Chapter 37: Going to Be a Target

 

 **Chapter 37: Going to Be a Target**

"This time I really mean it!" Cui Lang swore, "In my opinion, as long as my elder brother gets married, he’ll settle down. His homesickness will surely be resolved!" 

Cui Heng scoffed coldly, "That only works if he’s willing to marry."

The matter of the eldest son’s marriage had always weighed heavily on the father’s mind, but this rebellious son was impervious to persuasion and had the audacity to declare that he would never marry in this lifetime!

"Father doesn’t understand; my elder brother just hasn’t met someone he finds suitable. If he does, he’ll naturally agree to marry."

Cui Heng retorted, "Whether he’s out fighting battles or staying in his Xuanzhe Mansion, all he sees are soldiers. The only other people around are palace eunuchs. What are the chances of him meeting someone suitable?"

"Exactly! So, thinking about it, doesn’t it seem like elder brother is quite easy to manage?"

Cui Heng was infuriated: "You…"

"It’s just a joke, just a joke! Don’t be angry, Father." Cui Lang quickly smiled to placate him. "Since my elder brother has no time to find a suitable match, I’ll go scout for him. I know that among the three families, two of the young ladies will be attending garden party tomorrow. I’ll go and quietly scout out a few options for him."

Cui Heng snorted, "What a grand excuse to go out and have fun!"

As the father and son bickered, they arrived at the back hall.

"Where’s your grandfather?" Seeing the empty hall, Cui Heng frowned and asked.

Cui Lang silently stepped back a few paces, feigning confusion as he looked around, "Strange, he was just here… Don’t worry, Father, I’ll go find him!"

Saying this, he turned and dashed off.

"…You rebellious son!"

Cui Lang ran a good distance before stopping to catch his breath, relieved that his father hadn’t sent anyone to chase him.

"Drawing the tiger away from the mountain really exhausts me…" Cui Lang panted as he spotted his sister ahead and asked, "Has everything been taken care of?"

Cui Tang nodded, "Don’t worry, Mother has sent the palace servants away."

"I swear, next time something like this happens, I’m not doing it anymore." Cui Lang complained, "Mother always pushes me out like this to lure the tiger away from its lair. Am I really her biological son?"

Cui Tang shot him a glance, "You should be grateful. At least you still have some use at home."

"Cui Tang, how can you speak to your elder brother like that?" Cui Lang glared at her. "I’m lucky I ran fast. If Father really had beaten me, how would I go to the flower party tomorrow to scout for a future sister-in-law?"

"I think you just want to take the chance to see the young ladies of the various families," Cui Tang scoffed, "What a clever excuse! Do you really think you can find a new bride for your elder brother? Have you forgotten about Cousin Lu Er?"

The cousin she mentioned was a girl from their mother Lu’s family.

When the Cui family looked for a wife, they needed to find a match among the other three prominent families. Lu’s family wanted to form a closer connection by marrying their second niece into the family— 

But Cui Jing showed no interest in her.

So, Cui Tang and her brother secretly brought their cousin to the Cui family garden, creating an opportunity for a "chance encounter" without it being arranged.

Before coming, Cui Tang had praised her elder brother extensively to the cousin, saying he was exceptionally handsome. In the four prominent families, it would be hard to find anyone who could rival him—he hadn’t lost out in looks since he was three years old.

When the cousin from the Lu family saw Cui Jing in the garden, she highly approved of her cousin’s words. He was indeed exceptionally handsome, but…

"He’s handsome alright, but he should only be admired from afar…"

Getting close, she felt cold all over, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Cui Tang still remembered that when the cousin said this, although she maintained the dignified smile of a noble lady, her voice trembled slightly.

It should be noted that the cousin was quite bold among the women in her family and secretly loved to look at pictures of handsome young men.

Such a person, saying something like this, was enough to show that her elder brother might have a good face but was certainly not suitable for marriage.

And this was already an old story from three years ago; now, the cousin had married into the Wang family and gave birth to a child just half a month ago.

Meanwhile, her elder brother had been honing his skills on the battlefield for three years. After all the battles, he had grown increasingly distant.

Currently, young ladies all favored warm and gentlemanly types, like Tenth Young Master Wei from the Marquis of Zheng’s family, but her elder brother was completely the opposite, a rebel in this regard.

Thinking about this, Cui Tang sighed, "Our future sister-in-law, at the very least, shouldn’t tremble upon seeing elder brother, right?"

As she spoke, she observed her elder brother.

Recalling how she felt her legs go weak when she first saw her elder brother, Cui Lang forced a smile of dignity, "You never know. Maybe we’ll really find someone. Tomorrow, instead of looking for anything else, let’s see which girl has the most courage."

Cui Tang retorted coolly, "Then you just watch."

…

After returning home from the palace, Chang Kuo listened to his son, who was hoarse and still struggling to talk like a cicada in autumn, "Father, you won’t believe it! Ning Ning is actually a genius at archery! She hit the bullseye with every arrow she shot!"

Chang Kuo didn’t take it seriously.

He knew his son’s character; even if his sister’s arrows barely grazed the target, in his mouth, they would surely be described as bullseyes—missing wasn’t a big deal; as the elder brother, he would just pick them up and stick them back on the target, right?

"Alright, alright." Chang Kuo impatiently told his son to be quiet. At that moment, he was more concerned about, "Is Ning Ning really serious about wanting to go be a target at the flower party tomorrow?"

The phrase "going to be a target" had originated from Chang Suining herself.

"If I don’t go out, they won’t know what to do, and if they only rely on searching, who knows how long it will take?" She said, "At least give them another chance. The Marquis of Zheng’s flower party is so lively; what if something comes of it?"

"…But if we give them this opportunity, what if they really catch you?" Chang Sui'an’s eyes were filled with contradictions—he feared his sister wouldn’t achieve anything but also feared she might.

"Even though I’m going to be a target, I’m still a living target. I won’t just stand there and let them slaughter me." Chang Suining reassured him, "Moreover, I usually don’t show up at such occasions, so they won’t anticipate my appearance. Even if they suddenly see me, unprepared, it doesn’t mean they’ll act in a hurry. This trip is just to feel things out; you can rest assured."

Chang Sui'an still couldn’t feel at ease: "Then I’ll go with you. Although I can’t be with you all the time, at least I’ll be in the marquis of Zheng’s mansion and can keep an eye on you!"

"Don’t talk nonsense; of course you have to go. Not only do you have to go, but you also have to ensure your sister’s safety! Otherwise, I—"

Chang Sui'an interrupted, "You don’t need to say it; I’ll be the one to skin myself! This time, just consider it as me making up for my past mistakes!"

Chang Kuo reluctantly gave him a look that seemed to say, "At least you can speak a bit of reason," and then turned to his daughter, his tone softening as he asked, "Ning Ning, do you still remember who you need to be cautious of?"

In the past two days, he had not come away empty-handed.

From the list Yu Zeng had given him, which was related to Pei Min, he had identified several suspicious individuals.

But they still lacked motive clues that could provide evidence for their suspicions, so he hadn’t reached any persuasive conclusions.

"Don’t worry, Father, I remember everything." Chang Suining replied, "If I encounter anyone suspicious at the flower party tomorrow, I’ll keep a close eye on them."

"That’s good, that’s good!" Chang Kuo nodded, then carefully arranged matters for the next day.

From giving instructions to his children to choosing who would accompany them, he left no detail unattended.

Outside the study, the sky gradually darkened.

…

Early the next morning, at the training ground, Chang Suining was drenched in sweat. She accepted a snow-white handkerchief from Xi’er, slightly squinting her eyes, which were wet with sweat, toward the east, where the sun had already risen.

Chang Suining was very satisfied.

Yes, it was a good day, perfect for her to go out and be a target.

Yes, it was a good day; it’s time for the novel to be published~  

Finally, it’s time to publish! The moment of testing results has arrived; I’m anxious, nervous

, expectant, and worried at the same time!  

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