Correspondence flowed ceaselessly. While warfare spread through cities in the North and Ruyang was nearly lost, the Jianye court sent out strongly-worded imperial edicts – all commanderies were to cease fighting in preparation for peace talks.

The Northern envoys in Jianye fanned the flames, persuading the old emperor who was indulging in feminine charms, and then lobbying among the great families who were already unwilling to spend money. The families had their conflicts – for example, just days ago when Miss Luo, staying at the Lu family residence, was blocked by refugees who had been taken in by Miss Chen Xiu, causing some words between the Chen and Lu families. Though the impact wasn’t great and the matter was settled after mutual apologies and gifts, their true thoughts remained unknown. These minor conflicts among the families gave the Northern envoys opportunities to attack Lu Sanlang.

Getting the North to cease fighting for peace talks was already the best result the Northern envoys could achieve with all their efforts.

When this edict reached the North, all commanderies were outraged – with enemy troops at their gates, how could they stop fighting? Once stopped, wouldn’t everything be lost?

It was at this time that Lu Sanlang’s letters reached the commanderies: continue fighting. Supplies and troops, Lu Yun would handle them.

Lu Yun had long known the Jianye court wouldn’t take bold action – for the scholars who loved luxury and pleasure, when the North was willing to offer benefits, they had no desire to fight. But even without Lu Erlang’s dream, being in the North and caught in the situation, Lu Yun could see that if troops withdrew now and Northern armies marched south, the entire Southern country couldn’t be protected.

Lu Yun kept writing letters, requesting grain from Prince Chen, persuading the commanderies not to retreat, and explaining the situation in detail to several highly respected scholars in the North.

The North claimed the South had started the war first, breaking the agreement and making peace talks impossible; Lu Sanlang’s explanation to the scholars emphasized that while Northern envoys had already entered Jianye, Northern armies attacked Ruyang – the North had broken faith first. As for General Wei’s first strike in Nanyang, since it happened outside the city and was a surprise attack, it needed no further discussion.

…

Matters were numerous and complex.

After the snow stopped, at the post station’s morning, Lu Yun sat at a desk beneath a snow-facing window writing letters. Attendants came and went, constantly delivering and sending out letters.

While writing to several scholars, Lu Yun suddenly paused: if he weren’t accompanying Luo Lingyu now, he would not be writing to these scholars but visiting them personally.

He wondered what he was doing at this time in Lu Erlang’s dream.

While Lu Yun was deep in thought, he suddenly heard rustling sounds from behind the screen in the chamber – someone had awakened.

“My lord…” The attendant was about to continue reporting various situations but was cut off by Lu Sanlang’s raised hand.

Lu Sanlang instructed to discuss official matters later, and as the attendant bowed and withdrew, he also ordered minor officials to bring in breakfast. The attendant found it strange, and only after leaving the chamber and standing in the courtyard, seeing the vast snow covering heaven and earth, did he realize: Wasn’t it already afternoon? Why was the lord only now asking for breakfast? Could it be that lady…

The attendant’s heart jumped violently, and he hurriedly collected his thoughts, not daring to think further.

In the chamber, Lu Sanlang properly stored the pile of letters on the desk before rising. He wore an old casual robe, its collar loose, his long hair only half-bound. The young lord leisurely walked around the screen into the inner chamber, his relaxed comfort extraordinarily cold yet refined.

Lu Yun saw the bed curtains raised by ivory hooks, and on the bed, the lady was struggling to lie prone, her long hair cascading like a waterfall onto her black and blue arms. She had finally picked up the bronze mirror that had fallen to the ground, and while holding the blanket, she kept examining her face in the mirror.

The lady sat wrapped in blankets on the bed, still laboriously applying diagonal red makeup at the corners of her eyes.

When Lu Yun entered, he saw her eye corners like attached peach blossoms, the makeup-like wounds, the color transitioning from light to bright red… Lu Yun couldn’t help but smile: “Little sister Yu is in such good spirits, just waking up and caring about nothing but her face. Sister is so thoughtful, especially applying makeup for brother to see.”

Luo Lingyu: … Adorning her face had always been what she cared about most, what did it have to do with him?!

He seemed to be mocking her again.

Luo Lingyu kept a cold face and said nothing, her heart full of resentment toward Lu Yun. Last night she had begged him so, yet he wouldn’t restrain himself. Waking today, her body was covered in marks… making her secretly furious, not wanting to see Lu Yun. Yet this man’s first sight of her today wasn’t to pity her, but to mock her love of beauty, so Luo Lingyu couldn’t help but retort: “… Is this perhaps the Nanyang Zhuge Cottage? Master Zhuge is truly busy with thousands of matters.”

She was satirizing Lu Yun’s behavior of not going out but constantly writing letters, imitating the previous generation’s scholar, Master Zhuge Ziming of Nanyang. But how could he compare to that great scholar?

Lu Yun wasn’t angry though, instead smiling slightly after hearing her words: “Called out all night, voice gone hoarse?”

Luo Lingyu: “…!”

Lu Yun glanced at her again, his keen observation making his smile deepen: “No wonder you wanted to apply makeup right after waking, not only is your voice hoarse, but your eyes are swollen too.”

Luo Lingyu was so angry she could no longer hold back, throwing the mirror in her hand – whose fault was this! Lecherous man, still making snide remarks afterward!

Lu Yun caught her mirror with composure, and looked at her, still wearing that ambiguous smile: “It doesn’t matter if you’re hoarse and blind, brother has had medicinal porridge prepared for you, drink it for two days and you’ll be fine.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock at the door – it was the minor official following Lu Sanlang’s attendant’s instructions, bringing meals. Under Luo Lingyu’s dazed gaze, Lu Sanlang casually set down the mirror and, instead of letting the minor official enter, went to get the food box himself. After two trips, closing the door, and returning to set up a table by the bedside, Lu Sanlang began arranging the meal.

Luo Lingyu sat on the bed, face still stern, but her gaze couldn’t help following his figure. Seeing his loose clothing, her face couldn’t help but redden. Because she remembered what Lu Yun looked like without clothes during last night’s outrageous activities. Different from his usual elegant indolence, without the constraint of loose robes, his waist and hips were narrow and strong, not a warrior’s build, yet not like a scholar’s frailty either. His usual loose clothing only made people feel his clear brightness, not revealing his good figure. He should wear warrior’s robes that show off his physique, not waste such a form… truly heaven favored the beautiful, giving Lu Yun all the best.

While Luo Lingyu was lost in fantasy, Lu Yun suddenly looked over sensitively.

Luo Lingyu kept her face stern: “… Hmph!”

Refusing to admit she was thinking about him.

Lu Yun saw her red face and moist eyes, clearly moved with emotion, but he didn’t point it out. A delicate young lady like his sister Luo needed some face. If he gave none at all, she would be driven mad with anger. Lu Sanlang, considering himself thoughtful, changed the topic: “Is darling hungry? Come down to wash up and eat.”

Luo Lingyu didn’t answer him.

He didn’t mind, continuing: “Life here is always somewhat harder than in Jianye. But you can rest assured, in the future, when I have time, I will take care of you somewhat. When brother is busy with official matters, sister can be like now, applying powder and drawing eyebrows before the mirror, idly painting and writing, chasing butterflies. I’ve already informed the family, that once the warfare ends, we will marry. From then on, sister, your ‘dodder flower’ dream can be realized.”

Luo Lingyu’s eyes suddenly brightened!

Her anxious heart was put back in her belly – so after being intimate with him, he would truly marry her.

And after marrying him, she could truly get so many benefits.

She would no longer need to rack her brains, using what little money she had to maintain the appearance of a noble lady, and no longer need to struggle to follow and learn every new trend to be first in everything whenever fashion changed. No need to rush about just to build relationships with various ladies. She could finally live the beautiful life she had imagined countless times. No need to go out, no need to socialize, no need to please people, no need to be thick-skinned and pretend not to understand when mocked, no need to assess every young lord she met as a potential husband, no need to unconsciously compare herself to every lady she saw.

She could nestle at home chasing butterflies and embroidering flowers, enjoying her future life like a dodder flower, supported by a man…

Luo Lingyu could no longer keep a stern face, she couldn’t hold back, laughing out loud as Lu Yun described her beautiful future. Such a genuinely happy smile, bright eyes, peach cheeks blushing, how charming. So charming that Lu Yun couldn’t ignore it, directly setting down his food box and leaning over.

He reached out to pinch her face: “How are you still like this? Can’t change, can you?”

Luo Lingyu was extremely delighted as if she could already see the shadow of her imagined luxurious life. How wonderful to be wealthy and powerful like Lu Sanlang, how wonderful to have talents like Lu Sanlang yet never need to use them – a great scholar had once told her Lu Yun was skilled at brewing tea, and even sent a wooden barrel of dried qin fish, asking Lu Yun to make “qin fish tea” for her to drink. Luo Lingyu had never seen his tea anyway.

Because Lu Yun didn’t need to personally please people.

She wanted to be like him too! And by marrying him, she could achieve it…

She was so happy that even when Lu Yun pinched her face until it hurt, she didn’t mind. Moreover, the lady’s eyes were like clear water, looking at Lu Yun without any resentment for his wild passion last night, finding him extremely handsome no matter how she looked at him. What virtue and ability she must have, to truly achieve this – not only marrying into a wealthy family, but marrying someone so graceful and handsome…

“Brother Xuecen,” Luo Lingyu spread her arms coquettishly, embracing his neck and nuzzling close, her smile sweet and beautiful, “Brother Xuecen…”

She was too excited and momentarily forgot that she had just gotten up and was only sitting wrapped in blankets because she was so angry. As she spread her arms to embrace him, the blanket slipped from her body, and her snow-white skin now spotted with red marks was all seen by the young lord’s downward glance. The daylight was bright, showing clearly what couldn’t be seen at night. Luo Lingyu was startled, crying out in shock, releasing her hands to cover her body and try to retreat.

She hugged her chest and withdrew toward the inner side of the bed, Lu Yun’s eyes darkened, and he followed her movement, pressing her down onto the bed. His eyes fixed on the snow-white mountains, amid the lush growth, red cherries blooming. His hands were full of smoothness, bright with lustrous light. Such whiteness, glowing slightly like porcelain, not at all monotonous.

Making him unable to let go, unable to move his gaze.

Lu Yun laughed softly: “Like ‘frost flowing through jade.’ Little sister is truly well-formed.”

He was naturally not referring to her face anymore.

Luo Lingyu was coy, covering her eyes with the back of her hand: “Brother Xuecen, you’re becoming more and more vulgar.”

Lu Yun chuckled, a flash of fire jumping in his eyes before he suppressed it himself: “Little sister worries too much. This is nothing yet.”

Luo Lingyu: “…”

Lu Yun: “I’m still holding back the fire now… after all, warfare comes first, it won’t do to indulge in female charms and miss military opportunities. It would be even worse if sister became pregnant, I must exercise some self-restraint.”

Luo Lingyu was embarrassed and annoyed, raising her hand to punch his chest – this man could say anything without the slightest blush… she had once thought him an elegant scholar, how foolish.

So someone had already exercised self-restraint. How difficult it must have been for her Brother Xuecen – with such a frivolous true nature, how had he managed to pretend to be aloof for so many years?

Lu Yun bent down to suck, to kiss. He praised endlessly: “…how were you nourished…”

A flash of light crossed Luo Lingyu’s eyes, wanting to cooperate and make him happier. Such harmless matters – if he was happy, wouldn’t she get more benefits? Affairs between men and women were just that kind of thing. She embraced his neck, cunning as a little fox: “All thanks to brother’s nourishment.”

Lu Yun’s eyes indeed brightened, looking at her with a smile. His hand supported her face as he came to kiss her red lips. Faces touching, long hair brushing pillows. In an instant, they rolled together, the young lord embracing her, speaking ambiguously and tenderly with a double meaning: “Little sister’s small mouth is truly sweet.”

But Luo Lingyu suddenly stiffened, her inner thigh hurting – his hand!

She trembled: “No, no, no, no, I still hurt…”

Lu Yun said softly: “Mm, won’t touch you. Darling don’t shout, let me taste some sweetness.”

His sweetness would take half her life… How could that work? Luo Lingyu lay stiffly, seeing his deep black eyes, nearly frightened to death. Who knew what he was thinking beneath such outward calmness? While the lady was being tormented this way and on the bed, wracking her brains for how to stop Lu Sanlang, there was a knock at the chamber door.

Luo Lingyu immediately reacted extremely quickly, pushing Lu Yun with great force and kicking him: “Someone’s coming!”

Lu Yun: “…You seem very eager?”

Luo Lingyu hurriedly concealed the joy in her eyes, though she couldn’t hide it from Lu Yun. Lu Sanlang sighed once and pinched the lady’s face again before withdrawing. As Lu Yun’s figure moved away from the screen, Luo Lingyu feared he would return to see her, and thinking of that business again, she dressed at the fastest speed of her life, enduring the discomfort of her body being crushed… Lu Yun returned with a letter, his expression bland, scanning the letter several times.

Luo Lingyu observed his expression: “What’s wrong? Has something happened?”

Lu Yun sat down, pondering: “Half and half… In the Nanyang battle, the Northern army unit was their strongest force. Cavalry, infantry, and archers were all well-equipped. To take Nanyang, the infantry seized an opportunity. With ten thousand arrows firing at once, General Wei nearly died there. Fortunately, our army was prepared beforehand, managing to retreat, with only one or two casualties in the arrow formation.”

Luo Lingyu was stunned, her expression changing instantly. She was a clever lady, and with Lu Yun’s strange tone, she immediately thought: “…Second cousin once told me he had a dream, dreaming that you died from ten thousand arrows piercing your heart! He mentioned it casually, not taking it seriously, and I thought this incident was different from later ones, so I let it pass… So it was here!”

She suddenly grasped Lu Yun’s hand, her gaze anxious. Though knowing he was fine, she still felt fear afterward. She trembled as she hugged him, no longer having any thoughts of teasing or enticing Lu Yun: “…You’re alright! You’re fine!”

If Lu Yun had been in Nanyang at that time, that arrow formation might have been aimed at him. General Wei was martially skilled and could escape from it. Lu Yun’s martial arts surely couldn’t compare to General Wei’s, if he had been there… Wouldn’t dying from ten thousand arrows piercing his heart have been Lu Yun’s fate?

…To have brushed so close to death.

Lu Yun seemed lost in thought, suddenly saying: “If I weren’t here now, I would be visiting various scholars. I wouldn’t be in Nanyang either.”

Luo Lingyu: “…What do you mean?”

Lu Yun smiled, looking down at her tenderly, kissing her cheek: “It means you changed my fate. You saved me.”

If she had married Prince Hengyang, his heart would have been broken, his mind distracted, and he would have died in this warfare;

If she had stayed properly in Jianye waiting for him, with her in his heart keeping his mind stable, he would have left Nanyang to General Wei and gone to visit local scholars, using public opinion to pressure the North;

If she came to find him, he would come to find her, likewise avoiding that crisis.

Thus the matter of his tragic death in Lu Erlang’s first dream did not happen in the second dream, no matter what. Waiting for him was another… bit by bit, initially showing no trace, but when all these bits gathered together, they would produce enormous changes. How could Lu Erlang have imagined that merely agreeing to let Cousin Luo go to Nanyang early would cause so many changes?

Lu Xian still felt nothing had changed.

Lu Yun smiled: “Interesting.”

Luo Lingyu: “What’s interesting? I’m so worried about you! His dream seems to be true… What should we do? He dreamed you would die…”

Lu Yun said: “It’s fine, I know what I’m doing, this is a good chance to experiment with how Second Brother’s dreams predict the future, and how accurate they are. Mm, I’m afraid I’ll need sister’s help…”

His plan wasn’t mature, thinking as he spoke. Before he finished, Luo Lingyu eagerly stood up to respond: “Then quickly! What do you need me to do, how should I help you? Are we going back to Nanyang… Ah, that mountain! We should first find that mountain…”

Lu Yun looked at her for a long while, Luo Lingyu blinked back uncomprehendingly. Lu Yun: “What about your ‘dodder flower’ dream, giving it up? What happened to stay at home chasing butterflies and embroidering flowers?”

Luo Lingyu said coquettishly: “…That can wait until later. At a life-or-death moment, who has the mood to embroider flowers and chase butterflies?”

Lu Yun stroked her hair, smiling without speaking – it wasn’t a matter of mood but of ability. Most women in the world, when facing crisis, still only could chase butterflies and embroider flowers. But Luo Lingyu was different, her attitude was positive, and brave in advancing. If he truly let her stay quiet, she would surely go mad with anxiety.

He foresaw that her “dodder flower” dream would probably remain just talk.

Luo Lingyu pushed him: “Laughing again! You’re mocking me, aren’t you?”

Lu Yun stopped smiling: “Don’t make trouble, rest for a day, we’ll return to Nanyang tomorrow.”

…

Lu Erlang had no idea his third brother was decoding his dream, seeking the path to life within his dream, and even experimenting.

Lu Erlang was worried all day, feeling the court situation was increasingly unfavorable to them. The more pessimistic the court situation became, the more he went to find Prince Chen. Recently, scholars across the land suddenly wrote articles, angrily denouncing the North’s treachery, attacking the North’s betrayal of trust with the fall of Ruyang city – openly discussing peace with the South while secretly sending troops to attack cities.

The influence of scholars was the same in both North and South. Once this article appeared, other scholars followed. The scholars’ writings sparked heated discussion throughout the land.

In Jianye, the Northern envoys’ position suddenly became extremely awkward and dangerous, with the entire court looking at them strangely, even the old emperor full of doubts. The envoys panicked, directly denouncing the literati as talking nonsense. It was said the Northern princess fainted kneeling outside His Majesty’s bedchamber, but His Majesty paid no attention. The next day, the Northern envoys spent a great sum, donating a pearl curtain to Jianye’s Kaishan Temple as a gesture of goodwill. Meanwhile, the Northern envoys visited Prince Zhao Liu Huai, presenting him with a box of night-luminous pearls.

While Liu Huai was still hesitating as he played with the night-luminous pearls, a pearl curtain slightly smaller than the temple’s was also delivered to his mansion.

In this era, a pearl curtain was made of Indian glass, and decorated with precious stones. Due to the value of the glass, all nobles praised pearl curtains. This priceless treasure – even Taichu Palace had only a few. The Northern envoys’ great expenditure made Prince Zhao beam with joy – after all, Prince Chen was a political enemy, and the Lu family was also an enemy.

Prince Zhao spoke up for the Northern envoys at court, showing much disdain for the scholars.

Others stood up here and there to help.

Prince Chen Liu Shu didn’t participate in this battle formation, and when Lu Xian visited his mansion again with a worried face, he again used the excuse of a marriage proposal. This time, various advisors participated in discussing political matters, no longer avoiding Lu Erlang. Lu Erlang belatedly realized Prince Chen had long been responding to this matter. Previously, probably feeling he wasn’t reliable, they hadn’t revealed any information to him.

As Lu Erlang took his seat, his emotions were extremely complex. And Liu Shu finally spoke the truth: “…No troops have been sent because everyone is watching. Supplies have been prepared privately, though not enough, but it’s no longer appropriate to make big moves.”

Lu Xian said heavily: “The court wants the North to stop fighting, so they’re cutting off troops and supplies.”

Liu Shu: “…First find a way to send supplies, must do it behind the court’s back, seek… trustworthy people.”

Lu Xian decided immediately: “I’ll go!”

Liu Shu glanced at him, his gaze passing over him as he continued discussing with his advisors: “Who do you all think would be suitable to send?”

Lu Xian: “…”

He was directly ignored? In Prince Chen’s eyes, he couldn’t even handle delivering supplies. Surely Third Brother had often spoken ill of him to His Highness Prince Chen before, making Prince Chen so distrustful of him.

The advisors looked sympathetically at Lu Erlang but said nothing, each offering suggestions, recommending people who could deliver supplies. The Prince did not comment. Lu Erlang again nominated himself, actively trying to persuade the Prince. Prince Chen’s gaze fixed on Lu Erlang for a moment but then moved away.

Prince Chen still didn’t believe Lu Erlang could handle unexpected situations.

As Lu Erlang listened with inexpressible grief and anger to discussions of who the Prince could send, a gentle, slightly low voice came from behind them: “I’ll go.”

Visibly, Liu Shu’s originally cold expression suddenly changed, and he turned sharply.

Lu Xian stood up with him, everyone rising, and they saw outside the pavilion, led by servants, Zhou Lang Zhou Zibo standing amid the garden’s green and yellow, having listened to their discussion for who knew how long. Zhou Lang smiled slightly, and everyone saw His Highness Prince Chen’s ears redden: Zhou Lang’s free coming and going into Prince Chen’s mansion, with even Prince Chen himself unaware of Zhou Lang’s arrival, showed how Prince Chen usually instructed his servants.

The main gate of Prince Chen’s mansion was always open to Zhou Lang.

Lu Xian’s mind went blank because this wasn’t how it happened in his dream. In the dream, there was no Zhou Zibo, no Zhou Zibo going north to deliver supplies to Lu Sanlang. In the dream there was only Prince Chen rushing about, only Prince Chen stretched thin…

This time, Prince Chen’s gaze flickered, but he still didn’t agree.

Zhou Yangling had much more confidence than Lu Erlang, smiling brightly: “I can not only help Your Highness deliver supplies, I can also gather supplies from among the common families. The grain sent from Jiangnan has arrived, only with me appearing will they trust, only then will they hand over the grain.”

Prince Chen’s eyes narrowed, saying softly: “…Have never asked Zhou Lang, nor investigated privately, your background. Want to ask Zhou Lang, what identity exactly, makes the common families, trust so much?”

Under everyone’s gaze, Zhou Lang’s grace didn’t diminish. She bowed with clasped hands, her long robe flying like clouds, her raised face as clear and gentle as always, yet with something more: “…Zhou Tan, head of the common families, is my…”

Liu Shu’s eyes fixed intently on her, light flickering in their depths, catching something, his heart beating rapidly, waiting for her words!

Zhou Yangling: “…is my master, I also call him ‘adoptive father.'”

Prince Chen was stunned, that heart that had almost jumped out falling back in disappointment… However, he began to doubt who she was.