After Luo Yining left, Lu Jiaxue opened the letter again and called for his subordinate.
The light piece of paper fell before the subordinate as Lu Jiaxue said calmly, “If Wei Ling’s body can’t be found, there’s no need to keep searching—it likely will never be found.”
The subordinate looked at him in surprise, then heard Lu Jiaxue continue, “I’d like to see if he’s dead or not. Tell Li Shaomu to delay the attack on the Oirat tribe by a few days.”
After a moment’s hesitation, the subordinate bowed and exited.
In the carriage on the way back, Yining sat with her eyes closed, silent.
The swaying carriage moved through the night, accompanied only by the sounds of crickets and frogs outside. A slanted beam of light entered as Qingqu lifted the curtain and came inside.
“Miss, what were you discussing with the Governor? I heard you arguing with him,” Qingqu inquired.
Yining sighed, “I was pleading with him.”
Qingqu pressed further, “When we left, the Governor seemed rather cold… Did he agree to save the Duke? If not, just give me a horse and I’ll go to Pingyuan Fort to find him for you.”
“If he agreed, he certainly won’t go back on his word,” Yining replied.
Qingqu finally stopped asking questions. She lowered the curtain and carefully adjusted the lantern to illuminate the road more clearly. While night travel was generally unsafe, they were within the inner city where the military patrols at night, and they had their guards, so there was little to fear.
As Yining gazed at the light filtering through the horn lantern, she thought quietly to herself, “Green hills bury loyal bones…” Yes, she finally remembered.
In the first year of Chengping, when the Hami garrison on the northern frontier was breached by the Turfan tribe, forcing troops to retreat to Jiayuguan Pass, Lu Jiaxue was preparing to go to battle with his elder brother Lu Jiaran. It would be his first time on the battlefield. Worried for his safety, she had begged him not to go, saying those words to him. Lu Jiaxue’s usual playful demeanor changed as he looked at her for a long time, gently caressing her face to comfort her: “It’s alright, I’ll be fine.”
But weapons on the battlefield were indiscriminate – how could he know he wouldn’t be harmed?
Yining’s voice grew hoarse with emotion as she continued, “If something happens to you, what will I do if I can’t find you?” She had heard stories of soldiers whose bodies were never found, with only bloodstained helmets to stand in their place. She gripped his hand, her gaze filled with fear and uncertainty.
Lu Jiaxue held her tightly, shielding the candlelight behind her. “I promise I’ll come back alive, alright?” he said. “Even if everyone else dies, I’ll return to you, even as a fugitive if I must.”
She nodded vigorously, burying her face in the crook of his neck as tears soaked through his clothes.
He did return eventually, though without military honors. Lu Jiaran, however, was promoted to Deputy Commander for killing an enemy leader. Yining didn’t know what Lu Jiaxue’s experience on the battlefield had been like. He carried on as usual, gambling and carousing with other noble youths. Once when he lost a large sum, debt collectors from the gambling house approached Lu Jiaran. His brother laughed it off, saying, “Gambling is my little brother’s only vice. As his elder brother, I’ll naturally cover for him.”
Yining recalled that when Lu Jiaxue looked up at his brother then, his eyes held a cold, piercing gaze.
It wasn’t until later that she learned the truth – it was Lu Jiaxue who had killed the enemy leader with a single arrow, not Lu Jiaran. His brother had claimed Lu Jiaxue’s military achievements as his own.
Yet he had endured it all this time without saying a word, always smiling amiably in his brother’s presence.
…If he truly remembered the words he’d said to her, remembered his promise to return. What did she mean to Lu Jiaxue after all?
There was no use dwelling on it further. None of it mattered anymore.
The carriage came to a stop. Yining opened her eyes. They had arrived at the Duke of Ying’s mansion.
Concerned by her late return, Lady Wei had sent her maid Fangsong to wait in the front reception room. Seeing Yining return safely, Fangsong sighed in relief and curtsied, saying, “Now that the young miss has returned unharmed, this servant can report back to the old madam.”
Yining replied, “Thank you for grandmother’s concern. Please convey my regards to her.”
Fangsong smiled and withdrew. Just as Yining saw Fangsong leave, she noticed a figure in white standing by the screen wall. Upon seeing her, the person quickly walked over.
Before Yining could react, the lantern light flickered, revealing Cheng Lang’s handsome, refined face before her. His thin lips pressed tightly together as he said, “I came as soon as I heard the news, but your steward told me you had gone out. Do you know what’s happened?”
Luo Yining invited Cheng Lang to speak in the front hall. After they were seated, she said, “I know. Deputy Commander Guo of the Imperial Guard told me that the Marquis of Zhongqin submitted a memorial against my father, angering the Emperor greatly. Deputy Commander Guo came to discuss how to protect my father’s title, so I thought of a way…”
Hearing this and seeing Yining’s calm expression, Cheng Lang could easily guess what she had done.
Other than Lu Jiaxue, what other option did she have? She must have gone to beg him for help!
“You went to the Marquis of Ningyang’s mansion, didn’t you?” Cheng Lang suddenly grabbed her hand. “How could you go back to beg him? He’s the one who ruined you! Why did you return to that place?”
Yining frowned at Cheng Lang’s actions. She stood up with a smile and said, “What other choice did I have besides begging him? Who else could help me? What’s wrong with you?”
Seeing his hand still gripping hers, Cheng Lang abruptly let go. He had acted rashly out of worry when he first heard the news, fearing Luo Yining would go to Lu Jiaxue for help.
His forceful questioning would surely make her uncomfortable, perhaps even suspicious.
Cheng Lang asked hoarsely, “Did you… agree to any conditions with him?”
Yining shook her head. She didn’t want to discuss it further. Her actions were her own business. While she appreciated Cheng Lang’s concern, no one had the right to interrogate her. She said to him, “Alang, it’s very late. You should go home.”
As she tried to leave, he grabbed her hand again.
“Please don’t be angry,” Cheng Lang said, closing his eyes briefly. “I’m just afraid he might take advantage of you.”
Yining knew Cheng Lang had come in the middle of the night to inform her about her father’s situation, so how could she be angry? She grasped his hand in return and said, “There’s no need to worry about that. It’s not convenient to travel at this hour… Why don’t you stay in a guest room? I’ll have the maids prepare a room for you.”
Hearing this, Cheng Lang relaxed a bit and nodded. “I have to attend court early tomorrow morning, so I’ll need to rise at dawn,” he added. “I hope I won’t disturb you.”
Yining called for Zhenzhu to make arrangements, then bid Cheng Lang goodnight. She was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately upon returning to her quarters in the East Garden.
Outside the imperial city, however, the lights were still on in one particular teahouse.
Xu Wei was particularly fond of the edamame at this teahouse. In his opinion, no other place could match the flavor. Luo Shen’yuan had tried it a few times but didn’t notice anything special. Still, as long as Minister Xu was happy, that was what mattered.
So they often met to discuss matters at this teahouse. The rundown establishment was surrounded by guards, with a large steaming pot outside. Passersby could tell at a glance that Minister Xu was inside enjoying edamame again.
Seeing how frequently Xu Wei visited, someone eventually donated some silver to the teahouse owner, urging him to renovate the dilapidated interior so Minister Xu could enjoy his edamame in comfort. The owner put the money to good use, laying down camphor wood flooring, applying tung oil varnish, and arranging several blue-and-white porcelain plum vases from the imperial kilns to give the place some atmosphere.
Xu Wei sat facing Luo Shen’yuan, with Yang Ling beside them. Yang Ling had placed third in the second rank of this year’s palace examination and had also been taken under Xu Wei’s wing. Luo Shen’yuan had read some of Yang Ling’s essays and found them even better than those of the second-ranked candidate Wang Qiuyuan – insightful and brimming with talent. He wondered why Yang Ling had only placed third in the second rank. Nevertheless, Xu Wei had brought him out of the Hanlin Academy to serve as a sixth-rank Supervising Secretary in the Ministry of Revenue under his tutelage.
Yang Ling was humble yet self-assured. Even though he and Luo Shen’yuan had passed the imperial examinations in the same year, with Luo now a fourth-rank Junior Lord of the Court of Judicial Review while Yang was still just a seventh-rank Supervising Secretary, he showed no timidity in Luo’s presence. Smiling, he raised a toast to Luo: “Brother Luo, we’re both Minister Xu’s disciples – who do you think should have the honor of shelling edamame for him?”
Even as he spoke, a plate of edamame was already being passed to Luo Shen’yuan.
The officials present all laughed, and Xu Wei chuckled as well, saying, “You rascal Yang Ling, how dare you tease me!”
Luo Shen’yuan’s expression remained unchanged as he accepted the plate from Yang Ling. “As a student, it’s only right that I shell beans for my teacher,” he said. Then he rolled up his sleeves and began shelling edamame for Xu Wei.
Those hands accustomed to writing, with their slight calluses, deftly dropped the shiny green, fragrant beans one by one onto the plate.
Xu Wei was at a loss for words with these two disciples, while the other officials roared with laughter. The Vice Minister of Revenue clapped Luo Shen’yuan on the shoulder, saying, “Yang Ling, you’d better watch and learn from Lord Luo! No wonder he’s already reached the fourth rank while you’re still at the seventh – just look at how much faster he shells edamame than others!”
Xu Wei laughed so hard his stomach hurt. For the first time, he felt his student showed some human warmth. He waved his hand and said, “Enough joking around. We were just discussing Shen’yuan’s promotion. Now, let’s talk about the situation at Pingyuan Fort. I find the whole affair quite suspicious. Shen’yuan, didn’t you send people to investigate? Do your spies have any news?”
As Junior Lord of the Court of Judicial Review, it wasn’t appropriate for Luo Shen’yuan to openly dispatch investigators for certain matters. So he secretly maintained a group of people for such tasks. He set down the edamame and wiped his hands clean before replying, “My agents report that there was indeed a major battle at Pingyuan Fort. However, regarding the reported 30,000 casualties – there are some discrepancies. Over half of the corpses, though wearing our armor, were found upon closer inspection to have calluses on their thumbs, scars on their legs, and dark skin. They don’t appear to be Han Chinese. Based on their reports, I suspect these may be Oirat tribesmen.”
“Are you saying our actual losses weren’t 30,000?” someone asked curiously. “But what happened to all those missing men? They couldn’t have just vanished into thin air.”
Luo Shen’yuan’s account seemed too fantastical. Even Xu Wei found it puzzling. “How can this be explained? Was Wei Ling’s body found?”
Luo Shen’yuan shook his head. “If Wei Ling’s body had been found, then the situation wouldn’t make sense.”
Yang Ling understood Luo Shen’yuan’s implication and asked in surprise, “Are you suggesting Wei Ling isn’t dead?”
“We need to see a person alive or see their corpse to confirm the death,” Luo Shen’yuan said, always cautious about making absolute statements. “We can only say he’s dead if we see his body. Right now, no one knows for sure. The Ministry of War has already dispatched Left Vice Minister Xiao Zuoyun to Xuanfu. With increased troops in Xuanfu and Lu Jiaxue’s deputy commander there, the border should be secure.”
At this point, someone sighed, “If the Duke of Ying is dead… it would be a pitiful end for a man who spent his life on the battlefield. I heard his family has both elderly and young dependents, without anyone capable of managing affairs. If Wei Ling is truly gone, the Wei family may well fall into ruin.”
Luo Shen’yuan’s hand gripping his teacup tightened imperceptibly.
“Lu Jiaxue hasn’t even pleaded for him at court,” another person remarked. “He’s certainly ruthless.”
“He has indeed stood unshaken for many years,” was all Luo Shen’yuan said before falling silent. He passed the plate of shelled edamame to Xu Wei.
On the way back to New Bridge Lane after leaving the teahouse, Luo Shen’yuan asked the man outside his sedan, “Has there been any news from the Duke of Ying’s mansion recently?”
“A letter just arrived,” the man replied. “I’ve placed it in your study, sir.”
Luo Shen’yuan acknowledged this with a sound. As the sedan reached the entrance of New Bridge Lane, he spotted a carriage waiting outside his gate.
It was the Sun family’s carriage.
A figure was being helped down from the carriage by a maid. She looked up at Luo Shen’yuan and said, “Brother Shen’yuan, I’ve been waiting for you.”
The night air was chilly, so Luo Shen’yuan invited her into the front hall. He instructed a maid to bring ginger tea to ward off the cold. Sun Congwan cradled the cup of ginger tea in her hands, suddenly feeling on the verge of tears.
Luo Shen’yuan was an extremely attentive person when he chose to be. If he wanted to, he could be incredibly kind to others.
This was how he had been when he first came to the capital to study. He noticed every word and action of others, anticipating their needs. When she was distracted during lessons, he would guess that her cousin’s little sister was coming to visit and let her leave class early. When she called for a maid to bring hot water to refill the tea, he knew his lecture had become dull and would change the subject. She found him very considerate, only later realizing it was because he was exceptionally perceptive, perhaps naturally gifted at reading others.
Maybe this was a case of being too clever for one’s good, skilled at deduction. When she thought of what Luo Shen’yuan had done later, it truly sent chills down her spine!
“The first time I saw you,” Sun Congwan said, “I thought you were very special. You were standing outside my father’s study next to the ink bamboo, looking up at how tall it had grown. While the other students came in to pay respects to my father, he went out to welcome you. That’s when I learned you were Luo Shen’yuan, the young provincial examination champion from Beizhili…”
“Do your parents know you’ve come out?” Luo Shen’yuan suddenly interrupted her. Sun Congwan had been raised as a sheltered young lady from a good family. It was unlikely her family would let her go out so late at night with just a few servants. She must have snuck out on her own. He stood up and called for someone to come in. “Let me send people to escort you home first.”
“I must say this!” Sun Congwan’s eyes were filled with tears as she stood up. “Luo Shen’yuan, listen to me!”
Her mother, having discovered what Luo Shen Yuan had done, was furious. She dragged Sun Cong Wan to find her father, demanding that they break off the engagement. Sun Cong Wan, in tears, refused to accept this and was harshly scolded by her enraged mother before being confined to her room. Desperate for answers, she had snuck out to confront Luo Shen Yuan herself, needing him to explain.
She just wanted to understand. They were about to get engaged, their relationship like that of childhood sweethearts. Why, then, would Luo Shen Yuan treat her this way?