Chapter 41 It won't be long before she's promoted to an official position, and you probably won't be able to climb that ladder...

In early autumn, the air is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms.

A major event has occurred in Chang'an.

When Emperor Xiaokang returned to the capital from the south, he immediately issued an edict appointing Lou Yan, the wife of the former Marquis of Chenghua and a merchant's daughter, as the Director of the Court of State Ceremonial Affairs.

The imperial edict shocked the court and the public.

How could a woman be allowed to hold office? Many people frowned and protested coldly, and even more rumors spread that she had used dirty methods to interfere in politics. In an instant, rumors and gossip were like cold arrows.

Lou Yanxu purchased a house in Chang'an. It had green tiles and red eaves, carved beams and embroidered doors. It wasn't very big, but it was small yet complete. The corridors, courtyards, pavilions and bridges were exquisite and elegant, and the pond in the courtyard reflected the sun like a jade plate.

That day, she sat in the pavilion watching the fish play, lost in thought.

The emperor did not intend for her to rise through the ranks from a minor official position, but rather to place her in the position of Director of the Bureau of Guests, which was not merely a matter of filling a vacancy arbitrarily. This position was subject to both superiors and subordinates, and the resistance she would encounter was predictable. It is easy to dodge open attacks but difficult to guard against hidden ones. Perhaps how far she could stumble and fall along the way would determine how far the system of female officials could go.

A moment later, she ordered Qingrui to summon Yunbing, and then took out the remaining pearl ornaments and spread them out in front of her. "Now that I have been appointed to an official position, it is inconvenient for me to appear in public. You should sell all the rest of these."

Yun Bing carefully put the package away and then asked, "Would you like to buy another batch?"

"No need."

He looked at the fish frolicking in the pond and nodded to himself, "My sister thinks that now that someone else is selling them, they're not as valuable as before."

Things are always valued for their scarcity, and everyone wants to get involved in a way that makes money, so prices will inevitably drop. Yun Bing suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Recently, many people have come to the capital. If we use this money to buy houses and rent them out, we can probably make a profit again."

Lou Yanxu smiled and said, "You're thinking the same thing." There are many ways to make money in this world. If one way doesn't work, you can try another. This is a principle that her father taught her since she was a child.

Although Yun Bing did not grow up under his parents' care, he had the blood of the Lou family flowing through his veins, and immediately began to boast, "We were born into the Lou family, so we are not lacking in the desire to make money."

Lou Yanxu laughed heartily. She gazed at the boundless sky and firmly believed that the days to come would only get better.

The next day, Lou Yanxu ran into Lu Hengzhi while she was out. He was now much better and looked refreshed. Perhaps because of this incident, she became a little closer to him.

The two leaned against the carriage and talked. He stared at her, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "Congratulations on being appointed a lady-in-waiting. How about I host a banquet at Yunxiangzhai to celebrate for you?"

She no longer felt any affection for her savior and would not reject him as before. She also thought that perhaps by interacting with more people, she would eventually forget those infatuated past relationships.

These are turbulent times, and it's not good to make too much of a public appearance. However, since he mentioned hosting a banquet, Lou Yanxu thought about it for a moment and suggested, "Why don't you come to my residence? I have no way to repay the life-saving grace you showed me that day, so I'll prepare a few delicacies to express my gratitude."

"That's good." It doesn't matter where he goes, as long as he can be by her side. Lu Hengzhi could sense that she had changed, and with his unwavering determination, he was able to get what he wanted.

As agreed, Lu Hengzhi arrived at the mansion around noon that day, and was led in. He was greeted by the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms and saw a few servants sweeping and cleaning.

Lou Yunbing, upon learning of Lu Heng's arrival, remained silent for several hours. Now, he squatted by the Haitang Gate, broom in hand, muttering to himself, "I thought I'd be happy and peaceful after marrying that Marquis Chenghua's son, but he turned out to be a man-eater. Now, another damned heir, high-ranking and powerful, who's the kind of person who'd care for anyone..."

Muttering to himself, he caught a glimpse of a wealthy figure out of the corner of his eye. With a sweep of his broom, he tripped Lu Hengzhi, causing him to stumble. Lou Yanxu saw this and snatched the broom from him, sweeping it at his calf. He was so frightened that he ran away in all directions. In the end, she only let him go when she was tired of running.

How dare you be so rude! Lou Yanxu was so angry she wanted to devour him.

Lu Hengzhi stepped between the two, preventing the farce from escalating. He then pointed at Yun Bing and asked, "Who is he...?" He had seen Yun Bing in Jiaozhou before, but seeing his intimate behavior with Lou Yanxu, he didn't dare to ask any more questions. He never expected that the two would be living in the same house.

Lou Yanxu explained breathlessly, "He is my long-lost twin brother."

Upon hearing this, Lu Hengzhi breathed a sigh of relief and extended his hand to Yun Bing, saying, "I am Lu Hengzhi."

However, he was a stubborn boy who refused to back down, leaving the other's hand frozen in mid-air. Lou Yanxu couldn't stand it any longer and scolded him, "Yun Bing, don't be rude."

At this time of day, he would usually be bowing his head and trying to please, but today he gritted his teeth, his face cold, and snorted, "Everyone is coveting my older sister, why should I give them a pleasant look!"

His words caused a slight embarrassment to appear on the faces of the other two. Lou Yanxu could tell that he was worried about her, but these were private words spoken behind closed doors. It was unacceptable to be rude to guests, so she scolded him, "If you can't speak properly, then get out."

Hearing this, he listened, glared at Lu Hengzhi, and slunk away.

Lou Yanxu looked helplessly at his retreating figure and said, "Ignore him."

“It’s alright, he’s not wrong.” Lu Hengzhi looked down at her, a clear smile on his lips.

Lou Yanxu pretended not to understand and turned her head away without showing any emotion. She knew that gratitude and love should not be confused, and that she would have to make things clear with him after repaying this debt of gratitude.

At noon, the banquet began, and a cup of fine wine was served. The two drank together, one expressing gratitude for being saved, and the other wishing for a smooth official career. They talked at length and had a great time.

Lou Yanxu finished her glass of wine and accidentally choked, spilling a little from the corner of her mouth. Upon seeing this, Lu Hengzhi hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief to wipe it away, startling her so much that she leaned back instantly. An awkward silence filled the air as she forced a smile, took the handkerchief, and wiped herself clean.

Lu Hengzhi felt embarrassed as his hand went empty. He then noticed a patch of saffron spreading from the back of her neck to her collarbone. He grabbed her hand, which she had been covering her chest, and asked, "Why is there another rash?" He remembered that she had a rash once when she was in Xiangzhou, and had received treatment at Yinlou. He had never heard her mention it again.

"Perhaps it's because I haven't been back to Chang'an for a long time and I'm not quite used to it yet." Lou Yanxu didn't take it to heart either. He watched the rash spread and became increasingly anxious, so he ordered his attendant to fetch a doctor. However, she was a woman of her word and refused firmly, "No need, it's nothing serious, I know what I'm doing."

Lu Hengzhi couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he had to give up. In the end, he was still worried, so he instructed her, "If anything seems amiss, feel free to tell me."

"Okay," she replied, then noticed his lips curl into a wide smile, and asked in confusion, "What are you smiling about?"

He remained silent, only stroking his abdominal wound, a sweet feeling welling up in his heart. Thankfully, he had encountered Qingrui halfway there that day and learned of Lou Yanxu's predicament, which led to her current peaceful and unrepulsive attitude towards him. This wound was truly worthwhile!

In the end, Qingrui took it to heart and cooked a dose of medicine according to the prescription given by Yinlou Liushuang, which barely relieved Lou Yanxu's itching.

As the golden light filled the sky and the evening glow shone like wisps of smoke, the two left the mansion and walked side by side across Zhuque Avenue. They saw jade carriages crisscrossing the streets and heard scholars and poets reciting poems and composing verses. It was truly a beautiful and moving scene.

Pedestrians hurried by, vendors hawked their wares, and occasionally a few young children would playfully chase each other. In the chaos, Lou Yanxu was bumped and fell to the side, but fortunately Lu Hengzhi caught her and prevented her from falling. "Be careful."

The man's cool, pine-like aura pressed down on her, making her feel uncomfortable. She tried to get up, but Lu Hengzhi took her hand without hesitation, saying, "There are many people here, don't get separated."

He didn't give her a chance to react. His warm palms touched, and he stretched the corners of his mouth outwards, revealing his white teeth. He then pulled her straight to the end of the street.

At this moment, at the end of Zhuque Street, Xu Congjing sat by the window brewing tea, taking in the entire street scene.

Wen Jie sat opposite him and, seeing his gloomy face and bad mood, made his usual sarcastic remark, "There are women around Lady Lou with better family backgrounds than you, and women younger than you. How can you compare to them?"

Xu Congjing tapped his fingers on the jade millstone, paused upon hearing this, and glanced at him with a mournful expression. How could he not know who Wen Jie was referring to? In terms of family background, he could not compare to Lu Hengzhi, but he was still a favorite of the Crown Prince. In terms of age, he was not as young as that young man... What was so good about being young? With delicate skin and tender flesh, how could he protect her?

Thinking this way, he probably wasn't that bad.

But then Wen Jie added insult to injury, "Now that she has been appointed a female official and has a fortune, it won't be long before you can't even reach her level."

Xu Congjing snorted inwardly. If she could gain a foothold in the officialdom and set a precedent for women serving as officials, that would be excellent. As for whether she could climb the social ladder or not, she could simply use all of Xu's family's wealth to become a live-in son-in-law. If she still refused, she would pester him relentlessly, even if it meant sacrificing her dignity.

In short, he will not, will not give up on her.

Finally, he glanced at Wen Jie sideways and said, "You should take care of yourself. You only dare to steal a few glances at your sweetheart when she comes back. In the future, she will become a female general in the court. How will you ever be able to reach her?" If Lou Yanxu's journey goes smoothly, there should be women who participate in the military examinations and join the army in the future. Given Wan Qing'an's talent and family background, it is not impossible for her to become a general.

“I don’t need to climb up to her.” Wen Jie took a sip of tea and turned his head away, his voice hoarse. “We are teacher and student. She is young and doesn’t know any better, but I can’t let her be criticized by the world.”

Xu Congjing snatched the cup of tea back and ruthlessly exposed him, saying, "Hypocritical, cowardly, and incompetent."

"Stupid, ignorant, cowardly." Wen Jie kicked him in the calf and uttered those six words.

At first glance, his eyes lit up, and his gloating voice rose considerably, "Look, look, they're already holding hands. If I don't pursue you now, I won't have a single chance left."

Xu Congjing took a look and it was indeed true!

Lou Yanxu's hand was wrapped by Lu Hengzhi as they ran aimlessly through the crowd.

His breathing suddenly quickened, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins bulged, and jealousy, regret, and anger surged into his heart. He wanted to take her back to his mansion and hide her away.

With a "snap," he pushed open the door and chased after her.