We can't afford to have any more spies around us.

Lu Yingjie pinched the top of his nose gently "She has to be careful, the Emperor is watching us closely".

"I guess he has gotten tired of keeping a low profile in our lives. What provoked him this time" Lu Yong said.

"My last battle, the Emperor was hoping I would be killed when the camp was attacked," Lu Yaozhu replied. 

Lu Yong sighed "How long are we going to take this Jingjie? The Emperor is exhausting all means just to subdue us".

Lu Yaozhu replied "Don't worry about me, I know when to let go" 

Lu Yong was satisfied with his elder brother's answer, he nodded then replied "don't worry about mother she will come around".

"mm"

Lu Yaozhu discussed other things with his brothers before leaving to meet his mother. 

******

His mother laid on her side on the recliner when he walked into her room. Li Yaozhu rode hard from the training camp back to the capital for three hours. It was nearing 7 pm when he got home.

The weather got hotter earlier in the day, his mother had changed into a simpler set of clothes. She leaned to her right on the chair, resting her head on her upraised arm, her elbow placed on the wooden armrest. Her eyes were shut, her face relaxed.

The young maid standing next to her made a move to wake her but he stopped her. His mother was always on her feet, doing one thing or another. It was rare to see her like this, she looked exhausted. She must have been thinking too much 

Madam Lu looked up when she noticed the movement of a shadow past the light. "Yaozhu!" She cried out and got up from her chair. She walked to him and grabbed both of his hands, she raised. She looked at her maid and asked "why didn't you alert me of his presence".

The maid gulped, she was a relatively new maid in the Duke's manor. She wasn't used to everything yet and didn't know how to respond. She stuttered "I_I" when Lu Yaozhu replied, "don't be too hard on her mother, I stopped her from alerting you. I wanted to give you more time to rest".

Madam touched his cheeks gently "How sweet of you". She frowned when her hands moved up "You lost weight Yaozhu" she stepped back and gave him a thorough look down "Look at you now you are all fresh and bones now."

Lu Yaozhu smiled and replied, "I was only gone a few days mum, it is nothing".

"Nothing?!" She stepped back and looked at him eyes narrowed "Let me be the judge of that".

She once again turned to the young maid and instructed her to inform the kitchen to make all of the second young master's favourite foods. The maid nodded and rushed out to deliver the instructions.

Lu Yaozhu led his mother to her seat "mother please have a seat. You shouldn't only worry about us mothers, you should take care of yourself too". 

Madam Lu sighed bitterly "How can I not worry about you all when his majesty keeps taking shots at you all. Your younger brother is about to take the imperial examination for the fourth time. If he fails again, I don't know if he will be able to take it again. You know that your brother is a scholar and not a fighter.

"And then there is your elder brother's marriage, he is definitely up to something baby making him marry that cold-hearted Zhu First Miss. Let us not forget his delay in sending in reinforcements during your last battle. 

"Your father is dead and even if he was alive, I can no longer give birth. You and your brothers and sister are the only descendants of the Lu family. None of you has any children, if anything happens to you all, that is the end of our Lu family".

"Don't say something like that mother, nothing will happen to us" he consoled.

She paused her lips and then said "I hope so, that is why we have to act quickly. We can't let the Emperor put another spy in the family. Zhu Fengyin is already enough for us to hassle. Since he is in league with Minister Zhu, why don't you marry Zhu Fenfang. Fenfang isn't as rotten as the rest of the Zhu family, she is very sweet.

"The two of you also get along well plus she is my sister's only child. Ever since my younger sister died I feel somewhat responsible for her. My younger sister died of an illness she got while protecting me that year, I can't let her down. Marry Fenfang and start having your own children, you aren't getting any older."

Lu Yaozhu pulled back slowly, after some thought, she replied "Mother, let us get the elder brother's marriage settled. We can worry about mine later, let us avoid getting ahead of ourselves".

She watched him silently for some minutes and nodded "alright, let us do as you say". She was familiar with her son's temperament, he had gotten tired of the conversation. Lu Yaozhu was this close to making up his mind, it won't do to irritate him. That will just make him more stubborn.

Minutes later when everyone had calmed down She said "I paid a visit to the Empress at the palace earlier today, her majesty had a relapse from an old sickness. She had gotten better after taking some drugs. 

"Yingjie and Yong'er accompanied me for the visit. You should also visit her when you can. Ever since the first princess and crown prince moved out of the palace, she had been alone. Your aunt is very fond of you, Yaozhu. Please visit her often, she misses you".

"The first princess may have married far away but the crown prince is still in the capital"

"The crown prince is busy with his official duties and if you remember Yaozhu, the Empress isn't his biological mother. They aren't that close, not like you are to her since you are related by blood" his mother said.

"It is because we are related by blood that I don't want to visit her often. The Emperor is suspicious of our Lu family, the Empress is also a member of the family. I fear that frequent association with us could be detrimental to her marriage".

His mother nodded "I guess you are right. how can I forget that ''.

Lu Yaozhu ate dinner with his mother then returned to his room. He called it a night when he got to his room.