Chapter 58 I, Li Pan, hereby swear a blood oath...
Lou Xueying chose a day to go back to her parents' home and told them about her and Li Pan's plan to return to the Northwest.
Lou Shu was shocked: "Why would you go back to the Northwest? The court is in turmoil lately, and no one wants to cause trouble. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to seek an official position for the Marquis at this time, but this turmoil will eventually pass—"
“It’s not all about the court,” Lou Xueying said. “Father, you know the Marquis’s temperament; he’s really not suited to stay in the capital for long. Besides, there are still foreign tribes causing trouble on the border. Although they’re temporarily deterred by the appearance of the divine stone, they might be pushed too far by winter and attack again, and then the Marquis will have to make another trip. So I think we should just go back to the Northwest with the Marquis and avoid all the trouble.”
"How can that be?" Madam Lou said anxiously. "How can you endure the harsh cold of the Northwest?"
Lou Xueying: "The Northwest is only a bit colder than the capital, but I neither farm nor fight, and the Marquis's mansion is rich, so how could this bitter cold befall me?"
Madam Lou: "The Marquis's war is his business. What are you going to do with him? I asked Old Madam Li before, and she said that the Marquis stays in the military camp when he is fighting, not in the mansion. If you go with him, you will be separated from him! Why don't you just wait for him in the capital!"
Lou Xueying: "But you all know about the imperial edict last time. His Majesty ordered the Marquis to eradicate the barbarian tribes in the Northwest. Although it has been temporarily suppressed, there is no guarantee that it will be brought up again someday. It may take three to five years to finish the war. Do you expect me to wait for him in the capital for three to five years? Even if the Marquis lives in the military camp most of the time, it is much more convenient for him to go back to the General's Mansion than to go back to the capital."
Lou Zhongyan's face was very ugly: "Did you want to go yourself, or did the Marquis send you? Why didn't he come and tell you himself about something so important?"
“I told him not to come,” Lou Xueying explained. “If he had come, you would probably have misunderstood that he forced me, but that’s not the case. I came alone so that you would know that this was my own idea, and the Marquis was quite surprised.”
Lou Zhongyan was still very unhappy: "You like him that much? You'd rather leave the capital and go to the northwest to eat sand? He drugged you, and you still want to go with him to live a hard life? Are you planning to never see us again?"
He was still deeply impressed by the incident when Lou Xueying fell into the water and forced him into marriage. He thought that things would calm down after his sister got married, but he didn't expect that the symptoms would become more and more serious after she got married. She only had her dear husband in her mind and didn't care about her family members at all.
“How could we possibly never see each other again? We would definitely write letters regularly!” Lou Xueying said. “Besides, if there is no war, the Marquis and I will still have the opportunity to return to the capital to see you.”
Lou Zhongyan's lips twitched.
"Susu, this is not a simple matter," Madam Lou said worriedly. "Let's not talk about the climate or the dangers, just look at the distance. If you go to the Northwest, do you know what that means? It means you're marrying into a place we can't interfere with at all! The Northwest is full of the Marquis's people. If you suffer any injustice, you won't even have anyone to cry to! Unlike in the capital, where everyone is your father, your mother, and your brothers' people. The Marquis wouldn't dare to treat you badly!"
Lou Xueying sighed softly.
It felt like we were back to the beginning, when she insisted on marrying Li Pan, and her family members were all full of worry and advised her to think carefully.
But just like before, she still couldn't tell them the truth, and could only make them worry in vain.
“I understand the concerns of my parents and brothers,” Lou Xueying said. “But the Marquis also told me that, based on his understanding of military affairs and His Majesty, it is very likely that he will return to the frontier for a long-term war. If I really don’t see the Marquis for several years, how is that any different from living as a widow?”
Lou Shu frowned: "Does the Marquis really think there will be another war?"
Lou Xueying said sincerely, "Although the Quanrong have submitted, other tribes have not. They may even take advantage of the weakened Quanrong to harass the borders of Dayue. When the news reaches the capital, His Majesty will surely remember the unfinished business and will definitely send the Marquis to war again."
Lou Shu remained silent.
This doesn't seem like something Lou Xueying could figure out on her own; it could only have been said by the Marquis.
Seeing that her father was wavering, Lou Xueying pressed her advantage: "To be honest, Father, Mother, Second Brother, I actually lied to you before. I didn't come alone; the Marquis was also here."
Lou Zhongyan immediately asked, "What? Where is he?"
"The Marquis anticipated that you would not agree, so he stayed in the carriage at the gate. If I cannot persuade you, he will come out again," Lou Xueying said gently. "If you want to see him, I will have him come over."
"Of course I want to see him!" Lou Zhongyan said.
Lou Xueying then asked Cailing to call Li Pan over.
Li Pan arrived very quickly, as expected.
He bowed to the people in the room, but did not sit down immediately. He stood and waited for his in-laws to ask him questions.
Lou Shu sighed and asked, "My lord, is it really impossible to go to the Northwest?"
Li Pan: "It seems we'll have to go sooner or later. If we wait until military news breaks, we'll be caught off guard again, just like last time. But if we request permission in advance, I can bring my family with me, which will ensure Susu's safety."
Madam Lou: "But, but Susu grew up in the capital and has never suffered hardship..."
“If Susu comes with me to the Northwest, I will do everything in my power to protect her and make sure she doesn’t suffer in the slightest,” Li Pan said. “If Mother-in-law is worried, you can send a few more people from the manor to accompany her and keep watch as they send messages.”
Madam Lou said awkwardly, "No, I didn't mean to doubt the Marquis's intentions..."
"Excuse my bluntness," Lou Zhongyan interrupted with a stern face, "Since the Marquis is a straightforward man who doesn't like beating around the bush, then I won't beat around the bush with the Marquis this time. I just want to ask, it's inevitable that there will be conflicts between husband and wife, but when Susu arrived in the Northwest, she was surrounded by the Marquis's men, and she couldn't find anyone to stand up for her. What should she do?"
Li Pan asked, "Does your father-in-law or brother-in-law know anyone who wants to become an official in the Northwest?"
Lou Shu: "..."
Lou Zhongyan: "..."
Isn't this absurd? Who would want to become an official in the Northwest, unless they're a military man looking to earn merit? Unfortunately, the Lou family doesn't have any military connections.
Li Pan: "If someone wants to become an official in the Northwest, I might be able to help them out. But since no one does, I can't conjure up someone that everyone can trust to support Su Su."
Lou Zhongyan was aware of the reality, but he just wanted Li Pan to make a statement.
Just as he was about to speak, Li Pan said, "I believe that actions speak louder than words. We shouldn't judge a person by what they say, but by what they do. But nothing has happened yet, so talking about what has been done is too far off. Therefore, I'd like to say a few words to let everyone know my stance, Li Pan."
After saying that, he walked directly to Lou Xueying's side and took a hairpin from her hair.
Before Lou Xueying could react, she saw him open his palm, make a swift slash, and a long line of blood appeared in his palm, from which beads of blood seeped out.
"My lord!" Lou Xueying exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing!"
The other members of the Lou family were also caught off guard and stood up in shock.
Li Pan remained unfazed, raising his injured hand and holding up three fingers, letting the blood drip from his palm onto the ground. He calmly declared, "Heaven above, Earth below, I, Li Pan, swear by blood today that in this life and the next, I will treat my wife, Lou Xueying, with utmost sincerity, never deceiving her, and never wavering in my heart. If I break this oath, may I be pierced by ten thousand arrows and trampled by horses—I swear—!"
Before he could finish speaking, Lou Xueying pounced on him and covered his mouth.
"Who told you to say that! Who told you to say that!" she cried, her face flushed with urgency. "Nobody told you to make such a vow!"
Before he came, he only said that he had a way to make her family believe him, but he didn't say that it was this way!
If she had known he was making such a terrible oath, she wouldn't have let him come along!
Li Pan pulled her hand away and, without changing his expression, finished his vow: "...may you die a horrible death."
Lou Xueying stood to the side, staring blankly at him, her eyes gradually welling up with tears.
The rest of the Lou family were also stunned.
Lou Zhongyan, in particular, was completely dumbfounded.
This...this...this can't be that bad! The Lou family isn't that ruthless!
After a long while, Lou Shu coughed suddenly and said, "Hurry up and treat the Marquis's injuries!"
Lou Xueying seemed to wake up from a dream, hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe Li Pan's hands. Halfway through wiping, she remembered that she needed to apply medicine. Just as she was about to call someone, Li Pan stopped her: "It's nothing, it's just a small injury. The bleeding will stop in a while, and it will scab over tonight. There's nothing to treat."
Lou Xueying: "But..."
Li Pan took the handkerchief, casually wiped his hands, and then said, "Now you can all believe in my sincerity towards Susu, right?"
Madam Lou and Lou Shu looked at each other in bewilderment.
Well... you have to believe it even if you don't.
Although there are many people in this world who treat oaths like a daily routine, and breaking an oath may not necessarily bring retribution, no one made Li Pan swear an oath, let alone such a vicious oath. Yet he still made such a solemn oath and expressed his stance to this extent, which shows his sincerity.
The Lou family finally agreed to let Lou Xueying return to the Northwest with Li Pan.
On her way home, Lou Xueying silently shed tears.
Li Pan hadn't seen her cry in a long time, and he felt his head had swelled up again: "Why are you crying again?"
Lou Xueying choked back tears, "How could someone make such a terrible oath..."
Li Pan: "I swear on my life, shouldn't you be happy? It shows that I genuinely want to be good to you!"
Lou Xueying: "But this is too poisonous..."
What about being pierced by a thousand arrows and trampled by horses... He was a general! Just thinking about that scene made her feel so uncomfortable that she couldn't speak.
Li Pan didn't understand: "So what if it's poison? As long as it doesn't break the oath, it doesn't matter if it's a little more poisonous! Or do you think I can't be sincere to you, that I'll bully you and betray you sooner or later, so you think I'll get what's coming to me sooner or later—"
Snap!
Lou Xueying slapped him on the mouth.
Li Pan touched his mouth; it still hurt a little.
She cries with tears streaming down her face, but she's surprisingly strong when she hits someone.
Li Pan thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don't believe in ghosts and gods. I'm just making this oath for your parents and brothers to hear."
Lou Xueying wiped away her tears: "I know... but I believe..."
Having been reborn, how could she not believe in ghosts and gods? She believed that Li Pan, given his character, would keep his word, but what she truly feared was that his careless words might bring bad luck, leading to something truly terrible happening in the future.
"Don't cry." Li Pan put his arm around her shoulder. "You're so moved by my swearing? You're too gullible! Luckily, I'm a good person. If you were unmarried and believed every swearing a man made to you, you'd suffer so much!"
Lou Xueying nestled in his arms, sobbing softly.
Li Pan: "Ancestor, quickly wipe away your tears. If you go back to the Marquis's mansion with red eyes, my mother will see you and think I did something to you."
Lou Xueying sniffed: "That oath is no good, you...you should make a different oath."
"Okay, okay, I'll change it." Li Pan readily agreed. "Change to what?"
Lou Xueying then whispered a few words.
After listening, Li Pan laughed a few times, raised his hand again, and solemnly said, "Heaven above and Earth below are my witnesses. I, Li Pan, hereby swear that in this life, I will treat my wife, Lou Xueying, with sincerity and kindness, never deceive her, and never have a second thought. If I can do this, may my wife, the Li and Lou families, and I be blessed with abundant wealth, successful official careers, and prosperous families; may the land be blessed with favorable weather, and may all people live in peace and happiness."
He lowered his hand and asked Lou Xueying, "Are you satisfied now?"
Lou Xueying nodded: "...Satisfied."
Li Pan smiled, lowered his head and kissed her eyes: "Then don't cry, okay, be good."
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