The Daily Life of a Female Esper in Ancient Times - C.246: Lady’s Choice

Lu XuanNing finished receiving the soldiers and making arrangements. He returned to Hai City to see his wife and children, having missed them dearly after half a month apart.

He strode into the courtyard to find Li Xia resting with her eyes closed on a lounge chair. Qiu Chan was fanning her.

Seeing Lu XuanNing enter, Qiu Chan rose happily, about to speak, but Lu XuanNing gestured for her to be quiet.

Qiu Chan put down the fan and quietly withdrew, closing the courtyard gate behind her.

Lu XuanNing approached and noticed beads of sweat on the sleeping Li Xia's forehead. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the perspiration, then picked up the fan to cool her.

The weather was too hot, making Li Xia's sleep uncomfortable. "Qiu Chan, fan a little harder," she murmured.

"Is this better?" Lu XuanNing increased the fanning.

Li Xia opened her eyes to see Lu XuanNing sitting beside her. "You're back. Why didn't you let me know?" She tried to sit up, but Lu XuanNing gently pressed her back down, gazing at her with burning eyes.

Hearing that his father had returned, Lu Liucheng rushed impatiently to the Orchid Courtyard. He wanted to tell his father about the Wang Family incident and urge him not to let Wang San off lightly.

After bringing the man back, Lu Xuanyu and Lu Liucheng had privately questioned young Yu about the Wang Family affairs, learning that they were local tyrants. Wang San, relying on his family's influence, had committed numerous acts of bullying and assault.

At the entrance to the Orchid Courtyard, Qiu Chan stopped Lu Liucheng with an outstretched arm.

"Aunt Qiu Chan, I want to see Father," Lu Liucheng tried to push past but was firmly blocked.

"Young Master, the Marquis is not available to see you right now. Please come back later." The situation inside was certainly not suitable for Lu Liucheng to witness.

"Why? Father's back, so why can't I see him?" Lu Liucheng insisted on knowing the reason. But how could Qiu Chan possibly explain?

"Young Master, please don't ask. Why don't I have Jiang Chong spar with you for a while?" The more Qiu Chan evaded, the more curious Lu Liucheng became, trying to dart left and right to get in.

"Cheng Cheng, I just remembered I left something at the training grounds. Come with me to find it," Lu Xuanyu, seeming to understand the situation, pulled the reluctant Lu Liucheng away.

Seeing them leave, Qiu Chan wiped the sweat from her brow, truly frightened by the close call. She had been guarding the Orchid Courtyard all afternoon, preventing anyone from approaching.

That evening, Lu Liucheng finally saw his father after many days apart. His initial displeasure dissolved instantly when Lu XuanNing presented him with a model ship. Overjoyed, he hugged the ship and chattered with Lu Xuanyu about sailing the seas.

"These two children have certainly talked my ear off about voyaging across the ocean," Li Xia remarked lazily, reclining in her chair. Her softened waist prompted her to give Lu XuanNing a pointed look.

Lu XuanNing began massaging Li Xia's shoulders. "In a while, after I lead the troops to quell the pirates, I'll take you all out to sea for an excursion." With pirates running rampant, Lu XuanNing had recently been appointed as the general tasked with suppressing them. Many eyes were upon him now.

Li Xia murmured agreement, offering no objection. She understood Lu XuanNing's concerns and had no intention of worrying him further.

After dining with Lu Liucheng and Lu Xuanyu, Lu XuanNing and Li Xia retired to their chambers.

Early the next morning, Lu XuanNing led the two boys in martial arts practice. They had all mastered the Lu Family Spear Technique, but in terms of flexible application, Lu Xuanyu lagged far behind Lu Liucheng. However, his main goal was simply to build strength and health.

After training and breakfast, they went to study with their tutor. The teacher had been hired at great expense by Madame Zhou to provide personal instruction for Lu Xuanyu, though he taught Lu Liucheng as well.

In literary studies, Lu Xuanyu and Lu Liucheng were opposites. Lu Xuanyu grasped concepts immediately, while Lu Liucheng struggled to remember even after seven or eight repetitions.

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It wasn't that Lu Liucheng lacked intelligence; his mind simply wasn't focused on academics. He thought more about martial arts and how to convince Lu XuanNing to let him join naval training.

After Lu Liucheng's return, Wang Chao, the head of the Wang Family, came to apologize and take Wang San home. Wang San, who had previously boasted about teaching Lu Liucheng a lesson, had been subjected to special training by Jiang Chong for a few days and no longer dared to act so arrogantly.

He trembled in fear at the sight of Lu Liucheng.

Wang Chao was displeased with his son's cowardice and with Lu XuanNing's pettiness. In his view, it was just a squabble between children, yet Lu XuanNing had gone so far as to harm his son and slight his own reputation. He was determined to settle this score.

Wang San tugged at his father's sleeve, eager to leave. He wanted nothing more than to get away from this place and avoid seeing that "demonic girl." Had Wang Chao paid closer attention, he would have realized that Wang San feared not Lu Liucheng, but Qing Niang standing behind him.

After being reprimanded by Li Xia, Qing Niang had recognized her mistake and sincerely apologized to Lu Liucheng. They quickly reconciled and resumed playing together. Upon learning of Lu Liucheng's mistreatment, Qing Niang had approached Qiu Chan for a token to enter the military prison. There, she had "discussed" insect-rearing techniques with Wang San.

It was common knowledge that the Miao ethnicity was skilled in cultivating gu poison insects. Though Qing Niang couldn't actually raise such creatures, Wang San was unaware of this. Seeing Qing Niang in traditional Miao dress and hearing her offer to show him her "little pets" had terrified him.

Wang San had been thoroughly frightened. Each day, Qing Niang brought Lu Liucheng to dig up some insects to trick Wang San. After several days of this treatment, Wang San was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, seeing insects and poison everywhere.

Now, hiding behind his father, he urged him to return home quickly. He couldn't bear to stay a moment longer.

Seeing Wang San so frightened, Qing Niang and Lu Liucheng high-fived in delight. Everyone in the Marquis' mansion knew of the mischief the pair had wrought.

"What do you plan to do about these local snakes in Hai City?" Li Xia asked.

"What snakes? They're nothing but worms. Easily crushed," Lu XuanNing replied, harboring no fondness for such people.

Hai City, situated on the coast, suffered the worst from pirate raids. Yet the Chen, Wang, and Zhang families not only remained unscathed but grew increasingly wealthy. No one would believe there wasn't some conspiracy at play.

Lu XuanNing intended to make an example of these three families, bringing Hai City firmly under his control.

Li Xia handed over the intelligence Qiu Ling had gathered to Lu XuanNing, leaving the course of action up to him. Feeling drowsy, Li Xia soon fell asleep again. These days, she required at least 14 hours of sleep daily.

Lifting Li Xia gently, Lu XuanNing placed her on the bed and carefully tucked her in. He then went to find Xiao Changning, inquiring, "Still no word from Zhou Heng?"

"We just received news. Zhou Heng will arrive next month," Xiao Changning provided a definite answer.

"If you need anything, just say the word," Lu XuanNing said, his heart anxious. Li Xia's condition worried him greatly.

"Could you ask your wife to give Qiu Ling fewer assignments? We're the same age, yet your child is already eight years old, while I still don't know when mine will come," Xiao Changning lamented. He wasn't getting any younger.

Seeing others' children running about, he too longed for a child soon. But since arriving in Hai City, Qiu Ling had been constantly occupied with tasks from Li Xia. Rarely seeing her, Xiao Changning couldn't very well produce a child on his own.

"My wife's word is law in our household," Lu XuanNing stated plainly, indicating that appealing to him was useless. He deferred to Li Xia in all things.

"I give up on you two, both so stubbornly self-assured," Xiao Changning said, exasperated. He had broached this subject with Li Xia before, but her response was that it depended on Qiu Ling's wishes; she wouldn't force the issue.