To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Risking Everything to Conceive

Thinking of the non-existent child, Jiang Shu felt a twinge of guilt. Terrified of giving herself away, she spoke softly to Lu Changji, “Uncle, I hold your kindness in my heart. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will surely repay you.”

Having said her piece, she feigned a yawn and leaned back wearily against the chaise longue. “I feel somewhat unwell today and lack energy. I won’t keep you any longer.”

Lu Changji’s heart tightened. He wanted to ask more about her condition, but realizing it was already improper for him to have entered her room so abruptly, he feared that further questioning would make her suspicious. He swallowed his words and left.

Upon returning to the Canaan Courtyard, Lu Changji summoned Cheng Yong and whispered his instructions: “Go and find out if the Second Young Madam is truly healthy. Is she taking any herbal decoctions? How is her appetite?”

Cheng Yong complied and returned shortly to the flower hall to report: “The Second Young Madam is not currently taking any medicine, so her health should be fine. Her appetite was quite good a few days ago, usually finishing more than half a bowl of food. Only today did she eat less; she only had half a bowl of plain porridge this evening.”

Hearing this, Lu Changji felt even more pity for Jiang Shu. She was used to being cautious and enduring everything alone. Even though she had been frightened by the incident with Hu Lingshuang, she refused to show it.

Once I welcome her through my doors, he thought, I will never let her suffer like this again.

…

Hu Lingshuang had walked to the gates of the ghost kingdom and back. Though her body was weak, she had at least kept her life.

When her life hung in the balance, Lu Changfeng had worried for her. But once he knew she was safe, thoughts of humiliation, rage, and darkness began to fester in his mind.

Lu Changfeng stared sinisterly at her and sneered, “Do you know what people outside are saying about me? They say I’m a living cuckold, green-hatted by my own father, yet I don’t dare utter a single word of protest. Even the maggots in the gutter have more spine than I do.”

Too many attendants had been at the Listening Rain Pavilion that day. Despite Lu Changfeng’s strict orders for silence, rumors had inevitably leaked.

Fire cannot be wrapped in paper forever. Hu Lingshuang had long anticipated the consequences of exposure. She knew she had done wrong, but if she could go back, she would still make the same choice.

The Hu family were officials, but they were nothing compared to the Marquis of Xinyang’s manor. When Hu Lan became the Marquis’s favored concubine and returned to her natal home for the holidays, the entire family treated her like a supreme guest.

She had declared she wanted to choose a niece to be betrothed to her son, and Madam Hu had hurriedly lined up all the daughters in the flower hall for her inspection. A son of the Marquis was a direct descendant; becoming his wife was a leap to the heavens.

Hu Lan had looked down upon her four nieces and finally fixed her gaze on Hu Lingshuang. She asked Madam Hu, “This is Shuang’er, isn’t it?”

Madam Hu nodded repeatedly. “This is the third girl, Lingshuang.”

Hu Lan smiled proudly. “This child is striking. She looks fifty percent like I did in my youth. She is a match for Feng-ge’er. Once she reaches adulthood, she shall marry him.”

Hu Lingshuang was the third daughter; she had elder sisters and younger brothers and was never Madam Hu’s favorite. She hadn’t expected to be the “luckiest” one.

Madam Hu pushed her toward Hu Lan, saying eagerly, “Shuang’er, you will be going to the Marquis’s manor next year to enjoy a life of luxury. This is all thanks to your Aunt. Quickly, thank her.”

A massive fortune had dropped into her lap, but for some reason, Hu Lingshuang felt it wasn’t so simple. Her cousin was handsome and came from a great family, but she didn’t like him. She had read stories with her second sister and favored the wandering heroes of the wuxia tales.

“Silver saddles shine on white horses, galloping like shooting stars. Killing a man every ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles.” That kind of unrestrained freedom, where blood and tenderness coexisted—that was the true essence of a man.

She didn’t love Cousin Changfeng, but marriage was a command from parents. Whether she was willing or not, she couldn’t change it.

Five days after the betrothal, Lu Changfeng came to stay at the Hu house. Since they were engaged, the elders were lax about their interactions. Initially polite, Lu Changfeng’s gaze eventually changed. Though young, Hu Lingshuang instinctively sensed danger and began to avoid him.

One autumn day, while she was picking chrysanthemums with her maid, Liuli, the maid’s voice suddenly vanished. Looking back, she saw Lu Changfeng’s servant covering Liuli’s mouth and dragging her away.

Sensing trouble, Hu Lingshuang ran, but she was physically weak. After a few dozen steps, Lu Changfeng intercepted her and pulled her into his arms. He held her tight, kissing her cheek while murmuring, “Shuang’er, we are already engaged. We’ll have to do this eventually; just give in to me now.”

Though the Hu family wasn’t high nobility, the daughters were raised on the Commandments for Women. Hu Lingshuang could not accept premarital intimacy. She bit his arm hard, but he didn’t let go. He swept her up and carried her into a pavilion.

She would never forget that day—a day of combined pain and humiliation.

The memory was so painful that for a long time after the wedding, she couldn’t bring herself to be intimate with him. Lu Changfeng, who coveted her beauty, initially tried to coax her, but eventually, his true nature emerged. He began spending nine nights out of ten in the brothels.

Hu Lingshuang thought her life would be wasted like this until that moonlit night. Lu Changfeng had returned to the Bihua Building drunk and tried to force himself on her. She fled to the secluded Thousand Forest Garden.

Under the brilliant stars and mirror-like moon, she saw Lu Lin holding a long sword. His movements were like a soaring dragon. In that instant, his blade pierced through to her heart. She remembered the stories of Lu Lin’s youth in the martial world. Back then, he must have been even more dashing.

He was her hero.

Something broke free within her. As she watched Lu Lin, her body and mind surged with desire. After that night, she changed completely. She became the tender, charming wife Lu Changfeng desired, but she used everything she learned on Lu Lin instead.

She had done wrong, but she wouldn’t change. She was simply following her heart. What was her crime? If Lu Changfeng could sleep with prostitutes, why should she remain faithful to him?

Now that the truth was out, she knew Lu Changfeng wouldn’t let her off. She had flattered him for so long; now, she would never have to deal with him against her will again.

She looked at him with a mocking smile and said coolly, “Do you want to know why I cheated with Lu Lin even while pregnant? Because he is better than you. He is more of a man. Everything I couldn’t get from you, I got from him. Naturally, I couldn’t get enough.”

Lu Changfeng trembled with rage, wishing he could eat her flesh and drink her blood. She had committed a heinous sin, yet instead of begging for mercy, she insulted his manhood.

“Bring me my whip!” he roared. A servant hurriedly presented his leather whip.

He struck her mercilessly, shouting, “Bitch! I’ll beat you to death! Once I break your legs, let’s see how you go into heat then!”

The whip felt like searing oil. Hu Lingshuang curled her body, drenched in sweat from the pain. Yet, she refused to show weakness, gritting her teeth and refusing to even moan.

This only infuriated Lu Changfeng further. Frustration and humiliation stripped him of his sanity. He struck harder and harder, the sound of the whip hitting flesh echoing in the room. Her face grew paler, her breathing faint.

“Third Master, stop! You’ll kill her!” Liuli knelt and kowtowed repeatedly.

Lu Changfeng was unmoved.

“Stop!” Just as Hu Lingshuang was about to draw her last breath, Lu Lin entered.

Lu Changfeng looked at his father. Though past forty, Lu Lin showed no signs of aging or decay. He was upright and imposing, outshining men half his age. Lu Changfeng, bedridden and unable to walk, felt the disparity immediately.

Lu Changfeng sneered. No matter how useless he was, he was her legal husband. No matter how dashing Lu Lin was, he could only meet her in secret. “Does Father even intend to interfere in his son’s bedroom matters?”

Lu Lin didn’t look at his son. He kept his eyes on Hu Lingshuang. The once-vibrant “Shuang’er” was now hanging by a thread, and it was his fault.

He walked to the bed, scooped her into his arms, and looked at Lu Changfeng. “I am taking the Hu woman,” he said in a low, resonant voice. “From now on, there is no Third Young Madam in this manor. There is only the Marquis’s Concubine Shuang.”

Lu Changfeng watched in disbelief as his father carried his wife out of the room. As the door closed, he finally reacted. With a roar, he used his cane to smash everything in the room to the floor.

…

Night fell completely.

Auntie Hu (Hu Lan) walked in, looking at her son who was like a trapped beast. She took the cane from his hand and said softly, “It has happened. Smashing the room won’t fix it.”

“But Shuang’er…” Lu Changfeng couldn’t let it go. Despite his philandering, no one could replace her in his heart. He collapsed into his mother’s arms and sobbed.

Hu Lan stroked his hair. “Your father took your wife; he will surely feel he owes you. We should use his guilt to seize the household management rights from Lady Zhao and wipe out both her and the Jiang woman. Then, you can marry a noble daughter, produce an heir, and the Marquisate will be in our hands.”

“But Shuang’er…”

“Shuang’er, Shuang’er! You think she was truly devoted to you? If I hadn’t threatened her with her mother’s safety, she wouldn’t have lifted a finger for you!” Hu Lan was annoyed by his indecisiveness. “She is a lewd woman. Forget her. I will find you a new bride from a prestigious family soon.”

Hu Lan’s logic was cold and calculated. Lu Changfeng looked at her and asked hesitantly, “Auntie, did you know about her and Father all along?”

“So what if I did? The matter is settled. We have no choice but to use your father’s guilt. Do you want to fight him to the death over a woman?”

Lu Changfeng had no answer. He lay back on the bed, ignoring her.

Hu Lan left the building and headed straight for Lu Lin’s study. Unlike her son’s rage, she was even more tender toward Lu Lin than usual. She massaged his shoulders and asked softly, “Is Shuang’er better?”

Lu Lin had placed Hu Lingshuang in the side room of his study. He rubbed his brow. “Her life is saved.”

Hu Lan sighed. “She was Feng-ge’er’s wedded wife. We can’t just leave things unclear…”

“Tell the world she died of illness,” Lu Lin said, cutting the topic short.

Hu Lan was shrewd. She didn’t push for justice for her son; instead, she tested the waters. “The Madam (Lady Zhao) already looks down on me. Now that Shuang’er has… she will hate us even more. I fear our daily allowances will be cut.”

Lu Lin understood. He had stolen his son’s wife; he had to compensate them in other ways. “From now on, you shall manage the household. Go to the Madam’s room and collect the management tallies.”

…

In the Yanxi Hall, Lady Zhao threw the tallies at Hu Lan. “You are truly willing to sacrifice anything. If you wanted the management rights, you could have just asked. Why go as far as sacrificing your own daughter-in-law?”

Disgusted, she waved Hu Lan out. Once she was gone, Lady Zhao went to the Xinchun Courtyard.

She didn’t beat around the bush. She told Jiang Shu, “Hu Lan has taken over the household management. Everything from food to travel will be under her control. You are pregnant; do not let her find an opening. Be extremely careful.”

Jiang Shu felt a surge of warmth that Lady Zhao still cared for her at a time like this. For a main wife to lose management rights to a concubine was a massive humiliation. But Lady Zhao was calm.

Lady Zhao smiled faintly. “In the inner chambers, it’s just a cycle of different actors on the stage. Winning is important, but one’s bottom line and spine are the foundation. Hu Lan used Hu Lingshuang to win today, but can she raise another one tomorrow?”

“Men seem to swirl between women, but they are actually making choices based on their own interests. The Marquis took his son’s wife, so he had to appease the mother and son. In the future, if my natal family pressures him, he will yield. It isn’t honorable for a concubine to run a Marquis’s house. If I lose face, he loses more. These tallies will return to me sooner or later.”

Lady Zhao had realized that as long as she didn’t give her heart to a man, she was invincible. She squeezed Jiang Shu’s hand. “Don’t worry about me. Your third sister (Jiang Rong) is getting married soon. Rest well so you can see her off happily. The bond between sisters is much more precious than the love between men and women.”

After Lady Zhao left, Jiang Shu remained in deep thought.

Lu Changji had been tricked by her once; he would be on guard. Trying to act during Jiang Rong’s wedding was a risk.

But… she touched her flat stomach. She had to get pregnant. Even if it was a risk, she could not back down.

Being alive was more important than anything else.