Chapter 86: Regret
’Lu Yuan... isn’t that the man who was suggested for my daughter? How did he go from Centurion to Captain in the blink of an eye?’ Wang Clan mused.
A look of delight then appeared in her eyes.
’In that case, perhaps I can approach Hongling again and settle this marriage once and for all.’
At this thought, she completely lost her appetite.
She waited impatiently for the banquet to end so she could find Zhou Hongling.
Meanwhile, Hong Xiu at her side clearly had ideas of her own as well.
She kept glancing at Lu Yuan, a look of clear satisfaction on her face.
As time passed, the meal came to an end. After the banquet dispersed and Hong Cheng had departed, Wang Clan blocked Zhou Hongling, who was preparing to leave with Lu Yuan. Zhou Hongling looked at this "fourth aunt" of hers in surprise, not expecting the woman to approach her. After all, ever since the last time they discussed the marriage proposal, both her aunt and Hong Xiu had been intentionally avoiding her.
"Aunt, is something the matter?" Zhou Hongling asked softly.
Wang Clan glanced at Lu Yuan, and after sizing him up for a moment, she pulled Zhou Hongling aside, indicating she wanted to speak in private.
She was an elder, after all. Though Zhou Hongling wasn’t particularly fond of this aunt, she didn’t refuse and moved to follow her.
Once they found a quiet corner, Wang Clan glanced at Lu Yuan waiting in the distance and said in a low voice, "Hongling, I’ve always treated you well, haven’t I?"
"If you have something to say, Aunt, just say it," Zhou Hongling said with a wry smile.
She knew Wang Clan was always meddling and loved to scheme; she wondered what she was plotting this time.
Hearing Zhou Hongling say that, Wang Clan didn’t hesitate and said immediately, "It’s like this: Hong Xiu has changed her mind. She wants to marry Lu Yuan now. Why don’t you go talk to him for us again?"
"Aunt, I was the one who introduced him to Hong Xiu, but you were the one who dragged her to my father’s courtyard to reject the whole thing. Besides, word of that has already reached Lu Yuan’s ears. I doubt he’ll be willing," Zhou Hongling said immediately.
A hint of wariness appeared in her eyes without her realizing it.
Wang Clan replied anxiously, "So what if he’s unwilling? Can he really go against the family? You’re his superior officer. If you intervene, Lu Yuan is sure to agree. As long as he marries Hong Xiu, any little misunderstandings can be cleared up over time, you know."
"Aunt, that line of reasoning might have worked when I first introduced Lu Yuan to Hong Xiu, but it’s different now. The man is incredibly talented, and he’s even caught the Marquis’s eye. A Captain at seventeen—he’s even more accomplished than I was at his age. His future is set for a meteoric rise. The family actually has to take his opinion into account now. This isn’t a decision that can just be made for him anymore."
With that, Zhou Hongling effectively cut off anything else Wang Clan was about to say.
"But... how can that be? Oh, honestly..."
"Aunt, I have to go. You should probably stop thinking about Lu Yuan for now." Before Wang Clan could finish speaking, Zhou Hongling hastily walked toward Lu Yuan.
She had no desire to waste any more time arguing with Wang Clan.
Upon reaching Lu Yuan’s side, she said quickly, "Let’s go."
Seeing the anxious look on Zhou Hongling’s face, he didn’t press for details, simply nodding and following her toward the exit.
After a moment, he asked with some confusion, "Did something happen?"
"My aunt wants to marry her daughter to you. What do you think?" Zhou Hongling looked at Lu Yuan with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.
"Er, I don’t have any plans to start a family right now," Lu Yuan said hesitantly.
"Is it because you don’t have a girl you fancy?" Zhou Hongling stared at Lu Yuan.
"You could say that. Besides, I’m used to being alone."
Hearing Lu Yuan say this, Zhou Hongling seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Then she said, "Since you’re here in Yanzhou City, you should stay for a couple of days. The day after tomorrow, you can head back to Icefield Pass with me. Use these next two days to relax."
"Alright. I’ll follow your lead, Captain," Lu Yuan nodded.
Zhou Hongling continued, "I’m going to introduce you to someone in a bit. You two are around the same age; I’m sure you’ll hit it off."
As she spoke, she led Lu Yuan to a courtyard.
Inside, a young man was drinking wine. He was dressed in a cyan brocade robe, the chest of which had been deliberately pulled open.
He was lounging in the courtyard pavilion, looking perfectly content.
Beside him, a maidservant was carefully waving a fan.
WHAP!
Zhou Hongling walked up and slapped him on the shoulder. The young man’s eyes shot open, but before the anger on his face could fully form, it melted into a smile when he saw who it was.
"Sis, when did you get back?"
"I was back by noon. Why weren’t you at the family banquet?" Zhou Hongling was clearly annoyed.
The young man said plaintively, "I just woke up."
His gaze then shifted to Lu Yuan, and he asked with confusion, "And who might this brother be?"
He had rarely seen his sister bring a young man around the estate.
"This is Lu Yuan, a Captain from Icefield Pass. You two are about the same age. I have things to do this afternoon, so you’ll show him around Yanzhou City. Put all the expenses on my account. I’m telling you, treat this as a serious matter, or Father will break your legs," Zhou Hongling told her brother bluntly.
"Heh, what a sweet deal! No problem, you can count on me!" the young man declared, patting his chest.
Zhou Hongling then turned to Lu Yuan and said softly, "This is my brother, Zhou Hao. I have to assist the Marquis with some matters this afternoon, so I won’t be free until tomorrow. For now, I’ll have my brother show you around."
"Of course. I’ll follow your lead, Captain," Lu Yuan said with a light chuckle.
Just then, Zhou Hao stood up and walked over to Lu Yuan with a grin. He stood on his tiptoes to sling an arm around Lu Yuan’s shoulder and said, "Haha, you’re Lu Yuan, right? Then I’ll just call you Yuan from now on. Let’s head out now. I know Yanzhou City better than anyone."
Seeing her brother’s enthusiasm, Zhou Hongling gave a satisfied nod and then said to Lu Yuan, "Well, I’ll be on my way."
With that, she turned and left.
Zhou Hao pulled Lu Yuan along, saying, "Yuan, I just found out about a really fun place. If we go now, it’ll be just opening up. You’re in for a treat today!"
After saying this, he headed straight outside, paying no mind to his disheveled robes.
His curiosity piqued, Lu Yuan followed.
Once they were outside, a carriage was already waiting. It was remarkably extravagant, attended not only by maidservants but also by eight sword-wielding Guards.
Such a grand procession left Lu Yuan speechless. ’As expected of a young master from the General’s Mansion,’ he thought. ’I’ve never enjoyed this kind of treatment before.’
"Yuan, get in! This carriage of mine is huge; there’s more than enough room for a few people," Zhou Hao said with enthusiasm.
Lu Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony and climbed into the carriage right away.
Inside was a small table laden with all sorts of fruits and melons, with two maidservants waiting attentively at the side.
As the carriage moved forward, he couldn’t feel the slightest bump or jolt.
This prompted another sigh of admiration from Lu Yuan. ’There are always people who know how to enjoy life, no matter the era.’
As the carriage gradually made its way forward, occasional shouts could be heard from the street. It was clearly the Guards, clearing the way.
Lu Yuan could tell, however, that while Zhou Hao loved the pageantry, he didn’t seem to be a bad person.
Along the way, despite being somewhat flighty, he was very courteous toward Lu Yuan.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but when the carriage finally stopped, Lu Yuan followed Zhou Hao out and found that they had parked in front of a brothel.
Before he even set foot inside, the thick scent of rouge and perfume wafted out to greet them.