Chapter Sixty-Two

One morning, a month later, a cedarwood sailing boat slowly anchored at the pier of Bright Moon Island.

The bow of the vessel curved upward, floating on the water like a half-moon. It resembled neither an official vessel with vermilion lacquer, gilded carvings, and bronze Chi-dragon prows, nor an old commercial passenger ship with green moss and water stains crisscrossing its hull, kitchen smoke rising daily from the stern, and cabins perpetually packed with travelers. Nor did it look like a cargo boat with patch-upon-patch sails, a hull gleaming with the characteristic amber hue of tung oil, and half-open hatch covers. The vessel sat deep in the water, yet few human figures were visible on board.

Dawn had fully broken. Standing on the pier were Xiao Guimu, Purple Rose, Red Rose, and a group of other islanders.

Soon, the ship lowered a long, wide boarding plank. Five women descended from it. All five were dressed as chivalrous swordswomen, with long swords tied around their waists. The eldest was in her forties, while the youngest was barely in her twenties. Following closely behind the five "female swordswomen" was a middle-aged man wearing a plain cotton-and-linen cross-collared robe. A faded indigo cloth belt was tied around his waist, an indigo-dyed cloth pouch hung diagonally across his chest, and a leather water skin and acupuncture pouch were suspended from his belt. His face was lean with slightly prominent cheekbones, and his posture was slightly stooped, yet his steps were steady. He was dressed precisely like a traditional country doctor.

Xiao Guimu flew forward swiftly, tightly embracing the eldest "female swordswoman," tears streaming down her face as she babbled continuously, "I never could have imagined this! I never could have imagined it! Eldest Miss, Princess Zhaoyue, I never dreamed it would be you..."

These five "female swordswomen" were the imperial envoys secretly dispatched by the reigning emperor to Bright Moon Island to welcome the Three Swords of the Emperor of Commerce: Qi Qiongqiong, Duan Zhaoyue, Guan Yi, Gu Yuru, and Grand Princess Zhao Jing. The middle-aged man dressed as a country doctor was an all-purpose imperial physician sent by the reigning emperor to reside permanently on Bright Moon Island. They had brought a boatload of rice, medicinal herbs, and daily necessities.

In truth, among these five women, only four were genuine imperial envoys sent by the emperor. The Grand Princess was not. The fifth envoy was her husband, Gu Dabao. Disguised as a sailor, he had hidden on board and did not disembark to show his face. All the sailors and boatmen of the vessel were members of the imperial guard.

Qi Qiongqiong gently patted Xiao Guimu's back with her palm and said loudly, "Little sister Guimu, we are here for a family visit! We haven't seen you all in ten years! We've missed you so much! Today, we sisters have reunited on Bright Moon Island after a long separation, and we must share a drink together!"

Xiao Guimu hurriedly wiped away her tears and said, "Eldest Miss, that is an absolute must!" She turned to look at Red Rose. "Island Inspector, several distinguished guests have graced our Bright Moon Island with their presence. What fine dishes do you have to entertain them?"

Red Rose cupped her hands in a salute and said, "We have Bright Moon Island's giant lobsters to treat our distinguished guests!"

Qi Qiongqiong, Duan Zhaoyue, Guan Yi, Gu Yuru, and Zhao Jing "visited their relatives" on Bright Moon Island for a total of seven days. By day, they went down to the sea to fish; by night, they drank together. Qi Qiongqiong and Gu Yuru had lived at the salt-drying fields in their youth and were quite familiar with the sea. Gu Yuru and Xiao Guimu were experts at foraging by the shore, and these past few days, the two of them went down to the coast together every day, returning with a bountiful harvest. Guan Yi had often fished at the Silt Lake water stronghold in her youth, but back then she had fished for lake fish, whereas now she was fishing for sea fish, and after a full day, her harvest was meager. This left Guan Yi quite unconvinced, and every day she made Purple Rose teach her how to angle. Of all seven days, Duan Zhaoyue and Grand Princess Zhao Jing had the most fun. It was their first time seeing the ocean, and they showed a deep fascination with the sandy beaches and ocean waves. They told Xiao Guimu that they wanted to live on Bright Moon Island permanently and not return to the capital. Xiao Guimu smiled and said to them, "If the reigning emperor issues an imperial decree, I, Xiao Guixiu, am willing to become neighbors with the two princesses!" Of course, throughout these seven days, Xiao Guimu, Purple Rose, Red Rose, and the other surviving Roses also accompanied the five "female swords" every day, getting hopelessly drunk at every evening banquet.

As for the Three Swords of the Emperor of Commerce, on the very first night the five "female swords" arrived on Bright Moon Island, Red Rose led the young maidens of Bright Moon Island to deliver wine and food to the sailors on the boat, while Purple Rose led a dozen youths from the island to replenish the vessel's fresh water and firewood. Taking advantage of the cover of night, Purple Rose invited the Three Swords of the Emperor of Commerce out of the treasure chamber, concealed them within the long logs of firewood, sent them aboard the ship, and quietly delivered them into the hands of Gu Dabao.

On the morning of the eighth day, Qi Qiongqiong, Duan Zhaoyue, Guan Yi, Gu Yuru, and Zhao Jing stood on the pier, bidding a tearful farewell to Xiao Guimu, Purple Rose, Red Rose, Li Longyun, the surviving Roses, and the imperial physician.

Qi Qiongqiong asked Xiao Guimu, "Little sister Guimu, is your Li Longyun betrothed?"

Xiao Guimu quickly replied, "Reporting to Eldest Miss, my Long'er is already betrothed. The bride-to-be is the youngest daughter of Lord Lu Wenting."

Qi Qiongqiong turned to gaze at the boundless sea and said, "I heard that Lord Lu Wenting's youngest daughter was born in Temasek and has never yet returned to visit Bright Moon Island. Is that true?"

With a tear glistening in the corner of her eye, Xiao Guimu said, "Eldest Miss's news is truly well-informed! That girl has never wanted to come back and live on Bright Moon Island! My co-mother-in-law, Xing Chulian, once told me that when Long'er is a few years older, she intends to take him to Temasek to be married. This matter has always given me a headache."

Qi Qiongqiong patted Xiao Guimu's back and said, "Little sister Guimu, don't worry yourself too much! As long as Long'er lives a happy life in the future, if he goes to Temasek to get married, then let him get married in Temasek!"

"Who's to say otherwise!" Xiao Guimu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Esteemed reader, three years later, Li Longyun boarded a great ocean-faring vessel sent back by Lu Wenting, arrived in Temasek, and married Lu Wenting's youngest daughter. The young couple lived very happily in Temasek, bearing three sons and three daughters. Later, when the Temasek Dynasty was established, Li Longyun's fifth-generation descendant became the first Chief Chancellor of the Temasek Dynasty—but that is a story for another time.

Yangzhou.

After the execution of the wealthy scion Guo, peace returned to both banks of the Eastern River, and carriages could once again travel along the salt road at night. At the ferry crossing of the Eastern River, newlywed brides, regardless of whether they were beautiful or plain, and whether by day or night, dared to walk freely through the main streets.

On one late afternoon, Lü Qianqian was cooking dinner in the kitchen when she saw Gu Yusheng stealthily slip into the room and quickly shove a small bundle into the stove. Soon, an odor of burning feathers drifted out from the hearth.

Covering her nose with one hand while pulling the bellows with the other, Lü Qianqian asked Gu Yusheng, "Husband, what on earth did you just throw into the stove? The smell of it burning is simply awful!"

Gu Yusheng glanced at the stove and said, "It's nothing, just that set of night-walking clothes from under our bed. Now that the wealthy scion Guo has been subjected to death by a thousand cuts, I no longer need to wear those night-clothes to go out and set ambushes, so I'm burning them."

Upon hearing this, Lü Qianqian thrust her hand into the stove, only to pull it back just as quickly, for she saw that the bundle inside was already blazing fiercely. Using a fire poker to turn over the bundle, she scolded Gu Yusheng, "You really are someone who doesn't know how to manage a household! That set of night clothes was custom-made for me by a top tailor in Yangcheng using silk material, and it was very expensive! How could you throw it into the stove without even a word?"

Gu Yusheng reached out and patted Lü Qianqian's back, saying, "My wife, please don't grieve over it! Once these night clothes are burned, your husband will be able to sleep right by your side every single night from now on!"

Hearing this, Lü Qianqian was overjoyed and asked with a smile, "Really?"

Gu Yusheng stroked Lü Qianqian's neck and said, "Of course it's true!"

Lü Qianqian suddenly withdrew her smile and said, "But I've already gotten used to sleeping alone."

Hearing this, Gu Yusheng knew Lü Qianqian was using this pretext to reproach him, so he smiled and said, "Wife, that habit simply won't do! The nights are chilly, and two people sleeping together is always warmer than sleeping alone! You really must change this habit!"

Lü Qianqian gave Gu Yusheng a sidelong glance and said, "How am I supposed to change it? When I was pregnant with Yuyu, you were carefree all by yourself in the bathhouse courtyard; when I was nursing my solitary grievances back in our old home in Earth City, you were holding Sister Yaoyao warmly every single night in the Osmanthus Garden; and when I finally formally married into your Gu family, I only had the chance to share a bed with you once every few days. After we returned to the salt-drying fields, the children grew up and we finally had the chance to enjoy a world of just the two of us, yet you went out wearing night-clothes every night to lay ambushes in order to hunt down that accursed flower-picking scoundrel... Tell me, how am I supposed to change this?" As she spoke, tears began to flow from Lü Qianqian's eyes.

Gu Yusheng opened his arms and pulled Lü Qianqian straight into his embrace, wiping away her tears as he said, "Don't cry! Over these years, your husband has let you suffer grievances. Your husband promises you that from now on, I will never let you suffer these grievances again!"

"Really?" Lü Qianqian pressed herself against Gu Yusheng's chest, her cheeks flushed red.

During the first month after Lin Xiaolian went to take monastic vows at Fubo Nunnery, Lü Qianqian had taken some incense oil to visit her there. At that time, Lin Xiaolian had not yet had her head shaved; she wore secular clothing with her hair cascading down, spending her days either carrying water, chopping firewood, or sweeping the courtyard of the temple. The abbess of Fubo Nunnery told Lü Qianqian, "Benefactor Lü, Lin Xiaolian has just arrived, and her worldly ties are not yet severed. She still has three thousand strands of vexing hair. Once her inner peace is attained in days to come, this abbess will personally shave her head."

At that time, Lin Xiaolian's worldly ties were indeed unbroken. On a night in the second month after she entered Fubo Nunnery, a masked man had sneaked into the nunnery attempting to assassinate Lin Xiaolian. Fortunately, the abbess possessed formidable martial arts skills and had been on guard beforehand, subduing the masked man. Upon interrogation, it was discovered that he was an assassin sent by Minister Wang Wuliang.

"It's that old beast again, lingering like a ghost!" Lin Xiaolian gritted her teeth, wishing she could head straight to the capital at once and perish together with Wang Wuliang.

Half a year later, when Lü Qianqian brought incense oil back to Fubo Nunnery, she saw only a nun kneeling upon a rush mat, chanting scriptures—her beautiful hair had already been shaved off.

"Little sister Xiaolian..." Lü Qianqian stepped closer and called out softly.

"Benefactor, there is no little sister Xiaolian here. This poor nun's religious name is 'Mingxin'. Please address this poor nun as Mingxin," Lin Xiaolian said to Lü Qianqian, pressing her palms together.

"Xiaolian... Master Mingxin, my husband asked me to convey to you that your home at the salt-drying fields is still reserved for you. You may return to take a look whenever it is convenient." Lü Qianqian also pressed her palms together.

"Sin, sin! Benefactor, Mingxin is already a monastic person, and a monastic person regards the four seas as home. Please, Benefactor Lü, return and tell Benefactor Gu that the house at the salt-drying fields is no longer Mingxin's home. Nowadays, the population at the salt-drying fields is flourishing, and housing is tight. Leaving the Lin family house vacant is a waste of resources! Please let Benefactor Gu give it to a family in need at the salt-drying fields!" Lin Xiaolian remained kneeling on the rush mat, her palms still pressed together.

"Very well! Once I return to the salt-drying fields, I will immediately relay this to my husband and have him give that house to someone else to live in, in accordance with Master Mingxin's wishes! Please find peace in the Buddha, Master Mingxin, I take my leave now!" Lü Qianqian said, tears streaming down her face.

"Please feel free to leave as you wish, Benefactor Lü, this poor nun will not see you out!" Lin Xiaolian resumed chanting Buddhist scriptures while kneeling on the rush mat.

Just as winter arrived, Mu Mingxuan fell ill.

Hui'er, Gu Yusheng, and Lü Qianqian sought medical treatment everywhere, but nothing seemed to work.

Mu Mingxuan knew that her days were numbered, so she said to Hui'er, "Daughter, the salt-drying fields are not your mother's home. Your mother's home is the rice dumpling shop in Yangcheng. Therefore, in my final moments, I wish to return and live at the rice dumpling shop."

Thus, Hui'er, Gu Yusheng, and Lü Qianqian hired a large carriage to take Mu Mingxuan back to the rice dumpling shop in Yangcheng. Hui'er, Gu Yusheng, and Lü Qianqian all stayed at the shop to wait on her day and night.

After Mu Mingxuan returned to the rice dumpling shop, Qi Wei and Yin Yuanyuan also entrusted their salt shop to the care of their steward. Every day, they rode in a carriage to the dumpling shop, only returning to the Qi family salt shop at night. Every single day was like this.

Mu Mingxuan was a renowned poet of her generation and had many fans in Yangcheng. Every day, admirers came to visit her.

After the Winter Solstice, Mu Mingxuan could no longer swallow even soups. She remained in a stupor day and night, no longer recognizing who came to visit. According to the doctor's assessment, it would be ten days at most, and five at the least. Thus, the five of them—Hui'er, Gu Yusheng, Lü Qianqian, Qi Wei, and Yin Yuanyuan—gathered once more to discuss funeral arrangements. Hui'er had already invited a feng shui master to inspect the dragon veins, intending to purchase a plot of land in the outskirts of Yangcheng as a burial site.

On the third night after the Winter Solstice, Mu Mingxuan suddenly awoke from her lethargy, tightly grasped Hui'er's hand, and said, "Daughter, your mother's ancestral home is in the Central Plains. After I die, I do not wish to be buried in Yangzhou. When I die, cremate me and bring my ashes back to the Central Plains to be buried in your foster father's ancestral grave, will you?"

With tears in her eyes, Hui'er gave her foster mother her promise.

On the morning of the fourth day, Mu Mingxuan smiled as she departed this life. Hui'er, Gu Yusheng, Lü Qianqian, Qi Wei, and Yin Yuanyuan had her remains carried outside the city for cremation. Hui'er collected her foster mother's ashes in a blue-and-white porcelain jar. After forty-nine days had passed, Hui'er sold the rice dumpling shop, shouldered her foster mother's ashes, and bade farewell to Gu Yusheng, Lü Qianqian, Qi Wei, and Yin Yuanyuan, returning to her foster father's hometown in the Central Plains. She wished to bury her foster mother's ashes beside her foster father's grave and observe a three-year mourning period in her foster father's hometown.

Half a year later, Gu Yusheng received a letter sent by his stepmother Hui'er, stating that Old Master Mu's ashes had been safely laid to rest in the earth. The letter also stated that after the three-year mourning period, she did not wish to return to the salt-drying fields in Yangzhou. She wanted to remain in her foster parents' hometown and burn spirit money for them every Qingming Festival—because her foster parents had no other relatives left in their hometown.

In the letter, she also urged Gu Yusheng and Lü Qianqian to manage the salt-drying fields with care, as they were the lifeblood and painstaking effort of the older generation. At the same time, she instructed Gu Yusheng and Lü Qianqian not to worry about her, not to come to the Central Plains to visit her, and certainly not to send her silver. She said that the silver from selling the rice dumpling shop, combined with the imperial court's severance pension for her husband Gu Datong, was more than enough to support her for the rest of her life.

Upon receiving the letter, Gu Yusheng and Lü Qianqian wrote back to their stepmother, but from then on they received no further letters from her, and thus they missed her deeply.

June is the peak season for salt production and also the harvest season for early rice, but it is also the primary flood season. In previous years, the Eastern River frequently flooded during this season.

Over these past few days, Lü Qianqian had been organizing the salt-scraping laborers in the salt-drying fields to make a final push in harvesting salt, remaining out in the salt paddies day and night. Ever since Hui'er carried Mu Mingxuan's ashes back to her old home in the Central Plains, Lü Qianqian and Gu Yusheng had divided their labor: Gu Yusheng managed the thousands of mu of rice paddies on both banks of the Eastern River, while Lü Qianqian managed the salt-drying fields. But Lü Qianqian could never truly set her mind at ease, constantly terrified that Gu Yusheng might make a mess of the rice paddies. Therefore, every few days, no matter how exhausted she was, she would always run over to the rice paddies to take a look. Yesterday, she had gone to the paddies once more and saw that the rice was ripe, and Gu Yusheng had already hired laborers to start reaping with sickles. As a result, Lü Qianqian found herself running back and forth between both places—spending the day in the rice paddies and heading down to the salt-drying fields in the small hours of the morning, keeping herself busy from dawn till dusk.

This morning, dark clouds gathered thickly, signaling that a torrential downpour was about to break.

Lü Qianqian was extremely anxious. Hurrying home from the salt-drying fields, she bolted down a few mouthfuls of breakfast by the dining table, set down her bowl and chopsticks, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and loudly urged Gu Yusheng to hurry out the door.

Gu Yusheng had long been waiting inside the carriage for Lü Qianqian. As soon as Lü Qianqian climbed aboard, Gu Yusheng asked, "Wife, are we heading first to Qian Village on the north bank of the Eastern River, or should we go to the grain warehouse first?"

They were going to Qian Village on the north bank to hire agricultural laborers. With the water level of the Eastern River rising day by day and only half of the rice paddies harvested, they wanted to hire more hands to ensure the rice harvest could be completed by the end of June. They were going to the grain warehouse to inspect the progress of its construction. That spring, Lü Qianqian had spent two thousand taels of silver to purchase a fifty-mu hillside plot of higher ground on the north bank of the Eastern River. A grain warehouse was currently being built upon that slope.

Hearing Gu Yusheng's question, Lü Qianqian poked her head out the window to look at the sky again and said, "Building the warehouse is the most pressing matter right now! Let's go take a look at the grain warehouse first, and if we have time to spare, we'll head to Qian Village afterward."

Gu Yusheng quickly reminded her that their meeting with the leader of Qian Village had been arranged in advance, and they could not break their promise.

Lü Qianqian patted Gu Yusheng's shoulder and said, "Manager Gu, rest assured! The time you scheduled is at noon, and this manager guarantees to get you to Qian Village before noon." Ever since they divided their work, Lü Qianqian referred to herself as the manager of the salt fields, while Gu Yusheng called himself the manager of the rice paddies.

"Manager Lü is prompt and resolute in everything she does, so this manager can rest easy," Gu Yusheng said with a smile.

After hiring the laborers at Qian Village at noon, the couple invited the village leader to have midday meal together at a tavern beside the salt road. By the afternoon, their carriage had arrived alongside the road bordering the rice paddies.

Lü Qianqian stood before the carriage and said to Gu Yusheng, "Manager Gu, once we reach the rice paddies, you are only to stand on the ridge; you are not to step down into the fields, nor are you to make a sound. The job of urging the laborers to work faster will be handled by this manager."

"Why is that, Manager Lü?" Gu Yusheng asked.

"Because Manager Gu truly and properly used to be a marshal of the Northwest Field Army, and later even served as the imperial court's vice chancellor. The words used to urge farmhands to work are bound to be a bit coarse—how could we possibly have you speaking them?" Lü Qianqian said, gazing affectionately into Gu Yusheng's eyes.

"Manager Lü is also the young miss of the chancellor's estate. Since urging farmhands to work is somewhat coarse, then neither of us should urge them at all!" Gu Yusheng said, looking just as affectionately into Lü Qianqian's eyes.

"And why is that?" Lü Qianqian asked.

"Because every single farmhand hired by this manager is honest, down-to-earth, and hardworking!" Gu Yusheng said earnestly.

"That being the case, does it mean it makes no difference whether the two of us come today or not?" Lü Qianqian asked.

"Of course it does!" Gu Yusheng nodded and said.

"That's good then! But today, if Manager Lü doesn't set even one foot into the rice paddies, I won't be able to sleep tonight when we get back!" Lü Qianqian said, taking Gu Yusheng's hand.

"Since that's how it is, how about the two of us both go down into the paddy? If we see any farmhand slacking off, Manager Lü won't just scold him—she'll use a wooden stick to beat his backside too." Gu Yusheng wanted to coax Lü Qianqian into a laugh.

Lü Qianqian actually let out a snort of laughter and said, "Won't that make this manager look like a venomous scorpion demoness!"

Before the sun had set that day, Gu Yusheng and Lü Qianqian returned to their home at the salt-drying fields. They finished dinner together before dark. Since Lü Qianqian had to get up in the small hours of the night to head to the salt paddies, she washed up and went straight to bed.

Shortly after dark, Gu Yusheng began rummaging around under the bed, the noise waking Lü Qianqian.

Rubbing her sleep-heavy eyes, Lü Qianqian asked, "Husband, what are you looking for?"

Sweat pouring from his brow, Gu Yusheng said, "I'm looking for my night-walking clothes."

Closing her eyes, Lü Qianqian said, "Go look in the kitchen stove; I saw you hide them in there last year."

"Ah! Look at my memory!" Gu Yusheng suddenly came to his senses. "Wife, I'm truly sorry, I woke you up!"

"It's nothing! If you want to go out for a stroll, go ahead—you wouldn't be able to sleep at this hour anyway!" With that, Lü Qianqian turned over and faced the inner wall of the bed.

"No, I won't! I have to wake up early tomorrow too, so I might as well go to sleep," Gu Yusheng said, stripping off his clothes and slipping under the covers with Lü Qianqian.

The next morning, when Gu Yusheng arrived at the rice paddies, the more than two hundred farmhands hired with the help of the Qian Village leader were already scattered across the fields at work. They had brought over twenty ox-carts; part of the crew reaped the rice while others loaded the reaped stalks onto the ox-carts. The twenty-odd cart drivers hauled the rice back to the threshing floor in front of the East Slope grain warehouse, where, after unloading, they used the oxen that pulled the carts to drag stone rollers over the grain for threshing.

By the end of June, the one thousand mu of rice had all been harvested, dried, winnowed, and safely stored in the warehouse.

In June, the salt-drying fields managed by Lü Qianqian also delivered two batches of refined salt to multiple salt shops including the Qi family salt shop in Yangcheng, bringing their monthly output to an all-time high.

Today was the Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan Festival).

The day before, Lü Qianqian had made a trip to Yangcheng and bought a whole carriage load of paper money.

Early this morning, Lü Qianqian divided the paper money into eight portions: the first portion bore the name of Gu Datong; the second, Lou Mingxuan; the third, Mu Mingxuan; the fourth, Qi Yaoyao, Baiyun, and Caiyun; the fifth, Lü Xun; the sixth, Su Zhu; the seventh, Concubine Zhou; and the eighth, Li Jingxian. She then carried them all to the intersection near the salt-drying fields and piled them together.

Lü Qianqian looked up at the sun—the Hour of the Dragon had already passed. She then counted out twenty-seven red incense sticks, lit them all, placed them in groups of three into the ground at the intersection, and set fire to the pile of paper money.

Flames began to rise above the paper money, and Lü Qianqian knelt upon the ground, pressing her palms together as she said, "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Old Master Mu, Sister Yaoyao, Baiyun and Caiyun, Father, Mother, Concubine Zhou, Auntie Li, today is the Ghost Festival, and Qianqian has brought you money. Please accept this token of Qianqian's affection. How are you all doing in the netherworld? You are all my closest kin, and Qianqian misses you dearly. After the Ghost Festival, the weather will grow gradually colder, especially at the northwestern frontier, where the chill has already set in. Once you receive the money, please don't be frugal—purchase a few warm garments to ward off the cold. Lastly, I wish you peace, health, and freedom from worry in that other world forever!" Having spoken, she bowed three times.

As Lü Qianqian knelt on the ground watching the flames swirling above the paper money, she heard someone behind her say, "Respected Father-in-law, how have you been doing on that side all these years?"

Lü Qianqian turned her head and saw that it was Gu Yusheng. He was holding a copy of the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu* and kneeling right behind her.

Lü Qianqian said, "I saw that you only came back to sleep at dawn, and I wanted to let you sleep a little longer."

Gu Yusheng said, "I woke up early! Today is the Ghost Festival, and I want to return this roster to its rightful owner!" With that, he held up the copy of the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu* and waved it before Lü Qianqian.

Lü Qianqian said, "Burn it! Husband, you've struggled for this book for the better part of your life; it's time to let it go."

Gu Yusheng knelt upon the ground, held the copy of the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu* with both hands, bowed forward three times, and said, "Your Excellency, my respected Father-in-law, this is the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu* that you forced your son-in-law to accept over twenty years ago. Your son-in-law has not failed his mission and has completed every task Your Excellency entrusted to him. Today, every single comrade recorded in this roster has faithfully fulfilled their duties, and they or their descendants have made due contributions to the unification of the country. Under the grace of the reigning emperor, every single comrade and their descendants have found a wonderful destination! History remembers them and their descendants, and the common folk of Southern Han have long since etched them and their descendants into their hearts! Therefore, Gu Yusheng returns this *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu* to Your Excellency; please accept it." With that, he placed the copy of the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu* into the fire.

Watching the roster turn to ashes, Lü Qianqian said with irrepressible joy, "Let's hurry and pack up our things to go home!"

Gu Yusheng looked at the fire among the paper money and said, "What's the rush?"

Lü Qianqian said, "At home, a banquet celebrating the successful completion of 'First Month, Third Day' is waiting for us!"

Hearing this, Gu Yusheng was startled and asked, "Wife, are you...?"

Lü Qianqian smiled slyly and said, "Qianqian's code number in the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu* is 'First Month, Second Day'."

Gu Yusheng asked, "Wasn't 'First Month, Second Day' your father?"

Lü Qianqian said, "No, my father had no code number in the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu*; I always communicated with you through my father."

"So you were my superior all along! Wife, you hid yourself deeply!" Gu Yusheng sighed in wonder.

"No! Both you and I were working for 'First Month, First Day'! He is our superior!" Lü Qianqian said.

"Who is 'First Month, First Day'? And how did you become 'First Month, Second Day'?" Gu Yusheng asked.

Lü Qianqian stood up and said, "Those are two questions; I will answer them for you one by one.

"My birth mother, Su Zhu, was General Wuwu's youngest daughter, and Grand Princess Consort Su Mei of Northern Wei was General Wuwu's eldest daughter. Su Mei and Su Zhu were full sisters. Su Mei was the reigning emperor's birth mother. She passed away from a plague shortly after giving birth to the reigning emperor. Soon after, my maternal grandfather, General Wuwu, was framed and imprisoned, facing execution. Therefore, he pinned all his hopes for the country's unification on the next generation, his subordinates, and their descendants, compiling this roster while in prison. Hearing in prison that my mother had given birth to me, he gave me the name Lü Qianqian and entered my name into his roster with the code number 'First Month, Second Day', while 'First Month, First Day' is the reigning emperor. He hoped that when I grew up, I would assist the reigning emperor with all my might. My father was the current court's vice chancellor, and with his high profile, his name could not be on the roster, because everyone on the roster faced risks.

"The moment I was born, fate dealt me a winning hand—the chancellor's only daughter. Hidden within this winning hand was also an ace. When I grew up and my father solemnly handed this roster over to me, I knew my life could not be like that of ordinary women. I entered and exited high-end places daily under the instructions of 'First Month, First Day', running about for the unification of the north and south. But after all, I was a young girl, and my youth was stirring. I began searching for my prey. At a flower banquet, you, Gu Yusheng, blundered right into my firing range. As a result, I became pregnant. My father was a man who cared deeply about his face and wanted to drown me in a pig-basket, but I played my ace and left my father utterly speechless. It was upon receiving instructions from 'First Month, First Day' that I used my father to force you to take over the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu*. Because you were the 'Double Top Scholar' in both civil and military arts, you had the capability to get things done. Every task you accepted afterward was notified to me by 'First Month, First Day', and then passed on to you through my father. Now, if you just reflect a little on how things happened back then, you'll understand it all. You, Gu Yusheng, truly were the best subordinate Lü Qianqian ever had, completing every task with exceptional excellence. For this, I express my heartfelt gratitude to you!" Having finished, she made a traditional bow to Gu Yusheng.

Gu Yusheng hurriedly knelt on the ground and cried out, "Subordinate 'First Month, Third Day' pays respects to 'First Month, Second Day'." Having cried out, he even prepared to kowtow to Lü Qianqian.

Lü Qianqian quickly reached out to hold him down, saying, "Husband, stop this! You and I are only husband and wife now; there is no longer any relationship of 'subordinate and superior'."

Gu Yusheng asked, "Why is that?"

Lü Qianqian smiled and said, "Because you just burned that copy of the *Military Legacy Manual of Wuwu*."

Gu Yusheng was startled at first, then smiled and said, "Wife, you truly live up to being 'First Month, Second Day'—every word you speak is a pearl of wisdom!"

Lü Qianqian said, "Pack up our things and let's go home to drink!"

Gu Yusheng cupped his hands in a salute and said, "'First Month, Third Day' obeys!"

In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived once again.

One day, Gu Yusheng received a letter sent from the capital by Gu Yuren. The letter stated that Gu Nuonuo and Xie Fang had already married in the capital. The imperial grace was boundless: the reigning emperor had already bestowed a mansion upon Guan Yi to serve as the new marital home for Gu Nuonuo and Xie Fang. However, Guan Yi declared that living in the Osmanthus Garden was much more lively and stubbornly refused to move out. Consequently, Guan Yi's family of three still resided in the Osmanthus Garden.

The letter also mentioned that Gu Yuyu had participated in that year's metropolitan imperial examinations and successfully passed as a presented scholar. The reigning emperor had currently kept him in the Ministry of Rites for a period of political observation and was expected to promote him shortly. That month, Gu Yuyu had also married Miss Yang. Gu Yuren had originally intended for them to marry in the Osmanthus Garden, but ultimately arranged for them to reside temporarily at the Yang residence. This was partly because the Osmanthus Garden currently housed several dozen people and was too crowded, and partly because the Yang estate was spacious with few occupants, not to mention that the old matriarch of the Yang family had insisted that Gu Yuyu and Yang Jin must live at the Yang estate.

Gu Yusheng finished reading the letter and handed it to Lü Qianqian.

As soon as Lü Qianqian finished reading, she said anxiously to Gu Yusheng, "Husband, you must quickly write back to Big Brother Yuren, asking him to notify our son Yuyu and our daughter-in-law Yang Jin to move back to the Osmanthus Garden to live immediately."

Gu Yusheng asked, "Why is that?"

Lü Qianqian stared into Gu Yusheng's eyes and said, "Husband, are you truly playing the fool or are you genuinely confused? General Yang Wuhua only fathered a single son, Yang Xiao; and Yang Xiao only fathered three daughters without a single male heir. The old matriarch of the Yang family spread word long ago that she intended to take in a son-in-law for one of her granddaughters so as to continue the Yang family incense lineage. Now, although our Yuyu isn't marrying into their family as a matrilocal son-in-law, he is nevertheless living at the Yang estate. As time goes on, people unaware of the truth will assume our son Yuyu has married into the Yang family as a matrilocal husband."

Gu Yusheng said, "General Yang Wuhua was my dearest friend! Ever since he died a heroic death for his country at Yuhu Pass, I have always felt a deep sense of guilt toward his family. If our son Yuyu is willing to marry into the Yang family as a matrilocal son-in-law, I am all for it with both hands!"

Lü Qianqian asked, "On what grounds?"

Gu Yusheng said earnestly, "On the grounds that the Yang family is a family of meritorious officials, and I, Gu Yusheng, do not want a family of meritorious officials to be left without heirs!"

Lü Qianqian also said earnestly, "Our Lü family is also a family of meritorious officials. My father was even a state duke! Yet the incense lineage of our Lü family has now been broken."

Gu Yusheng shook his head and said, "Wife, who says the Lü family's lineage is broken? I will immediately write to our son Yuyu and daughter-in-law Yang Jin, telling them: from now on, the first son they bear must carry the surname Lü to continue the Lü family lineage; the second son they bear must carry the surname Yang to continue the Yang family lineage; and only the third son may carry the surname Gu."

Hearing this, Lü Qianqian's heart blossomed with joy instantly, and she said, "Husband, your vision is truly grand! Whether the Yang family will accept your decision remains to be seen (since they still have two unmarried daughters), but our Lü family welcomes it with open hands! Here, Qianqian thanks husband on behalf of my father in the netherworld!" With that, she prepared to kneel and pay respects.

Gu Yusheng hurriedly held her down and said, "Wife, no need to thank me! To be honest, in the future, whether our grandsons carry the surname Lü, Yang, or Gu, they are all the shared flesh and blood of you and me!"

Lü Qianqian said happily, "Who's to say otherwise!"