Chapter 17: Liu Suqing

“The old lady called me over so late at night—what instructions do you have for me?” Lu Ke asked respectfully, noticing that Wen Ruyu’s expression revealed neither joy nor anger.

Seeing his nervousness, Wen Ruyu didn’t bother to toy with him.

“I wouldn’t have called you over so late, but with all the New Year celebrations, I didn’t want to interrupt your time with friends. Since you happened to come home early tonight, I figured I’d talk to you now.”

Lu Ke remained as respectful as ever.

“It’s about your marriage,” Wen Ruyu continued.

Hearing this, Lu Ke pursed his lips slightly.

His looks mostly took after his father—single-lidded eyes, a straight nose, and fair skin. Compared to his handsome brothers, he was merely delicate-looking.

However, his demeanor was always serious and composed. People say that serious men are attractive, and just this trait alone put him above his second and fourth brothers.

Clearly, a person’s appearance isn’t everything—temperament matters greatly too.

“When your father was alive, he didn’t arrange marriages for you younger ones. Since that’s the case, it falls to me now. You know what kind of person your second brother is,” Wen Ruyu said.

Lu Ke remained silent, not daring to respond.

“Your second brother’s marriage will have to wait. When he does marry, it should be to someone who not only consents but also has the ability to keep him in check.”

“There are plenty of good girls in the world, but your second brother doesn’t deserve one.”

Wen Ruyu’s words were objective, but Lu Ke sensed that she was testing his reaction. He carefully controlled even his breathing.

“You are the third master of the Lu family, and you also hold scholarly honors. My thought is that we should at least wait until you’ve taken the autumn examination next year before finalizing a marriage arrangement for you. It’s best to have something set early, so you’re not in a rush later.”

“So I want to ask—do you already have someone in mind? If you do, I can go ahead and propose.”

Wen Ruyu had no particular bias against Lu Ke as a concubine’s son.

Having transmigrated to this ancient time period, with the original host’s husband already gone, there was no need for her to compete with a concubine.

Besides, when she arrived, she had children and status. Even if the original husband were still alive, there was no point in fighting over an old man.

Regardless of why Concubine Qian seduced the original host’s husband, Lu Ke had no choice in his birth.

Throughout his life, he had never schemed against anyone.

At most, he focused on himself and thought about separating from the family. Wen Ruyu didn’t see this as a crime—it’s normal for people to look out for their own interests.

So she didn’t intend to manipulate Lu Ke’s marriage. She never engaged in pointless, harmful actions.

At present, both Lu Ke and Lu Songnian were the family’s best hopes for passing the imperial examination. In fact, compared to Lu Songnian, who hadn’t touched a book in years, Lu Ke had a better chance of success.

Even from a pragmatic standpoint, Wen Ruyu had no reason to make things difficult for him in marriage.

Lu Ke was surprised that Wen Ruyu was actually considering his interests.

But since she had brought it up, he wasn’t about to waste this rare chance to express his thoughts.

“Mother’s idea of waiting until after the examination aligns with my own thoughts,” Lu Ke said.

“As for a wife, I only hope for someone with a good temperament, who has studied literature and poetry, and whose looks are at least passable. ‘Marry a virtuous wife’—beauty isn’t the priority.”

His request was quite practical. A good temperament and decent looks meant he didn’t want an ugly or vicious wife. A girl from a family that valued education would likely come from a decent background.

To have learned poetry meant more than just basic literacy.

Wen Ruyu considered this and found his request reasonable.

Lu Ke already had a scholar’s title, and despite his concubine-born status, his father had been a county magistrate. He was a solid match.

If he passed the imperial exams and became a Juren (provincial graduate), he could even aim for the daughter of an official.

“Have you taken a liking to anyone?” Wen Ruyu asked again.

Lu Ke shook his head slightly. “I haven’t thought about it.”

Seeing his response, Wen Ruyu nodded. “Alright. If I come across a suitable match, I’ll keep an eye out for you. Focus on your studies and your examination. When the time comes, we can observe a few prospects from afar, and if you approve, we’ll propose a match.”

Truthfully, Wen Ruyu didn’t enjoy handling such matters. She wasn’t even interested in marriage for herself—why would she enjoy arranging it for others?

But there was no helping it. In this era, there was no such thing as free love.

If Lu Ke had someone he liked and brought her home, she wouldn’t have to bother.

“Alright, it’s late. You should head back.”

Just as Lu Ke was about to leave, Wen Ruyu suddenly remembered something and called him back.

“One more thing.”

Hearing her, Lu Ke stopped mid-step and respectfully turned around.

This hierarchical dynamic was something Wen Ruyu was getting used to.

“Do you know Zheng Qiao, the one your second and fourth brothers often spend time with?” she asked.

Lu Ke didn’t want to get involved, so he only shared the basics. “I’ve seen him a few times, but we aren’t close. I know his family runs a paper effigy business. His parents have passed, and his two sisters are married. He likes making friends, and many young men in the county associate with him.”

Wen Ruyu nodded. She had guessed Lu Ke wouldn’t be close with anyone her second son befriended.

“So, you don’t know much about his character?”

Lu Ke hesitated for a moment before replying carefully.

“The details, I’m not sure. But I’ve heard he has a rather… carefree reputation.”

“In other words, he’s not a good person?”

Lu Ke bent slightly at the waist, hesitant to answer.

If he claimed Zheng Qiao was decent, and the man later caused trouble, the old lady wouldn’t forgive him for lying.

But if he outright said Zheng Qiao was bad, his second brother might hold a grudge.

Though sibling rivalries were common, no one liked being treated coldly by their own brother.

Seeing she wouldn’t get more out of him, Wen Ruyu let him leave.

The next day, she summoned the steward, Lu Cheng, and ordered him to investigate Zheng Qiao’s character.

If not for her status confining her to the inner residence, she would’ve gone to find out herself.

Since even Lu Ke knew about Zheng Qiao, she figured it wouldn’t take long to uncover his reputation.

Being stuck in the inner courtyard was inconvenient—she had to rely on others for information.

After giving instructions regarding Zheng Qiao, she added another order.

“For the next few days, if the second master goes out, have Tie Chui follow him. Tell him I’m worried about drunken fights ruining the New Year. Tie Chui should report back on everything, especially if the second master meets someone in secret.”

Lu Cheng acknowledged the order and left.

That morning, Lu Boxian went out as usual, humming an opera tune. He was in a good mood.

Normally, he didn’t take a carriage, but when he saw Tie Chui waiting to escort him, he felt slightly uneasy.

Still, seeing Tie Chui’s simple-minded face, he didn’t question it.

After getting into the carriage, he gave an order. “If Mother asks, just say I went to Yunshen Restaurant to meet friends. Nothing more, understand?”

Tie Chui remained silent.

Lu Boxian didn’t suspect a thing. His mother had never monitored him before, so the thought didn’t even cross his mind.

He only told Tie Chui this so that their stories would match if questioned.

After arriving at a secluded alley, Lu Boxian got out and wrapped his cloak tighter against the cold.

He instructed Tie Chui to pick him up after lunch, then entered a building.

Inside, a 50-year-old madam greeted him with a smile.

Lu Boxian casually handed her 200 coins and sent her to buy wine and food.

Then he went upstairs to see the woman he had been longing for—Liu Suqing.