The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Accompanied by the crisp sound of the beaded curtains clattering together.

A young woman, supported by two maids, slowly entered the main hall.

Jiang Lin looked in that direction and thought to himself, "Wow!"

The woman wore a light blue dress, adorned with no gold or silver jewelry, her long hair held up only by a white jade hairpin. She possessed exceptionally delicate features and exuded a refined, scholarly air. Her gait was graceful and graceful, befitting a quintessential lady from a prominent family.

"Mingyue greets her grandfather and all the distinguished guests."

Her voice was soft and gentle, and she was poised and graceful.

Grandpa Lu looked at Lu Mingyue, his cold face softening considerably. He pointed to Jiang Lin and introduced him, "Mingyue, this is Headmaster Jiang of Jingshi Academy. Don't you usually love reading his articles on mathematics and agriculture? Today you're finally seeing him in person."

Lu Mingyue glanced at Jiang Lin, her ears burning, and quickly lowered her head.

Jiang Lin thought to himself, "This is an expert!"

This old fox, seeing that a direct confrontation wouldn't work and financial incentives wouldn't sway him, has seamlessly switched to a honey trap? He's planning to use a marriage alliance to tie him firmly to the Lu family's pirate ship!

"Jiang Lin, you are so young yet you have such skills. I truly admire you." Old Master Lu smiled like a kind old grandfather. "We can discuss the business matters slowly. My granddaughter Mingyue has been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood, and excels in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In Jiangnan, the men who want to marry her could line up from Taihu Lake all the way to Hangzhou."

The old man paused, then dropped a bombshell: "I see you're quite handsome, and unmarried. How about this, I'll betroth Mingyue to you! Once you become the grandson-in-law of the Lu family, we'll be family. The Lin family's breach of contract penalty, the trading center's assets—these are family matters, we can divide them however we want behind closed doors. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, a collective gasp filled the hall.

The eldest daughter of the Lu family! That's a truly top-tier marriage resource in the Jiangnan aristocratic circles! Grandfather Lu is throwing money at Jiang Lin; the investment is simply outrageous.

Standing at the back, Su Shi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He glanced at Lu Mingyue, then at his own headmaster, and mentally exclaimed: "The headmaster's luck with women is absolutely incredible!"

Just as Jiang Lin was about to speak, a crisp "crack" sound suddenly came from the side.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Zhao Lingjun's fine celadon teacup was crushed by her bare hand!

Tea mixed with shards of porcelain spilled down the drain. She hastily pulled out a handkerchief and wiped it haphazardly, the veins on the back of her hand bulging faintly. She stared intently at Old Master Lu and Lu Mingyue, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Ugh, the quality of your cups is really terrible." Zhao Lingjun gritted his teeth and sneered, enunciating each word clearly.

Jiang Lin's eyelids twitched violently, and he knew he was in trouble.

This lady usually dresses as a man and blends into the ranks, so everyone thinks she's just a cold-faced guard. But she's actually a genuine princess of the Song Dynasty! If she were to completely lose her temper and start drawing her sword to attack people right here on Taihu Island, then even a god couldn't save her.

Jiang Lin quickly coughed to bring the situation back on track.

He looked at Old Master Lu and forced a sincere smile: "Old Master, you flatter me too much. Miss Lu is naturally beautiful; to marry her is a blessing earned over many lifetimes. However..."

Jiang Lin abruptly changed the subject, decisively playing the game of evasion: "Marriage is a major life event; how can it be decided on the spot like buying vegetables at the market? I, Jiang Lin, am a rough man, spending my days at the academy tinkering with mud and abacuses, which might be beneath the dignity of the Lu family's daughter. Besides, there's still a mess to clean up at the academy; discussing marriage now is unnecessary. This matter is too sudden; you must give me some time to catch my breath and consider it, right?"

Jiang Lin knew perfectly well that if he directly rejected the marriage proposal now, Old Master Lu would definitely fly into a rage on the spot. Using delaying tactics to stabilize the situation was the best course of action.

Grandpa Lu gave Jiang Lin a deep look, seemingly seeing through his delaying tactics, but he didn't press him: "Indeed, it's a lifelong matter, and one should be careful. No rush, you can stay on the island tonight, the guest rooms are all prepared, and we can discuss it again tomorrow."

With a wave of his hand, Old Master Lu immediately stepped forward, saying, "Three distinguished guests, please come with me to rest."

Jiang Lin stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, grabbed Zhao Lingjun who was still secretly grinding his teeth, and quickly led Su Shi away from the main hall.

Watching the three figures disappear completely.

Lu Mingyue walked to Lu Taigong's side, her brows furrowed slightly: "Grandfather, are you really going to marry me off to Jiang Lin? This man is far too arrogant."

Old Master Lu narrowed his old eyes and let out a cold snort: "Arrogant? He just figured out our weakness! This kid is an anomaly. If he can't be used by me, he must be crushed completely."

"The marriage alliance is the last resort. If he's smart enough to agree, he'll obediently become the fastest weapon in the Lu family's arsenal."

Old Master Lu twirled the jade in his hand, his chilling killing intent no longer concealed: "If he doesn't know what's good for him... then let him stay in Taihu Lake forever to feed the fish!"