Chapter 8 Don't move. You're hurting me.

In bed, unable to walk and unarmed, he was practically a lab rat at Jing Hui's mercy.

By the moonlight streaming through the window, Jing Hui saw a hint of anger in Lu Songyuan's eyes.

She suppressed a laugh, tightened her grip on Lu Songyuan's shoulder, and deliberately leaned forward, saying, "Speak."

This action brought the two closer together, and the fragrance Jing Hui exhaled as she spoke filled Lu Songyuan's face.

He swallowed hard, tilted his head, and said, "I'm a restless sleeper and I'm afraid I might accidentally crush Your Highness at night. You can sleep in the next room."

"Separate rooms on the first day of marriage?"

Jing Hui sat up slightly. "Do you believe I'll go and complain to Father Emperor?"

As soon as she said that, Lu Songyuan stopped moving.

She simply gripped the blanket with both hands placed at her sides.

I don't know where I'm sitting, it's really uncomfortable.

Jing Hui swayed, thinking to herself that she hadn't seen anything hanging from Lu Songyuan's waist in his nightgown.

She wanted to turn her head to look, but fearing that Lu Songyuan would take advantage of her unpreparedness to launch a sneak attack, she had no choice but to reach behind her.

Jing Hui frowned as he touched something soft and hard.

Before he could investigate further, Lu Songyuan grabbed Jing Hui's wrist. "Your Highness!"

Jing Hui's other hand slipped as he was pulled, and she ended up lying face down on his chest, bumping her cheek and hurting.

The sound of his heartbeat was right next to her ear. Jing Hui tried to get up, but Lu Songyuan held her wrist tightly and wouldn't let go.

"Don't move."

Lu Songyuan's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Why..."

Jing Hui struggled for a moment, then suddenly remembered the fire-avoidance diagram and realized where he was sitting. His body suddenly froze.

"Let me go!"

Lu Songyuan was afraid she would move around, so he still refused to let go.

Jing twisted her wrist and said aggrievedly, "You hurt me."

Lu Songyuan was stunned for a moment, then let go of his hand.

To prevent Jing Hui from moving around, he quickly put his hands under her arms after letting go, lifting her up like a child so that she sat on his stomach.

Feeling manipulated like a child, Jing Hui placed her hands on Lu Songyuan's chest and angrily said, "Lu Songyuan!"

"Um."

From Lu Songyuan's perspective, Jing Hui was sitting on his lap, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, the moonlight behind her seemingly draping her in a thin veil.

Because of the commotion earlier, the collar of her nightgown was slightly open, making her features blurry and difficult to see clearly, but her bright peach blossom eyes were glaring at him.

Lu Songyuan felt increasingly hot at his waist. He had never met anyone as "troublesome" as Jing Hui. You couldn't talk to him, you couldn't touch him, and he would get angry if you provoked him even slightly.

Right now, she's like a rabbit whose ears have been grabbed, flailing its arms and legs, its eyes red as it tries to bite.

Lu Songyuan's patience ran out, and he tightened his grip on Jing Hui's waist.

"It's late at night. After a long day, isn't Your Highness tired?"

"let go!"

Jing Hui patted Lu Songyuan's hand and said, "I can't compare to how tired you used to be, having people run to the Brocade Palace every day!"

Lu Songyuan released her grip, and Jing Hui took a few deep breaths. Without Lu Songyuan's restraint, she wanted to do something else.

Lu Songyuan grasped Jing Hui's hand at the opportune moment, his voice low and husky, "Rest."

"On your wedding night, you're already like this... how can you possibly rest?"

Jing Hui wore a malicious smile. "I know you're not feeling well, so I've already learned how to have sex. You can just lie there and not move."

As she spoke, she lifted her hips and moved back. Judging from Lu Songyuan's posture, he wouldn't touch her tonight, so Jing Hui naturally wouldn't serve him.

Doing it like that is pure torture.

Her legs pressed against his waist and abdomen, inch by inch, and just as their bodies were about to touch again, Lu Songyuan still didn't move.

Now Jing Hui was in a bit of a predicament. She stole a glance at Lu Songyuan, and in the moonlight, she saw that the corners of his lips were curled up, as if he found Jing Hui's actions amusing.

Fortunately, I calmly asked her, "Do you really know what to do?"

"certainly!"

Jing Hui was immediately annoyed. She gritted her teeth and tried to sit down.

A pair of large hands supported her buttocks, pulling her back to his chest, his large palms pressing on her back to restrain her movements.

Lu Songyuan said jokingly, "Your Highness, do you know what an old saying from military strategists goes?"

Jing Hui nestled against Lu Songyuan's chest, the heavy, calloused hand on his back inexplicably soothing her. She inhaled his delicate fragrance and relaxed a little, asking in a muffled voice, "What?"

A faint breath brushed against his neck, and Lu Songyuan tilted his head to the side. "Kill a thousand enemies, lose eight hundred of your own."

After he finished speaking, he moved his hand down to Jing Hui's lap and gently lifted her onto the bed.

"you!"

Jing Hui tried to sit up and scold him, but Lu Songyuan quickly pressed her back into his arms.

"Don't move."

Lu Songyuan used his waist strength to drag his legs and lie on his side, one hand under his ear and the other on Jing Hui's back, looking down at her.

He discovered that Jing Hui would become unusually obedient as long as he placed his hand on Jing Hui's back.

She lay on the pillow, blinking her watery eyes, still grumbling, "You bastard, don't touch me!"

"It is not up to Your Highness."

Seeing that Jing Hui was about to throw another tantrum, Lu Songyuan tightened his grip and patted Jing Hui's back as if soothing a cat with its fur standing on end. "Go to sleep, don't make a fuss."

Jing Hui froze for a moment, then slowly relaxed.

She was exhausted after a long day.

"Who's making a scene? You're not allowed to move anymore."

Jing Hui muttered something and turned her head to the other side, refusing to look at Lu Songyuan.

Lu Songyuan glanced at her, then closed his eyes. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he felt his subordinate quietly lean into his arms.

-

I slept without any dreams and woke up to bright daylight.

When Jing Hui opened his eyes, he was immediately startled to see two pairs of curious eyes.

What are you doing!

Ayu and Ayan lay by the bedside watching Jing Hui, both of them with worried expressions on their faces.

Ah Yu asked, "Princess, are you alright?"

Jing Hui breathed a sigh of relief and lay back on the pillow, pulling the blanket up as she said, "Aside from almost being scared to death by you guys, everything else is fine."

Ayu glanced at Ayan and asked, "Why didn't you ask for water last night?"

Jing Hui asked in confusion, "What do you need water for?"

"Take a bath."

"I took a bath before bed."

A moment of silence fell as the three stared at each other. Finally, Ayan asked, "Princess, did you and the General consummate your marriage last night?"

No.

Recalling what happened before she went to bed last night, Jing Hui's cheeks flushed. She gritted her teeth and said, "Damn it, Lu Songyuan held me down all night and didn't even get his revenge!"

The two breathed a sigh of relief, looked at each other, and understood, feeling both relieved and helpless.

Ah Yu said, "Your Highness, you are truly a heroine among women!"

"nature."

Jing responded to Ayu, then stood up and grabbed her, saying, "Don't think I don't know you're embarrassing me!"

"Princess, I was wrong!"

While the two were joking around, Ayan slowly stepped aside with a smile.

The princess was more astute in matters of state than any of the princes, and even surprised Emperor Jingwen with some of her views. Yet, she was frighteningly naive when it came to matters of love and sex.

His heart was filled with nothing but revenge, devoid of any emotion.

That's really true...

Ayan shook her head and smiled, then went to the table to bring Jinghui a throat-soothing soup.

"Your Highness, this is a soup that General Lu sent to you this morning via his deputy general. He said it's a dish from the Northern Territory. Would you like to try it and see if it suits your taste?"

"ha."

Did Lu Songyuan have Lu Qingyue deliver it?

Nobody would believe that.

However, Jing Hui was really hungry. She let go of A Yu and took the soup.

The soup was crystal clear, like lotus root starch, but not quite. Two jasmine flowers adorned the center of the bowl, releasing a delicate fragrance.

It's the flavor she likes.

Jing Hui picked up a spoon, ate some, handed it to Ayan, and asked, "Where did Lu Songyuan go?"

“This morning, a military report came from the northern border, and General Lu went to his study to discuss matters,” Ayan said.

Jing Hui nodded, and suddenly an idea came to him.

She recalled the rumors circulating in the capital that Lu Songyuan had forcibly abducted women and committed all sorts of evil deeds. Looking at the unfamiliar faces of the servants coming and going in the room, she smiled wickedly.

Ayu was chilled by Jing Hui's laughter. "Princess, what are you going to do..."

Jing Hui pulled her close and said, "You're lively, go and connect with them, and while you're at it, pass on some messages for me."

"What news?"

After Jing Hui whispered something to A Yu, A Yu stood there stunned, "Isn't this a bad idea..."

"Whose side are you on?!"

"Yours!"

Ah Yu stood up instantly, "I'm going right now!"

Ayu ran out of the house and called together the girls working in the corridor. Following Jinghui's instructions, she exaggerated the story as much as possible.

Although the princess's maids were servants, their demeanor was different from theirs, which is why Ayu was easily trusted.

The rumor spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, and within an hour, it had spread throughout the entire mansion.

-

Lu Songyuan was completely unaware of the "bloodshed" happening outside; at that moment, he was receiving guests in a secluded study in the General's Mansion.

Lu Songyuan had just arrived in the capital and had not yet begun to interact with the officials there when someone came to visit him under the pretext of doing so, which was truly surprising.

The aroma of tea is subtle, and the steam rises gently.

A ray of light shone through the crack in the window onto the table by the window. Lu Songyuan twirled his teacup, his narrow eyes narrowed as he locked onto the person opposite him.

"Who do you say you are?"

The man sitting opposite him wore a dark blue turban and had a snow-white goatee. He looked sharp, with triangular eyes.

Although he was dressed as a scholar, he did not appear to be a weak or uneducated person.

"This old minister's surname is Yuan, given name Wei, and I come from a distinguished family."

Lu Songyuan's expression shifted slightly. Yuan Wei paused for a moment, then said slowly, "He was once an apprentice under the eldest daughter of the Yuan family, the most famous jade carving family in Tangman. He now works at the Dali Temple."

Lu Songyuan's mother was surnamed Yuan, and was the eldest daughter of this family of jade carvers, Yuan Qiujin.

"Miss Yuan once saved my life."

Yuan Wei stroked his beard, took out a round jade tablet that was entirely blood red from his pocket, and pushed it in front of Lu Songyuan, saying, "This is a round jade tablet that only Yuan family confidants possess. General, please take a look."

Lu Songyuan picked up the jade pendant and looked at it for a moment. It was indeed his mother's family; every member of the Yuan family had a jade pendant.

"so what?"

He put it back on the table, looked up at Yuan Wei, and asked, "What brings you here?"

"Back then, the young lady saw my ambition and personally sent people to plan for me, sending me to the capital to try my luck in the imperial examinations. I originally wanted to return to my family after passing the examinations and go back to the young lady's side... But who knew that once I left, everything would be different and we would be separated by life and death."

Yuan Wei knew that Lu Songyuan wouldn't easily believe him, so he took out another letter from his pocket. "This is the last letter that the eldest young lady sent me before the Lu family was wiped out."

Lu Songyuan hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took it. The paper was yellowed, but Tang Man's unique pattern was still clearly visible on it. The writing was also faded, but it was indeed his mother's handwriting.

"You must have returned to the capital because you learned why the Lu family and your mother were massacred."

Yuan Wei looked at Lu Songyuan and said solemnly, "General Lu, whatever you wish to do, just give the order, and I will do everything in my power to help you."

After a moment of silence, Lu Songyuan leaned back in his wheelchair and stared at Yuan Wei for a long time.

He did not deny it, and rarely spoke much with Yuan Wei, saying, "No need, as long as you stay in Shangjing, this general will have a way to investigate."

Yuan Wei knew that Lu Songyuan wouldn't easily believe him. After a moment of silence, he suddenly realized, "No wonder the general married the princess."

Lu Songyuan remained silent.

“Bian Jiang cannot stay in Shangjing City for long. General, you should know the princess’s status in the court. Her backing has always been isolated.”

Seeing that he had no intention of saying anything more, Yuan Wei could only instruct him: "The Empress Dowager does not like women interfering in politics, and your presence in Shangjing poses too great a threat to the court. Recently, there have been rumors in the palace that the Empress Dowager intends to persuade His Majesty to let the general take the princess back to the northern border."

Lu Songyuan paused, "Does the Emperor, who dotes on His Highness, think he'll let her go so easily?"

The northern border is thousands of miles from the capital. Even with convenient transportation, it would not be easy to meet again if one were to leave in the future.

Yuan Wei said, "The Empress Dowager is more important to His Majesty than anything else; otherwise, the princess would have become the crown prince long ago."

No wonder.

Lu Songyuan had also wondered about it. He rested his head on his hand on the wheelchair, pondered for a moment, then looked up at Yuan Wei and said without hesitation, "Thank you."

Yuan Wei shook his head, wisely stood up, cupped his hands and said, "This old minister still maintains the same sentiment: if there is anything I can do to help you, General, please don't hesitate to give the order, and I will go through fire and water for you!"

Yuan Wei's expression was solemn, as if he were making a solemn promise. Lu Songyuan narrowed his eyes as he watched Yuan Wei carefully put away the letter.

"Um."

After their private conversation, Lu Qingyue pushed Lu Songyuan and Yuan Wei out of the study. Just then, they ran into a maid holding a broom talking to another maid by a pillar in the corridor.

The two were engrossed in what they were talking about.

When Lu Songyuan was in the northern border, he was surrounded by rough and clumsy men. These maids were bought for him by the Second Prince when he was overseeing the construction of the General's Mansion.

He didn't usually need them to do anything close to him, so he didn't intend to stop them.

The group intended to pass silently behind the two, but as they approached, a maid's question drifted into Lu Songyuan's ears.

"Is the general truly unable to perform?"

The three of them stood there, stunned.

Lu Songyuan narrowed his long eyes slightly and glanced at the two people.

Then came another maid's voice, "Yes, it came from the backyard! The princess knows best what the general and princess did during the wedding last night! I heard they didn't even ask for water..."

"Ah? The princess is at the prime of her life, how could she suffer like this? It's practically the same as being a widow! Will she divorce the general?"

Lu Qingyue suppressed a laugh and glanced at Lu Songyuan.

"Who can say for sure?"

The maid rested her chin on the broom. "If she didn't want to, the princess wouldn't have let the whole household know. She probably already has those feelings for him. However, there are rumors in the palace that the two are in love..."

The entire household consisted of several hundred people.

There are outsiders behind this.

Seeing Lu Songyuan's face growing increasingly dark, Lu Qingyue quickly stepped forward and scolded, "What are you saying in broad daylight? Don't you want your head?"

The two maids turned around and met Lu Songyuan's icy gaze. They both trembled in fear and immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, "We were talking nonsense, General, please spare our lives!"

"General, please forgive me! General, spare my life!"

Lu Songyuan said, "Tie him up."

It was obvious who had done this; Lu Songyuan's face was as black as night.

Yuan Wei watched a good show and thought it was just a little flirtation between the two.

His eyes were filled with complex emotions as he took his leave, saying, "This old minister will take his leave now, so as not to disturb the general in handling his family affairs."

Lu Songyuan tilted his head slightly back and nodded.

After the steward took Yuan Wei away, Lu Songyuan said, "Tie him up, and push me to my bedchamber."

"yes."

Lu Qingyue casually picked a leaf and put it in her mouth, then pushed Lu Songyuan, who was tying up the two maids, towards the bedroom.

After searching inside and outside the palace without finding Jing Hui, Lu Songyuan impatiently pointed to the wheelchair with his index finger.

"General Lu?"

Ayan, accompanied by several maids, carried wine jars as she walked from the corridor.

"Um."

Lu Songyuan asked, "Where did Your Highness go?"

Ayan went into the house and looked around, saying, "It was just here a moment ago."

Seeing that Lu Songyuan's expression was off, Ayan glanced at the person behind Lu Qingyue and asked hesitantly, "General, what business do you have with the princess?"

"What are you doing?"

Jing Hui's voice came from behind, and everyone turned around to look.

She didn't go out today. She simply styled her hair into a bun with a phoenix feather hairpin and wore a light blue washed dress with a crane belt around her waist, which perfectly outlined her figure.

She moved with light steps, almost floating, to Lu Songyuan's side. She tilted her head and looked at the two maids, asking, "Eh? Aren't these the people I sent to deliver the message? What did they do to you that they frightened you like this?"

Lu Songyuan looked up at Jing Hui and asked, "What message did you have them deliver?"

Jing Hui laughed and said, "Whatever you hear is what you believe."

Such composure.

Jing Hui covered her mouth and laughed, "Oh dear, General Lu is a warrior who has conquered many battlefields, so he probably wouldn't care about these private matters. With your infamous reputation, no one would dare to spread rumors, no one would believe it."

She even comforted him!

Lu Songyuan's face darkened.

Whether you believe it or not is one thing, but such rumors are comparable to those that undermine morale in an army. What man would allow his wife to spread such things!

Lu Qingyue chuckled.

Jing Hui glanced at Lu Qingyue, then leaned closer to Lu Songyuan.

Just as she was about to say a few more words to annoy him, she suddenly noticed a red mark under Lu Songyuan's collar.

It looks like he was arrested.

Jing Hui immediately frowned, and she stretched out her long fingers to push open Lu Songyuan's collar and asked, "What is this?"