Chapter 11

Chapter 11

After the imperial decree was issued, the Du residence—whether the front courtyard, the main courtyard, or the western side courtyard—remained as silent as a pitch-black night.

The wind carried the chill of late autumn, sweeping in through the door, stirring the heavy scent of ink that lingered in the room and rustling the old court bulletins by Du Lingjing’s side, collected by her father in years past.

The densely packed small characters made her eyes sting. Now interrupted by the wind, Du Lingjing closed her eyes briefly.

The marriage decree had hit like a thunderbolt.

Not only had she never expected it, but the entire capital had been taken by surprise.

This marriage seemed to have come without warning. No one could have imagined that the Du family, originally set to ally with the Shao family, would suddenly become the Marquis of Yongding’s in-laws.

Yet within this "unexpectedness," there seemed to be some inexplicable subtle signs.

Back then, at the Pillow Moon Pavilion, the patrons had all been astonished to see Marquis Lu and Shao Boju appear together. No one knew whom he had come to meet, but she had had an unexpected encounter with the marquis in a secluded stairwell.

The hand that had rested on her waist and the inexplicably intimate words…

Du Lingjing was certain she had never met Marquis Lu before—but could it be that the marquis actually knew her?

At this thought, her heart skipped a beat.

If so, then this strange imperial marriage might have an explanation.

Shao Boju had intended to marry her, and even before the engagement was finalized, rumors had spread throughout the city. Lu Shenru must have known. He wanted to challenge the Shao family and, in doing so, seize the opportunity to use her and the Du family’s reputation to win over court officials for Prince Hui.

The old court bulletins beside her yellowed with age, concealing countless storms of bloodshed within their dense, cramped characters.

Since the founding of the dynasty, civil officials and military generals had been at odds, fueling endless conflicts. Civil officials believed the generals held too much military power, threatening the imperial court’s authority, while the generals accused the civil officials of stirring trouble and persecuting loyal, capable officers.

The conflict between the two factions had not only persisted through generations but had also led to endless strife.

When she was eleven, her father was not yet a Grand Secretary. The previous emperor was still on the throne, but the Lu family of the Marquis of Yongding had nearly met annihilation due to the standoff between civil and military officials.

At that time, the Yongding Army, led by the Lu family of the Marquis of Yongding, had been fighting thirty thousand Tatar troops in Ningxia when they suddenly found themselves in peril, with over half the army trapped deep in Tatar territory. The Lu family urgently requested reinforcements from the court, but the court instead received peace overtures from the Tatars.

Nearly all the civil officials advocated for peace talks, arguing that while it might cost them troops in the short term, it would ensure decades of stability. The military officials, however, fiercely opposed the idea. The Yongding Army, led by the Lu family, was stranded, fighting for their lives—abandoning them to negotiate with the Tatars would not only mean certain death but also leave the northern borders defenseless against future Tatar incursions.

The civil and military factions immediately clashed over whether to fight or negotiate, leaving the late emperor torn and indecisive.

Du Lingjing remembered her father submitting memorial after memorial urging the emperor to make a swift decision. Though a civil official himself, her father sided with the military nobles, advocating for sending reinforcements to rescue the Yongding Army first and discussing peace later.

The stalemate lasted over a month before the previous emperor, resisting the pressure for peace, finally dispatched reinforcements to aid them.

Yet before the reinforcements arrived, the Yongding Army had already carved a bloody path back.

But the toll had been too great, and the reinforcements had come too late. The Lu family of the Marquis of Yongding had been nearly wiped out—aside from the old marquis, the commander, almost all the young and able-bodied officers had perished. Lu Shenru’s father, the Marquis of Yongding's heir, had been struck by twenty-six arrows and was buried in the bloodstained desert.

Though the old marquis survived, his severe injuries left him unable to return to the battlefield. He could only support his eldest grandson, Lu Shenru, who at thirteen shouldered the immense responsibility of leading the Yongding Army. But before Lu Shenru even reached adulthood, the old marquis succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

Fortunately, this young marquis proved worthy of his hereditary privilege, shouldering not just the Marquis of Yongding’s household but also the Yongding Army of the northwest and the entire northern frontier defending the dynasty against the Tatars.

Yet after such bloodshed, the Lu family of the Marquis of Yongding could never again share cordial drinks with the civil officials—especially those who had once pushed so hard for peace.

With the two factions mired in such conflict, how could the emperor not worry?

Du Lingjing thought that rather than suspecting Marquis Lu had known her all along or had other designs, it was more plausible that this bizarre situation stemmed from the palace’s desire to reconcile the civil and military factions.

If so, then her only way out lay in persuading the marquis himself. If he, too, was unwilling, they might find a way to decline the marriage together.

But first, she needed to confirm that he truly did not know her—that the decree had not been his doing.

Her eyes ached even more. Unable to bear it, she stood and pushed open the window to look outside.

The moment the window opened, an autumn wind carried in a leaf, as if descending from the heavens, coming to rest on her sleeve.

A bamboo leaf.

Despite the strong wind outside, this single leaf had fluttered so gently into her hand.

"Quan Quan, if you ever think of me, I’ll be waiting for you in the bamboo grove."

Tears sprang to her eyes, falling onto the leaf.

She picked it up and closed her hand around it, then stepped outside. In a corner of the backyard stood a stand of emerald bamboo transplanted from their ancestral home in Qingzhou.

But just then, Qiu Lin came rushing over.

“Miss, are you heading to the front courtyard?”

“The front courtyard?”

Du Lingjing had intended to go to the backyard, but Qiu Lin said,

“The marquis—the marquis has come to deliver the betrothal gifts. He’s in the front courtyard now.”

Du Lingjing’s steps hesitated.

*

Front Courtyard of the Du Residence

Du Zhiqi gazed in bewilderment at the courtyard packed with betrothal gifts.

Ever since the imperial decree had been issued, he had been filled with dread.

How could Marquis Lu not know that the Du family had originally intended to ally with the Shao family? Yet now the decree had joined the Lu and Du families instead.

But as he observed the marquis now—dressed in a sandalwood-red brocade gown embroidered with lotus patterns, wearing a coral-inlaid jade crown, sitting calmly on an armchair sipping tea—the man betrayed no displeasure.

Unable to read his intentions, Du Zhiqi cautiously and awkwardly asked tentatively, “Why has the Marquis come in person?”

The man lifted his gaze to him. “Naturally, it was only proper.”

The words were neither light nor heavy, leaving Du Zhiqi even more uncertain.

Unexpectedly, the marquis then asked,

“How has the young lady been lately?”

Du Zhiqi froze. The marquis couldn’t possibly be asking about his own daughter—it had to be that headstrong niece of his.

“She… is well.”

Even as he said this, Du Zhiqi’s mind was in turmoil.

Not only had the Du family originally planned to marry into the Shao family, but that niece of his had also once been engaged to the Jiang family and had mourned Jiang Zhuxiu for years.

Could the marquis truly not know?

His mouth went bitter when a servant suddenly announced from outside, "Master, the eldest daughter has arrived."

Du Zhiqi was startled and instinctively snapped, "The Marquis is speaking with me here. What is she doing? Tell her to go back at once—"

Before he could finish, he suddenly felt an icy stare fall upon his face from the side.

Du Zhiqi went still for a moment, then heard the man say,

"It's bitterly cold out. Lord Du should invite the young lady in for tea."

As soon as the words were spoken, the Du family servant hurried out, frightened. Then, the door curtain was lifted, and someone approached slowly.

Lu Shenru found himself looking over.

She wore a jade-green dress, with mint-green ribbons tied in her hair. Standing in the wind at the doorway, her skirts billowed as if she had just emerged from the depths of the clouds.

As he watched, she chose that moment to look up, her lashes fluttering lightly.

She stepped forward and curtsied to him. "Marquis."

The man immediately caught her hand. Her fingers were cold, resting in his warm grasp like a piece of jade newly drawn from deep waters.

But before he could warm the jade even slightly, she abruptly snatched back her hand and took half a step back, putting space between them.

Only then did he notice a thin red string tied around her wrist, threaded with what seemed to be a recently fallen bamboo leaf.

A bamboo leaf...

The man went quiet.

Looking at her again, he saw that in just a few days, her clothes hung loosely on her.

Her already pale lips were now faint, shadows bruised beneath her eyes, and her eyes were still as iced-over water.

His chest tightened.

Was it because of the imperial decree forcing her to marry him? Had it distressed her so deeply?

A strange pang spread through his chest.

Years ago, she had appeared before him just like this, and he had been unable to harden his heart against her, forced to let her go.

But now, the man suppressed a sigh, playing oblivious, and instead quirked a small smile.

"No need for formalities."

Du Lingjing shot him a sidelong look.

Strangely, she felt there was an inexplicable "intimacy" in the way he spoke to her.

Had he truly known her before?

Yet before her thoughts could settle, she heard the man say with slight surprise,

"So it was you I encountered at the Pillow Moon Tower that day. I hadn’t expected our first meeting to be under such circumstances. I beg your pardon for my forwardness."

First meeting?

Du Lingjing paused, lowering her gaze.

He didn’t recognize her?