Chapter 56

Chapter 56

"Still angry?"

After his bath, Zhou Xu lifted the curtain to see his wife lying with her back to him, a thin brocade quilt draped over her. Even in silence, she was captivating, and the gentle fragrance in the bedchamber was intoxicating.

Zhou Xu lay down beside her, preparing to coax his wife, his hand resting on her shoulder, urging her to turn around.

Xiao Luolan, still upset, didn’t want to engage with him.

Recalling the gentle force of his wife, Zhou Xu, careful not to hurt her, moved closer in bed. Xiao Luolan, seeing his persistence, turned away, but Zhou Xu quickly held her waist, preventing her from moving.

"Let go of me," Xiao Luolan said, frowning, unhappy about patriarch Zhou deciding on her journey to Huiyi without her consent.

Zhou Xu's narrow eyes squinted slightly, a hint of a smile on his lips: "I won’t let go. What can my lady do about it?"

Xiao Luolan struggled a few times without success, his grip strong like a vise. Sometimes she wondered if he was even human, his strength so immense.

After a struggle, Xiao Luolan closed her eyes, sweat beading on her nose.

Zhou Xu leaned in close: "Don’t be angry, my lady. If all goes well, we’ll be back in a few months."

Xiao Luolan opened her eyes. It was August now, and in a few months, autumn would be over; such a long time…

"Zhou Lang," Xiao Luolan said, her cheeks flushed.

Hearing his wife call him by that name, Zhou Xu raised an eyebrow: "Say it again, my lady."

"Zhou Lang," Xiao Luolan awkwardly placed her hand on the man's chest, still hoping to change patriarch Zhou's mind. She softened her body, gently leaning into him: "I want to wait for you at home."

Zhou Xu lifted his wife’s long hair and smelled it, remaining silent.

Xiao Luolan looked at patriarch Zhou's jaw and Adam's apple, then up at his face, still smiling warmly and seemingly willing to agree to anything she asked.

Xiao Luolan lowered her hand, realizing she couldn't change patriarch Zhou's decision.

Her eyes suddenly reddened, half genuine, half feigned.

Zhou Xu kissed away his wife’s tears, saying helplessly: "Why cry? I’ve coaxed you so many times without much kindness in return, yet when my lady coaxes me just once, she ends up feeling aggrieved first."

He embraced her, treasuring her like the most precious jewel.

Xiao Luolan's vision blurred, she lowered her head, not looking at him anymore. How could these be the same?

Seeing his wife's tears continue, Zhou Xu knew she was using this to sway him. She wanted to stay in Langge, not join him in Huiyi. He understood it wasn't the hardship of Huiyi she dreaded, but the inability to leave her daughter.

But he also couldn't be without his wife.

He wanted his wife where he could see her, to be able to meet her at any moment, knowing what she was doing.

Zhou Xu placed his hand on his wife's heart, feeling the exquisite touch, chuckled softly, thinking perhaps a different kind of crying would be better.

The next day, just after the third watch, Zhou Xu got up. As a warrior, practicing martial arts was an essential part of his daily routine, no matter the weather or season, at least an hour was spent in the training ground.

Like his wife, Zhou Xu disliked excessive attendance, so there were no maids in their room. He dressed himself, lifted the bed curtain to glance at his still sleeping wife, lingered on her rosy, dewy face for a moment before leaving.

The room door opened.

Zhou Xu instructed, "Have Doctor Li come over when my lady wakes up."

Xiahe knelt in a bow: "Yes, my lord."

At the training ground.

Zhou Xu picked up a tiger-head spear and skillfully wielded it. Soon, Zhou Shenzhi also arrived. Although Tabo was his father's adopted son, he had his own residence in Langge, located in Xingping Fang, and only came to the Zhou residence for important matters.

"Father," Zhou Shenzhi greeted with a bow.

Zhou Xu tossed a knife to him: "Let's spar."

Zhou Shenzhi gripped the knife, focusing intently.

The weapon rack was filled with an array of weapons: machetes, swords, spears, snake spears, green iron lances, cavalry lances, patterned bronze cross halberds, axes, bows/crossbows, and steel whips segmented like bamboo joints.

Zhou Shenzhi saw his father also wielding a knife.

The knife was familiar to Zhou Shenzhi. Since he could walk, his father had carved a wooden knife for him. That small wooden knife was still in his room. As he grew, he was given a downsized version of the Youzhou Knife, his most familiar and favored weapon among all.

The Zhou residence was built against the Wuxie Mountain.

How vast was this mountain? Just the Mirror Lake at the mountain's waist seemed boundless. The Zhou family occupied only a small part of the mountain's front. The continuous mountain range behind Wuxie Mountain housed Youzhou's largest armory. Inside the huge mountain, red furnaces boiled iron like tides, guarded day and night by the Gongsun family, experts in weapon forging. Their secret techniques enhanced the sharpness and durability of the blades. Hidden in the vast Wuxie Mountain were thirty thousand craftsmen, whose location could only be found with guidance.

The Youzhou Knife, created by the Gongsun family, was a cavalry weapon. Narrower and slightly curved compared to ordinary blades, with a longer hilt and a blood groove on the blade, its sharp edge made it a dangerous yet beautiful weapon.

Old man Zhao, a veteran of the training ground who lost an arm in battle, was left by the Jiedushi to manage the grounds.

He whistled twice, and horses from the stable galloped over.

If the Jiedushi had been holding a machete used by infantry, Old man Zhao wouldn't have called the horses.

Every weapon has its unique use. The Jiedushi, apart from his gold-inlaid black whip, also favored a terrifying broadsword, capable of shattering both men and horses on the battlefield. His duty in the training ground was to maintain and polish these weapons for the Jiedushi.

Zhou Shenzhi mounted his horse, holding a Youzhou Knife, and began to spar with his father.

Zhou Xu, holding the reins, saw his son not rushing to attack and took the initiative, his Youzhou Knife whistling through the air as he struck.

Zhou Shenzhi parried with the back of his knife, ducked low, then swiftly turned his wrist, altering the blade's direction to aim for a vital spot on his opponent's chest.

The two rode back and forth, their bout more a display than a real fight. After a while, Zhou Xu took a teapot from Old man Zhao and drank.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao," Zhou Shenzhi said respectfully, taking a cup of tea from him.

Old man Zhao laughed, waved his hand, and then led the two horses away to rest.

Zhou Shenzhi looked at his father and said, "Huiyi has grown in strength over the years, with many steppe tribes now following its lead. Father, please be extra cautious on this expedition."

By now, the sun had risen, and the temperature was gradually increasing.

Zhou Xu patted his son on the shoulder: "Understood."

"The Tiele people, allied with the Tabo clan, are fierce but unruly and hard to discipline," Zhou Shenzhi shared his concerns: "I'm uneasy about them accompanying Tabo on this campaign."

"What do you suggest?" Zhou Xu asked.

"I think it would be better to replace the Tiele people with the Lei and Huang families or our own Zhou family troops," Zhou Shenzhi ventured, seeing his father wasn't angry: "The Lei family has been our vassal for a long time, and like our troops, they are well-trained and disciplined."

Zhou Xu sat down and gestured for his son to sit beside him: "What do you think of the Tabo clan?"

Zhou Shenzhi, not expecting this question, carefully replied: "The Tabo clan is united, fierce in battle, and utterly loyal to you, Father."

"Are they like a pack of wolves?" Zhou Xu smiled.

Zhou Shenzhi remained silent.

"Then why do you think the Tabo clan chooses to align with us?"

"Naturally, it's because Father is powerful," Zhou Shenzhi replied.

"In the eyes of the Tiele people, the Tabo clan is also powerful. The Tiele people align with the Tabo clan because of their strength," Zhou Xu explained. "You think the Tiele people are unreliable, and taking them along poses risks. You can supervise them, and if issues arise, you can hold them accountable. But you can't replace them with someone else before anything actually happens, bypassing the Tabo clan."

Zhou Shenzhi pondered his father's words.

At the hour of Chen.

Xiao Qingxue came to dine with her mother and was surprised to find patriarch Zhou there too.

Zhou Xu smiled: "Qingxue, come here. Today we have your favorite shrimp wontons."

Xiao Qingxue, feeling shy in front of patriarch Zhou, blushed and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Father."

Zhou Xu's smile grew even wider: "Sit beside your mother."

Xiao Luolan, seeing her daughter, passed her a small bowl of wontons: "Be careful, it's hot."

"I know, Mother," Xiao Qingxue replied, her eyes curving into crescents. After finishing her meal, patriarch Zhou left.

Xiao Qingxue then ate another small bowl.

Xiao Luolan, previously in a somber mood, couldn't help but smile at her daughter's actions.

"Mother, you should eat more too."

Xiao Luolan, not knowing how to broach a certain topic with her daughter, kept silent about it until the end of breakfast.

She sighed.

Accompanied by Chunhua and Xiahe, she went to the Luo Feng Pavilion.

Her maternal grandparents and nephew lived there.

"Has Lan'er arrived?" Xiao Jingshu greeted her warmly into the pavilion, while Xiao Qinghe offered tea to his aunt.

"Aunt, please have some tea."

Xiao Luolan accepted it: "Thank you, Qinghe."

Xiao Qinghe sat kneeling beside his grandfather, his head slightly bowed, only seeing his aunt's hand resting on her knee, smooth and soft like jade. He heard his grandfather mention his aunt was thirty-eight, but to him, she looked no older than a woman just in her thirties.

"I heard from Xiahe that grandfather sent someone to find me this morning. May I know what it's about?" Xiao Luolan asked softly.

Xiao Jingshu, stroking his white beard, smiled: "Your father left several calligraphies with me. It’s time they returned to their rightful owner." He pushed the scrolls on the table towards Xiao Luolan.

Xiao Luolan pondered for a while. This was likely to familiarize her with her father's handwriting to avoid exposure, given that Wushan Jushi was a renowned calligrapher.

"Thank you, grandfather," Xiao Luolan expressed her gratitude.

"Does Qingxue still like the seal I gave her?" Xiao Jingshu asked.

"Certainly," Xiao Luolan replied: "She keeps your seal in her flint bag and is wearing it now."

The seal given by Xiao Gong was quite charming to Xiao Luolan as well. It featured a little tiger on top, with a tiny 'Xiao' character engraved at the bottom, in a golden-green hue, both delicate and elegant.

Her daughter treasured it dearly, always carrying it with her whenever she wore a round-necked robe.

"I'm glad Qingxue likes it," Xiao Jingshu said with a smile.

After some casual conversation, Xiao Luolan left the Luo Feng Pavilion. Chunhua approached and whispered: "Madam, the young mistress is waiting for you at Mingxin Hall."

Xiao Luolan quickly made her way back, and upon arriving at Mingxin Hall, she first asked everyone else to leave.

"Mother, I heard you're going to Huiyi City with patriarch Zhou, is that true?" Xiao Qingxue's words were cut short as she grasped her mother's hand.

Xiao Luolan let her daughter sit down and finally nodded, quickly adding, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Xiao Qingxue's brow furrowed tightly, her voice both anxious and worried: "But war is so dangerous."

"Can't you just not go?"

Seeing her mother's silence, Xiao Qingxue seemed to understand something: "It's Father who wants you to go, isn't it? I'll talk to him."

With the battlefield so perilous, why did patriarch Zhou insist on taking her mother along?

Xiao Luolan held her daughter back, worried she might anger patriarch Zhou, which would surely disadvantage her daughter: "Don't go, I'll talk to him tonight."

Seeing her mother preventing her from seeing patriarch Zhou, Xiao Qingxue felt even more heartbroken. She forced a smile, her eyes red: "I understand."

Not wanting to return to Lumy Garden, Xiao Qingxue sat alone in a small pavilion, lost in thought for a long time.

"What's wrong?"

Xiao Qingxue looked up at the sound of the voice and saw Tabo Amu sitting on a thick branch overhead, only his blue eyes visible through the dense leaves, filled with concern.

Xiao Qingxue wiped the tears from her face and got up to leave, not wanting her disheveled appearance to be seen.

"What's wrong?" Tabo Amu jumped down, standing in front of her, wanting to approach but not daring to, he could only ask repeatedly, noticing her tears and distressed expression.

"I'm fine," Xiao Qingxue shook her head.

"Did someone bully you?" Tabo Amu hesitated but asked anyway.

Xiao Qingxue looked at him, remembering he was Tabo Agu's brother and a key figure in the upcoming campaign: "Are you also going to Huiyi City?"

"Yes, elder brother specifically asked me to come back for this war," Tabo Amu replied honestly.

"My mother is going too," Xiao Qingxue sat on the steps, her head lowered in dejection.

Realizing why Xiao Qingxue was upset, Tabo Amu sat a distance away, comforting her: "Don’t worry, we will protect your mother."

"I've trained a snow eagle. It's not as brave or clever as the master's black-garbed messengers, but it can still carry messages." Tabo Amu felt a bit hot today: "Once the troops depart, I’ll send messages to you with the snow eagle, to keep you informed about your mother."

"Really?" Xiao Qingxue's spirits lifted slightly on hearing this from Tabo Amu.

"Of course, it's true. It will just take longer than the black-garbed messengers. Tomorrow, I'll bring my snow eagle to you so it can get used to your scent," Tabo Amu stumbled over the last two words, struggling to continue.

Xiao Qingxue, tears still on her eyelashes, burst into laughter.

"Amu, have you used up all your words for the month?"

Tabo Amu was stunned for a moment, then actually nodded.

Seeing him take her seriously, Xiao Qingxue, aware of Tabo Amu's literal nature, worried he might really stay silent all month and explained: "I was just joking."

Tabo Amu nodded again.

Xiao Qingxue was a bit exasperated, wondering if he really understood or not.

Tabo Amu gazed at their shadows on the ground, which, due to the slanting sunlight, merged into one.

It looked as if Miss Xiao was leaning against him.

Tabo Amu's ears turned a bit red.