While going over the numbers one last time, Luo-Luo ignored Lord Husband’s loud boredom and noisy distraction. Unconscionable is what he was, a callous, hateful man idling the time away while she and Sung-Hoon slaved over financial accounts worth thousands, if not tens of thousands of gold. Sadly, this was better than the alternative, for if not for her dogged persistence, Lord Husband wouldn’t even bother coming along to these meetings. He was utterly irresponsible and entirely too naive in his business ventures. ‘Trust, but verify,’ he’d say, in response to what he undoubtedly considered her nagging. ‘Things will work out.’

Luo-Luo had a different phrase in mind when she thought of his behaviour: A fool and his coin are soon parted. Having found a trustworthy partner in Mister Rustram, Lord Husband assumed all his associates would be equally as reliable and ethical, which was no proper way to do business. Figures could easily be altered and documents forged, so without constant updates regarding the situation, how could one know the true value of one’s investment? Even more infuriating was how uncharacteristic it was of Lord Husband to be so trusting. Calling him overly suspicious was more than generous, for he was a man who saw threats waiting around every corner and assassins hanging in every shadow. Granted, his suspicions were warranted now that he’d fallen out with his powerful patron Shen ZhenWu, the heir apparent and possibly the second most politically powerful man in the Empire, but that was an entirely different matter all together.

Truth be told, Luo-Luo had many reasons to insist Lord Husband accompany her to these meetings, and not all were solely for his benefit alone. Mostly, she wanted to spend more time with him and show him how miserable she was, but what if she uncovered a discrepancy in the numbers and could prove Sung-Hoon or the Yo Family was stealing from them? How was she to defend herself if they wished to silence her? Or worse, what if she made a mistake? With only two weeks of practice, Luo-Luo could claim a passing familiarity with this new number system, but any more would be a lie. Already, her insistence had paid off, as Lord Husband’s unconventional thinking saved them from disaster more than once. Compound interest on penalties, purchasing futures to protect against price manipulation, and better working conditions only scratched the surface of his contributions, for many of their decisions had been based off of an errant comment made by Lord Husband, seemingly without much thought put into the matter. Selling directly to the army, for example, to build their reputation before marketing to the masses, or investing into bell-making facilities, though how Lord Husband knew it would be a good idea before the Legate announced the construction of his watchtowers, Luo-Luo couldn’t say.

Cursing her inattention, Luo-Luo angrily reset her abacus and started from the beginning, her cheeks burning despite Sung-Hoon’s silence and Lord Husband’s ignorance. What must Lord Husband’s associate think of her? The Yo family scion hadn’t asked about her strange ‘numerals’, nor had he commented about her need for a physical abacus instead of calculating with her fingers, but in his eyes, she must seem like a rank amateur indeed. It wasn’t entirely her fault she couldn’t learn a new number system and do mental arithmetic at the same time, but thankfully, he had yet to lose his patience and left her to her own devices.

Likely because Lord Husband’s proficiency with numbers put them both to shame.

When she finally finished double checking her work, Luo-Luo gathered the papers and silently placed them before Lord Husband for his perusal. Leaving Blackjack to roam free, Lord Husband flipped through the documents one by one, spending perhaps three seconds to scan each page. The first time he did this, she thought he was putting on a show, right until he pointed out an error neither she nor Sung-Hoon had noticed. When confronted about his remarkable ability, Lord Husband merely shrugged and attributed it to his Natal Palace, accidentally revealing his undisclosed status as the youngest Expert of the Empire in the process.

No wonder Shen ZhenWu saw Lord Husband as a threat. What other miracles would this young warrior casually accomplish in his lifetime, however short it might be?

“Everything seems in order,” Lord Husband declared, passing the stack of documents to her with a smile. “Phenomenal work as always.”

Stifling the urge to smile and blush, Luo-Luo merely nodded and feigned indifference to his praise. ‘Show no happiness,’ she told herself. ‘Be miserable, because in truth, you are. Mere words aren’t enough, you deserve more for your efforts, and you will have your due. Lord Husband is a kind man, and he will soon notice your unhappiness and take steps to correct it.’

But when? How much longer must she wait? Did Lord Husband not find her attractive? Would he like her more if she had animal ears and a tail?

Her misery still unnoticed, Lord Husband exchanged what few lines of small talk his limited patience would allow. “Well,” he concluded, not even a minute later, “If that’s everything...?”

Knowing his business partner’s preference for brevity, Sung-Hoon pounced upon this opportunity while he still had Lord Husband’s attention. “Now would be a good time to meet the bell-founder. His new home is nearby and I gave him the day off to spend with his family. You would give much face by visiting him today, but if you think it’s too much...”

“Yea sure, I wanted to talk to him about a future project anyways. Come, Blackjack. Time to go. Blackjack! Come!” While Lord Husband struggled to get the hare to obey, Luo-Luo exchanged a questioning glance with Sung-Hoon, but the young man was every bit as confused as she was. Besides making more bells, what future projects could there be for a bell-maker? Neither one had the courage to ask, lest they be shown for a fool, so instead, they kept silent and fell in line as Lord Husband exited the room in a huff, leaving the disobedient hare behind. Not ten seconds later, a piercing shriek emanated from behind as Blackjack raced to catch up, having learned the consequences of disobedience and not liking them one bit.

An experienced warrior, brilliant scholar, skilled self-Healer, expert animal tamer, and from what Luo-Luo gathered, a consummate lover, Lord Husband was a man who excelled in all walks of life.

The bell-maker’s home was a modest courtyard manor nestled in the heart of Nan Ping, which meant they couldn’t bring the Guardian Turtle without remodelling this part of the city. Thankfully, the great beast had grown complacent of late and no longer insisted on keeping Lord Husband in sight at all times. Instead, at his direction, the massive creature happily hunkered down on the main street to bask in the sunlight, and after a quick hug and concealed kiss on the beak, Lord Husband left her to go about his business. Glancing over her shoulder, Luo-Luo watched as the crowd queued to pray before the gentle giant, already accustomed to the process after weeks of appearances.

How might these same people react if they learned their Divine Guardian’s favourite treat was Lord Husband’s bathwater?

The Guardian Turtle was Lord Husband’s greatest defence against Shen ZhenWu, and if used properly, could also be his greatest weapon. With how recent events unfolded, there were rumours claiming the Guardian Turtle’s actions were guided by divine mandate, due to how she destroyed the Canston Trading Group’s merchant house before their treacherous actions were revealed. This in turn raised Lord Husband’s status even higher in the eyes of the populace, and was perhaps the only reason Shen ZhenWu had yet to act against them, but Lord Husband refused to listen to her suggestions out of sheer, ignorant stubbornness. ‘I don’t want things to escalate,’ he said, unaware his relationship with his Patron was already beyond salvaging. He was dealing with a man destined to sit upon the Dragon Throne, and one did not refuse such a man and walk away unscathed, not under normal circumstances. If Lord Husband were to play his hand right, he could severely limit Shen ZhenWu’s options and perhaps even force a stalemate, a position few could otherwise claim.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

A common-born tribesman in a stalemate with the future Emperor of the civilized world. This was the man Luo-Luo’s Lord Husband could be, if only he’d listen...

It irked her to see so much potential wasted. Despite his reclusive disposition, Lord Husband was a charming and charismatic man when he set his mind to it. Much of it came naturally, for he never put on airs or treated anyone poorly, even thinking to stop and purchase a gift of wine for the bell-maker and candy for his son. Status rarely entered into the equation, for in Lord Husband’s eyes, every person regardless of standing deserved the same respect. Upon meeting the bell-maker, a slender, timid man in his thirties named Jiao Yu, Lord Husband’s eyes lit up with genuine delight, thanking him for his hard work before greeting his wife with a warm smile (but thankfully not too warm), and his son with a hearty hug.

With his natural appeal and her education, Lord Husband would make for a most effective politician, but alas...

Lifting the seven year old boy into his arms, Lord Husband asked, “Do you mind if I borrow your Papa for a few minutes? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

Speaking around a piece of candied fruit, the boy shook his head with a silly little smile. “Papa was scolding me for not doin’ my readings.”

Frowning in mock severity, Lord Husband said, “This is serious business. Why didn’t you do your readings?”

“Because they’re boring!” Fighting off imagined enemies with one hand, the boy added, “I wanna be a soldier an’ fight the Defiled, just like you.”

“All the more reason to do your readings. You gotta know how to read or else you can’t use a map or read your orders. It’s an important skill and all my soldiers work hard to learn it.” Putting the suitably chastised child down, Lord Husband crouched and looked him in the eyes. “It’s not just reading either. You wanna know what my greatest weapon is?”

“Is it your transforming glaive?”

“No, but that’s a close second.” Amused by the child’s excitement, Lord Husband tapped his forehead and continued, “My greatest weapon is my mind. I can beat people stronger than me because I out think them. Reading, writing, math, and more, it keeps my mind sharp and teaches me different ways to approach a problem, which is a powerful tool for any warrior. Knowing when to fight is just as important as knowing how to fight. In fact, I’m here because I’m not clever enough and need your papa’s help solving a problem.”

“Really?” The boy’s eyes went wide with wonder as he glanced at his father, who straightened with pride before Lord Husband’s praise. “You need Papa’s help?”

“Yes I do. He’s a smart man, your Papa, so you should listen to him. Go on and do your readings now, so he won’t be mad anymore.”

So excited at this prospect, the boy ran off without another word, and Jiao Yu bowed his head in heartfelt gratitude. “Many thanks, Great One. Your words will let this servant hold his head a little higher in the days to come, though he fears he has little to offer in the way of help.”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about my problem, it’s nothing too urgent or important.” Flashing his charming smile, Lord Husband gestured for the bell-maker to sit while he prepared ink and paper. “See, I need a bell made, but not really a bell.” With a few strokes of his metal writing implement, he drew the ugliest bell Luo-Luo had ever laid eyes upon, more a hollow pillar than anything else. Luckily, his next words proved he’d done this by design. “I need something like this, a long, tubular object which is capped at one end and open at the other. The base should be thick and durable with a concave curve on the inside, but with a tiny hole which extends from surface to centre, perhaps as wide as a finger. How difficult would this be?”

At Lord Husband’s prompting, the mousy craftsman asked a few questions which included the dimensions of the iron tube, though Lord Husband had little in the way of specifics. After careful consideration, Jiao Yu said, “This servant has never crafted anything of the like, so without having tried, cannot speak to it’s difficulty. This servant can only try and pray he does not disappoint Great One.”

“Good.” With an approving nod, Lord Husband clapped Jiao Yu on the shoulder and said, “Start off small, say about as long as my arm and maybe two to four times as thick, whatever you think is best. There’s no rush, handle whatever Young Master Yo here requires of you first, and don’t overwork yourself. This is merely an idle fancy of mine, an optimistic hope some might say. A few other things need to happen for this to bear fruit, but if everything falls into place, then heaven help me, our names will go down in history, for better or for worse.”

No one in the room understood what Lord Husband meant, but he still cautioned everyone to keep silent on the matter. Soon enough, his tolerance for society wore thin and he said his farewells, much to the relief of Jiao Yu’s poor, anxious wife, so obviously worried someone in the household would accidentally offend their noble guests. It was a sentiment Luo-Luo could empathize with, for there were times when Lord Husband’s manners were so lacking, only his lofty status kept him alive and unchallenged through it all. Poor Sung-Hoon understood as well, for in their first few days of working together, the prideful young man was almost driven mad by Lord Husband’s unintentionally abrasive demeanour and poorly-worded statements.

After parting ways with the bell-maker and Sung-Hoon, Luo-Luo and Lord Husband rode home in silence, sitting side by side in her rickshaw yet still worlds apart. They’d been married for over two weeks yet she was still a virgin, a horrific scenario which she wasn’t prepared for. Her bold and seductive behaviour only drove him into the arms of another woman, a shameful defeat which wounded Luo-Luo’s pride, perhaps even beyond repair. Every night since, the cadenced moans and heavy breathing would haunt her dreams and she’d wake each morning panting and covered in sweat, aching at the imagined memory of Lord Husband’s touch. Sadly, even without Mila or Yan here to compete for his affections, he still paid Luo-Luo no mind, and Lin-Lin’s advice to halt her efforts and let nature take its course had thus far failed horrifically. In distancing herself and only speaking when she deemed absolutely necessary, she’d turned herself into a nagging harridan of a shrew who only opened her mouth to criticize, hardly the image she’d hope to cultivate.

Perhaps this was to be Luo-Luo’s fate in this life, to be unappreciated, undesired, and unloved for the rest of her days. A virginal widow soon enough, for Lord Husband was now separated from his greatest allies and protectors, undoubtedly a prelude to Shen ZhenWu’s cold vengeance. A shame he wouldn’t listen to her advice, but for all his virtues, Lord Husband’s greatest flaw overshadowed them all.

Nothing could be done until she fixed his crippling lack of ambition.

Throwing herself at him didn’t work. This passive approach wasn’t working. What else could she do to win his trust and affection? Open a dialogue, at least. For two weeks now, she’d kept to herself in hopes he’d ask her if something was bothering her, but all she accomplished was make it easier for Lord Husband to ignore her. Grasping for a relevant topic, she took a deep breath and asked, “Lord Husband, what is the strange bell for?”

“Oh?” His wry smile nearly drove her to madness, though out of anger or lust, she could not say. “Finally willing to speak again? Is my punishment over? I suppose curiosity won out over anger.” Ignoring his jibes, Luo-Luo pouted until he asked, “What do you think it’s for?”

He thought she was punishing him by remaining silent? In what world would silence be a punishment? Baffled by his stone-headed foolishness, Luo-Luo rolled her eyes and huffed. “... Perhaps it’s an improved bell, used to direct sound in a particular direction?”

“Good guess, but no. This thing will make noise, but that’s not its purpose.” Holding his hand out, he waited for her to take it and Sent, “It’s a weapon, one the likes this world has never before seen.” Noting her confusion, he explained, “No, it’s not a strange club or hammer. It’s a ranged weapon called a cannon. Basically, you place a metal ball into the tube and use a propellant to launch it. There’s a few major issues to work out, like the ban on oil and well... anything that explodes in the presence of fire.” Shrugging, he Sent, “I’ve had my people working on an alternative, and just yesterday recieved word they were making progress.”

Furrowing her brow, Luo-Luo asked, “Your destructive explosive made from yellow dye?”

“Guessed it in one. There’s still a ways to go before it’s in working order, but the Enemy is busy innovating new weapons, so for us to do any less would be a mistake.” With a grin which made him look younger than his years, Lord Husband Sent, “Imagine five kilograms of iron launched faster than the eye can follow from range no bow could hope to match. Impressive right? Even more impressive if it explodes where it lands, but one step at a time. All I can say is, if this weapon works as expected, it will change the way the Empire fights war forever.”

Blinking in surprise, Luo-Luo studied her incomprehensible Lord Husband once again. How could she ever think he lacked ambition? He cared nothing for status and reputation, but only because he set his sights on loftier goals instead. Perhaps it was time she accepted there was no mastermind standing behind Lord Husband and he was the driving force behind his book after all, the brilliant mind who sought to bring great change or unspeakable horrors to the Azure Empire. What sort of man could be so loving and sweet, yet also devise such terrifying weapons of destruction?

And why did this make her ache for him all the more? Maybe if she wore an animal costume...

Pleased by her amazed reaction, Lord Husband released her hand and said, “You know, I wasn’t lying when I said I consider my mind my greatest weapon. You’re a smart girl and your talents are wasted cooped in your yurt all day. Assuming your plan works and the world learns to appreciate the value of my book, then I’ll need help organizing all the inquisitive minds who come in search of funding and cooperation. ”

Snapping out of her fugue, Luo-Luo nodded. “This one is here to serve at Lord Husband’s pleasure,” she said, hoping he’d catch her play on words. Her body was ready, he only need crook his finger and she would be his...

Settling back into his corner as if afraid to accidentally touch her, Lord Husband went back to playing with Blackjack while saying, “Excellent. I look forward to a successful working relationship between us.”

Damnable, insufferable man...

Chapter Meme

Chapter Meme explanation