Chapter 107: The Woman Behind the Successful Man

As the morning light broke, a sliver of sun pierced into the room, waking Lu Liaoliao. The anxieties that had plagued him for days had vanished as if by magic. Feeling refreshed and in high spirits, he toyed with the blood-stained white silk scarf, proudly reciting the poem "Spring Dawn" by Meng Haoran:

"Sleeping in spring, unaware of the dawn, everywhere I hear the birds sing. Through the wind and rain of the night, who knows how many blossoms have fallen?"

Wang Liuli, shy and vexed, snatched the scarf away and hid it beneath the bedding. Struggling with her weary body, she tried to rise to help Lu Liaoliao dress, fulfilling her duties as a wife.

Lu Liaoliao held her gently and laid her back down, dressing himself with care.

Wang Liuli watched him from the bed, her heart brimming with sweetness. These small acts proved that the man she had chosen was, without a doubt, the right one.

"Lu Jiu, oh Lu Jiu, when you saved me by the Zizhou river, were you already smitten with me? Is that why you’ve held onto me so tightly ever since?"

He had not expected Wang Liuli to be so deeply infatuated; her beautiful bosom was even fuller than Tang Xiaoqi’s, and he wondered how she endured the exhaustion of wrapping herself so tightly every day. Lu Liaoliao felt smug and, with shameless boldness, questioned his new bride.

When Wang Liuli heard him call her "Lu Jiu" again—and then have the audacity to claim she had been the one smitten with him from the start, despite his wretched appearance back then—her mood soured instantly. She waved her hand impatiently.

"Go look at the bronze mirror yourself."

Lu Liaoliao actually picked up the bronze mirror, turning it over and over, examining himself with the utmost vanity.

"Graceful as jade, handsome and refined—that is the very description of me, Lu Liaoliao. No wonder you were so utterly bewitched the moment you saw me, even when you were just a young girl."

Wang Liuli could bear it no longer; she grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.

Ever since the day it was decided that Wang Liuli would become Lu Liaoliao’s primary wife, Tang Xiaoqi’s mood had never recovered. Throughout the entire day of the wedding yesterday, she had remained secluded in her own courtyard. If not for Luoluo staying by her side with the baby, she would not have known how to endure it.

The tearing pain in her heart had kept her awake all night. Fearing that she would have to serve tea to the grandfather and that vixen first thing in the morning—and dreading the arrogance Wang Liuli would surely display—Tang Xiaoqi dressed with meticulous care before taking Ping’er to the central hall.

After accepting the tea from both granddaughters-in-law, Lu Manman escaped, looking perfectly satisfied.

Lu Liaoliao glanced nervously at the solemn Wang Liuli, who sat upright at the head of the table, then cast an apologetic look at Tang Xiaoqi, who kept her head bowed in silence. He suddenly found himself in a predicament, not daring to utter a word.

Picking up a cup of tea and turning her head away to offer it to Wang Liuli, Tang Xiaoqi finally decided not to continue the standoff.

"Sister, please have some tea. Xiaoqi is here to pay her respects."

Wang Liuli took the cup and sipped it with composure.

"Tang Xiaoqi, do not think that I, Wang Liuli, married into the Lu family to squabble with you in the back courtyard. My husband is a man with great ambitions. I will naturally exhaust every effort to assist him. You may manage everything in this household as you please; I will not interfere, so do not show me such a sour face."

"Although I, Tang Xiaoqi, do not have your noble family background or your great capabilities, I will not cause trouble for my husband or compete with you over anything," Tang Xiaoqi retorted defiantly.

Wang Liuli waved her hand, signaling for the maids, Qing’er and Ping’er, to leave, before looking at Tang Xiaoqi with a half-smile.

"Family background? My family background is not necessarily superior to yours, Miss Tang. But rest assured, the old servant who knew your identity has already been sent away to be a shopkeeper in Lingnan; he will likely never have the chance to return. Now you can come and go with peace of mind, without having to be locked in the back courtyard like a pitiful soul."

"Really?" A joyful look appeared on Tang Xiaoqi’s face. What young girl would willingly be confined to a deep boudoir for years on end, not even daring to step outside?

"However, the Jiedushi of two garrisons, Lord An Lushan, has defeated the Khitan and the Xi and has come to court to present his victory. The Censor-in-Chief, Lord Yang Zhao, has taken his siblings to Xishui to welcome him. The Sage himself is waiting at Wangchun Palace. Are you certain you wish to go out anytime soon?"

Wang Liuli set down her teacup and watched Tang Xiaoqi quietly.

Tang Xiaoqi’s face turned deathly pale. Her eyes widened in terror as she stared at Wang Liuli, shaking her head repeatedly.

"You are pregnant, so just focus on nurturing your child. Lord An must guard the north; he cannot stay in Chang’an forever. If you wait patiently, the day will come when you are free to come and go."

Wang Liuli’s words caused Tang Xiaoqi’s heart to settle, yet she no longer had the spirit to contend with her.

Lu Liaoliao sighed softly. It was fortunate that Tang Xiaoqi had never entered the Daming Palace; had she gone in as she was, she might have been toyed to death by the Consort. But if a woman like Wang Liuli entered the Daming Palace, it was quite possible that the Consort would be the one toyed to death by her.

"You aim to emulate the current Chancellor, Lord Li Linfu. Besides waiting patiently, what other plans do you have?"

In the study, Wang Liuli stared fixedly at Lu Liaoliao, making him feel entirely uneasy.

"Naturally, my first priority is to take the imperial examinations next spring to earn a title."

"Do you really think that with your current scandalous reputation, the examiners from the scholarly elite would allow a man who insulted the Sub-Sage to pass? Put aside your pointless pride. Seeking an audience with your elder in the Yuzhen Temple, the Princess, and having her recommend you for an official position would be a viable path."

Wang Liuli’s blunt words left Lu Liaoliao unable to argue; he remained silent.

"The various factions you have been quietly managing should not be underestimated. However, you can no longer focus your attention on them. Being too deeply entangled with them will not bode well for your future as an official. From now on, leave them for me to handle."

Wang Liuli gave Lu Liaoliao no chance to refuse, taking charge of these miscellaneous affairs directly.

"But the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce is already enough to handle. Can you manage all this as well?" Lu Liaoliao stared at his wife with complex emotions.

"Who told me that I am no longer just the ninth daughter of the Wang family, but the young mistress of the Lu household? Don’t worry. My father has a young aide named Li Qin who is very sharp; I will have him come to assist us. For now, just set your mind at ease and prepare for the homecoming banquet in two days."

The next day, Lu Liaoliao watched as the leaders of the Qingyun Society, the carriage transport guild, and the Cao gang—all organizations he was heavily involved with—walked out of the study with joyful expressions. Lu Liaoliao felt a hollowness in his heart, as if his own son had been taken away.

Zhou Liuzi, standing to the side, seemed to see through his thoughts. "With the backing of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, their businesses will only thrive and grow larger; naturally, they are all delighted. But since the young mistress is in charge of the Four Seas Chamber, these will all be your assets in the future, Young Master. What are you worried about?"

Lu Liaoliao rubbed his nose awkwardly and smiled helplessly. "I’m not worried; I just suddenly feel a bit bored."

"Is it not good to be idle? Young Master, you have many ideas. It is the perfect time to calm your mind and think about how to become a high-ranking official. Only then can you do more good for the country and the people. I, Zhou Liuzi, firmly believe that you are different from those officials who only know how to recite poetry and suck the blood of the people," Zhou Liuzi said with unusual conviction.

Lu Liaoliao felt embarrassed by the praise and patted Zhou Liuzi on the shoulder. "You think too highly of me, Zhou Liuzi. I don't have such great capabilities."

"What are you two talking about?" Wang Liuli, having seen off the last guest, appeared abruptly before them.

"Uh! Nothing at all." Lu Liaoliao was still unaccustomed to having such a capable wife.

"Come, go with me to the Tianxian Pavilion." Wang Liuli did not dwell on their conversation; her expression was serious, as if something of great importance were happening there.

Wang Eleven, who was cleaning the stables, habitually started to follow when he saw Wang Liuli heading out.

"Clean the stables for half a month, not a single day less. Why are you following me?" Wang Liuli’s merciless gaze made Wang Eleven instinctively lower his head.

"I was just worried about the Young Mistress's safety," Wang Eleven said, cleverly changing his tune after being rebuked.

"Do you truly believe your swordsmanship and martial arts are superior to my husband’s? With him by my side, do you really need to worry?" Wang Liuli’s words filled Lu Liaoliao with extreme pride, and he puffed out his chest before Wang Eleven.

Riding directly to the Tianxian Pavilion in Pingkang Ward, Wang Liuli kept a stern expression as she led Lu Liaoliao straight into Ye Lai’s room.

"Oh?" Gu Xiehua drawled. "The Ninth Young Master visits the Tianxian Pavilion on his second day of marriage—is there some monumental matter at hand?"

"What did you call me? I recall that on the day Tang Xiaoqi married, you served tea to the elders of the Lu family and to her. How is it that after I married, I, the primary wife, have yet to receive even a cup of tea from you, Gu Xiehua?" Wang Liuli stared fixedly at Gu Xiehua, looking unrelenting.

Lu Liaoliao’s mouth hung open in astonishment. "You rushed to the Tianxian Pavilion in such a hurry just to have her serve you a cup of tea?"

"Of course! As the primary wife, how could I be inferior to Tang Xiaoqi?"

Wang Liuli glanced at Lu Liaoliao before fixing her gaze back on Gu Xiehua.

"Hehe!" Gu Xiehua could not help but laugh. "I served tea on the day Tang Xiaoqi married because I did not want to lose to her, but for your wedding, Ninth Young Master, how could I dare to compete with you?"

"Gu Xiehua, if you wish to have any standing in the Lu family, try calling me 'Ninth Young Master' one more time!" Wang Liuli flew into a rage, finally asserting the authority of a primary wife.

Gu Xiehua was stunned for a long moment before she sullenly poured a cup of tea and respectfully handed it to Wang Liuli. "Sister, Xiehua serves you tea."

Wang Liuli took the cup and sipped it with satisfaction.

"I know you are kind-hearted and have taken in many orphans. To raise funds for their winter supplies, you had my husband help you devise a plan to perform and raise money in Dayu Town. But it still wasn’t enough."

"As your sister, seeing you in difficulty, I would naturally not stand by idly. I will allocate three hundred thousand coins from my own property to you. You may arrange things as you see fit."

Having dispensed a blow followed by a sweet treat, and having brought Gu Xiehua to heel, Wang Liuli left feeling perfectly satisfied.

Seeing that the two women he loved had been effortlessly subdued by Wang Liuli in just two days, Lu Liaoliao felt a sourness in his heart and looked at her with dissatisfaction.

"They are both simple-minded, and although one is a bit restless, she is very kind. Was it necessary to treat them this way?"

"If the name is not right, the words will not carry weight, and the back courtyard will not be at peace. With your soft-hearted nature, you would never be able to handle them. Only when the household is stable can you focus your full heart and mind on the great matters you wish to achieve outside, isn't that so?"

Wang Liuli tilted her head as she looked at Lu Liaoliao, leaving him with no rebuttal.