Chapter 37 Night of Upheaval

Chapter 37 Night of Upheaval

At this moment, Lu Feng and Pei Zhang had already left the city gates.

Their baggage had been sent ahead to Tongzhou, and the group traveled light, setting off at dawn with one horse per person, galloping swiftly and already five miles outside the city.

"Shh—"

The lead attendant pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and said, "Chief, there's a teahouse ahead. Shall we take a rest and have some tea?"

Lu Feng initially wanted to say "no," but glancing at Pei Zhang's pale face, he lightly nudged his horse and stopped.

"Everyone, take a break ahead."

Pei Zhang tightened his reins and approached Lu Feng, smiling bitterly, "Thank you, Brother Jun Chi, for your concern."

Lu Feng dismounted and said in a deep voice, "You're merely a scholar, and it's already tough for you to keep up. Take a rest."

The group Lu Feng led were all elite agents of the Forbidden Dragon Bureau. Lu Feng's prowess in riding and archery was naturally unmatched, and they had been galloping at full speed. Pei Zhang had kept silent, neither complaining nor lagging behind, which had impressed Lu Feng.

The sound of hooves was swift, and the group, riding tall horses and dressed in dark, tight-fitting clothes, frightened the teahouse owner, who turned pale. The seated patrons also grew uneasy and rose to leave.

"Everyone, don't be afraid."

Pei Zhang stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said slowly, "We are tea merchants on our journey, bearing official permits. The road is full of bandits, so my brother and I engaged a security escort for our protection. We're just stopping for some tea, and we apologize for the disturbance."

The group, all with strong arms and waists, exuded an intimidating aura, but Pei Zhang, the "frail scholar," appeared gentle and refined. The teahouse owner bypassed the imposing Lu Feng and approached Pei Zhang.

"No disturbance at all, sir. This is a small business. Would you kindly move your horses a bit further away so as not to frighten the customers?"

Pei Zhang glanced at Lu Feng's expression, and Lu Feng nodded, saying, "Fine."

He seated himself with an air of authority, placing his long sword on the small table outside, "Serve the tea."

...

After the group settled in, Pei Zhang, the 'deputy chief,' sat across from Lu Feng, holding a bowl of light tea, and said, "Brother Jun Chi, why do you not drink?"

The tea in front of Lu Feng remained untouched. He took a water pouch from his waist, "I prefer this."

Pei Zhang, who had grown somewhat familiar with him, knew a bit about his fastidiousness. He smiled slightly, his eyes involuntarily glancing at the jade disc the size of a coin hanging from the pouch by a red string.

He said, "This jade is of exceptional quality. To hang it on a water pouch seems a waste, Brother Jun Chi."

"This?"

Lu Feng chuckled wryly, "My wife procured it for me as a talisman. The ways of gods and ghosts are believed only by the unlearned."

Despite his words, Lu Feng gently caressed it, loath to apply too much pressure.

He was not accustomed to wearing jade pendants. When traveling, the most important thing was the water pouch. He placed it there, and each time he drank, he was reminded of her.

Pei Zhang's eyes dimmed slightly, "Brother Jun Chi, you and your wife share a profound bond. I truly envy you."

"Brother Zhang, there is no need for self-deprecation."

On this trip, they were posing as tea merchants. Lu Feng was the 'chief,' and Pei Zhang was his cousin. In private, they referred to each other as 'brothers,' adding a sense of familiarity.

Lu Feng said, "I have heard that your wife has not conceived for years, yet you remain steadfastly loyal to her. Brother Zhang, you're no less devoted than I am."

Pei Zhang smiled silently, sipping his tea.

Putting down the tea bowl, he gazed at the vast expanse ahead and sighed, "The journey ahead is long. I only hope that this trip of ours can wipe out Prince Chen’s remnants and restore peace to Jiangnan’s people."

Lu Feng took a sip of water, his cold eyes resolute, "It will be accomplished."

...

After resting, Lu Feng looked at Pei Zhang, "If we speed up, at our current pace, we’ll reach Tongzhou in two days. Can you handle it?"

Pei Zhang laughed, "Brother Jun Chi, you’re underestimating me. Though I’m not as strong as the others, I won’t slow anyone down."

"Brother, please."

Outside the strict capital, Pei Zhang's demeanor was less restrained. He stood tall and clear, like a pine tree, occasionally displaying a bold spirit, which perfectly matched Lu Feng’s taste.

He patted Pei Zhang's shoulder, "Brother, please."

Suddenly, Lu Feng frowned slightly, "Why aren’t you in your soft armor?"

On this journey south, the two officials, Xu and Liu, who were the obvious 'targets', were both former military instructors, while Pei Zhang was a civilian official.

Pei Zhang said, "Tongzhou is not far from the capital, and there have been no cases of bandit raids in recent years. Once we’re on the ship, I’ll manage. Don’t worry, Brother Jun Chi."

Pei Zhang received the soft armor sent by Lu Feng and personally went to thank him, not refusing it. He knew his limits. In a fight, he wouldn’t be a burden.

Lu Feng responded indifferently, "Stick close to me."

Pei Zhang was a key asset. If he were to fall here, not only the Emperor but even he would feel regret.

Pei Zhang seemed to think of something and suddenly smiled, teasing, "Brother Jun Chi, you’re just like my wife. Before leaving, my wife also advised me, saying that you have great fortune, and with you, I’ll be safe."

Lu Feng raised an eyebrow, "Your wife is perceptive."

Pei Zhang clapped his hands and laughed, "Then I’ll count on you, boss."

"Sure thing."

The horses' hooves raised a cloud of yellow sand, and the team marched away grandly. Other guests watched their figures disappear before daring to speak.

"Wow, impressive. Even tea merchants are so grand in the capital."

"Ah, times are uneasy. Bandits are causing trouble in the south, and a prince in the capital got into trouble. They’ve been arresting people since last year, and now they’re calling for justice, as if to overturn the case."

"He’s still a prince even if he’s in trouble. Rice prices have gone up thirty percent this year. Only us common folks suffer!"

"Let’s not talk about politics, everyone. Enjoy your tea."

The wind picked up.

***

No matter what was happening outside, Jiang Wanrou nestled in the small world of Jinguang Courtyard, peacefully nurturing her pregnancy.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye. The winter jasmine in the courtyard bloomed and withered, and the small lotus buds in the pond gradually emerged, stretching out. Now, the lotus leaves were lush and green, and the beautiful lotus flowers bloomed in large clusters, marking the arrival of the scorching summer.

In the afternoon, the sound of cicadas accompanied the clear reading voices emanating from Jinguang Courtyard.

"Alright, alright, little brothers and sisters, listen well. My dear, take a sip of water and rest."

Jiang Wanrou lay on the recliner under the shade of the tree, with Lu Huaiyi beside her holding a copy of "The Three Character Classic." He put down the book, frowned, and said, "Mother, don’t always interrupt me."

Jiang Wanrou rubbed her forehead, her head was pounding.

Before Lu Feng left, he had instructed her to stop listening to those nonsensical plays and to focus on more serious books. She had agreed verbally but didn’t take it to heart.

As the saying goes, "When the cat's away, the mice will play." With Lu Feng gone, she became the queen of the household. Who could possibly control her?

Well, there was one—Lu Huaiyi.

Her belly grew larger, and the imperial physicians began to notice something amiss. Several respected senior physicians huddled together and whispered for a long time, finally concluding that she was carrying twins.

The most auspicious twin pregnancy was considered to be a dragon and phoenix pair, while two male fetuses were deemed inauspicious. The emperor was delighted and generously bestowed many gifts. Others seized the opportunity to offer auspicious words, all claiming it would be a boy and a girl.

Following his father’s instructions, Lu Huaiyi read a volume of books to his mother every day. Upon hearing it was twins, he pondered for a moment and quietly added another volume. He explained to Jiang Wanrou with conviction, "The sages say, a gentleman adapts to the times. Previously, we thought there was only one child in your belly, but now that circumstances have changed, we must act accordingly."

Jiang Wanrou was shocked: "My child, that’s not how arithmetic works. You only need to read one volume, and both your siblings can hear it."

Lu Huaiyi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Mother, what’s for the brother is for the brother, and what’s for the sister is for the sister. You can’t favor one over the other. The sages say—"

"Alright, alright, just read."

...

Jiang Wanrou couldn’t resist her son’s persistence and ended up listening to him read to her every day. With Lu Feng away from the capital, Lu Huaiyi’s calligraphy improved rapidly under Pei Zhang’s guidance. His studies became less demanding, leaving him plenty of time to visit Jinguang Courtyard, but Jiang Wanrou didn’t feel as at ease as before.

When Lu Feng used to read to her, she would get annoyed and act coquettishly toward him. He would scold her sternly, his brows furrowed, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

Such dynamics worked between husband and wife, but not between mother and son. The tables had turned, and now she was the one at a loss.

Despite his young age, Huaiyi had inherited his father’s calm and steady temperament. He kept a serious expression every day, acting like a little adult. When Lu Feng read to her, she could at least doze off, but in front of her son, she didn’t even dare to yawn.

Huaiyi was stubborn. He wouldn’t shake her awake but would wait patiently by her side until she woke up. Once, she slept until evening, and he waited until evening. Jiang Wanrou’s heart ached for him.

After finishing the reading, Huaiyi would return to complete his homework. No matter how late it was or whether anyone checked it, he always made sure to finish it.

He was ambitious but physically weak. Overexertion would make him fall ill, and Jiang Wanrou couldn’t bring herself to scold or punish him. She had truly given birth to a little ancestor.

Jiang Wanrou personally got up to pour tea for Huaiyi and pushed it toward him. "Here, drink more water. Your voice sounds heavy; perhaps you haven’t fully recovered from the last cold."

Lu Huaiyi’s face immediately fell, and he muttered, "Mother, the imperial physician said I’ve already recovered."

No matter how mature he acted, he was still just a child. He didn’t want to drink that bitter medicine.

Hearing this, Jiang Wanrou widened her beautiful eyes and gently scolded him, "Child, do you listen to the imperial physician or your mother?"

"Of course, I listen to... my mother."

Lu Huaiyi, who had been standing tall and proud just moments ago, obediently drank the tea Jiang Wanrou handed him. The tea in Jinguang Courtyard was mostly light, causing Huaiyi’s delicate brows to furrow in distaste.

Jiang Wanrou spoke earnestly, "Later, I’ll have Physician Luo take your pulse. I’ll have someone make your favorite wontons for you. Finish your homework early tonight and get some rest."

"A few days ago, your father wrote and asked about you. I didn’t dare to tell him you’ve fallen ill again. Your father is out there facing danger, yet I’ve raised you to be so sickly. When he returns, how am I supposed to explain this to him?"

Jiang Wanrou spoke softly, her tone not reproachful, but it filled Lu Huaiyi with guilt. He hurriedly said, "Mother, it’s my body that’s failing. Please don’t say such things. I’m truly ashamed."

He often felt guilty toward Jiang Wanrou. She had risked her life to give birth to him and had worked tirelessly to raise him. Yet, because of his weak constitution, she faced more criticism. How unfair!

Such was the way of the world—harsh toward women. Since children came from a woman’s womb, everything was considered the woman’s fault. Why could others succeed where she couldn’t? Why could others bear sons while she couldn’t? Why were others’ children healthy, while hers was sickly?

The emperor's prejudice against Jiang Wanrou was partly due to this.

Lu Huaiyi's words touched Jiang Wanrou's heart. She took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Huaiyi's forehead, saying tenderly, "My Huaiyi is all grown up."

In a few months, he would turn five.

Jiang Wanrou felt a pang of melancholy. Huaiyi's birthday was on the eighth day of the eighth month, early autumn, and her due date was around the same time. She wondered if Lu Feng would make it back by then.

He often wrote home, initially promising, "I'll be back soon." Recently, the letters became fewer and no longer mentioned when he would return. She guessed he might have encountered some difficulties.

How could she trouble him with household matters, upsetting his peace of mind? In her letters to him, she always shared good news and avoided mentioning troubles.

Thinking of Zhou Miaoyin in the prayer hall, Jiang Wanrou felt a surge of irritation. Both mother and son had their own thoughts. Today's reading session was cut short, and Lu Huaiyi went back to the front courtyard.

...

Confucius warned against speaking of supernatural forces and chaos; some words should not be uttered lightly. Jiang Wanrou never imagined her offhand remark would prove prophetic.

At around 9:45 PM, Lu Huaiyi's servant, Shuqi, frantically pounded on the door of Jinguang Courtyard, yelling that the eldest young master had a fever and fainted!

Jiang Wanrou was so alarmed she didn't even put her embroidered shoes on right. With her maids' assistance, she hurried to the front courtyard. Lu Huaiyi, a small figure, lay on the bed, his face flushed with fever.

"What happened? Where’s the doctor? Where’s Mr. Luo? Are you all incompetent!"

Seeing her eldest son lying weakly on the bed, Jiang Wanrou, who seldom lost her temper, was enraged. The servants dropped to their knees in panic, and two of them sobbed, "He was fine all day. The young master ate two extra bowls of rice at dinner, and we were pleased... Later, the young master stayed up an hour later than usual reading in the study and wouldn’t let us disturb him."

"He just went to bed a little later than usual. When we went to tuck him in, we found he had fainted."

With her son unconscious, Jiang Wanrou had no thought of assigning blame or punishment. She only hoped Huaiyi would wake up soon. Unfortunately, troubles never come alone. Today, after Mr. Luo checked Huaiyi's pulse and found nothing serious, he simply went home.

He wasn’t a servant tied to the Lu household, so Jiang Wanrou couldn’t object. She had to summon the household physicians. Several elderly physicians examined Huaiyi's eyelids and tongue, and just as Jiang Wanrou was losing patience, they said, "The young master's earlier cold is no longer an issue. However, he’s been bottling up worries, leading to internal distress. Overeating at dinner and overexertion have led to this condition."

As Lu Feng's only legitimate son for so many years, and with his mother now pregnant with siblings, Lu Huaiyi was a child with high aspirations. Whether it was eating, studying, drawing the bow, or wielding the sword, he worked harder than usual. He believed that diligence could compensate for shortcomings, and he wanted to earn honor for his mother.

He was already weak. A while ago, during the transition from spring to summer, he was eager to wear lighter clothes and caught a cold. The illness hadn't fully recovered, and various factors combined to create the current situation.

At this moment, Jiang Wanrou didn't want to hear the doctors' ramblings. She only wanted to know how to cure her son and wake him up!

The doctor said, "Madam, please remain calm. We will prescribe a mild tonic for the young master and see how he is tomorrow."

They were aware of Lu Huaiyi's delicate constitution and dared not use strong medicine for fear it might be too much for him. To be safe, they only used mild herbs. The old doctor stroked his beard and said, "If he doesn't improve by tomorrow, Madam can invite a royal physician to take a look. I remember the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau is particularly skilled in treating children's convulsions."

"Why wait until tomorrow?"

Jiang Wanrou clenched her palm tightly, the pain helping her stay calm. She sat by Huaiyi's side and ordered, "Call Chang'an."

At this hour, the palace gates were already closed, but before Lu Feng left, he had left Chang'an with her and also gave her a token that said, "Seeing this token is like seeing the emperor."

Who would have thought that today everything would go wrong? Chang'an was also nowhere to be found.

Suppressing her anger, Jiang Wanrou called another guard to handle the matter. She used a handkerchief to wipe Huaiyi's face and gave orders methodically, "Cuizhu, boil some hot water."

"Jintao, fetch some clean clothes for the young master."

"Shuqi and Shumo, you two watch over the medicine brewing."

"Doctor, tonight you will have to work hard..."

That night, the Lu residence blazed with light and activity well into the dead of night.

***

On the same night, Chang'an wasn't shirking his duties; he was at a small courtyard in the southern part of the city.

The once serene courtyard lay in utter chaos. The stone benches had been split by sharp blades, two phoenix trees had fallen, and the ground was covered with broken branches and leaves. Blood soaked the ground like cheap rouge.

"What on earth happened here?"

Armored guards surrounded the courtyard tightly. Jiang Wanxue pushed open the door, the torchlight illuminating her pale cheeks, fragile and pitiable.

"I have no enmity with anyone, why... why would someone come... to kill me?"

Chang'an, holding his sword, bowed slightly, "Your Highness, please go back inside."

The courtyard attack caught him off guard.

Lu Feng had planned to lure out a bigger target. The hidden guards were well concealed, hoping to draw out Prince Chen's old followers. They wouldn't intervene unless absolutely necessary.

When there was movement in the courtyard tonight, Chang'an rushed over quickly. Unexpectedly, those people started fighting without a word. After a brutal fight, they came out on top.

Unfortunately, all the assailants were dead, and the captives bit their tongues and took their own lives, leaving no clues.

The situation had completely exceeded Chang'an's expectations. His expression hardened as he thought of how to report to his master in the chilly wind.

At this moment, Jiang Wanxue pressed on and approached him, saying, "I want to see Lu Feng."

Since Lu Feng had instructed to accommodate Jiang Wanxue's requests as much as possible, Chang'an was still polite to her. He replied, "My lord is tied up at the moment. If Your Highness has any message, you can entrust it to me to relay."

She'd been cooped up day after day and didn't know about Lu Feng's departure from the capital. The courtyard had always been peaceful. Today, while she was having dinner, assassins in black materialized from every corner, shattering her mind.

After narrowly escaping death, she belatedly realized that Lu Feng had not lied to her back then.

He was capable of such cruelty!

She trembled slightly and said to Chang'an, "Mark my words, I demand to see Lu Feng."

Chang'an frowned impatiently and said stiffly, "Your Highness, my lord is truly busy."

"Too busy to spare me a moment, you cur!"

Jiang Wanxue suddenly erupted,

Her voice was sharp, "You lowly servant, when I first met your master, you were likely still in diapers!"

"Let me tell you, back then... I just mentioned I wanted some candy, and he ran from the north of the city to the south for me. That's how close we were! And now, it's your turn, a dog slave, to bully me!"

As Lu Feng's close attendant, Chang'an was usually addressed respectfully as "Lord Chang'an" by others. Jiang Wanxue's repeated insults of "dog slave" and "dog" were not something he could tolerate without anger.

He retorted unkindly, "Your Highness must be out of your mind. My lord has never done the things you mentioned."

What kind of person was Lu Feng? To run from the north to the south of the city for candy? Even the emperor wouldn't get that kind of treatment. At most, he would give an order, and the running around would be done by his subordinates.

Speaking of which, he had indeed run many errands for this "future lady" back in the day.

Chang'an told the truth, but Jiang Wanxue wouldn't hear it. She clamored to see "Lu Feng," and Chang'an, with a headache from her noise, angrily said, "What are you waiting for? Take Her Highness back to her room!"

Two maids, shaking like leaves, slipped out the side door. They were also terrified, both of the assassins and of the dark-faced Chang'an.

After much persuasion, they managed to get her back inside. Jiang Wanxue widened her eyes and shouted at the departing Chang'an, "Where is my earring?!"

"The earrings that your lord personally promised to help me find, they still haven't been found."

Chang'an rubbed his forehead, "What kind would you like? I’ll get you a new pair."

He couldn’t understand why women made such a big deal over a pair of old earrings. Lu Feng didn’t bother with these trivial matters, so it all fell on him, the personal aide.

Chang'an felt bitter inside.

"Accustomed to old things, it's hard to part with old sentiments."

Jiang Wanxue said, "I only want my original ones. Your lord personally promised to help me find them, you worthless servant, don't you dare deceive me!"

Chang'an stormed out and wrote a secret letter to Lu Feng overnight, informing him of the developments in the capital. The next day, he received news of the eldest son's convulsion the previous night.

At the same time, the lady of the house summoned him.