped with Sima Xiangru...

Godly man!
As Liu Ju listened to the story, he picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

Whether this love story is romantic or not is another matter, but romance can't put food on the table. After Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru ran back to their hometown of Chengdu, they discovered that Sima Xiangru's family was destitute.

They were truly destitute, consisting of only four walls.

Hunger can make people more alert.

Zhuo Wenjun immediately thought of her father, the richest man, who was almost angered to death. Unfortunately, Zhuo Wangsun had already declared that he would teach this disgraceful eldest daughter a lesson and would not give her a single penny!

What's even more outrageous is that, in order to force Zhuo Wangsun to give them money, Zhuo Wenjun and Sima Xiangru actually returned to Linqiong, opened a tavern, and personally served wine at the counter.

The Zhuo family and Zhuo Wangsun lost all face and dared not even leave their gate. In the end, unable to bear the humiliation any longer, they spent money to settle the matter, giving Zhuo Wenjun a hundred servants, one million coins, and a large amount of dowry clothes to send their daughter and son-in-law, who were like their own parents, away from Linqiong.

With a single zither piece, Liu Ju won the heart of a beautiful woman and also robbed a huge sum of money. He developed a certain admiration for Sima Xiangru, whom he had never met but had had some contact with before.

So shameless!
A life-changing turn can happen in an instant. After acquiring wealth, Sima Xiangru lived a carefree life. Not long after, the current emperor ascended the throne. He was fond of poetry and prose, and Sima Xiangru entered the emperor's court, becoming an attendant to the emperor. Later, he was sent as an envoy to the southwestern barbarians, becoming extremely noble.

Zhuo Wangsun admitted that he had misjudged his son-in-law and divided his entire fortune into three parts, giving each part to his son and two daughters. Zhuo Wenjun received one part, along with countless riches.

Sima Xiangru, who was no longer short of money, found love in Maoling at the age of sixty and asked Zhuo Wenjun to take a woman from Maoling as his concubine.

Zhuo Wenjun had already seen through Sima Xiangru when she was selling wine at the counter, so she naturally didn't expect love. However, Zhuo Wenjun couldn't accept Sima Xiangru's attempt to tarnish the story of "Zhuo Wenjun seducing the Qin" (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument).

"Please help me, Your Highness!"

"Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. What can I do to help you?" Liu Ju said speechlessly.

A conman and his lifelong lover should be locked up and not allowed to go out and mess with other people, but how can they help with housework?
"I heard that Commander Piao Yao once went to Maoling to ask my husband for a poem, and his methods were quite excellent. Could Your Highness please persuade Commander Piao Yao to make another trip to Maoling? Even if Sima Xiangru is no longer in this world..."

Whose yandere is this?

　Note 1: "Lady" refers to an outstanding woman, praising female talent.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)