Gu Fuzhou smiled. “Don’t worry, Father-in-Law. Leave that to me.”
He’d called Lin Rushan “Father-in-Law” so quickly and naturally that everyone but Lin Qingyu was shocked.
Seeing that the men were about to finalize their decision, Lady Lin couldn’t help saying, “But Young Marquess Lu hasn’t even been gone for a year.”
Her husband wasn’t as observant as she was, so perhaps he hadn’t noticed Lin Qingyu’s emotions after Lu Wancheng’s passing. Their son had appeared as calm and cool as ever, not shedding a single tear for the young marquess. He’d been like that since he was a child, not readily showing his emotions, so only his mother knew that Lu Wancheng’s death impacted Lin Qingyu more than anyone else.
“Are you worried about the rumors and malicious gossip that will surface, Mother-in-Law?” Gu Fuzhou asked.
She hesitated. “Not just that…”
Lin Qingyu knew what concerned his mother. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’ve long since forgotten Young Marquess Lu. Who was Lu Wancheng?” he scoffed. “Was he related to me somehow?”
His words rendered Gu Fuzhou speechless.
Since Lin Qingyu seemed indifferent to mourning Lu Wancheng, his mother couldn’t say anything about the planned marriage.
Gu Fuzhou had already given Lin Qingyu a ring and received his family’s approval, so he didn’t linger, leaving for the palace immediately. But Lin Qingyu, for his part, planned to eat dinner with his family before departing.
Lin Qinghe took the chance to sidle up to his brother. “Gege, are you really marrying Great General Gu?” The boy wasn’t allowed to listen to adults’ conversations, but he’d learned of this nevertheless from the female servants.
Lin Qingyu nodded. “Yes.”
“But the great general is… He’s too old.” Lin Qinghe felt as though Lin Qingyu was being taken advantage of. “He’s twelve years older than you!”
Lin Qingyu smiled. “He’s not that old.” In terms of their true ages, Gu Fuzhou was actually a year younger than him.
“Gege, can’t you find another husband like Wancheng-gege?” Lin Qinghe begged.
To get Lin Qinghe to accept the marriage, albeit reluctantly, Lin Qingyu had to tell his younger brother that he might end up a concubine of a forty-year-old man unless he married the general.
Meanwhile, Gu Fuzhou had managed to meet with the emperor in Qinzheng Hall. The emperor’s complexion had improved dramatically, and he would likely be able to attend court again soon.
“You came at just the right time,” the emperor said. “Look at the emergency memorial Zhao Mingwei has sent from Yongliang.”
Zhao Mingwei had written that Western Xia had rested its troops for several months and made a full comeback, returning with a vengeance and quickly taking over three of Great Yu’s smaller cities. After those defeats, Great Yu’s army had grown doubtful of their own abilities, and they desperately needed Great General Gu back in Yongliang to lead them forward.
Gu Fuzhou’s face didn’t show any emotion, but inside, he panicked. As if he could do anything to help the situation! He knew exactly how little he was capable of. His previous consecutive wins had been nothing but luck; after those, he was bound to rack up defeats. If he just quit now, he could keep his honor. Zhao Mingwei might win six out of every ten battles he fought, but he’d fought hundreds of them. That was a much better success rate than Gu Fuzhou’s measly five consecutive wins.
“I’ve already said that I want you to leave the capital with a wife,” the emperor continued. “Before, we had to delay your marriage plans due to the crown prince’s sudden ailment, but now we can postpone them no longer. You must first settle down before charging into battle at Yongliang, so that you can do so fearlessly. The empress picked out several noblewomen for you—do you have one in mind?”
Gu Fuzhou folded the memorial. “Now that you mention marriage, I asked Imperial Preceptor Xu to specially divine my romantic prospects.”
“Oh?” The emperor had always respected that mysterious imperial preceptor. “What did he say?”
“He said that I must take a male wife—specifically one born in the chen hour on the eleventh day of the third month of the guiwei year. Only then will the gods aid me on the battlefield.”
“A male wife?” The emperor frowned. “Did the imperial preceptor really say that?”
“Yes. Your Majesty already made an exception allowing the late Young Marquess Lu to take a male wife, and I hope that I may be allowed too.”
“Do you know that a male wife is said to bring bad luck?”
“The imperial preceptor says that the luck depends on the person. A male wife might be inauspicious to someone else, but he would bring me boundless fortune.”
Since he’d already set a precedent, the emperor couldn’t really refuse. “Have you found a man with that particular bazi?”
“My younger godbrother, Imperial Physician Lin Qingyu, happens to fit the exact criteria.”
The emperor abruptly rose. “Lin Qingyu? Did you say Lin Qingyu?”
He shot to his feet, wobbling after standing up too quickly; he hadn’t fully recovered. Xue Ying quickly steadied him. “Your Majesty, take care.”
The emperor realized that he’d lost his composure. “Lin Qingyu is an important member of the Department of Imperial Physicians. He cannot leave my side, and he certainly isn’t someone you can even think of marrying.”
“Marrying me won’t interfere with his job,” Gu Fuzhou replied. “Imperial Physician Lin is already an official, so things will continue in the future as they have in the past. And I won’t need him to manage the residence as my main wife.”
“Preposterous!” the emperor insisted, slamming his hand down on the table. “How can I, the emperor, allow a male wife to be a fifth-rank official and work in the palace with the other officials?!”
Gu Fuzhou’s tone cooled significantly. “Imperial Physician Lin has already been a male wife, and Your Majesty gave him an official position regardless—isn’t that true? Imperial Physician Lin found the cure for the epidemic and relieved your migraines. It’s because I am taking Your Majesty’s health into consideration that I’m willing to allow my wife to continue working in the palace.”
“I have yet to agree to this,” the emperor said coldly, “and you’re already calling him your wife?”
The corners of Gu Fuzhou’s lips turned up slightly. “Just as you said, Your Majesty, I must settle down so I can charge into battle at Yongliang fearlessly.” He kneeled and bowed his head. “Your Majesty, please allow this marriage.”
The emperor had picked up on the threat in Gu Fuzhou’s words. As rage overwhelmed him, so did a terrible headache. He clutched his head, unable to focus on anything else. “Get me Lin Rushan!”