Lu Qing did not return the whole night, yet Zhu Yu slept soundly.
In the following days, Lu Qing occasionally came back to the Prince Mansion, carrying a faint, cold fragrance of sandalwood, but he never stayed long before someone would come to summon him away again.
Zhu Yu ate well and slept well every day.
Lu Qing did not interfere with any of her activities in the mansion, so she was happy to while away her time in the library when she was bored.
The library in the Prince Xiao Yao Mansion was large, with two floors. The first floor was filled with books ranging from current popular tales in the Capital to the classic texts written by sages of past dynasties, having a comprehensive collection.
The second floor was slightly smaller, with shelves mostly housing books on music theory and the Five Elements and Divination. A few ancient zithers, said to have been made by renowned Zuo Qin Masters, hung on the walls. Due to Lu Qing’s skillful zither playing, the present Holy Emperor had specially sought them out as gifts.
Additionally, some calligraphy pieces of unknown origin, but with vigorous and powerful strokes, adorned another wall. On the opposite end, a large desk was equipped with the four treasures of the study. However, everything was so immaculate, it seemed rarely used.
Zhu Yu spent some time in the library every day for leisure. After a few days, the few servants in the mansion were convinced that their Princess had helped Prince Xiaoyao avert a crisis on their wedding night purely by coincidence, owing to her vast reading.
A few more days passed, and early one morning before dawn, Mrs. Zhao came knocking, saying that the carriage was ready for their departure to the pilgrimage.
Zhu Yu got up to change clothes, only to find that Lu Qing had Mrs. Zhao prepare a set of men’s clothes for her. The style was ordinary, but the fabric was much nicer than the one she had borrowed temporarily on the wedding night.
Not knowing the reason behind such arrangements, Zhu Yu nonetheless dressed and groomed herself without hesitation and stepped out.
The carriage was parked outside the back gate of the mansion. It appeared simple yet spacious, with three tall horses standing obediently in front.
Lu Qing, dressed in plain clothes, stood by the carriage. Beside him were two tall guards. Zhu Yu recognized one of them as the robust man who had helped her perform first aid on someone poisoned at the feast.
The robust man was slightly surprised to see Zhu Yu approaching and almost spoke, but the other guard quickly elbowed him to keep quiet.
"Your Highness," Zhu Yu approached and greeted Lu Qing with a curtsy, following the Jin Country’s etiquette.
Although this formality seemed odd in her current male attire, she was new here, so she opted to err on the side of politeness.
Lu Qing took a moment to assess Zhu Yu’s attire and nodded at her, "No need for formality, my lady. While on the road, it is more convenient to dress as a man.
Now that you are dressed as a man, conduct yourself according to male customs."
The two guards behind him hurried to pay their respects to Zhu Yu.
Zhu Yu had already learned about these two guards the previous day from the steward.
In the entire Prince Xiao Yao Mansion, only these two guards weren’t assigned by the Holy Emperor after the mansion was established. Instead, they had been with Lu Qing since childhood.
Lu Qing was raised in the palace until he was eight. At the time, the land was suffering from a severe drought, and people were struggling to survive. Thus, he was sent to a Daoist Temple named Shanqing Temple to take monastic vows and pray for the well-being of the people on behalf of the Holy Emperor.
These two brothers were the children of starving commoners, whose families had all perished from hunger. Lu Qing discovered them when they were barely alive and brought them back to Shanqing Temple, naming them Rune and Talisman, and they shared his meals and lodging every day.
Less than a month after Lu Qing began his prayers at Shanqing Temple, abundant rain miraculously fell, alleviating the drought. The Holy Emperor, overjoyed, ordered him to continue copying scriptures on the mountain until he was sixteen, at which point he was summoned back to the Capital, conferred the title of prince, and granted his own mansion.
Rune and Talisman were thus brought back from Shanqing Temple together with Lu Qing, becoming his personal guards.
The robust man who had assisted at the feast was Talisman, the younger brother, while Rune, the elder, was slightly smaller in stature and appeared more refined and clever.
This pilgrimage did not include anyone else; the two brothers, Rune and Talisman, drove the carriage, while Lu Qing and Zhu Yu rested inside.
Aside from various objects and offerings for the rituals, the carriage was surprisingly stocked with pastries and fragrant tea.
Zhu Yu, having risen early and feeling quite hungry, did not feign modesty before Lu Qing and ate to her heart’s content.
Once a person is full, drowsiness follows easily. After a few pastries and a cup of tea, Zhu Yu felt her eyelids grow heavy. Before long, she drifted off to sleep, waking only when Lu Qing called her, to find the carriage had already come to a steady stop.