Road and Choice
Consort Xiao and Lu Yunchu agreed to meet at the training ground whenever they had time, and Consort Xiao even promised to find her a teacher's wife.
Although the two didn't say much, Lu Yunchu vaguely sensed that Consort Xiao knew the two princesses' plans and might even be their ally. On the surface, she was practicing martial arts and studying as a mother, but in reality, she was using this opportunity to promote maternal virtues and expand the opportunities for women.
Back at the residence, Chu Chengchao was tired and wanted to rest early. Lu Yunchu was worried that he might have some thoughts about it, but fortunately, he was perhaps a little embarrassed and told Lu Yunchu to rest early, since the two of them were not very familiar with each other.
Lu Yunchu originally wanted to ask about his injury, but he could move freely now, so it was clear he was fine. Besides, asking might cause some trouble, and if he suddenly got pregnant, she would be trapped in this deep mansion.
She didn't know how to live her life, but at least she didn't want to be deprived of even the only possible hope.
The road ahead is long, and there will inevitably be times when we can't avoid them. Will we then be bound to our children for the rest of our lives?
She didn't know what she wanted, or what path to take in the future. All she could do was run away, taking each day as she could.
During the few days they spent together, although they went through a lot, Chu Chengchao was a complete stranger to her. She didn't know what Chu Chengchao thought of her, nor did she know what she thought of him.
Chu Chengchao had been handling some affairs in the capital these days, and every evening he would chat with her about his new and interesting experiences, sometimes bringing back interesting little trinkets. She just listened to him talk, never saying a word, and Chu Chengchao also became unusually silent.
He finally couldn't help but ask, feeling wronged, "Do you hate me? If you think there's something wrong with me, I can change!"
Lu Yunchu shook her head and praised him, saying that he was indeed very good, and that she just didn't want to talk.
Jiang Liu said that if things continued like this, Chu Chengchao would soon find a concubine. Lu Yunchu felt that this was to be expected, since the outcome would be the same anyway, whether it was good or bad for him, it didn't matter.
She had no interest in thinking about what kind of person Chu Chengchao was or whether he had feelings for her. Understanding someone inevitably creates ties, but true feelings are meaningless in this kind of place. Rather than being heartbroken later, it's better to cut ties sooner rather than later. In any case, her family background can be used as leverage. He can't divorce her, and she has somewhere to go even if she does nothing.
Chu Chengchao tried to make conversation, but ultimately failed. He would soon be returning to the border, and Jiang Liu had asked him many questions about the border these days to understand national affairs, which she felt would come in handy later.
Lu Yunchu merely watched coldly, fearing that Chu Chengchao might take a liking to Jiang Liu or force him or something, but fortunately nothing happened.
On the day she saw him off, she packed Chu Chengchao's luggage. He was dressed in military uniform, with a smile on his face, but his eyes still showed disappointment and confusion.
"I don't know when I'll be back... Take good care of yourself! Let me know if anything happens!"
Lu Yunchu casually uttered a few polite words, but in his heart he couldn't help but think that the border was far away and there was no way to take care of him. If he were to wait for him, he certainly couldn't be counted on.
Before leaving, Chu Chengchao suddenly reached out and gently hugged her. Lu Yunchu was startled and could only pretend to be shy.
She couldn't understand why he was so kind to her, just as she couldn't understand this embrace. Her aunt was right; perhaps he had a family at the border. She suddenly felt a pang of sadness. If he was hiding a girl there, wouldn't that girl be heartbroken…
Chu Chengchao said he would bring her some cheese from the Western Regions, which tasted very good. Lu Yunchu listlessly raised her hand to greet him.
Jiang Liu and Zai Yu both said Chu Chengchao was a good person, but she didn't know that there was no way to prove that he was good. Rather than trusting him, she should test her mother and aunt to see where she would go after being divorced. Everyone has to leave themselves a way out. If she trusted others, she would spend her whole life in uncertainty.
As soon as Chu Chengchao left, she took his token to the training ground. Since Consort Xiao had set a precedent, no one paid much attention to it. Now, maternal virtue is being strongly promoted. Mothers who practice martial arts are good for their health and can give birth easily. They can also teach their children. The court also attaches great importance to this.
As promised, Consort Xiao brought a woman who was strong and tall, dressed in a neat and tidy outfit, with her long hair tied back. She had a distinct facial structure and a heroic air. She carried a longbow on her back and greeted Consort Xiao with clasped hands, saying, "I am Murong Ye, and I greet the Crown Prince's Consort."
Her gaze was calm and unwavering, and she said little.
Her teaching style was also concise and direct, every sentence hitting the nail on the head, but she only said it once. Lu Yunchu began to feel timid, but her voice remained calm: "If you don't even dare to draw the bow, there's no point in learning it."
Lu Yunchu gritted his teeth, aimed at the bullseye, and practiced again and again, from sunrise to sunset. Murong Ye also trained alongside him, rarely stopping to rest.
Consort Xiao would sometimes come to see her, but she was no longer as gentle as before and made very serious demands of her.
"Swords have no eyes, so once you've chosen this path, you must be careful. However, we can stop anytime if we feel tired."
Consort Xiao gave her a way forward, but also a way out; she simply said she would persevere.
Consort Xiao asked her why she wanted to learn martial arts, whether she truly wanted to one day become a general to assist the princess. Lu Yun Chu didn't expect her to ask so directly, and remained silent. Consort Xiao patted her shoulder and said that their goals were the same, both preparing for that slim possibility.
Lu Yunchu didn't really know if this was her wish, but she saw no other hope besides this path. And as long as she became stronger, there would always be a way out.
Consort Xiao said that she and her sister were building the Sword Forging Manor, ostensibly for business, but actually to train women for military service. If she ever grew tired of it, she could come to the Sword Forging Manor. She had already left the same path for her sister's only daughter, the person they cared about most in the world, Su Xike. They didn't want this child to have her fate in the hands of a man; they hoped she could live a different life.
Lu Yunchu would sometimes visit her aunt, who mostly complained. But once, her aunt stopped her and scrutinized her for a moment: "Are you practicing martial arts?"
She didn't speak, but simply gazed at her aunt. Her aunt's fingertips tapped lightly on the armrest of the phoenix throne, producing a rhythmic sound. After a long while, she suddenly spoke: "You are far more capable than your sister, I'm not mistaken. But I must remind you, never get pregnant. Your sister is the sword, and you are the sheath. You are smarter and more loyal than her, making you most suitable for this position."
Lu Yunchu didn't speak, but listened quietly.
Her aunt's eyes gleamed with a mixture of ambition and hatred: "Those bastards in the palace are not the emperor's children, including my good son. So, should this empire belong to the Chu family?"
Lu Yunchu nodded, then shook his head: "Bloodline is just a pretense, it doesn't matter."
Auntie suddenly clapped her hands and burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face: "You've got ideas, child... So, what should the world be called?"
So that's how it is... This was my aunt's plan all along, and it was also the best lesson my aunt taught me: never underestimate anyone, no matter how incompetent they may seem.
"When your sister's child is born, it will be our child, and when the Crown Prince..."
The aunt leaned back, made a throat-slitting gesture, and chuckled softly, "Let her rule from behind the curtain, and help that child ascend to the throne. Then..."
She walked out of the Empress's palace in a daze. The sunlight was blinding, yet she felt no warmth whatsoever. Whether the throne belonged to the Chu family or not was unimportant; what mattered was using this as a pretext to change the surname of the people.
Before she could even process the news she had just heard, she received another letter from her mother, asking her to go and check on the estate.
The carriage rolled along the official road, and outside the window lay the slightly desolate fields of early spring. The mother dismissed everyone else and pulled her to sit down on the edge of the field.
"Your aunt probably already told you, but it won't do you any good. How can the Chu family's empire be taken over by outsiders? Does Lu Junhe think I'm really going to follow him into marriage, a mere princess? What is the Lu family anyway, to have such ambitions? It's fine to borrow them for now. Changing dynasties isn't something that happens easily; it's better to plan based on the existing foundation. Neither Xiao Fei nor I are willing to accept the fate of women. You are my only daughter, and I don't want you to follow in my footsteps. Only when the princess becomes empress will we women not be confined to our homes. When the princess ascends the throne, you will be the rightful head of the Lu family. Your father is just a menace; I've disliked him for a long time. Good child, have a child with Chengchao. It's inconvenient for her to have children, so your child can inherit the throne."
Her mother's words struck her like a thunderbolt, but she wasn't surprised; she simply nodded. She didn't answer; she needed to understand the whole situation before making a choice, and no one's words were entirely reliable. Besides, childbirth was difficult for a woman; if the two princesses were unwilling, why should she be? She didn't want to end up benefiting someone else.
Her mother grabbed her hand, her voice more agitated than ever before: "Only your mother is real. Father... do you dare say you're definitely a member of the Lu family? Good child, take care of yourself. You'll come back one day and take back everything you deserve. Then I can hold my head high and show those wretches what it's good to have a daughter! The other day, your father was blaming me for not giving birth to a son. Ha... I'll show him who has the last laugh. He called me a barren hen all these years, but I'll make him taste what it's like to lay eggs..."
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