Chapter 46: Irresistible
An imperial edict has arrived? Did my mother-in-law return from the palace last night? Is she being summoned to the palace again?
Lu Jinlan was still confused when another voice came from outside: "Who is Lu Jinlan? Please come out and receive the imperial decree."
Lu Jinlan flipped herself off the bed with a somersault and hurriedly started getting dressed.
Song Lincheng pushed the door open and said anxiously, "I knew you weren't up yet. I thought you were on leave and could sleep a little longer, but I didn't expect the imperial decree to arrive so early."
As he spoke, he helped Lu Jinlan button her shoes.
Qing'er brought in water and hurriedly said, "The incense table is still being set up outside. Tea has already been served to the visitors. I'd like you to wash your face before you go."
This was the first time Lu Jinlan had received an imperial decree, and she didn't know what it was about. Her heart was pounding, and she quickly washed up and hurried to the main hall.
The officials from the Inner Court had been waiting for quite some time. They were quite friendly and even joked, "So this is the talented Miss Lu? We've heard so much about you. It's great to finally meet you. Please receive the imperial decree."
Lu Jinlan and his entourage knelt before the incense table. Lu Jinlan respectfully said, "This humble subject, Lu Jinlan, receives the imperial decree."
The man read aloud: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have heard that Lu Jinlan, a student of the Imperial Academy, possesses both talent and virtue, outstanding character and learning, exquisite poetry and prose, and is skilled in archery and horsemanship. He is proficient in both literary and martial arts. He is upright, honest, and brave. Therefore, I hereby appoint you as a fourth-rank cavalry captain. I hope you will continue to be loyal and diligent, and strive to achieve great things in the future."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jinlan secretly looked up and wondered to herself: Why did the Emperor inexplicably appoint me to such a high-ranking official position?
Then the woman continued reading: "Now there is Lin Cheng, son of General Song Jingxiao, who is of unparalleled appearance and character, gentle and kind nature, noble virtue, virtuous and obedient, and a man who adheres to male virtues. He is a good wife and mother. His mother has repeatedly made outstanding contributions in battle. I am moved by her loyalty and bravery and hereby bestow this favor upon her."
"Song Lincheng is hereby bestowed upon Lu Jinlan as her husband. May you, husband and wife, be of one heart and mind, soon bear a noble daughter, and live together in harmony forever. The Ministry of Rites is hereby ordered to select an auspicious day for the marriage in accordance with the rites. This decree is hereby proclaimed throughout the land, so that all may know. This is the imperial decree!"
After reading it aloud, the man rolled up the imperial edict and placed it in Lu Jinlan's hand.
"My lord, please rise. From now on, when you receive an imperial edict, you no longer need to refer to yourself as 'commoner,' but as 'your subject.'"
Lu Jinlan recovered from his daze and hurriedly said, "Thank you for your advice, sir. My mother-in-law went to the palace last night and hasn't returned yet. Do you know when she will be back?"
The man thought for a moment, “Last night the Emperor kept General Song in the palace. He will probably not return until after breakfast. You just wait and don’t need to worry.”
Lu Jinlan smiled and said, "Thank you!"
This imperial edict bestowed both an official position and a marriage, truly a double blessing.
Lu Jinzhao was overjoyed. He personally delivered a large red envelope to the palace servant who came to deliver the imperial decree to the door, and then repeatedly ordered Xi Mo to prepare fireworks and firecrackers. Yang Shi also ordered her male servants to prepare incense and candles, saying that she was going to the temple to offer thanks to the gods.
The house was too lively, and Lu Jinlan felt uncomfortable. She took the imperial edict and went back to her room alone, reading it several times before gradually beginning to understand its meaning.
The title of Xiaoji Xiaowei was a fourth-rank official position.
The former supervisor, Miao Jin, was arrogant and haughty all day long, and he was only a fourth-rank official.
Hehe, I'm a fourth-rank official now. When I see Supervisor Miao again, we'll be on equal footing.
The system just gave Lu Jinlan a bonus notification, but he was too busy listening to the imperial edict to check it. Now that he checked, he found that he had triggered a new achievement: Entering Officialdom +8888.
Lu Jinlan smiled to himself, thinking: What kind of entry into officialdom is this? It's just a nominal title with no real power. It's obvious that the Emperor only gave me this position because of my mother-in-law, just to make the marriage look good.
However, even a nominal title is something to be happy about. Think of that novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*, where the Jia family spent 1200 taels of silver to buy Jia Rong the rank of Fifth-Rank Imperial Guard. My Fourth-Rank Cavalry Captain position was just a matter of my mother-in-law's word; I didn't spend a penny, and I'll receive 50 taels of silver a month. In the blink of an eye, I went from commoner to official.
Thinking back to Huo Qubing, he was also appointed as a colonel. Cao Cao, on the other hand, struggled so hard that he didn't get the position of colonel until he was thirty-three years old.
I've really caught a good time. Eileen Chang said that one should become famous as early as possible. Hehe, I've been early enough this time, haven't I?
As she was lost in her own thoughts, Lin Cheng pushed open the door and came in. Seeing her lounging on the bed with a smile, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "I thought you were unhappy being alone with me."
Lu Jinlan patted the spot beside her. "Come here and lie down with me for a while."
Song Lincheng hugged her and read the imperial edict as well. "That's great. From now on, I'll be the husband of a military officer."
"Hmm, but why doesn't your mother ask for a reward for you too?"
Song Lincheng chuckled softly, "I'm a man, what kind of reward can a man ask for? But if you become a high-ranking official in the future, I might become your husband, and I'll be content."
Lu Jinlan had almost forgotten about this. She couldn't help but think of the noble ladies in feudal society. They all came from wealthy and powerful families. They were not necessarily lacking in talent, nor were they necessarily unwilling to make a name for themselves. However, the social system dictated that they only had one path: to marry and depend on their husbands' families. From then on, they could only hope for their husbands' glory so that they could bask in a little bit of pitiful light.
Lu Jinlan stroked Lin Cheng's face and said emotionally, "I will definitely make you a first-rank imperial consort in the future."
Song Lincheng held her hand and said gently, "My father could only be a second-rank noblewoman. A first-rank noblewoman? I dare not even think about it. Actually, I don't care about noble titles. I don't want you to be like my mother, with endless battles. Every time my mother went to war, my father and I were always worried. I only ask that you be safe and sound, and that you, me, and our child can live a peaceful life."
Lu Jinlan hummed in agreement and leaned closer. She nuzzled his cheek with her nose and then kissed his lips.
Song Lincheng's mind went blank for a moment, and he instinctively opened his mouth to respond to her.
Only when he realized that Lu Jinlan's hand had slipped inside his clothes did Song Lincheng ask nervously, "It's daytime, what are you doing?"
Lu Jinlan: "We've already been granted a marriage by imperial decree, are you still worried that I won't take responsibility for you?"
She pulled open his shirt, grabbed his hand, and placed it in front of her. "I don't need to teach you how to do it, do I?"
Song Lincheng's heart was pounding. He lingered on her for a moment, then unbuttoned her outer garment.
Lin Cheng's awkward reaction was completely different from Yu Mian's boldness, yet the restless desire between restraint and reciprocation was even more irresistible. Lu Jinlan felt overwhelmed by emotion and pressed him down to kiss him again.
As the two undressed, the imperial edict rolled off the bedside with a thud.
Lu Jinlan turned her head to look, then suddenly frowned. "The imperial decree says we must marry according to propriety. Does our transgression count as disobeying the imperial decree?"
Lin Cheng was already so aroused by her that he couldn't control himself and was panting as he babbled incoherently: "Fine, I'll defy the imperial decree. I'll just say I seduced you. You can just chop me up if you want."
Lu Jinlan was stunned for a moment. Seeing that Lu Jinlan did not move, he simply took the initiative, suddenly switched places with her, and impatiently pressed down on her.
Knock, knock, knock! An untimely knocking sound rang out.
Lu Jinlan heard the sound of Song Lincheng clenching his teeth. She suppressed a laugh and asked loudly, "Who is it?"
Yang said from outside, "It's me. Cheng'er said he wanted to go with me to offer thanks to the gods. It's time to go now."
Lin Cheng nestled in Lu Jinlan's arms and said in a muffled voice, "Father, I don't want to go now!"
Lu Jinlan pinched his cheek and coaxed, "Go ahead, your father-in-law is unfamiliar with the city, you can keep him company."
She kissed the corner of his mouth. "Get up."
Lin Cheng reluctantly got dressed and followed Madam Yang out the door.
On the carriage to the temple, Madam Yang suddenly asked him, "Have you and Lan'er been intimate?"
Song Lincheng's face flushed, and he said awkwardly, "Dad, don't talk to me about this."
"You silly child, if I don't tell you, who will? Don't be shy, tell me honestly, have you two ever been intimate?"
"Oh no!" Song Lincheng was getting a little frantic, denying it three times in a row: "No! No! No!"
Madam Yang glared at him. "Don't be so stubborn! Look at that young man, he's already pregnant. Don't be so narrow-minded. Your marriage is already arranged. If you get married at the end of the year, now is the perfect time for your wedding night. She's only three or four months pregnant, so no one will be able to tell. You're the legal husband; you can't let that young man outlive you in terms of offspring. Besides, with that Lou guy gone, Lan'er will only have you by her side. At her age, full of youthful vigor, if you don't accept this, won't she just go looking for someone else?"
Song Lincheng covered his face with his hands, "If you say another word, I'll jump out of the car."
"Alright, Dad won't say anymore. When you burn incense later, pray that the Bodhisattva will bless you so that you can have a daughter soon."
Upon arriving at the temple, Song Lincheng held up the incense and pondered for a while before sincerely saying, "May the Bodhisattva bless me so that Jinlan and I can get married smoothly and that I can give birth to a daughter for her soon."
Madam Yang also murmured, "May the Bodhisattva bless my son and grant him a daughter, and may that woman named Lou Yumin give birth to a son."
Song Lincheng said helplessly, "Father! What are you saying?"
Madam Yang frowned and said, "Don't worry about me. It's what Father said, not what you said. It won't affect your character."
As the two emerged from the temple, Song Lincheng said, "Don't target Yu Mian; he's a man with a tragic fate. If anyone's to blame, it's myself for falling in love with a charming and amorous man. I can't be like you and Mother, where you only have each other."
Madam Yang sighed, "Do you really think your mother only has me?"
Song Lincheng was stunned and stopped in his tracks. "Wh...what do you mean?"
"Shh, don't make a fuss! Women are naturally flirtatious, and your mother is no exception. But she thinks I don't know, and I pretend I don't either. She loves and protects me, and that's enough. So let me tell you, the most important four words for living life are 'it's good to be a little confused.' Don't argue with her all the time, or fight with her all the time. If you annoy her, she'll really drift further and further away from you."
"Father, look, your wife is kind-hearted and capable. As long as you don't make her too miserable, she won't let you down. After you get married, you need to learn to be a gentle and obedient husband. Think about how to make your wife live a comfortable life. If she is comfortable, she will treat you well, and you will be comfortable too. When your wife has glory, you, as her husband, will also have honor."
Song Lincheng replied listlessly, "I understand."
*
After leaving the palace, Song Jingxiao met with Lu Jinlan alone.
Are you satisfied with the official position bestowed upon you by His Majesty?
Lu Jinlan said, "I'm not just satisfied, I'm even a little uneasy because the official position is too high. I have no merit whatsoever, yet you have appointed me to a fourth-rank official position for no reason. Isn't that a bit unfair?"
Song Jingxiao smiled and said, "Logically speaking, it is a bit high. But I have my reasons for doing this. I understand the Emperor; if I don't ask for anything, she won't feel at ease. In any case, this is just the beginning. You should study hard; I will be returning to Lingzhou after the engagement ceremony tomorrow."
"So fast?"
"I am stationed at the border. Recently, the Kingdom of Qu has been quite restless, so it is not advisable for me to leave for too long."
"Alright," Lu Jinlan said helplessly. "I was hoping you could give me a few more pointers."
Song Jingxiao squeezed her shoulder. "When I have time in the future, I will definitely pass on all the knowledge I have learned to you. When you have time, come to Lingzhou to find me."
*
The next morning, Lu Jinlan was urged to get up early for the engagement ceremony.
I don't know if it's because the Lu and Song families have a lot of relatives or what, but even though they said they would keep it simple and only invite some close relatives and friends, they still ended up with more than fifty tables.
Several tables were occupied by Lu Jinlan's classmates, teachers, and the dean. After toasting everyone, Lu Jinlan returned and sat down between Xiang Ruzhen and Yan Wuxin, complaining, "I'm exhausted. If this were a wedding, it would probably be a banquet that lasts for days and nights. I'm afraid I'd faint."
Yan Wuxin smiled and said in a low voice, "You can't faint on your wedding night. We still have to consummate the marriage tonight. You can't neglect your wife, can you?"
Xiang Ruzhen shook her head helplessly. "Wuxin, stop thinking about romantic things all day long. Final exams are coming up soon, you should think about how to do well on your exams so you don't have to worry about your mother scolding you."
Yan Wuxin sighed deeply, "I just hope something will suddenly happen so I don't have to take the final exams."
Lu Jinlan smiled and advised her, "Even if the sky falls, you still have to take the exam. Just accept reality."
Before he could finish speaking, a commotion broke out outside.
"Imperial decree has arrived! Lu Jinlan, Xiang Ruzhen, and Yan Wuxin are invited to receive the decree."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
