Chapter 26 26

Chapter 26 26
Lu Chen sat by the window in his own quarters, watching the moon. He wasn't tired. His mind kept jumping between the world he used to know and this historical reality he had been dropped into.

A few wings away, the atmosphere in Lu Qing’s courtyard was completely different. The room was bright with the glow of several oil lamps. Lu Qing sat in front of her vanity mirror, her long black hair draped over her shoulders. Her skin was pale and clear, and she looked relaxed as her personal maid, An An , worked a thick, fragrant herbal cream into her hands.
"Miss, your skin is much better than last month," An An  said with a small grin. "If we keep this up, the young lords at the next festival won't be able to look away."
Lu Qing laughed and shook her head. "You always say things like that. I just don't want my face to feel dry in this weather. Did you put the jasmine oil in the bath earlier?"
"I did," An An  replied, moving to massage Lu Qing’s shoulders. "The whole room smelled like a garden. You deserve to rest. You’ve been tense since the Master returned."
Lu Qing sighed, leaning her head back. "My father is just... difficult. But tonight is quiet. Let’s just enjoy the peace."
The two of them continued to chat about simple things new silk patterns and the quality of the tea delivered that morning. Lu Qing’s laughter was light. She felt safe in her private space.

Thum thum a knock from the door 

Lu Qing flinched, her smile disappearing instantly. "Who is that at this hour?" She said looking at An An 

An An  looked confused. "I’ll go check, Miss."
The maid walked to the door and pulled it open. She froze immediately. Her back went rigid, and she dropped to her knees so fast her knees hit the floor with a thud. She pressed her forehead against the ground, trembling.
Chang Lu walked into the room. He didn't look at the maid. He didn't look at the decor. He walked straight toward the center of the room, his black robes trailing behind him. His now grey hair pulled back into a tight, severe bun. His presence sucked the air out of the room.
"Get out," Chang Lu said.
He wasn't looking at his daughter. He was looking at the wall behind her.
An An  didn't wait. She scrambled up and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
Lu Qing stood up slowly. Her hands were still wet with the cream An An  had been applying, and she wiped them nervously on her silk robe. She felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. She remembered the rumors she had heard before Lu Chen got sick. She had heard her father talking about alliances and older men, but she had convinced herself it was just talk.
"Father," Lu Qing said. Her voice was steady, but her heart was racing. "It is very late. Is something wrong with the accounts or Lu Chen has his sickness returned?"
Chang Lu didn't sit down. He stood in the center of the rug, looking down at her like she was a piece of furniture he was considering moving.
"I have decided your marriage," he said.
He said it like he was announcing the weather. There was no preparation and no warmth.
Lu Qing stared at him. Her brain struggled to process the finality in his tone. "...Marriage? I don't understand. We haven't discussed any suitors."
"There is nothing to discuss," Chang Lu replied. "The arrangements are being finalized. You will marry Lord Wei."
The name hit Lu Qing like a physical blow. She staggered back a step, her hand catching the edge of her vanity table. Lord Wei was a man known for his vast land holdings, his brutal tax collections, and the fact that he had already buried three wives. He was a contemporary of her father perhaps even older.
"Lord Wei?" she whispered. Her face turned white. "Father, he is older than you. He’s an old man. People say he is cruel to his household and I am just 19 father ."
Chang Lu’s expression did not change. He didn't blink or show a hint of sympathy. "He is useful. He controls the northern trade routes and has a direct line to the capital's ministry. An alliance with him secures our family's position for the next decade."
"That's not a marriage," Lu Qing said. Her voice started to shake as the reality set in. "That is a business transaction. You are selling me to a man who is practically a stranger."
"It is not your place to define what a marriage is or is not," Chang Lu said. "Your place is to ensure this family remains powerful. You have lived in luxury your entire life because of this name. Now, you will pay for it."
The room felt smaller. Lu Qing looked around at her beautiful things the silks, the perfumes, the jade ornaments. They suddenly looked like dirt. She took a deep breath, her chest heaving.
"No," she said.
Chang Lu narrowed his eyes. The air in the room turned cold. "What did you say?"
"I said no," Lu Qing said, her voice getting louder. She stood up straighter, though her legs felt like lead. "I won't do it. I won't marry a man who is old enough to be my grandfather just so you can have more power in the north. I won't let you do this."
Chang Lu moved faster than she expected. He stepped forward and slammed his hand down on the wooden table beside her. The sound was like a gunshot. A porcelain vase rattled and tipped over, spilling water across the floor.
"You don't decide anything in this house!" he shouted. His voice was no longer calm; it was a flat, vibrating growl. "You think you have a choice? You think your opinion matters in the grand scheme of the Lu family?"
Lu Qing jumped at the sound, her body trembling violently. "I am your daughter, not a horse you can trade at the market!"
"Women in this house exist for alliances," Chang Lu said, stepping into her personal space. He loomed over her, his shadow covering her completely. "That is your only purpose. You eat my food, you wear my gold, and in return, you provide a bridge to power."
He leaned down, his eyes boring into hers. "You think your mother had a choice? You think she married me because she loved me?"
Lu Qing flinched at the mention of her mother. "Don't bring her into this."
"Why not? She was exactly like you. Arrogant. Full of useless dreams," Chang Lu sneered. "She was useful for a time. She brought the connection I needed, she gave me a son and a daughter, and then she died. That was her cycle. Yours is beginning now."
Tears began to track down Lu Qing’s cheeks. She didn't sob; the water just fell. The cruelty of his words stripped away any lingering hope that he cared for her as a person.
"You don't even have her anymore to protect you," Chang Lu continued, his voice dropping back to a cold, deadly level. "There is no one to talk me out of this. Lu Chen is too busy playing at being a scholar to stop me, and even if he tried, he knows better than to cross me."
"I am a human being," Lu Qing whispered.
"You are an asset," Chang Lu corrected. "And right now, you are an asset that is being put to use."
He turned away from her, adjusting his sleeves as if he hadn't just destroyed her life. He walked toward the door with purposeful strides.
"Prepare yourself," he said over his shoulder. "The contract will be signed within the week. I expect you to behave with dignity when the Wei family envoys arrive. If you embarrass me, the consequences will be far worse than a marriage you don't like."
The door opened and closed. The sound of the latch clicking back into place felt like a coffin being nailed shut.
Lu Qing stood frozen for a moment. Then, her strength gave out. Her knees hit the floorboards, and she collapsed into a heap. She didn't scream. She didn't throw things. She just sat there in the middle of the spilled water and the expensive cream, crying silently.
She realized then that every smile her father had ever given her, every gift, and every bit of praise had been an investment. He had been raising her like a prize animal, waiting for the day the market price was high enough.
Outside, the mansion remained quiet. The servants stayed in their quarters, sensing the shift in the air. No one came to check on her. No one offered a hand. In the vastness of the Lu estate, Lu Qing was completely alone, realizing that the life she thought she was living was never hers to begin with. She was just a piece of property, waiting to be delivered to a man she doesn’t even know .