Chapter 106: I Won’t Be a Widow for You

Chapter 106: I Won’t Be a Widow for You

Since receiving Lord Lu Feng’s confirmation, Lady Jiang Wanrou, no matter how anxious she felt inside, maintained a calm exterior. Every day, she enjoyed flowers, read novels, and had the mansion’s opera troupe perform for her. Seeing the Princess Consort so at ease, the household staff grew even calmer, believing the Emperor was just temporarily angry and that Prince Qi would soon regain his favor as the most beloved son.

Who could have guessed this wait would stretch into three months, from the sweltering summer to crisp autumn? While Lord Lu remained leisurely at home with his beloved wife and children, the court was in turmoil. In just a few months, one incident after another erupted, stirring chaos everywhere.

First, the external threat: After Great Qi and the Turkic reached a peace agreement, a woman named Liu Yuenu ascended to the Khan’s throne. Initially, the Turkic royal court dismissed this woman of mixed heritage, but Liu Yuenu proved her name soft and her methods ruthless. Shortly after taking power, she executed Modu, rallied her loyalists, and used Ling Xiao’s 200,000-strong army to intimidate the court, thoroughly upending it. In less than half a year, she cleared all obstacles, transforming from a "puppet" into a true female Khan.

She appointed the wise and capable, leveraged the newly opened trade routes with Great Qi to encourage commerce, and revitalized the economy. Soon, the people would emerge from the shadow of war. Though the Turkic were now a vassal state of Great Qi, their prosperity should have been a shared honor for Great Qi. Yet this female Khan was defiant, acknowledging no one but Prince Qi.

Great Qi had established a protectorate on the grasslands, jointly governed by Qi and Turkic officials. But as Ling Xiao withdrew his troops, the Turkic grew bolder, rendering the Qi-appointed protector a mere figurehead. Every decree from the Qi court was met with Liu Yuenu’s single response: "Without Prince Qi’s seal, return it unsigned."

This message reached the capital and soon morphed into: "The Turkic know only Prince Qi, not the Son of Heaven." Instantly, Lord Lu Feng was thrust into the eye of the storm. While the other princes avoided the topic, several mid-ranking officials knelt in succession, insinuating that Prince Qi harbored "treacherous ambitions."

At the end of July, an elderly man in his fifties struck the grievance drum outside Meridian Gate, appealing directly to the Emperor. He claimed to be a former servant of Chief Grand Secretary Hu Liangyu, who had repeatedly denounced Lord Lu as a "sycophantic official" during his tenure as Commander of the Forbidden Dragon Bureau. Later, Hu Liangyu was framed for colluding with the enemy, and his entire family of over 300 was executed—only this old servant, who had been visiting his hometown, survived.

With tears streaming down his face, the old man recounted years of enduring humiliation to gather evidence, swearing to clear Hu Liangyu’s name. After a long silence, the Emperor bypassed the Forbidden Dragon Bureau and ordered the Ministry of Punishments and the Court of Judicial Review to investigate thoroughly. The die had been cast, and the ripples spread wide. Cases once handled by Prince Qi were reopened. What good would exoneration do? The dead could not return, but the living Prince Qi would be ruined.

The Emperor’s ambiguous stance puzzled many. But one case led to another, sprouting like bamboo shoots after rain. Even the long-silent Prince Gong resurfaced, submitting a memorial: "Your son has suffered unjust accusations and implores Your Majesty to investigate."

Only then did Prince Min, Prince Jing, and the Virtuous Prince hesitantly step forward to plead for Prince Gong, urging a thorough review of these cases.

Lord Lu Feng’s hands were far from clean—any one of these charges could mean execution. Yet the Emperor remained vague: "Let’s investigate first."

Old cases could take months, even years, to resolve. By the time they were settled, Prince Qi’s household might have welcomed new additions. Clearly, the Emperor still favored him! Coincidentally, spies sent by the princes to the borders returned with shocking news.

The tiger tally was never in Ling Xiao’s possession—it had been taken by Lord Lu Feng. By hiding the tally and deceiving the Emperor, he was plotting rebellion!

The incident occurred three days prior. That night, the Emperor dispatched the Imperial Guards to surround Prince Qi’s mansion, barring all entry or exit. Despite Lady Jiang Wanrou’s strict orders, the sight of armored guards outside sent the household into panic, fearing they would share Prince Gong’s fate.

As night fell, Lady Jiang Wanrou pushed her food around absently before reclining on the daybed in a daze.

Years of pampered living had made her discerning. She was accustomed to drinking bird's nest daily—crystal-clear, with fine, dense textures, yielding a rich, silky texture when cooked. Tonight’s serving was coarse, dull, watery, and even slightly sour. Such inferior quality would never have been served before.

***

Though the mansion was under siege, the storerooms were still well-stocked. Three days couldn’t have reduced them to such scraps. There was only one explanation: the maids no longer cared.

These were her own maids from Brocade Light Courtyard, brought from the Duke of Lu’s residence to Prince Qi’s mansion. She had once prided herself on her skill in managing servants, but now, faced with crisis, she realized their loyalty wasn’t to her as "Madam" or "Princess Consort."

Their loyalty was to power—the formidable authority of the Duke of Lu and Prince Qi.

As the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Lady Jiang Wanrou sighed. Lord Lu Feng had told her not to fear—it would all be over soon.

He said to trust him, that everything was under his control.

Lady Jiang Wanrou had assumed Lord Lu Feng’s "fight" meant seizing military control at the borders, using the tiger tally to collaborate with Ling Xiao and force the Emperor to abdicate. Or perhaps commanding the Imperial Guards to storm the capital in a bloody coup.

Success would crown him in yellow robes; failure would send the entire family to the grave.

After a long silence, Lord Lu Feng patted her head and said, "Read fewer novels."

Ling Xiao’s border army was thousands of miles from the capital—distant water won't put out a nearby fire. Moreover, beyond the Turkic, other small nations lurked at the borders. Ling Xiao was the stabilizing force of the north and couldn’t be moved. The Imperial Guards were the Emperor’s most trusted, much like the Forbidden Dragon Bureau of old, obeying only the Emperor’s orders. Controlling them? Only in dreams.

Lady Jiang Wanrou pressed further, "Then what is your plan, husband?"

Being confined like this—what kind of strategy was it?

Lu Feng smiled and said, "Please, step into the trap."

...

Jiang Wanrou seemed to understand but not entirely. For Lu Feng, explaining things to this extent was already pushing his limits, as he had previously only tasked her with managing the household and raising their children. He told her that once this matter was settled, he would explain everything to her, piece by piece.

When would it be settled? Jiang Wanrou's expression was blank. The turmoil in the mansion had subtly affected her, and she felt a growing unease inside.

No, she needed to press Lu Feng for answers.

As she lowered her head in thought, the door was suddenly flung open with force. Jiang Wanrou rushed forward, but before she could speak, Lu Feng grabbed her wrist and pulled her outside.

"You go first."

Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly steadied herself and hurriedly grabbed the pre-packed bundle. Lu Feng moved swiftly ahead, forcing Jiang Wanrou to jog to keep up. They wound their way past a small bridge, rockeries, and a stream until they reached an abandoned woodshed. There, Lu Feng moved aside a water vat and a pile of firewood, revealing a pitch-black tunnel.

He said curtly, "There’s a fire starter inside the tunnel. Keep walking and don’t be afraid. At the end, Chang'an will be waiting for you."

Jiang Wanrou hastily asked, "What about the children and the concubines—"

Lu Feng replied, "I’ll send them over shortly."

The craftsmen who had dug the tunnel had already been secretly executed by him. Only he and Chang'an knew of its existence. The situation had escalated so suddenly that he hadn’t even had time to think of his own children. Without a moment’s hesitation, he had come straight to her door.

Lu Feng’s breathing was ragged, strands of dark hair clinging to his high brow, a stark contrast to his usual composed demeanor. Dread settled in Jiang Wanrou’s chest as she asked, "Has something happened?"

Lu Feng gently caressed her cheek, dodging the question. "Only Chang'an and I know about that place. It’s safe. There’s water and dry rations. Endure it for a few days—don’t go outside."

"Best case, tomorrow. Worst case... three days. If I don’t come for you, Chang'an will escort you out of the city. Head north to Weicheng. Ling Xiao will take you to the Turkic lands. There, Liu Yuenu will be waiting."

The more he spoke, the tighter Jiang Wanrou’s chest grew. She clutched his sleeve, urgency in her voice. "Didn’t you say... everything was fine? Why are you suddenly saying all this—"

Lu Feng gave a faint smile, pulling her into his arms and burying his face in the crook of her pale neck.

"Don’t be afraid."

He murmured, "Man plans, Heaven decides. I’m not a god—just preparing for the worst."

Truthfully, it wasn’t an exceptionally clever strategy. The current situation depended entirely on human nature.

Lu Feng had calculated the emperor’s temperament, anticipated his brothers’ intolerance toward him, and fueled the fire behind the scenes with the help of Liu Yuenu and Ling Xiao’s coordination, as well as Pei Zhang’s maneuvering. But... something had still gone awry.

He hadn’t even deployed his biggest bait yet, but they had already grown impatient. Today’s events had unfolded days ahead of schedule. Though Lu Feng could handle it, it had made him realize one thing—he was human, flesh and blood, unable to foresee everything.

Only by sending her away could he relax.

Jiang Wanrou exhaled softly. Time was pressing, and Lu Feng couldn’t explain everything now. She vaguely grasped that something had gone awry, but it wasn’t disastrous.

Closing her eyes, she hugged him tightly for a brief moment before pulling away. Swiftly, she untied the bundle and retrieved a string of prayer beads, slipping them onto Lu Feng’s wrist. "Blessed by a revered monk. Wear them—may the Buddha grant you safety and smooth sailing."

Without hesitation, she also pressed the token into his hand. "Take this back. It might be useful."

Jiang Wanrou believed in the gods. To her, these two items were more precious than gold or silver notes. The prayer beads were for him. As for the token, she had planned to keep it hidden—her insurance for the future, perhaps to pass on to Huai Yi one day.

The crude bird’s nest soup at dinner had made her realize one thing: everything depended on Lu Feng’s victory.

Only if Lu Feng secured that position would she have the right to claim a share of his power. If he failed, what use would this token be? Who would follow a traitor’s wife’s orders?

Lu Feng glanced at them, his gaze flickered briefly. Before he could speak, Jiang Wanrou rose on her toes and pressed a light kiss to the corner of his lips, murmuring, "Lu Feng, a woman—especially with three children—has a hard life."

"I won't live as your widow."

With those words, Jiang Wanrou didn’t dare to look at Lu Feng's expression. She swiftly lifted her skirts and descended the secret passage's steps without looking back, leaving Lu Feng standing alone outside, his temples pulsing with anger.

Lu Feng took a deep breath and rushed out the door. Moments later, Lu Huaiyi arrived carrying his older brother, while Aunt Li held the younger sister, all three panting heavily as they reached the entrance of the secret passage.

Lu Feng had no patience left now. After giving brief instructions, he completely hid the passage entrance. He twisted a mechanism on the wall, sealing the passage entirely. Even if someone discovered it, they wouldn’t be able to open it anytime soon.

This secret, ingenious, and sturdy passage was one of the few acts of conscience Lu Feng had left—all devoted to his wife and children.

Outside, faint, chaotic footsteps could be heard, mingled with panicked shouts: "The house is being raided! The Emperor has sent men to raid the house!"

"Run!"

...

By now, Lu Feng wasn't panicked anymore. He let out a cold laugh and strode forward calmly amid the flickering shadows. The sandalwood prayer beads clinked against his wrist, their clinking deep and resonant.