Lu Yun was at home during his rest day when the Old Madam Lu summoned him. This time, the servant sent by Old Madam Lu was particularly insistent. Unable to find an excuse to decline, and noting that the marks on his face had mostly faded, Third Young Master Lu finally agreed to go. At the Old Madam’s courtyard, the women had just finished their morning greetings, and birds chirped in their cages along the corridor. The courtyard was bright and breezy, with parasol tree leaves swaying. When the maids saw him approaching, they drew back the curtains from afar.
The maids under the corridor blushed as they observed Third Young Master Lu. His robes and sleeves fluttered like a crane emerging from mist, maintaining his usual impeccable appearance in his brocade clothes and jade crown, without a speck of dust. Their hearts raced as they watched him, thinking that any woman who could become his concubine would be incredibly fortunate… It was the young lady who had taken advantage of the Third Young Master, not the other way around. No wonder the young madam was unwilling to share him.
Through the window, tree shadows cast across a woman’s face as it flashed before Lu Yun’s eyes.
Lu Yun lowered his head as he entered, and as he drew closer, he could hear his wife’s familiar sobbing voice: “Grandmother, wuwuwu, look, this is the handkerchief Chen Xue gave him that day. He’s kept it close to his body all this time, showing how much he treasures it. *Whimper*, I’m not opposed to my husband taking concubines, but how can our family allow a mere female musician to enter? Moreover, she’s from the Northern Kingdom. Isn’t my husband pushing us to our deaths?”
Lu Yun’s temple twitched as he realized the situation.
He passed the screen and entered the inner chamber, where he saw several sisters-in-law and aunts surrounding the Old Madam. At the Old Madam’s feet, Luo Lingyu covered her face as she cried, showing everyone a handkerchief. The women all examined the handkerchief while Luo Lingyu continued providing detailed explanations through her tears. They sighed and consoled her, promising to support her cause.
Lu Yun: “…”
Just seeing his wife’s dramatic pose of crying at his grandmother’s knees made him uneasy. When he looked more closely, his lady was covering half her face, turning back to glance at him. Her eyes were brimming with tears, dripping wet. Upon seeing him, her eyes welled up even more, and with a sob, she was too choked up to speak.
So she collapsed crying at the Old Madam’s knees again.
Old Madam Lu saw Lu Yun and exploded in anger: “You worthless thing! Look how you’ve bullied your delicate wife! How beautiful could this Chen Xue be? I bet she can’t compare to even one of Lingyu’s fingers! You have such a beautiful wife at home but don’t care for her, instead running off to eat elsewhere. Is this how the Lu family taught you? Can you face me and your grandfather, can you face your deceased parents? Kneel right now!”
Lu Yun raised an eyebrow, maintaining his composure.
Luo Lingyu trembled when he shot her a subtle glance, and she cried even harder: “Wuwuwu, Grandmother, he’s glaring at me…”
Lu Yun: “…”
Even Lady Lu couldn’t stand it anymore: “Third Son, what did you promise when you wanted to marry Lingyu? It’s only been a few months, and you’re already bullying her like this?”
Old Madam Lu: “Kneel!”
Luo Lingyu showed Chen Xue’s handkerchief to everyone, intentionally making a big scene, though she was uncertain inside, afraid Lu Yun might lose his temper and embarrass her. But what right did he have to lose his temper? If he hadn’t insisted on taking liberties in the carriage before, if he hadn’t forced her, they wouldn’t have almost been caught. Lu Yun owed her and should make amends. With this justification in mind, Luo Lingyu didn’t dare look back at Lu Yun. After a while, hearing movement behind her, she secretly peeked out from behind the handkerchief with her watery autumn-pool eyes and saw Lu Yun lifting his robes to kneel.
Lu Yun’s face was cold and pale, his eyes dark as night, and he glanced at her again.
Luo Lingyu quickly averted her gaze, clutching her chest as her heart finally settled—though Xuechen’s expression looked displeased, he was still willing to play along with her act.
Chen Xue’s handkerchief was passed among all the women in the room before finally returning to Old Madam Lu. The Old Madam looked down at her grandson’s seemingly contrite attitude and began advising earnestly: “Third Son, are you truly involved with that Chen Xue?”
Luo Lingyu gazed over with tear-filled eyes.
Lu Yun looked at her.
Old Madam Lu: “Speak up! Why do you keep glaring at your wife? Third Son, I’m telling you, you’re not allowed to intimidate Lingyu. If it weren’t for Chen Xue’s portrait appearing in the Elegant Ladies Collection, we would still be in the dark about this. How could a mere musician appear in the Elegant Ladies Collection? Did you paint it for her, to make her famous? What are you hoping for? What’s going on between you and Chen Xue? There must be some misunderstanding, right?”
Old Madam Lu held onto hope—she couldn’t believe Lu Yun would associate with a mere musician. Lu Yun was so outstanding; what kind of woman wouldn’t line up to compete for him? Why would he fall for a woman of such low birth? Compared to Chen Xue’s background as a musician, Luo Lingyu’s origins suddenly seemed much more prestigious.
The Old Madam no longer looked down on her grandson’s wife’s background.
In this situation, even the similar appearances between Chen Xue and Third Young Master Lu weren’t as important anymore.
After being questioned at length, Lu Yun pondered for a moment, then said slowly: “There’s no misunderstanding. Lady Chen Xue and I… feel deeply connected. When I see her, I always feel she should be by my side, accompanying me daily. If not for Luo Lingyu’s interference, Chen Xue would be living in my courtyard now, composing poetry together and appreciating the moon and flowers with me.”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
While pretending to cry pitifully, she deeply admired Lu Yun’s thick skin—deeply connected? Daily companionship?
Lu Yun and Chen Xue?
Lu Yun’s words made Old Madam Lu even angrier: “Outrageous!”
Lu Yun smiled slightly, his eyes showing disgust: “Luo Lingyu, you’re complaining to Grandmother? Aren’t you afraid I’ll divorce you?”
Luo Lingyu froze, then burst into even harder crying.
Even Lady Lu became displeased: “Third Son, how can you speak to Lingyu like this?”
Lu Yun remained nonchalant: “Grandmother, it’s perfectly normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. When I married Luo Lingyu, I never expected her to be so jealous. She’s always arguing and making scenes with me. Such a tigress… Had I known this earlier, I wouldn’t have married her. Chen Xue is so much better—beautiful, understanding, knows proper etiquette, and shares my interests…”
Old Madam Lu couldn’t contain her anger anymore and grabbed the candlestick from the table, ready to throw it at Lu Yun. As sparks and lamp oil flew, Luo Lingyu cried out in alarm: “Grandmother!”
Luo Lingyu had been acting, but she couldn’t bear to see Lu Yun get hit or burned. As the candlestick came down, she suddenly jumped up and flew towards Lu Yun. Luo Lingyu’s movements were naturally slow, nowhere near as fast as the candlestick. Lu Yun tilted his head to dodge the candlestick, only to have his wife crash into his arms.
The candle hit the ground, and flames licked up the curtains, roaring upward. The surrounding women, who had been calmly observing until now, suddenly panicked: “Someone come quickly!”
Meanwhile, Luo Lingyu knelt on the ground, anxiously feeling Lu Yun’s face and hands, searching everywhere: “You weren’t burned, were you? Lu Yun, are you hurt anywhere…”
Lu Yun’s frost-covered eyes paused, seeing how she cared for him, forgetting her act of embracing him, he was quite pleased. The ice in his eyes melted, starlight dancing in their depths as he slightly smiled. Amid the chaos around them, people rushing to ask after the Old Madam and hurrying to extinguish the fire, Lu Yun took advantage of the distraction to lower his head and peck Luo Lingyu’s lips.
He smiled ambiguously: “Naughty girl, just wait and see how I’ll deal with you later.”
Tears still hung in Luo Lingyu’s eyes as she felt the cool touch on her lips. His fragrance wafted over as his lips brushed against hers and her face, cool yet warm. After several days without sharing a bed, she found her resolve weakening, her heart fluttering at his teasing. Adding to the presence of so many people around them, Luo Lingyu became nervous and her face turned bright red.
The fire only caught a small part of the curtain, and Old Madam Lu had mostly been putting on a show. The fire was quickly extinguished, and everyone sat down, feeling somewhat tired. Regrettably, Chen Xue’s handkerchief had been burned by the Old Madam during the commotion. A flash appeared in Luo Lingyu’s eyes as she understood that while Old Madam Lu outwardly supported her, deep down she still favored Lu Yun. She humphed, jealous of how beloved Lu Yun was, and glared at him.
Old Madam Lu tried to reconcile the two: “Third Son, forget about Chen Xue. I don’t believe your wife could be inferior to a musician. You and Lingyu must have some misunderstanding. Our family doesn’t operate that way. I still remember how you wrote to me about how much you liked Lingyu…”
Lu Yun: “Cough, cough cough!”
His coughing startled the Old Madam.
Luo Lingyu suddenly looked up: “What? He wrote about how he liked me. Grandmother, do you still have the letters? I want to see them.”
Old Madam Lu looked at the two of them—Lu Yun continuously coughing hints, Luo Lingyu batting her eyes hopefully with delicate charm—and became confused by their attitudes, feeling this didn’t seem like a real quarrel. Yet she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. After pondering for a moment, she asked a maid to fetch the letters.
The other women also became interested, moving closer to observe the letters Lu Yun had once written—
“Grandmother, I originally didn’t want to marry. If not for her, there would be no one else.”
“A thousand miles of lovesickness, ten thousand miles of yearning, who doesn’t pine with longing.”
“I only want to marry her.”
“Please grant us your blessing.”
Luo Lingyu sat beside Old Madam Lu, reading the letters one by one. The tears in her eyes gradually disappeared as she covered her face to hide her smile, while repeatedly glancing at Third Young Master Lu still kneeling on the ground. Those glances, full of flirtation and enticement, fell upon Lu Yun. His eyebrows raised, trying to maintain a cold expression, but his heart burned, wanting nothing more than to embrace her and pin her beneath him—
How dare she tease him so brazenly in public.
Old Madam Lu: “See? You two were once so good together. How could that Chen Xue compare to what you have? Third Son, from now on don’t mention bringing Chen Xue into the family again. Lingyu, you should forgive Third Son too. You two should focus on giving me a great-granddaughter soon.”
Luo Lingyu keenly noticed that the Old Madam’s hope was for a “great-granddaughter,” not a “great-grandson.” Such purposeful expectations from an elder suddenly made her feel immense pressure, reminding her of the Lu family’s unbroken curse of having more sons than daughters.
While Luo Lingyu felt uneasy, she heard Old Madam Lu say, half-jokingly and half-seriously: “Third Son, you can’t bully your wife. For the first three years after marriage, you’re not allowed to mention taking concubines.”
Lu Yun made a reluctant face, struggling to say: “…Yes.”
As Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu played their respective parts, appearing sullen, Old Madam Lu took their hands, one in each of hers. After more persuasion from the other women, led by Lady Lu, the couple was forced to hold hands and walked away, somewhat unwillingly. Before leaving, Lu Yun’s expression remained indifferent while Luo Lingyu pouted, her lips pursed enough to hang a jade vase.
After the young couple left, a maid went out to check and returned to report that the Third Young Master and his wife weren’t arguing anymore and had truly gone home.
Only then did Old Madam Lu sigh: “…These two troublemakers! Not a day goes by without them causing me worry.”
Lady Lu smiled: “This is what they call a loving couple who can’t help but quarrel.”
The other women all consoled her: “Old Madam, don’t worry. Those two, can’t be separated. I can see the children just like to play at being upset, but their feelings for each other are still very strong.”
…
Leaving the Old Madam’s courtyard, all the way back to “Clear Courtyard,” Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu kept holding hands to reassure others. By the end, their palms were sweaty.
Reaching the flower garden, just two steps from “Clear Courtyard,” Lu Yun stopped and released his wife’s hand, looking with disgust at the sweat on his palm. He lifted his chin slightly and extended his hand to Luo Lingyu: “Handkerchief.”
Luo Lingyu: “…You find my hand sweat disgusting, yet you’re asking me for a handkerchief to wipe it? You are a bastard, Lu Xuechen!”
But despite her words, her enchanting eyes gave him a coquettish glare as she still tossed a clean handkerchief toward Third Young Master Lu. As Lu Yun lowered his head to wipe his hands, Luo Lingyu turned to leave, but her sleeve was suddenly caught. She couldn’t control herself as she fell backward into Lu Yun’s embrace. He stepped forward as she retreated somewhat stiffly. Finally, the young lady found herself backed against a flowering tree, looking up with feigned composure as he bent down to gaze at her.
Luo Lingyu complained to him: “You’re hurting my hand!”
Lu Yun seemed to smile as his hand pinched and squeezed her face. He hadn’t pinched her face for so long that Luo Lingyu had almost forgotten this bad habit of his. Now that he pinched her, she let out a cry, tears glistening in her eyes as she glared at him, angry but not daring to speak. Lu Yun’s peach blossom eyes lowered as he said softly: “Playing this game with me again. Haven’t I told you before that I don’t fall for these tricks?”
Lu Yun pinched her face and sighed: “What were you making a scene about at Grandmother’s?”
Luo Lingyu: “I wasn’t making a scene… I was just helping explain Chen Xue’s existence… Ouch ouch ouch, stop pinching me. You’re going to make my face fat with all your pinching… Wuwuwu, I’m telling the truth, I was just explaining Chen Xue for your sake. I’m so good to you…”
Lu Yun hissed, thinking she was still being stubborn. He raised an eyebrow, no longer listening to her nonsense. The young master hooked his hand behind her neck, and as her beautiful eyes widened, he bent down to kiss her. It was tender and passionate, gentle and affectionate, yet also ambiguous, naturally arousing feelings and desires. He pressed Luo Lingyu against the tree as he kissed her this way, causing flower petals and leaves to rustle and fall from above. The young lady’s spine went soft from his kisses, leaving her breathless.
Her face grew increasingly red, at first firmly resisting his sweet assault, but later becoming bewitched by his beauty, she couldn’t help but reach out and wrap her arms around his neck. She also tilted her head back, pressing her chest against his, her body rubbing against him as she melted completely in his embrace. As she slipped downward, he knelt with her.
The two kissed passionately, faces flushed and eyelashes trembling, holding each other tightly, both deeply moved with emotion.
At the height of this passionate moment, Lu Yun’s lips left Luo Lingyu’s and moved to suck on her earlobe. Luo Lingyu shivered in his arms, letting out a distressed whimper, making cat-like crying gasps. Her hands tightly gripped the back of his neck; having tasted passion before, his teasing now made her fall even faster than before.
However, as Luo Lingyu’s mind was wavering, she heard Lu Yun suddenly ask: “Besides explaining about Chen Xue, you had no other purpose?”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
She snapped back to reality.
Suddenly realizing he was seducing her, and still… Luo Lingyu became angry: “You’re using these tactics again! Every time you want me to submit to you, you do this!”
Lu Yun: “Then what should I do? When dealing with enemies, I either kill them or torture them. But sister Yuyi is as delicate and beautiful as a flower, how could I bear to use other methods to bully my sister? You’re not happy even when I kiss you, hmm?”
Luo Lingyu punched his shoulder.
Lu Yun looked down at her, almost smiling: “So shall we continue kissing?”
Luo Lingyu pouted: “…Yes.”
She sweetly offered her kiss, earning his light laughter. Their previous argument and fight over the carriage incident hadn’t made either of them angry. This counted as their mildest quarrel, one tinged with playfulness. Given the slightest opportunity, both eagerly rushed down the steps into each other’s arms.
After Lu Yun had teased her a few more times, Luo Lingyu finally explained: “Besides explaining about Chen Xue, naturally as you guessed, I wanted to use the Chen Xue matter to achieve my goal of preventing you from taking concubines. Didn’t Grandmother finally promise that you wouldn’t be allowed to take concubines for three years after our marriage? She certainly won’t go back on her word and urge you to take concubines now. At least for three years, I won’t have to worry about this matter.”
Luo Lingyu was delighted and quite proud: “Thinking about it this way, Sister Chen Xue came in handy. It’s a pity I haven’t seen her in so long.”
She looked at Lu Yun suggestively.
Lu Yun laughed once: “Then you should prepare yourself because you’ll never see her again.”
Luo Lingyu: “Hmph!”
She hit his chest angrily, full of attitude but merely going through the motions.
Lu Yun still wouldn’t let go of the previous topic: “Can’t I put your mind at ease? You’re full of crisis awareness. We’ve only been married for two months, and you’re already thinking about me taking concubines.”
Luo Lingyu laughed dryly: “…I’m just preparing for the future.”
Seeing Lu Yun’s cold expression and hearing his chilly tone, she knew he was truly unhappy. Luo Lingyu’s eyes darted around, then she nestled delicately into his embrace, hugging his neck and acting coy: “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that as the Third Young Madam, I don’t want to trouble my brother with such annoying matters. These are matters of the inner court, and if I can eliminate potential problems and solve troubles for brother, why doesn’t brother praise me, but instead blame me for meddling?”
Lu Yun glanced at her: “So I should thank you for making everyone in our family think I’m sneaking around behind your back, bewitched by that fox spirit Chen Xue to the point of losing my soul?”
Luo Lingyu sheepishly: “…How can you say it like that? If we didn’t make a big scene, the Chen Xue matter would be hard to explain. Since it became a big scene, we should make use of it.”
Lu Yun chuckled: “Sister sulked with me for several days, slept separately for several days, and even slapped me… What did I say before? No hitting me in front of others, no disrespecting me, you forgot again?”
Luo Lingyu argued: “That was in the carriage, not in front of others. I always give you face, Brother Xuechen.”
Lu Yun: “Oh, so spreading rumors about my poor character and forgetting righteousness at the sight of beauty is giving me face?”
Luo Lingyu: “…”
She stuck out her neck, embarrassed and angry: “You have no sense of romance. Fine, fine, if you hadn’t tried to strip my clothes, would I have hit you? I said ‘No, no,’ and you just kept saying ‘It’s fine.’ One moment it’s ‘I’ll just touch a little,’ the next it’s ‘just staying on the outside,’ hmph, who are you fooling! In the end, didn’t you pin me down and go crazy? The more I refused, the more excited you got, forcing me to do that with you. My waist was killing me, you were so lustful, was I wrong to hit you?”
Lu Yun smiled: “So you’re blaming me for not being romantic? Sister is forgetful. When I’m gentle, you say I just tease you and arouse you without taking action; when I’m rough, you complain I’m going crazy and not considering your feelings. Neither gentle nor rough, what exactly is the standard, sister, please define it?”
Luo Lingyu covered her mouth with the back of her hand and laughed: “…”
She straightened her waist to argue her case, but still couldn’t match his thick skin. Being a level below him in skill, Lu Yun maintained his composure while Luo Lingyu’s face turned pink, her gaze evasive. Then she came to her senses—”How annoying! Why am I discussing this with you?”
She didn’t want to play around with Lu Yun anymore and stood up to leave, but was once again pulled down by Lu Yun into his embrace. He knelt on the grass, holding the struggling young lady in his arms, lowering his head to kiss and suck on her fingers. She whimpered in his arms, her eyes quickly becoming moist as her attitude softened. Lu Yun whispered a few words in her ear: “Leaving already? Don’t you need to make amends for spreading rumors about your brother’s character?”
Luo Lingyu: “What do you want?”
Lu Yun: “What can I do?” He looked her up and down, pinching her flesh until she burst into laughter, while he maintained a serious expression, smiling with feigned disappointment: “This delicate body of yours barely meets brother’s standards. I see you have nothing else to offer, so I’ll have to make do and let you repay with your body.”
Luo Lingyu was both angry and amused by his teasing: “You’re making do? You’re getting what you want and still acting coy.”
After their playful banter, the flames of passion had grown strong. Since Luo Lingyu still refused to do anything outdoors, Lu Yun had to carry her back to “Clear Courtyard” in an agitated state. Once the door was closed, the two masters didn’t emerge from their room all afternoon.
The maids understood.
…
After searching Chen’s family’s courtyard, the refugees investigated everything they could, with those without permits hiding throughout Jianye, unstable elements stirring beneath the surface. The Northern Kingdom’s spies embedded in the Southern Kingdom’s capital had no choice but to contact the Southern Kingdom’s Prince Zhao, Liu Huai. Liu Huai had originally only wanted several commanderies, but the Northern Kingdom now offered better terms—
How about helping Your Highness ascend to the throne?
Liu Huai was skeptical about how the Northern people could help him, and they gave their request: “How about inviting the Southern Emperor to be a guest in our Northern Kingdom?”
“Young Master, opportunities are fleeting, don’t miss such a good chance. Jianye is now guarded by Prince Chen and the Lu family, everyone is being forced into a corner… If you don’t take this gamble, Young Master, do you plan to lose to Prince Chen? His methods are strong, and he has the Lu family behind him. In a one-on-one fight, it’s wishful thinking, Young Master cannot win.”
Prince Zhao trembled: “If we fail…”
The Northern spy smiled: “We’re not asking Young Master to take action, Young Master just needs to help us draw away Jianye’s troops. Even if we fail, it won’t implicate Young Master.”
“Young Master, don’t worry, we have arrangements for the battle in Jianye. We also have people to escort His Majesty the Emperor. Young Master just needs to clear the way in Jianye.”
Though Prince Zhao hesitated in his heart, he was ultimately driven by ambition and agreed.
…
Around the same time, at the border, Liu Mu finally received the imperial edict that Second Young Master Lu, Lu Xian, had promised to obtain for him—
The court granted one month for the Prince of Hengyang to return to Jianye to attend Second Young Master Lu’s wedding ceremony.
Upon receiving the edict, Liu Mu stood up abruptly, his shoulders trembling with excitement: Lu Xian had done it! He could return to Jianye!
…
In Yicheng, the scholar Zhou Tan had his wife pack their belongings at home. The renowned scholar stood before the wall painting in the main hall, stroking his beard, contemplating the matter of going to Jianye. Prince Chen had invited him and representatives of the common-born families to settle in Jianye, formally breaking the dominance of the noble clans. Prince Chen showed great sincerity, having corresponded with Zhou Tan for a full two years. The two sides had continuously cooperated, deepening their understanding of each other, and this time, after Prince Chen detailed his political aspirations again, Zhou Tan immediately agreed.
Zhou Tan pondered silently: Increasing opportunities for common-born families to enter the upper class, involving them in government affairs, was this journey of his correct?
“Father,” behind him, a woman’s voice as clear as song pushed open the door, “I’m familiar with the situation in Jianye. The noble clans there are deeply entrenched, I’m worried about Father, so I’ll go to Jianye with you.”
Zhou Tan turned around to see his beautiful daughter standing smiling at the doorway.
Zhou Yangling wore a maiden’s outfit, a white jacket, and a pink skirt, her hair in an ethereal bun, her features unmatched. She was like a celestial maiden, pure and delicate, yet concealing the beauty of mountains and rivers. Such an exceptionally beautiful person, when frowning she was like Xi Shi, rare in this world.
This was Zhou Yangling’s true appearance.