ATLAS TRANSLATES

The relationship between noble families and commoner families was often complicated, just like the interaction between the wealthy and the poor.

Those of lower status tended to be sensitive and constantly watched the other person.

If the two had a good relationship, they could make an effort to accommodate each other.

But if their relationship wasn’t good to begin with, working together would often lead to friction.

The relationship between Military Advisor Lu Yun and General Wei Zong was like the latter case.

Prince Chen wanted to support commoner families to balance the interests between noble families and the royal family. Wei Zong was a capable general. However, his commoner background made him both disdainful and envious when facing the upper-class nobility, along with an inherent sense of inferiority.

Before Lu Yun came to Nanyang, Prince Chen Liu Shu had mentioned Wei Zong’s issues. When Lu Yun saw that Wei Zong wanted to exclude him, he couldn’t be bothered to waste time trying to win him over, and simply did what needed to be done. If Wei Zong was unhappy? Then let him come and argue about it.

The generals in the Nanyang military camp witnessed General Wei and Military Advisor Lu Yun shouting and pounding tables daily, frightening their hearts into pounding.

Wei Zong had a mountain-like build, tall and sturdy. When he got angry, no one dared approach within three zhang of his tent.

Meanwhile, their Military Advisor Lu Yun was an elegant and refined jade gentleman of a turbulent world, wearing long robes and a broad crown, with a jade belt at his waist. In such a military camp setting, Lu Yun stood out like a crane among chickens, conspicuous beyond measure.

Everyone often worried that Wei Zong would get angry and cut down that irritatingly calm Lu Yun—

Wei Zong: “My soldiers listen to me! When I tell them to train, they must get up! What right do you have to overrule my orders and let them sleep an extra half hour? You’re just a kid, what do you know? I was fighting battles before you were even born. Do you realize you’re delaying military operations!”

Lu Yun replied unhurriedly: “General is indeed skilled in warfare, but this is also General’s first time at the border. Southerners are not accustomed to life in the North, and since Jiangnan is wealthy, its people tend to be lazy and delicate. When our southern soldiers come to northern land, they struggle to adapt. Recently some in the army have fallen ill, and excessive fatigue can lead to a series of problems. The northern army is fierce, and our army is already weak – we should not exhaust their strength at this time. As Military Advisor, I must strictly prevent any problems from arising.”

Wei Zong: …These noble scholars with their endless grand principles are so annoying.

Two days later, Wei Zong stormed into Lu Yun’s tent with a black face and slammed the table: “Why are my soldiers doing farm work for peasants?! Are we that free? How are you managing the army?”

Lu Yun replied calmly: “When the General returned victorious, riding a tall horse, wearing golden armor, looking magnificent, with civilians lining the roads to welcome him. The General was pleased with himself, and when he looked down from his horse and saw a farm girl by the road, his heart blossomed with joy. He made grand promises to help with farming – I could not stop it. We can’t go back on our word, can we? I’m just helping the General fulfill his promise. If the General doesn’t want this to happen again, perhaps he should work on self-cultivation and mind his daily words and actions. Don’t lose your head like a possessed lecher every time you see a woman.”

Wei Zong’s face turned red: “…You dare say I’m possessed by a lecher, what do you know! That girl was so pretty!”

Then he gave Lu Yun a strange look, “How come I never see Military Advisor Lu look twice at any beauties? Could it be that you… you…”

Lu Yun, who was busy reviewing documents at his desk, lifted his head and gave him an elegant glance: “Why should I look at others?”

Wei Zong was shocked: “You’re so shameless! Are you saying your looks are so outstanding that just looking at yourself each day is enough?”

Lu Yun gave him a very subtle look and sighed: “…General…”

After a while, when Wei Zong realized Lu Yun probably meant he’d seen too many beauties and ordinary people weren’t worth his attention, his face turned red with anger as he stormed off: …Cold, arrogant, and disrespectful! Lu Yun was saying he’d take anyone, but must look down on common-born people like him! The inherent superiority of upper-class nobles was so annoying!

…And so on and so forth. The conflicts between General Wei and Military Advisor Lu were endless, with one or two arguments every day. But surprisingly, although they disagreed on many things, their military operations were never affected. People used the relationship between husband and wife to describe the General and Military Advisor. In Nanyang, it seemed the “wife” Military Advisor Lu was just too difficult to deal with, had too many opinions, and constantly angered the “husband.”

On this day, having just won a small battle and returned to camp, General Wei Zong was feeling proud and accomplished. After getting his wounds hastily bandaged by the old army doctor, he impatiently left the tent. First, to personally comfort the soldiers who had just won the battle, and second, because finding fault with Military Advisor Lu had become something that weighed on his mind daily.

This time after leaving the tent, while moving between the camp tents, General Wei discovered there were too few army doctors, many medicines weren’t being delivered on time, and the whole camp was filled with soldiers’ groans.

At the stretchers, General Wei comforted the soldiers; walking further away, General Wei shouted angrily at the generals behind him: “Where’s the Military Advisor? Shouldn’t these be the Military Advisor’s duties? Why isn’t Lu Yun personally overseeing this?”

The General’s scolding made those behind him tremble in fear, not daring to talk back. While scolding, Wei Zong’s gaze swept across one direction, and though he initially looked away, sensing something amiss, he looked back again. With this look, he saw several beautifully dressed pretty young ladies lingering outside the wooden gate of the military camp. As Wei Zong approached with the generals behind him, he heard the ladies shyly asking the guards: “Has Lu Yun returned? We want to give the young lord some gifts…”

Wei Zong said coldly: “During military campaigns, accepting bribes starts at thirty lashes.”

Those ladies outside the gate were startled and asked around about who that dark-skinned man was who had suddenly appeared to speak and then left.

Meanwhile, Wei Zong strode forward, personally going to find Lu Yun in the camp. In his imagination, he would grab onto this handle against Lu Yun and severely mock the Military Advisor.

Whether or not the ladies were summoned by Military Advisor Lu, whether the lack of army doctors was Military Advisor Lu’s fault… Wei Zong blamed it all on Lu Yun.

Lu Yun sat quietly in his own tent.

The accumulated official duties hadn’t been dealt with, and he had delegated the returning wounded soldiers, doctors, and medical supplies to his subordinates. He sat dazed behind the felt curtain, with a letter from Lu Xian placed before him. Lu Xian wrote to him every day, but due to the long distance and weather affecting delivery, these letters reached Lu Yun at different speeds – some faster, some slower. This one should have arrived ten days ago.

Lu Xian’s letter seemed to have been written in a hurry, the handwriting messy, probably because he was busy with something else. Nevertheless, Lu Xian’s letter was clear in its message, telling him that Luo Lingyu was pregnant. In the letter, Lu Xian berated him for being so reckless as to offend cousin Luo; for being such a beast, not being in Jianye when Luo’s cousin was pregnant…

Lu Yun had been staring at this letter for half an hour. When the word “pregnant” first caught his eye, he instinctively started calculating the timing: How could she be pregnant? The timing didn’t add up – he had never touched her, unless… was it from that night when he left?

Lu Yun knew medicine; he calculated in his mind that he had left Jianye for over a month, and if a woman was pregnant, the court physician should be able to diagnose it. Unless Luo Lingyu had been unfaithful after he left, the child must be his…

Lu Yun remained silent for a long while: Besides that night of drinking, there was no other time. He couldn’t remember what happened that night, but trying hard to recall, he could occasionally remember fragments of intimate moments between them. But that was all. He had no impression of anything more.

…He couldn’t even remember if he had done it or not, yet she was pregnant.

His parents were so unfeeling – could he be a good father? Would he end up as terrible as his own parents? He didn’t want to marry, didn’t want children…

Amidst all the anxiety, shame, and desire to flee, even more joy welled up in his heart. Lu Yun lowered his eyelids, and after the long shock, a smile gradually appeared in his eyes… When Wei Zong angrily pushed open the curtain and burst in, he saw Lu Yun lowering his face in a slight smile. That handsome young lord reached out, his fingers lovingly brushing over the letter in his hand. Unlike his usual calm demeanor that bordered on emotionless, at this moment, Lu Yun was gentle, passionate, deeply emotional…

General Wei spoke gruffly: “Thirty lashes for you…”

Lu Yun: “Alright.”

Wei Zong: “…”

Lu Yun looked up, smiling: “I’m going to be a father.”

Wei Zong: “…?!” After a while, he finally let go of his anger, “Ah… congratulations… but aren’t you unmarried… ah, no need to explain, I understand.”

Wei Zong knew something about the complicated relationships between noble men and women. But Lu Yun glanced at him: “Don’t misunderstand, it’s my beloved woman’s.”

Wei Zong was even more shocked: “…You who look down on everyone and find fault with everything. You find women too talkative when they speak, and too dull when they don’t… you actually have a beloved woman? Who is your beloved? Have I met her? I really must see what kind of extraordinary woman could capture your attention…”

Lu Yun smiled: “Am I really that difficult?”

Today Lu Yun was in an exceptionally good mood, his tone much warmer. As he wrote his letter, Wei Zong stood beside him chatting, eventually sitting down to discuss with Lu Yun how to raise a child. But most importantly, they discussed how to first marry that lady into the family.

Lu Yun wrote three letters in reply – one for Lu Xian, one for Old Madam Lu, and one for Luo Lingyu. Previously, not wanting her to worry about his situation at the border, he hadn’t planned to write often. But now, he couldn’t wait…

After sending out the letters and handling the military camp situation, the next day, Lu Yun visited the Nanyang Luo family for the first time. Lu Yun’s great name had already spread throughout Nanyang in recent days. However, the Luo family didn’t dare to think too much of it.

When the Ruyang Luo family still existed, they were related by marriage to the Jianye Lu family, but now that the Ruyang Luo family was gone and the Nanyang Luo family had fallen from grace, they really didn’t have the face to establish relations with a great noble family like the Lu family.

The Nanyang Luo family wasn’t very optimistic about their young miss seeking refuge with the Jianye Lu family. When Lu Yun came to visit, the Luo family master and his wife were surprised, delighted, confused, and anxious — “Why has My Lord come? Has someone from the Luo family offended My Lord without knowing? Please instruct us!”

The family master and the main mistress received Lu Yun, who was visiting for the first time, in the front hall.

The Luo family girls hid behind screens, craning their necks to peek. They saw the young lord in the courtyard was handsome and elegant, tall and graceful like an orchid or jade tree, seeming to be surrounded by shimmering light. The young ladies watched with yearning hearts, thinking how wonderful Luo Lingyu’s third cousin was, wondering if all the young lords of the Lu family were like this? Was this the difference between great noble families and their own?

The Luo family’s young ladies didn’t know that Lu Yun was unique even in Jianye. Not all young lords in Jianye were like him.

In the hall, Lu Yun was already smiling: “I’ve come to propose marriage.”

The Luo couple continued to be shocked, hearing a sharp intake of breath from behind the screen. The couple looked at Lu Yun’s unchanged expression across from them, while their own faces turned red with embarrassment: the gasp from behind the screen must have come from the Luo family girls.

Madam Luo couldn’t wait: “May I ask which of our young ladies has caught Third Young Master’s eye?”

Once marriage was mentioned, Madam Luo stopped calling him “My Lord” and directly called him “Third Young Master” to draw closer their relationship.

As soon as Madam Luo finished speaking, she called to the back, asking the maids to bring out the young ladies to meet the guest. In Madam Luo’s eyes, no matter which of their girls Lu Yun chose, connecting with the Jianye Lu family would bring the Luo family countless benefits without any drawbacks. Before Lu Yun could speak his words of rejection, a group of beautiful young ladies had already come out.

…Luo Lingyu’s cousins gazed at him with shy but deliberately reserved looks.

Lu Yun glanced at them, trying to see Luo Lingyu’s features in them. Indeed there were some similarities, but Luo Lingyu was the most perfectly composed combination of the Luo family’s looks… phoenix eyes with fine eyebrows, a full bosom and slender waist, incredibly beautiful. Thinking of that lady, Lu Yun lowered his head, gentle laughter appearing in his eyes again.

But before Madam Luo could be happy, she saw this Lu Yun compose himself and shake his head: “The one I wish to marry is not any of these ladies. Rather, it is my cousin, Luo Lingyu, who currently resides in my Jianye home.”

Everyone: “…”

The Luo family master was stunned: “But, Lingyu, Lingyu is already betrothed…”

Lu Yun lowered his eyes, his gaze clear and calm: “Then she’ll be betrothed again.”

“But there’s already a marriage contract!”

“Then break off the engagement,” Lu Yun said, “I am determined to have her.”

The Luo family looked at this young lord with his firm expression, and Madam Luo smiled bitterly: “Third Young Master Lu, others might be negotiable, but we really can’t break off Lingyu’s marriage. The Fan family is powerful, we can’t afford to offend them. If you want to marry Lingyu, please go back.”

Lu Yun: “The Fan family will break off the engagement.”

He had already sent news of Luo Lingyu carrying his child to Fan Qingchen’s father, and after leaving the Luo family, he would pay a visit to the Fan family. Luo Lingyu’s family background was humble, and the Fan family might not be very satisfied with this marriage. It was probably only because of Fan Qingchen’s strong will that it was arranged. But no matter how strong his will, now that Luo Lingyu was carrying his child, marrying her to Fan Qingchen was something the Fan family head couldn’t accept. How could a great noble family of Nanyang like the Fan family raise someone else’s child?

Fan Qingchen’s will wasn’t important – as long as the Fan family wanted to break off the engagement… Luo Lingyu would be Lu Yun’s.

Lu Yun’s fingers brushed over the letter in his sleeve, and as he spoke candidly with the Luo family, his heart warmed again — his woman… his child… he would try his best.

Lu Yun thought further: …Once her pregnancy was stable, he would have her come to Nanyang.

Come to Nanyang to marry.

…

Meanwhile in Jianye, after Lu Xian misunderstood Luo Lingyu in the morning, he didn’t return at noon, and when Lu Xian came back in the evening, Luo Lingyu had her maids invite this second cousin over.

The lady was still curled up on her couch, looking pale and listless. She hadn’t eaten all day, still unwell from her illness. However, when Lu Xian came, Luo Lingyu specially invited a physician to examine her in front of Lu Xian.

When the physician unhurriedly said that the young lady was simply weak from the heat and would be fine after taking some medicine, Luo Lingyu’s enchanting eyes glanced at the stunned Lu Xian.

Luo Lingyu gave him a look: See, I’m not pregnant! How could I possibly be pregnant!

Lu Xian gave his cousin an awkward smile, then silently turned and left, going back to write another letter.

After several days, when Luo Lingyu received her first letter from Lu Yun asking after her health, she finally realized what Lu Xian had done — that man must have been overjoyed, and without waiting for a physician’s confirmation, he had eagerly shared the news of her pregnancy with his brother.

As Luo Lingyu examined Lu Yun’s letter, looking it over repeatedly, she was thoroughly confused: Why would he think she was pregnant? How could he not know whether she was or wasn’t? What was wrong with Brother Xuechen?

Was he suspecting that she had been intimate with other men behind his back?

But if he suspected her… the tone of his letter shouldn’t be so peaceful. If Lu Yun misunderstood her, he should be furious, should turn against her, even cut off all contact with her, right?

What was going on?

…

Her emotions rose and fell.

Luo Lingyu lowered her eyes in deep thought.

Like Lu Yun, she didn’t trust others easily, she was suspicious by nature.

Lu Yun’s strange behavior couldn’t be explained clearly in letters, she feared misunderstandings would arise. Her background was humble, but her heart belonged to him. If he didn’t want her anymore… Luo Lingyu felt wronged. If she had truly wronged him, she would accept the consequences. But she hadn’t done anything!

Was Lu Yun’s peaceful and caring tone in the letter genuine concern, or was he mocking her fickleness?

No, she couldn’t bear such injustice.

Luo Lingyu felt she needed to return to Nanyang.

She needed to see Lu Yun, she needed to explain this matter to him in person.

…

In reality, whenever someone’s thoughts began to change, Lu Xian would have some dreams. But his dreams were chaotic, possibly from before the change, or after. Lu Xian himself couldn’t tell, anxiously working himself up, anxiously praying and worshipping everywhere. But the dreams still came.

In his dream, he dreamed of events before that day of heavy snow and thick fog.

The court said the war was won, Lu Yun would soon return triumphant, just needing to handle some procedures in Nanyang. At that time, cousin Luo had a sudden idea and came to find Lu Xian, saying she wanted to go to Nanyang to give Third Cousin a surprise.

In the dream, the lady was all smiles, filled with starlight: “Since the war is over and the two countries are negotiating, Third Cousin is safe now. I’ll go visit him. He’ll be so happy, don’t you think?”

The lady smiled sweetly as she tilted her head to speak with him. Lu Xian stood by the corridor and nodded. Under the water bridge, the lake stretched green for thousands of miles. Under the duckweed, fish leaped up, happily blowing bubbles.

The wandering soul Lu Xian heard his dream self say gently: “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

…

Yet little did he know that by accompanying her, he would witness how Lu Yun went to his death.

If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, would cousin Luo have been so grief-stricken? Would she have fled to distant lands, never to be seen again?

The war was clearly over, so why did they see that? During that time, who had lied, or… had an accident occurred?