My Lady Says She Wants to Marry Me - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

At night, Su Wanrou lay atop Lu Youming, her long black hair sliding from her shoulders to drape over Lu Youming’s fair neck.

Lu Youming’s eyes were hazy and her breath was shallow. Someone was nibbling at her lips—it didn’t hurt, but everywhere the tip of a tongue brushed, it left a lingering, maddening itch.

The night was long and cool, with the thin candlelight flickering through the bed curtains. Su Wanrou’s fingertips easily eased open Lu Youming’s clothes. Lu Youming pulled her close, suddenly flipped over, and pressed her beneath her.

The sudden shift in position startled Su Wanrou, but her protest was cut short by an urgent kiss. Lu Youming’s fingers covered Su Wanrou’s; their fingers interlaced, and the room was filled with the sound of soft, moving gasps.

An hour later, Lu Youming held the radiant Su Wanrou in her arms. She leaned in and whispered into her ear, “I’ll call someone to bring hot water so we can wash up.”

Su Wanrou’s face was flushed, her eyes rippling with emotion. She nodded gently and then, satisfied, used her pale toes to give the “untrustworthy” Lu Youming a playful kick.

Thinking she was being mischievous, Lu Youming caught the delicate foot and said dotingly, “Be good. Wait for me to come back.”

Once the maid brought the hot water and they had cleaned themselves, they lay back down, shared a soft kiss, and bid each other goodnight. With a soft snap, the candle was extinguished.

The next day, Lu Youming and Su Wanrou rode out to the outskirts together, accompanied by Chen Jing. They were all dressed in riding gear with seven or eight attendants in tow. When they reached the manor outside the cement factory, Cheng Ji was already waiting at the gate.

Only after ensuring the factory work was perfectly arranged did Cheng Ji step out. As the group walked together, Cheng Ji told them, “The first batch of cement has already been shipped out with the caravan. Her Highness sent a letter saying she wants to build another cement factory here.”

Lu Youming fell into thought regarding the raw materials. The current factory was relatively small; adding another would mean a massive increase in the demand for ingredients.

Hearing this, Chen Jing looked at the contemplative Lu Youming and turned to Cheng Ji. “Give the letters to Lu Youming and me later. we need to discuss this before making a decision.”

Cheng Ji didn’t understand the logistics, but he was obedient. He shifted the conversation to his “precious son,” becoming spirited and full of pride as he spoke of him.

The group galloped through the mountains, while Su Wanrou remained in the carriage, watching them race through the forest from her window. Attendants chased down game, and soon a rabbit hung from Lu Youming’s saddle. Zhufeng dashed through the trees, tongue lolling out in pure excitement.

When the forest grew too dense for horses, they dismounted, carrying short blades and bows into the thicket. Chen Jing, having shot a few wild rabbits and seeing the others disappear into the brush, decided to turn back and keep Su Wanrou company.

“Sister Chen, have some water.” Su Wanrou gently handed over a water skin. Chen Jing, dressed in a tailored riding outfit based on nomadic styles, looked heroic and sharp with her high ponytail.

She took the water and smiled. “Sister Su, you are finally willing to call me ‘Sister’.”

Su Wanrou’s eyes were clear, her face touched with a rosy glow and an obvious sense of happiness that made Chen Jing daze for a moment. She remembered how, before they set out, Lu Youming had spoken so softly to Su Wanrou, making her laugh and instructing the maids to care for her, even stationing eight guards around the carriage.

Lu Youming truly placed Su Wanrou’s safety above all else, considering everything from her food to the sturdiness of the carriage. Even the small dagger Su Wanrou carried was perfectly sized for her grip.

All of this signaled that Su Wanrou was happy. Under Lu Youming’s support, she had moved from tentatively participating in yamen affairs to becoming a formal official. It was a mix of luck, capability, and preparation.

Chen Jing then thought of the “glazed glass” Cheng Ji had mentioned—the thing Lu Youming had supposedly made by accident. Chen Jing recalled the glass screens sent as tribute from the Western Regions. If Lu Youming could master the art of glass-making, it would bring in endless wealth, bolster the dynasty’s strength, and could be exported to the barbarians. Using glass to drain their wealth in exchange for cattle and sheep would allow them to control their enemies economically. Her Highness’s plans were truly far-reaching.

Meanwhile, a caravan carrying 3,000 bags of cement was traveling toward the border. The leader was a secret agent under Grand Princess Shaoyang. The journey was smooth; no one asked what the “gray dust” was for.

After a month of travel, they reached Wangchuan Pass. Just as Lu Youming had predicted, the cement was incredibly useful. In the dry border environment, the cement was mixed with sand and stone to build thick, formidable walls. To prevent cracking in the dry air, soldiers constantly poured buckets of water over the setting structures. 3,000 bags reinforced the pass, and the rest were stored for future use.

Back in Chongjiang, after much discussion, they decided not to build a second factory there. Instead, the new factory was built in Grand Princess Shaoyang’s personal fiefdom.

Everything was moving onto the right track. Lu Youming began focusing on blowing glass bottles. She stood by the furnace, watching the molten red liquid. Her workers were experts sent by the Princess, far more skilled than local craftsmen.

One quiet afternoon at the yamen, while Su Wanrou was finishing her paperwork, Lu Youming watched as a craftsman blew a glass ball into the shape of a bottle. After it cooled, Lu Youming held the transparent vessel with a joyful smile. “Finally, success!”

The craftsmen cheered. Lu Youming waved her hand grandly. “Double pay for everyone today, and a bonus of ten taels of silver each!” The cheers grew even louder—ten taels was a fortune!

Lu Youming left them to continue and rode back to the city with the unique bottle. Chen Jing was shocked when she saw it. She hadn’t expected Lu Youming to create something even more transparent and smooth than the glass in the Imperial Palace.

“Zijin, you have performed a great service,” Chen Jing marveled. She could already imagine how people would go mad for this once it hit the market.

“As long as Her Highness finds it useful. We can mass-produce this soon and develop even more complex designs,” Lu Youming said confidently.

Sure enough, once the glass bottles went on sale, they triggered a frenzy. A single bottle could sell for a thousand pieces of gold. Different designs appeared—large tanks for fish, slender vases for tea flowers.

The hype grew rapidly. As the Princess raked in the profits, some grew jealous and tried to complain to the Emperor that “officials should not compete with the people for profit.” However, the Princess wasn’t selling to the “people”—she was selling to the nobility. Furthermore, whenever a new style was created, the Emperor received the very first, unique piece. This made the old Emperor very happy. How could he possibly find fault with his filial daughter?