Chapter 61

Chapter 61

儿 | er | (lit. child) diminutive marker used as a form of endearment

The Yun brothers had gone to Lan Zhou, and Lu Piao Xiang attended to official matters all day long and only came back home once every few days.

Ruan Zhu couldn’t bear to remain idle. Besides taking care of her child, she practiced writing and learned how to embroider from Nuan Chun to pass the time. Using a war painting as a base, she started embroidering a cloak for Lu Piao Xiang. On the black fabric, she stitched a golden eagle striking the sky with outstretched wings, and with the help of a sketch, the eagle’s majestic appearance and demeanor were all realistically embroidered. On the side of the cloak was also a domineering verse: Men are like steel until death, using their hands to repair the cracks in the sky.

When Lu Piao Xiang received it, he was exceedingly fond of the cloak and showed it off the very next day. Just as he returned in the evening, Ruan Zhu was in the living room, learning how to cut fabric from Nuan Chun. The weather was gradually becoming warmer, and she planned on making her child a onesie with a split pant as that would prevent the upper garment from separating from the trousers when he was being held by someone.

During the time she had gone to the southern border with Yun Shi Yi, she had bought white cotton cloths on the way back, and a few days ago, she had gone to a dye workshop to stain them in beautiful colors.

Cotton cloth was soft, very absorbent, and also beneficial to the skin–perfect to make clothing for children with. Picking out a light blue dyed piece, she handed it over to Nuan Chun to trim while she looked on from the side.

Lu Piao Xiang stepped inside and saw the master and servant–one asking and the other answering–in a harmonious atmosphere. Nuan Chun was taller than Ruan Zhu by a head and the eyes in his lowered head as he looked at his master were filled with affection.

Lu Piao Xiang became thoughtful as an unfathomable and strange feeling rose within him.

Ruan Zhu saw that he had returned and her eyes sparkled with joy. Putting down the needlework, she walked over to remove his cloak and jacket before handing them over to Nuan Chun and offering her husband a towel: “I thought you weren’t coming back tonight so I ate ahead of time. You’re hungry, right? I’ll have the kitchen prepare something.”

“No need, I already ate in the barracks. Wife, if there’s nothing important, let’s retire for the night. I’m tired.”

The corner of Ruan Zhu’s mouth curved into a smile. He said this every time but would become a lively dragon and animated tiger once they got into bed, making it so that her waist would be sore when she woke the next morning. “Nuan Chun, you can return to rest. These clothes can be done tomorrow.”

“This servant is not tired and will take it back and finish it this night so the Young Master can wear it tomorrow.” Nuan Chun tidied up the material, bowed to the two people, and left.

“Wife, if you like Nuan Chun, there is no harm in receiving him, all right? Whether I am home or not, it is good to have someone taking care of you.”

Ruan Zhu pouted playfully: “What sort of disgraceful words are you saying? Isn’t my appetite satisfied? I don’t have feelings between a man and a woman towards Nuan Chun and the thought doesn’t excite me. Don’t bring up this matter in the future.” She thought about how Nuan Chun and Nuan Qing had all become older. Should she find them a home of their own? But she had to hear the opinion of the two involved first as she could not force them.

“Not having is also good. While the two Yun brothers are not home, let me have this chance to have my share and then we’ll see.” Lu Piao Xiang picked Ruan Zhu up, a smile across his entire face: “I wore that cloak and many people kept asking me who embroidered it. Those great old menfolk in the military were all full of envy and admiration. After returning from the morning court, I chanced upon a court painting master. He looked at the embroidered design and offered a very large sum of money to buy it, saying he wanted to study the style for more inspiration and to form an exclusive school just for that style. Holy shit! When have I, Lu Piao Xiang, ever been short of that little bit of silver? The painting master was anxious, and also wanted to pay respect to you as his master, that motherfucker.”

Lu Piao Xiang had an elegant temperament and very rarely used foul language. These few days, he had spent too long in the barracks with the other military men and had caught certain bad habits.

Ruan Zhu pursed her lips in a smile. Her design had a forceful quality that was not seen in this era, so it was no wonder that even a court painting master wished to study her work. However, it was merely that the style was different; her painting skill could not be compared to the experts of this era.

“You must not tell anyone I painted it. If everyone were to come begging for one, I’d be exhausted to death.” When she had studied fine arts in her past life, she had been in charge of several classes’ bulletin boards[a] and also did not dare go against the teachers. That had been extremely depressing.

“I, your man, am intelligent and will not say anything. I’ll let them be anxious and let them be envious.”

“The season has changed. Either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I’ll make a few clothes for you. If you like it, I can embroider some other things on them.” She thought of Yun Shi Yi and longing welled up in her heart. He was still traveling on the ship, right?

“Wife, you truly are skilled. Piao Xiang being able to have you as a wife in this life is from the good luck accumulated in my past life.”

Lu Piao Xiang carried her into the bedroom and stripped her of her clothes. Every time he undressed her, it would leave her without a stitch of clothing but his hands would be very gentle. When it was his turn, his clothing would be removed in two or three tugs.

“I’ve been thinking of you all day.” He placed her on top of the bed for a kiss and sucked on a red plum on her chest for a while before griping: “Why is there no milk?”

Ruan Zhu’s cheeks became faintly red: “It stopped yesterday.” Breast milk was the most nutritious during the first three months after delivery, and in any case, the amount she had wasn’t enough for her child to eat. Three months had already passed, so why not dry up her milk? The process was not at all painful. Nuan Chun had filled a prescription from the medicine hall, and the morning after she had drank the boiled concoction, she had stopped producing milk.

“Unfortunate.” Regret was all over Lu Piao Xiang’s face.

“Unfortunate what?” Ruan Zhu had had enough of him. Her son’s food had been taken by him as a beverage to drink.

“Nothing. Having not seen you for a day, my heart felt as if it was lost and holding you just like this makes me extremely content.”

“I’ll make you more satisfied; how about that?” She smiled mischievously before slowly lowering her head to kiss the red bean on his chest. Extending her tongue, she naughtily drew circles on his chest before using her teeth to gently bite down while one of her hands pinched the other, lonely red bean; gently pulling, not being partial to either one.

“Oh……” Lu Piao Xiang’s vision blurred as he placed his hands on top of her chest.

She looked towards his crotch. That area had long been raised and a drop had already spilled out.

“Wife, sit on top.” Lu Piao Xiang commanded her, but his voice shook.

Ruan Zhu did not move, and instead, extended her hand to grip him, able to sense him hotly trembling in her hands……Little by little, her head lowered and enveloped him in her mouth……

“Ah……Nn……” At this moment, Lu Piao Xiang’s heart was trembling and his body was even hotter than from just a moment ago as his member that was being sucked swelled further.

This seductress! Lu Piao Xiang’s breathing became more and more rushed.

Ever since he had completely had her, she rarely did this sort of thing.

He had almost forgotten this sort of pleasure; seeing her lap at him with those back-and-forth movements……He felt so damned comfortable and his hands at her chest unconsciously increased their grip.

“Oh……” Ruan Zhu cried out.

Lu Piao Xiang hurriedly let go of her but was unexpectedly blocked by her: “No, just like that; so good.” Ever since she gave birth, she felt that her lust and expectations were stronger than before, and her body could now also handle multiple rounds of passion in one night.

Lu Piao Xiang continued to tease her in a rather rough manner. Seeing her face flushed from passion, it deeply aroused him. He grasped her body and turned her around, abruptly entering her from behind. The moment he felt her warmth, it was if his body had caught on fire and the speed of his thrusts also immediately sped up.

After both of them had peaked, Ruan Zhu panted for breath and was pulled into his arms when she suddenly thought of a matter: “Lord Husband, have you taken the oral contraceptive?”

“Why must I take that?” Lu Piao Xiang asked in astonishment: “I’ve never taken it in the past and you’ve also never brought it up before.”

“It’s not the same as before because menses doesn’t occur when breastfeeding. With the milk all dried up, it’ll come again. Tomorrow, I’ll have Nuan Chun go to the yamen and boil up a bowl of it for you to drink. It must be done; it’ll be troublesome if I become pregnant again.”

To prevent against fake drugs and to avoid confusion with bloodlines, the imperial court ordered that contraceptives must be provided by the yamen. No matter how tight each province’s finances were, they had to guarantee contraceptives were offered.

Lu Piao Xiang gently slapped his wife’s white derriere twice and faintly smiled: “Isn’t having children a good thing? My and Zhu’er‘s child; how wonderful is that? Let’s just plan for it then. Wife, this time, give me a son, all right!”

Normally, this next child would be Yun Shi Wei’s but he was currently not in the capital, which was convenient for Lu Piao Xiang. Lu Piao Xiang elatedly thought thus: his childhood was bitter and he had had little to eat, but the Heavens treated him quite generously in regards to his marriage.

“How could you bend the law for personal gain?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Lu Piao Xiang’s eyes were completely filled with a smile, “Let’s see if it’s possible to have twins. Your Father has always wanted an heir; we can give him the second child to adopt.”

“You’re so generous, but will your Father and Mother agree?” Ruan Zhu was very surprised.

She had seen that merchant couple once before their marriage, but then it was like they were a stone sinking in the sea.[b] She had also never heard him mention them again as if they had never existed at all.

“My Mother and Father cannot make decisions for me.” He did not have much affection towards his own family. Empress Mother had lots of children and did not pay special attention to him, and his biological father only thought all day long of how to please Empress Mother and was neither hot nor cold towards him. Emperor Father did not treat him badly, but when all was said and done, they were still separated by blood, and he could not feel the familial bond.

“If others were to give their son up for adoption to the Ruan clan, they would certainly be assumed as coveting the Ruan family’s assets. But I know you are not like that. Lord Husband, you are a mystery as you have formidable abilities and authority. Sometimes, I really suspect you are a prince that had met with misfortune and then one day you will suddenly become someone high up with ten thousand eyes focusing on you.”

Lu Piao Xiang laughed: “I think that you are the true mystery. I’ve always doubted what exactly your little brain is thinking o, as there are so many things in there that make one surprised. You still don’t know, right, the drawing you provided previously has been treated as the first priority? A group of talented craftsmen in the army base were able to create it not long after you gave me the design. Not only did they make a ratchet-type ballista, they were also able to create one based on gears. A large crowd of artisans and smiths are working around and against the clock to create and install these weapons. The first batch of fifty ballistas is already en route to the battlefield at Mount Cang Huang.”

“That is wonderful! If we are able to block the enemy, there will be no need to move the capital.”

“There is also your gunpowder formula. I have also found people to make it and the power is truly extraordinary and hard to imagine.” Excitement shone in Lu Piao Xiang’s eyes; even his voice became a little higher: “Based on what you said, the trebuchet’s leather sling has also been exchanged for a large metal spoon and the distance that the stone traveled was twice as far as before. For such a simple thing, why has no one ever thought of it before? And for you, a lady in her boudoir, to propose it?”

Ruan Zhu was a little tired and yawned: “As long as we are able to block the Red Eyebrow army, we can just live our days leisurely.”

There was no need to mention to her how deadly these improvements were and how many people would die. During war, her enemies dying would always be better than her herself dying. Even if all of the enemies were completely wiped out, as long as she and all of her family and close friends were alive, then all was well. Of course, it would be the best if no one died.

“Lord Husband, I forgot to remind you to not mention the matter of me improving these military weapons to anyone else. I would like to live my days in peace. That sort of being stared at wherever one goes is very uncomfortable.” But only Ruan Zhu understood that it was so the Ruan clan would not discover her secret. An occasional small-scale idea was fine, but being too excessive would make it hard for others to not suspect her.

“You can relax; I won’t randomly speak of it.” How could he carelessly speak of military secrets? If the enemy were to know of it, wouldn’t it just place her in danger? One had to know that there were hordes of enemy spies in the capital, hmm?

[a] 板报 is referring to the chalkboards in each classroom, I believe, where announcements/etc., are written and drawn. (Example image here) It is also the name of a Chinese social media aggregator app.

[b] 石沉大海, idiom meaning no response; disappeared; etc.