"What's wrong with this guy?" Chen Xi asked in confusion. "Can't he just find a suitable match and get married?"
After saying this, Chen Xi looked at Zhuge Liang. He belonged to the category of people who had a wife but hadn't married her yet, similar to how Zhuge Liang's sister married Pang Tong's elder brother, and Zhuge Liang himself would marry Huang Chengyan's daughter. The marriages between noble families had long been arranged, just as Chen Xi was destined to marry Fan Jian.
"It's not that easy. The marriage arranged when I was a child fell through," Fa Zheng said with a bitter smile. "I don't mind it much, but my father is quite upset."
"Which family is so blind?" Chen Xi was taken aback. How could there still be families that would break off an engagement? Don't they care about their reputation? Even when his own family was in dire straits and he was a sickly man, Fan Liang never once considered not marrying Fan Jian to him.
"The Jiang family," Fa Zheng said, curling his lips. "They are a prominent family from Fufeng. When I was young, I was engaged to a girl from their family. We saw each other often when we were little, but... as our Fa family declined, they started to distance themselves. Earlier, I sent someone to pick up my father, and he wanted to bring her along, but..."
At this point, a flash of coldness appeared in Fa Zheng's eyes. He didn't care much about who he married, but breaking off the engagement without a reason and without giving an explanation was unacceptable.
"The Jiang family from Liangzhou?" Chen Xi asked, unsure.
"Their ancestral home is in Liangzhou, but they have many members in Fufeng as well," Fa Zheng replied with dissatisfaction. "They looked down on my family because we are small and weak. If I get the chance, I will definitely have a word with them."
Seeing the coldness beneath Fa Zheng's calm demeanor, Chen Xi knew that his true nature was beginning to show. Fa Zheng was inherently vengeful, and although Guo Jia had trained and tempered him for a long time, it seemed that old habits were resurfacing.
"They're blind," Zhuge Liang remarked, shaking his head. Despite Fa Zheng's tendency to stir up trouble and cause issues, he acknowledged Fa Zheng's talent, which was undoubtedly among the best in the world. Offending such a person, especially at this time, was indeed foolish on the part of the Jiang family.
"Who knows what they were thinking?" Fa Zheng scoffed. "If it weren't for the distance from Xiliang, I would have made sure the Jiang family learned their lesson."
Lu Xun pursed his lips, suddenly realizing that his new teacher, Fa Zheng, might be a bit ruthless.
"Why not take a concubine first and leave the main wife's position vacant for now?" Chen Xi suggested, trying to console him and prevent Fa Zheng from becoming too reckless. "Most of the officials in Taishan are in the same situation. The main wife's position is vacant, but they all have concubines."
"I already have concubines," Fa Zheng said, pulling a face. After his father brought up the matter and was upset, Fa Zheng immediately took a concubine to placate him. Finding a wife wouldn't be difficult for someone of Fa Zheng's current status and abilities.
"Oh, well, as long as you're content with it," Chen Xi said with a nod, though it was clear this matter was a thorn in Fa Zheng's side.
"Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore," Fa Zheng said gloomily. He couldn't understand why the Jiang family would cancel the engagement when his status, abilities, and future were all so promising. It simply didn't make sense to him.
Fa Zheng had initially wondered if the Jiang family thought he was too powerful for them to handle, but that didn't seem likely. After all, he and Jiang Ying had practically grown up together. Despite Fa Zheng's odd personality, he treated those close to him very well and was quite nostalgic.
Moreover, his father was still alive and a respected scholar. It was inconceivable that they would break off the engagement for such a trivial reason. After much thought, Fa Zheng concluded that the slow spread of information had caused the misunderstanding. If he had held an official position at the time, a formal letter would have prevented this, but now, at least he knew the Jiang family's true nature. Still, when he thought of Jiang Ying, he couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. For ten years, he had always believed she would be his wife.
"Let's go, have some food, rest a bit. I still have work to handle tomorrow, so I won't be returning to Taishan with you just yet," Fa Zheng said, waving his hand. The gloom on his face disappeared, replaced by his usual indifferent expression.
"Oh, are you planning to finish the infrastructure and landmark buildings before you leave?" Chen Xi asked as they walked toward the inner hall.
"Yes, I'm worried that if I leave now, they'll mess up the construction of the city. Once the key structures are in place, they'll have a template to follow even if I'm gone," Fa Zheng explained, nodding.
"That's a good plan. I'll leave Bo Yan with you then. Make sure to teach him military strategy and tactics—he and Kong Ming don't quite get along," Chen Xi said, patting Lu Xun on the shoulder. "Don't underestimate him; he's very smart."
"Oh, in that case, leave him here. I don't have much to do besides overseeing the city's construction. He can learn a lot just by observing," Fa Zheng said, glancing at Lu Xun, who bowed respectfully to him. "Kong Ming, are you heading back to continue your studies? Tsk tsk, at this rate, by the time you start as a minor official, I might already be managing the affairs of an entire province."
"I'll be heading back to assist Lu Zijing with the administration of the states and counties and to work on long-term planning. Who knows, some of the work you do in the future might be part of my plans," Zhuge Liang said nonchalantly, leaving Fa Zheng speechless. He turned to Chen Xi for confirmation.
"Hmph, I'll be returning to Taishan soon enough," Fa Zheng said when he saw Chen Xi nodding slightly, indicating that Zhuge Liang's future tasks had indeed been arranged. Although Zhuge Liang would initially assist Lu Su, with his talent, it wouldn't be long before Lu Su would delegate some of the simpler tasks to him. Fa Zheng was sure of this, having sparred intellectually with Zhuge Liang for quite some time, with neither gaining the upper hand.
"Yes, you'll have to return eventually. In fact, soon everyone will need to gather together," Chen Xi said with a playful smile, and Fa Zheng instantly understood the implications of his words.
"Alright, let's not discuss official matters tonight. Let's talk about more pleasant things—food, drink, and entertainment! Let the feast begin, with music and dance!" Fa Zheng exclaimed as he entered the main hall, laughing heartily. Watching a new city rise from the ground had been exciting, but maintaining his official demeanor in front of others had been exhausting. Finally, he could relax and enjoy himself for a change.