Lu Zhuo and his son Lu Mu returned, and from the next morning onward, the Duke of Yingguo's Manor was bustling with a continuous stream of visitors.
Seeing her father so busy, A Bao obediently went to play with her brothers.
Zhao Song was attending to duties in the front courtyard and had not seen the princess arrive by noon.
Zhao Song hurried to find his wife, Bitao.
Bitao had once been Wei Rao's head maid. After marrying Zhao Song, she followed Wei Rao's arrangement and stayed at the Duke's Manor to live with him. Overjoyed at the Young Lord's survival, Bitao had wept profusely, hoping he and the princess would reunite. To her surprise, the princess did not come to see the Young Lord, nor did he seek her out.
Last night, as soon as Zhao Song returned to their room, he told her that the Young Lord knew of the princess's intention to remarry and might hold a grudge.
Bitao's heart sank.
If the Young Lord resented the princess for this, would he ever accept her again? Perhaps the princess stayed away fearing his cold reception.
The Young Lord's resentment was evident, but what was the princess truly thinking?
Skipping lunch, Bitao left the Duke's Manor through a side gate and hurried to the princess's residence.
Wei Rao had just lain down.
It was time for her midday rest, but though sleepless, she wished to be alone in quiet solitude.
Hearing from Liuya that Bitao had come—both were trusted attendants—Wei Rao remained reclining, only asking Liuya to bring Bitao in.
Bitao first met Liuya and urgently asked how the princess was and why she hadn't gone to see the Young Lord.
Liuya felt heartache: "Hasn't the Young Lord also avoided seeing the princess?"
Though the princess said nothing, having served her for so long, Liuya could see her suffering. The Young Lord's absence indicated his displeasure over the princess's recent matchmaking considerations. If that were the case, what warmth could she expect even if she went?
Tears welled in Bitao's eyes.
The Young Lord suffered, the princess suffered—both held each other in their hearts. Had the Young Lord returned earlier, none of this would have happened. Now, with this knot between them, how could it be undone?
Wiping her tears, Bitao entered the inner chamber alone.
Hearing footsteps, Wei Rao turned over. Seeing Bitao, she smiled and pointed to the table, saying, "Pour me a bowl of tea."
Bitao acknowledged softly, her eyes reddened as she poured the tea and brought it to the bedside.
Wei Rao sat up, drank the tea, and leaned against the headboard, wrapped in her quilt.
Bitao knelt by the bed, gazing compassionately at her mistress.
Having grown up together since childhood, Wei Rao did not mince words with Bitao and asked softly, "Is the Young Lord well?"
Tears streamed down Bitao's cheeks—she knew the princess still cared for him.
"He's well. They say he broke both legs escaping Iron Scorpion Ridge and was immobilized, rescued by a kind-hearted Wuda family... He only returned after recovering. In a place like Wuda, he tanned deeply and has a scar on his face from a blade wound." Bitao traced a line on her left cheek.
Wei Rao nodded. Having narrowly escaped death, survival was what mattered; a scar was insignificant.
"How is A Bao?"
"The young mistress adores the Young Lord, calling 'Daddy' so sweetly. Last night, it was the Young Lord who coaxed her to sleep. Blood runs thicker than water—young as she is, she understands kinship."
Thinking of her daughter, Wei Rao guessed that Lu Zhuo's scar likely hadn't marred his handsomeness much, or else their daughter wouldn't have accepted him so readily.Bitao wiped her eyes, sniffling as she said, "Is Princess avoiding the Young Lord because you're afraid he'll blame you? Zhao Song told me everything. The moment the Young Lord returned yesterday, he searched everywhere for you. He only sent Zhao Song to the Secluded Manor to fetch you because he was urgently summoned to the palace. When he returned to the manor in the evening and didn't see you, he looked as if he'd lost his soul."
Wei Rao gazed out the window. "Has no one told him about recent events?"
Bitao lowered her head, her handkerchief now insufficient. "The Young Lord knows everything, but Princess, even if he resents you, it's only a momentary confusion. If you go to him and he sees you, knowing you still care for him, he surely won't mind those matters. After all, you didn't know he was still alive!"
Wei Rao shook her head with a bitter smile.
After three years apart, Lu Zhuo must have missed her, but upon discovering she hadn't observed widowhood for him and was instead planning to remarry, his resentment outweighed his longing.
How could he not resent her?
His father had been gone for so long, yet He Shi still waited. As for him, his son, it had only been three years, and his wife had already fled.
Bitao didn't know about the arguments she and Lu Zhuo had shared.
Back during the Marriage to ward off misfortune, Lu Zhuo had sneered that a woman like her wouldn't dutifully observe widowhood for her husband, and had even scorned her mother. Given Lu Zhuo's stance on widowhood, he might overlook the forehead injury she'd caused him, or her outings with other men to taverns, but he would certainly mind her refusal to observe widowhood for him.
Thus, he didn't come to see her.
If Lu Zhuo didn't want to see her, why should Wei Rao go to him? To explain that she hadn't intended to remarry? But she had clearly met with so many potential matches, had clearly entertained the thought of finding someone new to try—even if she hadn't found anyone who could make her forget Lu Zhuo.
Wei Rao couldn't lie to deceive Lu Zhuo, nor would she stoop to it. What was done was done.
"Go back. When the time is right, we'll meet."
Bitao returned to the Duke's Manor, heart heavy.
Zhao Song asked her, "What did the Princess say?"
Bitao wiped her tears as she replied, "What could she say? The Young Lord already resents the Princess. Even if she came, what could she say?"
Hearing her implicit criticism of the Young Lord, Zhao Song felt compelled to defend his master. "We can't blame the Young Lord for being angry. Anyone who went through such hardships to return, only to find his wife had forgotten him and was seeing other men..."
Bitao jerked her head up, eyes red as she retorted, "Are you saying the Young Lord isn't at fault, and it's all the Princess's fault for not upholding womanly virtues? Wasn't the Princess heartbroken when the Young Lord met with misfortune? It's been three years. The Old Madam and others, pitying the Princess's youth, urged her to return home. Should the Princess have spent every day in tears?"
Zhao Song hadn't meant that. He didn't blame anyone; he just...
He looked at Bitao dejectedly. His heart ached for the Young Lord, but he couldn't say the Princess was wrong either.
As night fell, the Duke's Manor finally grew quiet.
A Bao could at last be alone with her father.
"Father, let's go find Mother?" A Bao missed her mother. Usually, she could go a few days without seeing her, but now that Father was back, A Bao wanted to take him home to make Mother happy too. She knew Mother liked Father very much—Mother had two golden walnuts that A Bao wanted, but Mother only let her play with them in the room and made her put them back afterward.
Lu Zhuo looked at his daughter.
A Bao strongly resembled Wei Rao—the same beautiful phoenix eyes, the same petal-like cheeks, the same... intelligence.Lu Zhuo already knew that when Wei Rao was meeting those men, A Bao had been sitting by her side observing them too. He knew A Bao also wanted to find a new father, and that yesterday morning she had even boasted to her cousins that her mother had gone horseback riding with Uncle Li San and might make him her new father.
Children’s words are harmless.
Lu Zhuo didn’t blame his daughter. He had been away for three years, and she had never known what it was like to have a father, so she longed to find one.
He didn’t blame her for lying to him either; he was actually pleased that his daughter was so clever.
He couldn’t even bring himself to tell her that he had seen through her childish lie.
“Daddy still has matters to attend to and can’t get away. Are you in a hurry to go back, A Bao?” Lu Zhuo asked gently. Whenever he smiled, A Bao thought her father was the gentlest person in the world.
But she still wanted to hurry back to her mother and tell her how wonderful Daddy was.
A Bao nodded.
Lu Zhuo couldn’t force his daughter to stay. “Daddy will tuck you in for one more night, and tomorrow morning I’ll send someone to take you back. How does that sound?”
A Bao looked at her father. “When you’re done with your work, will you come to the Princess Manor to see us?”
Lu Zhuo explained, “Daddy might be busy for a long time. If you miss me, you can come here to visit.”
A Bao pouted. She didn’t like having such a busy father.
Lu Zhuo simply patted her head.
Seeing that her acting cute didn’t work, A Bao had no choice but to say, "Then I’ll bring Mother here to see you."”
Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and Fifth Uncle were often away during the day too—maybe Daddy was the same.
The next day, Lu Zhuo arranged for Zhao Song to escort his daughter back to the Princess Manor.
When A Bao saw her mother, she eagerly praised her father. Though his face was a bit tanned and his hair a little dry, he was still more handsome than Fifth Uncle or Uncle Li San. His voice was pleasant too—both dashing and gentle. A Bao liked her real father best: “Mother, don’t see Uncle Li San anymore. Daddy is the best—I don’t want to change fathers!”
Wei Rao smiled and said, “Alright. If Uncle Li San comes to the Princess Manor, I definitely won’t see him. But if we happen to meet outside, I can’t be impolite.”
A Bao understood and promptly forgot about Uncle Li San, continuing to boast about her father: “…It’s just a shame Daddy is too busy to come see us. Mother, why don’t you come back to the Duke’s Manor with me? We can live in the Hall of Pine and Moon and stay with Daddy.”
Wei Rao smiled. “Daddy is busy with very important matters. We mustn’t disturb him.”
A Bao pouted again.
At the Duke of Yingguo’s Manor.
Lu Zhuo actually had nothing to do. With the New Year approaching and both he and his father having just returned, they wouldn’t be assigned new official posts until after the holiday.
When guests came to visit, Lu Zhuo would receive them. Once they left, he would return to the Hall of Pine and Moon and stay there.
He Shi came to urge him: “Go see the Princess! She’s met so many men and hasn’t taken a liking to any of them. Now that you’re back, how could she possibly consider anyone else?”
Lu Zhuo replied indifferently, “She’s already moved on. Why should I disturb her again? Mother, you should spend more time with Father. Your son is grown now—there’s no need for you to worry about such matters.”
He Shi had never been able to control this son of hers and could only leave helplessly.
The Duchess of Yingguo waited two days but saw no action from her grandson, so she also came to urge him: “Do you really resent Rao Rao? If you had been here, would she have gone to see others? It was all a twist of fate. Now she’s afraid you blame her and doesn’t dare to see you, and you’re being stubborn too. Do you really not plan to live this life together?”Lu Zhuo looked at his white-haired grandmother and smiled bitterly. "How does Grandmother know she doesn't dare to see me? Perhaps she simply doesn't want to."
Would Wei Rao fear him?
She probably only feared she couldn't anger him to death.
The Duchess of Yingguo had similarly returned defeated.
But within the Duke's Manor, there was still one person paying attention to Lu Zhuo's movements.
At dusk that day, Lu Ya came to the Hall of Pine and Moon carrying a jug of wine.
It was dinner time, and Lu Zhuo smiled as he invited his cousin to join him for the meal.
After taking a sip of wine, Lu Ya looked directly at his elder brother across the table and said bluntly, "Brother, you've been back in the capital for seven days. Why haven't you gone to see the princess?"
Lu Zhuo didn't answer, calmly drinking his wine.
Lu Ya lowered his gaze, and when he raised it again, his eyes were red. "Brother and sister-in-law first had the Marriage to ward off misfortune, then received the Emperor's decree to marry. It hasn't been easy for you to be together. I initially thought you were spoiling sister-in-law too much, that you were always the one eagerly trying to please her. Until that day before Iron Scorpion Ridge, when sister-in-law pushed through the soldiers to see me, and realizing I wasn't you, she actually spat a mouthful of blood onto my face. That's when I understood that sister-in-law's feelings for you run just as deep."
Lu Zhuo's hand, holding the wine bowl, froze in mid-air.
Lu Ya looked at his brother's hands roughened by the sun on the grasslands, his memory returning to three years ago. "After sister-in-law returned to the capital, she quickly became cheerful and smiling again. If I hadn't seen her condition in the military camp, I might have also thought her heartless. But I did see it. Everyone thought you were dead, and sister-in-law stayed alone in your tent, not coming out for days. She couldn't eat anything, starving until she could only lie in bed. That's why her appearance could deceive the Marquis of Xiting. When Xiu Ji brought that body over, sister-in-law insisted on seeing it and fainted on the spot. She never showed herself again during the journey back to the capital, but I knew she hardly ate anything along the way. It was only after returning to the capital, with more people watching over her, that she began to live like a person again."
Lu Zhuo's hand had long been lowered, his expression unreadable as he stared at the wine bowl on the table.
Lu Ya took a drink and stared at him. "I don't believe sister-in-law has truly let go of you. Even if she has, if there were a woman willing to treat me like that, I would fight to get her back rather than watch her be with another man."
Having said this, Lu Ya stood up and strode away.
OpenNovel