bestfiction Chapter 126 Carrying Two Houses
Chapter 126 Carrying Two Houses
At the Duke of Zhenguo's residence, Lu Zhenggang and Lu Mubai talked late into the night. The next morning, Lu Zhenggang went to the palace to request an audience with the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, last night this old minister dreamt of Lingchuan. He said that Mu Bai should take on the responsibility of two wives, bearing children to continue the family line..." Memories flooded his mind, and Lu Zhenggang's voice was filled with sorrow.
Lu Lingxiao and Lu Lingchuan died on the battlefield. Ten-year-old Lu Mubai returned to the capital alone from Pingyuan Pass, bringing news that the Third Prince had colluded with foreign enemies.
When Lu Mubai told Lu Zhenggang with a righteous expression that he wanted to guard Pingyuan Pass in place of his fathers, tears welled up in Lu Zhenggang's aged face.
Guarding the border has been a family tradition of the Lu family for generations. No matter how reluctant he was, he could only watch helplessly as Lu Mubai, dressed in military uniform, rode his horse toward Pingyuan Pass.
Lu Mubai's biological mother, Yang Wanqin, handed over the management of the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion to the unassuming Lu Mubai's second wife, Lu Fuqing, and moved into the Buddhist hall to chant sutras and pray for Buddha's blessing upon Lu Mubai.
Looking at Lu Muyu, the second son of the eldest branch of the family, and Lu Yanxi, the eldest daughter of the second branch, Lu Zhenggang, for the first time in his life, began to doubt the ancestral precepts. Besides loyalty to the emperor, serving the country, and guarding the borders, the Lu family's ancestral precepts also included the rule that children must be born of the legitimate wife.
The men of the Lu family may take concubines, but they cannot have children with them. The men of the Lu family have guarded the border for generations, and they voluntarily leave their wives in the capital to show their loyalty.
Therefore, the number of descendants in the Lu family decreased with each generation, and by Lu Mubai's generation, only one branch of the bloodline remained.
Lu Zhenggang had always wanted to adopt Lu Muyu into the second branch of the family. Last night, Lu Mubai made it clear that he would never share a room with Tang Qini in this life, and proposed to take on the responsibilities of both branches of the family. Lu Muyu would continue the family line for the first branch, while Lu Mubai would continue the lineage for his second uncle.
Lu Zhenggang came to the Emperor today to plead with him, hoping that the Emperor would consider the loyalty of his entire family and arrange another marriage for him, and also allow Lu Mubai to marry both wives on the same day.
The Emperor had heard rumors that Lu Mubai's attempt to annul the engagement at the Tang residence had backfired and he had been tricked. However, since both Minister Tang and Lu Mubai were pillars of the state, he wouldn't interfere unless the matter reached his ears.
Now, Lu Zhenggang is using Lu Lingchuan's dream as an excuse, and invoking the military achievements of the Lu Lingxiao and Lu Lingchuan brothers, to ask him to arrange another marriage for Lu Mubai. He can't refuse this.
After a moment of contemplation, the Emperor slowly spoke, "Shouldering two households, I grant it. Does Minister Lu have a preferred candidate?"
Lu Zhenggang was still lost in the past, unable to pull himself out. He said blankly, "General Song's youngest daughter, Song Ying."
Song Ying was in love with Lu Mubai. Despite the objections of her father and brothers, she secretly slipped out of the capital and traveled thousands of miles to Pingyuan Pass to confess her love to Lu Mubai, stating that she did not need a formal title.
Choosing Song Ying was the result of his discussion with Lu Mubai. With the General's Mansion as a backer, the Tang family and Tang Qini would not dare to touch Song Ying.
A glint of cunning flashed in the Emperor's eyes. Lu Zhenggang was far too treacherous. Song Ying was General Song's only legitimate daughter, and the only daughter in the General's household, deeply loved by General Song and his sons.
"Minister Lu has a good eye. Old Zhang, draft the decree," the Emperor gestured to Eunuch Zhang to prepare pen and ink, then dispatched him to the General's Mansion and the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to deliver the decree.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Lu Lingchuan has spent his life on the battlefield and has no sons... Therefore, Song Ying, the daughter of General Song, is betrothed to the Duke of Zhenguo. This is the imperial decree."
After reading the imperial edict, Eunuch Zhang handed it to Song Ying. "Miss Song, please accept the edict." Song Ying, beaming with joy, happily accepted the edict. The Song family steward stepped forward and slipped Eunuch Zhang a large red envelope.
Compared to Song Ying, Lu Mubai remained calm when receiving the imperial decree. His decision to take on two households was a form of revenge against Tang Qini's scheming. Song Ying was merely a woman who could rival Tang Qini.
Unable to be with Wen Yuxia, it didn't matter who his wife was. At this moment, Lu Mubai seemed like a different person; his face, devoid of desire, was devoid of any smile.
He calmly accepted the imperial decree and expressed his gratitude, then turned and slowly walked into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Lu Fuqing gestured to her maid to hand Zhang Gonggong a red envelope, and then politely saw him off.
Lu Fuqing arrived at the small Buddhist hall in the mansion and, seeing Yang Wanqin engrossed in copying Buddhist scriptures, said softly, "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, I didn't take good care of Mubai..."
She had only heard the news that Lu Mubai was to take on the responsibility of two households that morning from the steward. How could the Duke of Zhenguo possibly manage two households? She hurriedly went to find Lu Zhenggang.
To her surprise, Lu Zhenggang had entered the palace so early in the morning. Even more unexpectedly, the imperial edict arrived so quickly; Lu Zhenggang hadn't even returned home yet when the edict arrived.
Having been assigned to both households was a done deal, so Lu Fuqing could only go to the small Buddhist hall to find Yang Wanqin and inform her of this.
Yang Wanqin paused slightly after hearing this, then continued writing, her voice hollow and devoid of any emotion:
"It was Mu Bai who proposed having two families, so there's no need for you to apologize, sister-in-law. The eldest son's family still has Mu Yu, so you don't need to worry about Ling Xiao's family line ending."
Yang Wanqin believed that Lu Mubai liked Song Ying. Tang Qini had schemed against Lu Mubai first, and after Lu Mubai proposed to take on the responsibility of supporting two families, she thought Lu Mubai's actions were not inappropriate.
Lu Fuqing suddenly squatted down and gave Yang Wanqin a curtsy, saying earnestly, "Sister-in-law, rest assured, the descendants of the second branch will never inherit the title of Duke of Zhenguo."
Lu Mubai was determined to leave Tang Qini to live a life of solitude, ensuring the main branch of the family would rely solely on Lu Muyu to continue the family line, and that the next Duke of Zhenguo could only be Lu Muyu's son.
Yang Wanqin said calmly, "I don't care who the Duke of Zhenguo is. I just want the Mu brothers to live a peaceful life. Sister-in-law, you go and do your work!"
Lu Mubai returned to his courtyard with the imperial edict in his hands. He sat at his desk, staring blankly out the window. Just then, Lu Chen walked in carrying a box of pastries: "Young Master, Miss Song sent someone to deliver some pastries."
Lu Mubai frowned slightly and said indifferently, "Just leave it." After Lu Chen left, Lu Mubai thought to himself that Song Ying's enthusiasm could not warm his cold heart, so he would just make do with it.
On the other side, when Tang Qini learned that Lu Mubai was to have two wives and that the Emperor had decreed that all three of them should get married on the same day, she was so angry that she smashed all the decorations in the room.
She had hoped that having physical intimacy with Lu Mubai would secure the marriage, but she never imagined that Lu Mubai would marry two wives simultaneously. This was not the outcome she had hoped for.
She went to Minister Tang's study in tears, wanting to beg her grandfather to go to the palace and plead with the emperor to rescind his decree.
The Tang family was worried about Lu Mubai marrying two wives on the same day, while General Song's mansion was happily preparing for the wedding.
On his wedding day, Lu Mubai was like a puppet, letting everyone manipulate him. He was to be married to two wives at the same time, and since he couldn't be in two places at once, he didn't go to the brides' homes to fetch them, but instead waited for them at the gate of his mansion.
As Lu Mubai's good friends, Xia Yichen, Li Jiating, Zhang Jinxuan, An Chiyu, and Meng Xiaoyi arrived at the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion ahead of time. Lu Mubai smiled awkwardly: "Isn't Sister Yuxia coming?"
Xia Yichen smiled and said, "You're such a womanizer! We're here to accompany you to your wedding and you're still not satisfied? All you can think about is Yuxia."
Lu Mubai's smile became sincere: "Sister Yuxia will always be my sister. I hope she can come and have a drink on my wedding day."
"Mu Bai, the wine for your wedding was exclusively sponsored by Sister Yu Xia. A single cup of wine can't express your gratitude," Zhang Jinxuan said cheerfully.
"Sponsorship"? Lu Mubai was a little confused. He asked Lu Fuqing to buy wine from Wen Yuxia, but Lu Fuqing didn't say that Wen Yuxia wouldn't charge for the wine.