For her.
This phrase can be interpreted in many ways.
To make her live well is for her; to make her live poorly is also for her.
And this "her," for both Princess Jiuli and Lu Yunqi, can have many interpretations.
"Lord Lu." Princess Jiuli was silent for a moment, "For her, you took care of me and Jiurong, giving us the greatest possibility amidst the impossible. I have no right nor can I blame you, but she is no longer here, she is not her; please let go of her, and let yourself go, too."
The two "her" in this sentence, who they refer to, Princess Jiuli knew, and naturally, Lu Yunqi knew, too.
But he did not want to continue on this topic.
Whether she is her does not matter to him.
All he needs to know is what he should do; this is the only meaningful reason for his existence now.
"To let go often is because one has no choice but to do so," he said. "What I mean is, since I can choose not to let go, there's no reason I should."
He said this as he stood up.
"This great land north and south of the river, everywhere under heaven and earth, the Jinyiwei as a guard, the Heavenly Net and Earth Net, whether in the capital, in Yangcheng, or at the ends of the earth, what difference does it make to me?"
Princess Jiuli watched him.
This man has gone mad; it's impossible to reason with him.
"So what? What can you do to her?" she said softly. "Haven't you realized how formidable she is?"
She became famous in the capital in just a short period, and it's not without merit; she has convinced the doctors, earned the respect of the populace, the Duke of Chengguo's heir takes a stand for her, Top Scholar Ning stands up for her.
No questioning stopped her, the imperial physicians' cunning injuries didn't hinder her, and even your harassment, Lu Yunqi, did not trouble her.
Although she's left the capital now, Jiuling Hall still exists, and having returned to Yangcheng, she's protected by both the Fang Family and Ning Family.
Do you really think you can do as you please with such a lady?
Lu Yunqi took a step forward, standing under the lamp; the light dimmed momentarily upon his face.
"My father was incompetent; besides drinking and beating me, he achieved nothing else in this life," he said.
However, drinking and beating children is not any kind of accomplishment.
Princess Jiuli looked at Lu Yunqi; she was well aware of his background because his origins were too simple.
A man from the outskirts of the capital, sparse household, his father a soldier who later stumbled into the Jinyiwei; his father, mother, and wife died early, leaving only the son, Lu Yunqi.
Just this, and nothing more; it's simple to the point of desolation.
But Lu Yunqi didn't feel desolate; a smile even flashed across his face.
"Nonetheless, he left me with a job to eat, and he left me a good name," he continued, "Yunqi, 'fortune', my luck has always been not too bad."
He said, turning around and slowly walking out.
Otherwise, how could I have met her, and even married her.
Lu Yunqi stepped outside the door; the courtyard was brightly lit, darkness retreating, and the maidservants in the corridor all bowed neatly.
"Sir, the night deepens, it is time to rest," one maidservant boldly approached and said.
These days, Lu Yunqi had not visited the outside residence, and Princess Jiuli seemed very happy too, laughing and talking with the lord.
That Miss Jun is now someone else's wife and has left the capital; this matter can finally end now, right?
Hearing the maidservant's words, Lu Yunqi hummed.
The night deepens, it's time to rest, but this home is so large, and yet he had no idea where to rest.
He lifted his foot and stepped down the staircase.
The maidservant who had just felt happy when hearing the hum lifted her head, stood frozen with a puzzled face, watching as Lu Yunqi vanished into the night.
As dawn approached, Yangcheng's Jinyiwei local guards became lively.
Several Jinyiwei were chatting and entered the courtyard, sharing the latest gossip about some bureaucrats or wealthy local gentries, but the routine activities were halted by two Jinyiwei standing in the yard.
"Master Jin is here." They pointed towards the house and said.
Eighteenth Jin from Shanxi Jinyiwei Thousand-Man Commander, one of the key figures in control of the Shanxi Jinyiwei, was a confidant brought up by Lu Yunqi himself.
The Jinyiwei immediately silenced and stood at attention, looking at the four men at the doorway.
These four were Eighteenth Jin's trusted men, skilled in interrogation and torture.
Eighteenth Jin's unexpected visit to Yangcheng, what could it be about?
Inside the house, the leader of Yangcheng's Jinyiwei looked stern.
"I understand Master Jin's meaning," he said, "although the Fang Family and Ning Family have significant influence, and the local bureaucrats of Yangcheng also show them respect, monitoring a person is not impossible. We can take care of it; you need not trouble yourself, Master Jin."
Eighteenth Jin laughed and waved his hand.
"General Leader Gao, no, no, it's not about surveillance, but about making a capture," he said. "This is something I will handle personally."
Hearing this, General Leader Gao became more anxious.
"Master Jin, you must also know who this Miss Jun is," he said. "She sounds formidable, and to truly experience it is even more so. Before she returned, all of Yangcheng considered her a divine doctor, and the day she returned was even livelier than the New Year. Every action she takes is watched by countless people, and now she's like Monk Nianzhi, no, even more formidable. To speak irreverently, if she were to call for rebellion, more than half of Yangcheng's populace would follow."
Eighteenth Jin laughed heartily.
"This Miss Jun, I did not only hear about her," he said, stroking his short beard as his eyes narrowed, "I've seen her twice myself."
Back then, Miss Jun was not yet a divine doctor, mingling among a group of young girls, at Jin Hall she cleverly used words and laid traps for people to fall into themselves, and then there was Jin Yun Hall. Although still amidst a clamor of young girls, this time the commotion wasn't just about losing some money.
This time, she danced gracefully with her sleeves, using one force to fight another, took control of several forces in her hands, ruined a young girl's life, and left a local gentry bureaucratic family to suffer losses without making any outward complaint.
At that time, he already knew, this Miss Jun was formidable.
However, because she had helped promote the marriage between Lord Lu and the princess, he was quite satisfied with this young girl, and thus did not intervene in the Jin Yun Hall incident.
Unexpectedly, by letting go, he set this girl loose to the capital, and she became an adversary to Thousand-Man Commander Lu.
Since he'd let go that time, he would need to take action this time.
It's just a woman; if Thousand-Man Commander Lu wants her, be she a deity or a demon.
"Her movements are highly scrutinized, covert attempts to act might be very challenging," General Leader Gao once again said in a low voice.
Eighteenth Jin hummed, slapping the table as he stood up.
"Then let's just be straightforward and act openly," he said.
Openly?
General Leader Gao also quickly stood up, looking astonished.
If acting covertly won't work, how can we proceed openly?