Chapter Forty-Two: Two Powder Kegs

But her older sister’s eyes betrayed a hint of dissatisfaction, and only then did Pearl realize, with a sudden shock, that Aunt Jiang’s approach was indeed not very dignified, unbefitting the noble status of an imperial princess. She hurriedly struggled to her feet.

Shi Zhenxiang lifted the curtain and entered. “Reporting to the Divine Lord, the military tent has been found, just nearby, and everything is arranged. Shall we move His Majesty Quan now?”

Lu Hu nodded. “Tell the soldiers to be careful and steady, not to make the slightest mistake, and under no circumstances must His Majesty Quan be injured again.”

“Rest assured, Divine Lord. The men will be cautious and prudent; we wouldn’t dare harm a single hair on His Majesty Quan again.”

“Zhenxiang, ask around the camp and see if anyone can write or calculate. Tomorrow we’ll reward merit and promote officers, reorganize the troops—a mountain of affairs, and if we don’t keep records, it’ll be chaos.” Lu Hu suddenly remembered this troublesome matter.

Shi Gengxiang, who was directing the soldiers carrying the bed, stepped forward and knelt. “Reporting to the Divine Lord, Gengxiang has long resided in the army and knows well that the men here are rough-handed warriors. They recognize their own names, but they don’t recognize characters, let alone writing or drawing.”

Lu Hu waved them away, sighing and furrowing his brow.

“Divine Lord brother, my sister and I have studied since childhood, writing is no trouble for us. Let us help you!” Pearl volunteered, eager to offer her assistance.

Lu Hu was overjoyed. “Wonderful, wonderful! With your help, I won’t have to exhaust myself so much.”

Seeing Little Guanyin still lingering at the tent entrance, Lu Hu quickly said, “Go with the Empress Mother and rest in your own tent. Come help me tomorrow morning.”

Pearl and Beauty smiled gently, bowed gracefully, each cradling their pets, turning back every three steps, glancing behind every five, reluctant to leave…

…

…

A cacophony of shrill cries jolted Lu Hu awake from his deep slumber.

Blinking groggily, he realized Little White was beside his face, howling in utter grievance.

What was going on? Wasn’t Little White taken away by that little Pearl girl? How did it climb back? Even if it returned, how could it get onto his bed?

Blast! Someone had blocked his bed. Lu Hu was instantly alert.

Lifting his head, sure enough, Pearl and Beauty stood elegantly by the bedside, laughing as they watched him.

Lu Hu ducked back under the covers, pulling the blanket over his head, rubbing his eyes inside.

He had slept terribly the latter half of the night; hopefully nothing blurred his eye corners, lest it tarnish his divine, radiant image.

Even the Divine Lord could be shy. Pearl and Beauty covered their soft pink lips, giggling quietly.

We didn’t mean to block your bed; we really had no choice!

Little White had behaved well last night—who doesn’t love a beautiful woman? Nestled in Pearl’s warm, fragrant embrace, it slept soundly.

But with morning’s light, not seeing Lu Hu, it immediately threw a tantrum, screeching and baring its teeth, waving its tiny paws, fiercely howling in its babyish way.

It even woke Little Flower, who sprang up, struggling to run.

Beauty tried everything to soothe it, but the little creature kicked and cried, causing her to fumble in disarray.

Left with no alternative, the sisters quickly tidied themselves and brought the two little ones to Lu Hu’s tent.

White Dabai, guarding the entrance, saw Little White and instantly guessed the relationship between these two lovely girls and the Tiger God was extraordinary. Afraid to scare the beauties, he allowed them in.

The sisters saw Lu Hu sleeping soundly; they had intended to quietly admire the handsome man. Unexpectedly, upon seeing Lu Hu, Little White went wild, howling and clawing, so they had to place it on the bed.

Little White scrambled to Lu Hu’s side, loudly lamenting the pain of separation.

Disturbing the Divine Lord’s sweet dreams…

The young ladies were at a loss, awkwardly standing there, when footsteps sounded from the back door. Ma Lihong and Zhu Xiaoying entered, each carrying a basin of hot water.

Seeing Pearl and Beauty, both women paused, their faces instantly changing.

As if confronted by enemies, they glared fiercely, ready to storm over with their basins and drown these two “little hoofs.”

The Quan sisters had seen the world. Though their family had declined, they still maintained the imperial dignity and etiquette; their emperor father, though lacking the harem of three palaces and seventy-two concubines, had their mother and several palace maids to attend him.

At a glance, they knew these were the Divine Lord’s two serving girls.

But their hearts were uneasy—a woman’s nature. They themselves couldn’t quite understand why.

“Divine Lord, Lihong is here to assist you in rising.” Ma Lihong spoke with unusual warmth, though inside she seethed: No wonder the Divine Lord didn’t let us serve at night—he already has hidden beauties! A golden house for his darlings!

So what if they’re pretty? So what if they’re elegant? They’re soft-handed, useless in chores. Hmph, can they serve better than me? Not a chance. What are they pretending for?

If not for the Divine Lord nearby, she would have slapped these two “little hoofs” silly.

“Move aside, haven’t you any sense?” Zhu Xiaoying, flushed, deliberately tried to bump the Quan sisters with her basin.

Lu Hu, dressing under the covers, emerged with embarrassment, reaching out to hold Little White.

Ma Lihong and Zhu Xiaoying deftly wrung out steaming towels from the basins, cleaning Lu Hu’s face and hands with practiced coordination.

Now, with a common enemy, the two women naturally aligned, working together to please the Divine Lord and fend off outsiders.

As they busied themselves, Ma Lihong and Zhu Xiaoying stole glances at Lu Hu’s bed. With their wealth of battlefield experience, they confirmed that Lu Hu had slept alone last night—no evidence of intimate company.

They finally breathed easier: The “little hoofs” hadn’t gone that far yet. For now, they’d let them off, not scratch them to death…

After helping Lu Hu dress, Ma Lihong shot the Quan sisters a glare. “Useless, just standing there embarrassing yourselves. Can you do anything?” With that, she exited through the back.

Pearl and Beauty’s delicate faces were full of grievance, sparkling tears threatening to spill from their eyes. “Divine Lord, we’ll return for now. Call us when you need us.”

Pearl and Beauty turned to leave.

“Pearl, Beauty, don’t go. Have breakfast with me. Afterward, I’ll need your help with military affairs.”

Lu Hu realized the palace drama had begun. He wanted to rebuke Ma Lihong and Zhu Xiaoying, but they had served him diligently with genuine affection—how could he hurt their feelings? He could only keep it to himself.

Two cooks followed Ma Lihong in, carrying breakfast. Zhu Xiaoying was arranging the dining table and armchairs. Beauty wanted to help, but Lu Hu stopped her. “Beauty, you needn’t bother. You two are my secretaries, enjoying the same privileges as I do. Come, sit at the table and eat with me.”

He then spoke kindly to the cooks, “Master Chefs, please bring two chairs over. Thank you for your hard work.”

These two cooks had always been treated as servants; if the food wasn’t perfect, they’d be scolded.

Now, Lu Hu’s politeness warmed their hearts. They responded eagerly and rushed out.

Soon, they brought in two armchairs.

Lu Hu had them place the chairs on either side of the table, then took two golden spoons from the table and handed them over. “Each of you, take one. Work well, and you’ll be rewarded in time.”

“Divine Lord, such precious items—we dare not accept.” The cooks eyed the spoons with greedy longing, but declined out of politeness.

“Take them. From now on, prepare meals for two people, better than mine. Deliver them to His Majesty Quan and the Empress. From today, every meal must be so.”

“Thank you, Divine Lord. Rest assured—we’ll make it right away and deliver it to His Majesty Quan.” The cooks accepted the golden spoons with endless gratitude and left.

Pearl and Beauty felt their hearts warm: This handsome Divine Lord is so wonderful. If only they could stay by his side forever—it would be so blissful…

Lu Hu smiled and pointed to the armchairs. “Sit down and eat with me. We’ll be busy afterward.”

The Beauty sisters smiled sweetly and sat.

Ma Lihong filled a bowl with meat porridge, tasted it with her own silver spoon to check for poison, then switched to the golden spoon to feed Lu Hu.

All the utensils here were Lord Zuo Xian’s exclusive set, crafted in gold and silver. Every meal sparkled with dazzling light.

Zhu Xiaoying stood on the other side, feeding the Divine Lord. Lu Hu had intended for her to serve the Quan sisters, but seeing them ladle their own food, he said nothing.

The two maids bore deep resentment toward the sisters, radiating a tense, explosive atmosphere.

It seemed at any moment sparks might fly.