Chapter 32

Chapter 32

As the sun set in the west, the shadows of the mountain forests, branches, and cottages merged into one, as night fell.

Du Lingjing couldn't ride a horse, let alone gallop through the darkness.

She shook her head and replied to him,

"I've only ridden a small donkey once. I'm afraid I can't manage a horse."

This drew a quiet laugh from the man, who said it was all the easier.

"You just need to sit still."

As he spoke, a guard led forward a tall, sleek black steed from the Western Regions.

The horse was so tall that Du Lingjing had to tilt her head up to look at it.

She looked the horse over—its coat was pure black without a single blemish, its hide gleaming, its form strong and majestic.

It was his mount, Dark Amber, a prized blood-sweating steed gifted to him by the late emperor as tribute from foreign lands.

But the horse was so tall that Du Lingjing couldn’t even climb on, much less ride it.

Frowning in worry, she looked up at the horse’s face. Despite its imposing stature, the noble steed blew a friendly puff of air.

The man beside her chuckled again, and in the next moment, she was suddenly lifted into his arms. Though she was not short for a woman, in his arms, she felt as light and slender as a willow branch. Before she could steady herself, she found herself seated atop Dark Amber.

Smoothly, the man swung himself onto the horse behind her, took the reins, and pulled her close.

Lu Shenru noticed she had never ridden before, her hands fluttering uncertainly. So he released one hand from the reins, wrapped it around her waist, and guided her hands to grip his forearm.

But her clothes and sleeves were damp. Glancing down at her reddened eyes, he unfastened his cloak and wrapped it around her.

Then, with a gentle nudge of his heels, Dark Amber started moving.

Du Lingjing had never ridden such a tall horse before. As they galloped out of the woods and onto the open mountainside, she could see the winding forest paths unfolding below her. The twilight was deepening, and the lights of the foothills were twinkling awake one by one.

She couldn’t help but gaze around slowly from horseback.

The steed ran faster. Though the towering Western horse galloped swiftly through the night, making the ride bumpy, she remained steady in the saddle—held securely in the arms of the man behind her.

Just then, he asked, "Afraid?"

Du Lingjing shook her head. "Not... really. It’s just so fast—like riding the wind."

It was a new experience, one she had never encountered in the confines of the library.

But then the man behind her said, "It can go even faster."

The moment he spoke, the horse suddenly leaped forward, jumping a small stream in a single bound. As its hooves touched down, they were flying.

The wind whipped the cloak around her, howling in her ears. For a few terrifying moments, she thought she might be flung from the horse along with the billowing fabric.

But she wasn’t. His arms tightened around her, strong and steady, keeping her perfectly steady.

Yet as they raced on, Du Lingjing lost track of where they were.

The night grew darker, and she looked around into the distance, searching for landmarks.

The man behind her asked, "What are you looking for, Quan Quan?"

She had to say, "I can’t see the Return-to-Forest Tower anymore. Are we getting farther away?"

The moment she spoke, he laughed again.

"Not at all. We’re getting closer."

Closer?

Then, ahead, she glimpsed the faint outline of towering city walls.

With a smile, he said, "Home."

In mere moments, the horse had galloped to the Fucheng Gate of the capital.

It was just the hour when the city gates were about to close, and the drawbridge over the moat was slowly rising.

But the moment the man’s horse reached the gate, the guards recognized him at once and shouted.

The half-raised drawbridge was hastily lowered again.

The officer in charge came running out. "Marquis, please."

The man nodded with a smile and addressed the soldiers,

"Thank you for your trouble. Lu appreciates it."

The men quickly assured him it was no trouble at all. He rode through Fucheng Gate and back into the city.

From Fucheng Gate Street, they went past the White Pagoda Temple, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the Guangji Temple before arriving at Jiqing Lane.

When Du Lingjing had left the mountain temple earlier, she never imagined she would end up standing before the gates of the Marquis of Yongding’s residence that very evening.

No wonder he had been laughing the whole way...

Somehow, the wind of their nighttime ride had scattered her daytime worries. Her clothes had long since dried, and she stood in a daze at the entrance for a few breaths.

Then, her stomach rumbled loudly.

"..."

It was loud enough that even the gatekeeper glanced at her before hastily looking away to avoid embarrassing her.

Du Lingjing was embarrassed.

But the man took her hand and said, "I’m hungry too. Let’s eat in the outer courtyard. You can try the dishes from the cooks there—half of them were specially brought in from the northwest."

He explained that the northwestern cuisine was strongly flavored.

"I hope it suits your taste."

Du Lingjing had tried northwestern dishes before. "I once visited Xi’an Prefecture. Though only once, I liked the food."

The man looked at her.

That had been during the third year of the Yin You Dynasty, when she had accidentally stumbled into his territory.

"Is that so?" he said, telling the kitchen to make the meal before pouring her some hot tea himself. "Did you enjoy Xi’an?"

Seeing her nod, he remarked, "It’s really different from Qingzhou and the capital."

As she spoke, she picked up her teacup and took a sip, seemingly recalling something. Rarely one to elaborate, she added another sentence.

Lu Shenru heard her murmur softly, "Everything in Xi'an felt so new to me back then. I was gawking at everything and even got... laughed at by passersby."

At her words, the man couldn't help but chuckle.

Unaware of what amused him, she insisted, "It's true." She strained to remember, "The passerby seemed to be a young gentleman... Totally humiliating."

The man poured himself a cup of tea as well.

So she remembered the passerby in Xi'an—a young gentleman.

If she knew that the young gentleman from back then was now her husband, he wondered how she would react.

The thought crossed his mind, but Lu Shenru merely smiled without further comment.

Soon, the chefs from the outer courtyard brought out their signature dishes.

Sure enough, the table was laden with dishes from the Northwest, though it also included some familiar Beijing and Shandong dishes she was accustomed to.

Somehow, she ended up eating quite a lot—so much so that Du Lingjing actually felt full.

Meanwhile, he seemed delighted to keep piling more food on her plate, urging her to eat more.

Only when Du Lingjing truly couldn’t eat another bite did he call for someone to prepare hot water for her, suggesting she soak in the tub.

Du Lingjing had indeed been considering the same, so when he mentioned it, she couldn’t help but ask,

"Are you... bathing too?"

As soon as she said it, she realized their unintended implication.

He caught it too, his gaze lingering on her.

Du Lingjing’s ears burned. She opened her mouth to explain, but the man spoke first.

He replied in a low, amused voice.

"Tomorrow, perhaps?"

......

When Du Lingjing woke up the next day, he had already left for court and got held up by something, not returning even by noon.

However, in the front courtyard’s reception hall, Du Lingjing ran into her uncle, Du Zhiqi.

Du Zhiqi was there for two things. The first concerned the Du family’s residence in Chengqing Lane—he had moved out in recent days, vacating the property and delivering the deed to Du Lingjing.

Too wrapped up in the disappearances of their people, Du Lingjing had heard nothing of this until Du Zhiqi said, "The Marquis intends to expand the estate by acquiring the neighboring property to the east. It seems he really cares about you."

So it was his idea... Du Lingjing didn’t know why he had considered this, but when she had relinquished the old house in Chengqing Lane, she'd been reluctant—it was, after all, where she had lived with her father for many years.

But he'd gotten it back for her.

From her grandfather’s one-section compound to her father’s two-section, and now with him, it had grown to three.

Du Lingjing froze for a moment. A house like this wasn't just any property, not in the capital—this was a fortune...

Since her uncle was determined to give it to her, she accepted it. Apparently, the Marquis's fearsome reputation had cowed her uncle.

Du Lingjing didn't know what to say, so she quietly accepted the deed, only for her uncle to bring up another matter.

“About my official position, the Marquis said it’s up to us, uncle and niece, to decide. Of course, I can’t just laze around at home forever.”

An official position? Du Lingjing hadn’t heard the Marquis mention this.

But with the Marquis's power, her uncle wouldn’t dare lie about it. She asked,

“What position does Uncle want?”

Du Zhiqi was only a *tong jinshi*, inferior to a proper *jinshi*, and his qualifications were mediocre. Previously, in backwater districts, he'd never even made it to magistrate.

Originally, Du Zhiqi had come to the capital to pull some strings—whether through his mother-in-law, Madam Wan, or old friends—to secure a promotion. Then out of nowhere, Shao Boju approached him, promising a capital post, fifth-rank or even fourth-rank, as long as he married his niece into the Shao family.

But things took unexpected turns and ultimately fell through.

Later, after clashing with his niece and her subsequent marriage into the Marquis of Yongding’s household to Lu Shenru, he was scared stiff. He only wanted to return to where he came from, believing a swift departure from the capital was the smartest move.

Yet a few days prior, when the Marquis paid him a visit, others assumed this uncle held some standing in the Marquis’s eyes, and suddenly, his place was swarming with visitors. People buttered him up, asking what official post he desired. If he wanted to stay in the capital, wasn’t it just a word from the Marquis?

His ambitions started running wild. Fortunately, the Marquis hadn’t outright rejected the idea, only instructing him to discuss it with Jing.

Now, looking at his niece, he composed himself.

“Even if the family is divided, I am still your uncle. You’ve married into a noble household. A powerful family behind you helps—the Marquis will value you more for it.”

Having said this, he spelled out the plan he’d prepared at home.

“Previously, the Shao family promised me the position of a secretary in the Ministry of Rites. Later, they said given my qualifications, I could also serve as a secretary in the Court of Judicial Review.”

Both were fifth-rank capital posts. At the time, he’d been thrilled at the chance of either.

But the Shao family’s influence was nothing compared to Marquis Lu’s. If he leveraged the Marquis’s connections, why settle for another fifth-rank post?

He came right out with it, “I’ve heard there’s a vacancy for a transmission commissioner in the Office of Transmission, and the vice minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices is about to retire. Why not aim for one of these?”

Both were prestigious fourth-rank positions, with the crimson robes to match.

Du Lingjing stared at her uncle’s self-satisfied expression, and was at a loss for words.

No wonder, when her father was alive, though he regretted not being able to promote his brother, he had still let him drift in obscurity, choosing instead to support former members of the Fu Party.

What people feared most wasn’t stupidity—but being utterly unaware of their own stupidity while believing they only lacked the right patron’s support!

Du Lingjing had no idea what the Marquis had actually said to him.

But in this capital, in this court, how many clever men were there? Shao Boju was shrewd enough to rise from suppression within his clan through the imperial exams, yet one misstep had trapped him in an inescapable predicament. And the Marquis, wielding such power at his age, was anything but foolish.

Yet her uncle still dreamed of securing a fourth-rank post in the capital.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

Du Lingjing simply said, “Uncle, go back for now. I’ll consider it.”

Seeing her smile, Du Zhiqi took it as a done deal and nodded in satisfaction, preparing to leave. But before he did, he admonished his niece:

“The Marquis values your background and favors you. You should know your place—don’t let it go to your head.”

That’s a fair point.

Once he was gone, Du Lingjing went to the Du estate in Chengqing Lane.

Du Zhiqi’s things had all been moved out, but fortunately, her and her father’s old belongings had been left behind.

Du Lingjing looked at her old west wing. Uncle Wen had gathered the old servants of the household to restore it exactly as it was before. However, aside from that, many new additions had been made.

When Du Lingjing inquired, she heard a servant say, "It was the son-in-law’s doing."

Who? Du Lingjing was surprised. Then she saw an old cook from the kitchen also coming to help tidy up. "The son-in-law said empty houses fall apart faster, so he ordered people from the marquis’ household to purchase wagonloads of things to fill up the residence."

Du Lingjing asked a few more questions and learned that this was all Lu Shenru’s idea. But among the dozen or so servants left behind by her uncle in the whole Du household, all of them referred to him as "the son-in-law."

Uncle Wen, noticing her confusion, stepped forward with a smile to explain.

"It was the marquis’ idea. He told everyone to change their address to 'son-in-law.'"

Du Lingjing froze for a moment, then found it equal parts funny and frustrating. "Calling him 'Marquis' sounds dignified, but 'son-in-law'—what kind of address is that?"

He probably just said it lightly in passing in a good mood, yet the entire Du household took it seriously?

She couldn’t help but recall her uncle’s words: "The marquis values your background and favors you. You should mind your standing and not let favor go to your head."

Out of ten sentences her uncle spoke, nine were unbearable to listen to, but perhaps one held some truth.

She said, "Change it back. Let’s not be ridiculous."

At her word, everyone naturally reverted to the previous address. But not even half an hour later, when Lu Shenru heard his wife was there and came from outside, he found that everyone in the Du residence—including Uncle Wen—had switched back to calling him "Marquis."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why is this?"

Uncle Wen carefully explained that it was their lady’s doing. Just then, Du Lingjing came by.

She caught sight of him and hurried forward to greet him, but he caught her arm before she could curtsy.

Noticing his intense stare, she continued where Uncle Wen had left off.

"The servants were out of line by changing their address so casually. It might undermine the marquis’ standing."

As soon as she finished speaking, the entire residence inexplicably fell silent.

The man’s brow furrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on her face.

"Why would I need dignity around you?"

Once again, Du Lingjing found herself speechless.

It seemed that several times now, his sudden questions had left her unable to respond.

Uncle Wen and the others backed away, leaving only the two of them by the roadside wall.

He waited for her reply.

Du Lingjing hesitated.

"‘Marquis’ sounds... more proper than ‘son-in-law,’ no?"

The man laughed, giving her a wry look.

"I don’t think so. I think ‘son-in-law’ sounds better. Unless—" He glanced at her. "Unless my wife doesn’t see me as her husband."

Husband...

Du Lingjing said nothing. Lu Shenru simply waved Uncle Wen and the others over. As he spoke to them, he kept glancing her way from the corner of his eye.

"I am the Du family’s son-in-law. Naturally, the Du family should call me ‘son-in-law.’"

His eyes lingered on her. "Even if all of the capital called me ‘son-in-law,’ I’d be happy with it."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the crowd snickered, and the man’s eyes crinkled with amusement.

No one could imagine—if, as he said, the entire capital, from teashop keepers to guards, court officials, even the palace consorts, were to call him "son-in-law" upon meeting him, and he answered brightly—

As if he couldn’t wait to remind everyone that the marquis was the lady’s husband—what kind of scene would that be?

The laughter became even more irrepressible, and some bold ones even greeted him directly, "Greetings, Son-in-law!"

To which he replied with a smile, "There’ll be generous rewards."

Soon, more and more people came forward to greet "the son-in-law."

Du Lingjing: "..."

Her thoughts were a jumble.

What in the world was he playing at? Even Du Lingjing couldn’t help but laugh.

But the man bent close and murmured in her ear, "Then what about Quan Quan? What should she call me?"

Should she try changing her address too? Call him... husband?

But Du Lingjing’s eyes went wide.

"Do I also call you ‘son-in-law’?"

The moment she said it, the crowd broke into loud laughter.

The man sighed and shut his eyes.

Fine. He could wait a little longer.

...

That evening, at the Marquis of Yongding’s residence.

Du Lingjing was straightening the books on the table in her room when the housekeeper entered carrying a small box.

She instructed the maidservant to clear out the remnants of incense from the burner and light a new, milder incense.

The new incense was subtle, carrying only a faint hint of jasmine sweetness.

Noticing the lady’s glance, the housekeeper explained, "It was the marquis’ idea. He said the previous incense was too strong and the lady didn’t like it, so this time we switched to a lighter one."

Du Lingjing blinked in surprise.

She hadn’t cared much for the previous incense, but she wouldn’t have mentioned it. Had she wrinkled her nose a few times? Had he noticed even that?

He always seemed to read her mind, yet she could never decipher his.

Du Lingjing didn’t know how he noticed such minute details, but she gazed at the new incense.

So, was the incense lit for her?

The matron, seeing her dazed, thought she was pondering something else and chuckled softly.

“Rest assured, madam. Though the new incense is lighter in scent, its effect remains the same.”

Before she'd even finished speaking, the jasmine scent had barely begun to rise through the air, yet Du Lingjing already felt a growing heat.

...

Deep into the night, the inner chamber was with sheer curtains puddled on the floor.

Du Lingjing was drenched in sweat, her body soaked like a drenched veil. Her dark hair clung damply to her cheeks, clinging even more to her flushed, heated cheeks.

His arms were far stronger than when he had ridden through the night that day—her slender wrists were not even half as thick as his, and her aching waist completely encircled by his hand. She shook her head repeatedly, wanting to tell him she couldn’t go on, but with a gentle yet firm thrust to the deepest point, he filled her completely. The sensation made her trembling, sweat-slicked body shudder uncontrollably, a fine sweat breaking out all over.

As if finally certain of the spot, he stroked a few more times, and she completely lost all strength, completely at his command...

After what felt like forever, when the entire bed seemed damp with their shared heat, he finally groaned and withdrew.

He brushed aside the damp strands clinging to her face, carrying her to the washroom.

Exhausted, she shut her eyes tightly, only to hear him murmur,

“You’re far too slender. You must eat properly. No more skipping meals here and there.”

His tone was firm, and Du Lingjing found herself chastised.

“Understood.”

Her voice was slightly hoarse as she softly replied, with a note of pouting obedience.

Lu Shenru’s gaze flickered, his lips curling into a tender smile.

Yet his eyes couldn’t help but linger on her body, and his steps faltered for a moment, nearly turning back. But remembering it was only her first—or second—time, he forced himself to carry her to the washroom.

*

At noon, he made a point of coming home to have lunch with her.

Du Lingjing looked at the table laden with dishes, not feeling particularly hungry. But recalling his words from the previous night, she forced herself to eat.

He ate little himself, instead continuously loading her plate.

He said, “We should receive news from Chong Ping today. However, if the person’s condition is poor, they may not be able to bring them back. At minimum, it’ll take three to five days.”

Du Lingjing nodded in agreement.

Yet they'd barely finished their meal than Chong An suddenly arrived.

He approached with a bow, reporting that Chong Ping had indeed sent word.

But the message was this—Chong Ping hadn’t found a single person there!

Chong Ping had searched the entire vicinity but found no trace. He could only dispatch a messenger back to ask Liulang if the location was mistaken.

As Chong An finished speaking, Jiang Fengchuan came striding in after him.

Jiang Fengchuan stayed quiet for a moment, while Du Lingjing, startled, had to ask about Liulang’s situation.

Jiang Fengchuan shook his head.

“The location is correct. They hid near the secret passage beneath the ruined temple in those woods for a long time. It’s a well-hidden place.”

He said he hadn’t found it at first either—only getting the sense someone was close—but then Shao Wuxing’s men had noticed and pursued him. He barely escaped, had been injured and was rescued by Hu Tingjun’s husband.

He insisted the location was accurate. “Perhaps your man Chong Ping searched the wrong place.”

But Chong An disagreed. “My brother is careful and thorough. He searched for days and even found a knotted cord there.”

It was brought by Chong Ping’s men. Du Lingjing examined it as Lu Shenru asked, “Do you recognize it?”

She couldn’t say for certain, but replied, “It does resemble the kind of knot Tingjun likes to tie…”

At this, Chong An immediately gave Jiang Fengchuan a sharp look. “So my brother didn’t search the wrong place after all?”

For some reason, he had taken a dislike to this Jiang Sixth Master. There was something off about him—how he looked at the marquis and his wife was strange.

Chong An couldn’t help muttering, “Unless it’s not just that place… unless there’s another location he hasn’t mentioned…”

The moment he said this, Jiang Fengchuan burst out laughing.

“Suspect me?” His handsome eyes dripped with sarcasm. “You accuse me of hiding the truth, but I could just as easily suspect that the person has already been found—only, for some ulterior motive, they’ve been concealed, and now someone is lying right to us, claiming they weren’t found.”

As he spoke, his gaze swept pointedly toward Lu Shenru.

Lu Shenru's face betrayed nothing.

Du Lingjing froze for a moment before quickly cut Jiang Fengchuan off.

“Liulang, mind your words!”