The Bai family’s back garden, known as the ‘Lantian Garden,’ was famous among the grand estates of Yuanshun District.
‘Lantian basked in warm sunlight, jade producing mist’ — in ancient myths, Lantian was the sacred place where immortals cultivated jade.
And ‘a gentleman is like jade’ — this was the praise the Dà Yìn disciples gave themselves.
Bai Changkong’s more than twenty grandsons usually gathered in the Lantian Garden.
These grandsons were famed young prodigies in the literary circles of Gaojing, each considered a ‘young sage,’ a ‘son of virtue,’ like flawless jade.
The garden’s name, ‘Lantian,’ symbolized the Bai family’s place of ‘nurturing jade,’ of cultivating their descendants with noble virtues.
The garden was crisscrossed with streams, with well-arranged pavilions nestled among the brooks and rockeries.
Although the world was now harsh and cold, with all the plants withered, emerald bamboos and verdant pines densely stood in the courtyard.
The cold winds swayed the trees, producing soft rustling sounds as clumps of snow fell and landed with faint ‘puff’ sounds on several big dogs roaming in the yard, their bodies shivering.
These large dogs were completely black except for a silver spot at their snouts.
They were the exotic hunting dogs called ‘Star Dogs’ from the Western Sands, most favored by the wealthy nobles of Xiyou Continent.
An infant Star Dog could fetch a price of a thousand gold coins in Xiyou.
In a way, these Star Dog puppies were as valuable as the ‘gentlemen’ Lu Qian often called his ‘promises worth a thousand gold.’
Of course, none of these hunting dogs in Bai Changkong’s mansion cost him a single copper coin.
In the National University of Gaojing, some princes from Western Continent came to study.
It was only natural for students to gift their teachers with such rare pets — nothing to be called a bribe.
A mist hung faintly in the air as Lu Qian strolled slowly through the Lantian Garden.
The Star Dogs, with keen noses that could scent scorpions and poisonous snakes from miles away in the desert, suddenly lifted their heads and twitched their silver snouts intensely.
They caught the faintest trace of a stranger’s scent, baring their teeth, about to howl furiously.
From between Lu Qian’s fingers, several strands of yellow dog hair showed.
He waved his hand lightly, and the scent of a big yellow dog spread with the cold wind.
The Star Dogs tensed sharply, then relaxed completely and obediently crouched on the ground.
Lu Qian passed by the dogs, affectionately patting one’s head. “Good kids, really good kids.”
He walked past a pavilion where a candle flickered, and inside, one of Bai Changkong’s grandsons was play-fighting with a delicate maid fairy.
Lu Qian paused to eavesdrop on the muffled noises, pursed his lips, and quickened his pace.
In another pavilion, a grandson tussled playfully with two maid fairies.
Further on, two grandsons fought playfully against two maid fairies at once.
A little farther away, Lu Qian passed yet another pavilion where a young grandson, still childish and unmarried with no maid assigned, was tangled up in a wrestling match with his own book attendant — all amidst maid fairies sparring.
“This, the family’s heritage, truly formidable!” Lu Qian exclaimed in surprise, practically running across the garden.
‘Gentlemen like jade’ — these were the refined young men of Bai’s third generation!
But it was understandable.
This was the trend in the Dà Yìn dynasty — ‘A true scholar must be elegant and charming.’
All the great sages, talents, and heroes inside and outside the Dà Yìn court bore their debts of charm.
More than that, they suffered from a ‘love sickness’ of sorts.
Outside, the winter wind howled and snow fluttered down softly from the clouds.
Inside, there was a storm of passionate affairs raging, the sounds of wind and rain rising and falling.
Lu Qian passed through Lantian Garden and reached Bai family’s sixth courtyard — a five-story elegant building.
The first floor housed servants and nurses, the second floor the maid’s quarters, the third held the study and the young lady’s chambers.
The fourth floor contained the painting room, embroidery workshop, chess room, and tea room.
The fifth floor was a large space adorned with antique instruments — guqin, guzheng, jade flutes, bamboo flutes — mingled with colorful shark skin sheathed treasure swords.
In the center of the fifth floor sat a guqin of vivid jade green, as if its jade-colored strings might float away like clouds.
Dressed in a flowing white skirt, with long hair loose and face free of makeup or rouge, Bai Lu exerted an ethereal, almost ghostly beauty.
She sat poised by the guqin, her slender fingers gently plucking notes that rang like a clear mountain spring.
Lu Qian climbed the stairs silently, a faint mist enveloping the building, cloaking his figure and muffling the creaks of steps beneath his feet.
He was like a shadow, quietly standing outside the fifth-floor music room.
Outside, the bitter cold raged, but inside the music room two large bronze fire pits burned fiercely with high-grade beast charcoal, filling the space with warmth and pleasant fragrance, making it feel more like summer than winter.
Though Bai Lu wore only a delicate gauze dress, she still felt the heat.
Several windows were slightly cracked open to let the cold wind drift through, tempering the heat to a comfortable spring-like warmth.
Bai Lu’s eyes were gently closed as she lost herself utterly in the guqin’s melody.
The music was clear and uplifting, enchanting to hear.
Lu Qian couldn’t understand what piece it was, but it was undeniably beautiful.
He stood silently outside the window, listening to Bai Lu’s music, while shamelessly peeking inside through the narrow gap.
There, another person sat in the music room — a young man dressed in a brocade robe, exuding noble bearing and grace.
Bai Lu was an unmarried young lady.
It was already late at night, yet a young man remained in her chamber.
In the Dà Yìn era, even a common household would never allow such a thing.
For an unmarried girl to secretly meet a man at midnight in the countryside was punishable by confinement.
For the Bai family, a house renowned for its strict adherence to ‘rituals,’ this was unimaginable.
Bai Changkong was famed in literary circles for his emphasis on ‘rites,’ and he practiced the most stringent, archaic versions of these.
Those rituals forbade not only such absurd midnight meetings between young women and men but even mandated strict gender separation for seven years of marriage and forbade even a younger brother from helping his sister-in-law in drowning situations — all terribly strict and frightening customs.
Yet Bai Lu, the granddaughter of Bai Changkong, was alone with a man in her room late at night!
Tsk tsk.
Lu Qian shook his head continuously, his gaze circling the young man.
He couldn’t deny, this youth’s appearance was extremely fine.
If Lu Qian seemed like a sturdy mountain standing firm, then this youth was a flawless piece of jade.
Moreover, this youth was like a precious jade disc, carefully carved by a master artisan!
Through excellent training and cultivation, he exuded noble charm, dignified and graceful, every movement and smile perfect, emanating a priceless aura.
The youth sat quietly opposite Bai Lu, hands resting gently on his lap, smiling softly with eyes half-closed, attentively listening to her guqin playing.
His bearing was impeccable, and just by sitting there, without a word, he radiated a sense of ‘flawless’ nobility.
One could even feel that him sitting there appreciating her music was the highest praise for her artistic skill.
The performance ended, the lingering notes echoing softly in the room.
Bai Lu opened her eyes and sighed gently.
The youth smiled, clapping his hands lightly in admiration.
“Luoshang’s guqin skill has improved again. Such heavenly divine sound — in the vast Gaojing, only three or five people can match her.”
Bai Lu sighed again, looking at the youth, then suddenly pulling a small dagger of pure gold from somewhere.
With a sharp ‘clang,’ she slashed a guqin string.
The taut string snapped back sharply, striking the back of her hand.
A bright red mark quickly bloomed there.
“Alas, yet my music will be heard by such dirty scoundrels?” Bai Lu’s eyes moistened as she looked at the youth. “Marquis, I’d rather break all ten fingers than—”
The youth stood up slowly, still smiling perfectly, then gently placed both hands on Bai Lu’s shoulders.
Lu Qian kept shaking his head silently.
Good heavens, Bai Lu — by your grandfather’s ancient rituals, you’re still unmarried! For this strange man to touch your body like this, he should have both his arms cut off!
And Bai Lu said she’d rather break all ten fingers than let some filthy scoundrel hear her play?
Lu Qian touched his nose cautiously.
Could that scoundrel be himself?
If they wed, the wife playing guqin for her husband was a refined, normal part of married life, wasn’t it?
Heh, heh heh.
The youth’s actions became even more tender.
He lightly brushed Bai Lu’s hair, his voice growing gentle:
“Luoshang, you know this is only a temporary measure. “It was my fault, Zhu Yu, to carelessly let you conceive.
“You know well that the Zhu clan claims descent from the holy sage of literature, with strict family rules; the elders are all stern and unyielding. You’ve been pregnant for nearly three months. “If we married now, given the Zhu clan’s high standing, even a full eight months would be insufficient to complete the wedding ceremonies properly.
“Before marriage, you can’t be seen openly; if your condition became known… “Then your reputation would suffer, and the elders would oppose you bitterly.
Even my own standing in the family would be affected.
“But as long as you marry that lucky groom you’re betrothed to — a humble, insignificant household — a hasty marriage would draw no gossip. “He’ll probably drown drunk and die within a few days.
“An impoverished scoundrel unable to bear your blessing dies suddenly—who could blame you? The late emperor’s eldest princess, three generations of princesses before her, and several royal consorts all faced the same fate. “Even today’s Empress Dowager lost three husbands before marrying the late emperor!
“Tsk tsk, three consecutive husbands unable to handle her blessing, but after marrying the emperor, within years, she held power over the court — a blessing none could fail to envy. “He dies, you’re pregnant, you grieve and stay indoors to nourish the child; who can say a word against you?
“Months later, if your mood unsettles the pregnancy, resulting in premature birth, yet you raise the child with care. “And that child grows into a prodigy praised as a ‘miraculous genius’ — this only proves your hardship and virtue even more!
“In three years, myself and your elders will build a favorable reputation around you — a name for chastity and worth.
Undoubtedly.
“A chaste, virtuous widow with a prodigious son, and the granddaughter of Bai Chang — as my secondary wife, it is more than enough!”
Zhu Yu smiled calmly, softly stroking Bai Lu’s hair.
“Don’t worry.
My father already knows about us and is overjoyed.
“My branch has been single-heir for five generations; now with a child from you, if not for the elders, my father would happily take you as his daughter-in-law personally. “He told me to assure you — everything is arranged perfectly.
“I, the Zhu clan, will never let you suffer any grievances. “Once your fake husband drowns, it will be easy and convenient for me to come to you.
We will be no different from a real husband and wife.”
Outside the window, Lu Qian felt a chill rise in his heart.
‘Suddenly a dad’ — that might be okay.
But to drown within days after marriage?
To be dead and then have someone else take your place?
That was a bit too much!
To be honest, anyone can search ‘Widows Remarrying in the Han Dynasty.’
Apparently, in the Han era, widows were quite welcomed.
As my story describes, a widow was considered blessed—her late husband having died because he couldn’t bear her good fortune.
In short, she need not fear being unable to remarry.
(End of chapter.)