Spring arrives and the land smiles

In the residence of the Marquis of Yong'an in Jinzhou.

Lady Lu Qian, the wife of the Marquis of Yong'an, is personally brewing tea for the Marquis.

Marquis Yong'an was particular about tea, to the point that it was unlike the style of a military general. Therefore, most of the tea served to the Marquis each day was prepared by Lady Lu.

"Madam, the Marquis has locked himself in his study again and hasn't even had dinner," Qiu Ci, Madam Lu's personal maid, reported from outside the door.

In the past few days, Marquis Yong'an has been receiving secret letters from various parties. Whenever a secret letter arrives, Marquis Yong'an locks himself in his study and claims that it is a military intelligence report, but in fact he does not want to worry Madam Lu.

Madam Lu paused slightly while washing the tea, but without looking up, she instructed, "Have the kitchen prepare a pot of yam soup, and send it directly to the study when it's ready."

The cook in the Marquis's mansion was brought from his hometown by Madam Lu, and he knew the master's taste best. Ninth Uncle, who was in charge of cooking, was a shrewd man. As soon as he heard that the stew was to be sent directly to the study after it was cooked, he guessed the importance of this yam soup. He instructed the servant to help him and took charge of the stove himself.

Madam Lu's tea-making skills originated from her maternal grandmother. As a child, Madam Lu was outgoing and, because her maternal grandparents' house was just across the street, she frequently visited her grandmother. Madam Lu had a pleasing personality, which her grandmother greatly admired. Furthermore, her parents were involved in mechanical arts and divination, often studying together, which naturally led to less discipline of her. Her grandmother simply set up a separate room for her in her own courtyard, raising her by her side year-round. However, the Lu family was a prominent clan, renowned for its craftsmanship, and their approach to the upbringing of their descendants was no less refined than that of other scholarly families. Madam Lu's maternal grandparents' family was also a scholarly family, so Madam Lu was not only skilled in mechanical arts but also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her greatest skill was tea ceremony, and it was Madam Lu who cultivated the discerning tea-tasting taste of the Marquis of Yong'an.

Qiu Ci, the personal maid, placed the tea that Madam Lu had brewed on a tray and followed Madam Lu to the door of the Marquis of Yong'an's study.

Madam Lu gently knocked on the door, then took the tray from Qiu Ci and waited quietly for Marquis Yong'an to open the door. Qiu Ci tactfully bowed and withdrew.

Madam Lu waited at the door for quite a while before Marquis Yong'an opened it, but she did not knock again in the meantime.

"Madam." The Marquis of Yong'an's voice was a few decibels lower than usual.

Madam Lu frowned slightly, picked up her teacup, and followed Marquis Yong'an into the study.

"My lord, this is Duyun Maojian tea, a recent tribute from eastern Guizhou. Please have a taste." Madam Lu presented the teacup with both hands.

"Is this a fishhook?" Marquis Yong'an took it, looked at the greenish-yellow soup, picked it up and smelled it, it was refreshing, delicious, tender and fragrant.

"Your Excellency guessed correctly." Madam Lu smiled gently, raising her eyebrows slightly, and replied playfully.

This smile stirred the emotions of the Marquis of Yong'an, and his previously deep voice finally brightened: "You are very kind, Madam."

Marquis Yong'an sipped the fragrant tea in his cup, and his expression finally improved somewhat.

"How is it?" Madam Lu asked, her eyes wide with hope, just like when she was young and naive.

Marquis Yong'an smiled and said, "Very good."

"But what's so good about it?" Madam Lu blinked and pursed her lips slightly.

"If there were also a bowl of yam soup, that would be even better." Marquis Yong'an put down his teacup.

Just then, Ninth Uncle's voice came from outside the door: "Madam, the yam soup is ready."

Madam Lu opened the study door, took the cup from Uncle Jiu's hand, and as Madam Lu turned around, Uncle Jiu tactfully closed the door and gave instructions that, apart from necessary guards, no one else was allowed to disturb the room.

"Uncle Jiu hasn't made yam soup in a while, I wonder if he's gotten rusty." Madam Lu opened the green cup, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to Marquis Yong'an's lips.

Whenever faced with a difficult decision, Marquis Yong'an would lock himself in his study, and no one dared to approach him except for Madam Lu. Madam Lu would then bring him a cup of fragrant tea and a bowl of yam soup to comfort him. Only Madam Lu and this cup of fragrant tea and bowl of yam soup could alleviate Marquis Yong'an's troubled mind.

Marquis Yong'an tasted it, and the flavor was as good as ever.

It has been more than a month since I last received a letter from the Prince of Jin, and Uncle Jiu has indeed not made yam soup for quite some time.

"Qianqian." Marquis Yong'an took the green cup from Madam Lu's hand and put it down, then pulled her into his arms. "I have gathered the surrounding troops in Jinzhou, which is enough to prove my attitude. I believe the Prince of Jin and the Emperor should already know this."

“The Prince of Jin understands the Marquis’s actions, but His Majesty the Emperor may have other ideas.” Madam Lu, with her keen insight, succinctly revealed the Marquis of Yong’an’s current worries.

"So what?" Marquis Yong'an tightened his embrace around Lady Lu.

Madam Lu's breath hitched, and she felt a little breathless. She gently pushed against the chest of the Marquis of Yong'an to create some space for herself. Even so, the two were still very close and intimate.

"Hehe, is the Marquis being a little temperamental?" Madam Lu chuckled softly, hugged her husband back, and leaned against his chest.

“Qianqian, the Prince of Jin is ambitious, and the Emperor is ruthless and vicious. Their infighting is so fierce that it hurts both sides, and it also affects innocent bystanders. I am just expressing my dissatisfaction.” Marquis Yong’an showed a bit more of a childlike side in front of Madam Lu.

"Therefore, in order to avoid being affected, we still need to save ourselves. After all, the whole world belongs to the king, and all people within the four seas are his subjects. The Marquis is stationed in this southeastern border, and the people hope to live and work in peace and contentment here, hoping for the Marquis's favor." Madam Lu spoke in a soft Wu dialect, her voice gentle and tender, yet she revealed the crux of the matter in a single sentence.

In truth, how could the Marquis of Yong'an not know all this? He was merely indignant for a moment. Now, with Madam Lu's gentle persuasion, his emotions have been calmed down.

"Qianqian, if I didn't have you as my strategist, I'm afraid I would have died in the officialdom long ago before I even got to the battlefield," Marquis Yong'an said with a smile, most of the gloom in his heart dissipating.

"Your Excellency is mocking me." Madam Lu smiled faintly, gently pushed away the Marquis of Yong'an, and slid out of his embrace.

"Qianqian, you haven't called me Qi'an in a long time." Marquis Yong'an grasped Madam Lu's wrist and pulled her back.

"I pray for your well-being." Madam Lu said shyly, pursing her lips. "You have spoiled me so much, how can I ever repay you?"

The power struggle between the Prince of Jin and the Emperor is a complex situation. How could someone as astute and intelligent as the Marquis of Yong'an not know the implications? It seems that Madam Lu was reminding him of every step, but in reality, she was trying to reassure him.

"Qianqian, just tell me what you want, and leave the rest to me." Marquis Yong'an placed a kiss on Madam Lu's forehead.

Inside Lingluo Villa, Qingyan drank ginseng soup and remained in a deep sleep until she woke up at 9:00 AM the next day.

Luo Qing stayed by Qing Yan's bedside without leaving for a moment, and when Qing Yan woke up, she saw him as soon as she opened her eyes.

"You're awake. Do you feel unwell?" Luo Qing helped Qing Yan sit up on the bed.

Qingyan shook her head sleepily.

"Take this pill first." Luo Qing handed a dark red pill to Qing Yan's lips.

The pill emitted a strong, bloody smell, and Qingyan swallowed it in one gulp with a bitter expression.

Seeing that Qingyan had taken the medicine, Luo Qing breathed a sigh of relief, and then a look of exhaustion appeared in her eyes.

"You stayed up all night watching over me?" Qingyan asked.

"It's nothing, I'll be fine after a short rest. If you feel unwell in any way, be sure to tell me, okay?" Luo Qing replied seriously.

"Then you'd better go to sleep, or I won't tell you." Qingyan blinked her big eyes and stared at Luo Qing.

Sure enough, Luo Qing broke down: "You, you—how could you be so naughty? This, this black sunflower is not easy to obtain, we can't let it go to waste. If, if you feel unwell, you must, you must let me know." Luo Qing's face turned red again.

"Then you should go to sleep even faster." Qingyan got up and got out of bed, pushed Luo Qing onto the bed, and sat down on the edge of the bed herself. "Don't let this black sunflower go to waste."

Yesterday, Luo Qing also took medicine made from black sunflower flowers, and she probably needs to rest well to achieve the desired effect.

"Don't move, just sleep here. I'll wake you up if I feel unwell," Qingyan promised.

Perhaps it was Qingyan's insistence, or perhaps she was simply too exhausted, Luo Qing nodded and fell into a deep sleep.