Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Nothing to worry about.

After presenting Yelü Yanxi as a prisoner, the middle of spring was not a busy time for Lü Bu. He spent his days with his wife, daughters, and children and dealing with government affairs.

Occasionally, she would invite Yang Zaixing and his wife to the palace for a small gathering. Wu Qing, Hu Sanniang, Su Jinniang, and others would always urge Qiongying to have a child soon, which made the originally spirited young woman blush every time she left the palace.

Of course, Yang Zaixing also enjoyed the princess's "kindness" that evening, which made this fierce general on the battlefield tremble before entering the palace every time. His wife's competitive spirit was no less than her own when she was practicing martial arts.

However, as time went by, many of the original Han Chinese officials from the Liao Dynasty came out to work, and as the affairs of the court gradually got back on track, the court officials began to turn their attention to the emperor's family affairs.

At the court assembly in early spring, four members of the imperial clan—the Minister of the Imperial Clan, Lü Siyan; the Minister of the Imperial Guard, Lü Sili; the Minister of Agriculture, Lü Yan; and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Lü Guan—stepped forward and said: "Now that the world is at peace, the harem cannot be without a mistress for even a day. The people of the world also hope that the emperor and empress will always be like the sun and moon hanging in the sky."

We humbly beseech Your Majesty, for the sake of the nation and its people, to establish an empress. We, your humble servants, will humbly await the arrival of the phoenix upon the imperial throne, like the nine tripods receiving dew.

Many Han officials in the court seemed to have conspired beforehand, bowing in unison: "Your subjects humbly emulate the Nine Tripods that receive dew, and respectfully await the phoenix's cry upon the imperial throne!"

Lu Bu, seated on the dragon throne, remained silent for a long time. His gaze swept over several familiar faces below, some of whom looked somewhat astonished, and he spoke softly: "I am aware of this matter. We will discuss it later."

She glanced at the eunuchs to her side and below, then her shrill voice rang out in the palace during the court assembly: "Speak if you have something to say, otherwise the court is adjourned—"

None of the court officials had expected that this proposal would lead to the appointment of the empress. Upon hearing this, they all bowed and withdrew.

Lu Bu stood up, walked down the steps, turned around and left the main hall. Behind him, Qiao Lie looked at Deng Fei, then winked and nodded at Xiao Haili, who was recovering from a serious illness. The three nodded to each other and then walked out.

Li Zhu stroked his beard behind him, thought for a moment, and then headed outside.

In late spring, although the weather has not yet warmed up, most plants have already gotten used to the chill, and green buds have sprouted from the withered branches, bringing a touch of freshness to this desolate world.

Lu Bu opened the window in the imperial study, but did not sit down. He stood at the window looking outside. After a short while, Xu Wen, who was on duty that day, knocked on the door: "Your Majesty, Minister Qiao, Imperial Censor Deng, Xiao Zhenxi, and Minister Li Guanglu request an audience."

"...I knew it was coming." With a soft sigh, Lü Bu raised his voice: "Let them in."

The door opened, and several people who entered stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Lu Bu gestured for everyone to sit down, then looked around at the crowd with a slight smile: "Why is everyone here? Is it for the matter of choosing an empress?"

"Your Majesty is wise..."

The four men bowed slightly, but before they could speak, Lü Bu waved his hand to interrupt them: "I will make my own decision on this matter. If you're going to talk about this, then forget it."

The four men had a lot to say but couldn't. They looked at each other and Deng Fei turned the wooden wheel forward, saying, "Since that's the case, we can't say any more..." He looked Lü Bu up and down and suddenly smiled, "But I've heard that the Minister of the Imperial Clan and the Minister of the Imperial Guard often have people from the Han, Liu, Zhao, and Ma families visiting their homes."

"Ok?"

Lu Bu raised an eyebrow and looked at him: "What's wrong now?"

“These families are all prominent clans in the north. Many officials from the former Liao and Han dynasties came from their families. And these four families also happen to have daughters of marriageable age waiting to be married.” Qiao Lie said from the side, glancing at Lü Bu with a mischievous smile: “Perhaps your two elders will come to arrange the marriage later.”

"I see……"

Reaching out and pinching his chin, Lü Bu slowly looked at them: "I was wondering why the matter of establishing an empress was suddenly brought up today. You all looked surprised before, so you were also kept in the dark."

His gaze fell on Li Zhu, whose hand stroking his beard stopped. He continued, "But it doesn't matter. It's none of anyone else's business how my harem is."

Qiao Lie, Deng Fei, and the others exchanged glances, but Xiao Haili couldn't help but speak up, saying, "Your Majesty, the position of Empress is currently vacant. It would be best to appoint one soon to prevent anyone from having designs on her."

"I have made a decision." Lü Bu tapped the table with his finger. He knew that his old comrades were concerned about him, so he was not impatient. He looked at them and said, "If you have nothing else to do, you can go back and rest. Today's court meeting must have been quite tiring."

Looking at Xiao Haili's face, which looked older than before, she said, "Especially Xiao Qing, you should take better care of your health."

"This humble general is in good health." Xiao Haili opened his one eye wide and patted his chest twice: "I've gained weight these past two days and was just thinking of finding a place to get rid of the excess fat."

Several people laughed out loud. Lu Bu waved his hand and said with a laugh, "Go back and work harder on your wife's belly and you'll lose weight. Stop getting in the way, everyone. Hurry up and go. Li Zhu, stay here."

After bowing, Qiao Lie and the others withdrew. Lu Bu and the others also left, and the door closed. Only then did Lu Bu look at the quiet Li Zhu and say, "Qiao Lie's side is mostly focused on Zhao Song, so it's understandable that he didn't know anything this time. But it's not right that you didn't get any news either."

"I am ashamed," Li Zhu said, bowing his head and standing with his hands at his sides.

Lu Bu narrowed his eyes: "Fortunately, it's nothing serious, but you can forget about your salary this year. Be more careful in the future."

"Here."

"A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer." After saying a few words, Lü Bu waved for Li Zhu to leave. The man with the golden sword bowed and left with a normal expression. Only when he closed the door did his face darken. He nodded to Xu Wen outside and then walked out with his hands behind his back.

"...Looks like someone's going to be in trouble." Xu Wen muttered to himself as he watched the man's back, stroking his chin before reaching out to look around with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Inside the room, Lu Bu remained seated after everyone had left, lost in thought, tapping the table with one hand, the monotonous "thump-thump" of the wood echoing through the room.

After a while, he reached out and took a piece of paper, writing down the names of the four women: Wu Qing, Hu San Niang, Su Jin Niang, and Da Li Bo.

He paused for a moment, holding the brush in mid-air, then crossed out the three characters "Da Li Bo." His gaze swept over the names of the other three women, and he murmured, "Eunuchs should not have power. There are no eunuchs in the court who can cause trouble, not even the imperial relatives..."

His gaze became somewhat unfocused: "The past..." The pen tip touched the paper, gently drawing a line of ink: "It was only twenty or thirty years ago for me, but I have never forgotten it."

His tiger-like eyes lingered on the two words on the paper, and he murmured, "My lady has been gone for a thousand years. Today, I am giving her the title of my legal wife. Surely she won't blame me..."

He placed the writing brush with its handle made of Hetian jade on the brush mountain, looked up at the carvings above the room, his expression softened, and he said with a hint of reminiscence: "If you blame me, I will apologize to you, Madam, a hundred years from now."

The voices echoed in the empty room. At one moment, a shout of "Someone come here!" came from inside. Xu Wen quickly opened the door and went in. Not long after, the Right Martial Guard General came out and summoned more than a dozen guards. The figure in black armor quickly ran out of the palace.

As dawn broke, officials and commoners in the city went about their lives. The revitalized Yanjing attracted many merchants from other places to sell their goods. After making a deal, the merchants took their money without showing any emotion, but their eyes were filled with joy. Those who had not yet sold their goods were looking around for local merchants who could take them over.

After the grand court assembly, the officials returned to their residences to rest. Once they had a good night's sleep, they ate something, and the four members of the Lü family—father, sons, uncle, and nephew—gathered together. Lü Yan sat upright and said, "His Majesty seemed somewhat displeased with our proposal today. Could he be harboring resentment towards us? If this offends His Majesty..."

“…Probably not.” Lu Siyan closed his eyes, stroked his beard, and only spoke after the other man stopped talking: “We are also considering the court. Our Qi Kingdom has been established for several years, and the position of Empress has been vacant for several years. This is really inappropriate. If this continues, it may cause turmoil in the court and the country.”

“That may be true…” Lu Sili glanced at him: “Why don’t you come with me to the palace to see the Emperor later? Some things need to be said to avoid him holding a grudge. He’s not close to us to begin with, and if he harbors resentment for too long, it could lead to trouble.”

"Very well." The elder brother, who had been keeping his eyes closed, opened them. "We're all family. Once we talk it out, everything will be fine." Lu Guan, who had been silent until now, glanced at the two elders. "Then how should we convey the requests of the other four families to His Majesty?"

“Establishing an empress is a serious matter, so just say it,” Lü Sili said after a moment’s thought. “We are not plotting to force the emperor to abdicate; we are merely offering a few options.” He glanced at the other three and added, “Don’t forget, His Majesty has four imperial consorts. Perhaps one of them can be chosen.”

The four of them thought for a moment. Lü Siyan stroked his beard, his face showing a hint of uncertainty: "Three commoner daughters and one former member of the Liao royal family. His Majesty will not choose from among them. Although the four families are not as powerful as the Khitan nobles of yesteryear, they can still be of great help to His Majesty. He should choose the best one to marry, right?"

"Let's go see His Majesty first."

Lu Sili stood up and looked at the two juniors: "You two go back to your respective offices first, and we'll discuss this again tonight."

Lü Yan and Lü Guan looked at each other and then nodded.

Without delay, the two elders left their home together, mounted their horses, and headed towards the distant imperial palace. As members of the imperial family, the guards outside the palace did not make things difficult for them. Instead, they summoned a eunuch from inside. The eunuch, seeing the two men, respectfully inquired about their purpose and quickly invited them to come inside with him.

Fearing that the master of the palace was in a bad mood, Lü Sili asked in a casual tone, "How is Your Majesty's mood today?"

"I don't know, His Majesty has been in his study the whole time and hasn't come out."

"Oh……"

The two Lü brothers exchanged a glance, and Lü Sili clenched his sleeve: "Then... how is His Majesty's appetite today?"

"As usual," the eunuch replied respectfully, then gave the two of them a strange look.

"It's okay, I was just asking."

Lu Sili waved his hand without explaining, and whispered to his elder brother, "Be careful."

"We'll see how things go," the elder brother said, turning his head slightly. Then the two of them shut up and followed the eunuch inside.

Before long, he met Xu Wen, who was on duty outside. After being informed, he went inside and bowed to Lü Bu behind the desk. A voice came from the other side: "I was just about to go see the Minister of the Imperial Clan."

Lu Siyan was taken aback and quickly stepped forward: "I wonder what business Your Majesty has with me?"

"Is the ancestral temple all set up?" Lu Bu looked up at the two nominal relatives and asked softly.

"It's already prepared."

Lu Siyan cupped his hands in reply, his eyes filled with complex emotions. Although he had long received an imperial decree to renovate the ancestral temple, Lu Bu had not yet gone to see it. He naturally understood that Lu Bu had no affection for the Lu family. This was the first time Lu Bu had asked about it so proactively. Could it be...?

"Very good. Prepare for the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven. I will announce the establishment of an empress to the world and then go to the ancestral temple to inform the ancestors."

The two nominal elders were taken aback, exchanged a glance, and their lips moved as if to speak. Lü Sili and Lian Ameng stepped forward and bowed, asking, "I wonder who Your Majesty intends to appoint as Empress?"

"Consort Wu is gentle and kind, and has served me for a long time. She is suitable to be Empress." Lü Bu smiled, his tiger-like eyes falling on the two people opposite him, giving them a meaningful look from head to toe.

The two people being watched were only surprised for a moment before they immediately reacted and said with joy, "This is great news! The Empress of our Great Qi has finally been chosen."

Looking at the two men's laughing faces, Lü Bu nodded slowly after a long while: "Go and prepare first. I will announce it to the world later."

The two standing figures spoke almost simultaneously: "Your Majesty, we offer our congratulations to the Great Qi!"

Lu Bu was satisfied with their attitude and nodded before asking, "What brings you two here today?"

"It's nothing." Lü Sili shook his head and said with a smile, "I did have something to do, but now that I've heard the good news, these little odds and ends are nothing to worry about."

Lu Bu looked at them for a while, then smiled and said, "Very well, you two may leave now."

The two people opposite him quickly bowed and withdrew. After watching the door open and close, the emperor, who was sitting in the room, stretched and then got up and left.

……

In mid-spring, a piece of news spread like wildfire: Imperial Concubine Wu Qing would be made Empress. Those who heard the news were either overjoyed or troubled, and their reactions were varied and numerous.

In a courtyard, a woman dressed in plain clothes was kneeling in front of the Buddha, gently striking a wooden fish and chanting incantations.

The monotonous sound continued to travel from inside the house to outside.

creak-

The door opened, and Yelü Dalibo, dressed in elegant attire, stood in the doorway. He held the push-opening motion for a few breaths, then slowly lowered his hand and stepped inside.

Benedict——

The sound of the wooden fish stopped the moment the wooden mallet ceased. The woman turned her head and looked at the person who entered behind her: "What brings you here today?"

"Aunt Zhao..."

Yelü Dalibo bowed slightly to her, watched the person in front of him slowly rise, walked over and gently supported the middle-aged woman's arm: "Feeling down? Come out for a walk."

The woman patted Dalibo's delicate hand and pulled her to sit down on the side: "Your temperament is becoming more and more sullen. You used to never keep things to yourself and always spoke your mind."

"...Being by your side, I have no choice but to do so."

"But for the position of Empress?"

The middle-aged beauty sized up her junior, watching her nod and shake her head, and listened as she said, "Not entirely, it's just that I don't know how to continue to stay by His Majesty's side."

"Has the Emperor Qi treated you badly?"

“No, not at all.” Dalibo was silent for a moment, then spoke hesitantly, “It’s just that a month ago, my father… was captured and brought back. I heard that he was presented to His Majesty by the Jurchens as a sheep-leading ceremony, and suffered such humiliation… I don’t know…”

"You are so kind." The woman reached out and touched her hair, her face showing a hint of affection. "Don't worry, he is now the Duke of Bohai, and His Majesty will not kill him easily. He might even be living more freely than you think. As for the slight humiliation..." She narrowed her eyes slightly. "It's his own fault. If he had listened to advice back then, how could he have ended up like this?"

Dalibo nodded, placing the back of his hand on the woman's, and listened as she asked, "What is your relationship with the future empress?" (End of Chapter)