“There was an assassination attempt at the Eastern Palace. The Emperor has ordered the palace banquet to be postponed for the time being. Today, I will take you to visit the General’s residence,” Xu Chen said to Lu Qiuci as he picked up a towel to dry his hands.
Lu Qiuci was having his makeup applied and hair styled with the help of Di Liu and Dongyi. Upon hearing this, he didn’t immediately realize whom Xu Chen meant by “the General’s residence.”
He blinked, then quickly recalled that Xu Chen was referring to General Yun—the younger sister of the late emperor’s consort, the current Governor of Chongzhou, and Xu Chen’s biological aunt. General Yun Qian was still in Chongzhou at the time, so a visit to the General’s Mansion certainly couldn’t be to see her. Lu Qiuci surmised that Xu Chen intended to take him to visit the Prince of Yongjia—General Yun Qian’s consort and Xu Chen’s uncle-in-law.
Prince Yongjia’s name is Xu Han. As the son of the Prince of Zhennan, he was betrothed to General Yun Qian by the current emperor around the time of the late Empress’s passing. They now have a son and a daughter together.
But isn’t Xu Chen’s relationship with the General’s Mansion rather strained?
For the past few years, they hadn’t even visited during the holidays. Why would the thought of visiting the General’s residence suddenly occur to her today?
Lu Qiuci’s eyes were filled with confusion. Xu Chen noticed it, but offered no further explanation.
However, Xu Chen’s admiration for Lu Qiuci grew a little more. The man before him appeared quiet and reserved on the surface, never loud or disruptive, but in reality, he possessed an exceptionally strong inner drive.
Marrying the original host was essentially a losing battle, yet Lu Qiuci hadn’t let fate crush him into despair; instead, he’d done his homework.
At the very least, he had done his best to gather every piece of information he could about the original owner.
Though it might not be of much use, since Xu Chen was no longer the original owner.
Dongyi had always lived in the Lu mansion; his horizons were narrow, and he hadn’t seen much of the world. Since he himself needed Lu Qiuci’s care, he naturally wouldn’t know how to look after Lu Qiuci.
Di Liu had no choice but to take over the task of styling Lu Qiuci’s hair. Just as Di Liu was about to start building a veritable palace on Lu Qiuci’s head, Xu Chen immediately intervened.
She actually quite liked Lu Qiuci’s appearance, so she didn’t want his styling to clash with her sense of aesthetics.
“Don’t make the style too elaborate. Just wear a jade crown.”
Lu Qiuci looked at Xu Chen in confusion, and Xu Chen said directly, “A gentle and elegant style suits you better; it’s more refined and noble.”
Lu Qiuci’s face flushed instantly, and she dared not meet Xu Chen’s gaze.
Di Liu couldn’t help but smile; his nervousness eased, and he quickly replied, “Yes, Your Highness.”
He then hurried to finish styling Lu Qiuci’s hair and placed a beautiful jade crown on his head, which seemed to glow in the morning sunlight.
Xu Chen extended her hand toward Lu Qiuci. Lu Qiuci gently placed his hand in hers, his heart pounding, and was soon led outside by Xu Chen.
The servants had already prepared breakfast. After Xu Chen and Lu Qiuci finished their meal, they left the Princess’s residence and headed for the General’s Mansion.
Riding in a carriage through the streets again after two days, listening to the cries of vendors and the chatter of passersby, Lu Qiuci felt as if he had stepped out of this world.
His gaze drifted involuntarily toward the window, but because Xu Chen was there, he dared not make a single move.
He’s usually quite bold—why does he act like a startled little deer in front of her? Xu Chen couldn’t figure it out.
So he spoke to Lu Qiuci: “If you want to look, just look.”
Lu Qiuci glanced at Xu Chen, who was resting her eyes. He couldn’t understand how she could know his movements when her eyes were clearly closed.
However, without those phoenix-like eyes fixed on him, the pressure in Lu Qiuci’s heart did indeed ease considerably; he even felt that sharing a carriage with her wasn’t so terrifying after all.
He gently lifted a corner of the curtain, peered cautiously outside for a moment, then let it fall back into place, feeling quite satisfied.
Changmen Street was still the same Changmen Street, no different from before, and Lu Qiuci’s heart quickly settled.
The current outcome was a million times better than he had initially anticipated. The Crown Princess also seemed far different from the rumors. He now had only one goal: never to anger Xu Chen and preserve his current life.
The carriage soon arrived outside the General’s Mansion.
However, it did not stop at the main gate but pulled up at the side entrance on the west side.
Xuan Ying, the driver, immediately stepped forward to knock on the door. A servant from the General’s Mansion opened it and, seeing an unfamiliar person and an unfamiliar carriage outside, found the situation quite strange.
To their surprise, Xuan Ying produced the Eastern Palace token. The servants were so startled they turned pale, trembling as they hurriedly opened the gate and let the carriage enter.
Upon learning of the Crown Princess’s arrival, the servant rushed to report to Consort Yongjia, Xu Han. At that moment, Xu Han was sipping tea with his son and nephew. Upon receiving the news, his hand trembled involuntarily, spilling a few drops of the fine Biluochun tea[1]is a green tea originating from Jiangsu Province in the People’s Republic of China jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2182454_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2182454_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Xu Han had no idea what Xu Chen’s purpose was. After all, the Crown Princess and his wife had long since fallen out; even at their wedding just two days prior, the General’s Mansion had sent a representative but not the general herself, merely to save face.
Xu Han’s expression shifted repeatedly. Suddenly, he noticed his strikingly handsome nephew—a boy who had only recently sought refuge with them a month ago. As for the Crown Princess, who didn’t know of her notorious reputation for debauchery and licentiousness? If she took a fancy to him, not even the General’s Mansion could protect a young man from her clutches.
So Xu Han urgently ordered, “Someone, quickly take Kai’er and the young master back to their rooms!”
The servants understood the gravity of the situation. With a sigh, they swiftly escorted Yun Kai and Liu Qingyu away.
In the servants’ minds, Yun Kai was Xu Han’s own son, a young master of the General’s Mansion, and still quite young—so there was little to fear for him.
But the cousin who had come to seek refuge was not like Young Master Kai, who shared a bloodline with Her Highness the Crown Princess. With his strikingly delicate and charming appearance, it was simply too dangerous to leave him exposed before Her Highness.
No sooner had the two left than Xu Chen arrived.
Seeing that figure clad in bright yellow, Xu Han couldn’t help but feel a slight chill run down his spine; his chest rose and fell rapidly. If he had been even a moment slower, his nephew would have collided with Xu Chen!
Amidst his relief, he felt deeply grateful that the General’s Mansion had strict protocols and that the servants had acted swiftly enough to prevent a direct encounter with Xu Chen.
But as Xu Chen’s figure drew nearer, Xu Han froze in surprise, realizing that Xu Chen was actually holding a man’s hand.
The man was tall and well-proportioned, with impeccable bearing—willow-leaf eyes and peach-blossom lips. His entire demeanor was gentle and serene, neither overly flirtatious nor too reserved; his appearance surpassed Liu Qingyu’s by several degrees.
Xu Han recognized the face and immediately realized that the man Xu Chen was holding hands with was none other than the Lu family’s young master—Lu Qiuci—who was also the official consort the Emperor had bestowed upon Xu Chen.
What shocked Xu Han was how intimate Xu Chen appeared with Lu Qiuci; it seemed she was actually doting on this newlywed husband.
Just as his mind was in a whirl, Xu Chen and Lu Qiuci had already walked up to him.
Xu Han hurriedly bowed in greeting, but Xu Chen reached out to steady him, saying, “Uncle, why be so formal among family?”
“You are the elder, I am the younger; it is I who should be bowing to you.”
Xu Han felt as if he’d swallowed a fly; he had no idea what game Xu Chen was playing.
He tightened the reins of his mind and responded to Xu Chen with utmost caution. Given Xu Chen’s long history of unpredictable behavior, Xu Han had absolutely no way of anticipating what Xu Chen might do, so he had to stay on high alert.
After all, Xu Chen was the Crown princess and he was the subject. Even with their blood ties, if Xu Chen were to act recklessly, he would be powerless to stop him.
“Quick, serve tea to Her Highness. Also, have the kitchen make thorough preparations—Her Highness will be dining at the General’s Mansion today.”
Xu Chen, holding Lu Qiuci’s hand, took his seat without hesitation and began with a polite greeting: “Has Uncle been in good health lately? Affairs at the Eastern Palace are so demanding that I haven’t paid a visit in quite some time. I hope Uncle won’t hold it against me.”
“This is my husband, the son of the Lu Censor’s family, whose given name is Qiuci. I wonder if Uncle has met him before.”
“Last night, assassins infiltrated the Eastern Palace. Out of compassion, the Emperor Mother instructed that Qiuci and I need not rush to the Imperial Palace for a personal audience with Her. My Lord father has passed away, and I have spent these years in a daze, causing the Grand Ministers and Grand Tutors much grief. After much deliberation, I concluded that only the General’s Mansion would allow me to come and pay my respects.”
“Your Highness, you flatter me. Your efforts and achievements over the years are evident to all the officials of the court, and Her Majesty also holds high hopes for you. Why would you speak so lowly of yourself? It pains your uncle to hear it.”
Xu Chen’s words placed her in a very low light, tinged with self-reflection and remorse, but Xu Han dared not respond. Xu Chen’s years of reckless behavior had completely eroded her credibility; in Xu Han’s eyes, she was nothing but a troublemaker.
Xu Chen didn’t mind. Rome wasn’t built in a day; the original host’s reputation hadn’t soured overnight, and naturally, it couldn’t be repaired in a single day either.
She merely wanted to make an initial impression on Xu Han, so that her future transformation would have a clear trajectory and be more convincing.
“Uncle, Qiuci and I have prepared some gifts today for you, Kai’er, and Xuan’er. I hope you like them.”
Xuan Ying and Xuan Yu immediately stepped forward, holding the gifts, and placed them on the table in front of the three of them.
Xu Han actually felt some resistance inside, but Xu Chen’s next words left him with absolutely no reason to refuse.
“Uncle, you know I’m not good at this sort of thing. These gifts were all carefully selected by Qiuci. If there’s anything inappropriate, I hope you’ll be understanding.”
The moment Lu Qiuci entered the General’s Mansion and saw Xu Han, he understood exactly what role Xu Chen had intended for him to play by bringing him here today.
No wonder Xu Chen had specifically shown him the gifts before they left and made him memorize every detail.
So he spoke up immediately: “Not knowing Uncle’s tastes, I’ve prepared a few modest gifts. I hope you’ll like them.”
Xu Han’s expression was somewhat complex; he looked at Lu Qiuci as if he were someone who had walked into a pit of fire.
He quickly composed himself, reached out to open the gifts, and found they were indeed all valuable items. Aside from the jewels and silk brocades intended for him, there were also exquisitely crafted gifts for the two children all of which clearly showed great care and thought.
It wasn’t until Xu Han opened the very last box that he discovered it contained nothing more than an unremarkable book.
On its cover were four characters written in bold, elegant calligraphy: *The Yun Family’s Military Strategic Treatise*
Xu Han’s eyes widened slightly, and a wave of emotion surged through him, refusing to subside for a long time.
He recognized the handwriting—it belonged to the late Empress.
It also belonged to the most strategic and formidable general in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty—a true war god who could decide the outcome of battles from afar, orchestrating victory from behind the scenes.
Not even his wife, the late Empress’s only full sister, possessed a copy of this “Yun Family Military Treatise”!
Just as Xu Han was still reeling from the revelation, Xu Chen’s voice slowly rang out.
“I hear Xuan’er has begun studying military strategy. I can think of no better gift than the military treatise left behind by my father.”
“My father’s relics are of the utmost value to me. I ask for your forgiveness, Uncle, for not being able to give Xuan’er the original. This is a copy I transcribed by hand myself. I hope it will be of some benefit to Xuan’er, so that in the future, the Yun clan’s reputation will not be tarnished.”
References[+]