Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Bead curtains sway, a silhouette against the scent of clothes.

Hairpins like slanted red crescent moons, competing with the splendor of silk and satin.

Behind a bead curtain, several people were either standing or sitting, playing the zither and making music, while singers practiced their voices, singing a light tune.

Xiaoluo Lan listened for a while but didn't quite understand the lyrics of the tune. She was kneeling on a mat, facing a dark-colored food table filled with dishes, with her daughter sitting beside her.

The seating for the ladies was divided into left and right sides. She and her daughter were on the left, facing General Lu's principal wife and her two daughters-in-law, the principal wife of Lu Wulang and her daughters-in-law, as well as the principal wife of Lu Qilang, totaling six adults.

Next to General Lu's wife and daughters-in-law were elegantly dressed young girls.

Beside the principal wife of Lu Wulang's daughter-in-law was a robust little boy.

Lu Qilang's principal wife was a young woman of gentle beauty, apparently his second wife. Xiaoluo Lan recalled what Old Lady Cui had told her in the carriage and managed to match these people with their identities. As key members of the Lu family, Xiaoluo Lan paid close attention, memorizing their faces and statuses.

Each principal wife was heavily made up, with decorative hairpins and rouge, dressed in luxurious clothes, and their smiles were fittingly graceful. Even the three children were neatly kneeling beside their mothers, displaying impressive manners.

Xiaoluo Lan noticed a cute little girl trying to act grown-up with a pouty face. She was General Lu's eldest daughter-in-law’s second daughter, named Lu Yun, only about five years old and adorably nicknamed Ah Cha.

The little girl was pampered, her baby-faced cheeks adding to her cuteness.

After the servants finished serving the dishes, they retreated one by one.

General Lu's principal wife smiled, "Madame Xiao, our household is a family of military officers, so our dishes are not very elaborate. Please feel free to try them."

Xiaoluo Lan smiled, "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Let's eat quickly," Lu Wulang's wife said with a laugh, covering her mouth, "If we keep being so polite, the food will get cold."

"Madame Xiao, please go ahead," said General Lu's principal wife.

After some polite refusals, Xiaoluo Lan watched the principal wife begin to eat. Seeing Madame Xiao eat with grace and seeming pleased with the dishes, she felt relieved.

The principal wife of the Lu family observed Madame Xiao, noting her gentle speech and lack of imposing demeanor. She treated them well, and it seemed that the current favorite of the Governor of Youzhou was Madame Xiao. Shenzhi also appeared to have a good impression of her. The principal wife felt complex emotions, realizing that the prestigious position of the main lady of Youzhou had not fallen into the Lu family.

She then looked at Madame Xiao's daughter beside her. The young girl was beautiful and delicate, like a budding lotus flower, in the prime of her youth, at least fifteen years old. Sitting beside her daughter, Madame Xiao appeared to be just over thirty, making her wonder about her secret to such well-maintained youth.

Could it be the effect of the Qi Bai soap? The principal wife recalled the new batch of soap purchased for the house. Looking at Madame Xiao's radiant skin, she decided to bathe more often that night, considering buying a new batch of rose soap from the Luo Soap Shop.

The young daughters-in-law present noticed Madame Xiao and her daughter's makeup. The young girl's skin was as white as porcelain, with only a touch of peach on her lips, fresh as a peach blossom. Despite wearing a men's round-necked garment, her beauty couldn't be concealed.

Madame Xiao's makeup featured indigo distant mountain eyebrows and spring water-like eyes, with full lips of a stunning color.

Neither mother nor daughter had applied slanted rouge or facial markings, nor did they wear forehead decorations, leading the daughters-in-law to wonder if the makeup trends in Chang'an had changed. Although they were married into a military family, they knew from their own families that literary discussions were popular in Chang'an, with each scholar having their own unrestrained style. Perhaps Madame Xiao and her daughter were influenced by this trend, preferring a more natural look without adornment?

Qingxue stealthily glanced at her mother, who maintained a smiling face, as did the other principal wives. While eating, she noticed the little girl named Ah Cha looking at her with sparkling eyes.

Seeing the adults busy eating, Qingxue quickly made a funny face at her.

The five-year-old stared at her in astonishment.

Qingxue thought she had scared the child, but the next moment, the little girl burst into giggles, filling the dining hall with her clear laughter. Qingxue guiltily lowered her head.

"Ah Cha!" The eldest daughter-in-law put down her chopsticks and looked sternly at her second daughter.

"It's charming when children are lively," Madame Xiao, realizing her daughter's actions, intervened smoothly, "Yan Mother, please don't mind."

The principal wife of the Lu family followed Madame Xiao's lead, "Ah Cha is happy, let her laugh. We're all family here, no need for so many rules."

Yan Mother, not really wanting to scold her daughter but just making a show of it, replied with a smile, "What Auntie says is right, Yan Mother has learned."

Clearly a bold and favored child, Ah Cha said in a baby voice, "Ah Cha likes Madame Xiao. Can I play with Madame Xiao after the meal?"

The principal wife of the Lu family looked towards Madame Xiao for her response.

Xiaoluo Lan nodded with a smile, "Of course, she can."

Ah Cha happily ate an extra small bowl of rice.

After the meal, Qingxue had three little 'tails' following her - Ah Cha, Ah Yue, and a little boy named Ci Nu. She walked a few steps, letting the three children hold hands, while she herself held Ah Cha's hand.

"Thank you, Madame Xiao."

Seeing her thank like a little adult, Qingxue couldn't help but laugh, "Come on, I'll take you to paint."

Ah Cha, blinking her big eyes, asked, "What are we going to paint?"

"We'll paint all three of you, making you look pretty and lovely."

"Thank you, Madame Xiao."

"Madame Xiao, can we catch butterflies later?"

"I want to play with a big sword."

……

The children's laughter echoed in the distance, making the atmosphere in the ladies' banquet hall even more harmonious.

The principal wife of the Lu family laughed, "I didn't expect Miss Xiao to be so patient with children. My little monkeys here are restless all day long."

Xiaoluo Lan replied with a smile, "Which child isn't mischievous? I observe that Ah Cha, Ah Yue, and Ci Nu have excellent manners; they are very well-behaved and good children, not as naughty as you describe, Madam."

The principal wives of the Lu family all laughed.

"Once you get to know them better, Madame Xiao, you'll see how playful they really are on a daily basis."

Suddenly, the sound of string and wind instruments filled the air.

The sound came from the direction of the men's banquet hall, passing through an arched gateway in the garden, intermittently accompanied by General Lu's hearty laughter.

Xiaoluo Lan chatted idly with several principal wives of the Lu household before being escorted back to the pavilion by female attendants.

Old Lady Cui greeted her with a smile, offering Madame Xiao a cup of tea.

Xiaoluo Lan accepted it, inviting Old Lady Cui to sit down as well. She then took a sip of tea and sighed deeply.

"Are you tired, Madame?" Old Lady Cui asked. "Would you like to rest for a while?"

"I'll rest once we return to the pleasure boat," Xiaoluo Lan replied.

Around three in the afternoon, they were finally able to leave. Qingxue saw Lord Zhou escorting her mother onto the pleasure boat. She took her bow and arrows and followed behind Zhou Shenzhi, with Zhou Shiliulang, Tuo Bamu, and the Zhou family's guards trailing behind.

"What is Madame worried about?" Zhou Xu, slightly tipsy from the afternoon's drinking, embraced Madame Xiao, kissing her earlobe, pleased to see her delicate ears quickly turning red.

Xiaoluo Lan shivered lightly.

"With Shenzhi around, Miss Xiao won't come to any harm. They're just going to the Lu family's deer park for hunting, not to a battlefield. And there are so many people protecting them; there's no need for worry," Zhou Xu comforted.

Xiaoluo Lan understood this in her heart and hummed in response to Lord Zhou's reassuring words.

"Would Madame worry for me if I went to battle?" Zhou Xu inquired.

Xiaoluo Lan turned to look at him.

Zhou Xu bent down to kiss Madame Xiao again, repeating the same question.

Xiaoluo Lan felt the strong scent of alcohol envelop her, her cheeks flushing. She replied softly, "Of course, I would."

Zhou Xu smiled, his rough thumb caressing Madame Xiao's red lips, making them even redder like ripe cherries, "At the end of next month, I'll lead Tuo Bamu and some guards to take back Yi City."

Xiaoluo Lan was startled for a moment. She had always been aware of the ongoing war, but having been in Youzhou for so long, it had seemed distant. Now, hearing Lord Zhou mention it so directly, she was taken aback by the suddenness.

"At that time, I intend not only to hang the old king's family at the city gate but also to execute those families who betray and collude with the court, hanging their heads on the General's Platform."

Xiaoluo Lan heard Lord Zhou's monologue; his tone was calm, as if discussing something mundane, but his face, usually firm and resolute, appeared stern and indifferent without a trace of a smile in his eyes.

Hesitantly, Xiaoluo Lan gently embraced him, only to find herself sitting on his lap, his arms encircling her waist, his stubble scratching against her face.

Xiaoluo Lan tried to move back, but Lord Zhou's hand pressed firmly against the back of her neck, preventing her from moving. She pursed her lips, aware of Lord Zhou's controlling nature surfacing again.

Zhou Xu steadied her on the beauty couch.

The lady on the couch lay back, her breathing erratic due to nervousness. From Zhou Xu's perspective, her slender waist was like a willow, her embroidered skirt trailing down.

Zhou Xu watched for a while, feeling a mix of alcohol-induced desire and the extreme excitement of the pre-war rush.

He used to relish bloodshed, but now he realized that blood and Madame Xiao were even more intoxicating.

When Lord Zhou finally released her, Xiaoluo Lan found her body covered in red marks. She draped her outer garment over herself, intending to dress and then take a bath.

Zhou Xu wouldn’t let her move.

Xiaoluo Lan’s face flushed red, gripping her garment tightly. She finally voiced her earlier thoughts, "Be careful when you go to war."

Zhou Xu chuckled softly, pulling Madame Xiao's hand to kiss it, "I know."

Xiaoluo Lan, knowing nothing about ancient warfare, felt guilty for being unable to help Lord Zhou: "I'll embroider you a talisman for safety, remember to carry it with you."

Zhou Xu, looking at Madame Xiao's still flushed face, smiled, "Alright."

Seeing him agree, Xiaoluo Lan, not usually talkative, fell silent. She whispered, "Let's get up."

Zhou Xu pulled her into his embrace to lie down, kissing Madame Xiao's face, "Let me hold you a little longer."

Zhou Xu playfully continued until Madame Xiao was left panting and drenched in sweat.

He gazed at the misty-eyed Madame Xiao, speaking softly, "I haven’t yet consummated our union; I can’t bear the thought of dying."

Besides, he had no intention of leaving Madame Xiao in Langge. He planned to take her with him, ensuring they would be together wherever they were.

Madame Xiao didn’t realize that her choices had always been very limited.

Zhou Xu carefully straightened Madame Xiao's disheveled hair, speaking in a gentle voice.

"I will dress Madame."