Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The Marquis of Yongding’s mountain villa was situated in Shunyi County, a fair distance from the county seat.

Yet, the first visitor that morning was none other than the Shunyi County Magistrate.

Normally, noble guests from the capital staying at their suburban villa would be a minor affair. However, a local scholar insulting these dignitaries was a matter of considerable gravity.

Upon learning that an elderly scholar from his county had hurled wild insults at the Marquis of Yongding’s household—especially at the Marchioness—the magistrate was so alarmed he couldn’t sleep all night. At dawn, he rushed to the villa’s entrance to beg for forgiveness.

The Marquis’s household had not severely punished the drunken old scholar, but since all the scholars in the county were considered the magistrate’s protégés, he trembled with fear as he personally stepped forward to knock on the door.

Lu Shenru had not expected the first visitor to be the Shunyi Magistrate.

It was only then that Chong Ping found the opportunity to report the previous day’s incident at the town market to the Marquis.

The man paused, slightly taken aback. "You dealt with the old scholar?"

Chong Ping replied, "No, we merely taught him a lesson and sent him far away."

The man visibly relaxed, then asked, "What did my lady say?"

She, too, was a scholar.

Remarks such as "powerful officials amassing military might and disrupting the court" were likely quite sensitive to her.

Chong Ping recounted the scene in detail.

"...My lady only asked if such incidents were common, and then said nothing more."

Had this been the sole incident, Marquis Lu might have pondered it further. But last night, she had mistaken Chong'an for him, running over with disheveled hair and a pale face...

The Marquis was in a relatively good mood. After giving the magistrate a few pointed admonishments, he dismissed him.

Wei Cong arrived from the back and watched the magistrate depart the villa in trepidation.

"If only the magistrate had come today, things would have taken a strange turn."

Lu Shenru let out a dry chuckle.

"Indeed... Let’s wait and see."

The four of them shared breakfast and were just engaging in pleasant conversation when, as expected, another visitor arrived.

Chong Ping came to report.

"It’s from the Prince of Yan’s residence."

The Prince of Yan, an imperial uncle and Minister of the Imperial Clan, and his consort were hosting a flower banquet at their suburban villa. The prince’s chief secretary had personally come to deliver invitations to Marquis Lu and his wife, as well as Princess Nianjia and Crown Prince Wei.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment. Lu Shenru tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Du Lingjing glanced at him, then noticed Wei Cong also seemed deep in thought.

Neither spoke. In the end, it was Nianjia who asked, "Aren’t we going to invite the prince’s chief secretary inside?"

At her question, Wei Cong nodded.

"Of course, we must."

He then looked at Lu Shenru, who signaled Chong Ping to personally escort the chief secretary in.

The prince’s chief secretary, seeing all four present, stepped forward to bow and stated his purpose, presenting the invitations. He explained that this year’s flower banquet would be held at the prince’s suburban villa outside the capital in ten days’ time and cordially invited their attendance.

He said little else, but being somewhat familiar with Princess Nianjia, he relayed a few additional greetings from the Prince and his consort before taking his leave.

Lu Shenru and Wei Cong left their wives to continue drinking tea in the rear courtyard while they went to the western compound where the three detainees were being held.

Up to this point, the villa remained calm, with no signs of disturbance.

Lu Shenru went out to issue a few orders. Just as he returned to the hall, the gatekeeper reported yet another arrival.

"Who is it?" Wei Cong asked.

The gatekeeper stepped forward. "Your Highness, it is Imperial Physician Li, here to re-examine your injuries. Accompanying him is someone sent by Dowager Consort Jiang."

Imperial Physician Li? Dowager Consort Jiang?

Crown Prince Wei’s injuries could not be hidden from Imperial Physician Li, and Dowager Consort Jiang was Nianjia’s grandmother.

Wei Cong exchanged a glance with Lu Shenru before instructing someone to fetch Princess Nianjia and escort her to their lodging. Wei Cong then rose to leave as well.

Imperial Physician Li, as before, examined the Crown Prince’s wounds and pronounced his steady improvement.

He then smiled at Nianjia and said, "I have already relayed Your Grace’s words to the Consort."

At this, Nanny Pu laughed.

Dowager Consort Jiang had sent Nanny Pu with a variety of nourishing delicacies she had personally prepared. Nanny Pu explained,

"Her Grace already knows how diligently the Princess has been caring for His Highness. Fearing the Princess might be exhausted, she instructed this old servant to bring these dishes."

Nanny Pu had brought quite a lot, adding,

"These are not just for the Princess and His Highness, but also for the Marquis and his wife."

No wonder some of the dishes had a Qingzhou-style flavor—they were meant for Lady Jing.

"Looks like Her Grace doesn’t just favor me alone!"

She pursed her lips and arched a brow. Wei Cong smiled at her, and Nanny Pu chuckled heartily before suddenly remembering something and summoning an attendant forward.

It was a servant boy, carrying two sizeable ceramic urns.

"Our Sixth Young Master Jiang heard that the Princess and His Highness were convalescing here and specially sent these two urns of mountain spring water for your tea."

Jiang Fengchuan’s attendant explained the origins of the water—both urns had been bestowed by the abbot of Hongluo Temple.

"What a rare gift indeed! Please extend our thanks to Sixth Young Master. Once the imperial examinations are over and the Jiang family welcomes another newly minted scholar, we’ll host a celebratory banquet."

Nanny Pu conferred briefly with Nianjia. However, since this was Marquis Lu’s mountain villa, she declined to call upon Du Lingjing out of propriety. Seeing that it was growing late, she departed for the capital with Jiang Fengchuan’s attendant and Imperial Physician Li.

Wei Cong returned to the western compound, where the Marquis shook his head at him.

All remained quiet—no activity as yet.

This made the third party of callers.

Nianjia, unaware of their business, had the two large urns of spring water carried to the rear courtyard to find Du Lingjing.

Du Lingjing looked up, and Nianjia smiled.

"Sixth Young Master sent spring water," she said softly, "but I suspect it wasn’t truly meant for me."

Neither Nianjia nor Wei Cong had any fondness for brewing tea with mountain spring water. It was clear who here favored it most.

Du Lingjing paused briefly. Nianjia sat beside her. "Sixth Young Master shows you such filial piety?"

Filial?

Du Lingjing shook her head with a smile. "I’m neither his patron nor his elder."

Nianjia blinked.

After all, Jing was Jiang Liulang’s "sister-in-law."

However, Third Young Master was gone now, and she avoided saying anything to unsettle Jing.

She simply said, "In any case, it was sent for our enjoyment, so let’s use it to brew tea today."

As she spoke, she had someone bring over Nanny Pu’s pastries, arranging them neatly on the table.

Du Lingjing ladled the spring water herself to brew tea. A single sip told her it was the same water Liulang had obtained from the abbot of Hongluo Temple.

He had previously sent her spring water from the abbot in gratitude for her critiques of his essays.

Now he was sending it again—was this his return gift for her congratulatory gift?

But this time, he had used Nianjia and Wei Cong’s names. Otherwise, a certain marquis might fly into another rage…

She dreaded that man’s outbursts and thought it best to finish the two jars of water quickly, without pondering Jiang Fengchuan’s underlying meaning.

The water was clear and sweet, exactly to her liking.

Du Lingjing and Nianjia were only halfway through their tea when the sound of approaching footsteps reached them.

"Why are there so many visitors today?"

Nianjia looked up and asked, "Who is it this time? Surely Her Majesty the Imperial Noble Consort hasn’t dispatched anyone?"

Her maid went to inquire and soon returned, shooting her mistress a significant look.

"My lady, it’s not the Imperial Noble Consort’s people. It’s... the Imperial Guards."

The Imperial Guards—men under Wei Jue’s command.

They only went to the front courtyard, not approaching their area.

Nianjia paused, asking nothing further, and simply picked up her teacup to continue drinking.

Du Lingjing gave her a silent glance but said nothing.

...

In the mountain retreat’s western courtyard, after the Imperial Guards had left, Lu Shenru and Wei Cong exchanged a look.

Wei Jue had learned of Marquis Lu’s operation the previous night. He hadn’t come personally but sent someone to ask if Lu Shenru was injured and whether he required aid from the Imperial Guards.

The Imperial Guards were all-seeing and all-hearing, so it was no surprise Wei Jue learned of it immediately.

After the guards finished their inquiries and saw that the marquis had no further orders, they quickly departed.

The sun sank slowly westward. Marquis Lu rested his chin in his hands and glanced at the sky.

"That makes four sets of visitors today."

Wei Cong also looked at the sky and asked Chong Ping, "Any activity from the prison yet?"

Chong Ping affirmed with a nod.

Lu Shenru said calmly, "Patience. It’s inevitable."

The spies’ handler certainly wouldn’t sit back and let them fall into someone else’s hands.

Rescuing them would be hard; eliminating them was simple.

Lu Shenru called to Chong Ping, "Maintain tight surveillance on that Han operative."

Chong Ping acknowledged.

By now, it was late, and the mountain retreat received no further visitors.

Du Lingjing had someone ask about the evening meal.

The four of them dined together in the rear garden as darkness fell, like ink dispersing in water, the night sky descending over the land.

Birds twittered as lazy clouds floated.

But then, activity erupted in the western courtyard.

Du Lingjing noticed Wei Cong turning his gaze in that direction and slowly rising to his feet. In mere breaths, Chong Ping came rushing.

Lu Shenru drained his cup and looked at Chong Ping.

Chong Ping stepped forward.

"My lord, Young Master, both Tatar operatives are dead."

Hearing the words "Tatar operatives," Du Lingjing’s heart skipped a beat. So, the last two nights, he had been hunting Tatar spies.

But why would Tatar spies operate in the capital region?

She didn’t understand the details, but after he captured the spies, four parties had visited today. Now, scarcely after dusk, two spies were dead.

Yet Lu Weishi’s countenance betrayed nothing, and Wei Cong also seemed unsurprised.

The two followed Chong Ping back to the western courtyard.

The courtyard was brightly lit. Wei Cong’s guards brought forward several sheets of paper.

They reported that someone had infiltrated the western courtyard and killed the two Tatar spies. These two had known little, and under torture, had only vaguely revealed a few things Lu Shenru already knew.

"But the assassin left a mark."

Wei Cong’s guards handed over the papers, which bore the secret symbols used by the spies and their accomplices for identification.

Lu Shenru examined them carefully—they were highly unique Tatar patterns, seemingly belonging to a certain tribe, but not one of the major active ones. Wei Cong had never seen them either.

He then asked about the assassin who had come to silence the spies.

"How many came? All vanished?"

The subordinate replied in a low voice, "Two came. They moved with deadly precision. Even after taking three arrows, they still vanished into the night."

They’d been hunting these spies for over a decade, with repeated encounters, yet the Yongding Army had never gained the upper hand.

Today, by chance, four factions showed up—

The magistrate of Shunyi County, the Chief Secretary sent by the Prince of Yan, Imperial Physician Li and the Jiang family’s people, along with the Imperial Guards.

The killers tonight must be among these four who had come to scout earlier.

Who exactly was it? Food for thought.

However, Lu Shenru and Wei Cong didn’t expect to immediately identify and capture them, exposing the mastermind behind it all.

He handed the spies' contact signals to Wei Cong for further investigation. "Trace it back to its tribe."

Then, he walked toward the dark, damp prison. "Is the Han Chinese spy unharmed?"

Chong Ping assured him, "As per the Marquis’s orders, we hid him in advance."

He led the way until they reached the cell where the Han Chinese spy was concealed.

The torch flared, and the man’s eyes, shrouded in darkness, were suddenly stung by the glare.

Bound hand and foot, he slowly raised his head to look at the figure before him.

It was the Marquis of Yongding, Lu Shenru.

The man was tall and imposing, firelight carving shadows across his face, reflecting in his bottomless eyes.

"Still not talking?" he asked. "The two Tatars are already dead."

The Han Chinese spy’s pupils trembled slightly, but this was expected.

In Lu Shenru’s hands—whether by Lu Shenru or their master—none of them would be allowed to live.

With the two Tatars dead, he’d be next.

The torture had dulled his nerves, the pain fading slightly in the numbness.

He regretted that the assassins hadn’t killed him as well—it would have been a mercy.

But Marquis Lu suddenly ordered his bonds to be loosened.

"No more of that."

The Han Chinese spy froze, eyeing him warily, only to see the flickering torchlight and the Marquis’s calm gaze.

"I know you know too much. The more you know, the less likely you are to speak. Even severe torture won’t make you talk."

He continued, "I won’t have you tortured, nor will I release you—but I won’t let you die either."

His already low voice grew even softer.

"You’ll live. Every day you survive, you’ll gain another day’s hope. With each passing day, that hope will grow, and you’ll only want to live more. If you’re willing to talk, I’ll let you keep living."

The words hung in the air, and the spy gaped at him.

The Marquis closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, flames pooling in his eyes.

"A man who has hope to live—I believe he’ll eventually be willing to speak."

"Especially if he’s Han Chinese."

The Han Chinese spy’s fingers twitched violently, but Marquis Lu had already turned and walked away.

*

They stayed one more night at the mountain lodge.

Marquis Lu had been absent from court for days, and the accumulated documents and letters were beyond counting. The civil officials at court inevitably cursed him for feigning illness while indulging in leisure, accusing him of increasingly treacherous behavior and demanding the Emperor rein him in.

Upon hearing these words, Marquis Lu simply ordered another lamb leg roasted for the night before returning to the capital.

Nianjia grumbled, "Why do these northwestern soldiers love roasted lamb so much? Doesn’t it get old?"

She had eaten enough meat in the northwest—the greasy lamb leg turned her stomach.

She picked up her wine and dragged Du Lingjing upwind. "I don’t even want to smell it."

Yet Marquis Lu personally carved a plate of roasted lamb for his wife and had it sent over.

Seeing Nianjia roll her eyes hard and Du Lingjing politely taking a bite, she couldn’t help but remark,

"You two are awfully cozy, aren’t you? And you’ve only been married for half a year?"

How to answer that? Du Lingjing didn’t respond, instead turning the question back on her.

"And what about you, Princess? Three years married and still acting like strangers?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, wine sloshed from Nianjia’s cup, her face flushed from the alcohol.

"Look, I’ll level with you—but don’t you dare laugh at me, and you have to help me fix this. And you can’t let the Dowager Consort or my mother know, or I’m dead!"

"That serious?" Du Lingjing raised an eyebrow, then blinked. "Then maybe I shouldn’t listen."

She pretended to walk off.

Nianjia stamped her foot in frustration. "If you leave, don’t come back! I trusted you—how did you become as bad as Lu Shenru?"

Du Lingjing was nothing like *him*.

She was just teasing Nianjia. Now, smirking, she noticed Nianjia had relaxed slightly and pulled her to sit beneath a tree.

"What exactly happened between you and the Crown Prince?"

Nianjia drained the last of her wine and rested her head on Du Lingjing’s shoulder.

"It’s just… on our wedding night… it was… a disaster."

She said the only Wei she knew was Wei Jue. Wei Cong had grown up in the northwest and had only visited the capital a few times—Nianjia hardly knew him.

"I had no impression of him at all. When our families arranged the marriage, he wasn’t even in the capital. He’d raced straight from the front in the northwest right before the wedding."

Nianjia whispered to Du Lingjing,

"I knew I was to marry him, that he would be my Consort, and that we were expected to carry on the Wei bloodline and my Prince Yu's Mansion’s legacy. But he was a total stranger to me. My veil came off and—I hardly glimpsed him before we were in the bridal chamber."

She said her mother had drilled her beforehand, even sending a matron to spell it out. On the wedding night, maids had even been stationed outside the door.

"The more it was like this, the more nervous I became. Especially seeing how imposing the Crown Prince was—when he perched on the bedside, the bed creaked under his weight..."

Du Lingjing suddenly recalled her own first night at Marquis Lu's residence. Though the circumstances were different, the flustered dread was the same.

Seeing how tense Nianjia looked as she spoke, Du Lingjing couldn’t help but ask on her behalf,

"Did it not happen that night? Or did the Crown Prince..."

Did he force himself on her? Du Lingjing didn’t think Wei Cong was that kind of man.

Nianjia shook her head, hiding her face against Du Lingjing’s shoulder, leaving only half of her flustered expression visible.

"No... At the time, the Crown Prince saw how nervous I was and said we could wait. But I thought, why drag it out? Might as well get it over with. After all, I’m an imperial princess—how could I act so timidly?"

She undressed herself, called back the Crown Prince as he was about to leave for the couch, and took the initiative.

But Wei Cong’s unfamiliarity made her unbearably tense.

At one point, seeing her discomfort, Wei Cong suggested stopping again and even patted her hair soothingly. But she clenched her jaw, grabbed his hand, and didn’t let him leave...

"Anyway, in the beginning, I was the bold one! I pushed through with the consummation, thinking I’d done my duty. But then, the Crown Prince turned the tables, and I..."

Her voice trembled.

After that, every time she saw the Crown Prince approach the bed, her legs would tremble. Just seeing him made her afraid.

Especially in the first year of their marriage—even a glance at Wei Cong made her feet sweat.

Nianjia was too ashamed to continue. It was all her fault for forcing things and straining herself past bearing.

How had it come to this?

Du Lingjing was stunned silent, at a loss for words.

But Nianjia was utterly distressed.

"What should I do?"

She absolutely couldn’t tell her mother or Prince Yu’s Dowager.

For the past three years, with frequent battles in the northwest, Wei Cong had no time to visit her in Xi’an. They lived apart, rarely meeting. But now they were both back in the capital.

Getting it off her chest lifted some weight off Nianjia’s chest.

She spoke of how this marriage came to be.

"After Wei Jue and I parted ways, marriage prospects dwindled."

As a princess of Prince Yu's Mansion, her status was high—but Prince Yu had long passed, and the empty mansion no longer matched her rank.

The powerful noble sons of the capital looked down on her, while those who were interested were either from declining families or frivolous wastrels.

At first, a few families proposed, but Nianjia, proud and resentful toward Wei Jue, refused them all, unwilling to settle for a hasty marriage.

Soon, whispers circulated—people said Prince Yu's Mansion was nothing, no wonder Wei Jue wouldn’t marry her, that her title was a paper title.

They dragged her honor as a princess through the mud.

"I don’t know how the Crown Prince heard these words."

She spoke of Wei Cong.

Du Lingjing glanced down as Nianjia whispered,

"He had a message relayed all the way from the northwest to the capital. He said he would give me that dignity."

He would marry her—just when everyone claimed Princess Nianjia and Prince Yu's Mansion were mere facades.

And he was the heir of Earl Zhongqing, a commanding general in the northwestern army, a battle-hardened general.

He would restore her standing.

Du Lingjing was stunned silent, instinctively turning to look at Wei Cong—just as his gaze settled on the woman in her arms.

Nianjia clearly felt his gaze but kept her flushed face lowered.

The breeze under the trees carried away the scent of wine. Du Lingjing heard her say,

She truly hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to be willing to marry her. "I wanted to grow closer to him. After his injury, we did become much more familiar, but..."

But in that matter, she was still completely at sea.

Was it her fault if her legs went weak?

She pleaded, "Jing-niang, tell me what to do! I’m relying on you!"

Du Lingjing: "..."

On her left shoulder rested Prince Yu’s bloodline; on her right, the heirs of Earl Zhongqing. The weight of responsibility suddenly felt immense.

Thinking back, though her own path had bumps in the road, it eventually smoothed out—thanks to a certain marquis who needed no instruction in such matters.

For a moment, her mind stalled.

She could only comfort Nianjia, advising patience. "The Crown Prince hasn’t fully recovered yet. Give it time. Spend more days together, and perhaps the spark will come."

"Is that the only way?"

Nianjia burrowed against Du Lingjing, who held her as leaves caught in their tresses.

"Easy now. Let me think," Du Lingjing said.

Not far away, the men glanced over.

Wei Cong’s expression warmed as it lingered on his princess.

Marquis Lu, however, noted his wife’s ease. Even when she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, she didn’t immediately turn away—instead meeting his gaze for a beat too long before slowly looking back.

This trip had been a rare respite...

The night sky descended upon the grassland, fallen leaves dancing like emerald wisps. The wind stirred the grass into waves, carrying the bracing clarity of the open wilderness.

Such peace was fleeting as grains slipping through fingers—the moment it was grasped, it began slipping away.

Beijing loomed ahead.

The next morning, the four began their return to the city. Before the distant gates came into view, their path intersected another coach.

It belonged to Lady Protector and Madam Wan.

Everyone paused to exchange pleasantries.

Lady Protector barely spoke to Du Lingjing and ignored Nianjia altogether. She only exchanged a few words with Wei Cong and Lu Shenru.

But Du Lingjing was startled to see Madam Wan had brought her second sister, Du Runqing, along.

Madam Wan and Lady Protector had gone to a temple outside the capital to offer incense. Though Madam Wan often brought her granddaughter, it was odd that Du Runqing had twice accompanied Lady Protector.

Du Lingjing grew quietly uneasy.

Lady Protector had two sons, but the younger one was already married, leaving only Wei Jue unmarried.

But Wei Jue showed no interest in marriage.

If he refused, how could this marriage be arranged?

She frowned, lost in thought, but held her tongue around Nianjia.

She couldn’t help stealing a few more looks at Du Runqing, but her second sister remained aloof, eyes downcast and ignoring her.

Back at the marquis’s estate, Du Lingjing summoned Chang Pu. "Go to the Gu household and ask after Second Madam and Second Miss."

Chang Pu obeyed and left at once.

She then called for Ruan Gong. "Have Uncle Wen ready the western lane of Chengqing Fang. In a few days, you and Uncle Wen will call on the Gu family in person and see if Second Madam and Second Miss can be brought back to the Du residence."

Madam Wan wasn’t someone to be trifled with. While it had been tolerable for her second sister and aunt to live outside the capital before, now they were right under Madam Wan’s watch.

Elder Brother Cang had just earned his degree. If word of any scandal spread in the capital, the Du clan’s name in Qingzhou would be tarnished.