Love's Debt Comes Knocking - Chapter 12

“Grandmother is being overly cautious.”

A voice suddenly spoke up. The eunuch turned to look and saw a slender, tall youth with a delicate and obedient appearance stepping out from the crowd. Dressed in crimson robes and wearing long boots, the youth raised an eyebrow, as if peach blossoms were falling.

Lu Yang, holding an orange cat, spoke with elegance: “Under the Emperor’s feet, who could harm your grandson, and who would dare? Eunuch, don’t you think that’s right?”

The imperial eunuch immediately dared not underestimate him and hurriedly nodded and bowed: “That’s right, indeed it is. Young Master Lu speaks wisely.”

Burdened with the Emperor’s command, he dared not delay. Glancing at the sky, he cleared his throat: “Old Madam, Young Master Lu, Miss Lu, His Majesty is still waiting in the palace…”

The old madam nodded to him.

The eunuch immediately summoned a soft sedan chair: “You three, please board the sedan.”

Riding a sedan chair directly into the palace was an honor and dignity bestowed by the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Li Chen waited patiently in the palace for their arrival, while Han Chan returned to the mansion under the evening sun.

Seeing her, Dui Xue couldn’t contain her excitement and asked, “Did you see him?”

“I saw him. Where is the young lady?”

“Fishing in the middle of the lake.”

At Qingzhuo Lake, the water shimmered with ripples. Tao Yuan sat on the boat deck, fishing in the wind.

She had changed into another new outfit—a light-colored embroidered blouse and skirt that complemented the water and sky. Her hair was styled in a flowing bun, and she held a green bamboo fishing rod naturally in one hand. As the rod trembled slightly, her eyes sparkled with a smile.

Han Chan arrived just as she caught her first fish of the day.

A plump carp flapped in her palm, its tail splashing fine droplets of water onto Tao Yuan’s face.

The maids nearby wanted to help, but she stopped them with a glance.

There were two young ladies in the mansion, and their interests differed greatly. Places like Qingzhuo Lake and the library were favored by the eldest young lady, while the second young lady rarely visited.

Tao Yuan excelled in her studies and enjoyed tranquility. Fishing was one of her favorite outdoor activities.

Only after placing the fish into the basket did she have time to acknowledge Han Chan.

With a glance, Han Chan approached to pay her respects, squatting beside the young lady with a smile. “I saw him. The Lu family’s young master was wearing a peony-red dress today, accompanying Old Madam Lu. His figure and face are beautiful, but far less so than the young lady’s.”

“And what else?”

“The Lu family’s fleet arrived in the capital today—what a grand spectacle! The ship Old Madam Lu was on could easily accommodate hundreds of people. The docks were lined with rows of ships, and many people came to watch. Even the palace sent someone to greet them. The Emperor has given the Lu family immense face!”

Tao Yuan sighed softly. “Then tell me, what does the ‘God of Wealth’ look like?”

Han Chan pondered for a moment. “Willow-leaf eyes, a slender waist, not very tall, with a graceful figure…”

“Are you sure they were willow-leaf eyes and not peach-blossom eyes?”

“Certain. They were willow-leaf eyes.”

Tao Yuan was momentarily lost in thought.

She remembered that person had a pair of deep, affectionate peach-blossom eyes.

Could it be a different person?

Never mind.

Perhaps she was overthinking it.

There were many people with the same name in the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could it be such a coincidence that she would encounter the Lu family’s little God of Wealth from Fengcheng?

“Let’s go back.”

“Huh? Young lady, aren’t you going to fish anymore?”

“No more fishing.”

The soft sedan chair was carried all the way into the palace.

The palace was vast, with red walls and green tiles.

As the sedan moved along the long palace path, Lu Yang lifted the curtain to admire the passing scenery. The eunuch accompanied him, trying to lighten the mood.

After a few brief words, the young master of the Lu family revealed a smile.

Li Chen received the Lu family’s grandmother and grandson in the Mingde Hall. As the footsteps drew nearer, he looked up—

The lingering glow of the sunset added a touch of prosperity to Lady Lu. The women of the Lu family generally enjoyed long lives, and after each generation of Lu patriarchs passed away, it was the women who took the reins of power, smoothly passing authority to the younger generation.

Not domineering, not overly ambitious, but steady and pragmatic, with both courage and wisdom. Li Chen held a favorable view of the prosperous Lu family.

Among the masses, those who reached the pinnacle of wealth and power were all exceptional talents in the world.

The Lu family had remained undefeated for eight hundred years, and there must be unique, valuable lessons to be learned from their success.

As this thought crossed his mind, his gaze was unconsciously drawn to the young woman in modern Hu-style attire standing beside the elderly lady.

She wore a narrow-sleeved, high-collared crimson robe, cinched at the waist with a jade belt adorned with a dangling pouch. A miniature golden abacus hung diagonally from her waist, and her chest was embroidered with silver-gray threads forming scattered patterns of square-holed coins, exuding an air of opulent beauty.

Just from her attire, it was clear she was the young heir of the Lu family, born and raised in a nest of gold and silver.

His gaze shifted upward, and upon seeing her soft, fair face, Li Chen’s eyes lit up.

It was rare to see a woman with such a delicate yet captivating charm.

While he was observing Lu Yang, she was also discreetly observing him.

The thirty-eight-year-old Emperor of Zhou was at the prime of his life, full of energy and ambition. The Li family had a military background, and his physique carried the sturdy, upright bearing of a soldier. Though his appearance might not rival that of the scions of noble families, he had phoenix eyes, a slender waist, and a graceful, handsome demeanor.

Lu Yang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he wasn’t some unsightly old man.

As she relaxed, Lu Jinhuan, standing beside her, also felt her heart settle back into place.

Though power was the best adornment for a man, having grown accustomed to Lu Yang’s face, she feared she might struggle to accept someone truly unattractive.

In any case, she was satisfied with the Emperor’s appearance.

Fortunately, Li Chen remained completely unaware of the subtle glances the three generations of the Lu family were casting toward their prospective son-in-law.

Though it felt like a long moment, only an instant had passed since Lady Lu entered the hall with her granddaughter. Before they could even bow, he waved his hand grandly, “Grant them seats!”

With no empress in the palace, the Emperor had prepared a banquet to receive the Lu family.

After several rounds of pleasantries and a few cups of wine, it was time to discuss serious matters.

Lu Yang had come to do business.

Coincidentally, Li Chen also had a deal to make with the Lu family.

“Summon Princess Anping.”

In no time, Princess Anping, dressed in resplendent palace attire, gracefully entered the hall.

Lady Lu’s smile deepened.

Princess Anping was Li Chen’s third daughter, gentle in nature and skilled in song and dance.

After she finished dancing around Lu Yang and withdrew, Lu Yang could no longer hold back and tilted her head to sneeze. “This fragrance…”

Lu Jinhuan, seated beside her, sniffed lightly, her expression suddenly changing. She hurriedly retrieved a bean-sized pill from her pouch and fed it to Lu Yang.

After taking the medicine, Lu Yang’s nose finally felt better.

It was then that Li Chen noticed the fiery-red-robed Jinhuan. Suppressing the admiration in his eyes, he asked with concern, “What’s wrong with the fragrance?”

“Your Majesty, A’Yang is sensitive to the scent of jasmine. She sneezes as soon as she smells it.”

Li Chen suddenly understood, sitting there momentarily struck by a faint sense of awkwardness. After a moment, he finally spoke, “What does Young Master Lu think of my Anping?”

The Great Zhou Dynasty had amended its laws last year to allow same-sex marriage, aiming not only to gain the support of “that segment of the population” but also to win over the Lu family.

Three years earlier, Lady Lu had written to him, stating that her granddaughter disliked men and preferred women.

By marrying into the Lu family and making Lu Yang a royal consort, the Lu family would gain the support of the imperial household, while the Li imperial clan would secure the backing of the Lu family—a mutually beneficial arrangement.

He had planned meticulously, even willing to offer his exceptionally beautiful fourteen-year-old daughter. Whether this succeeded or not, Lu Yang’s attitude was particularly crucial.

Lu Yang rose and clasped her hands in salute. “Princess Anping, as a member of the imperial family, is naturally excellent. However, as a commoner coming to the capital, I too have a request.”

“Oh?” Li Chen’s interest was piqued. “What is your request?”

He wasn’t afraid of the Lu family having demands. Demands fostered trust, while having no desires or requests made for the worst allies.

A trusted aide, receiving the signal, entered the hall carrying a green jade box. Lu Yang took the jade box. “I must ask Your Majesty to dismiss your attendants.”

“All of you, withdraw.”

The chief eunuch led the palace servants out in an orderly procession.

Lu Yang glanced at the emperor and smiled shyly.

Her smile remained gentle and refined, yet Li Chen’s eyelids twitched violently, as if something unexpected was about to happen.

The jade box opened to reveal a well-preserved piece of silk cloth.

“This is the IOU written by the Great Ancestor to the Lu family. I ask Your Majesty to examine it.”

“An IOU?”

Fearing he might deny it, Lu Yang approached a few steps, holding the silk cloth. “Written in the Great Ancestor’s own hand, fair to all, with the royal seal as proof.”

Now Li Chen could no longer remain seated. He strode down in a few steps.

After carefully examining the handwriting and seal on the cloth and seeing the enormous debt left by his ancestor, even as the emperor, he couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

This…

This was a debt that even emptying the national treasury couldn’t repay!

The silk cloth became a hot potato—impossible to discard, yet impossible to repay. Li Chen quickly regained his composure. “The Lu family has a request? Speak it.”

Lu Yang declared clearly, “I request the position of Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and I ask Your Majesty to promise never to depose the empress in your lifetime.”

Gracefully and confidently, she rose and helped Lu Jinhuan, who was seated at the table, to her feet. Her peach blossom eyes curved slightly. “Your Majesty, what do you think of the eldest daughter of the Lu family? Is she worthy of being the mistress of the central palace?”

This almost echoed the question Li Chen had asked earlier.

Outside, the wind rose and clouds gathered, rain pattering against the osmanthus trees.

The chief eunuch stood guard outside the palace doors, his ears perked up like a rabbit’s, but all he could hear from inside was the crisp, rapid clicking of an abacus.

After a long while, the sealed doors swung open.

Everything that needed to be said had been said. It was time to leave the emperor to weigh the pros and cons. Politely declining Li Chen’s goodwill, the Lu family matriarch and her granddaughter left the palace before the gates were locked.

Returning by sedan chair to the manor the Lu family had established in the capital, as soon as they stepped out, servants waiting at the entrance gathered around.

Mei Zhen, Xiu Lan, Wanzhu, and Ju Shuang—the four maidservants—surrounded their young mistress and escorted her back to her courtyard for a bath.

Once properly dressed in fresh clothes, before the evening meal, Lu Yang picked up her long chopsticks and smiled. “It’s the first time I’ve negotiated with an emperor. Grandmother, how did your granddaughter do?”

“Very well. You were neither subservient nor arrogant, giving His Majesty as much dignity as possible while not tarnishing the Lu family’s reputation.”

“And Sister Jinhuan?”

Lu Jinhuan shot her a sidelong glance. “Fine, fine, I know you’re amazing. Your tail is practically wagging up to the sky.”

Even as she said this, she felt happy herself.

At least Lu Yang, despite her youth, could stand on her own. At least, from the brief negotiation, it was clear that Li Chen was a clever and ambitious man.

An ambitious emperor would not submit to the constraints of powerful families. In time, she was confident she could become his indispensable political ally and the one who held his heart as his consort, thereby entering the core of power and bringing lasting peace and stability to the Lu family.

The path lay beneath her feet—whether broad, narrow, straight, or winding. Once she stood in that position, she would have to keep moving forward.

Establishing an empress was a matter of great importance to both the state and the family. It was only right for Li Chen to take his time considering it.

In the blink of an eye, the Double Ninth Festival arrived.

The Double Ninth Festival, also known as the Autumn Outing Festival, offered more than just daytime banquets for longevity. The people of the capital also enjoyed a splendid “Autumn Night Outing.”

As the Great Zhou Dynasty did not enforce a curfew, men and women would take to the streets to celebrate during this time. With the focus on enjoyment and pleasure, it was one of the rare occasions in the year when young nobles could freely indulge their spirited nature.

Before dusk fell, Tao Zheng invited Xie Liulang to join her in celebrating the Double Ninth Festival.

Meanwhile, Tao Yuan shed her dress and changed into a modified narrow-sleeved round-collar robe, a fish-patterned jade pendant hanging from her waist, and black brocade boots. With a landscape-painted folding fan gracefully opened before her chest, she waved it gently, looking every bit the dashing figure who had stepped out of a painting.

Han Chan and Dui Xue watched with wide eyes.

It wasn’t the first time they had seen the young mistress dressed in men’s attire. Countless young women in the capital wore men’s clothing on a daily basis, but no one could carry a simple, milky-white narrow-sleeved robe with such captivating charm as their young mistress.

Anyone else would lack her ethereal elegance and refined grace.

At a glance, it was clear she was a woman with a graceful figure, yet the aura between her brows seemed more spirited and joyful than usual.

Tao Yuan had been nudged out the door by her grandmother.

“Go and have fun, go quickly, and enjoy yourself to the fullest!”

Tao Yuan couldn’t help but laugh and sigh.

Old Madam Tao couldn’t bear to watch her granddaughter “flirt” with her in the narrow-sleeved robe and waved her hand dismissively. “Han Chan, Dui Xue, keep a close eye on her. Don’t bring the young mistress back until the hour of Hai!”

“Yes, Old Madam!”

On the night of the Autumn Outing, the capital was ablaze with lights.

As stars gradually lit up the sky, Lu Yang and Jinhuan stepped out of their homes, eager to immerse themselves in the beauty of Luoyang’s night scenery and the festive atmosphere.