After fully recovering her health, Wei Rao began a life of raising her daughter while training soldiers.
During her pregnancy, the five hundred garrison soldiers she had recruited ate well and dressed well. Under the leadership of Zhao Song and Zhao Bai, they trained diligently. Those who had grown tall but thin due to poverty became robust and sturdy, while the few wealthy youths who had grown slightly plump shed their excess weight and developed solid muscles.
The Divine Martial Army was most famous for its cavalry. Wei Rao only had five hundred garrison soldiers. Even if they had the opportunity to go to the battlefield, five hundred infantrymen would not make much of an impact. However, if she trained them into a five-hundred-strong cavalry unit, they could serve as reinforcements or as vanguards charging into battle.
After discussing with Lu Zhuo, Wei Rao purchased a batch of warhorses from Uda merchants and, with the assistance of the Zhao brothers, personally began training the five hundred garrison soldiers.
At first, the five hundred garrison soldiers were only captivated by the princess's beauty, thinking more about how they could join the Divine Martial Army through her connection with the Young Lord. However, when they saw Wei Rao on horseback—witnessing her agility in jumping obstacles and her skill with a spear as she defeated Zhao Song and Zhao Bai—their attitude changed completely, and they became genuinely convinced of her abilities.
Women might easily be underestimated, but once they demonstrate admirable skills—whether in business, scholarship, or martial arts—respect and admiration naturally follow.
Lu Zhuo excelled in spear techniques, but Wei Rao did not want to secretly learn the Lu Family's spear style. Instead, she adapted the first move of her sword technique, "Fleeting Shadow," into a spear move. Once she had mostly perfected it, she demonstrated it to Lu Zhuo. Her spear technique balanced offense and defense, earning Lu Zhuo's praise. After he made some minor adjustments, Wei Rao began teaching the five hundred garrison soldiers the spear technique.
Both purchasing horses and equipping them with spears required substantial funds. Fortunately, Wei Rao had considerable wealth. The annual income from her Guangxing Tower in the capital alone was more than enough to cover the expenses of training these five hundred garrison soldiers.
While training soldiers, Wei Rao did not neglect her daughter. She typically went out in the morning and returned to the estate for lunch, spending the entire afternoon with A Bao. She watched as the little one evolved from a lazy baby who only knew how to eat, drink, and sleep into a child who learned to roll over, sit up, and crawl. By the time A Bao celebrated her first birthday the following January, she was already walking steadily.
"Mommy!"
Early one morning, before Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo had gotten up and while they were still being affectionate, A Bao's sweet, clear voice suddenly came from outside the window.
Without needing any prompting from Wei Rao, Lu Zhuo immediately sat up and quickly dressed.
Wei Rao watched his back and smiled. This improper Young Lord, who was so shameless with her, always pretended to be proper in front of their daughter.
Wei Rao was in no hurry to get up. She tidied her loose Underwear slightly and remained in bed.
Lu Zhuo, after putting on his outer robe, immediately went to open the inner chamber door.
A Bao, growing impatient, was being coaxed by Bitao and Liuya. When she saw her father emerge, she immediately stretched out her little arms and toddled unsteadily toward him. Lu Zhuo quickened his steps, bent down, and scooped her into his arms.
Even in her father's embrace, A Bao continued to peer into the inner chamber, eager to see her mother.
Lu Zhuo carried his daughter inside.He placed his daughter on the bed, and A Bao immediately tried to burrow into her mother's quilt. Nearly one year old, A Bao bore a striking resemblance to Wei Rao, though whether due to her young age or inheriting Lu Zhuo's temperament, her features carried an innate nobility—dignified yet unapproachable, unlike Wei Rao, whose eyes had always held a hint of allure since childhood.
"Did you call for Daddy?" Wei Rao pulled her daughter into her arms and kissed her plump little cheek.
A Bao glanced at her father sitting by the bed, then turned away to nestle deeper into Wei Rao's embrace.
Lu Zhuo wore a helpless expression.
He returned home only once every ten days, sometimes less frequently during busy periods. The limited time spent with his daughter had made her reluctant to address him. Though she had learned to call "Mother" at ten months old, she stubbornly refused to say "Daddy." Yet the little one seemed to understand that her father was her closest kin besides her mother—whenever Wei Rao scolded her, she would run to Lu Zhuo for protection.
Lu Zhuo reached out and gently patted A Bao's head.
Wei Rao coaxed their daughter, "Tomorrow is your first birthday! Mommy is preparing wonderful items for your destiny selection ceremony—all sorts of fun things. If you call him Daddy, he'll give you a gift too."
A Bao looked at her father but remained silent.
Wei Rao was at her wit's end.
Lu Zhuo chuckled, "Remaining unmoved by temptation shows A Bao has a steadfast nature."
Wei Rao sighed at his paternal indulgence: "Fine, keep praising her. Then you find a way to make her call you—I'm done trying."
Lu Zhuo remained unperturbed. This time, he wouldn't return to the military camp until after the Lantern Festival. With such a long stretch of time, he was determined to win his daughter's affection.
After the meal, Lu Zhuo took A Bao out to play while Wei Rao prepared items for the next day's destiny selection.
While Bitao and Liuya helped organize the trunks, Bitao suddenly pulled out a Red Gold Jade Walnut and excitedly asked Wei Rao, "My Lady, this was an imperial gift—should we place it on the selection table tomorrow?"
Wei Rao looked surprised, "Why did you bring this along?"
Bitao explained, "Don't you remember, My Lady? I sought your approval when we packed our luggage." Imperial gifts held special significance—while officials might receive many royal rewards, women in inner chambers might never enjoy such fortune. When the Lady attended the palace's Dragon Boat Festival banquet years ago and received this precious item from Emperor Yuanjia, it naturally deserved to be kept close at all times. Imperial objects could ward off ill intentions!
Wei Rao had genuinely forgotten, but considering walnuts symbolized harmony and longevity, it indeed suited the selection ceremony.
Working together, the mistress and servants assembled twenty-four auspicious items for the destiny selection, storing them all in a dedicated box to be arranged the next day.
During the noon rest after playing with his daughter all morning, Lu Zhuo remembered the selection items and asked to see them.
Wei Rao instructed Liuya to bring the box over.
Lu Zhuo opened it and examined each object one by one. Discovering a round brocade box, he opened its lid to find a strikingly familiar golden walnut inside.
Memories suddenly flooded back to the palace's Dragon Boat Race six years ago. His Divine Martial Army had won the championship, and distinguished guests including Emperor Yuanjia and the Empress Dowager had placed wagers. All losing bets were awarded to the winning team. Among those prizes were Wei Rao's two portions of cherry cakes and Emperor Yuanjia's golden walnut.
The cherry cakes had been distributed among the victorious Divine Martial Army soldiers, but Lu Zhuo had kept the golden walnut for himself.At that time, Qi Zhongkai envied him for receiving the imperial gift. Lu Zhuo, knowing the walnuts were a pair, smiled and told Qi Zhongkai he could ask the Emperor for the other one. Qi Zhongkai spoke without restraint, saying he didn't want to be paired with Lu Zhuo—if anyone should ask, it ought to be his then-fiancée, Sixth Miss Xie.
"Where did this walnut come from?" Lu Zhuo looked at Wei Rao.
Wei Rao recounted how the Empress Dowager and the Empress had jointly used Sixth Miss Xie to mock her for being unmarriageable. Remembering that incident was also connected to Lu Zhuo, she shot him a light glare: "The Emperor took pity on me and deliberately dropped this golden walnut so it rolled to my feet, then logically bestowed it upon me."
Lu Zhuo felt utterly wronged—how could he have known the Empress Dowager would use his engagement to slight Wei Rao?
Yet, thinking of Wei Rao's circumstances in her youth, a wave of compassion rose in his heart.
He picked up the golden walnut and sat beside her, asking, "As far as I know, the Emperor had two such golden walnuts. Do you know where the other one is?"
How would Wei Rao know?
Lu Zhuo smiled wryly. Back when he received Emperor Yuanjia's prize, Wei Rao had been sitting nearby. That she could completely forget about such a paired item showed she had not a single thought of him at the time—even when they each obtained a golden walnut, it stirred no ripple in her heart.
"That one is with me. The Emperor awarded it to me as a prize," Lu Zhuo said, gazing at her.
Wei Rao was startled, then recalled—it seemed there had been such an event.
"So, our fate was sealed long ago," Lu Zhuo said, pressing the golden walnut into her hand and clasping it. "Century walnuts, a harmonious union for a hundred years. Rao Rao and I are destined to be husband and wife."
Listening to his deep voice and feeling the walnut's ridges, Wei Rao too felt that some unseen destiny was at work.
She had resented him, hated him, yet still fell in love.
"My walnut is kept in the capital. When we return at year's end, we'll store these two together," Lu Zhuo murmured softly, holding her in his arms.
Wei Rao smiled and nodded.
She and he were a pair—naturally, the walnuts should be paired too.
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