The interaction between noble families and those of humble origins was usually troublesome, much like the relationship between the wealthy and the poor. Those of lower status were easily sensitive, constantly watching the other person. If two people had a good relationship, they could still make an effort to accommodate each other; if their relationship wasn’t good to begin with, working together would always lead to friction.
The relationship between Military Advisor Lu Yun and General Wei Cong was like the latter case.
Prince Chen wanted to support those of humble origins to balance the interests between aristocratic families and the royal family. Wei Cong was a capable general in this effort. However, his humble origins made him both contemptuous and envious of the upper-class nobility, while also harboring an innate inferiority complex. Before Lu Yun came to Nanyang, Prince Liu Shu had mentioned Wei Cong’s issues. When Lu Yun saw that Wei Cong indeed wanted to exclude him, he couldn’t be bothered to waste time trying to win this person over, simply doing what needed to be done. Wei Cong wasn’t satisfied? Then come and fight about it.
The generals in the Nanyang military camp daily witnessed Great General Wei and Military Advisor Third Young Master Lu shouting at each other across tables, their hearts pounding in fear. Wei Cong was mountain-like in stature, tall and mighty, and when he got angry, no one dared approach within three zhang of the tent. Meanwhile, their Military Advisor Lu Yun was an elegant and graceful jade gentleman in a turbid world, wearing long robes and a broad cap, with a jade belt at his waist. In such a military camp setting, Third Young Master Lu stood out like a crane among chickens, conspicuous beyond measure.
Everyone often feared Wei Cong would get angry and cut down that irritatingly calm Third Young Master Lu—
Wei Cong: “My soldiers listen to me, when I tell them to drill they must get up! What right do you have to overturn my orders and let them sleep another half-hour? You’re just a child, what do you know, I was fighting battles before you were even born. Do you know you’re delaying military operations!”
Lu Yun replied unhurriedly: “General is certainly skilled in battle, but this is also General’s first time at the frontier. Southerners aren’t accustomed to northern life, and the wealth of Jiangnan has made people lazy and delicate. When our southern soldiers come to the northern land, they struggle with the environment. Recently, people in the army have fallen ill, and excessive fatigue can lead to a series of problems. The northern armies are fierce, and our forces are already weak – we shouldn’t exhaust our strength excessively at this time. As Military Advisor, I naturally must strictly prevent any problems from arising.”
Wei Cong: …These scholars with their endless grand principles are so annoying.
A few days later, Wei Cong again stormed into Lu Yun’s tent, slamming the table: “Why are my soldiers helping farmers with work? Are we that idle? How are you managing the army?”
Lu Yun replied coolly: “When the General returns victorious, riding a tall horse, wearing golden armor, majestic and imposing, with common people lining the streets to welcome you. General was pleased with himself, nodding from horseback, and when seeing a farm girl by the road became overjoyed, making grand promises to help with farming – I couldn’t stop it. We can’t break our word, can we? I’m helping General fulfill his promise. If General doesn’t want this to happen again, perhaps you should work on self-cultivation and mind your daily words and actions. Don’t lose your head and become bewitched every time you see a woman, like a ghost possessed by lust.”
Wei Cong’s face reddened: “…You, you, you dare say I’m possessed by a lust ghost, what do you know! That young lady was so beautiful!” Speaking thus, he gave Lu Yun a strange look, “How come Military Advisor Lu never spares a glance for beautiful women? Could it be, could it be…”
Lu Yun, bent over his desk reviewing official documents, lifted his head amid his busy work to cast a dignified glance at him: “Why should I look at others?”
Wei Cong was shocked: “You’re so shameless, are you saying that because you’re so handsome, looking at yourself each day is enough?”
Lu Yun’s look at him became very subtle as he sighed: “…General…”
After a while, when he realized Lu Yun probably meant he’d seen too many beauties and ordinary people weren’t worth his attention, Wei Cong’s face and ears reddened as he stormed off in anger: …Cold, arrogant, contemptuous! Third Young Master Lu was saying he had no standards, surely looking down on someone of ordinary commoner birth like him! The nobility of the upper class was so detestable!
… and so on, the conflicts between General Wei and Military Advisor Lu were endless, with arguments occurring once or twice every day. But surprisingly, though they disagreed on many things, the army’s campaigns never suffered for it. People of the time used the relationship between husband and wife to describe that between a general and a military advisor. In Nanyang, it was probably just that Military Advisor Lu, the “wife,” was too difficult to talk to, and had too many opinions, daily making the “husband” angry enough to scratch the walls.
On this day, having just won a small battle and returned to camp, General Wei was full of pride. After being hastily bandaged by the old army doctor, he impatiently left the tent. First, to personally comfort his subordinate soldiers who had just won the victory, and second, because finding fault with Military Advisor Lu had become his daily obsession.
This time after leaving the tent, and moving between the camp tents, General Wei discovered there were too few army doctors, many medicines weren’t delivered in time, and wails of soldiers filled the camp. At the stretchers, General Wei comforted the soldiers; walking further away, General Wei shouted angrily at the generals behind him: “Where’s the Military Advisor? Shouldn’t these be the Military Advisor’s duties? Why isn’t Military Advisor Lu personally overseeing this?”
The Great General’s scolding made those behind him tremble in fear, not daring to talk back. While scolding, Wei Cong’s gaze swept past in one direction, initially moving away, but sensing something amiss, looked back again. This look revealed several beautifully dressed lovely young ladies lingering outside the camp’s wooden gate. As Wei Cong approached the generals behind him, he heard the young ladies shyly asking the guards: “Has Third Young Master Lu returned? We want to give the young master some gifts…”
Wei Cong said coldly: “During military campaigns, accepting bribes starts at thirty military strikes.”
Those few ladies outside the gate were startled, asking who was this dark-skinned man who suddenly spoke and left. Meanwhile, Wei Cong strode forward, personally going to find Lu Yun in the camp. In his imagination, he would grab onto this handle against Lu Yun, severely mocking the Military Advisor. Whether or not the ladies were summoned by Military Advisor Lu, whether the shortage of army doctors was Military Advisor Lu’s fault… Wei Cong had decided it was all Lu Yun’s fault.
Lu Yun sat quietly in his tent.
Accumulated official business hadn’t been handled in time, and he had delegated the returning wounded soldiers, doctors, and medical supplies to his subordinates. He sat dazed behind the felt curtain, with Second Young Master Lu’s letter laid before him. Lu Xian wrote to him daily, but due to the long distance and weather effects, these letters reached Lu Yun at different speeds, some faster, some slower. This current letter should have been received ten days ago.
Second Young Master Lu’s letter seemed written in haste, the characters scrawled, probably because he was busy with something else. Even so, Lu Xian’s letter was clear in its reasoning, telling him that Luo Lingyu was pregnant. In the letter, Lu Xian berated him for being so reckless, offending Cousin Luo; so beastly that when Cousin Luo became pregnant, he wasn’t even in Jianye…
Lu Yun had been staring at this letter for half an hour. When the character for “pregnancy” first fell into his sight, he instinctively began calculating the time: How could she be pregnant? The timing didn’t match – he had never touched her, unless… was it from that night when he left?
Lu Yun knew medicine; he calculated in his mind that he had left Jianye for over a month, and if a woman was pregnant, the imperial physician should be able to diagnose it. Unless Luo Lingyu had been unfaithful after he left, the child must be his…
Lu Yun remained still for a long while: Apart from that night of drinking, there was no other time. He couldn’t remember what happened that night, but trying hard to recall, he occasionally could remember fragments of intimate moments between them. But that was all. Beyond that, he had no impression at all.
…He couldn’t even remember if he had done anything, yet she was pregnant.
His parents were so unfeeling – could he be a good father? Would he be as terrible as his parents? He didn’t want to marry, didn’t want children…
Amid so much fear, embarrassment, and desire to flee, even more joy welled up in his heart. Lu Yun lowered his eyelids, and after the long shock, a smile gradually appeared in his eyes… When Wei Cong angrily pushed open the curtain with a bang, he saw Third Young Master Lu lowering his face in a slight smile. That handsome young master’s hand lovingly stroked the letter in his hands. Unlike his usually calm, almost unfeeling demeanor, in this moment, Lu Yun was gentle, passionate, deeply emotional…
General Wei spoke gruffly: “Thirty military strikes as punishment…”
Lu Yun: “Alright.”
Wei Cong: “…”
Lu Yun looked up, smiling: “I’m going to be a father.”
Wei Cong: “…?!” After a while, he finally withdrew his anger, “Ah… congratulations… but aren’t you unmarried… Ah, no need to explain, I understand.”
Wei Cong knew something about the messy relationships among the nobility. But Lu Yun glanced at him: “Don’t misunderstand, it’s with the woman I love.”
Wei Cong was even more surprised: “…You who look down on everyone, finding fault everywhere. You find women too talkative when they speak, and too dull when they don’t… Do you have a woman you love? Who is your beloved? Have I met her? I really must see what kind of extraordinary woman could capture your attention…”
Lu Yun smiled: “Am I really that difficult?”
Today Lu Yun was in such a good mood that his tone was much warmer. As he wrote his letter, Wei Cong stood beside him chatting, eventually simply sitting down to discuss with Third Young Master Lu how to raise a child. And most importantly among these matters was first marrying that young lady into the family.
Lu Yun wrote three letters in reply, one for Second Young Master Lu, one for Old Madam Lu, and one for Luo Lingyu. Previously, not wanting her to worry about his situation at the frontier, he hadn’t planned to write often. However now, he couldn’t wait…
After sending out the letters and handling the military camp matters, the next day, Third Young Master Lu visited the Luo family of Nanyang for the first time. Third Young Master Lu’s reputation had already spread throughout Nanyang recently. However, the Luo family didn’t dare to think too much of it. When the Ruyang Luo clan still existed, they were related by marriage to the Lu family of Jianye, but now that the Ruyang Luo clan was gone, the declined Nanyang Luo clan didn’t have the face to establish relations with a great family like the Lu clan. The Nanyang Luo clan wasn’t very optimistic about their young lady seeking refuge with the Lu family of Jianye. When Third Young Master Lu came calling, the Luo family master and his wife were delighted, surprised, confused, and anxious – “Why has the Governor come? Has someone from the Luo family offended the Governor? Please instruct us!”
The family master and the main madam received Third Young Master Lu in the front hall for his first visit.
The Luo family girls hid behind the screen, craning their necks to peek. They saw the young master in the courtyard had clear and handsome features, tall and graceful like an orchid or jade tree, his whole being seemed wrapped in shimmering light. The young ladies watched with yearning hearts, thinking how wonderful Luo Lingyu’s third cousin was, could all the young masters of the Lu family be like this? Was this the difference between great families and their own?
The young ladies of the Luo family didn’t know that Lu Yun was unique even in Jianye. Not all young masters in Jianye were like him.
In the hall, Lu Yun had already smiled and said: “I’ve come to propose marriage.”
The Luo couple continued to be shocked, hearing a sharp intake of breath from behind the screen. The couple saw Third Young Master Lu’s unchanged expression while their faces flushed red with embarrassment – the gasp from behind the screen must have come from the Luo family girls.
Madam Luo asked eagerly: “Which of our young ladies has caught the Third Young Master’s eye?”
Once marriage was mentioned, Madam Luo no longer called him “Governor” but directly “Third Young Master,” to bring their relationship closer.
As soon as Madam Luo finished speaking, she called backward, having maids lead the young ladies out to meet the guests. In Madam Luo’s eyes, whichever girl Third Young Master Lu chose, making a connection with the Lu family of Jianye would bring the Luo clan countless benefits without any harm. Before Lu Yun could speak to stop them, a group of beautiful young ladies came out.
…Luo Lingyu’s cousins examined him with shy yet deliberately reserved glances.
Lu Yun looked once, trying to see Luo Lingyu’s features in them. Indeed there were some similarities, but Luo Lingyu was the most perfect combination of the Luo family’s looks… phoenix eyes with fine brows, full chest, and slim waist, incomparably beautiful. Thinking of that young lady, Lu Yun lowered his head, gentle laughter rising again in his eyes.
But before Madam Luo could rejoice, they saw this Third Young Master Lu compose himself and shake his head: “The one I seek to marry is not among these ladies. Rather, it is my cousin, Luo Lingyu, who currently resides in my home in Jianye.”
Everyone: “…”
The Luo family master was stunned: “But, Lingyu, Lingyu is already betrothed…”
Lu Yun lowered his eyes, his pupils clear and peaceful: “Then she’ll be betrothed again.”
“But there’s already a marriage contract!”
“Then break the engagement,” Lu Yun said, “I am determined to have her.”
The Luo family looked at this young master with his resolute expression, and Madam Luo smiled bitterly: “Third Young Master Lu, others might be negotiable, but we really can’t break Lingyu’s engagement. The Fan clan is powerful, we can’t afford to offend them. If you want to marry Lingyu, please go back.”
Lu Yun: “The Fan clan will break the engagement.”
He had already sent news of Luo Lingyu carrying his child to Fan Qingchen’s father, and after leaving the Luo family, he would pay a visit to the Fan family. Luo Lingyu’s family background was humble, and the Fan family wasn’t necessarily very satisfied with this marriage. That it was arranged was probably just due to Fourth Young Master Fan Qingchen’s strong will. But no matter how strong his will was, with Luo Lingyu carrying his child, marrying her to Fan Qingchen was something the Fan family head surely couldn’t accept to such a degree. How could the Fan family, being a great clan of Nanyang, raise someone else’s child?
Fan Qingchen’s will wasn’t important – as long as the Fan family wanted to break the engagement… Luo Lingyu would be Lu Yun’s.
Lu Yun’s fingers brushed the letter in his sleeve, and as he spoke eloquently with the Luo family, his heart warmed again – his woman… his child… he would try his best.
Lu Yun thought further: …When her pregnancy is stable, he would have her come to Nanyang.
Come to Nanyang to marry.
…
Meanwhile, in Jianye, after being misunderstood by Lu Xian in the morning and Lu Xian not returning by noon, when Second Young Master Lu came back in the evening, Luo Lingyu had her maids invite this second cousin over.
The young lady was still curled up on the couch looking wan and listless, lacking energy. She hadn’t eaten all day, and her illness still had not improved. However, when Second Young Master Lu came, Luo Lingyu specially invited a physician, having him examine her in front of Lu Xian. When the physician unhurriedly said the young lady merely had a weak spleen from the hot weather and would recover after taking some medicine, Luo Lingyu’s delicate brows and eyes turned toward the dumbfounded Lu Xian.
Luo Lingyu glanced at him: See, I’m not pregnant! How could I possibly be pregnant?
Second Young Master Lu gave his cousin an awkward smile, then wordlessly turned and left, going back to write another letter.
After several days passed, when Luo Lingyu received her first letter from Third Young Master Lu showing concern for her well-being, she finally realized what Second Young Master Lu had done – that person must have been overjoyed to madness, not waiting for a physician’s confirmation before eagerly sharing news of her pregnancy with his brother.
As Luo Lingyu examined Lu Yun’s letter, looking it over again and again, her heart was filled with confusion: Why would he think she was pregnant? Did Brother Xuecheng not know whether she was or wasn’t? What was wrong with Brother Xuecheng?
Did he suspect her of having secret relations with other young masters?
But if he suspected her… the tone of the letter shouldn’t be so peaceful. If Lu Yun misunderstood her, he should be furious, should turn against her, and even cut off relations with her, shouldn’t he?
What was going on?
…
Her emotions rose and fell.
Luo Lingyu lowered her eyes in deep thought.
Like Lu Yun, she didn’t trust others easily, she had a suspicious nature.
Lu Yun’s unusual behavior couldn’t be clearly explained in letters, which could lead to misunderstandings. Her background was humble, but her heart was set on him – if he didn’t want her anymore… Luo Lingyu felt wronged. If she had truly wronged him, she would accept the consequences; but she hadn’t done anything.
Was Lu Yun’s peaceful, caring tone in the letter genuine concern, or mockery of her fickle nature?
No, she couldn’t bear such wrongful treatment.
Luo Lingyu felt she needed to make a trip to Nanyang.
She needed to see Lu Yun, needed to explain this matter to him in person.
…
In reality, whenever someone’s thoughts began to change, Second Young Master Lu would have some dreams. But his dreams were chaotic, possibly showing before the changes, or after. Lu Xian himself couldn’t judge, becoming so anxious that he developed a fever, anxiously seeking Buddha’s guidance everywhere. Yet the dreams still came.
In his dream, he dreamed of events before that day of heavy snow and thick fog.
The court said the war was won, and Third Young Master Lu would soon return triumphantly, just needing to handle some procedures in Nanyang. At that time, Cousin Luo suddenly had an idea, coming to find Second Young Master Lu, saying she wanted to make a trip to Nanyang and give Third Cousin a surprise.
In the dream, the young lady’s eyes were full of smiles, overflowing with starlight: “After all, the war is over, the two countries are negotiating. The third Cousin is safe now, I’ll go find him to play. He’ll be so happy, don’t you think?”
The young lady smiled and tilted her head as she spoke to him, Second Young Master Lu standing by the corridor nodded. Under the water bridge, the lake stretched green for thousands of li, under the duckweed, fish leaped up, happily blowing bubbles.
The wandering soul Lu Xian heard his dream self say gently: “Alright, I’ll accompany you.”
…
Yet he didn’t know that by accompanying her, he would witness how Third Young Master Lu went to his death.
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, would Cousin Luo have been so grief-stricken, would she have fled to distant lands, never to be seen again?
The war was over, so why did they see such things? During that time, who had lied, or… had an accident occurred?