Chapter 63 Instigation: "I only want Yangyang."
The polo field is lush and green, and the flowers are in full bloom.
The venue belongs to the Lu family. On weekdays, apart from Lu Wenjin having to entertain guests there, only Lu Yan and a few maids she has brought along play polo there.
The moment the ball went in, the girl smiled, jumped off her horse, and took the towel to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Lu Yan has a new playmate, and her mother has also reminded her that Ruan Yang is currently unwell and can no longer play with her as much as before, so she has been going to Ruixue Pavilion less often these past few days.
She pulled Ah Tao down to sit and said warmly, "Sister Tao, you've been staying at my house for a few days now. Is there anything you're not used to?"
Atao was quiet and honest. During the few days she stayed at the Lu residence, she would never have stepped out of the courtyard without Lu Yan leading her.
"Everything is fine. I have to go back in a few days, otherwise your brother will definitely scold you if he finds out about my existence."
Lu Yan said innocently, "It's no trouble at all, just adding another pair of chopsticks. My Lu family is very wealthy and powerful. If you're willing to stay in the family and play with me forever, that would be great too! My brother and sister-in-law are very kind people; they wouldn't bear to scold me."
Lu Yan chattered on and on until she noticed A Tao lower her eyes and her face suddenly turn red. She then turned around and followed A Tao's gaze.
Under the eaves in the distance, Lu Wenjin finished discussing the war with his colleagues, saw the person off, and then hurried off to the military camp. Seeing that he had ignored her presence, Lu Yan called out loudly, "Brother!"
Lu Wenjin suppressed his fatigue and smiled at Lu Yan. His younger sister was still a few years away from coming of age, and she was still young and well protected by him, so her mind was still innocent.
He patted her head: "You've been playing around for so long, it's time to settle down."
"No, I want to go play with Sister Tao this afternoon."
After speaking, Lu Wenjin noticed a young woman standing under the tree. Knowing that Lu Wenjin was looking over, Atao walked over timidly and said, "Greetings, Lord Lu. I am Atao. I met your younger sister during my travels. Because the roads were blocked by heavy rain, I cannot return home, so I am staying at your residence for a few days. Thank you for your help."
Lu Wenjin frowned.
At this critical juncture, despite all precautions, we never expected Lu Yan to bring a stranger home so casually. Ruan Yang's pregnancy is progressing, and we can't afford any accidents due to his negligence.
Thinking of Ruan Yang, he showed no mercy: "Since you find it troublesome, young lady, pack your things and leave today."
Lu Yan was stunned for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, A Tao's tears were already falling.
"Then I won't disturb you any longer, sir. I'll be leaving now."
Seeing Atao run away with her face flushed and tears streaming down her face, Lu Yan said angrily, "What are you doing? It's one thing to be strict with me all the time, but do you have to bully a little girl too? I'm not letting Atao leave today, unless you kick me out too!"
...
It was late when Lu Wenjin returned home at night. He belatedly realized that he hadn't spent much time with Ruan Yang recently. Sometimes, when he was busy, he couldn't even say a word to her all day.
In the military camp, he put down the map and, with his drooping eyelids, rushed back to his residence that very night.
At midnight, the candles in Ruixue Pavilion were still lit.
Lu Wenjin brushed the dew off his body, and a maid came forward to take his robe. He scolded, "Madam has been sleeping a lot lately, why haven't you turned off the lights? How have you been taking care of Madam?"
Upon hearing this, the maid stammered, "Reporting to you, sir, the mistress hasn't retired for the night yet..."
"Madam has been unhappy lately, and she was secretly crying under the covers for a while just now."
Lu Wenjin was taken aback, quickened her pace, and strode into the room.
Ruan Yang lay on her side facing inwards, her arm sticking out of the blanket, her shoulders trembling. Lu Wenjin walked over and saw that the little girl's eyes were red and her face was covered with tears.
He carefully picked her up and patted her back repeatedly: "Don't cry, don't cry. Is your leg cramping again, or is something else bothering you?"
Ruan Yang recalled the gossip she had heard during the day, and she almost pleaded with Lu Wenjin, "Brother Wenjin, it's not what they said."
"The child is yours and has nothing to do with Ning Xian. I hate Ning Xian the most and I would never have a baby for him."
Lu Wenjin initially thought it was Ning Xian's ghost causing trouble again, but after learning the reason, he felt relieved. He pinched her nose and said, "Are you stupid? They're just trying to sow discord. I ignored them and didn't think of it in the way you described."
"But they all say you're very angry, and that... even your colleagues are secretly laughing at you behind your back."
Lu Wenjin chuckled softly, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside her: "I'm sorry, I've been too busy lately and neglected your feelings. I didn't disbelieve you."
"Really? Then what are you laughing at..." Ruan Yang sobbed as she pinched Lu Wenjin's waist.
He smiled and said, "Really, I'm smiling because I'm happy. I'm happy that you'd be sad because of me. Doesn't that prove that you still care about me?"
"What?" Ruan Yang was a little confused.
"In the past, all your tears were shed for Ning Xian."
Every time Ruan Yang sheds tears in her sleep, she frowns and calls out Ning Xian's nickname.
What's so annoying about it? It's clearly love turned into hate.
He was jealous, jealous that they had once loved each other so passionately, that they would never forget each other for the rest of their lives.
Compared to Ning Xian, he was dull and boring, unable to make Ruan Yang happy, unable to provide her with a stable life, and awkward and clumsy in bed.
If he were to die, would Ruan Yang still remember the brief time he had spent in her life?
Ruan Yang was stunned: "So, you're jealous?"
Lu Wenjin lowered his eyes and remained silent. In the candlelight, he revealed a lonely look in his eyes, like a little puppy.
Ruan Yang pursed her lips and said, "There are many kinds of tears. I cried for Ning Xian because he always bullied and scolded me. I even dreamt in the middle of the night of a ferocious-looking man threatening me with a knife. How terrifying..."
“But you wouldn’t do that. You pampered me like a child. My temper was bad after I got pregnant, and I made a fuss with you many times. You just sulked behind my back.”
“Brother Wenjin, being with you and having your baby isn’t because I feel guilty, but because you deserve it.”
Ruan Yang looked up at Jingjing with tears in her eyes and said, "So you can't let me down. You have to love only me in this life and stay with me until we're old ladies with white hair, okay?"
Lu Wenjin nodded: "Mm."
...
February 8th was Lu's mother's birthday banquet. Lu's mother loved lively gatherings, so the servants started preparing for the banquet a few days in advance, writing invitations to invite ladies from various noble families in Sichuan to come and have a small gathering.
After exchanging pleasantries and finishing lunch, Madam Lu went with her sister-in-law, Madam Wang, to the back garden to admire the flowers.
While fanning herself with a round fan and chewing on a candied fruit, Madam Wang asked, "Last time we talked about arranging a concubine for Wenjin. Is there any progress? Which family's daughter have you chosen?"
Upon hearing this, Lu's mother paused and then declined the other party's offer: "No, I'm afraid Wenjin will be angry if I make this decision on my own. Although my daughter-in-law is virtuous and generous, the two of us have always had a good relationship. She is also pregnant. Letting outsiders into the house at this time might hurt her feelings."
Madam Wang sighed, "The young general is at the prime of his life, busy with official duties every day, yet he comes home with no one to serve him. Don't you, as his mother, feel sorry for him?"
"After giving birth, you still need to rest and recuperate. Which wife doesn't do the same thing when it comes to taking a concubine? It's better to take a concubine openly than to be labeled a dissolute playboy later on."
Madam Wang's words, though seemingly tactful, were practically a direct implication that Lu Wenjin would have an affair with a shady woman in the future.
"Sister, let me tell you the truth. She is a woman the emperor has taken a liking to. If she stays in the Lu family, she will definitely be a disaster. She might even bring about the extermination of the entire family. Wenjin is ignorant. Don't you think it's worth it for the Lu family?"
After hearing this, Lu's mother lowered her eyes and fell into deep thought.
Seeing that she was wavering, Madam Wang kindly said, "I have a girl here who is pretty and from a good family. She is an orphan with no one to rely on. I will bring her to you tomorrow so you can take a look."
"No need, thank you for your kind reminder, but I have other plans regarding choosing a concubine."
Madam Wang sighed, "It's good that you've gone. But let me say one more thing: as a lady of high birth, one must have a long-term vision. You can't let an outsider ruin this hard-won wealth and status."
Watching Madam Wang's receding figure, Madam Lu closed her eyes, but Ruan Yang's every move lingered in her mind. She said, "Cuizhu, go and call that girl from last time back home."
"yes."
...
By the end of February, Ruan Yang's body was becoming increasingly cumbersome, and after walking for only a short while, she pulled her maids to the pavilion to rest.
The doctor came to take her pulse yesterday and said that her due date is only at the end of next month. He told her to stay in the house and rest well, and to only move around in the vicinity of Ruixue Pavilion. If she goes any further, she is not allowed to go out.
It was stuffy inside, so Ruan Yang insisted on going out for a walk to clear her head.
In the distance, one after another, unfamiliar women walked through the corridor. The girls were quite pretty and each had their own unique style of dress.
Ruan Yang asked, "What do those girls do?"
The maid remained silent, but her heart was filled with unease. The old lady had instructed her to keep the matter of taking a concubine a secret from Ruan Yang, but... how did this happen?
"You can't let me know?"
Ruan Yang's tone was slightly displeased, so the maid had no choice but to reply.
"The young general is going to take a concubine."
Before she could finish speaking, Ruan Yang's mind went blank. She paused for a moment and then asked, "So he agreed?"
"Taking a concubine is no small matter; it was probably decided after the old lady and the young general discussed it."
Ruan Yang's breathing became trembling, and her heart ached, but then she thought, how could this be? Why did it have to happen when she was about to give birth, and why did she have to walk a path she had never walked before?
She suddenly remembered the game Ning Xian had mentioned. If that were true, wouldn't there be a traitor in the Lu family?
Everything happened so suddenly; she had to find Lu Wenjin and get to the bottom of things first.
She snapped out of her daze and smiled nonchalantly, "Okay, I'm fine. I want to go back now. Did the young general say what time he would be back today?"
"It's the old lady's birthday. The general will return early, probably around 5 PM."
As the sun set and the evening glow faded, everyone was celebrating the old lady's birthday at Wei Rui Xuan. Other places were left unattended, and Lu Wenjin's study was secluded and rarely visited.
Atao walked along the path and used the key she got from Lu Yan to open the study door...
It was completely dark when Ruan Yang waited for Lu Wenjin in Ruixue Pavilion for a long time. When he still hadn't returned, she asked the maid who had just returned with news, "Has something happened?"
"I don't know the specifics of what happened, but I did find out that the young general went to his study and dismissed the servants."
Ruan Yang broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this, and her heart pounded with panic. However, no matter what others said, she was determined to go and see for herself.
As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, there was a loud crash as the desk and chairs in the study fell to the ground, and tea sets were scattered everywhere.
Hearing the noise, Ruan Yang paused, her hand on the door still. When she pushed it open and saw the scene on the bed, tears streamed down her face.
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