Lu Yuan sat quietly in the pavilion, leisurely sipping tea.
Bao Shu sat on the soft carpet, her tiny hands tugging fiercely at his robe, her face twisting in frustration.
A Jinyi Guard appeared outside the curtain, cupped his hands, and reported, "My lord, the Lu Family has left."
Lu Yuan asked, "How many strokes did they endure?"
The Jinyi Guard replied, "Two hundred and ten strokes."
Lu Yuan said with absolute fairness, "Remember the remaining ninety strokes—once he recovers, continue the punishment."
The guard clasped his hands. "Understood!"
Lu Yuan swirled the tea in his cup nonchalantly. "Hmph, just two hundred and ten strokes, and the Lu Family produced such a coward!"
...A coward—that wasn’t the right usage.
The Jinyi Guard awkwardly added, "In the army, few can endure even a hundred strokes. Two hundred strokes are already exceedingly rare—those who can last three hundred, well, in the entire world, only..."
He cast a glance at Lu Yuan through the curtain but swallowed the rest of his words, quickly pivoting. "With General Lu’s abilities, he could barely manage to kill Beiliang’s Prince Rong—his military accomplishments should be legitimate."
Lu Yuan’s voice turned cold. "Did I ever question the validity of his military achievements?"
The Jinyi Guard froze.
If Lu Yuan didn’t doubt Lu Lingxiao’s accomplishments, then why... had he increased the original sentence of twenty strokes to three hundred? If it wasn’t to test Lu Lingxiao’s strength, could there be another reason?
Lu Yuan waved dismissively. "That’s enough. Punish those who deserve it, reward those who’ve earned it. After all, our Emperor... is a ruler who understands justice and governance, isn’t he?"
The Jinyi Guard knelt on one knee and bowed. "Yes, my lord!"
News of Lu Lingxiao soon spread across the Capital City; someone had seen him carried out on a stretcher, soaked in blood, clinging to life.
Ever since Lu Yuan took power, the Governor Mansion had become a dystopia—who ever left it unscathed?
Lu Yuan once again found himself cursed by the common folk.
Yet Lu Yuan didn’t care. Compared to righteous loyalty, wasn’t it better to be a living King of Hell who invoked fear?
But others cursed Lu Lingxiao, gossiping that he had brought back a mistress from the border and even had her impersonate the Lu Madam to attend the Governor Mansion’s child’s grab feast.
This was outright defiance of the Grand Commander—wasn’t it expected that he’d teach him a lesson?
Adding fuel to the fire, it had already circulated among the people that Lu Lingxiao saved that mistress from Beiliang hands while abandoning his wife. Some had initially dismissed it as nonsense, but now? This scandal only cemented his reputation as someone who pampered his concubine and neglected his wife.
"If I were Lu Madam, I wouldn’t even think of pleading for this heartless bastard!"
Inside a teahouse, a young woman indignantly spoke up for Meng Qianqian.
The women of the Capital City mostly sided with Meng Qianqian—after all, who wanted to marry into the wrong kind of man?
A young lad asked curiously, "Lu Madam pleaded for him?"
The young woman replied, "Do you think the Grand Commander would have let him go so easily otherwise?"
A nearby young gentleman joined in. "Exactly! I saw it with my own eyes the other day—Old Madam Lu and Lu Madam went to the Governor Mansion in the evening and brought him out late at night!"
Another person added, "I heard Lu Madam knelt half the night at the Governor Mansion before she convinced the Grand Commander."
A middle-aged man, around forty, sighed. "Lu Madam is so virtuous and gracious—what more could a husband ever ask for?"
"Bah! Virtuous and gracious, my foot!"
In the Feng Courtyard, Lu Luo was so furious she almost tore the handkerchief in her hands. "She didn’t even kneel! If she had, General Lu wouldn’t have had to endure so many strokes... She’s nothing but a vicious woman!"
Lin Wan’er gestured for the maid delivering the news to leave.
The maid trembled as she retreated.
Lu Luo gritted her teeth and said, "Miss, you’re clearly the one who saved the General, but now all the credit is going to that Eldest Young Madam! Everyone in the Capital is praising her!"
Lin Wan’er lowered her eyes and signed: Go check on the General.
Suppressing her grievances, Lu Luo answered, "Understood."
As soon as the pair arrived at Lu Lingxiao’s door, they ran into Lu Xingzhou and Madam Lu.
The two politely sidestepped and bowed.
Madam Lu ignored Lin Wan’er and entered the room with the help of a maid.
Lu Lingxiao’s injuries were severe. The doctor was cleaning his wounds, blood being poured into buckets. The thick scent of blood made Madam Lu momentarily dizzy.
The maid quickly supported her. "Madam!"
Lu Xingzhou’s expression shifted slightly and turned to Lin Wan’er. "You..."
"What are you doing here!"
The Old Madam’s voice interrupted Lu Xingzhou.
Lin Wan’er turned, her gaze sweeping over the Old Madam and the nearby Meng Qianqian, her fingers tightening instantly.
Lu Luo spoke up on behalf of her mistress. "Old Madam, my lady saved the General and came to check on him."
The Old Madam snapped at Lu Luo. "Are you blind? It was clearly Qianqian and me who brought him out! What does it have to do with her!"
Lu Luo flinched under the scolding but mumbled in defiance, "But my lady was the first..."
Lu Xingzhou interjected, "Your lady is with child and shouldn’t be exposed to gore. Escort her back."
Lu Luo murmured, "Yes."
The Old Madam turned on her heel, dragging Meng Qianqian inside with her.
Meng Qianqian, as the primary wife, could go anywhere without prior notice or permission—even to Lu Lingxiao’s Song Courtyard. Her previous absence had been out of choice, not a lack of entitlement.
Lin Wan’er, however, was different.
Though Lu Lingxiao had granted her privileges to enter the Song Courtyard, any Lu Family master could easily revoke those rights at will.
Lu Xingzhou said nothing further, following the Old Madam inside.
Lu Luo fumed. "Miss, the Assistant Minister knows it was you who saved him. Why didn’t he defend you? If not for you offering the Black Armor Guard’s Token, would the Emperor have ordered the Eldest Young Master’s release?"
Lin Wan’er clenched her fingers tightly.
To Lu Xingzhou, it didn’t matter who saved his son, only that his son was safe now.
Besides, he had already appealed to the Emperor two days earlier. It was only after the Old Madam and Meng Qianqian personally interceded that Lu Lingxiao was brought back from the Governor Mansion.
Of course, Lu Xingzhou didn’t believe Meng Qianqian carried such weight—but the Old Madam certainly did.
Her late husband had followed the Supreme Emperor in countless battles and earned his place as a founding figure. To this day, the Old Madam enjoyed the court’s special stipend, as well as privileges like winter coal and summer ice—perks no ordinary noblewoman ever received.
Lu Lingxiao remained unconscious for three full days. When he finally awoke, he saw a young woman as beautiful as peach blossoms, draped in brilliant silks, her hair adorned with fine jade, sitting gracefully in front of him.
He stared, slightly dazed.
Meng Qianqian set down the storybook she had been reading.
Lu Lingxiao snapped back to his senses as sharp pain radiated from his injuries, drawing a few quick breaths through his teeth.
He remembered now—Lu Yuan had ordered him to receive three hundred strokes.
That vile traitor! Didn’t he know three hundred military strokes could kill? Did he not understand martial arts—or did his men not understand?
Meng Qianqian approached him, knelt, and supported him. "Don’t move, or you’ll worsen your wounds."
Since returning home, Lu Lingxiao had never received such tender care from her before.
As he looked at her face so close to his, even the downy hairs were visible. A strange sense of couplehood crept into his heart.
She lifted the blanket. "There’s no sign of bleeding—it seems the wounds haven’t reopened."
Saying so, she gently covered him back up and suppressed a yawn.
Lu Lingxiao noticed her slightly weary face and asked hesitantly, "You... stayed here these past few days?"
Meng Qianqian nodded, gazing at him warmly. "I wanted to be the first person my husband saw when he woke up."
Lu Lingxiao’s heart stirred.
She handed him a ledger, her expression deep and affectionate. "Your rewards have arrived. Here, this is the account book—now, my dear husband, can you repay me the silver?"