The Fall of Wei and Shu
Chapter 6
Lu Xun stood in his small quarters rereading, for the fourteenth time, the letter from Ai Rong. His mind spun still with the thought of the new responsibility set before him. What would he do when he got home? How would he be able to let his wife campaign again after the birth of the child, for fear of her capture or death. Surely she would be angry, but she would understand. After all, the Qiao sisters had given up their own lives of battle after they had children.
He turned to his small writing desk and picked up his brush, chewing the bamboo on the end for a moment before wetting the brush and beginning to write.
My Honored Wife,
Lu Xun looked at the greeting for a moment, then crossed out the line with a smile. She had never been one to use titles or the stilted writing of nobles. No, his Ai was the one who told crude jokes with her brother, then would play with the children of Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, then sit quietly talking to Zhou Tai…
Beloved Ai Rong,
I received your news and was overjoyed. Your brother almost killed me when he congratulated me, hitting my back so hard that I nearly toppled your adopted father. They both send you their congratulations and love.
I have to say, I was unsure if you and I would ever be able to… have children.
Anyway, how has everything been with Shang Xiang? Has father been pestering you with his 'preperation for the baby' talk? He treated all my sisters and sisters-in-law to that talk every time they found out they were pregnant. You'll be sick of him soon.
Things are going well here, I suppose. The battle should be over in another month or so. Soon we'll be back home, and you and I can start preparing. Ha, I'm sounding like my father now.
Goodbye for now, my heart
Xun
He reread the letter and made a face. He had never been much of a letter writer, and was sure that this would attest to that. He sighed and dried the ink, deciding that he might as well send the letter and let his wife laugh at his lamentable writing skills rather than suffer the wrath of her brother… Gan Ning had pretty much ordered the younger man to go and write to Ai Rong, giving him a look that promised a lot of pain if he was not obeyed.
Handing the tightly rolled letter to his messenger, absently touching the bell that was given to him by Ai Rong all that time ago sewed to the bottom of his sash. He turned back into his quarters and cast a glance at his swords and sighed. He was well aware that women were in constant danger while pregnant, and even more while they gave birth. Now he was feeling his insides twist with worry as he lay down and looked up at the dark canvas over him.
There would be no sleep tonight…
