Chapter 60 Making You More Comfortable

Lu Jinlan's kiss landed on empty air. Her brow twitched, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "You dare to dodge me?"

Lu Qilang remained silent, choosing silence as his confrontation.

Lu Jinlan hadn't encountered a man who went against her in a long time, and for a moment she found it quite amusing. Her rebellious nature flared up, and she grabbed his chin and forcefully kissed him.

He tried to dodge and resist, but quickly crumbled under her forceful offensive, drowning in her wet, hot kisses, almost losing his mind in passion.

After the kiss, Lu Jinlan gently touched the red mark on his chin, noticing the tears in his eyes. She felt a pang of pity. "What's wrong? You've already taken my surname, and you're still throwing a tantrum?"

Lu Qilang pursed his lips, his voice filled with grievance, "You were the one who said you wouldn't care about me anymore."

Lu Jinlan thought for a moment, then smiled helplessly, "How could you be so silly? How could I not care about you? You've married me, I have to take care of you for the rest of my life."

Lu Qilang glanced at her, "You're lying, you haven't contacted me at all these past few days."

Lu Jinlan asked with a smile, "How am I supposed to find you? Do you want me to go to the Marquis of Dingbei's residence and ask that Lord Ling, who wants me dead, 'Have you seen my Seventh Son?' Then Lord Ling would have to ask, 'Which Seventh Son? Is it the Seventh Son who betrayed me?' Do you think she could tell me?"

Her witty tone almost made Lu Qilang burst out laughing. He quickly suppressed it and said, "Even if you don't know where to find me, you saw me on the street today. Why pretend you don't know me?"

Lu Jinlan: "It's too hasty to recognize each other on the street. How can I not prepare some surprises for you and do what you've done for me during this time?"

She held Qilang's hand and said earnestly, "I expected you to arrive in the capital ahead of schedule, but I didn't expect you to save Young Master Song."

Lu Qilang sighed, "Alas, I was just afraid you'd be heartbroken. Our organization has some code words, and I was worried the Ling family would hunt me and Thirteen down, so I kept an eye on their news. I never expected to hear that they were coming to assassinate Young Master Song. I thought, if anything happened to him, you wouldn't know how sad you'd be. So I decided to go all the way and save your darling."

Lu Jinlan smiled and hugged him, "My darling, aren't you in my arms?"

Lu Qilang snorted, "You're just trying to fool me. I'm the easiest to fool anyway. You say you're preparing a surprise for me, but I'm afraid if I don't play along, there won't be any surprise. Where's the surprise?"

Lu Jinlan said, "You're wronging me. I didn't acknowledge you on the street because I was certain you'd come tonight. So, I waited here for you. As for the surprise, it's right before your eyes."

As she spoke, she took out a tinderbox and lit the candles in the room.

Lu Qilang then noticed that the room was decorated like a bridal chamber, with red silk hanging everywhere. Red curtains hung on the bed, and new mattresses and quilts were laid on the bed. A pair of mandarin ducks were embroidered on the quilts, and a pair of brocade mandarin duck pillows were placed at the head of the bed.

He turned around in surprise and noticed a pair of red candles on the table. There were also four kinds of fruit on the table, but Lu Jinlan had swept them to the ground while the two of them were fooling around.

Upon closer inspection, the four fruits are jujubes, peanuts, longans, and red dates. The wish for an early birth of a daughter is considered auspicious.

Lu Qilang was about to pick it up when Lu Jinlan quickly said, "Why are you picking it up? You don't like to eat it anyway. We've prepared something you like."

Lu Jinlan handed him a box of candied hawthorns and said, "I knew you would come sooner or later, so I had people prepare carefully these past few days. It's just a coincidence that the quilt was only finished today, and after it was set up tonight, you came tonight."

As she spoke, she took out a hairpin from her bosom. "This is a white jade hairpin from Wanyuzhai in the capital. Ever since I bought it for Lincheng and Yumian, some unscrupulous person spread the word, and it became a hot commodity. It costs 100 taels apiece, and it's sold out everywhere. But I thought since they both have one, I asked the shop owner to buy another piece of jade and made one for you."

Lu Qilang's nose tingled, and his eyes reddened as he said, "I'm sorry, I thought you..."

Lu Jinlan smiled, "What did you think I was? Did you think I started this relationship and then abandoned you, that I didn't want you anymore?"

He was struck by what he thought and lowered his head in silence.

Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "Don't think nonsense anymore. You're already married to me. You're mine, and I'll take responsibility for you. This courtyard is yours from now on. Tomorrow, Lin Cheng will send a few servants to serve you here. Your courtyard has eight rooms and is very spacious. If you feel lonely, you can call Thirteen over to stay with you."

Lu Qilang felt a warmth in his heart, and happiness came one after another, making him somewhat overwhelmed.

"Then...should I go and pay my respects to Young Master Song first? Or...or you should go and keep him company tonight. I was really impolite to climb over the wall today. I'll go back first."

Lu Jinlan grabbed his hand. "Don't cause any trouble. I've already told Young Master Song that the person he met on the street today was you. Besides, he's injured, and I'd just be lying there doing nothing. When I left his place tonight, he didn't ask a single question, so he must have guessed you were coming. I have to say, when it comes to intelligence, you're really not as good as Lin Cheng. You should learn from him how to read people."

Lu Qilang reluctantly hummed in agreement. "Yes, he's smarter than me, has a better family background than me, and understands you better than I do. But what about me? Don't I have any advantages over him?"

Lu Jinlan raised an eyebrow. "Yes, you naturally have your strengths."

"What are your strengths?"

Lu Jinlan beckoned to him and whispered something in his ear.

Lu Qilang chuckled softly, "So my strength is simply to make you more comfortable?"

Lu Jinlan touched his thin lips meaningfully, "I really like this strength of yours."

Qi Lang pursed his lips and gently bit her fingertip. "Then I won't leave tonight. Please spend this wonderful night with me, my wife."

He picked Lu Jinlan up, and Lu Jinlan teased, "What are you planning now, you assassin?"

Lu Qilang replied, "Go to bed and use my strengths."

*

The next day, before the two had even woken up, four male servants were already waiting in the courtyard to serve them.

These servants were naturally sent by Song Lincheng. Lu Qilang watched coldly as the four of them worked efficiently and treated him with great respect. Before Lu Jinlan could say anything, the male servants were already calling him 'Young Master Lu,' which must have been at Song Lincheng's behest.

Therefore, he was very grateful, picked out some more formal clothes from the wardrobe and changed into them, and went with Lu Jinlan to the front hall for breakfast.

Upon seeing Song Lincheng, Lu Qilang respectfully bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency."

Song Lincheng hurriedly said, "Get up quickly, I'm not married into the family yet. Besides, you're my savior, there's no need for such a grand ceremony."

Although Song Lincheng said this, he had expected this step to happen. His father had taught him to treat people with the demeanor of a proper wife. After accepting Lu Qilang's bow, he ordered someone to present the gift that had been prepared beforehand.

A jade ruyi scepter, a gold crown inlaid with gemstones, two pieces of fashionable fabric, and a set of fine writing implements.

Song Lincheng said, "I heard from Jinlan that you love practicing calligraphy, so I think you'll probably like it."

Lu Qilang thanked him repeatedly, thinking to himself: As expected of a young master from a prestigious family, he is so generous.

The three were eating when a messenger came to report that the steward, Xi Mo, had returned.

She entered the city with the imperial envoy's entourage, and the several large boxes of things that Lu Jinlan had purchased in Beizhou were finally transported back to the mansion.

Song Lincheng was stunned when he counted them. "My God, did you go on a business trip or go shopping? How come you bought eight big boxes of things?"

Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "Quickly open the boxes and see if there's anything damaged. The things in that mahogany box are all for you. The peach wood box is for Qilang; some of the things inside were purchased in Beizhou, and I packed them in as well. The camphor wood box is for Yumian; it contains many toys for the children. Send someone to deliver them to Yunzhou."

Song Lincheng said, "It's perfect timing. A few days ago, Lingzhou sent some fine furs. I made a few winter clothes for the two of us, and also made a cloak and hat for Yumian. I'll send them over tomorrow along with this box of yours."

After saying that, he said to Lu Qilang, "I still have some fabric. I'll have someone make two sets for you after I take your measurements."

Okay, harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things.

Lu Jinlan patted Song Lincheng on the shoulder with satisfaction, "I trust you to handle things. I have a lot of things in this box that I'm preparing for my classmates, my teacher, and the dean. Could you help me divide them into portions when you have time? I'll go see if Ruzhen is at the academy and invite her over for lunch."

By this time, the Royal Academy had already started its winter break. The vast campus was deserted. Lu Jinlan returned to her dormitory and waited for a long time on Xiang Ruzhen's bed, but no one showed up.

That's strange, where did they go?

She rode her horse to Yan Wuxin's Leisure Manor, where the steward said that Yan Wuxin hadn't been there for two months. She then went to Yan Wuxin's private residence, where a group of servants were playing cards in the courtyard. Fang Qing said, "Our mistress said she was going out on business a month ago, and we don't know when she will be back."

Lu Jinlan said speechlessly, "Your information here is so outdated. She came back this morning, and my people went into the city with her. Did she go home to see her mother? Where is her old family home?"

Fang Qing said, "We don't know. None of us even know which way the old house's door faces. Since my wife doesn't say, we dare not say anything more."

"Alright, you guys have fun. When you see her, tell her I've been here."

Lu Jinlan rode back to his residence, and by evening, he received the imperial edict before anyone else arrived.

Having already gained experience from receiving imperial decrees twice before, Lu Jinlan was quite composed this time. Xi Mo led his men to set up an incense table, and Lu Jinlan and the imperial decree-bearer Zeng Ying sat down to drink tea and chat.

"Lord Zeng, could you tell me what reward His Majesty bestowed upon me?"

Zeng Ying smiled and said, "Lord Lu is truly wise. He already knows the gist of it before the imperial edict has even been read."

Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "To be honest, I did make some contributions in Beizhou. Otherwise, why would the First Princess have been willing to reward me with her snow-white and shiny Akhal-Teke horse? Now that the Imperial Envoy has returned to report, His Majesty is going to bestow rewards, and I think I should be included."

"Yes, not only you, but also two other special envoys."

Lu Jinlan suddenly realized, "I was wondering why I couldn't find them after searching all around. Did they go to the palace?"

"I went in, and when I came out, Special Envoy Xiang had just received his reward."

Lu Jinlan asked excitedly, "Did she have an audience with the Emperor? What reward did she receive?"

"His Majesty summoned almost all of these people individually today, and I have no idea what they discussed. All I know is that His Majesty rewarded her with a yellow riding jacket, a thousand taels of silver, and granted her the privilege of studying at the Hanlin Academy."

Lu Jinlan was taken aback for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Lord Zeng, I don't understand the rules here. Could you please explain them to me? Tell me, since the Emperor has spoken, why doesn't he grant Ruzhen an official position? Studying at the Hanlin Academy doesn't come with any rank, title, or salary. Isn't that just working for free?"

Zeng Ying shook her head repeatedly and laughed, "I say, Lord Lu, you really are out of touch with reality. Do you think everyone is like you, getting an official title so quickly, and even reaching the fourth rank? Do you know how difficult it is for ordinary people to go from graduating from the academy to being selected for the Six Ministries? Even after being selected for the Six Ministries, you start from the lowest-ranking and busiest position. To be promoted to the fifth rank in two or three years is already considered to be both good at interpersonal relationships and lucky. Ordinary students who have only been enrolled for half a year want to become officials? That's more like a dream."

Lu Jinlan said "Oh," and then added, "I see."

She had always felt that her rank of fourth-grade cavalry captain was too low, but now it seemed high enough. This was already an exceptional appointment made by the Emperor out of consideration for Song Jingxiao.

As they talked, the incense table was already prepared. Lu Jinlan led her entire family to kneel down to receive the imperial decree, and Zeng Ying read out the emperor's bestowal of titles and honors upon her.

The Emperor renamed the royal villa in the eastern suburbs of the capital as Zhongyong Garden and bestowed it upon Lu Jinlan, also awarding him a yellow riding jacket.

Upon hearing the words "So be it," Lu Jinlan abruptly looked up. "That's all?"

Zeng Ying smiled, "Lord Lu, what more do you want? That's a royal villa, it's huge. If the Emperor didn't bestow it upon you, no matter how much money you have, you wouldn't be able to live there. I've been to that garden once; it was just renovated at the beginning of the year. Everything inside is of fine quality. I'm taking it with you; I didn't specifically write it on the imperial edict, otherwise I wouldn't finish reading it until tomorrow. Originally, the Emperor planned to live there himself when he had time, but now that he sees your great merit, he's parted with it to bestow upon you. No one else has it; this is truly a great favor from the Emperor."

Lu Jinlan sighed, thinking that the emperor was strangely stingy. She had helped the royal family cut off one of the Ling family's wings, recovered 400,000 taels of official silver, and reduced the Ling family's army by 100,000.

It turned out that the old woman was a reincarnation of a miser; she wouldn't give him any money, nor would she offer him any official position. The yellow jacket was just so-so, not particularly attractive, and had to be carefully preserved.

However, that garden still has some use. A few days ago, she was thinking about how to pick up the bride if the wedding was held in the capital. Should she buy another house or something? This time it's much easier. From the current Lu residence to Zhongyong Garden, we have a new house.

"Your subject Lu Jinlan receives the imperial decree and thanks Your Majesty for your great favor."

Zeng Ying helped her up, and Lu Jinlan said, "I brought back some local specialties from Beizhou. They're nothing valuable, just local flavors that are hard to find in the capital. I've heard that Lord Zeng loves good food, so we share the same taste. Please accept them."

Zeng Ying carried the package, beaming with joy. Having worked in the Inner Court, she wasn't naive. She had neither interest in nor the inappropriateness to accept ordinary gold and jade items. However, Lu Jinlan had catered to her tastes; she genuinely loved to eat. She wasn't afraid of being accused of bribery if she accepted these preserved meats, dried vegetables, and pastries.

Grateful, Zeng Ying pulled Lu Jinlan aside and gave her a few more pointers.

“My sister is an honest person, so I’ll say a few more words. The Beizhou case is already an ironclad case. The joint trial by the three judicial departments is just a formality, and the case will be closed in the next couple of days. Think about it, at this time, the Emperor bestowed the Loyal and Brave Garden upon you, not because of the size or quality of the garden, but because of the title. Those 100,000 troops are already in General Song’s hands. Can the Emperor take them back? In General Song’s hands, won’t they all be yours in the future? You’re only seventeen. If we give you too many favors now, how can we bestow favors on you in the future?”

Lu Jinlan suddenly realized that she had previously thought the Emperor would definitely try to get the 100,000 troops back from the Ling family. But Zeng Ying's words made her realize that the 100,000 men were already in Song Jingxiao's hands. If the Emperor specifically asked for them back, it would seem as if he didn't trust Song Jingxiao. Although her mother-in-law wasn't as ambitious as Ling Zhijing, she wasn't easy to deal with either.

The Ling family is so arrogant now; if the Emperor wants to bring them down, he can't do it alone. He must rely on the troops under Song Jingxiao's command. While it's necessary to prevent a potential threat, how can one deal with an even more ferocious lion without first raising one?

Of course, the emperor kept the tiger under strict supervision. Otherwise, why would he have specifically renamed the villa "Loyalty and Bravery Garden"? It was practically like he was nagging, "You must be loyal to me!"

Song Jingxiao is getting old and has no daughter, so the Emperor's reprimands fall on Lu Jinlan.

Lu Jinlan realized that Yan Wuxin was right; the royal family members were indeed as cunning as sieves. She hadn't thought things through enough when she accidentally wandered into the imperial family's residence.

Thinking of this, Lu Jinlan said to Zeng Ying, "Thank you for your guidance, sister. I am young and inexperienced and couldn't figure out the intricacies of this place. Fortunately, you reminded me. I will remember your kindness. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need my help in the future, so that I can do my best to help you."

After the two talked for a while, Lu Jinlan personally saw them off.

Lu Jinlan stood at the front door, with Song Lincheng following behind her. Seeing that she seemed lost in thought, he asked, "Is something wrong?"

Lu Jinlan shook her head. "It's nothing. By the way, if our family gets any special delicacies in the future, remember to send a portion to Lord Zeng's residence. She loves these kinds of foods."

Song Lincheng said, "I've noted it down. From now on, you can leave these social obligations to me. You don't need to worry about them. This Lady Zeng looks kind. Are you interested in getting to know her?"

Lu Jinlan nodded. "She has served in the Inner Court for many years and is quite experienced. Things that I can't figure out even after thinking about them for a long time, she can explain in just a few words."

Song Lincheng smiled and said, "What are you comparing yourself to her for? How old are you compared to her? Besides, she works in the Inner Court, so she naturally knows the ins and outs of the place over time. But if she were to handle the case in Beizhou, she might not even have a clue yet. You, Lu Jinlan, are now recognized as resourceful and intelligent, how can the people in the Inner Court compare to you? It's just that you haven't entered officialdom yet and haven't figured out the ways of the game."

Seeing Lin Cheng's proud expression, she thought to herself: Your filter for me is now ten thousand meters thick.

Lu Jinlan smiled and put her arm around his waist. Recalling the story of "Zou Ji Advises King Qi to Accept Criticism" that she had studied, she couldn't help but laugh and say, "My husband's praise of me is out of personal affection."

She hooked her arm around Rin's neck and kissed the corner of his mouth.

Rin Cheng was startled. "This is the main entrance. Someone will see us."

Lu Jinlan: "So what if I saw it? Let's see who dares to stop me?"

"Ahem!" Someone coughed.

Xiang Ruzhen, carrying a handful of things, looked at the two of them with a smile, "Lord Lu, in broad daylight, this is indecent."

Rin Cheng's ears turned red. "You guys chat, I'm going back to my room first."

Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "You little rascal, Xiang Ruzhen, you're meddling in my home now. With all these bags and bundles, where are you going?"

"I've been coming to your house all the time, always freeloading off you and Wuxin. Today I've received a reward, so of course I'm celebrating with you."

Lu Jinlan quickly took the two jars of wine from her hands, "Then we must savor this wine properly tonight, and not leave until we're drunk."

She instructed the doorman, "Go to Young Madam Yan's private residence and invite her to our mansion."

Xiang Ruzhen stopped her, saying, "She should go home; you can't catch her at her private residence. But there's no need to call her; she'll be here soon anyway."

The two handed over the things Xiang Ruzhen had bought to the kitchen staff to prepare, and then went to the front hall to have some tea.

After not seeing each other for a few days, they had so much to say to each other that they eagerly took turns talking.

Lu Jinlan said anxiously, "Don't talk about what happened on the way. I just heard that the Emperor summoned you and Wuxin alone. I was really worried. Your Highness, why didn't you mention me? You should have asked me to go with you to meet the Emperor. I also wanted to go to the palace and see the Emperor."

Xiang Ruzhen waved her hands repeatedly, saying with a troubled expression, "You should be glad you didn't go. Guess what? We entered the city this morning, and it's already evening. How come I'm only getting here now?"

Lu Jinlan was taken aback. "What's wrong? Are there many rules in the palace?"

Xiang Ruzhen sighed, "After we entered the city, Lord Cui said that she would first take the silver to the national treasury to settle the account, and then send the criminals to the Ministry of Justice prison. At this time, His Highness said that according to the rules, everyone should go to the palace together to report. Wu Xin and I were thinking at the time, why isn't Lord Cui with us?"

Lu Jinlan said, "Anyway, it's a separate meeting, so not being together won't make a difference."

Xiang Ruzhen said helplessly, "No, from the moment we entered the palace gate, we waited outside Fengtian Gate for the imperial decree. When we got there, we saw twenty or thirty officials kneeling, all of whom had returned from various places to await the decree. Wuxin and I knelt behind them, but the eldest princess didn't have to; she had already gone home. Seeing so many people, she said she estimated she would have to wait two or three hours, so she went back to bathe and change."

"She left, ignoring Wuxin and me. There were some kind of bas-reliefs of demons and monsters carved on the ground at Fengtian Gate, and we were kneeling on them like we were being tortured. She didn't even give us water or a cushion. Wuxin was so angry that she was fuming, and she muttered and cursed at me for a long time until her lips were dry."

"Around noon, the eldest princess sent someone to bring us a bowl of porridge. The person said that the emperor had already summoned His Highness and it would be our turn soon. We drank the porridge and continued to wait. When almost everyone had left, Lord Cui arrived. She was experienced; she calmly handed over two matters, ate lunch, took a nap, and then came. Just then, it was her turn. Can you believe it?"

Lu Jinlan sighed, "You two are too honest. You knelt there obediently for almost a whole day. Wasn't that just suffering? Wuxin usually has a lot of clever ideas, so why didn't you dare to use them when it came to the crucial moment?"

Xiang Ruzhen rubbed her knees and said helplessly, "This is our first time meeting the Emperor. We're all very nervous. Who would dare to play any tricks on His Majesty?"

“You can’t just kneel there. Say you’re going to the outhouse, find a place in the Imperial Garden to sleep. With your skills, you won’t be discovered. Or go find the First Princess. You’re in the same dormitory, after all. Does she think she can just ignore you? If she abandons you, go find her. I don’t believe she’ll kick you out if you ask her for a cup of tea and a rest.”

Xiang Ruzhen chuckled, "Compared to you, we're both honest people. How could we dare to be so presumptuous in the palace? I should have called you along. We wouldn't have suffered for so long. We only managed to say a few words after we went in. The Emperor had a lot of rules and wasn't allowed to look up. I only glanced at him halfway through. Anyway, the Emperor has a nose and eyes, and he looks similar to us."

As Xiang Ruzhen finished speaking, she gulped down another half cup of tea. Lu Jinlan quickly said, "It's all because of inexperience. It won't happen again next time."

"Yes, the Emperor asked me what my plans were for the future. I said I wanted to gain more experience so that I could better serve the court. So the Emperor granted me a place to study at the Hanlin Academy and also rewarded me with a thousand taels of silver and a yellow riding jacket."

Lu Jinlan nodded and said, "I reckon the eldest princess has mentioned us to the emperor quite a bit. Judging from the rewards, they vary from person to person. She gave you money because she thinks you can use it. She gave me a house because she guessed I could use it. So what do you think she would give Wuxin?"

Xiang Ruzhen said, "Unfortunately, I was behind her in line. I was sent out after my audience with the emperor, and I don't know what reward she received."

Before he could finish speaking, the doorman rushed over to report, "Young Master, Young Madam Yan has arrived."

Yan Wuxin moved with lightning speed, as if she were returning home, without waiting for any announcement. Clutching the imperial edict in her hand, she strode into the courtyard, and upon seeing the two figures in the distance, she exclaimed repeatedly, "I'm so angry! I'm so angry!"

The two men asked with a smile, "Why aren't you happy about the reward? Tell us, what good thing did His Majesty give you?"

Yan Wuxin frowned and threw the imperial edict on the table. "You can see for yourselves."

-----------------------

Author's Note: First, this time Lu Jinlan learned from her experience and bought a large piece of white jade, asking the shop owner to make a large box of hairpins for her to use as spares. The white jade hairpins were bought wholesale.

Second, Qilang's strengths may not be what you think, but I dare not go into details. It is inconvenient to say here. Please refer to the announcement.