The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 053 Forced Matchmaking

Zhou Lun never expected the topic to involve him, and he was immediately stunned.

Before he could even figure out how to answer, Li Wanqing's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something.

"What the rebel leader said has reminded me."

Li Wanqing slapped his thigh, his expression showing a hint of self-reproach, and pointed at Zhou Lun, saying, "I have no intention of getting married, but my brother is of utmost importance. The rebel king may not know, but my brother is not only orphaned, but also has no relatives. As for whether there are any clansmen left in our hometown of Jianghuai, it's hard to say."

"In this vast world, my brother is all alone, and now he has joined me in rebellion because of me. If I had to admit it, it is I who have let my brother down."

As he spoke, Li Wanqing sighed, "I, as the elder brother, actually forgot about this; it's truly my fault! Brother, you're not young anymore. What the rebel leader said makes sense. You're not like us. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about your deceased parents, get married, have children, and leave an heir!"

"I……"

Even with Zhou Lun's quick wit and eloquence, he was momentarily at a loss for how to refuse such a statement.

Li Wanqing's words were entirely based on his fabricated background. Moreover, people's thoughts in this era were completely different from those in later generations. Even in later generations, many traditional families placed great importance on continuing the family line, let alone now.

Furthermore, Zhou Lun had initially said that he wanted to "return to his homeland and find his relatives in the Jianghuai region to fulfill his parents' last wishes." Given this, Zhou Lun was also a person who valued filial piety and kinship. If he were to follow Li Wanqing's reason for refusing, he simply couldn't bring himself to say it, because their situations were completely different.

But if he didn't say that, he wouldn't be able to find a suitable reason to refuse in a short time. He never expected that a drinking session would lead him to the point of finding a wife. This Gao Yingxiang, the dignified leader of the rebel army, why is he suddenly bringing this up instead of doing his proper work?

Suddenly, Zhou Lun's heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously looked up at Gao Yingxiang, and seeing Gao Yingxiang's smiling and concerned expression, he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

You bastard Gao Yingxiang, you've set me up!

Zhou Lun instantly understood. The invitation to drinks and reminiscing, the long conversation about Li Wanqing, and the rambling about Li Wanqing's marriage—it was all a smokescreen! Gao Yingxiang's real target wasn't Li Wanqing, but himself.

Gao Yingxiang, Gao Yingxiang, you with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, you actually pulled this stunt? You're amazing! You'll do anything to win me over, now you're even using a honey trap? How is this any different from Wang Yun in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"? But where is Diao Chan?

Could it be the girl who poured the wine earlier?

A figure flashed through Zhou Lun's mind in an instant.

I only met that girl once. I remember she was pretty, had a good figure, and was graceful. But compared to Diao Chan, she was far inferior. She wasn't even close to being a beauty that could topple kingdoms, let alone a lady from a noble family. At best, she was just a girl from a modest family.

These thoughts flashed through Zhou Lun's mind. At this moment, Gao Yingxiang took the initiative to speak, revealing a very surprised expression.

"Brother, is that really true?"

"Of course it's true!" Li Wanqing nodded. "My brother is handsome and of marriageable age. Unlike you and me, if he can have a son or daughter, there will be a family line to carry on even if something unexpected happens to him in the future. That way, I, as the elder brother, can rest easy!"

"However..." Li Wanqing thought for a moment and then said, "Normally, it wouldn't be difficult. I could just find a matchmaker to inquire around the surrounding villages and find a suitable woman for my brother to marry. But right now, we're in the army. Although there are women in the army, I'm afraid none of them are good enough for my brother. As for others... I'm afraid that's also difficult..."

Li Wanqing was right. There were indeed quite a few women in the rebel army, many women and children accompanying them. But some were widows, others were ordinary peasant women. How could these women be worthy of the handsome and young Zhou Lun?

As for the women they captured from the city, there were also several daughters of officials. Wang Er got himself several such women, and after he got tired of them, he simply gave them to his men. To them, these women were no different from playthings.

Moreover, Li Wanqing didn't want Zhou Lun to have anything to do with these women, even if they were virgins. These women were all abducted; their families, parents, and brothers had all perished at the hands of the rebel army. They were forced to join the group and undoubtedly harbored hatred towards the rebels. Giving such women to Zhou Lun? Wouldn't that create a hidden danger? Li Wanqing absolutely refused!

"What's so difficult about that? I have plenty of good women right here!" Gao Yingxiang burst into laughter as soon as Li Wanqing finished speaking.

"Where did this beautiful woman come from?" Li Wanqing asked in confusion.

"Far away, yet right before my eyes!" Gao Yingxiang pointed towards the inner room and laughed, "What do you think of the girl who poured the wine just now?"

"That girl from earlier?" Li Wanqing tried to recall, but couldn't remember her exact appearance, only vaguely remembering that she was quite pretty. However, Li Wanqing didn't know the girl's background and was afraid that choosing someone of unknown origin would be unfair to Zhou Lun.

"That girl isn't an outsider, she's my niece!" Gao Yingxiang revealed with a smile.

Upon hearing that the girl was actually Gao Yingxiang's niece, Li Wanqing was surprised and intrigued.

"You, the rebel leader, said she was your niece?"

"Of course!" Gao Yingxiang tapped two fingers lightly on the table and said with a smile, "Brother, as you know, my ancestors were from Mizhi, this is my hometown. The girl just now was indeed my niece, the daughter of one of my cousins. My cousin was in poor health and has passed away. His wife also passed away many years ago, leaving behind a son and a daughter."

"My daughter is eighteen this year, and I have a son who is fifteen... This daughter is the girl you just met. Actually, by age, an eighteen-year-old girl should have been married long ago. But my niece is very strong-willed. After her parents passed away, her younger brother was still young, and she refused several marriage proposals in order to raise him, which is why it has been delayed until today."

"As for character, my niece is impeccable; as for competence, she's even more so. Over the years, she's acted as both an elder sister and a mother, raising her younger brother with great difficulty. This time, when I led my troops back to Mizhi, I specifically asked someone to bring my niece and nephew over, only to learn that my niece is still unmarried..."

At this point, Gao Yingxiang laughed and said to Li Wanqing and Zhou Lun, "It's truly amazing how coincidences happen in this world! Brother Zhou is unmarried, and my niece is unmarried; they are of similar age, a match made in heaven! Besides, there's an old saying in our Shaanxi region—'Women from Mizhi, men from Suide!' It couldn't be better if my niece and Brother Zhou got married!"

"Oh my! What a wonderful match!"

Li Wanqing nodded repeatedly upon hearing Gao Yingxiang's words.

If what he said is true, this is indeed a match made in heaven!

Zhou Lun was handsome and promising young. Gao Yingxiang's niece, an orphan who raised her younger brother alone, was clearly a capable homemaker. Moreover, women from Mizhi were renowned for their beauty and character; in Shaanxi, who didn't know that marrying a woman from Mizhi was a highly desirable thing? More importantly, this girl was Gao Yingxiang's niece. Although not a member of the rebel army, she had joined her uncle's forces, making them family in a way.

In this way, the two were indeed a good match. How could Li Wanqing, who had always treated Zhou Lun like a younger brother, not be moved?

"This... I am deeply grateful for the King's kindness. However, this marriage is not something I can decide alone. Even if I am interested, it still depends on what the young lady thinks..."

Zhou Lun inwardly groaned. Faced with this situation, refusing was bad, but not refusing was also bad. Gao Yingxiang's purpose in hosting this banquet was obvious, and from every perspective, Zhou Lun was the one who benefited. If Zhou Lun refused, wouldn't that be tantamount to breaking ties with Gao Yingxiang? As clever as Zhou Lun was, how could he possibly do that?

Left with no other choice, Zhou Lun could only remain ambiguous, his face showing a mixture of joy, unease, and hesitation, perfectly capturing the complex emotions of a young man encountering this matter for the first time, while also revealing his worries.

"That's no problem!" Gao Yingxiang laughed. "As long as Brother Zhou agrees, that's fine. My cousin isn't here, so as his uncle, I can naturally make the decision for my niece. As for my niece's thoughts, that's even simpler."

As he spoke, Gao Yingxiang called out loudly into the inner room, "Guiying!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl who had poured them the wine lifted the curtain and walked out gracefully. Upon entering the main room, she bowed to Gao Yingxiang, Li Wanqing, and Zhou Lun. A blush crept onto her face, especially when her gaze swept over Zhou Lun.

"Guiying!" Gao Yingxiang pointed at Zhou Lun and laughed, "Your uncle has found you a marriage partner today. This is Chief Zhou Lun. Chief Zhou is about your age and unmarried. He is excellent in both appearance and character, a perfect match for you. I wonder if you are willing?"

Gao Guiying's gaze fell openly on Zhou Lun, her eyes filled with joy, and she bowed to Gao Yingxiang, saying, "I'll leave it to you, Uncle!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Gao Yingxiang shouted "Good!" three times in a row, and then asked Zhou Lun what he thought.

Could Zhou Lun, who had been put in such a difficult position, say no? Not only could he not say no, but he also had to appear very happy, still acting like a helpless young man, slightly hesitant, and blushing as he readily agreed to the marriage.

Seeing that neither party had any objections, Gao Yingxiang and Li Wanqing were both very happy.

Since both Zhou Lun and Gao Guiying were orphans, and Li Wanqing was Zhou Lun's sworn brother, and Gao Yingxiang was Gao Guiying's uncle, with them involved, the marriage was settled.

Not only that, but at Gao Yingxiang's suggestion, they decided to act expediently due to the urgency of the situation. They were currently in the army, with all their elders present, and there was no need to concern themselves with the traditional betrothal rites. Since there were no objections, they would marry tomorrow! When they entered the bridal chamber, Zhou Lun would have a wife, his niece would have a husband, and everyone would become a true family—a truly joyous occasion!