Chapter 43: Even Infamy Is Fame

"Yes!"

"Once the gift list is compiled, submit it for the master's and my review before sending it to the Gu family. If both sides have no objections, waste no time in procuring and preparing the items."

"This old servant understands!"

With the mistress issuing the command, and given the tight schedule and heavy task, Steward Zhong and Mammy Fan began mobilizing the entire household of over three hundred people. Everyone capable of drawing breath was called in to help manage the arrangements.

The servants in the manor were equally determined not to let anyone look down upon them, and each of them executed their duties with exceptional care and precision.

The connections the Lu family had maintained over the years came in handy just at the right moment. As soon as the news of the Heir Apparent's grand wedding spread, the first to be shaken was Noble Consort Dai within the imperial palace.

Next came the Four Princes, the Eight Dukes, and the Twelve Marquises.

Further down were officials of all ranks in the capital, ranging from Chief Councilor Zhang Linglu and Lu Lan's maternal grandfather, Minister of Revenue Yan Que, all the way to the former military subordinates of Lu Lan's three older brothers. Every one of them sent congratulatory messages, expressing their intentions to attend and partake in the joyous occasion.

Initially, the news circulated only within the small circle of the Duke of Yu's estate.

However, in the capital city of Shengjing, there were no secrets. In a mere moment, the entire capital knew that Lu Lan was taking a wife.

Not a single soul was moved to praise him for turning over a new leaf.

Instead, they met the news with unanimous mockery.

The whole capital was laughing over which unfortunate family's daughter Lu Lan was about to ruin.

"With that good-for-nothing bully, what kind of respectable family could he possibly marry into?"

"If you ask me, it must be the daughter of some minor official, driven by greed for power and status."

"Hah, or perhaps the daughter of a disgraced criminal, since he has no other choices."

"Could she be a courtesan? After all, men like him are indiscriminate."

"Or maybe some blind, deaf, and drooling idiot of a girl?"

"Hahahaha!"

To marry Lu Lan—even a crocodile hearing this would have nightmares.

Which normal maiden would wish for such misfortune?

Yet, when word broke that the bride-to-be was none other than Gu Xingwan, a thunderclap exploded through the capital's literary circles.

Everyone's first reaction was: Lu Lan must have saved Gu Xingwan's life in a past life.

The frequency of maternal profanities uttered within various academies skyrocketed instantly.

Lu Lan's eighteen generations of ancestors were individually and affectionately greeted.

Scholars in the capital had long held Gu Xingwan in deep admiration.

Almost every single one of them possessed a portrait of her.

Although not a single version of these portraits looked remotely decent, it did not stop them from taking the drawings out for quiet tribute in the dead of night.

Initially, when Gu Xingwan claimed the top spot on the realm's Men of Letters Rankings, the scholars refused to accept it.

How could a woman be allowed to monopolize the supreme title?

However, upon learning that she also held the number one position on the Rouge Appraisal for her peerless beauty, the scholars decided to drop the matter.

Since she was extraordinarily beautiful, everything she did was right.

What the scholars found most difficult to accept was that Gu Xingwan would actually forsake Mei Xianghan and marry Lu Lan.

Could this possibly be tolerated?

Though filled with bitter indignation, not a single scholar possessed the guts to seek out Lu Lan and hurl curses at him face-to-face.

They were fierce lions within the sanctuary of their academies, yet meek mice out in the real world.

They dared do nothing more than write a few anonymous, bitter poems to vent their frustration.

Sighing over Gu Xingwan with verses like, "Since ancient times, beauties meet tragic fates; listless and speechless, they face the east wind."

And cursing Lu Lan with lines like, "Supreme in incompetence across the world, unmatched in disgrace from past to present."

Yan Shiyue thought to herself, let them curse all they want. Bad publicity is still publicity.

Never lose face, no matter the situation.

Lu Lan's impending marriage quickly became the hottest topic of conversation in the capital, far eclipsing the union between the Mei and Jian families, which had been bestowed by the Empress Dowager.

Inside the estate, figures bustled back and forth like weaving shuttles, everyone so busy their feet barely touched the ground. Even five-year-old Li Changwei was roped in to run errands.

While the outside world was as boisterous as the New Year festival, Lu Lan remained completely unperturbed, hiding away in the study of the Water and Cloud Pavilion.

He was pondering the black stones.

If the business of scented coal briquettes could be successfully launched sooner rather than later, it would bring an unfathomable fortune.

It was truly a headache. Although the manor possessed numerous books, most were dedicated to imperial examinations or authored by prominent contemporary Confucian scholars.

Texts concerning minerals, agriculture, forestry, and local products were exceedingly scarce.

Lu Lan searched for a long time before finally finding a clue regarding the black stones in a volume titled *Geographical Records of Southern Chu*, where ancients from millennia past referred to the substance as "coal."

However, the text merely recorded how coal was used for heating, lighting, and cooking, offering no methods for eliminating its unpleasant odor.

Lu Lan also discovered that not all black stones emitted a foul odor; those from certain regions possessed higher purity and could burn directly without causing harm to humans or animals.

In the afternoon, a man appeared at the entrance of the Lu family estate, just as Steward Zhong was discussing matters with the proprietor of a silk shop.

"Lord Steward, this humble person has a business proposition he wishes to discuss with the master of the estate. Might I trouble you to announce my presence?"

Steward Zhong cast an assessing glance at the man. He was dressed in ordinary silk autumn attire, and the thick-soled cloth shoes on his feet were already caked with dust, suggesting he was an itinerant merchant.

What caught the eye most was the notice he held in his hand—the very recruitment poster posted outside by the Duke of Yu's estate.

Steward Zhong had not expected anyone to actually come and inquire.

"May I ask your esteemed name and your trade?"

"This humble person is Pang Shiyuan, traveling far and wide as a horse trader."