When the last plucked note rang out into chill winter air, Luo-Luo stilled her hands and sat up to accept her accolades with a smile. As far as audiences went, her current one was meagre and bizarre by any standards, but in recent times, she realized it wasn’t about the size of the crowd or the volume of applause, but rather the genuine appreciation and heartfelt enthusiasm of the individual listener, for their reactions made Luo-Luo’s efforts all the more worthwhile.
At least, that was the lie she told herself as she gazed out at the herd of curious cattle who made up the bulk of her attentive audience.
Truth be told, she rather enjoyed their company, for the large, shaggy beasts had their own sort of captivating charm once one acclimated to the smell. The large and powerful behemoths were a gentle and docile bunch, happy to gather at the edge of their enclosure and respect the boundaries laid out for them, whether it be the flimsy wooden fence or the personal space between each individual cattle. What’s more, though they were more subdued than normal today, they were usually extremely appreciative of her musical performances, often bobbing their massive heads along to the tune or grunting and bellowing for more when she stopped. Some were even downright adorable, like auburn Wendy with her crown of braids or hulking Big Mac currently tapping his hooves in excitement, and these charming and enchanting reactions were why Luo-Luo made an effort to come out and play for her biggest fans once every day.
Among her bipedal listeners, Sorya and Anrhi were always enthusiastic, and sweet Tali still loved to hear Luo-Luo play, all three clapping away with bright and cheery smiles. Polite Tate applauded as well, but his boredom and sleepiness was evident to all, barely able to keep his eyes open while seated listlessly in the grass. As for the others, they were less polite about their disinterest, not even bothering to applaud as they went about their day. The bears yawned, the wildcats lazed, and the bunnies burrowed wherever they pleased in their efforts to find somewhere comfortable to rest. Even sweet Ping Ping had lain her head down in the grass, her beak nestled as close to Lord Husband as she could without accidentally pushing him aside and eyes slowly blinking in complete and utter indifference to Luo-Luo’s performance.
All while Lord Husband snuggled his three brides to be, out on the open field where anyone could see.
So shameless, sitting there with Sister Mila in one arm, Sister Yan in the other, and sweet Lin-Lin nestled comfortably in his lap. They looked so snug and comfy in his embrace, with fiery Mila down to a smouldering heat and chipper Yan reclined in sensual leisure. Lin-Lin looked like she always did, bright and cheery as she leaned into Lord Husband’s chest, leaving his back as the only unoccupied spot, but while Sister Song hadn’t quite taken it for herself, she sat close enough to keep anyone else from claiming it in her stead. There was still some distance between them, but judging from the way the half-cat hugged sweet Sarankho in her arms, that distance might soon disappear in the coming weeks as Song came to realize her own feelings towards Lord Husband. It was almost adorable how no one else noticed, but having spent weeks alongside them on the front lines, Luo-Luo would be a fool not to see how well they got along, able to sit alongside one another in comfortable silence while going about their work or silently coordinate while grooming the animals. His interest was obvious from the way he smiled while watching her from the side, but for some strange reason, he would always look away when he caught himself, and even inwardly scold himself for his attentions.
So he wasn’t entirely without a conscience, just mostly, the heartless cad.
Finally noticing Luo-Luo’s performance had ended, Lord Husband gave her a brief smile before glancing around at his animals. “It didn’t work,” he announced, stating the obvious as if Luo-Luo might’ve missed it, and she choked back a strangled scream of frustration. “Aside from the cattle, the animals aren’t interested in your song. Did any of you feel anything?” Sisters Mila, Yan, Li-Li, and Lin-Lin all shook their heads, and Lord Husband blew out a long and unhappy sigh. “Well... why not? It was a perfectly fine piece.”
Luo-Luo wanted to ask him the same question regarding herself, but now was not the time. “This one does not know.”
Her reply came out tense and stilted, but he took her frustration in stride. “Weird.” Resting his chin on Lin-Lin’s shoulder, he sank deep into thought while cuddling with his three beloved brides to be and leaving his unloved concubine to languish in loneliness. “...Were you putting your emotion into the music?”
No, she was just an empty-headed little lady who’d forgotten to keep his one suggestion in mind, but allowances must be made because her large breasts were monopolizing all the sustenance meant for her brain. Keeping her pithy remarks to herself, she instead pretended to think as if he’d raised a valid concern and said, “Insofar as this one can tell, Lord Husband, but emotion is not a quantifiable substance one can simply insert into one’s music. If it were so easy, this one would not have taken the better part of a decade to complete her ‘Rise to Glory’.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted using such a curt tone. Her statement bordered on criticism and contempt, and while Lord Husband was not so unkind as to punish her for her insubordination, it was not a good habit for a despised courtesan to fall into. Smiling to show he took no offence, Lord Husband sheepishly nodded and took her statement in stride. “Yea, I don’t really understand it either. Those old fo– " Interrupted by a stiff jab from Sister Yan’s elbow, Lord Husband quickly corrected his statement. “Those wise and venerable warriors didn’t exactly come out and agree with me, but they didn’t disagree when I said using Chi was about emotion, visualization, intent, and faith. Those middle two I understand, but I have no idea how to consciously put emotion and faith to use. What’s more, I’m not allowed to talk about faith with anyone, because doing so might negatively impact their martial path, so the only option left is to study emotion. This is stupid. If you can’t discuss your faith for fear of losing it, then I’d say there’s a problem with your faith, not my views. Plus...”
While Lord Husband continued with his sullen tirade, Luo-Luo marvelled at how only he would dare refer to such esteemed warriors as ‘old fogeys’. That said, after seeing them interact today at lunch, Luo-Luo was fairly certain those dignified elders wouldn’t cut ties with Lord Husband over an off-hand remark, because their relationship was far more complicated than mere acquaintances. Her heart had skipped a beat when, in the middle of their meal, Lord Husband slammed his chopsticks down and clutched his head with a groan. “Please shut up,” he’d shouted, instantly silencing all small talk at the table and even the rest of the restaurant outside their private room. The outburst was hardly called for since no one had been shouting or even paying Lord Husband any mind, but then he continued in a more cordial tone. “For the love of all that is holy, if you’re all going to Send advice, please coordinate with one another and work out a schedule. I can’t listen to so many different lectures at the same time.”
Which put everything in a new light and filled Luo-Luo’s chest with pride. Her Lord Husband Falling Rain was being advised by some of the most powerful warriors in the North and Central, but it should hardly come as a surprise. Take Lieutenant General Du Min Gyu, for example, who was Sister Yan’s adoptive Grandfather. While gruff in demeanour and sharp of tongue, he had a vested interest in seeing Lord Husband returned to full strength, or failing this, keep his condition from deteriorating back to how he was before this last visit to Sinuji. Anyone with eyes could see the love and affection Du Min Gyu had for Sister Yan, and what doting grand-father would be happy to see his beloved grand-daughter married to a cripple?
Then there was Colonel General Nian Zu, whose roving eye landed on Luo-Luo far more often than she’d like, though his glances lacked the predatory intent most men had when looking at her. No, instead he studied her as one would study a puzzle or riddle, as if gazing upon a curiosity he couldn’t quite fathom. On the surface, his relationship to Lord Husband was merely that of Father-in-Law’s immediate supervisor, but the grizzled soldier behaved more like a stern, silent uncle instead, and Luo-Luo noted he had to hide his laughter more than once while they ate. The good Colonel General approved of Lord Husband, and perhaps even liked him, though only the Mother knew why. Lord Husband barely paid the Colonel General the respect his rank and reputation deserved, and even then it was only when reminded. Perhaps that in and of itself was the reason; separated from Clan and bereft of family, when was the last time Colonel General Situ Nian Zu had been so intimate and familiar with someone from the younger generation?
As for Major General Han BoHai, he was the least enthusiastic of the bunch, but much like he himself had opted to follow Colonel General Nian Zu, his nephew Han BoShui had chosen to attach himself to Lord Husband, and the Major General doted upon young BoShui like a son. The uncle and nephew duo were two men cut from the same cloth, both hulking, gargantuan warriors who walked softly and smiled brightly, yet their every action still radiated the threat of violence. It was simply steeped into their very being, a part of themselves they could never set down, unlike Sister Mila’s equally imposing yet jovial and reassuring father, who seemed harmless as a fly even while carrying two bears around with ease. Still, so long as the Colonel General commanded it and Han BoShui desired it, Han BoHai would stand firmly with the Bekhai, and in turn, with Lord Husband.
Then again, it wouldn’t hurt if her foolish Lord Husband was more gracious about receiving their aid. Perhaps Luo-Luo would have a word with Lord Husband and suggest he find some way to thank those esteemed warriors for the efforts. Wine or art perhaps, or female companionship for those three lonely, aged bachelors...
“Hello? Knock knock? Is Luo-Luo in there?”
Coming out of her thoughts with a start, it took long seconds for Luo-Luo to realize Lord Husband was still talking to her. “This one offers her most humble apologies,” she said, only belatedly remembering not to kowtow or cower. He didn’t like that, said it made him feel like a monstrous tyrant, though she could see he still took pleasure in being dominant. Most men did, for it was simply how they were. “Could you repeat the question?”
“On an emotional level,” he began, amused by her embarrassment but magnanimous enough not to tease, “What do you feel while playing... what was that lively song you just played?”
“Ah, the piece is titled ‘High Mountains and Running Rivers’.” Knowing her answer might help Lord Husband find his footing on the Martial Path, Luo-Luo stopped to consider her words carefully. It was too much to ask of her, for she knew nothing of what he spoke of. Her mastery over Chi was utterly nonexistent, unable to consciously use it to do even the most basic of tasks whether it be Reinforcement, Lightening, Reverberation or what have you. That wasn’t to say she couldn’t use Chi at all, because according to Sister Yan, Luo-Luo could do all of the above and more, albeit unconsciously during their spars and with nothing which even remotely resembled consistency. In her own experience, Luo-Luo merely felt the notes falling into place, a perfect harmony during which she could act in the midst of heated sparring, but outside of it, she had yet to succeed even once at anything.
Thus, without any knowledge or experience to draw upon, she couldn’t say whether her answer would be helpful or harmful to Lord Husband, but seeing how Sister Mila and Yan remained silent on the subject, Luo-Luo could only grit her teeth and answer honestly. “It is a relatively simple piece this one learned early on and my handmaidens and little Tali have been learning of late. Lord Husband asked this one to merely play, so – ”
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Falling silent at the sight of Lord Husband shaking his head, she slumped in her seat and tried not to pout. “No, don’t tell me about the piece. Tell me about your emotions while playing it.”
Luo-Luo had been trying to before he so rudely interrupted, but throwing a tantrum would not get her anywhere. “As this one was trying to say, she does not feel much regarding the piece. It is simply something this one learned and practised, and since Lord Husband made no specific request, this one simply took the opportunity to perform the piece for those learning it.”
“So it’s not a demanding song to play,” Lord Husband stated, once again grasping the obvious. “Something you’ve played hundreds of times before, I assume?” Seeing her nod, he continued, “Would you say you felt bored while playing it? Frustrated maybe?” The latter perhaps, but not because of the song, yet she merely nodded again. “And how do you feel when playing ‘Rise to Glory’?”
Oh joy, he remembered the name this time. How kind of him. Again, she stopped to carefully consider her answer, and Lord Husband didn’t rush her along. “Pride,” she finally admitted, fastening her cloak tighter around her shoulders. “And accomplishment. This one feels both while playing ‘Rise to Glory’, for it is a song of my own creation, one which garnered a standing ovation from the Emperor Himself.” Closing her eyes, she sank deep into the memory, one of darkness and breathlessness as she kowtowed before the Emperor with her eyes fastened shut, unable to believe what she’d seen with her own eyes yet unwilling to let it all be dream, as if she could will it into reality if needed.
Then came those long years of seclusion and solitude as the Imperial Servant too talented to serve, a lesson to the younger generation to not stand out too much. “Sorrow and misery too,” she added, for it was the truth now that she’d finished the piece. Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath and met Lord Husband’s eyes, so bright and beautiful while focused in thought. “But ultimately, triumph and joy.” Because she’d found her place in the world, firmly at Lord Husband’s side even if he did not want her. “Laced with hollow melancholy and bitter acceptance.”
“That... is... a lot of emotions.” Glancing around at his beloved brides-to-be and the sleepy animals around him, he asked, “Do you think your boredom with the first piece is what lulled everyone to sleep? It was a snappy song, but even the cattle are less enthusiastic than normal.” With an amused smile, he added, “Except Big Mac, of course. He’s still tippy tapping away.”
Tippy tapping, how oddly fitting. Taking a moment to appreciate Big Mac’s dainty dance, Luo-Luo fell silent to consider Lord Husband’s implication, that she’d once again poured her emotions into her music and thus rendered them... not quite comatose, but lethargic at the very least. She’d done something very similar on the first day of the new year, played a tune to shock and calm the mob Lord Husband had whipped up with his generosity, but it’d been a mundane effort then, something of music and timing rather than Chi and emotion. Then again, perhaps not, for she might have also inadvertently put her magical, musical talent to use. The problem was, whether it was while calming the mob then, playing for an audience many times since, or playing for the cattle and little Tali today, Luo-Luo never felt anything out of place. There was no sense of Chi billowing out from her Core or emotions being emitted out to the crowd, all she did was sit down with her zither and pluck out the proper notes, just as she’d done thousands upon thousands of times before, so how could she take pride in her inadvertent accomplishment? She felt nothing mystical or supernatural about it, yet there was obviously something going on while she played ‘Rise to Glory’.
Could it have happened once again while playing ‘High Mountains and Running Rivers’? Why didn’t she notice it herself? Then again, she never noticed when she inadvertently Reinforced herself for a strike or sent waves of Reverberation out from her mace, so perhaps this was more of the same. How odd. No wonder Lord Husband was so perplexed, for Chi was a strange and mysterious thing indeed.
Unable to provide a proper answer, Luo-Luo decided to test Lord Husband’s theory out instead. After coming up with a plan, she settled her fingers over the strings and smiled at her small audience. “Listen carefully,” she said, though she refrained from barking the statement at Lord Husband when she saw his hands straying lower along Mila and Yan’s waists. “And make note of your emotions while I play.” Else this would all be a wasted effort. It wasn’t quite ‘playing the lute for a cow’, because whoever coined the idiom had obviously never tried it themselves, else it would not have the meaning of taking action without considering one’s audience. Nor was it quite like casting pearls before swine, for she did not have so high an opinion of her musical talents that she would liken her Lord Husband and future sister-wives as swine, but there was no other suitable idiom which fit.
Realizing she was delaying for fear of failure, Luo-Luo took a deep breath to settle her nerves and started to play. A trilling, ascending chorus opened the song and set the tone of the piece, one of lighthearted whimsy and fanciful optimism. ‘Whispers of Change’ was a jovial tune, and much like ‘High Mountains and Running Rivers’, it was easy to play, making it perfect for this particular test. While the cheery and upbeat notes cascaded out from her zither, Luo-Luo stilled her mind and reached deep inside to free the self-imposed restraints on her resentment, restraints which until now had barely been keeping it all in place. Mother knows she had plenty to spare, from Lord Husband’s continued neglect and Sister Yan’s daily abuse, being barred from Lord Husband’s bedroom and subjected to Mother-in-law’s silent disapproval, putting up with leering dandies and Nian Zu’s calculating gaze, but now Luo-Luo intended to set it loose upon the world and share it with everyone listening.
As a test. Because it was the one emotion she had in abundance and it went counter to the song’s lively melody which meant it would be easy to identify as out of place. This was not at all because she wanted Lord Husband to feel the depths of her indignation or subject everyone else to what she’d been repressing all this time, languishing away in the shadows while they enjoyed Lord Husband’s love and affections. She’d come so close before leaving for Sinuji, had him literally reaching out to take her, when that damnable Abbot came in and ruined everything. Since then, there’d been no chance for Luo-Luo to try again, and even if she did it might not work now that Lord Husband was guarded against it. Doubly so with Sister Yan and Mila clinging to him like brazen harlots dragging a wealthy, would-be customer back to the brothel. Then there was Lord Husband himself, so utterly disinterested in Luo-Luo’s womanly charms that even in a fugue and instinctive state, he would rather cuddle his pets than take her as a man takes a woman.
It wasn’t that she wanted him to do that, out there on the battlefield in plain sight of thousands, but she would’ve been willing. Except stupid Falling Rain cared more about his stupid furry pets than his pitiful, unwanted concubine, a poor, unappreciated woman who only wanted to be loved. Was it too much to ask for her idiot Lord Husband to offer her a simple kiss? He gave so many to his pets, even making sure every rabbit got a kiss goodnight before bed, yet all Luo-Luo got was a kind word and polite smile, the same he offered to the household servants and restaurant waiters...
And then the song came to an abrupt end, or rather it felt abrupt to Luo-Luo who’d been playing with nothing but muscle memory while lost in her resentment. As she came to her senses, she was struck by a wave of panic and terror as she wondered what might happen if her efforts paid off and she’d somehow successfully shared her emotions with her listening audience. Little Tali and Tate might not understand, but even dense as he was, Lord Husband would surely realize where Luo-Luo’s resentment stemmed from, or at the very least wonder what she might have to resent. It wasn’t too far a leap in logic to think he might be offended by her displeasure, for even a man as humble and magnanimous as he had his pride.
Closing her eyes once more, she stilled her trembling body just as she stilled her thoughts, reaching for calm Balance to help clear her mind of turmoil. Her fears were unfounded; not only was Lord Husband immune to her musical Chi talents, the emotions imparted by them were not so specific. No one would know the source of her resentment or any details of her memories, only the emotion itself. Mister Rustram had said it best, that her ‘Rise to Glory’ had resonated with him and brought up memories of his own, memories of struggle and adversity, triumph and celebration, a personal experience not at all connected to Luo-Luo’s own.
Besides, even if Lord Husband knew everything about how Luo-Luo felt, he wasn’t the sort to punish her in a fit of pique. At most, he would ignore her even more, perhaps even force her to live in a different manor, which while cruel, would not be so terrible if only so she wouldn’t have to listen to him and Yan every night...
Having gathered her wits about her, she opened her eyes once more to find sweet Aurie directly in front of her. “Mwar?” he mewled, tilting his head as if to ask if she were alright, and Luo-Luo couldn’t help but giggle at his silly, concerned expression. Cupping his cheeks and smoothing his whiskers, she pulled him close for a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Jimjam was there too, seated with his back towards her while giving her a long suffering look, as if it were beneath him to allow her to touch him, but he would permit it just this once. Even Banjo and Baloo seemed mildly concerned as they watched with wide-eyed stares, though not concerned enough to remove themselves from their snuggled embrace and risk crushing the bunnies napping around them.
“Well,” Lord Husband said, grinning from ear to ear, “Care to share what you’ve discovered?”
Flushing at the sight of his smile, Luo-Luo stammered, “It’s... difficult to explain.”
“It always is.”
Reassured by his good humour, she briefly went over her thoughts and said, “This one set out to focus on one emotion and try to share it with everyone involved, but somewhere along the way... this one lost track of her emotions. Instead of merely thinking about the emotion, in this case my resentment, I submersed myself within it, and I experienced it all again as if reliving through those moments. It wasn’t just on my mind, but rather it became a part of my being and who I was, if only for a few short moments.” Flushing, she shook her head and raised her hands in a muted gesture of surrender. “This one lacks the words to explain it. It just... happened, as naturally as breathing.”
A quick query and glance around showed that only the animals had been affected. Not all of them were affected either, for not only were the bunnies and Guardian Turtle completely unmoved, even the sweet cattle were untouched by Luo-Luo’s dark mood. Auburn Wendy was still swaying her braids, Big Mac was still tip tapping away, and the rest of the cattle were similarly pleased by the bright and lively tune. Why only the wildcats and bears were affected, no one could say, but Lord Husband didn’t seem put off by the limited effect. “This is good,” he said, already deep in thought and she allowed herself to take satisfaction in the meagre compliment. “So now we know Luo-Luo can use her music like an Aura, which is something to explore. More to the point, the process sounds a lot like how I use my emotional Aura, which means Oration is probably related to Aura. Even the results are similar, able to tailor the projected emotion and even affect animals. Don’t worry about it not working on some, not all animals understand all emotions, so maybe the cows and bunnies are just too... I don’t want to say simple-minded, but perhaps they’re too direct and forthright to understand resentment.”
Considering she’d seen Mama Bun attack her children over having her food stolen away, Luo-Luo wasn’t entirely sure Lord Husband was right, but she didn’t want to bring it up for fear of spoiling his mood. Besides, he loved that vicious bunny something fierce and believed she could do no wrong, always coddling her in his arms and going on about her adorable actions. To be fair, he also loved his other rabbits almost as much, unlike how Luo-Luo was neglected and unloved while her sister-wives were spoiled for attention.
Hmm... perhaps letting her resentment out hadn’t been the best idea, because now she was finding it difficult to bottle back up...
Though a compassionate and caring woman, Mila was practical to a fault, as evidenced by her asking, “So how does this help?”
“Honestly?” Lord Husband replied, shrugging while absently staring off into the distance. “No idea. But it’s something. Aura has always been the piece that stood out on the Martial Path, and it’s always the exceptions that proves the rule.” Hearing Mila’s scoff, he snapped back to the moment and said, “It’s true though. In nature, the mere presence of an exception means a general rule exists. Then, by studying that exception and how it gets around the rule, you can better understand why that rule is in place.”
A... curious outlook, but not without its logic, twisted and peculiar as it might be.
“Aura is the key,” Lord Husband said, nodding sagely even as Mila and Yan traded doubting looks. “It’s the piece that doesn’t fit, so once I figure out why it doesn’t fit, I’ll be closer to an answer. Maybe. Emotion, visualization, intent, and faith. Hmm... respectively, I’d pair each one with Aura, Natal Palace, Domain, and Core, but that’s a weird order. If it’s Core, Aura, Natal Palace, and Domain, then it should be faith, emotion, visualization, and intent, but that doesn’t make sense either. And now I’m just looking for patterns where there are none, which isn’t all too helpful.” Shaking his head to clear his mind, he smiled warmly at Luo-Luo and said, “Thank you for your efforts. It’s given me plenty to think about. You’ve come a long way on the Martial Path and I look forward to your future achievements.”
As delighted as she was to accept his high evaluation, her stomach flopped about in terror at the thought of fighting the Defiled. “Thank you, Lord Husband,” she began, wondering how to best extricate herself from this mess, but then Kuang Biao interrupted and saved her from the attempt.
“Legate Shen Zhen Wu summons Falling Rain,” the former Royal Guardian declared. There was no need to add ‘immediately’, for any summons must be obeyed with all haste, but only Lord Husband had been called, so Luo-Luo could do naught but bid him farewell and twist her hands in apprehension as he left with Kuang Biao and the Guardian Turtle in tow. Hopefully, he would remember his manners, and maybe even behave with proper decorum, because he would need every advantage he could get.
Falling Rain was meant to be a sacrificial pawn, so despite all the good that had come from his survival, his continued existence meant Shen Zhen Wu was forced to make efforts to protect him. Luo-Luo was certain the future Azure Emperor was not someone who liked to be forced into anything, despite what her teacher said about how some powerful men enjoyed being submissive in the bedroom.
Wait... Was Lord Husband one such man? Someone who wanted to be dominated in private? Sister Mila and Sister Yan were both powerful, overbearing personalities, so perhaps Luo-Luo was onto something. Forget laying naked in his bed and waiting for him to throw himself into the net, perhaps she should be more assertive and barge into his room to take him, even if Sister Yan was already there...
No, Luo-Luo would never have the courage to do such a thing, not in a thousand years...
Then again, desperate times called for desperate measures, and she was nothing if not desperate...
Chapter Meme