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

The Lu family arranged a quiet courtyard for Jiang Lin and his group. The courtyard was filled with lush bamboo, and the environment was indeed impeccable.

Jiang Lin had just entered his room and hadn't even had a chance to sit down properly when, with a "bang," the door was kicked open from the outside.

Zhao Lingjun walked in with a dark face, slammed the door shut behind him, and then went straight to Jiang Lin, slamming his hands on the table and staring intently at him.

"Jiang Lin, what exactly do you mean?" Zhao Lingjun's voice was low, but everyone could hear the tension in it.

Jiang Lin was startled by her posture, leaned back, and pretended to be dumbfounded, saying, "What do you mean? I was just thinking about how to deal with that old fox. Why did you kick my door?"

"Stop pretending with me!" Zhao Lingjun's chest heaved with anger. "That old man Lu wanted to marry his granddaughter to you, why didn't you just refuse? Were you secretly delighted because she's beautiful and from a respectable family? Did you think that if you married her, all the prominent families in Jiangnan would listen to you, and you wouldn't have to work hard for the rest of your life?"

Seeing Zhao Lingjun's jealous expression, Jiang Lin couldn't resist teasing her. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly, "You know what, the Lu family is really well-off. Think about it, the Lu family is so rich. If I become their son-in-law, I won't have to worry about the academy's funding anymore. Besides, Miss Lu seems quite gentle and well-mannered; it'll be a good impression to take her out. No matter how you look at it, it's a win-win situation."

"You!" Zhao Lingjun's eyes instantly reddened upon hearing this. She bit her lip tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, which she stubbornly held back.

She looked at Jiang Lin, her voice trembling slightly: "Jiang Lin, you bastard! You knew perfectly well that I... I..."

Zhao Lingjun stammered "I" for a long time, but still couldn't bring herself to say the rest. She, a princess of the Great Song Dynasty, had dressed as a man every day at the academy for Jiang Lin, contributing money and effort, even shielding him from harm. And now, he was falling for any woman he could casually offer. Zhao Lingjun felt extremely wronged and turned to leave.

Jiang Lin realized the joke had gone too far, so he quickly stood up and grabbed Zhao Lingjun's arm.

"Alright, alright, don't be angry. I was just teasing you." Jiang Lin's playful expression vanished, and his tone became very serious. "What kind of person do you take me for? If I really wanted to curry favor, I would have done so back in the capital. Why would I have come all the way to Jiangnan?"

Zhao Lingjun shook off Jiang Lin's hand and turned her head away from him: "Then why didn't you just refuse that old man?"

Jiang Lin sighed, pulled Zhao Lingjun to sit down in a chair, and patiently analyzed the situation for her: "Big sister, this is Taihu Lake, Lu family territory. The area outside is full of their people. If I refuse on the spot, it would be like slapping Old Master Lu in the face. That old man is a ruthless character. If we push him too far, he might really dare to drown the three of us in Taihu Lake to feed the fish. My move is just a delaying tactic. We need to keep him calm so we can figure out a way to escape."

After hearing Jiang Lin's explanation, Zhao Lingjun's anger subsided considerably, but she was still somewhat unwilling: "So what do you plan to do? He'll definitely ask you again tomorrow. You can't just keep dragging it out, can you? What if he forces you to get married?"

Jiang Lin stroked his chin, his eyes growing thoughtful. "This is what's giving me a headache. The Lu family wields too much power in the court. If I forcefully refuse, even if we manage to return to Hangzhou alive, the Lu family will definitely launch an impeachment campaign against Su Shi. If Su Shi loses his position as prefect, our academy in Jiangnan will completely lose its official protection. At that point, everything we've done will have been for nothing."

Zhao Lingjun frowned: "Then what should we do? Do you really want me to marry that Lu Mingyue?"

"Marry my ass." Jiang Lin rolled his eyes. "No one can dictate my marriage. Since I don't want to marry and don't want to completely break ties with the Lu family, I'll just have to find a scapegoat."

"A scapegoat?" Zhao Lingjun was taken aback. "Who? Everyone on this island except the three of us is from the Lu family. Who do you plan to send to marry Lu Mingyue?"

Jiang Lin didn't speak, but turned his head and looked out the window.

It was already dark, and the moon hung in the sky. At the doorway of the room opposite, Su Shi stood on the steps, hands behind his back, gazing at the moon, muttering to himself as if composing some new poem.

Jiang Lin looked at Su Shi's scholarly demeanor and couldn't help but smirk.

"What do you think of Zizhan?" Jiang Lin pointed to Su Shi outside the window.

Zhao Lingjun followed Jiang Lin's finger and his eyes lit up: "Su Shi? That's right! He's the prefect of Hangzhou and a renowned scholar. In terms of status and position, he's far more suitable than you! Besides, he's not married yet. If he marries Lu Mingyue, the Lu family can still be tied to us, and you won't have to sacrifice your virtue!"

Jiang Lin snapped his fingers: "Smart. This is called keeping the good stuff in the family. Zizhan only knows how to write poetry and drink, it's time to find him a wife to keep him in check. Let's go, let's go and fool him a bit."

Zhao Lingjun was overjoyed at this moment, a weight lifted from her heart. Looking at Jiang Lin, she couldn't help but laugh: "Jiang Lin, you're such a scoundrel. You even betrayed your own disciple."

"How can you call this a trap?" Jiang Lin said seriously. "This is called helping him solve a major life event. As the headmaster, I've gone to great lengths for the happiness of my students."

The two exchanged a smile, their earlier gloom vanishing. Jiang Lin straightened his clothes, pushed open the door, and walked towards Su Shi. A matchmaking scheme targeting the Song Dynasty's top literary figure had officially begun.