ATLAS TRANSLATES

Liu Mu didn’t know if Lu Xian’s words could be trusted.

He had always despised the power of noble families. Since childhood, he was spoiled and developed a lawless personality. It wasn’t until the past year that he realized all that pampering was fake – his royal brother actually wanted to give him a death warrant. Instead, it was Lu Xian, the nobleman he had always looked down upon, who had been taking care of him. Although this care seemed to be a byproduct of looking after Miss Luo. Once Miss Luo got together with Lu Yun, Lu Xian stopped appearing before him.

Liu Mu laughed self-mockingly. Was everyone who was nice to him doing it with ulterior motives?

He had received so much love and pampering in his youth, so why did he now feel so alone?

Only his advisor Mr. Kong still treated him the same as before, caring for him like a child. As for others… better not mention them.

However, when Lu Xian appeared again, saying he would find a way for Liu Mu to return to Jianye once and at least see his mother… Despite Liu Mu’s cold and sarcastic expression, he held onto a glimmer of hope. Perhaps Lu Xian really could help him return to Jianye?

—

The night breeze blew gently as a thin mist pervaded the empty forest. Several dozen li from Nanyang, in a wild forest area where carriages and horses had stopped to rest and tents were being set up, Luo Lingyu and Zhou Yangling walked their horses along the lake to say goodbye.

Zhou Yangling still maintained the appearance of a graceful young nobleman, but beneath those delicate features was an exhausted look. The past few months of traveling had left her extremely unwell. Now she was just enduring until she reached Yicheng. In just the short time talking with Luo Lingyu, she had frowned and coughed many times.

Luo Lingyu was very worried: “Young Master Zhou, why don’t you stay with me? How can you travel such long distances when you’re this ill?”

Zhou Yangling shook her head and comforted her: “It’s fine, this is just my chronic condition… my father has been urging me for a long time. If I don’t return home, he’ll worry himself sick.”

Luo Lingyu complained internally, wondering what kind of father would rush their child home without considering their poor health. But that was someone else’s father, so she didn’t voice her complaints to avoid causing offense.

Zhou Yangling’s mind wandered.

Her father was the current famous scholar and leader of the commoner faction, Zhou Tan. Letting his daughter dress as a man and wander around for nearly a year was already pushing the limit. Zhou Tan couldn’t let his precious daughter continue pretending to be a man indefinitely. Over the past year, people had constantly been inquiring about who Zhou Zibo was. Zhou Tan had gone to great lengths to cover for his daughter.

But his daughter was grown now and should be getting married, not running around everywhere. Moreover, regarding Prince Chen Liu Shu’s situation…

As the two women walked through the nighttime forest, while Zhou Yangling was lost in thought, Luo Lingyu continued speaking softly: “Alright then. I won’t accompany you further Young Master Zhou. I’ll wait here for my husband to head south so I can join his convoy. Young Master Zhou, you must take care of your health along the way. You can’t even be in the sun for too long, so you should be extra careful…”

Luo Lingyu was very good at taking care of others, and had many detailed suggestions. Finally, seeing Zhou Yangling’s loose robes and thin frame, Luo Lingyu even felt somewhat envious: “If only I had Young Master Zhou’s build… being so thin and sickly, my husband would worry himself to death…”

She was somewhat excited about finding something to trouble the proud and arrogant Lu Yun with.

Zhou Yangling frowned and gently scolded her: “How can you joke about such things, sister? Being healthy and free of illness is a blessing. You don’t know how much I envy you.”

Luo Lingyu blushed at her words, but gave Zhou Yangling a strange look. His words were odd. Why would a man envy her, a woman? If he were to envy someone, shouldn’t it be someone like Lu Yun?

However, Zhou Yangling had no intention of delving deeper into this topic.

When they reached the end of the path, the servants following behind urged them repeatedly. Luo Lingyu stopped reluctantly, watching as Zhou Yangling turned to face her. Young Master Zhou bowed formally to her, his robes billowing in the wind, the young nobleman as elegant and graceful as the spirit of mountains and waters. Zhou Yangling said sincerely: “This past year of knowing you, sister, has been my happiest… but all meetings and partings are fated. Sister, please don’t follow any further.”

Luo Lingyu nodded helplessly, watching as Zhou Yangling turned to mount his horse. She stepped forward. The jade ornaments at her waist clinked melodiously, the lady’s garments swaying gently, accentuating her slender waist and graceful figure. Luo Lingyu looked up and couldn’t help asking: “Young Master Zhou… will you come to Jianye again? Will we have a chance to meet again?”

Zhou Yangling paused, then smiled and said: “Of course, I will go to Jianye again.”

Seeing the lady’s relief, Zhou Yangling felt moved and said softly: “When we meet again, I have a secret to tell you. I hope you won’t be angry with me when you find out.”

Luo Lingyu smiled tenderly and said graciously: “I could never be angry with Young Master Zhou.”

After all, besides Lu Yun, he was the nobleman she most wanted to marry.

—

And so Zhou Yangling bid farewell and left, taking most of the servants with her, leaving behind over ten attendants to protect Luo Lingyu. How Luo Lingyu would deal with her husband was no longer Zhou Yangling’s concern. What troubled Zhou Yangling was another matter — her identity as a woman could no longer be hidden.

During the New Year, Prince Chen had sent her a jade hairpin.

At that time, Lu Yun was ill and Nanyang city was in chaos. Zhou Yangling was terrified but dared not say anything.

She had been anxious for months, but Prince Chen Liu Shu showed no sign of pressing or questioning her. Just as Zhou Yangling’s heart began to settle, a letter arrived from her father in Yicheng.

Her biggest secret was that she was a woman, not a man.

Prince Chen had discovered her secret… Actually, Zhou Yangling herself was surprised that Liu Shu had only just found out. He had never investigated her before.

Never investigating her… was it because he had given up hope, or because he trusted her too much? What exactly were his complicated feelings towards her?

However, thinking about these things was meaningless now.

Zhou Yangling sighed, her gaze gradually becoming calm. Perhaps the next time she appeared before old friends, she would no longer be Young Master Zhou Zibo, but rather Lady Zhou Yangling. Her year-long masquerade as a man had finally come to an end.

—

Not long after Luo Lingyu and Zhou Yangling left, once the affairs in Nanyang had been properly handed over, Lu Yun’s group also set out southward with great fanfare.

In Jianye, Prince Chen Liu Shu received the news and felt slightly relieved, thinking that Lu Yun was finally returning safely.

Liu Shu sat in his study reading letters and patiently writing replies. Since the incident with the forged imperial edict, His Majesty the Emperor had become quite wary of him, and he had been under house arrest in his prince’s residence, unable to enter the palace to see the Emperor for a long time. Liu Shu didn’t care about seeing or not seeing his father the Emperor, who was obsessed with women, while his brothers were obsessed with fighting for power. He just sat in his study responding to letters.

Lu Yun had hinted to him to investigate the situation in Jianye, suspecting that Northern spies had infiltrated Jianye to fish in troubled waters.

Liu Shu pondered for a while, his eyes flickering. Investigating Jianye… this was indeed an important matter.

He had his own plans in mind, noting down the important matters and passing over the unimportant ones. But when he saw Lu Yun casually mention returning to the capital in his letter, Liu Shu’s heart skipped a beat. Although Lu Yun hadn’t meant it in the way he was thinking, for a moment he couldn’t help but think that with the main force returning to the capital, wouldn’t Zhou Yangling be coming back too?

“Zhou Yangling…” Liu Shu murmured this name, feeling sweetness on his tongue as he smiled slightly.

It truly was a beautiful name.

Just hearing it conveyed elegance and excellence.

Like the person herself… she was already so graceful and beautiful in men’s clothing, so how would she look in women’s attire?

Liu Shu sighed softly, thinking what a mischievous one she was. Disguising herself as a man for so long, so successfully, that it had once made him doubt his own preferences and feel troubled for a long time. If Zhou Yangling hadn’t needed to bring up Zhou Tan’s influence to elevate her status when leaving Jianye, Liu Shu still wouldn’t have investigated her. He had trusted her too much, and feeling hopeless, had become too dispirited to investigate.

Upon investigation, he discovered that Zhou Yangling had often gone by the name “Zhou Zibo” in the past. Because his daughter was weak in health, the scholar Zhou Tan had always been extremely doting towards this daughter. When Zhou Yangling dressed as a man, not only did Zhou Tan not say anything, he even helped cover for his daughter multiple times. This time, it had become impossible to keep covering up…

Liu Shu was privately overjoyed for a long while, and also complained about Lu Yun. Lu Yun had met Zhou Yangling, and with Lu Yun’s abilities, he must have known early on that Zhou Yangling was a woman. Yet he never said anything, just watched him make a fool of himself… Lu Yun’s bad habit of doing this was really…

Liu Shu complained about his good friend for a few sentences, then continued reading the letter. When he reached the end, he suddenly stood up in disbelief. Whether intentional or not, Lu Yun had rambled about many things, making Liu Shu’s heart rise and fall for half a page. Then at the end of the letter, Lu Yun casually mentioned that Zhou Zibo had returned to Yicheng and would not be coming to Jianye.

Liu Shu: “…”

He collapsed back into his seat, speechless for a long while. Sitting in a dark corner, he lowered his eyes for a long time, his hands trembling in his sleeves, his heart full of disappointment, the handsome young nobleman’s face slightly pale.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door from outside. Before Liu Shu could speak, the door was pushed open and a young lady with a blushing face lingered at the doorway. Princess Ningping Liu Tang peeked her head in, and meeting her brother’s gaze, she blushed and bit her lip: “Bro-brother, I saw a letter arrive from the courier station on my way here, so I brought it for you. Is Lu Xian coming back?”

Liu Shu looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

Liu Tang’s eyes immediately lit up with joy, sparkling with delight. But under her imperial brother’s steady gaze, she shyly lowered her head again. Looking down at the letter in her hand reminded her of the important matter, and Liu Tang entered the room bashfully: “Your letter… it’s from someone called ‘Zhou Yangling’… ah, brother!”

The letter was quickly snatched from her hand.

Liu Tang looked up in surprise to see her brother, who usually maintained a cold expression and rarely spoke, breathing heavily at this moment, his chest rising and falling. Liu Tang’s beautiful eyes flickered as she thought about Zhou Yangling… that’s a woman’s name, right? Her brother was actually exchanging letters with a woman?

Liu Shu had received Zhou Yangling’s letter.

Zhou Yangling had been carefully cultivated by her father since childhood; her handwriting had never been as delicate as most women’s, but rather steady and powerful, the strokes pressing through the paper. The handwriting in this letter was still the Zhou Zibo’s writing that Liu Shu was familiar with – at least in terms of handwriting, Zhou Yangling hadn’t deceived him.

In the letter, Zhou Yangling apologized and explained her helplessness… finally saying she wouldn’t return to Jianye but would go back to Yicheng to see her father. She also assured him that she would speak well of him to Zhou Tan, praising his practicality and saying that the commoner faction would definitely stand on Prince Chen’s side, helping him balance the shaky relationship between the royal family and the noble families.

Liu Shu smiled, and under his sister’s curious gaze, he solemnly put away the letter.

Liu Tang: “What did it say? Why does brother look so happy?”

Liu Shu: “…A love letter, perhaps.”

Liu Tang’s eyes widened: “…! Am I going to have a sister-in-law?”

Liu Shu didn’t answer his sister. His fingertips brushed over the letter page, as if he could see Zhou Yangling’s gentle profile as she bent over writing the letter. Her eyebrows, her smile, all were vivid in his mind.

Liu Shu’s lowered eyelashes trembled slightly. Due to his stutter, for twenty-some years, he had lived like an ascetic monk, without even the slightest personal indulgence. Among those who came and went around him, only Lu Yun remained. Afraid of exposing the secret of his stutter, he dared not like anyone, and worried about those around him being implicated by him… Zhou Yangling was probably the only bright color in his self-guarded, ascetic-like life.

Thinking about how he had always been so restrained, perhaps he could give himself a small reward?

—

The world’s infatuated men and resentful women were mostly like this.

Regardless of how far things had progressed between Prince Chen and Zhou Yangling, when Lu Yun’s main force headed south, they would definitely encounter Luo Lingyu’s group, who should have traveled further than them. During rest stops, Lu Yun’s group was naturally welcomed and hosted at government courier stations. Lu Xian arranged various matters and returned to his quarters, had just taken a sip of tea when he heard someone else was looking for him.

The courier station clerk who came to report looked admiringly: “The one looking for you, young master, is a lady wearing a veil. Though her face couldn’t be seen, just from her figure, one could tell she’s a beauty. A beauty traveling thousands of li to seek you out – what good fortune you have, young master.”

This left Lu Xian completely confused, though romantic hopes arose in his heart.

Until he received this lady who had come seeking him in his quarters. The maid Lingyu had been instructed by Luo Lingyu to wear a veil; when she removed it in the room and bowed to greet the Second Young Master, it made Lu Xian’s eye twitch. Lu Xian then looked at the lady beside Lingyu, who also removed her veil to reveal an enchantingly beautiful face, smiling as she greeted him: “Second Cousin, long time no see.”

Lu Xian: “…”

Lu Xian was shocked and felt a sense of being deceived: “Weren’t you supposed to head south with Young Master Zhou? Why are you here? Why aren’t you looking for your husband, but coming to find me instead?”

Luo Lingyu looked very pitiful as she frowned, blinking tears from her eyes and speaking softly: “Second Cousin, it’s not that I’m unwilling to see my husband. If I were to see him now, he would definitely have someone pack me off to Yicheng. But I’m not afraid of the dangers in Jianye, I just want to stay by his side. If I travel directly to Jianye with the army, he won’t be able to send me away halfway. By then, with the Lue family elders keeping me there, when I go to him then, won’t he have no choice but to let me stay?”

Lu Xian’s voice trembled: “…Why don’t you just tell him directly that you want to stay?”

Luo Lingyu pouted: “He’s so determined to send me away, why should I lose face by begging him to keep me?”

Lu Xian: “…Since you won’t beg him to keep you, you’ve come to torment me instead.”

Luo Lingyu blushed, feeling that it wasn’t right to always take advantage of her kind Second Cousin. But she quickly put aside her embarrassment, went over and took Lu Xian’s arm, pleading: “Second Cousin, please keep me here. Give Third Cousin a surprise later. If you let me stay in the army, I can do anything! Just treat me like a maid. Hmph, I also want to see if my husband can endure loneliness when I’m not by his side.”

A flash of ruthlessness passed through Luo Lingyu’s eyes.

The previous incident with Chen Xue, although a misunderstanding, had at least made Luo Lingyu vigilant. Her husband was renowned far and wide, and there were many ladies who admired him. Before and after marriage were different – Luo Lingyu wanted to test Lu Yun’s conduct.

Lu Xian smiled bitterly: “Cousin… you and Third Brother play your romance games, why must you always drag me into it?”

Was it because he had been loose-tongued and told his cousin about that miscarriage dream?

Lu Xian had previously thought Cousin Luo was just a not-so-kind-hearted lady who was clever enough to protect herself. It wasn’t until after Third Brother’s marriage that he realized he had still thought too well of Cousin Luo. And when Luo Lingyu said to arrange her however he wished, as long as she could stay with the army. But how could Lu Xian dare to let Luo Lingyu do hard labor?

Such a delicate lady, casting glance after glance to hint at him. Lu Xian felt completely numb as he understood his cousin’s hints, letting her disguise herself as a maid to help tidy Lu Yun’s quarters when he wasn’t there. During normal times, Luo Lingyu and the maid Lingyu would rest in one room. It would be as if Luo Lingyu was disguised as a maid serving Lu Yun, while Lingyu served the lady.

Luo Lingyu happily agreed.

She had never been a maid before, let alone one personally appointed by Lu Xian to serve only Lu Yun. When others saw her wearing a veil with her graceful figure and wanted to flirt with her, they held back because of Lu Xian, only daring to observe for two days. Over these two days, they found this woman increasingly mysterious – could she be Lu Xian’s secret lover?

How frightening.

These noble young masters really had no standards. It was said Lu Xian was about to have a grand wedding, yet he dared to openly keep a beautiful maid by his side.

Leaving aside the gossip among the servants, over these two days, Lu Yun felt something was off. As a noble young master, he had been used to maids since childhood, but because he was excessively picky, almost no maid had been able to meet his standards over all these years. Not only did he require maids to be literate, he practically wanted them to be talented ladies who could immediately respond to whatever he said; maids also needed to have refined taste, regularly changing room arrangements without making mistakes; maids needed to understand his intentions from the slightest hint – when he played zither or painted, maids shouldn’t look confused… The kind of maid Lu Yun wanted, even noble ladies couldn’t manage.

Previously at the Lu family home in Jianye, thanks to Jingyue’s painstaking efforts in training maids, they could barely manage to avoid making mistakes in front of Lu Yun. But reaching Lu Yun’s level of satisfaction was impossible.

After leaving Jianye, without Jingyue to train the serving maids, the quality was even worse. Lu Yun had always been disdainful in his heart, but when he looked down on people, he never had anyone in his eyes and wouldn’t say anything. Lu Yun hadn’t met any satisfactory maids while in Nanyang, but unexpectedly on this return journey to Jianye, every time they stayed at a courier station, the maid who tidied his quarters was surprisingly satisfactory.

She would arrange flowers in his room, seasonal blooms that weren’t monotonous, different each time, with dewdrops still on the petals; she would change the window gauze. The courier station quarters’ arrangements had always been rigid, and Lu Yun had long been unhappy with that window gauze, but new gauze was quickly cut and replaced; the clothes prepared daily were pressed at night, the incense not too strong – this kind of fragrance had taken Lu Yun great effort to teach Jingyue before; half-read books wouldn’t be tidied away carelessly, but would have bookmarks as reminders; when the ink became too dry and displeasing, it would be replaced with fresh thick ink the next day…

Lu Yun was amazed – he had never encountered such a thoughtful maid. With interest piqued, Lu Yun wanted to keep this maid to serve him. But after asking several times, this maid still wouldn’t show her face. Lu Yun pondered thoughtfully, his mind turning several times. Lu Yun, who had never spent effort on such matters before, upon hearing this maid was arranged by Second Brother, went to ask Lu Xian about it.

Lu Xian was very troubled and tried to brush it off: “If you find her useful, just use her. Why must you see her just because she’s too good at her job?”

Lu Yun caught his brother’s evasive manner and smiled mysteriously: “I’m surprised to find there’s actually a woman who understands me better than Lingyu. I’ve even thought about taking her into my chambers…”

Lu Xian tensed up: “…How can you be so fickle? If Cousin were to find out…”

Lu Yun watched his brother’s expression and laughed lightly: “How would Cousin find out, unless…” His eyes lifted, his face becoming cold: “Lingyu is here?”

Lu Xian’s reaction was just slightly slow, and Lu Yun’s shoulders relaxed as he laughed with certainty: “So it is Lingyu. No wonder – how could there be such a maid who understands my heart so well.”

His pickiness was something that ordinary maids’ upbringing simply couldn’t match. Those who could match it wouldn’t be content to just be a maid. If it was Luo Lingyu… that would make sense. But that little troublemaker, actually conspiring with Second Brother to fool him. If she didn’t want to go to Yicheng she could have just said so, yet she wanted to lead him around in circles…

Lu Xian felt bitter inside. He didn’t know how Third Brother had guessed it was Luo Lingyu from him, but it was good that he had guessed – hopefully these young husband and wife would stop tormenting him.

Lu Xian wiped his face and said with relief: “Since you’ve guessed it, I’ll take you to find her.”

Lu Yun made no response.

That night, choosing the right time, Lu Xian secretly led his third brother to the maids’ quarters to find Luo Lingyu. As the two young masters snuck around the patrols in the night, Lu Yun maintained a calm expression while Lu Xian’s heart nearly jumped out of his throat several times. Finally managing to push open the door to the maids’ rest quarters without waking the maid Lingyu on the other bed, Lu Yun sat by Luo Lingyu’s bedside.

Bending down to lift the bed curtain, he saw the lady sleeping on the bed.

Lu Yun’s eyes softened, but his hand reached out to pinch her cheek hard. The lady winced in pain in her dream but didn’t wake up. When she didn’t wake, Lu Yun seemed to have found something amusing and pinched her other cheek, as if squeezing juice from a flower.

Lu Xian: “…”

This person actually bullied his wife like this.

—

Lu Yun left with his second brother, satisfied. In the courtyard, Lu Xian couldn’t wait: “Alright, now that you’ve seen Lingyu, you two should make up quickly. You should quickly take her back to sleep in your room.”

But Lu Yun refused.

He smiled mysteriously and said coolly: “If my wife wants to play, how can I not play along?” He turned to look at Lu Xian: “Second Brother will help me, right?”

Lu Xian: “…You two are really too much!”

—

Unfortunately, Lu Xian was too easy to persuade. He couldn’t bear to disappoint his cousin, nor did he want to sadden his third brother. So Lu Xian became like a double agent, mediating between the two.

Telling Luo Lingyu news about Lu Yun, then telling Lu Yun about Luo Lingyu.

Lu Xian lived in daily fear and trepidation, unable to understand the tricks of this husband and wife.

And Luo Lingyu was no fool. When she acted as a maid taking care of Lu Yun, she found that extra items would often appear in her room, such as pastries and flowers. They were all inexpensive little things, but very endearing. The maid Lingyu watched from the side with twitching eyes as Luo Lingyu said embarrassedly: “Perhaps my charm is too great?”

She privately wondered which young master she had attracted, as she wore a veil every day.

She investigated secretly but couldn’t figure out which shy young master had taken a liking to her. Yet every night when she returned to her room, the gifts kept coming endlessly. She felt uncomfortable about it, but couldn’t tell Lu Xian about such things – Second Cousin would doubt her propriety. Another night after receiving a candy figurine, Luo Lingyu couldn’t hold back anymore and righteously left a note in the room, gently reminding: “Though grateful for the young master’s deep affection, this one is already married, hoping the young master will show self-restraint.”

However that night, she received a reply note, with contents so frivolous — “Why be confined by wifely virtue, would you be willing to have an affair?”

Luo Lingyu was dumbfounded, her hand trembling as she held the note. This was her first time encountering someone so thick-skinned: “…”

An affair?!

Someone was inviting her to have an affair?!

The maid took a deep breath: “…My lady, your charm really is too great…” She secretly wondered, stealing glances at Luo Lingyu’s worry-filled face. Both wearing veils, why had no one tried to seduce her? Even with a veil, could they tell Young Miss was a beauty?