Ye Yaming nodded.

She asked, “What’s the situation with that brother of yours?”

She had previously asked Yun’er to investigate and only learned that Lu Guanyu was a typical aristocratic family son. Madam Shi had hired private tutors for him since childhood, had people teach him martial arts, and groomed him to become the heir of the Marquis household. If Lu Zhongyong hadn’t intervened and Duke Wei’s household hadn’t fallen, perhaps both Shi Kun’s army and Lu Zhongyong’s forces would have eventually been handed over to Lu Guanyu.

So although Madam Shi only had Lu Guanyu as her son, she raised him with great care and extremely strict requirements, not spoiling him at all.

However, with Duke Wei’s household as his maternal family and the Empress as his aunt, and being the son of Marquis Xuanwu, Lu Guanyu grew up as the center of attention, becoming extremely arrogant. Few people in the capital were worthy of his regard. If those aristocratic sons without real abilities approached him and displeased him, he would humiliate them without restraint.

She wondered if he had ever humiliated Lu Guanyi before, and what feelings Lu Guanyi harbored toward this brother.

When Lu Guanyu was mentioned, Lu Guanyi’s expression grew even more complex.

“After Madam Shi married into the family, I lived with my grandfather and grandmother in the old residence and had no dealings with this side. Growing up, I’ve only had contact with Lu Guanyu a few times. The most recent was during my grandfather’s funeral vigil. I was fourteen at the time, and he was twelve. He stood before me extremely arrogantly, telling me not to compete with him for the position of heir, otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to keep my life.”

“I’ve never understood if he still harbored some goodwill, not wanting brothers to fight over the heir position and was kindly advising me; or if Madam Shi, considering my father’s feelings, didn’t want to kill me outright, so deliberately had him say this to make me voluntarily give up.”

Madam Shi’s desire for Lu Guanyu to become the heir of Marquis Xuanwu’s household wasn’t about coveting a military title, but was focused on the military authority in Lu Zhongyong’s hands.

Although the troops under Lu Zhongyong’s command were recruited by the court, they were trained by him for over fifteen to twenty years, eating and living together with them, gradually building them up. This army of 100,000 men bore his distinct imprint.

Unless his son lacked military talent, under equal circumstances, the Emperor would certainly have his son succeed him as General, and if his son established military merits, even the title wouldn’t be reduced in rank.

For example, when Duke Wei’s forces were built by him, so when he became too old to lead troops, Shi Kun, who had already become a third-rank general with military achievements, was exceptionally promoted to first-rank General, taking his position. After Duke Wei’s death, if Shi Kun were the heir to Duke Wei, he would still continue as Duke Wei, without being demoted to Marquis.

Lu Guanyu was Lu Zhongyong’s son and also had Shi family blood. If he could become the heir to the Marquis household, the Shi family would firmly grasp the military power of the northwest. The Fourth Prince’s path to seizing the throne would proceed more smoothly.

From the main rooms of the inner courtyard to the main rooms of the outer courtyard of Marquis Xuanwu’s mansion, there was a covered corridor connecting them. The newlywed couple was now walking along this corridor toward the outer courtyard hall.

The capital was located on a plain, and Marquis Xuanwu’s mansion stood on completely flat terrain. Military men also preferred a spacious style. Now, as they looked left and right from the corridor, there were no obstructions on either side—all trees and buildings were constructed several meters away from the corridor.

At this moment, Ye Yaming only had Bai Rui and Madam Xia following behind her, while Lu Guanyi had only An’ning accompanying him. These three servants had deliberately slowed their pace when the young couple began their conversation, staying two or three meters away from them.

Therefore, the couple didn’t fear their conversation being overheard.

Ye Yaming continued to ask, “So how does your father plan to handle Lu Guanyu?”

“The night before last, I had a long talk with my father. He asked if I wanted him to take Lu Guanyu to the army. I agreed.”

Ye Yaming frowned slightly: “If you’re going under his command, and Lu Guanyu also goes under his command, what if there’s a conflict between you two? Might Lu Guanyu sabotage you when you’re on missions? And after he establishes military merits, wouldn’t he compete with you for authority in the army? Why did you agree to let him go to the border?”

“But if he doesn’t leave, just after you’ve reorganized this household, as soon as we leave the capital, he could turn around and win over all the servants for his use. We can’t possibly replace all the servants every time we return to the capital, can we?” said Lu Guanyi.

“Besides, I want to keep him under my watch. It’s easier to dodge a spear than an arrow from the dark. Rather than letting him scheme in the capital, it’s better to keep him close where I can watch him.”

Though he said this, Ye Yaming knew that Lu Guanyi was worried about her, concerned that Lu Guanyu might harm her.

If she were just any wife Lu Guanyi had married, perhaps Lu Guanyu wouldn’t do anything to her. But from the request for an imperial marriage decree to yesterday’s specially prepared meal from the kitchen, Lu Guanyu could see, if he paid attention, that Lu Guanyi had taken her into his heart.

If something happened to her, especially if she were carrying Lu Guanyi’s child and both lives were lost, Lu Guanyi might be destroyed. If Lu Guanyu wanted to ruin Lu Guanyi, harming her life would be striking at his vital point. For her safety, Lu Guanyi dared not leave Lu Guanyu in the capital.

“Um…” she hesitated, “I have a question…”

She was usually confident, generous, and forthright, rarely hesitant like this. Lu Guanyi suddenly found this side of her extremely adorable.

He reached out and took her small hand in his palm: “Feel free to say whatever is on your mind. We are husband and wife, as one, sharing fortune and misfortune. There’s nothing we can’t discuss.”

“I’m just curious, it was your father who divorced Madam Shi, right? Why doesn’t Lu Guanyu hate him but instead is determined to make things difficult for you?”

What Ye Yaming wanted to ask wasn’t about the divorce, but about the destruction of Duke Wei and Shi Kun’s conspiracy to rebel. It’s worth noting that without Lu Zhongyong’s twenty years of enduring hardship in silence, Duke Wei’s scheme might have succeeded. How glorious would Lu Guanyu have been then?

But from what she heard in Lu Guanyi’s words, the father and son seemed to get along quite harmoniously. Instead, Lu Guanyu harbored a deep hatred toward his elder brother Lu Guanyi, hating him to the point that Lu Guanyi had to be constantly on guard against him.

Her incisive question once again made Lu Guanyi look at her with deep affection.

He smiled, “The Shi family was executed entirely, but Lu Guanyu is alive because he bears the Lu surname. He knows very clearly that if my father were gone, it would also be difficult for him to survive.”

“I see.” Ye Yaming nodded.

She said, “Don’t worry about me. I’m not a pushover. If any servants in the household dare to follow Lu Guanyu’s orders and try to harm me, not just them, but even Lu Guanyu himself, I’ll make them pay dearly.”

These words were spoken with confidence and dominance. Lu Guanyi gripped her hand tightly once more.

He said, “You needn’t worry about him competing with me for military achievements. Because his maternal grandfather was named Shi, even if he defeated the entire Jin army, he would never be able to take over my father’s troops.”