"Those attacks, you planned them all, didn't you?" Jin Quan added, "How did you know where to strike? How did you predict their moves so accurately?" Others joined in.
"And why didn't you act before?" someone asked. "If you're this skilled, why did you let Mulan fight for you in the earlier battles?"
Jin Mulan glanced at him quietly but said nothing. Then came the biggest shock. "The Xu family," Jin Su said slowly. "We heard the news." Her voice lowered. "Almost all of them are dead."
Silence fell. "Except the leader and his youngest daughter," Luo He finished. Everyone looked at Luo He. "It was done by the emperor himself," Jin Yang added.
"Public execution." He narrowed his eyes. "How did you manage that?" The room grew tense. "That's no small matter," Jin Quan said. "To influence the emperor to offer such a degree."
Jin Su stepped forward, her curiosity unmistakable. "Yes, I will explain," Luo He said calmly, glancing at everyone. A brief pause. "First, I am going to sleep with my wife."
The room fell silent. Jin Yang blinked. Jin Quan let out a slow breath, clearly holding back a reaction. Jin Su simply stared at him awkwardly.
Jin Mulan rushed to explain, her face flushing with embarrassment. "He meant rest, mother. We simply sleep next to each other for comfort, nothing more.
"Mother, I've missed having him close, and pregnancy makes sleep difficult. That's it." The implication lingered.
Any man who would demand such things from a pregnant woman was considered dishonorable in the eyes of most people.
Before anyone could speak further, Luo He turned to Jin Mulan. "Come wifey." He said softly, his tone gentle and very reassuring.
Jin Mulan didn't argue. She simply followed him, grateful for his understanding.
They walked through the quiet corridors of the mansion. The evening light filtered through the wooden windows, casting long shadows along the walls. Servants lowered their heads as they passed.
And Luo He caught the knowing glances the women exchanged. Inside their room, he closed the door and turned to her with a slight smile.
One that suggested he understood perfectly well what he had implied downstairs. Jin Mulan's eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him.
"You knew exactly what you were saying," she said, her tone a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Speaking to him as one might guide someone willfully ignorant.
"Is it improper?" He asked casually, as if genuinely uncertain. "To be intimate while you are carrying our child?" Luo He asked.
Jin Mulan studied him for a moment, then stepped closer. "No." She said with a soft, knowing smile and she had those cute, red bedroom eyes of hers. It was intising.
"It's not improper at all. If my husband asks, I'm willing. I've missed you a little too." She said softly. Luo He raised an eyebrow. "I asked just to see your knowledge on it."
"Well, I knew." She replied proudly. "Pregnant women also need a little exercise." She said seductively. He moved closer, his gaze steady.
"It's safe, provided there are no complications." The way he spoke with clinical precision about blood flow and physical strain, revealed more than words could. He had studied such things.
She met his eyes, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "There's nothing to worry about." She said, her voice turning seductive as she reached for him. "Between us, there's nothing at all."
Luo He finally relaxed. "I'm tired," he said, exhaling slowly as he removed his outer robe. "Too many things happening at once." He glanced at her.
"So, would you sleep with me, wife?
I really missed having you next to me."
Jin Mulan looked at him for a moment, her eyes lingering.
"I was waiting for you," she said quietly. A hint of seduction in her voice. A faint smile appeared on his face, but it was gentle, almost oblivious.
He lay down first, stretching slightly before settling into the bed. "Sleep next to me." He said, his tone purely tired. "You deserve rest more than anyone." He added.
She moved closer, perhaps hoping he might change his mind, but he simply pulled her close by the waist and closed his eyes. His exhaustion was genuine.
There was a pause before he continued. "I've studied pregnancy. I understand some things." His tone softened. "But experiencing it, that's entirely different."
Jin Mulan didn't reply. She simply stay beside him. Within moments, both of them fell asleep. The room was quiet and peaceful.
At some point in her sleep, Jin Mulan shifted closer. Her leg rested over him unconsciously, her body seeking comfort. Luo He didn't move.
Night fell.
Luo He opened his eyes. The room was dark, lit only by faint moonlight. He moved gently, careful not to wake her abruptly. "Wife," he said softly. She stirred slightly. "Hmm…"
"Wake up," he said. "It's time." Her eyes opened slowly. She didn't ask questions. Within minutes, they were both ready. He told her, "why does everyone say you're so hard to deal with?"
"I see an obedient little girl." He gave her a small kiss on the forehead, touching her gently. They walked back toward the main hall.
The mansion was no longer quiet. Lanterns had been lit. Servants moved quickly. Guards stood more alert than usual. Inside the main hall, everyone had gathered.
Jin Sang had arrived as well. He stood near the center, arms crossed, expression serious. The moment Luo He entered, all eyes turned toward him.
This time, no one spoke immediately. The air felt heavier, more focused. Jin Quan broke the silence. "We're ready," he said. Luo He walked forward calmly and took his seat.
Jin Mulan sat beside him. He looked around the room. Each face carried a different emotion. Curiosity, doubt, respect, suspicion. "You want answers," Luo He said simply.
No one denied it. He leaned back slightly. "I'll give you some," he continued, "but not all." Jin Sang narrowed his eyes.
"Start with the emperor," he said. "How did you make him execute the Xu family?" Luo He met his gaze. "I didn't make him," he said.
"I gave him a reason he couldn't refuse." Jin Su stepped forward slightly. "What reason?" "A stronger power," Luo He replied. Silence. Jin Quan frowned.
"What do you mean?" Luo He's voice remained calm. "In this world, power isn't just armies or wealth," he said. "It's position and fear."
Jin Sang leaned forward. "So you threatened him?" Jin Su asked. Luo He smiled faintly. "I reminded him of consequences."
The room fell quiet again. Jin Su's eyes sharpened. "You're not just someone with strength," she said slowly. "You come from somewhere higher."
Luo He didn't deny it. "I come from a family," he said. "That the emperor cannot afford to offend." That was all, but it was enough.
Jin Quan inhaled slowly. "That explains a lot." Jin Sang crossed his arms. "And the attacks? The predictions?" Luo He turned slightly. "That's simpler," he said.
"I observe." Jin Sang frowned. "That's it?" "I watch patterns," Luo He continued. "People repeat mistakes. Families act on pride. Enemies reveal themselves when they think they're hidden."
Jin Su nodded slightly. "So you waited until they exposed everything." "Yes." Jin Mulan glanced at him. "And the reason you didn't act earlier?" she asked quietly.
Luo He looked at her. "Because acting too early is worse than acting too late." A pause. "If I'd stepped in too soon," he continued. "We wouldn't know the full extent of our enemies."
Jin Quan slowly nodded. "You let them move so you could see everything. "Yes." Jin Sang let out a quiet breath. "And Mulan?"
He looked at her briefly before returning his gaze to Luo He. "Why let her fight?" Luo He didn't hesitate. "Because she's capable, and she lacked a true purpose to get stronger."
"So I gave her one." Jin Mulan's expression didn't change, but her eyes softened slightly. It was true. She really had lacked a purpose.
She had only ever said she wanted to protect her family, but it was more of an honorable, righteous cause than something she actually believed in.
"And because," Luo He added, "if I protected everything myself, none of you would grow." Silence filled the room again.
This time it was different. There was no doubt now, only understanding. Jin Su spoke again. "You still haven't told us everything." Luo He nodded.
"I won't." No one argued, "because the more you know, the more danger you're in." He said. They understood. Some truths were not meant to be spoken.
Jin Sang stepped forward slightly. His expression had changed. Less suspicion, more interest. "Then teach me," he said. Luo He looked at him.
"Teach you what?" he asked. Jin Sang's eyes sharpened. "Politics. Strategy," he said. A faint smile appeared on Luo He's face.
"That," he said, "can be arranged." Outside, the night remained still. The wind moved gently through the trees, and inside the Jin mansion, a new phase had begun.