Chapter 95
Lu Hanzhi cleared his throat and said, “Um… I drank too much last night?”
Yuwen Min: … You’re asking me this even though you already know the answer?
A single expression answered all of Lu Hanzhi’s questions, making him feel like a fool.
That question had indeed been a bit silly. He hadn’t meant to ask that in the first place.
Lu Hanzhi cleared his throat again, about to ask something, when Yuwen Min spoke, “Don’t worry. I didn’t take advantage of you last night. If I were to, it would only be after you wake up.”
I want to make sure you’re conscious when it happens!
Let’s see, who’s stronger—your big pig trotter or mine?
Lu Hanzhi:
Tsk, even an iron tree blooming can be a real headache.
The future tyrant, who had been celibate for years, probably got a taste for it that night.
His throat tightened slightly, and after a light cough, he said, “Let’s go check on Ah Shu’s condition!”
Inside Suxin Zhai, Doctor Lin had already begun diagnosing Ah Shu.
He placed his fingers on one of Ah Shu’s slender wrists, frowning slightly. After a moment, he spoke, “There is no abnormality in her body.”
Lu Hanzhi furrowed his brow in surprise and asked, “No abnormality?”
Doctor Lin replied, “Yes, no abnormality. That is precisely the most abnormal part.”
Doctor Lin glanced at the scars on Ah Shu’s body and said, “These external scars can be treated with a skin-healing ointment or a medicinal bath. There should be more than just these scars on her body. It’s likely that the so-called ‘Grandma Si’ you mentioned gave her a medicinal bath that removed most of them. As for these stubborn ones, I can treat them with a combination of muscle-reducing powder and a skin-healing ointment. But her body truly shows no signs of any abnormalities. And about the sores on her face, they aren’t leprosy. Leprosy is a foul and stubborn disease that grows on the body’s surface, but it’s clear this is not that. It looks more like a change in her own flesh, which cannot be removed. If we were to remove the skin, the flesh would be gone too.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Hanzhi sucked in a cold breath.
Su Wan’ning must have used some kind of method to turn Ah Shu into this state.
If she wanted to take over Ah Shu’s identity, she could have simply killed her. Why go through all this torment?
Or had Ah Shu been under her control all these years and only just managed to escape?
No, that doesn’t make sense. If that were true, would Su Wan’ning really let her go?
Ah Shu was now acting erratically. After escaping, she had gone straight home, following the route from her memories. Finding her would have been easy for Su Wan’ning, yet she had not tried.
Could it be that Su Wan’ning thought Ah Shu was already dead?
Lu Hanzhi took a deep breath, still unable to make sense of it.
But no matter what, he would not give up on treating Ah Shu.
Doctor Lin shared the same sentiment. He packed up his medical kit and said, “I will bring the medicine for removing decay and promoting skin regeneration to Young Lady Ah Shu tomorrow. If she uses it daily, the scars on her body will fade. As for the sores on her face and her mental state, we’ll take our time. I will do my best.”
Lu Hanzhi expressed his sincere gratitude and personally escorted Doctor Lin to the front hall to rest.
Yuwen Min had instructed the steward to send special attendants to care for Ah Shu, attending to her daily needs.
Fortunately, Ah Shu showed no resistance to staying in the prince residence. She seemed indifferent, as if nothing concerned her wherever she went.
Lu Hanzhi had Luan Feng bring tea, and both he and Doctor Lin sat on one side of the tea table.
Doctor Lin asked, “The results of the martial arts exam should be out soon, right?”
Lu Hanzhi replied, “It should be soon. It’s almost noon. Let’s wait and see.”
Yuwen Min entered the front hall, holding Ah Chan in his arms. Lu Hanzhi looked up and asked, “Where is my second sister-in-law?” He then stood up and took Ah Chan from Yuwen Min.
Ah Chan hugged Lu Hanzhi’s neck and said, “Daddy…”
Lu Hanzhi was stunned. Ah Chan was only nine months old but could already clearly say “Daddy.” This truly amazed him.
A child who is precocious is not always a blessing, but if they grow up well, they will surely become great.
As the saying goes, “Extreme wisdom leads to harm.” Everything Ah Chan had gone through in the original story seemed to be his tribulation.
Doctor Lin also thought that Ah Chan was a bit too smart, though it might not necessarily be a bad thing.
Being precocious wouldn’t harm him, but those who would harm him surely had ill intentions.
The three of them didn’t speak much more. Instead, Ah Chan continued to babble and play with his little rocking horse, making clicking noises.
After the new year, the snow started to melt, and the spring chill remained. The results of the martial arts exam had not been announced yet.
This year, there were many candidates in the martial arts exam. After all, the Great Zhao had always been a martial-arts-oriented dynasty. Even though the current emperor favored civil officials, the Great Zhao’s men were all strong and proud, and being selected as a martial arts candidate and joining the military was an honor.
Yuwen Min broke the silence, saying, “The emperor intends to have Second Brother join the Great Zhao Bureau as a junior official. The bureau’s current official is old and will likely retire soon. There are fewer trustworthy people in the court, so if Second Brother joins Great Zhao Bureau, the position of the temple official would surely be his.”
Lu Hanzhi frowned and thought for a moment, then said, “A position that serves the emperor’s orders exclusively, Second Brother probably wouldn’t want that!” He had always wanted to join the Ministry of War, but the Ministry was controlled by the Yin family.
Every year, the Rong family had to deal with the Ministry of War to receive their military funds. The silver was always deducted for various reasons.
If not for Rong family’s continuous victories and the emperor’s rewards, they would barely be able to sustain their army of a hundred thousand, and the soldiers might have starved by now.
Even so, the Rong family still owed the Lu family a considerable amount of silver.
After all, when there is no silver in the army, they have to borrow it. The Rong family had borrowed nearly 100,000 taels from Lu Siwei.
Lu Xuzhi wanted to enter the Ministry of War not just for the Prince Chu, but also for the Rong family.
Yuwen Min added, “For now, it’s just a rumor. It all depends on Second Brother’s fate.”
Lu Hanzhi nodded, and Doctor Lin just continued drinking tea.
Soon, the sounds of drums and gongs could be heard outside, signaling the arrival of the joyous news team at the gates of Prince Chu’s residence.
Lu Hanzhi immediately ran outside holding Ah Chan, with Yuwen Min and Doctor Lin following.
Prince Chu was already waiting at the gate. The official carrying the red gong smiled brightly, with a red flower tied to his horse’s tail and firecrackers attached.
The official greeted Prince Chu with a bow, and Prince Chu immediately helped him up, asking, “What’s the news?”
The official smiled and answered, “Congratulations, Your Highness! Prince Chu’s husband, Lu Xuzhi, has won first place among the hundred or so martial arts candidates! He is the top martial scholar!”
Yuwen Min’s heart finally settled, and he took out a large purse, stuffing it into the official’s hands.
The official didn’t refuse because it was a congratulatory gift, so he accepted it.
The official then turned to see Lu Hanzhi and approached, saying, “Third Young Master Lu… Prince An’s Wang Fei, there is another team with a message for you at Lu Residence. Congratulations, Second Young Master Lu truly is a man of great strength!”
Lu Hanzhi didn’t hold back and took out a large bag of silver, handing it to the attendant.
The attendant hesitated, unsure whether to accept the money, but Lu Hanzhi stepped forward and pressed it into his hand.
He smiled and said, “My second brother has achieved the top imperial examination score. I’m so happy. Take it!”
The attendant smiled and went off to share the reward with the team of messengers behind him.
Lu Hanzhi walked alongside Prince Chu and said with a grin, “Now, does sister-in-law feel relieved?”
Prince Chu’s lips were curled upward. After all, this was the first time in the Great Zhao’s history that someone had earned both the civil and military top honors, a rare and remarkable talent.
Such an extraordinary scholar, and he had managed to trick him into his grasp—how could he not be happy?
However, Lu Hanzhi poured cold water on his enthusiasm. “But, from now on, my second brother is heading into Fuping Youtan!”
Prince Chu cleared his throat and said, “Your second brother… would never fall for Lu Furong.”
Lu Hanzhi smiled mischievously and teased, “Oh? You’re so certain about that, sister-in-law?”
Prince Chu felt embarrassed. He had promised Lu Xuzhi that if he managed to pass, he would help him satisfy certain… cravings.
As for how, that was a matter of their private life as a couple.
As Lu Hanzhi had mentioned, once the martial arts champion was announced, Lu Xuzhi was swept up onto the imperial champion horse.
A golden-red whip, reins, and a large red silk flower hung from the horse’s neck.
Lu Xuzhi had ridden such a horse once before, though last time he was the civil exam champion. This time, he was the martial arts champion.
And this time, he had come with a task at hand.
The famous courtesan, Young Lady Lu Fu, had publicly announced that anyone who passed the martial arts examination would be treated to a private feast at Fuping Youtan.
Everyone understood what a courtesan’s private feast entailed.
Moreover, Lu Xuzhi had no choice but to attend.
If he didn’t, rumors would spread that Prince Chu’s husband was afraid of his wife or that he was tyrannical, not allowing his husband to have any close female acquaintances.
In the Great Zhao, polygamy was the norm, and even Xiao Langjuns had to follow this rule.
Thus, amidst the crowd, Lu Xuzhi was escorted into Fuping Youtan.
Lu Fu, known as the capital’s top courtesan, was indeed a captivating sight.
Her willow-like waist and slender figure made her look as graceful as a swaying lotus flower when she walked.
Her face, as delicate as a shy lotus, with tender skin and a long neck, red lips, fair complexion, and jet-black hair, gave her an air of elegance.
Especially when she smiled—it was a smile that stirred spring feelings and made one want to fall into it.
Lu Xuzhi frowned, feeling an urge to break her waist with a single strike.
He fought this impulse and followed her into the room.
Outside, there was an uproar. Lu Xuzhi watched as Lu Fu shut the door and instructed, “Dongping, bring the tea.”
Dongping was Yuwen Min’s informant.
She gracefully brought the tea in, bowed, and then exited.
Before Lu Xuzhi could speak, Lu Fu wasted no time and said, “As expected of the person favored by Prince Min. Second Young Master Lu is not only talented in both civil and military arts but also incredibly handsome. No wonder His Royal Highness, Prince Chu, took him as his husband right in the middle of the street. That’s how the capital came to know of such a romantic tale.”
Lu Xuzhi took a sip of tea and asked, “Oh? So, Young Lady, you’re with Prince Min’s faction?”
Lu Fu smiled and said, “You already know, so why ask?”
Lu Xuzhi didn’t pretend to be confused anymore. He put down the cup, sneered, and said, “Then I don’t understand. Prince Min sends people to assassinate Prince An while trying to recruit me. What does that mean? Does he not know the relationship between Prince Chu and Prince An? They’re not just brothers but share a bond of life and death. As Prince Chu’s husband, I naturally belong to Prince An’s faction.”
At that moment, Prince Min’s voice came from behind a screen. “Second Young Master Lu, don’t be so quick to draw conclusions. If their relationship was truly so strong, why does Yuwen Min always plot against his own elder brother?”
Lu Xuzhi turned and looked at Yuwen Mingji, who indeed had been trying to draw him in—now it was clear why.
Lu Xuzhi frowned and asked, “Oh? I still don’t understand. If Prince An risked his life to save Prince Chu from prison, why would he keep scheming against his elder brother? What exactly is he plotting?”
Yuwen Mingji stepped forward, sneering in disdain. “Second Young Master Lu, do you still remember the imperial astronomer’s report about Prince Chu’s actions that could harm the nation?”
Lu Xuzhi turned to face him, his expression showing some surprise.
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
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