Lu Zhuo maintained a dignified demeanor in front of his younger cousins, but in private, he dragged Wei Rao into all sorts of improper activities.
The couple was in good health and their intimate life was frequent, so by the ninth month, Wei Rao was diagnosed with a pregnancy pulse.
The happiest person was He Shi, who repeatedly burned incense and prayed to the Bodhisattva for her daughter-in-law to give birth to a boy. He Shi had her own selfish motives—her husband was the eldest son of the old Duke, and her son was the legitimate eldest grandson of the old Duke and the current Young Lord. The title should rightfully be passed down through the main branch, so that her son’s two brushes with danger on the battlefield would not be in vain.
He Shi’s hopes extended far into the future. She thought that if Wei Rao gave birth to a boy, A Bao, as a princess, could inherit Wei Rao’s Princess Manor, while her younger brother would inherit the vast Duke of Yingguo’s Manor. With one sibling becoming a princess and the other a young lord, what pair of siblings in the entire capital could compare to the glory of her grandchildren?
“You can say this to me, but don’t go repeating it in front of your daughter-in-law,” Lu Mu reminded his wife with a smile, seeing her more excited than if she were the one pregnant.
He Shi understood. The most important thing for a pregnant woman was to maintain a cheerful mood, and she would never add stress to her daughter-in-law.
How could Wei Rao not know what her mother-in-law was hoping for?
But since He Shi didn’t mention it in front of her, Wei Rao pretended not to know. Whether it was a son or a daughter, she and Lu Zhuo would never let their child suffer.
In the winter month, a heavy snow fell in the capital.
After the snow stopped, Lu Zhuo took A Bao into the courtyard to build snowmen.
Wei Rao, unable to endure the cold, sat under the eaves and watched the father and daughter bustling with activity.
Lu Zhuo rolled a small snowball and handed it to his daughter to continue rolling around the courtyard, while he stayed in one spot shoveling snow to build the snowman’s body.
A Bao was at an age where she loved to play. Wearing little deer-skin boots and a red brocade coat, she pushed the snowball around with her bottom stuck out, not minding the cold at all. When she laughed, puffs of white mist escaped her mouth.
The father and daughter worked together, first building a snowman father, then a snowman mother. When they ran out of snow in the courtyard, A Bao was fretting until Lu Zhuo suddenly leaped onto the roof and began shoveling the pristine snow down. Wei Rao moved her chair further inside. Once Lu Zhuo confirmed she had moved, he moved his shovel, and layers of snow cascaded down from the eaves like a waterfall, forming a curtain of snow right in front of Wei Rao.
Using the snow from the roof, A Bao and her father built two more snowman babies.
“This one is me, and the small one is my little sister,” A Bao said seriously as she poked two round “snow buns” onto the smaller snowman’s head.
Lu Zhuo asked with a smile, “Does A Bao not like having a little brother?”
A Bao did like little brothers, but in the Duke’s Manor, aside from her, all of her uncles’ families had sons—either older or younger brothers. A Bao wanted a little sister to play with.
Lu Zhuo understood and patted his daughter’s head. “Alright, let’s have Mother give A Bao a little sister.”
Wei Rao, overhearing this, didn’t know what to say. As the father, he made it sound so easy, as if he could guarantee their daughter’s wish would come true. What if A Bao took it seriously and ended up with a little brother? What would they do if she cried?
What made Wei Rao even more amused was when He Shi came to visit and noticed the snowmen in the courtyard. She secretly plucked the two little buns off the smaller snowman’s head while A Bao wasn’t looking!
Wei Rao nearly laughed herself sore.Before A Bao noticed, Lu Zhuo had already spotted it. Terrified of his daughter's displeasure, he hastily added two little tufts back to her hair.
Wei Rao watched the antics of the grandfather-grandchild trio as if enjoying a theatrical performance.
After the New Year, Wei Rao’s belly began to show. As it grew larger, it became inconvenient for her to go out frequently.
Coincidentally, Lu Che’s wife, Chen Shi, was also pregnant. He Shi organized a card game, inviting the Duchess of Yingguo, Wei Rao, and Chen Shi to play together. Little A Bao sometimes sat beside them, watching the elders play cards; other times, she attended school or played with her brothers. Bright and clever, she learned the game after just a few observations.
One day, during Lu Zhuo’s day off, Wei Rao invited He Shi over for a family card game.
He Shi asked first, "Does Shoucheng know how to play cards?"
Wei Rao laughed, "If he doesn’t, all the better—he can lose some silver to us."
Suspecting she was trying to settle old scores, Lu Zhuo felt even more compelled to join. He only wondered, "Are the three of us playing?" After all, this card game was more enjoyable with four players.
No sooner had he spoken than A Bao arrived.
Lu Zhuo exclaimed in surprise, "A Bao knows how to play cards?"
The six-year-old A Bao grinned proudly, "I’ve known for a while. I even helped Grandmother win silver before."
And so, the four of them—three generations of the family—gathered around a card table.
With Lu Zhuo participating, betting with money seemed dull. Wei Rao suggested that the player who lost the most in each round would have rouge applied to their face—forehead, eyebrows, cheeks, or chin, wherever the winner chose.
A Bao was the first to clap in agreement.
He Shi smiled and glanced at her son.
Lu Zhuo sighed helplessly, "You’re just trying to tease me."
Wei Rao retorted, "If you don’t want to join us, then leave."
Lu Zhuo dared not leave—doing so would offend his mother, wife, and daughter all at once.
To avoid being painted with rouge, Lu Zhuo put in his utmost effort. However, in card games, luck matters as much as skill. No matter how skilled he was, there were times he lost. After several rounds, his fair, handsome face was covered in bright red rouge. At first, only Wei Rao and A Bao targeted him, but later, He Shi, itching to join in, added a stroke to her son’s face as well.
When Lu Che accompanied his wife, Chen Shi, for a visit and heard the four were playing cards, the couple decided to join them.
Lu Zhuo had his back to the door, so Lu Che didn’t notice anything amiss at first. It wasn’t until he reached the card table that he saw what had become of his respected elder brother’s face. Stunned, Lu Che couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Lu Zhuo remained composed, even smiling at his fifth brother and sister-in-law.
Chen Shi suppressed a light laugh, thinking how good-tempered her elder brother-in-law was.
Lu Che, however, felt entirely differently—the look in his elder brother’s eyes clearly conveyed unwelcome and a silent command to leave quickly.
Without lingering long, Lu Che promptly bid farewell and left with Chen Shi.
Even so, during later sparring sessions among the brothers, Lu Zhuo took the opportunity to "instruct" Lu Che quite rigorously.
As spring blossoms filled the air, Wei Rao’s belly grew increasingly larger. The Duchess of Yingguo suspected it might be twins.
An Imperial Physician was summoned. After checking her pulse and observing the positions of the fetal movements, it was confirmed: she was indeed carrying twins.
Twins often arrive a month early. Wei Rao’s original due date was around the Dragon Boat Festival, but now it was moved up to the fourth month, leaving little time left.
The matrons at the Hall of Pine and Moon made preparations in advance.
Sensing the change in atmosphere, A Bao grew even more eager with anticipation."Mom, I want a little sister. Since you're carrying two babies, surely one of them must be a sister?" A Bao said with some worry. If both turned out to be brothers, she would really cry.
Wei Rao asked her daughter gently: "Before we talk about whether there will be a sister, does A Bao know how to take care of a little sister?"
A Bao hadn't thought about that. When her sister was born, wouldn't it be enough to just play with her?
Wei Rao said: "It's not that simple. When you were little, you liked playing with toys. Younger siblings will like them too when they're born. If they see you have nice things, they might try to take them from you. Would A Bao be willing to give her toys to younger siblings?"
A Bao thought for a moment and said: "I can give them the ones I don't play with anymore, but not the ones I'm still playing with."
Wei Rao asked with a smile: "What if they insist on having the toys you like?"
A Bao blinked and grinned: "Then I'll ask Father to buy identical ones for them."
Wei Rao happily kissed her daughter: "So clever. Also, if we have a sister, will A Bao help comb her hair?"
A Bao didn't know how - her own hair was always done by her nanny.
Suddenly A Bao found something to do - she needed to learn how to comb others' hair.
After learning for several days, A Bao became proficient and wanted to practice on her mother.
The hairstyles she learned were all for little girls. Wei Rao had an idea and smiled: "Don't be impatient, A Bao. Wait until Father comes home, then you can practice on him."
A Bao's eyes lit up immediately. Her mother liked teasing Father, and so did she.
When Lu Zhuo returned in the evening, he received an enthusiastic welcome from his daughter. Like a fledgling swallow just learning to fly, A Bao joyfully threw herself into her father's arms.
"Did you miss Father this much?" Lu Zhuo picked up his daughter, smiling as he asked.
A Bao first looked at the long hair tied atop her father's head, then met his eyes, nodding vigorously: "I missed you. Both Mother and I missed you. Father, go change quickly so we can go see Mother together."
How could Lu Zhuo dare disobey his daughter's command?
While A Bao waited outside, Lu Zhuo quickly washed his face and changed into a cyan brocade robe.
When he emerged, A Bao looked up at her father. He was so handsome - if dressed as a woman, he'd probably look like a beauty too!
A Bao eagerly pulled her father to the backyard.
Wei Rao, who had just taken a stroll, was sitting on the daybed. She smiled at Lu Zhuo: "A Bao has learned how to do hair. If this pregnancy really gives us a daughter, A Bao will definitely be a wonderful big sister."
Hearing this, Lu Zhuo immediately praised A Bao for being clever and dexterous.
A Bao made him sit down: "Father, you've never seen me do hair. Just because Mother says I can, you believe it?"
Seeing the poorly concealed mischief in his daughter's smile, Lu Zhuo suddenly guessed what was coming.
A Bao had already moved behind him and started untying his hair ribbon, eagerly saying: "Let me style your hair, Father!"
Lu Zhuo tried to dissuade her: "Your sister won't have hair as long as Father's. How about A Bao finds a little maid to practice on instead?"
A Bao snorted: "No, I like Father's hair best."
Lu Zhuo looked at the big fox quietly watching the show nearby: "Father's hair is coarse, while your mother's is soft and looks better when styled."
A Bao said: "I've already done Mother's hair. Now I'll do Father's. This way, if my sister's hair turns out coarse like yours, I'll know how to handle it too."
Even Wei Rao admired her daughter's quick wit - with that response, she had blocked all of Lu Zhuo's excuses.
Lu Zhuo glanced at Wei Rao's belly, sighed inwardly, and resigned himself to the whims of his wife and daughter.His hair was indeed too long. A Bao twisted and turned while combing for a long time before finally managing to style two little buns for her father.
Lu Zhuo closed his eyes.
Wei Rao walked over to him and couldn't help feeling quite regretful. Though Lu Zhuo was handsome, he lacked any feminine softness. Combined with their daughter's still-unpracticed hairstyling skills, the current Lu Zhuo only appeared comical and ridiculous, with no trace of a peerless beauty to be found.
"Perhaps some rouge would make him prettier," Wei Rao winked at A Bao.
A Bao hurried to search through her mother's dressing case.
Taking advantage of their daughter's distraction, Lu Zhuo quickly loosened his hair and pretended it had come undone on its own.
Since it was nearly mealtime anyway, Wei Rao didn't expose his little trick.
That night, Lu Zhuo held Wei Rao's face and kissed her repeatedly. "While you're in this condition, I'll let you have your way with me. But I'm keeping track of everything, and after your confinement period, we'll settle accounts."
Wei Rao laughed, "Go ahead and keep track. If you get me pregnant again, you'll just have to endure it longer."
Lu Zhuo paused, his hand moving to her large belly. He thought to himself that after this birth, he wouldn't let her get pregnant again.
By mid-April, the peonies in the small garden of Hall of Pine and Moon had bloomed one after another. A Bao picked several and arranged them in a vase in her mother's room.
"Mother, you like peonies, I like peonies, so my sister will definitely like them too."
"Newborn babies can't see clearly yet."
"Oh, then can my sister smell the flowers?"
"Perhaps."
That very night, while A Bao was sleeping soundly, Wei Rao went into labor and gave birth to twin boys at midnight.
Wei Rao looked at the peonies in the distant vase, then at the two sons in their swaddling clothes, and asked Lu Zhuo, "This is all your fault for insisting we'd have a daughter. What do we do now?"
After a moment's silence, Lu Zhuo pointed to the younger twin and said, "How about we tell A Bao this one is her sister?" The smaller one looked more like Wei Rao.
Wei Rao glared at him, "Do you think A Bao is stupid?"
Lu Zhuo had no response.
When morning came and A Bao arrived, learning that her mother had given her two brothers, contrary to everyone's expectations, she didn't cry.
The Duchess of Yingguo asked her, "A Bao, don't you want a sister anymore?"
A Bao shook her head, "I do, but since Mother has already given birth, there's nothing I can do about it."
The little girl's serious expression made everyone in the room laugh.
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