Watching the two women being chased and beaten by the second sister-in-law, Luo Shu anxiously said, "Second Brother, please stop Second Sister-in-law! This is the palace—such a commotion will anger the Emperor!"
Luo Jingfeng didn’t care. He scoffed, "Third Sister, when you first entered the palace and were bullied by these lowly women, did the Emperor ever punish them?"
Luo Shu froze.
Luo Jingfeng continued coldly, "No! Not once! For the sake of their fathers and brothers, he gave them nothing more than a light scolding—no real punishment at all! Now that power is in our hands, why shouldn’t they taste the same bitterness?"
Luo Jingfeng burned with hatred. Every grievance his sister had suffered, he remembered it all.
The more he thought, the angrier he became. "Beat them harder!" he ordered.
Lu Zhu responded cheerfully, "Yes, sir!"
The concubines’ screams grew even louder than before.
"You two…" Luo Shu was stunned by their seamless teamwork. She had never seen a couple like this.
How… how could a wife be even more obedient than a subordinate?
With Luo Jingfeng blocking her, Luo Shu couldn’t intervene. She could only watch helplessly as the two women were beaten bloody. Lu Zhu refused to stop, slapping them repeatedly across the mouth, even contemplating how to tear their lips apart.
"The Emperor arrives!"
A man in bright yellow imperial robes stormed in. Seeing Lu Zhu still assaulting the concubines, he roared, "Restrain this madwoman at once!"
Luo Jingfeng narrowed his eyes.
"Stop. Come here."
Lu Zhu obeyed only him, trotting over eagerly.
Seeing her hands covered in blood, Luo Jingfeng took out a handkerchief and wiped them clean. Lu Zhu was so overjoyed she could barely keep her eyes open!
Heavens! Look, look!
Her husband was wiping her hands!
Even with all this blood, he wasn’t disgusted—he even cleaned them over and over!
Lu Zhu was practically floating with happiness.
The Emperor fumed, "Great General of Pacifying the West, what is the meaning of this? Rampaging through the palace?"
Luo Jingfeng turned his head arrogantly. "Your Majesty, look carefully—this is Consort Shu’s palace. These two insulted both her and me, and by extension, you. I defended our nation against You Country, yet this is the treatment I receive? If the soldiers under my command knew, their fury would surpass mine."
The two men locked eyes—one burning with rage, the other with cold, haughty restraint.
Their mutual loathing was no secret.
Finally, the Emperor forced a smile. "The Great General speaks rightly. Insulting a meritorious official is unforgivable. Guards—strip these two of their titles and banish them to the cold palace."
Concubine Hui and Concubine Shu could no longer speak, only whimper pathetically.
Luo Shu’s heart ached. The punishment was too severe—their families would surely blame her brother.
The Emperor’s decree eased his anger slightly—until Luo Jingfeng spoke again.
"Your Majesty, I hold the rank of first-grade general, yet my wife has no title. I humbly request you bestow upon her the honor of a first-grade noble consort."
"You—!" The Emperor nearly choked on his fury.
This madwoman had humiliated not just two concubines, but his own imperial dignity. And now Luo Jingfeng had the audacity to demand a noble title for her?
A title for slapping the Emperor’s face?!
Fuming, the Emperor clenched his jaw. But Luo Jingfeng remained unshaken, as if the first to flinch would lose.
"Fine… fine! Granted! I name her first-grade noble consort!" The Emperor ordered the decree drafted through gritted teeth.
Luo Jingfeng bowed. "My gratitude, Your Majesty."
The Emperor gnashed his molars, mind racing with schemes to tear this rebellious traitor limb from limb.
Outside the palace, by their carriage, Lu Zhu bounced with excitement. "Husband! You’re too good to me! A first-grade noble title! Even my great-great-great-grandfather, the general, his wife never got one—and mine’s the highest rank!"
Her voice carried, drawing stares.
Luo Jingfeng glared. "Get in the carriage. Stop embarrassing yourself."
"Right, right!" She scrambled inside but kept squirming with joy, as if she might break into a martial arts routine.
Luo Jingfeng’s expression remained dark.
He cared nothing for the title—it was only to spite the Emperor. Lu Zhu’s elation annoyed him further.
Now that she had higher status, maybe she’d stop clinging to him.
Upon returning home, he went straight to his concubine’s quarters. True to his hopes, Lu Zhu didn’t follow or try to drag him away.
He thought: Now that she has the title, she’s dropped the act.
Good. He never wanted it anyway.
Better to end things early.
Ten days passed without a visit from him.
Lu Zhu rested her chin on her hand, muttering, "Why hasn’t husband come to see me? He secured my title, and I’ve been so considerate not to bother him. Shouldn’t he love me more now?"
A maid asked gently, "My lady, shall I summon the Great General for you?"
Lu Zhu stood. "I’ll go myself!"
But before she could step out, a servant rushed in. "My lady! Urgent news from the border—the Great General must lead the army to war again!"
"What?!" Lu Zhu paled. "So soon? He just returned!"
She sprinted to the gates, catching only a distant glimpse of Luo Jingfeng’s back as he prepared to depart.
"Husband!" she cried, lunging forward.
He turned, his voice icy. "Get lost."
Lu Zhu froze.
Servants and guards watched awkwardly—this was the first time he’d publicly spoken to her so harshly.
She grabbed his hand desperately. "Husband, what’s wrong? I just heard you’re leaving—I came to see you off."
Luo Jingfeng’s tone was frigid. "I don’t need it. Stay away."
He shook her off and rode away without looking back.
Lu Zhu stood at the gates until his figure vanished.
A maid whispered, "My lady, it’s cold. Let’s go inside—the young master is waiting."
Her heart felt heavy.
"I don’t understand…" She hung her head. "Has he grown tired of me?"
The maid reassured her, "It must be the border crisis weighing on him. The Great General just secured your title—he wouldn’t turn on you so quickly."
Lu Zhu sighed. "I should’ve gone to him earlier. Now he’ll be gone for years again… more scars, more battles… Why must there always be war?"
She couldn’t fathom it.
But soon, the Prince of Southern Pacification arrived in the capital.
Before leaving, Luo Jingfeng had visited Luo Shu. With tensions high between him and the Emperor, he couldn’t leave his sister unprotected—so he’d written to the Prince.
Two more years passed.
On the eve of Luo Jingfeng’s return, tragedy struck.
Luo Shu was found dead in the palace—a suicide, her body already cold. The Prince of Southern Pacification raged, demanding the Emperor investigate, but the verdict remained unchanged.
There were no traces of poison on Luo Shu's body, nor any signs of struggle from being harmed by another. The only wound was a dagger plunged into her chest—its position and the angle of the entry unmistakably self-inflicted.
She had... taken her own life.
