Lu Jingkun returned to the Estate of the Grand General of Wei Yuan with a sullen expression. His heart still ached from the loss of so many treasures. When he ordered his servants to bring them out from the storeroom, he also summoned his fierce-tempered wife.
It took considerable effort and no small amount of chaos to convince her that he hadn't fallen into debt or taken a mistress. Only after a great deal of explanation did she reluctantly accept that the expensive gifts were meant as compensation and an offering to the Fifth Princess, to soothe the displeasure of Emperor Xuanwu and Her Highness.
Having barely survived that domestic storm, Lu Jingkun made his way back to the palace, only to find that the morning session in the Imperial Study Hall had run long.
To be precise, it was only Princess Yun Shu who had been held back. Grand Preceptor Ye had requested a private word with her.
Lu Jingkun stood at the threshold of the hall, eyes twitching.
He had merely delayed the timing of Her Highness's enfeoffment, siding with the First Prince's faction for strategic reasons. He hadn't committed some grievous sin worthy of divine wrath.
Was all this really necessary?
With that bitter thought, he resigned himself to waiting quietly outside, huddled near one of the stone columns. He remained there for the length of two full incense sticks before Yun Shu finally emerged.
The moment he caught sight of her, excitement surged through him. He completely forgot he had been crouched behind the pillar and sprang to his feet in a clumsy lunge.
"Your Highness, wait!"
"Who's there?!"
Yun Shu had just stepped out of the hall, relaxed and unsuspecting, when a hulking shadow suddenly popped up before her. Startled, she instinctively raised her foot and struck out with a sharp kick.
"Guards!"
"Your Highness, what happened?!"
"Your Highness!"
Ye Qing'an, still inside the hall, and Ting Xue, who had been waiting nearby to escort Yun Shu to lunch, rushed over at the sound of her cry.
What they found was a towering, broad-shouldered man sprawled on the ground, his face blank as a trickle of blood poured from his nose. Yun Shu crouched beside him with a sheepish look, poking his arm cautiously with a single finger.
"Are you alright?"
"Grand General of Wei Yuan?"
Ye Qing'an blinked in disbelief as he finally recognized the man lying on the ground.
"What on earth just happened?"
"I'm not really sure either..."
Yun Shu started to reply, then paused midway, eyes narrowing in sudden realization.
"Did you say he's the Grand General of Wei Yuan?"
"Lu Jingkun, yes."
Ye Qing'an nodded, still baffled.
"Is something wrong?"
Yun Shu blinked rapidly.
"No, it's just..."
Lu Jingkun.
In the original narrative, he had been eliminated by agents of the Crown Prince. A staunch supporter of the First Prince, his death had triggered a chain of military losses that brought grave consequences to Tian Sheng.
Come to think of it, all the effort she had spent during the autumn hunt—digging traps and redirecting danger—hadn't been solely to save the Crown Prince. More importantly, it had preserved the life of this man, whose absence would have created disaster.
But Lu Jingkun couldn't possibly know that.
Why had he appeared here of all places?
And just now... had he been calling for her?
"General Lu?"
Yun Shu reached out and poked him again, voice tentative.
"Do you need me to summon the Imperial Physician?"
"No need to trouble Your Highness."
Lu Jingkun wiped away the blood on his face, his tone filled with sorrow.
This must be his retribution.
Slowly he pushed himself upright, retrieving the bundle of treasures he had set aside. Still holding a strip of torn sleeve to his bleeding nose, he extended the package to Yun Shu.
"These are offerings of apology and gratitude from this humble servant to Your Highness."
"Apology and gratitude?"
Yun Shu untied the bundle. The moment she saw the two massive gemstones set in the golden hairpin, her vision swam from the glare.
A deep unease settled over her.
What exactly had this man done to wrong her that he felt the need to offer something so extravagant in return?
Lu Jingkun continued in a muffled voice.
"This humble servant heard that Your Highness, upon learning that many of the army's warhorses were forced into early retirement due to damage to their hooves, felt great sorrow. Your Highness then devoted considerable effort to researching a solution, and finally created the horseshoe—an invention of remarkable merit. As a military man, this humble servant is deeply grateful."
Yun Shu blinked.
Wait a moment.
Hadn't she already said yesterday that the credit for the horseshoe should go to her maternal grandfather?
Fine, so her grandfather had refused it.
But this... why was this general now spinning tall tales to praise her?
When had she ever felt "great sorrow" or "devoted considerable effort"?
She didn't dare respond.
Still holding the small bundle in her arms, her fingers inched forward slightly in an awkward attempt to return it. The praise had made her feel distinctly unworthy.
Yet just as she was about to hand it back, Lu Jingkun added, voice still deep and resonant:
"His Majesty was prepared to enfeoff Your Highness today, with lands yielding thousands of households."
Yun Shu froze.
"But this humble servant, knowing that the ten thousand retired horses from Bei Xiang have yet to arrive, spoke against it."
Ah. So that was the real reason.
He had cut off her path to wealth and was now here bearing gifts to make up for it.
No wonder.
Her hand, which had edged forward a moment ago, quietly withdrew.
Unaware of her subtle movements, Lu Jingkun continued speaking earnestly.
"Though this humble servant delayed the reward, We are certain that with Your Highness's abilities, a title is only a matter of time. Your accomplishments speak for themselves. Aside from my thanks and apology, I came today in hopes that Your Highness might take greater interest in military affairs. Should Your Highness devise more inventions like the horseshoe, the army would be forever in your debt."
"General Lu gives this palace far too much credit."
So it had come to this. Another one hoping to enlist her labor.
Yun Shu didn't even hesitate before shutting him down.
"That the horseshoe came into being was no more than a fortunate accident. As for the rest, this palace can offer no assistance."
"But how does Your Highness know without even hearing what I have to say?"
Lu Jingkun had gone to great lengths—braving the wrath of his wife, losing treasures, suffering a kick to the face—all just to deliver this plea in person. He was not about to let the matter drop so easily.
As Yun Shu turned toward the dining hall, he hurried after her, launching into a lengthy explanation of the army's troubles.
"Your Highness, you've never visited the military camps. You might not know, but it's not just horses that get injured easily. Weapons break too, and the soldiers even more so.
In addition to that, the weather is a constant problem. Spring and autumn are tolerable, but summer wounds fester in the heat, and in winter, if the soldiers dress warmly, they can't move well. If they don't, they freeze half to death.
There's also..."
Yun Shu stared ahead in silence.
So many problems in the military, and this man expected a thirteen-year-old princess to solve them all?
Wasn't he from the First Prince's faction?
Why not go trouble the First Prince instead?
Expressionless, she ate her lunch while enduring Lu Jingkun's endless monologue, his swollen nose and rugged face giving him an almost comical appearance.
For the first time in her life, Yun Shu found herself longing for class to begin.
She would rather sit through Grand Preceptor Ye's lectures than endure another moment of this.
"Your Highness, did you commit all that to memory?"
Yun Shu's eye twitched.
Lu Jingkun pressed again.
"Your Highness?"
"...Yes."
So please stop talking.
His voice was echoing in her mind now. It felt like the very air around her was humming with his endless complaints.
===
Poor Yun Shu ต(=ω=)ต