Chapter 3: Shopping or Robbery

The two individuals quietly slipped out of the Xingwang Mansion, progressing slowly along the way. Although Zhu Houzhong had practiced with Lu Bing for a while, he was still not as tall and robust as Lu Bing, and his skills were far inferior. Thus, it took him a long time before he dared to ride slowly on horseback. Originally, it would take just over an hour to walk to Chenjiatai, but at this moment, the two were much slower on horseback, taking a full hour and a half.

Lu Bing sighed and said, "Feudal marriage is deadly. If I were to marry a woman I have never met, I might as well choose Xiao Rui. But let's not digress; I'm asking you, how do you win over Xiao Rui?"

Upon entering the city, Lu Bing inquired, "Where did you get the money, and how much do you have left? Don't spend it all, or you won't be able to buy anything."

Ah. Lu Bing thought to himself that he could only find a way on his own. It seemed that no amount of careful explanation would get through to Xiao Rui. It appeared that he would have to use a gift as a stepping stone, first to cheer Xiao Rui up, and then explain things. With this in mind, Lu Bing asked, "Where are the markets and shops around here?"

Men are quick when it comes to shopping; in less than the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, they have selected a beautiful necklace. This necklace is not particularly valuable, made from a variety of stones, including jade, cat's eye, rubies, and sapphires. Although these are all lower-grade materials, their combination is exceptionally attractive. The price is also quite reasonable, only requiring three or two taels of silver. Both Zhu Houzhong, who has a slight penchant for wealth, and Lu Bing, who has little concept of money, are quite satisfied with this.

Xiao Rui reached out and pinched Lu Bing, saying: "How can you ask someone such a question"

Your family, being descendants of officials, should at least choose a wife of equal social standing. A maid like Xiaorui is suitable only to be a concubine's maid, and may not even qualify for that role. Zhu Houzhong spoke confidently; despite his young appearance, he was knowledgeable about many matters, yet he did not resemble a prince at all.

"So you want to go with the book, huh? Fine, as you wish. We'll go together, but don't let my father find out. Be careful. You take the horse out first, and I'll follow shortly. You can ride, right?" Lu Bing asked with concern. To be honest, he had just learned himself, relying solely on the key movements he had seen on television and his current agility to manage it. At that moment, he realized that galloping a horse was not as easy as it seemed. The idea that an ancient person could effortlessly mount a horse was pure nonsense.

Just as I was thinking about the world being in harmony and doors being left unlocked at night, I suddenly saw a crowd of people gathered ahead. Lu Bing, curious, was about to step forward to take a look, but saw that Zhu Houzhong was even quicker. Thus, the two of them walked towards that direction, one after the other.

Zhu Houzhong saw Lu Bing looking dazed and thus laughed, saying: "Brother Bing, don't be afraid, I'm just joking with you. Even if Aunt Lu agrees, I estimate that your father won't agree."

An old man was holding a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, trembling in a corner by the wall. The stall in front of them had long been overturned, and the girl, looking delicate and fresh, had a pale face as she tightly nestled in the old man's embrace

Zhu Houzhong shook his head with a hint of regret and Lu Bing said, "I will teach you slowly along the way"

"What did I say wrong?" Zhu Houzhong still refuses to admit it. It was never wrong to begin with; a match in social status is essential. Events like that of Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun are rare and can only be encountered by chance, not sought after.

Lu Bing asked: "Why?"

Lu Bing felt the disdainful gazes of those around him, his face turning red with embarrassment. However, he saw Zhu Houzhong burst into laughter, and then he tossed a couple of silver coins onto the table, saying: "Little waiter, no need to settle the bill, just take good care of our horses and feed them well. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you accountable!"

Lu Bing's face turned red; his father, Lu Song, had a penchant for spanking. Despite being around sixteen or seventeen years old, he would often find himself with his pants pulled down for a severe beating, euphemistically referred to as "bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat." Therefore, after each punishment, Lu Bing's face would be even hotter than his backside, leaving him utterly embarrassed to face others

"How would I know? Why are you asking me? I'm only twelve, alright?" Zhu Houzhong replied with a smile, appearing rather gleeful about the situation.

Lu Bing watched this scene and immediately felt a surge of anger. Under the vast sky, such evil acts were occurring. Looking at the wicked young man's pair of sinister little eyes circling around the girl, Lu Bing felt even more disgusted. Now that he possessed excellent martial skills, if not now to be a hero and save the beauty, then when? Although the girl was not his type, standing up against injustice and drawing his sword to help had always been Lu Bing's ideal state, and he truly harbored no ulterior motives.

Zhu Houzhong's eyes lit up as he said: "We have it in Anlu, but I suggest you go to Chenjiatai. The market there is relatively large, with many shops offering a variety of goods. In short, there are many things you have never seen before.

Zhu Houzhong patted his waist and said: "I have more than twenty taels here, enough for both of us. As for how I got it? Hehe, all my salary is collected by my mother. I am truly quite impoverished as a prince.

"Brother Bing, Chenjiatai is quite close to us in Anlu. If they find out what we look like, it won't be me who is afraid, but you. It's not wrong to be a hero saving a beauty and drawing your sword to help, but if your father finds out that you brought me out to fight, hmm, I fear you might end up with a sore backside for more than ten days again," Zhu Houzhong said.

Xiao Rui ran away with a flushed face, and Lu Bing scratched his head, unsure of what was happening. However, he heard someone behind him clicking their tongue in disapproval. Lu Bing turned around and said, "Zeng Di, are you looking for a fight?"

"Who said I won't care?" Zhu Houzhong said with a mischievous smile, "Let them know, who is the real boss." Saying this, Zhu Houzhong also found two pieces of black cloth from somewhere and handed one to Lu Bing.

Hearing Zhu Houzhong's words, Lu Bing hesitated somewhat, but still said angrily: "I am not afraid of them seeking revenge, nor am I afraid of my father hitting me. It's just, cough cough, are we really going to just let it go?"

"Xiao Rui, how old are you?" Lu Bing playfully ran over to Xiao Rui, who was busy working. Xiao Rui's face turned red as she lowered her head. Lu Bing was greatly surprised; why would she blush just from being asked her age?

"It was taken from your father's briefcase," Zhu Houzhong said before running off. Lu Bing was both amused and exasperated, realizing that Zhu Houzhong was using his own father's money to treat him, which explained his generosity. The two of them playfully bickered all the way to the market.

"How dare you! I will tell your father. I am the Prince of Xing. If you dare to hit me, I will have your father hit you, hehe." Although Zhu Houzong said this, he kept a safe distance from Lu Bing. Seeing that Lu Bing had no intention of pursuing him, Zhu Houzong continued, "You are being foolish again, Brother Bing. Asking a girl her age is clearly indicating that you are considering marrying her based on her age, isn't it? But to be fair, you are not young anymore. I estimate that in another two years, it will be time for you to get married. Just look at how happy Aunt Lu is every day watching Xiao Rui; who knows, you might really end up marrying Xiao Rui then."

"The law of the king? Our Jiang family is the law!" shouted the fierce servant behind the young master.

A considerable number of people have gathered around, and everyone is filled with anger yet remains silent, merely watching this group act recklessly. No one is willing to invite trouble upon themselves by speaking out in defense of justice.

"Stop beating around the bush, I am asking you where the money comes from?" Lu Bing observed Zhu Houzong's evasive responses and realized that there was trouble, so he pressed for an answer.

"Alright." Zhu Houzhong exclaimed excitedly

Lu Bing picked up the conversation, raising an eyebrow and saying: "Kid, you better tell me honestly, are you out here today just for fun, or are you planning to rob someone? Why have you even prepared a black cloth to cover your face?"

Xiao Rui is quite good, she is also cute and has a pure heart, but she still lacks a little bit of feeling. In short, Lu Bing suddenly had the thought of wanting to escape from the marriage

"Alright, young master, please take care on your way," the waiter said with a forced smile, having changed from his earlier cautious demeanor. Seeing Zhu Houzong's wealth and willingness to spend, he nodded and bowed, hoping for a tip. Zhu Houzong, though young, was quite astute and understood the situation well. Without hesitation, he took out more than ten copper coins and tossed them to the waiter, then he and Lu Bing swaggered into the city.

"You dare to come out to eat without bringing any money?" Zhu Houzhong suddenly shouted, drawing the attention of the surrounding diners. Upon hearing this, the waiter immediately blocked the door to prevent the two from leaving without paying.

After selecting their items, they packed them neatly into a small wooden box and tucked it into their bosoms. The two then began to wander aimlessly, having finally seized an opportunity to come out; how could they not make the most of it

Fortunately, Zhu Houzhong was intelligent and quickly discovered the tricks of riding. By the time they reached outside Chenjiatai City, he had already mastered the basics of horseback riding. Delighted, he galloped around the city walls several times with Lu Bing before finally stopping. The two of them tied their horses in front of an inn south of the city, entered the inn, ordered several hot dishes, two pounds of braised beef, and a pot of wine, and began to feast heartily.

Lu Bing was taken aback; this news came too suddenly. He hadn't said anything yet, and he had only known Xiao Rui for less than two months. Altogether, they had exchanged only a few words. How could they be discussing marriage? Moreover, how old was he? At sixteen, even if two years passed, he would only be eighteen. Dating was one thing, but getting married was something Lu Bing simply could not accept.

The elderly vendor surely understands, so at the outset, he suggested that the young lady was unfamiliar with the route and that he would escort her himself. Little did he expect that a disagreement would lead to the overturning of the stall. It is likely that, after a while, a physical altercation would ensue in the street. With tears in his eyes, the old man lamented, "Is there still any law in this world?"

Zhu Houzhong chuckled softly and did not respond

The market was indeed bustling, with vendors selling agricultural tools, livestock, snacks, street performers showcasing their skills, and others setting up stalls to sell handmade crafts for some extra change. Although it was chaotic, wandering through it had its own unique charm. Lu Bing thought to himself: the ancient times were better; there were no city management officials back then, otherwise, their arrival would surely cause a commotion. However, he quickly reconsidered and felt at ease, realizing that there were no cars in ancient times, so there was no need for such wide roads; as long as there was enough space for people to walk, that was sufficient.

After finishing the meal, Lu Bingcai quietly asked, "Did you bring any money?"

"You, you, this broken mouth of yours," Lu Bing pointed at Zhu Houzong and then asked, "Think about it, how can you coax Xiao Rui?"

Suddenly, the sound of a woman's sobbing was heard. Zhu Houzhong and Lu Bing turned to look, only to see Xiao Rui covering her mouth and crying, as she had been eavesdropping nearby. Zhu Houzhong was at a loss for words, and Lu Bing, having never been in love, was even more clueless. After a moment, Xiao Rui stamped her foot and ran away in tears

"Old man, did you hear me? My young master wants all these things!" shouted a burly man, dressed in a short blue outfit. Just by looking at his menacing demeanor, one could tell he was a wicked servant of a wealthy family.

A young man, appearing to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in fine garments, looked at everything with a mischievous smile. The items on the stall were of little concern to him; to be honest, he found the shabby goods unappealing. The real issue was the girl, who was simply too enchanting. If he could take advantage of the opportunity to have her deliver something, he could easily overpower her. The young scoundrel chuckled to himself.

Just as I was about to rush out and take action, I was stopped by Zhu Houzong. Lu Bing said in a low voice, "Why are you holding me back!"