Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Thick, dark clouds gradually filled the sky, their low-hanging layers like a shroud beneath the heavens. The drop in air pressure inevitably bred unease in people's hearts.

In the ancestral hall of the Prince's manor, the tablets of past generations were enshrined, the heavy scent of candle smoke lingering in the courtyard.

Prince Ding knelt on a prayer mat, his eyes filled with gravity, his expression already numb, his back considerably stooped.

Holding three incense sticks, his Adam's apple bobbed as he bowed low and murmured, "Your unfilial descendant disturbs the ancestors' peace today. I beg your forgiveness."

With that, he slowly rose, leaning on his bamboo cane. Behind him came the quiet announcement of the steward: "Your Highness, Grand Secretary Lu is here."

Prince Ding merely grunted in acknowledgment and said nothing more. He stood quietly in the ancestral hall, gazing at the ancestral tablets, his figure receding into the dimness of the hall.

No one would invite a guest to meet in the ancestral hall.

From the moment Lu Yu stepped into the Prince's manor, he had guessed Prince Ding's thoughts. Without a word, he lifted his robe and dropped to his knees with a thud right in the center of the courtyard.

The steward trembled in fright.

This was the powerful Grand Secretary Lu. With shaking hands, he hurried forward to assist him, his voice full of trepidation as he said, "It's about to rain. What are you—"

Lu Yu shook his head. "Pay me no mind."

The steward glanced toward Prince Ding standing motionless in the ancestral hall, then turned to look at Lu Yu kneeling on the ground.

He sighed helplessly and was about to speak when Prince Ding's cold voice came from the hall: "Old Wang, leave him be."

The steward replied hoarsely, "This old servant understands."

This was a father's rage. Both men knew it, yet neither spoke it aloud.

No one knew how much time had passed.

Lu Yu knew the time left for him to arrange things was short. He kowtowed, forehead to the ground, and was about to speak when Prince Ding's low voice slowly sounded: "Everyone leave the courtyard and close the gates."

"No one is to tell Princess Ding'an that Lord Lu has come to visit!"

Prince Ding's voice suddenly rose, his bamboo cane striking the ground heavily. The servants acknowledged in low voices, turned, and hurried away, closing the courtyard gate.

Now, only the two of them remained in the courtyard.

Prince Ding said calmly, "You haven't forgotten."

Lu Yu replied in a low voice, "I remembered everything from the moment I thought... she and the child had died."

"Oh, so you've outmaneuvered the emperor this time," Prince Ding abruptly changed the subject, stating firmly, "You've already seen Yun Er."

Lu Yu lowered his gaze and hummed softly. "In the peach grove of Guardian Nation Temple on the Upper Si Festival, the third day of the third month."

"So what exactly do you want?"

As soon as Prince Ding finished speaking, a clap of thunder suddenly echoed across the sky, followed by pattering raindrops instantly hitting the ground.

Summer rain always comes swiftly and fiercely. The pouring rain instantly drenched Lu Yu's robes.

Lu Yu knelt upright in the torrential downpour. He bowed low, his hoarse voice rising in the courtyard: "Lu Yu is bold enough to ask for Princess Ding'an's hand in marriage."

Lu Yu's words struck Prince Ding's heart like a thunderclap. His eyes reddened, and gripping his bamboo cane, he strode into the rain, angrily rebuking, "Lu Yu, do you know what you're saying?"

Lu Yu's forehead struck heavily against the muddy ground. "Your Highness also knows my background. In the capital today, I am the only one who dares to defy the Emperor's will."

Prince Ding's eyes reddened. He lifted his cane, pointing at Lu Yu, tears mixing with rain as they slid down his cheeks.

"My Yun Er was treasured like jade since she was young, held dearly in our arms. Even after Brother Yun Cunyi adopted her, he couldn't bear to let her do farm work..."

"...Yet when she met you, she endured nothing but suffering..."

After speaking, Prince Ding's bamboo cane came down heavily against Lu Yu's back.

Lu Yu's body swayed slightly but did not move.

Prince Ding continued, "Do you understand how I felt when I found Yun Er and the first sight of her was her lying severely injured and unconscious? She was thin and small, her body covered in fractures and bruises, with a child growing in her womb."

"Zhang'er was terrified, willing only to curl up beside the unconscious Yun Er every day, holding her hand and going nowhere else."

"Lu Yu, do you know I wanted to kill you? How dare you come here to ask for my daughter's hand?"

Prince Ding's hoarse accusations felt like a sharp blade piercing Lu Yu's heart. His heart seemed gripped by an invisible hand, choked by suffocating bitterness and an overwhelming ache that seized his throat.

Lu Yu, drenched in rain, said hoarsely, "Young noblewomen in the capital are in fear for their safety. We have no other choice. The princess cannot be sent to Shuobei for a political marriage."

"Then are you any better?"

"Lu Yu, now that you remember your past with Yun Er, all you want is to make amends to her and the children. But what if you lose your memory again?"

Prince Ding's bamboo cane struck the ground heavily, splashing water from a puddle.

Lu Yu's eyes were red, lost in the weight of painful memories. His lips trembled as he said hoarsely, "It won't happen. I've killed the shaman and burned the occult manuscripts. I will never let Wanwan suffer again."

"And the emperor... He will kill everyone who influences you. Whether it's you or the Shuobei barbarians, it's either a wolf's den or a tiger's jaws. What am I, as a father, to do?"

A flash of hatred crossed Lu Yu's eyes. He murmured, "He won't either. He won't be making trouble for much longer."

Prince Ding's eyes widened in shock, his bamboo cane instantly falling to the ground. He pointed a trembling finger at Lu Yu: "You...."

"People always die."

Lu Yu's voice was hoarse. He slowly raised his bamboo cane with both hands, bowing respectfully before Prince Ding. Muddy rainwater soaked his robes, and rain dripped from his hairline.

His voice pierced through the rain, each word filled with deep regret: "Whether Your Highness beats or scolds me, Lu Yu will not utter a single word of complaint. I only beg... Your Highness to carefully consider... The emperor's decree will soon be handed down. We have no time..."

"I am willing to pledge everything in this life and the honor of the Marquis of Xuanping's ancestral lineage to protect her and the children's peace and health for a lifetime."

With that, Lu Yu's forehead struck heavily against the muddy, filthy water on the ground.

Meanwhile, crouching at the crack in the ancestral hall courtyard gate, Lin Wangshu stood with wide eyes, his hands trembling, unsure what to do.

"Old Wang, has my father gone mad? He actually dares to strike a high-ranking court official."

---

The rain had come suddenly. Ying Ying, who had been playing with Xiao Hei on the soft couch, now fearfully shrunk into Lin Shuyun's arms amid the pouring rain, lightning, and thunder.

"Mother, Xiao Hei and I are scared."

Lin Shuyun softly sang a nursery rhyme. "Don't be afraid. Mother is here. Lord Thunder and Lightning Mother won't strike Ying Ying."

"What if they hit Xiao Hei?"

Xiao Hei seemed to sense its young mistress calling its name and let out a soft whimper before burying its head in Ying Ying's embrace.

Lin Shuyun gently stroked her daughter's soft hair. "No, Xiao Hei is a good dog. No one will hit it either."

After saying this, Lin Shuyun looked up at the window, where a torrential rain seemed like it would flood the capital. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a rapid, uneasy pounding filled her chest with anxiety.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed outside, followed by Lin Wangshu's panicked voice.

"Sister, something terrible has happened! The Emperor intends to send you away for a political marriage, but Chief Grand Secretary Lu is kneeling in our ancestral hall right now, begging to marry you. Father is about to beat him to death."

The rain poured down noisily, pattering on the roof and streaming off the eaves.

Lin Wangshu kept talking anxiously along the way, but Lin Shuyun couldn't make out a word he was saying.

Clutching the silk shawl over her dress and lifting her skirts, she hurried along the covered corridor, her mind a complete blank. A biting wind made her shiver slightly.

No wonder she had felt unwell since she woke up, her heart pounding uncomfortably.

When she rushed to the ancestral hall, the courtyard gate was slowly being opened by a servant.

Lu Yu was already standing at the entrance.

Soaked through by the rain, his posture slightly stooped, his dark red official robe was stained with scattered rust-colored bloodstains. His disheveled appearance was unlike the aloof nobleman he once was.

His eyes were bloodshot, and a faint trace of blood marked the corner of his mouth. When he looked up and saw her outside the gate, his posture stiffened instantly.

He straightened his back abruptly, as if suddenly aware of his disheveled appearance, and slowly wiped away the blood trickling from his lip with the back of his hand.

The two stood in silence, just standing there looking at each other without a word.

Lin Shuyun's throat felt tight, unable to utter anything.

Lu Yu's lips twitched as if he wanted to speak, but Lin Shuyun turned aside and handed him an oil-paper umbrella, saying indifferently, "Don't die in Prince Ding's mansion."

As she turned to leave, her wrist was suddenly seized by Lu Yu's damp, icy hand. His trembling voice carried a tentative note.

"Wanwan, would you... marry me?"

Lin Shuyun stopped briefly, her voice hoarse. "Lu Yu... I'm afraid. I don't want to."

With that, his grip on her wrist slackened instantly. Lu Yu opened his mouth but couldn't speak a word, his deep eyes clouded with profound sorrow.

Yet, Lin Shuyun spoke again, "But... the children and I want a peaceful life."

Lu Yu looked up, a bitter smile tugging at his lips before fading into a sigh. He said hoarsely, "Alright. I'll take care of everything."