The morning sunlight filtered through the window paper, gradually dispelling the dimness within the room.
The western chamber of the back residence in the Hall of Pine and Moon served as the bathing room for Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo. At this moment, gentle splashes of water could be heard from inside, occasionally accompanied by soft, bone-melting murmurs of complaint.
In the adjacent side chamber, Bitao and Liuya sat side by side on embroidery stools, already accustomed to the sounds from within. Each held a sword, meticulously polishing the blades with specialized silk cloths. It was the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, and this morning the Young Lord had accompanied the Princess to practice swordsmanship together. Though their sword techniques differed, both moved with the fluid grace of drifting clouds and flowing water, truly resembling celestial lovers descended from the heavens.
Yet even immortals delight in marital bliss.
After polishing the swords twice, both blades were returned to their scabbards. Bitao remained on standby in case their masters called, while Liuya carried both swords away for storage.
When Liuya returned, she heard the splashing sounds from within growing increasingly rapid and intense, like a mischievous child slapping water with an oar in accelerating rhythm.
Liuya looked at Bitao, Bitao looked at Liuya, and both smiled with flushed cheeks.
Another half hour passed before footsteps could be heard moving about inside.
Both maids prepared to rise.
However, their masters didn't call for any service. Shortly after, the door curtain was lifted aside, and the Young Lord in white underwear emerged carrying the languid Princess, quickly moving to the eastern room.
Bitao and Liuya then proceeded to clean the bathing room first. Certain traces, relating to their masters' intimacy, couldn't be left for junior maids to see.
In the eastern room, Lu Zhuo laid Wei Rao on the bed and settled beside her, drawing her into his embrace with one arm.
Her face still bore traces of alluring blush, her long eyelashes drooping lazily.
It had been a long time since Lu Zhuo had seen Wei Rao so relaxed. Ever since he had struck Han Liao, Wei Rao had worried about Zhou Huizhen getting hurt. Later, when Shou An Jun successfully obtained the divorce agreement for Zhou Huizhen, finally severing the Zhou family's ties with the Han family, Wei Rao had feared that the resolution came too easily and that Han Liao might still have some hidden scheme.
She appeared carefree and unrestrained, yet her heart carried concern for too many people.
"Shall we ride to the Secluded Manor today?" Rubbing her brow, Lu Zhuo asked with a smile.
Although the Old Dowager preferred Wei Rao not visit the Secluded Manor too frequently, during the Dragon Boat Festival, as juniors they ought to accompany the Old Dowager for a meal.
Wei Rao opened her eyes and, seeing Lu Zhuo was serious, hesitated: "You only have three days off..."
Lu Zhuo interrupted her: "Three days off - one day to accompany you riding, two days at home. Grandmother won't say anything."
With such consideration from him, Wei Rao naturally accepted with pleasure.
After breakfast, the couple separately visited the Hall of Spring Harmony and the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness before heading toward the main gate of the Duke's Manor.
The Second Young Lord Lu Ya was also accompanying his wife Qiao Shi to her parental home today. Just as Lu Ya had helped Qiao Shi into the carriage, he heard the steward greeting his elder brother. Lu Ya signaled Qiao Shi to wait, then turned and said smilingly to Lu Zhuo and Wei Rao: "I saw Flying Ink earlier. Are you two going riding outside the city?"
Lu Zhuo nodded: "Indeed. Where are you headed?"
Lu Ya replied: "For the festival, I'm accompanying Wanyun to pay respects to her parents."
After the brothers exchanged pleasantries, one boarded the carriage while the other mounted a fine steed with Wei Rao, each going their separate ways.Qiao Shi sat in the carriage, watching Lu Zhuo and Wei Rao ride side by side past her through the curtain gap. She observed the fluttering hem of Wei Rao’s riding skirt disappear from sight. After Lu Ya boarded the carriage, Qiao Shi remarked softly, “Eldest Brother and his wife are so affectionate. No matter what his wife wants to do, Eldest Brother happily accompanies her.”
Lu Ya chuckled, “Are you implying I’m not good enough to you?”
Having been married for less than a year, they were still in the newlywed phase. Faced with her husband’s gentle teasing, Qiao Shi shot him a playful glare before leaning against his shoulder and taking his hand. “You treat me well, but it’s different from how Eldest Brother treats his wife. The things his wife does could be considered unconventional. If I were to imitate her and throw a teacup at you in public, wouldn’t you be angry?”
Lu Ya thought for a moment and replied, “If I had offended you, I wouldn’t be angry.”
Surprised by her husband’s response, Qiao Shi felt a sweet warmth in her heart but still said, “No matter how angry I am with you, I would never disrespect you in front of outsiders.”
Lu Ya began to understand his wife’s meaning.
He smiled and squeezed Qiao Shi’s hand. “You have a gentle temperament, while Eldest Sister-in-law is more willful. But Eldest Brother likes her just the way she is. As long as he’s happy, why should we care?”
Qiao Shi quickly clarified, “I’m not bothered by it. It’s just that, as the future matriarch of our Duke’s Manor, Eldest Sister-in-law ought to temper her temper a little and not always act so willfully. Look at Old Madam—she is virtuous and esteemed, embodying the dignity befitting the family’s matriarch.”
Lu Ya thought his wife’s words made sense. However, with their grandmother still healthy and Eldest Sister-in-law still young, he believed that once she had children, she would gradually rein in her playful nature. In time, she would surely become like their mother and grandmother. Though Eldest Brother indulged her now, Lu Ya felt that, deep down, he also hoped the Princess would emulate their grandmother.
After the Dragon Boat Festival, on the twentieth day of the fifth month, the only daughter of the Duke of Yingguo’s household, Lu Changning, was to be married.
The groom was Du Rujun, the legitimate grandson of Minister Du, the Minister of Justice, and the nephew of Third Madam’s maternal family. At twenty-one years old, Du Rujun served in the Dali Temple.
Wei Rao had never met Du Rujun before. As the groom arrived to fetch the bride, Wei Rao stood with Qiao Shi, her sister-in-law, to observe the ceremony. It was then that she finally saw Du Rujun—a handsome and upright young nobleman. Given Third Madam’s connection, Lu Changning had naturally interacted with Du Rujun before their engagement. Given Lu Changning’s temperament, since she had agreed to the marriage, she must have been very satisfied with Du Rujun.
Wei Rao had inquired about Du Rujun with Lu Zhuo, who spoke highly of his future brother-in-law.
After Lu Changning’s wedding concluded, Wei Rao eagerly went to stay at her Princess Manor for a short while.
No matter how spacious the Duke of Yingguo’s Manor was, it housed four or five branches of the family, and Lu Zhuo’s cousins had all grown up. With so many people, the residence felt less grand and certainly not as comfortable as the Princess Manor, which belonged entirely to Wei Rao alone.
If He Shi hadn’t been busy preparing for He Weiyu’s wedding, Wei Rao would have invited her to stay as well.
She had also invited the Duchess of Yingguo, but the Old Madam declined with a smile. At her age, pleasure was no longer as important; she found the greatest contentment in presiding over the household and seeing her children and grandchildren every day.
Though the Duchess of Yingguo was reluctant to leave the Lu Family, Lu Zhuo began splitting his time—spending two days at the Princess Manor and one day at the Duke’s Manor.The Princess Manor offered countless spots for young couples to indulge in pleasure. This summer, Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo lived there in utter shamelessness—after all, there were no elders to restrain them, no servants daring to disturb them. The newlyweds immersed themselves in that indescribable joy, nearly forgetting to return home.
Among the many courtyards and halls of the Princess Manor, Wei Rao’s favorite was the Flowing Clouds Pavilion.
The Flowing Clouds Pavilion stood on an islet in the manor’s garden lake.
Surrounded by water on all sides, the islet also featured an inner lake, and the Flowing Clouds Pavilion was built right at its center—a three-story tower. The ground floor served as a hall, the second floor was for reading or playing the qin, and the third floor was the master’s bedchamber. When Princess Changle constructed the Flowing Clouds Pavilion, she spared no effort, commissioning skilled artisans to design a mechanism. When activated, the roof of the third floor would retract to both sides, leaving only a thin layer of gauze. Lying on the large bed beneath, one could watch drifting clouds by day and the starry river by night. In case of rain or cold weather, closing the mechanism would restore the roof to its ordinary state.
This summer, Wei Rao had practically lived in the Flowing Clouds Pavilion—sometimes watching fish by the lake, sometimes practicing swordplay barefoot on the long bamboo bridge, or inviting songstresses over to listen to music and watch dances. Of course, if Lu Zhuo came to keep her company, Wei Rao would never summon any songstresses. Her appreciation for them was purely artistic, but who knew what thoughts might cross Lu Zhuo’s mind upon seeing beautiful performers?
Lu Zhuo also adored the Flowing Clouds Pavilion. He loved pressing Wei Rao against the window on evenings when all servants were dismissed, sharing the night view with her. He loved lying back on the bed, watching both Wei Rao’s hair flutter in the lake breeze and the vast starry sky above her.
Yet, no matter how much they cherished it, as the intense summer heat waned, the two had to return.
On their final night in the Flowing Clouds Pavilion, after bathing anew, Lu Zhuo held Wei Rao with one arm and rested the other behind his head, suddenly bringing up a matter: "There will be a reassignment of border generals next year."
Wei Rao, half-leaning against him, blinked as she gazed at the stars, her mind blissfully empty. But Lu Zhuo’s words snapped her out of that serene state.
Border generals reassignment...
Wei Rao tightened her thin gauze underwear over her shoulders, sat up, and looked at Lu Zhuo. "You want to go to the border?"
Lu Zhuo studied her expression but could discern nothing.
Still, he admitted, "Yes. The capital is too comfortable for me."
Though life at the border was harsh, he had spent eight years there and grown accustomed to it. The military camps always had a few troublemakers, border officials often stirred unrest, and the looming foreign cavalry beyond the frontier kept one perpetually vigilant. Even the wind and snow at the border felt more fierce and majestic than in the capital.
As a military officer, Lu Zhuo had purpose at the border. But in the Divine Martial Army camp, aside from stricter training drills, everything else felt too tranquil.
He was also used to being separated from his family for long periods. He would miss them, but not excessively. This time, contemplating a transfer, the only thing he couldn’t set aside was Wei Rao.
He hoped she would accompany him to the border.
Wei Rao looked at Lu Zhuo’s handsome, calm face and found she could understand his thoughts.During their newlywed days, Lu Zhuo had once mentioned taking her on an external assignment to the border. At that time, Wei Rao was unwilling to go with him—her family was in the capital, and she couldn’t bear to leave so far behind. Moreover, as they had just come together, Wei Rao wasn’t certain their married life would proceed smoothly. Returning to the Lu Family represented a new chapter for her, one she hadn’t even fully settled into. The sudden prospect of moving to another unfamiliar place made her instinctively resistant.
But now, she and Lu Zhuo had been married for nearly half a year.
Her mother and younger brother were living well in the imperial palace. Her cousin Huizhu had married, and her other cousin Huizhen had separated from her husband and returned to the Secluded Manor. Her bond with her grandmother had deepened rapidly, and her grandmother once again had companionship.
None of her relatives gave her cause for worry. As for the Duke of Yingguo’s Manor, the Old Madam was fond of her but didn’t require her constant presence. With so many descendants in the Lu Family, the Old Madam had plenty to occupy her attention. He Shi treated her kindly and was a good mother-in-law, though her constant hopes for a pregnancy and repeated remarks had become somewhat tiresome. The Second Madam and Third Madam maintained polite, distant relations with her—neither close nor hostile, just calm and uneventful. The Fourth Madam was fully occupied with disciplining the Sixth Young Master and was pregnant with another, leaving her far too busy. Even Lu Changning, whose temperament matched Wei Rao’s, had already married and moved away.
With Wei Gōnggong managing various estates and Lu Zhuo away on duty during the day, Wei Rao, who had little to do and disliked social engagements, found her days growing increasingly monotonous.
“Then what about me if you take an external assignment?” Wei Rao asked, scratching Lu Zhuo’s palm.
Lu Zhuo held her hand and sat up, looking down at her. “Will you come with me?”
Wei Rao pursed her lips and lowered her head. “I’ve heard the border is too cold in winter and too scorching in summer. I don’t want to go.”
Lu Zhuo very much wanted to coax her into going, but he couldn’t deceive her—conditions at the border were indeed harsh.
“Don’t go, alright?” Wei Rao leaned into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Faced with such a charming tactic, Lu Zhuo gave a wry smile and agreed, “Alright. Whenever you feel like going, I’ll request the assignment then.”
He thought to himself that one day, Wei Rao would care for him enough—enough to willingly endure the hardships of the border just to be with him.
Wei Rao had been teasing him all along, testing how he would respond. Satisfied with his answer, she hummed softly and conceded, “Fine. Since you’re so eager to go, I’ll accompany you on this trip. If it becomes unbearable, I’ll just leave you behind and come back on my own.”
Lu Zhuo’s heart stirred. He lifted her chin. “You’re truly willing?”
Wei Rao smiled and nodded.
His gaze intense, Lu Zhuo suddenly cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her.
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