Chapter 31 Heartfelt Joy. Quiet down, Ah Zhu.

Just as he expected.

That night, after finishing military affairs in his study, Lu Songyuan washed up and went to his bedchamber.

Before the entrance to the sleeping quarters, Ayan and Ayu stood on either side of the door, like two door gods, firmly guarding the entrance.

As he approached, the two looked over at the same time, their faces filled with indignation, and then bowed to him.

"This servant greets the General. May the General be well."

After the ceremony, before Lu Songyuan could speak, Ayu said first, "General, our princess is not feeling well today and has retired early. Please do not disturb her tonight."

That tone is exactly the same as Jing Hui's.

"Ayu!"

After gently scolding her, Ayan stepped forward and said, "Please forgive her, General. She was just too worried about the princess, and her tone was harsh."

It was a good thing for a servant to protect her master, and Lu Songyuan had no intention of blaming her.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

You know perfectly well why you're asking this!

Ayu didn't answer, but Ayan said, "The princess caught a chill from the cold wind when she went out during the day and has a headache. She has already taken her medicine and gone to sleep, so General, there's no need to worry."

"Yeah?"

Lu Songyuan glanced at the shadow on the window, which was shaking its head and making no attempt to hide its presence, and sighed softly.

It's good that you're alright.

"In that case, I'll sleep in the study tonight."

"Respectfully seeing off the general."

Lu Qingyue pushed the wheelchair from behind and walked to the corner. A loud sneeze came from inside the room.

Lu Songyuan turned around and saw Ayu and Ayan running into the house together.

Lu Qingyue knew what was going on between Lu Songyuan and Lu Songyuan as soon as she saw the wound on his lip.

Hearing Jing Hui's voice, he asked in confusion, "Is the princess in trouble or not?"

Push me over there.

Lu Songyuan said in a deep voice.

Just as the two of them turned their wheelchairs around, the dormitory door slammed shut.

Immediately afterwards, Jing Hui's voice came through, "Close the door, block the windows, and send two more people to guard the place tonight."

"..."

Lu Songyuan's face instantly darkened, and Lu Qingyue behind him held back for a long time, his face turning red, but he still couldn't hold it in.

"Pfft, hahahaha."

Lu Songyuan turned around coldly, "Do you want to die?"

As he spoke, the wounds on his upper and lower lips became more and more obvious. Lu Qingyue waved his hands repeatedly, knowing the answer but asking, "No, no, no. Pfft, General, what did you do to offend the princess during the day? You can't even go back to your bedchamber."

"If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute."

Lu Songyuan glanced at the extinguished lights in the bedchamber, listened to the sounds inside gradually quieting down from the chaos of battle, and said in a low voice, "Take me to the study."

"yes."

Lu Qingyue pushed Lu Songyuan toward the study. Along the way, the man in front of them had a dark face as if he wanted to kill someone. Lu Qingyue only glanced at him and dared not ask any more questions.

Upon reaching the study door, the wheelchair rolled over the sloping threshold and came to a stop inside.

Lu Qingyue called two trusted men to guard the door, then retreated inside and closed the door. Turning around, he saw that the person in the wheelchair had already gotten up and was walking towards the table.

He was tall and imposing, with shoulders that were even more upright than when he was sitting. His back was straight as a pine tree, and his legs were long and straight. His only shortcoming was that he walked slowly.

Yes, Lu Songyuan is not like the rumors suggest, with his legs completely broken and unable to walk.

"General!"

Lu Qingyue quickly called out, strode forward to support his arm, helped him sit in a chair, poured him a cup of hot tea, and then began to nag.

"Uncle Qin said that walking is not advisable in winter, otherwise you will develop a chronic illness. Do you want to be a cripple?"

On that day, Lu Songyuan was wounded in both legs by a poisoned arrow on the battlefield. After the battle, dozens of military doctors and civilian doctors were consulted, but no one could do anything about it.

Everyone said that the poison was extremely potent and spread very quickly; it was a miracle that they survived.

Lu Songyuan had once given up on himself, but later, by a twist of fate, he learned that the poison he was in was the same one that had killed his mother. He changed his dejected state and started taking medicine and getting acupuncture every day. He learned to control his wheelchair and even asked someone to find ancient books to learn the martial arts that disabled people learned in ancient times.

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck, but one day when Lu Songyuan was looking for books in a bookstore in the Northern Border City, he happened to see a thief robbing a refined middle-aged man. Lu Qingyue stepped in to save him, only to find that the man was actually a traveling physician who was most skilled at treating difficult and complicated diseases.

Under his treatment, Lu Songyuan's body was cleared of a lot of poison, but his leg had been hit hard by an arrow. It would probably take a year or more to fully heal the broken tendons and bones and clear the remaining poison.

This matter was not made public, and since he was about to return to the capital, the court's attitude towards him was not friendly. Therefore, he directly told the outside world that his leg was completely broken, and only close relatives knew about it.

Lu Songyuan picked up his teacup, drank it to cool down, and said, "You're so long-winded."

Lu Qingyue thought to herself, "You don't listen to my nagging?" Then she poured him another cup of hot tea and brought him some food.

After Lu Songyuan ate a quick meal and drank a bowl of dark medicine, Lu Qingyue came in carrying a foot bath tub that was about knee-high.

The bucket was filled with rare medicinal herbs that itinerant doctors had found. Lu Songyuan soaked his feet in it, and the water overflowed up to his knees, dispelling the sore and stuffy feeling.

Before coming to the capital, Lu Qingyue had learned acupuncture from Uncle Qin.

After Lu Songyuan soaked in the hot water, he took the acupuncture kit and sat on the low stool next to Lu Songyuan.

He slowly inserted a thin needle into the acupoints on Lu Songyuan's thigh, observing Lu Songyuan's expression for any discomfort as he did so.

After dozens of needles were inserted, Lu Songyuan's legs were covered in sweat, and Lu Qingyue was also covered in sweat. He wiped his sweat, put away his things, and looked at the dripping water clock beside him.

"There's no rush today, General, please soak for half an hour," Lu Qingyue said.

Lu Songyuan responded absentmindedly. He leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment before taking the hairpin that Jing Hui had given him during the day off his head.

Under the light, the hairpin shone brightly, its glittering points reflecting in Lu Songyuan's eyes.

"you say……"

"What?"

Lu Songyuan had only uttered two words when he heard Lu Qingyue's anxious tone.

He looked down and saw the man resting his chin on his hand, his eyes shining, and his face full of anticipation.

"Get out."

Lu Songyuan thought to himself that he must be crazy, and wondered what to do with this young bachelor.

Lu Qingyue refused to leave, insisting on answering Lu Songyuan's question, "The hairpin in the general's hand was a gift from the princess, wasn't it?"

Lu Songyuan glanced at him and said, "Hmm."

"General, you angered the princess this afternoon. What should you do now?"

"Um."

"Could it be that the general has feelings for the princess...?"

Lu Qingyue, with his shifty eyes, glanced at the wound on Lu Songyuan's lip and asked, "You used your mouth? And then the princess bit you?"

Lu Songyuan glanced at him. "How did you know?"

Lu Qingyue thought to herself, "Your lips are practically bitten raw; only a fool wouldn't notice."

However, he dared not provoke this man and quickly said, "Just guessing, just guessing."

Lu Songyuan ignored him, looked at the hairpin for a while, and then played with it in his hands, placing it on his lap.

"Why was she so angry when I did what she depicted in the fire-avoidance chart she brought with her?"

Seeing Lu Songyuan's troubled expression, Lu Qingyue suppressed her laughter so hard her nostrils flared.

"Ahem, matters between husband and wife?"

"They just kissed."

Lu Qingyue glanced at the hairpin in Lu Songyuan's hand and asked, "You kissed the princess on your own initiative?"

Lu Songyuan glanced at Lu Qingyue with annoyance, "Hmm."

"Oh dear, General, the affairs of husband and wife are not something that can be done simply by becoming husband and wife."

Lu Songyuan frankly admitted, "I don't understand."

Lu Qingyue knew this, of course. He asked, "Why didn't you kiss the princess on your wedding night?"

"Not familiar with it."

"Then why kiss today?"

"hiss."

Lu Songyuan raised his hand and flicked his forehead, "Are you playing tongue twisters here?"

His hands were practically made of iron, which was what Lu Qingyue feared most. He saw stars from the flick, but still bravely asked, "Please tell me first."

"I don't know, I just want to kiss you."

Lu Songyuan carefully placed the hairpin on the table, picked up his teacup and took a sip. "If you say another word, get out."

"Ha ha."

Lu Qingyue jumped three feet high, leaping away from Lu Songyuan's side, "Because you've fallen for her! You admire the princess, which is why you couldn't help yourself when she gave you something!"

Heartfelt joy?

Lu Songyuan didn't understand; no one had ever taught him.

Lu Ting had more than a dozen concubines and never paid any attention to his mother. When he was young, he often saw his mother watching him dote on other women with tears in her eyes.

He had witnessed his mother's love for Lu Ting, but at the time he didn't understand how such painful things could be called love.

Then his family was destroyed, he wandered around, and then he joined the army.

In the military camp, good men are separated from their wives, and bachelors without wives usually frequent brothels. Lu Songyuan has never witnessed any earth-shattering marital affection.

"And the matters between husband and wife that I'm talking about mostly fall into two categories."

Lu Qingyue interrupted Lu Songyuan's thoughts and said, "If you marry according to your parents' wishes, the wife can be anyone. After marriage, you should follow the rules and do what husband and wife should do, so that your wife can carry on your family line. This is one thing. The second thing is to love one person and only want to grow old with her. Marry her and cherish her for a lifetime. At this time, the husband and wife's affairs are like climbing a spring terrace, a pleasure to the extreme."

Clearly, neither he nor Jing Hui fits either of these criteria.

However, Lu Songyuan knew clearly that if it were anyone else, he would never have acted this way.

"Xin Yue is only for her, she is moved by her, and she longs to be inseparable from her."

Lu Qingyue gloated, "General, you're finished!"

After listening, Lu Songyuan remained silent for a long time, staring at the hairpin on the table, before finally sighing.

She asked softly, "Is she angry today because she dislikes me?"

He recognized his own shortcomings, but failed to see Jing Hui clearly.

Aside from war, Lu Songyuan viewed everything else in the world with pessimism.

This little seed of love has just sprouted, and Lu Qingyue can't let it die out.

He quickly replied, "No. I observe that the princess is simple-minded when it comes to matters of the heart. She must have been frightened by you today. You should appease her first, and then you can gradually see through her thoughts in the future. Besides, judging from the way the princess has treated you in the past, she has never shown any dislike towards you!"

That's good.

Lu Songyuan was troubled. He rubbed his temples and asked, "How can I get her to forgive me?"

"No problem."

Lu Qingyue patted his chest and said, "Whatever the princess wants most right now, just present it to her."

What Jing Hui desires most.

Lu Songyuan blinked, realizing that the only thing left was to prevent Jingning from getting married.

"General, do you have any leads?"

Lu Qingyue moved closer to Lu Songyuan.

Why did King Rongxi suddenly send someone to arrange a marriage?

Aside from war, Lu Songyuan never interfered in the affairs of the small countries in the northern border.

Therefore, although he knew about Jingning's matter, he never asked about it.

"Our people say that the Empress Dowager sent three trusted confidants to infiltrate Rongxi Kingdom, to investigate some unknown matter. They were captured by the King of Rongxi. After killing one of them, the King of Rongxi sent his head to the palace. Upon seeing this, the Empress Dowager immediately sent someone to Rongxi, telling the King of Rongxi that he could say whatever he wanted, but that he must not touch one of the men. Seeing this, the King of Rongxi turned around and used this man to blackmail the Empress Dowager into marrying the princess to him."

"If this person can be used to blackmail the Empress Dowager, what is the background of this spy?"

"Without your orders, our men did not investigate further."

Lu Qingyue shook her head, "I just know that the Empress Dowager would rather marry a princess down than let this person be returned to his rightful owner."

"Investigate, this general needs to know."

Lu Songyuan said, "Also, go and find out tomorrow whether Rongxi King has specifically requested Jingning to go there."

"yes."

After finishing speaking and having completed the acupuncture, Lu Songyuan washed his feet, crawled into the cold bed, and sighed.

I want to kiss her, hug her, and fall asleep burying my face in her neck...

Thinking about all this made his skin start to itch again.

Lu Songyuan touched the wound on his lip, thought for a long time, and then said, "Go and buy me ten candied hawthorns tomorrow."

Lu Qingyue, carrying the foot bath tub out, paused for a moment, then replied helplessly, "Yes—"

-

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Jinghui finally woke up.

She slept soundly through the night, without the annoying iron arms restraining her. She rolled around freely on the large bed, having slept a truly sweet night. The annoying menstrual period was over, and Jing Hui stretched lazily on the bed, her body undulating like a mountain, her face covered with a smile.

"woke up?"

A deep, hoarse voice came from the window, "Are you hungry?"

"?"

Jing Hui turned her head sharply and saw, through the gauze curtain, a tall figure sitting upright on the bed in the bedroom, holding a book and looking at her.

Who else could it be but Lu Songyuan?

Jing Hui's smile immediately froze on her face. She pulled the blanket over herself and asked angrily, "How did you get in?"

Lu Songyuan had been watching her movements, and his eyes darkened. "The doors and windows are open, why can't I come in?"

"you!"

Jing Hui sat up, pulled back the gauze curtain, and saw the wound on Lu Songyuan's mouth. Remembering what happened yesterday, she became even angrier.

"This is my bedroom. Get out."

Lu Songyuan remained silent. Jing Hui only saw him silently sit in his wheelchair, then fiddle with the mechanism to come to the bedside, stretch out his long arm, hang up the bed curtains on both sides, and then sit in front of the bed looking at her.

What are you doing?

Lu Songyuan's gaze was somewhat frightening. Jing Hui clutched the blanket to her chest and silently took a step back.

Lu Songyuan apologized directly, "I'm sorry about yesterday."

Is an apology enough?

Jing Hui clenched his fist. "My mouth still hurts!"

After speaking, Jing Hui noticed the wound on Lu Songyuan's lip and paused abruptly.

It seems she bit harder...

Jing Hui looked away, thinking to himself that he was the one who spoke first, and he deserved it.

Lu Songyuan nodded and asked, "What do you want?"

Now is the time to bring up Jingning's matter, but Jinghui can't see Ayu and Ayan anywhere, inside or outside the house. Afraid of being bitten by Lu Songyuan again, she said, "I need to get out of bed and go to the clean room. You are not allowed to touch me, and I will consider forgiving you."

"good."

Lu Songyuan responded while tilting his wheelchair to the side.

"you go."

Seeing how readily he agreed, Jing Hui looked at him suspiciously. But when she saw that Lu Songyuan looked completely at ease, Jing Hui sidled up to the bedside, put on her shoes, and prepared to run out.

She had just stood up when her wrist was grabbed.

"Um!"

Jing Hui flicked her wrist. "You're untrustworthy. Hmm—"

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Songyuan pulled her onto his lap and hugged her tightly.

"you!"

Jing Hui struggled to pat Lu Songyuan's shoulder, "Lu Songyuan, you big liar!"

Lu Songyuan said softly, "Be quiet, Azhu."

"No, hiss—"

My earlobe was sucked in my mouth and then gently sucked on by the tip of my tongue.

Jing Hui was almost in tears, "Let go of me..."

"Don't move, let me hug you."

Lu Songyuan released Jing Hui's earlobe, hugged her tightly in his arms, pressed his nose against the side of Jing Hui's neck, and took a few deep breaths, as if the emptiness in his chest was finally filled.

Last night, his feelings were clear. He, who had never dreamed for years, woke up several times to change his clothes. The person in his dream aroused him with desire. Lu Songyuan almost couldn't resist several times and wanted to climb in through the window to find Jing Hui.

"Lu Songyuan".

A mist welled up in Jing Hui's eyes, and she bit Lu Songyuan's shoulder. "I really don't want to talk to you anymore!"