The boundaries between the inner and outer palaces of the imperial retreat were clearly defined. For the next half month, Lu Zhuo did not see Wei Rao again.
He didn’t even catch a glimpse of Emperor Yuanjia.
While he remained unnoticed, merely leading a team of guards on patrol duties, a major event unfolded within the retreat.
Li Guiren was elevated to the rank of Imperial Consort, with the title "Shu."
"Shu" signifies goodness and virtue, and when applied to a woman, it praises her beauty and kindness.
Why did Emperor Yuanjia consider Li Guiren beautiful and virtuous?
First, Li Guiren was exceptionally beautiful and greatly pleased the emperor. Second, she had given birth to the Fourth Prince, contributing to the imperial lineage. Third, she was filial toward the Empress Dowager. When the Empress Dowager fell ill, Li Guiren willingly moved to the retreat with the Fourth Prince to pray for her recovery. After the Empress Dowager passed away, she voluntarily remained at the retreat to chant sutras in her honor. Fourth, the Fourth Prince was exceptionally intelligent and well-mannered, a testament to Li Guiren’s skillful upbringing.
Thus, Emperor Yuanjia decided to confer upon Li Guiren the title of Imperial Consort Shu.
To the court officials, Emperor Yuanjia was clearly turning a blind eye to the truth. Among these four reasons, only Li Guiren’s beauty and the birth of the Fourth Prince were factual. Had she truly moved to the retreat out of filial piety for the Empress Dowager? No, she had been sent there because the Empress Dowager disliked her and had schemed to have her removed. As for the Fourth Prince’s intelligence—how could the officials, who had no close interaction with the five-year-old child, determine whether his cleverness was genuine or not?
Emperor Yuanjia simply wanted to elevate Li Guiren to the rank of Imperial Consort.
The officials felt that since Li Guiren had borne the Fourth Prince, promoting her to Consort was sufficient. But making her an Imperial Consort? Wasn’t the emperor’s favor excessive?
Some wished to oppose it, but on what grounds?
Criticize Little Zhou for refusing to remain a widow for her late husband?
However, the court encouraged widows to remarry to boost the population and ensure a steady supply of soldiers for the military. Of course, a widow choosing to remain chaste and care for her deceased husband’s family was also considered virtuous. In other words, a woman who chose widowhood was praised, but remarrying was not considered wrong.
Upon careful consideration, Little Zhou had not committed any actual offense.
If one were to ask how Little Zhou surpassed Consort De, Consort Xian, or Consort Hui, it was her stated reason for moving to the retreat—to pray for the Empress Dowager’s health. When Emperor Yuanjia initially arranged for Little Zhou to relocate to the retreat, the official reason was indeed to chant sutras and pray for the Empress Dowager’s well-being. This included her staying at the retreat for over a year after the Empress Dowager’s passing…
It was only then that everyone realized how deeply Emperor Yuanjia cherished Little Zhou. As early as five years ago, he had already laid the groundwork for her eventual promotion to Imperial Consort.
Should they stubbornly oppose it?
Back when the Empress Dowager so disliked Shou An Jun and Little Zhou, hadn’t Emperor Yuanjia still brought Little Zhou into the harem? If the emperor dared to defy even the Empress Dowager, how would he react if any official tried to dismantle the path he had carefully paved over five years?
Emperor Yuanjia was no newly enthroned emperor; he had reigned for over two decades. The officials exchanged uneasy glances, and no one voiced particularly vehement opposition. Those lukewarm memorials suggesting that Imperial Consort was too high a rank and Consort would suffice were lightly dismissed by Emperor Yuanjia.
Thus, Li Guiren ceased to exist in the palace, replaced solely by Imperial Consort Shu.
After her promotion, Imperial Consort Shu immediately became the emperor’s exclusive favorite at the retreat. Whenever Emperor Yuanjia finished his duties and went to enjoy the retreat’s scenery, he took Imperial Consort Shu with him everywhere.
One evening at dusk, Qi Zhongkai, who had just finished his shift, came to find Lu Zhuo for a drink.After more than half a month of recuperation, Lu Zhuo's knees had long healed, his sun-reddened face had regained its jade-like complexion, and his lips were no longer chapped. In short, he remained as handsome as ever, captivating women and arousing envy in men.
Qi Zhongkai, however, was thoroughly amused by this. As he poured wine for Lu Zhuo, he said, "Today, when the Emperor and the Noble Consort went horseback riding, I followed behind them on the return journey. Guess what I overheard?"
Lu Zhuo drank his wine expressionlessly.
Qi Zhongkai knew it was useless to keep him in suspense. He snorted and chuckled, "The Noble Consort wishes to select a suitable husband for the Princess. The Emperor suggested holding two contests for the young talents accompanying the procession: a literary banquet for poetry and painting for the scholars, and a hunting expedition in the enclosure for the martial artists. The Noble Consort and the Princess will observe together, and whomever they favor, the Emperor will grant the marriage. Of course, officially, it's merely the Emperor wishing to assess the talents' performances. Virtuous Consort, Kind Consort, and others will also be present."
Lu Zhuo tightened his grip on the wine bowl. So she really was going to choose a husband, evaluating both literary and martial talents?
Qi Zhongkai would never deceive him. In early June, Emperor Yuanjia held a literary banquet at Changchun Garden, inviting over twenty unmarried scions of noble families and young civil officials. During the banquet, the Emperor assigned a theme, commanding these literati to paint and compose poems based on the garden scenery.
Lu Zhuo was not invited, but he heard that three young masters excelled in both painting and poetry, and the Noble Consort rewarded them all.
A few days later, Emperor Yuanjia issued an edict announcing a hunting event in the enclosure on the fifteenth of June. This hunt aimed to assess the equestrian and martial skills of the young military officers in the procession. Scions of noble families who had not yet received official appointments could also participate. Outstanding performers might be exceptionally granted official positions.
Lu Zhuo was both a scion of a noble family and a young military officer. Yet, he was not specifically summoned by Emperor Yuanjia as a military officer, nor did he meet the criteria to register independently as a noble scion. Clearly, the Noble Consort, intent on selecting a husband, had deliberately excluded him from the candidate list, denying Lu Zhuo any opportunity to present himself before the Noble Consort and the Princess.
Though barred from participating in the hunt, Lu Zhuo was assigned by Emperor Yuanjia to oversee the safety of all within the enclosure. If anyone encountered attacks from wild beasts and called for help, Lu Zhuo would lead his men to provide timely rescue.
Soon, it was the fifteenth of June.
Before dawn had fully broken, Lu Zhuo had already led three elite squads of the Divine Martial Army into the enclosure.
The enclosure was divided into an outer field and an inner field. The outer field contained no fierce beasts, only smaller animals like rabbits and pheasants with minimal ferocity, intended for royal women and invited ladies and maidens to practice. The inner field was the formal hunting ground, where men hunted bears, wolves, wild boars, foxes, and other beasts. However, most of these were raised by palace attendants and were far less ferocious than their wild counterparts in the mountains and forests.
After assigning each elite soldier their respective zones, Lu Zhuo spurred his horse and gazed beyond the enclosure.
Sunlight filtering through the canopy gradually grew dazzling, and finally, the sounds of hoofbeats and human voices emerged from outside: Emperor Yuanjia and his party had arrived.
Wei Rao was also planning to join the hunt today, and even Little Zhou had changed into riding attire.
As the hunt began, the young military officers and noble scions eager to impress the Emperor charged first into the inner field of the enclosure. Once the dust stirred by their horses settled, Emperor Yuanjia and Little Zhou rode side by side, leading the enthusiastic women into the outer field.
Emperor Yuanjia intended to accompany Little Zhou in hunting, so Wei Rao naturally had no desire to follow them. She called Lu Changning and several other maidens to head in a different direction.The hunting grounds spanned tens of thousands of acres, featuring grasslands, lakes, and forests. Even the outer fields were vast enough to feel boundless.
Wei Rao’s party included over a dozen young ladies, but she was only truly close with Lu Changning. The other girls’ riding skills were merely sufficient for a leisurely trot—nowhere near the unrestrained galloping of Wei Rao and Lu Changning, let alone hunting on horseback. They seemed uninterested in such pursuits, preferring to find a scenic spot to admire flowers and water.
“This slow pace is dull. Would the princess dare to race me?” Lu Changning drew closer to Wei Rao, pointing at a solitary white poplar on a distant hillside.
Wei Rao had long wanted to unleash her horse’s speed and gladly agreed.
Under the astonished or envious gazes of the other young ladies, Wei Rao and Lu Changning spurred their horses toward the hillside.
Wei Rao’s white steed and Lu Changning’s black horse were equally fine breeds. With slightly superior riding skills, Wei Rao reached the hillside first.
But Lu Changning quickly caught up.
The view from this hillside was excellent. Beyond a stretch of woodland, they could see a lake opposite, where several wild ducks appeared to be swimming.
“I’d like to go over there. Hunting a wild duck wouldn’t be bad,” Lu Changning said after a short rest, pointing at the lake. “It’s a pity we can’t enter the inner grounds. I heard there are reindeer there—I’d love to hunt one.”
Wei Rao shared her regret, but today the inner grounds were reserved for men. It would be improper for her and Lu Changning to intrude, knowing the circumstances.
“Let’s go hunt wild ducks then. I’ll drive them toward the lakeshore, and you take the shot,” Wei Rao devised their strategy.
Lu Changning cheered, “Agreed!”
The two girls rode toward the lake once more.
Though it seemed close, the distance was considerable. The woodland separating the hillside from the lake stretched over a mile, but the gaps between trees were wide enough for easy riding.
Mid-gallop, Lu Changning suddenly halted.
Wei Rao reined in her horse and turned back, puzzled.
Lu Changning looked at her with guilt and unease. "Princess, my elder brother wishes to see you." He asked me to bring you here.”
Wei Rao’s expression shifted.
Lu Changning lowered her head. “I… I both want you to forgive him and become my sister-in-law again, and fear you truly refuse and resent me… Ah, I don’t know how to say it. If you’d rather not see him, please return quickly. He’s likely waiting beyond the woods.”
It wasn’t that Wei Rao didn’t want to see Lu Zhuo, but why involve Lu Changning in his sudden appearance?
"I don’t blame you, but please inform the heir not to repeat such improprieties," Wei Rao replied with mixed emotions.
Lu Changning looked on the verge of tears from remorse.
Wei Rao turned her horse back toward their original path.
Just then, hoofbeats sounded behind them. Spotting a flash of crimson robes, Lu Changning urgently warned Wei Rao, "Princess, I think it’s my brother!"”
Wei Rao rode forward without looking back.
Her heart raced—she longed to see him yet feared it, uncertain what to say if they met. If she avoided him, would he misinterpret her mother’s feigned tactics, believing she truly intended to choose another as her husband?After spending so much time with Lu Zhuo, it had almost always been filled with arguments and anger. Even later, when Lu Zhuo sincerely tried to win her back and dispelled her anger, Wei Rao could hardly be said to have deep feelings for him. There was certainly some fondness—after all, he was the esteemed Lu of the Duke's Manor, the man all the unmarried young ladies in the capital admired. With a face like his, remarkable martial skills, and such a wonderful family...
If he continued to persist, Wei Rao was willing to marry him, willing to give it another try.
Strangely, when she was unwilling, Wei Rao had only felt anger and annoyance, not the slightest fear of Lu Zhuo. But now that he had chased after her, Wei Rao felt a sudden panic.
Her white horse was accustomed to running on flat ground. In the forest, where it had to weave through twists and turns, its speed slowed considerably. Before she could even see the edge of the woods, the sound of hoofbeats behind her had already drawn near.
Wei Rao didn’t even know for sure if it was Lu Zhuo, but she didn’t dare look back.
Ahead, the trees grew denser. As she urged her horse to change direction, a black steed and the figure of a man in crimson official robes on its back flashed into her peripheral vision.
Wei Rao’s face flushed with urgency as she pressed onward. Just as the open grassland came into view, a large hand suddenly wrapped around her waist, lifting her from the saddle with irresistible force. Her hands still gripping the reins, the white horse reared up with a whinny, and the reins slipped from her grasp as she tumbled into the man’s broad embrace.
Instinctively, Wei Rao clutched at his robes and looked up angrily, meeting Lu Zhuo’s stern face.
He glanced at her only once before urging Flying Ink deeper into the forest, his lips pressed into a thin line.
“What are you doing, Young Master?” Wei Rao struggled, but his arm held her so tightly it was uncomfortable.
Lu Zhuo didn’t know what he was doing either.
He wanted to marry her, had done so much, yet he still couldn’t decipher her thoughts.
Because of this, he hadn’t slept well since arriving at the temporary palace. He couldn’t see her, but he could see the other noble sons in attendance—some gentle and refined, some dashing and heroic, some robust and sturdy, some shrewd and reserved. Any one of them, if singled out, could capture the hearts of many young ladies.
What kind of man did Wei Rao like?
Lu Zhuo didn’t know.
In front of her, Lu Zhuo had lost all confidence. If she had ever loved him for his status or appearance, she wouldn’t have resolutely divorced him.
Lu Zhuo wanted to ask her, to get a clear answer—whether she would marry him or not. If she truly refused, even if he never married again, he couldn’t force her.
He had never been a gentleman. When it didn’t concern him, he could adhere to propriety in every way. But when it came to matters of great importance to himself, Lu Zhuo had resorted to using his cousin. He had promised to wait for her on the other side of the forest, but fearing she might detect his scheme and turn back midway, he had chased after her and finally seized her in his arms.
“Let me go! What will people think if they see us?”
He remained silent, his face cold. Wei Rao’s temper flared, and she used both hands to pry at the arm encircling her waist.
“Aside from me and Changning, there’s no one else around here.” Her strength was considerable. Lu Zhuo slowed his pace and looked down to explain.
His arm was like forged iron, firm and unyielding. Unable to push him away, Wei Rao tilted her head back, glaring at him as she demanded, “What does it matter if there’s no one else? What right do you have to treat me like this? Weren’t you the one who always valued propriety the most? You…”Lu Zhuo could hear her voice, but couldn't make out what she was saying. His eyes saw only her fierce glare, only her exquisitely beautiful face flushed crimson from running, only those full, vivid lips.
Then, Lu Zhuo heard her say the words—propriety.
What did propriety matter? Hadn't he abandoned enough propriety for her sake?
His arm around her waist tightened further. As she gasped in shock, Lu Zhuo cupped the back of her head and pressed down, lowering his lips to hers.
Wei Rao trembled from head to toe.
But Lu Zhuo closed his eyes, taking advantage of her dazed state to plunder deeply, wishing he could crush her into his very chest.
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