Although Madam Lu was younger than Lu Nian, she was one generation younger than Mingyu, and in terms of age, she was Mingyu's mother. Mingyu was a newly married woman, so there was really nothing to talk about with her. After Madam Lu said a few polite words, she also lost her initial warmth and enthusiasm. If it weren't for Madam Li who started the conversation and asked Mingyu about the customs and practices of Jiangnan, this meeting would probably have ended in a few minutes.
After a while, a maid came in to report that the commander-in-chief had returned home. Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to say goodbye with Madam Li. Madam Lu looked kind, but in fact she was smiling with her lips but not with her eyes, which really made her feel embarrassed.
Madam Lu stood up and said with a smile, "In that case, I won't keep you here any longer. We can get together and talk again when we have time another day.
Mingyu agreed with a smile. Just as they were about to turn around and go out, they heard a clear voice from afar, "Mom, I'm back!" Before the words were finished, a figure in a bright red tight-sleeved long skirt came up to Mingyu. Perhaps she was walking too fast and too hurriedly, her bright red cloak was flying high in the air, and with the afternoon sun outside the door, it was a little dazzling.
"Huh?" Seeing Mingyu, the visitor slowed down his pace and said with a smile, "You are at my house too?" Mingyu recognized this impetuous girl and smiled, "Hello, Miss Lu." Miss Lu smiled at Mingyu and ran to Mrs. Lu in the room. Mrs. Lu took out a handkerchief and wiped her face, smiling very kindly, "Look at you, you can't even sit still, like a monkey, making people laugh at you..."
Mingyu didn't hear the rest of the conversation. She and Madam Li had already left the house, led by the maid. In the carriage, Madam Li approached Mingyu and said, "The girl in red who came in last is the daughter of the commander-in-chief. She has been with the commander-in-chief since she was a child and is loved by him the most." Thinking of that heroic figure, Mingyu smiled and said, "That really proves the saying that a daughter of a general is a tiger. It's also the good teaching of Lord Lu and Madam Lu.
Mrs. Li smiled, but there was a hint of disdain on the corner of her mouth, and whispered to Mingyu: "It's okay for you to call her Mrs. Lu here, but don't call her Mrs. Lu when you go out." "What's the matter?" Mingyu was surprised.
Madam Li pointed in the direction of the capital and said, "The real Madam Lu is there. This one is from outside... She is just a lady in Xi'an Prefecture."
Mingyu suppressed her surprise. No wonder Sima Hong looked so indifferent when he mentioned this Madam Lu. It made sense that as Sima Hong's wife, she could get a fourth-rank imperial title. Lu Yi was a commander and a veteran general. If she was Lu Yi's wife, how could she not even have a title? It turned out that she was Lu Yi's concubine.
Thinking of this, the little bit of admiration Mingyu had for Lu Yi disappeared completely. No matter how powerful Lu Yi was, or how good he was at commanding the army, in Mingyu's eyes, he was nothing more than an old bastard who openly kept a mistress.
"Thank you, ma'am, for the reminder." Mingyu smiled gratefully.
Madam Li patted Mingyu's hand. She was old and her daughters were all married. Mingyu married in her family, so she treated Mingyu as her own daughter. Looking at Mingyu's fair and soft face, she couldn't help but say a few more words, "The lady we just visited gave birth to a son and a daughter for the commander-in-chief. The young man didn't like to wield swords and guns since he was a child, but loved reading. He was the best student of this generation in the Lu family. Last year, the marquis sent this young master Lu back to the capital so that he could recognize his ancestors and add his name to the family tree." "Then... what about that Miss Lu?" Mingyu asked.
Madam Li shook her head. "It's a huge concession that the legitimate Madam Lu is willing to acknowledge the illegitimate son. As for this girl, Madam Lu refused to let her be included in the family tree. I heard that Madam Lu's family is not a pushover, so the matter has been delayed." Mingyu nodded. If she were Madam Lu, her husband would dare to keep a mistress behind her back and even have two children calling her mother. He would definitely come to Xi'an with a kitchen knife to kill her. "Is this Miss Lu engaged?" Mingyu asked. "She looks quite old, about sixteen or seventeen? She's older than me." Upon hearing this, Madam Li covered her mouth and laughed. "Speaking of this Miss Lu, she is really different from other girls. She is very ambitious. Although she is an unnamed illegitimate daughter, she is the most loved by Commander Lu. As long as Commander Lu is alive, she will not suffer any loss. She is not ugly either. Many people proposed to her in the past two years."
Mingyu smiled and said, "Could it be that among so many people, there is no one she likes?" Madam Li squeezed Mingyu's hand and said with a smile, "She announced two years ago that she would marry a real man. And yet, she hasn't decided on anyone yet, and I don't know which young man can catch her eye." Mingyu lowered her head and smiled. She thought of herself two years ago. Girls are infatuated when they are young and have plenty of time to fantasize about their future half. But when they really get married, they find that their husbands are very different from the prince charming they spent years imagining.
She understood what Madam Li meant, and she was kind enough to give her a heads up. She was not a fool, they were all women, and just by looking at Miss Lu's eyes and attitude, she knew what this girl was thinking, but she really didn't think Miss Lu could pose any threat to her, as long as Sima Hong didn't have the same thoughts about Miss Lu.
After Mingyu left, Miss Lu sat next to her mother and asked, "Why is she here?" Mrs. Lu reached out and tapped her daughter's forehead, scolding, "You are so rude! She is a fourth-rank imperial official after all, and you just started talking to her and started talking about you. If people in the capital knew about this, I don't know how they would accuse you."
Miss Lu snorted coldly, "Let them say whatever they want. They just don't want to acknowledge me! Do they think I care about you?" So what if those are legitimate daughters? It's obvious that my father loved any of them more than him.
"You are such a fool! All you do every day is wield swords and guns, alas." Madam Lu couldn't say it too directly. If the man in the capital was willing to nod and acknowledge her as his daughter, and the clan record stated that she was the legitimate daughter, would it still be Xu Mingyu's turn to marry the Marquis of Anxi
Miss Lu laughed and said proudly, "What's wrong with wielding swords and guns? Dad likes me to wield swords and guns! I also look down on those young ladies. They are useless and annoying to look at!" After Miss Lu left, Madam Lu tidied up, re-dressed, put on a layer of powder and rouge, and brought a bowl of chicken soup before going to see Commander Lu. While serving the commander who was over 50 years old, Madam Lu smiled and said, "Sir, General Sima's wife just came." Lu Yi nodded and said, "After all, it is a fourth-rank imperial edict bestowed by the emperor. Don't take it lightly." "How dare I take it lightly?" Madam Lu said, "I just feel sorry that it's not worth it for our Xu'er." Madam Lu said while observing Lu Yi's expression. Seeing that Lu Yi was not angry, she boldly continued, "Think about this Xu. The emperor has conferred her a fourth-rank imperial edict before they got married. She is actually of the same rank as Lord Sima. What an honor! If our Xu'er..."
"What's the point of saying this now?" Lu Yi said with a cold face, "I'm old, and none of the younger generation of Lu family can inherit my legacy. No wonder the emperor values Sima Hong and gave his wife a high rank to give him face. As for Xu'er, her status is there. Even if the Anxi Marquisate is in decline, it still has the honor of the Marquisate. They will never marry a girl without a name as their principal wife. This is the fact, and you can't force it. I said before that in this northwest area, even if Xu'er becomes someone's concubine, she will never be wronged with me, and no one dares to bully her. It's just that she has just got married, so it's not easy to bring it up for the time being."
Madam Lu twisted the handkerchief in her hand and said unwillingly, "Master, you said before that you wanted Xu'er to be your concubine. I had no objection, because you said that General Sima was going to marry the daughter of Duke Deng in the capital as his principal wife. My Xu'er's family background is not as good as that of the daughter of the Deng family, so I accept it.
But now this Xu family, her father is only a fifth-rank official, and her brother is only a seventh-rank official, just entering the official career, oh..." Mrs. Lu covered her handkerchief and laughed sarcastically, "I forgot that the Xu family is good at making marriages, and the two in-laws are more arrogant than each other!"
"Alright, alright, how can I not love Xu'er? As long as Xu'er likes it, I will help her realize her wish." Lu Yi coaxed. The old man and young wife had a lot more pity and patience for this young mistress. "Don't you think about it? Xu's family background is low, and it will only benefit our Xu'er.
If Sima Hong really married the daughter of the Deng family, I was afraid that the daughter of the Deng family would not take a military man like me seriously, and I would not be able to control her in the future, and Xu'er would suffer if she married him. Now Sima Hong married Xu, and with me in charge, Xu'er could stomp her feet at home, would she dare to fart?" "That's not necessarily the case." Mrs. Lu was delighted, but then she calmed down and retorted, "What if Sima Hong doesn't treat our Xu'er well?" Sima Hong married Xu twice, which was like a thorn in her heart. How much must a man love a woman to marry her twice
"That girl Xu is a good-looking girl, with fair complexion, soft voice and gentle nature. I think she is someone who can please men." Mrs. Lu couldn't help but add that men all love gentle and charming women, and her own girl had a hot temper and might not please Sima Hong.
Lu Yi disagreed and waved his hand, saying: "The most important thing for a man is his future. Love and affection can't be used to make a living. Sima Hong knows what to do best for him. He is not a fool!" He didn't believe in love and affection. He would rather believe that Sima Hong wanted to remarry the divorced woman out of a man's unspoken dignity.