By Emperor Yuanjia's decree, the palace's Shangyi Bureau had been working tirelessly since yesterday afternoon to complete the wedding dress. After a sleepless night, by dusk today, they had finally finished the intricate wedding gown and ceremonial robes for the bride. After all, these were embroiderers meticulously selected to serve the imperial family. Despite the rush, there was no carelessness in the wedding dress—top-tier tribute silk combined with exquisite embroidery. In terms of grandeur and elegance, this wedding dress might even rival that of a princess.
Wei Rao changed into her wedding dress and was slowly escorted out by Bitao and Liuya.
Old Mrs. Wei, Shou An Jun, Guo Shi and her daughter Wei Chan, Wang Shi, and the sisters Zhou Huizhen and Zhou Huizhu were all waiting outside the screen. As a figure flashed behind the screen, the women fixed their eyes on it. When they saw the lavish wedding dress and Wei Rao, who looked like a celestial maiden, their expressions turned vivid.
Old Mrs. Wei and Shou An Jun were filled with pride and pity—pride in Wei Rao's beauty, pity that she was only marrying to ward off misfortune.
Guo Shi, Wei Chan, Wang Shi, and Zhou Huizhen were consumed by envy and jealousy.
Zhou Huizhu, who had always been close to Wei Rao, was struck speechless by the sight before breaking into a delighted, silly grin.
"Try on the phoenix crown," Old Mrs. Wei instructed Emerald.
Before Emerald could act, a palace-appointed female official stepped forward, carefully lifting the heavy phoenix crown from a red silk-lined tray and placing it on Wei Rao's head. This phoenix crown was also an imperial gift, originally prepared for a princess awaiting marriage. Emperor Yuanjia had no daughters, but previous emperors had several princesses each, so there were plenty of phoenix crowns in reserve.
The phoenix crown was a double-dragon, single-phoenix design. The golden crown was adorned with kingfisher feathers and jewels, with no fewer than ten thumb-sized rubies and sapphires at the front alone, not to mention the rows and clusters of pea-sized gemstones along the edges and corners. Just this one crown, if melted down and its gems and pearls sold separately, could fetch tens of thousands of taels of silver.
The more Guo Shi looked, the more sour she felt. Her eldest daughter had married the Prince of Duan as his consort, and the phoenix crown she wore was of similar imperial quality. Wei Rao was only marrying a dying heir to the Duke of Yingguo—why did her attire rival that of her eldest daughter?
On one hand, Guo Shi felt Wei Rao was unworthy; on the other, she was filled with regret. If her second daughter, Wei Chan, had married Lu Zhuo and worn such attire, her daughter's wedding would have been the most glorious in the entire capital!
Guo Shi had at least seen similar attire before, but Wang Shi and Zhou Huizhen had never seen anything like it. Their eyes were practically glued to the dazzling gemstones!
"Good, take it off now," Shou An Jun said with a smile, noticing Wei Rao's pained expression under the weight of the crown.
The moment the phoenix crown was removed, Wei Rao breathed a sigh of relief.
The phoenix crown and ceremonial robes fit perfectly. Wei Rao went inside to change, and the female officials from the Shangyi Bureau returned to the palace to report their task completed.
Wei Rao was to marry tomorrow. Old Mrs. Wei and Shou An Jun both wanted to share some heartfelt words with their beloved.
The two elderly women exchanged glances, neither willing to leave first. They sent their daughters-in-law and granddaughters away.
"Mother-in-law, you've been busy with the wedding preparations for two days. Go rest now. I'll sit with Rao Rao a while longer," Shou An Jun said, plopping herself onto Wei Rao's bed and smiling at Old Mrs. Wei.
Old Mrs. Wei thought, Your daughter has already remarried. Who are you calling 'mother-in-law'?
But she knew Shou An Jun was someone who disregarded conventions. If she argued, she would only end up angering herself.
"I'll rest on the couch outside. Say what you need to quickly," Old Mrs. Wei decided to compromise, planning to return after Shou An Jun left.
Wei Rao personally helped Old Mrs. Wei to the outer room, leaving a maid to attend to her grandmother before returning.
"Grandmother, you always bully Grandmother," Wei Rao said fairly, sitting next to Shou An Jun.
Shou An Jun snorted, "How long do you spend with her each year, and how long do you spend with me?"
Wei Rao stopped arguing and knelt behind Shou An Jun, intending to massage her back.
Shou An Jun pulled her back, holding Wei Rao's small hands. "Enough, I don't need you to tire yourself out. You have to wake up early tomorrow and will be exhausted. I won't waste words. Let me first tell you about the dowry I'm giving you."
Back when Shou An Jun left the palace, Emperor Yuanjia had bestowed upon her a Secluded Manor, a thousand acres of fertile land, and several chests of gold, silver, and jewels.
Shou An Jun had always planned to divide her assets among her grandchildren.
The Secluded Manor was too conspicuous—even ordinary nobles would feel uneasy living there—so she would leave it to her grandson, the Fourth Prince.
The thousand acres of fertile land were divided into five portions: Zhou Huizhen, Zhou Huizhu, Wei Rao, Huo Jue, and Huo Lin each received two hundred acres. These lands were not contiguous, hence the numerous deeds. Over the years since leaving the palace, Shou An Jun had used the emperor's rewards and income from the lands to acquire over twenty shops, mostly in other regions, large and small. This time, Wei Rao received four of them.
Wei Rao's eyes reddened. "You're giving everything to us. What about yourself?"
Shou An Jun laughed. "I kept a few shops for myself, so I'm not short on income. Over the years, I've also saved up a sum for my retirement, enough to live comfortably until my dying day. Besides, won't you youngsters be filial to me?"
"Of course we will. My restaurant is profitable. From now on, I'll give you a share of the profits every year, along with the income from the shops you gave me." Wei Rao hugged her grandmother, wiping her tears on her shoulder.
Shou An Jun held her granddaughter. After settling the dowry matter, she began to worry about Wei Rao's life in the Duke of Yingguo's Manor.
Wei Rao said confidently, "There's no need to trouble yourself with that, Grandmother. What kind of person would let themselves be wronged?"
Shou An Jun scoffed, "Marriage to ward off misfortune is the greatest wrong. You, thinking you're clever, are actually just foolish."
Wei Rao refused to listen, deflecting the topic with a coquettish gesture.
Shou An Jun took a small booklet from her sleeve and handed it to Wei Rao. "No matter what, I still hope you can bring Lu Zhuo back to life. I hope he has the wisdom to recognize your worth and cherish you. If he truly recovers, the two of you will consummate the marriage sooner or later. Read this before then, so you don't suffer needlessly."
Wei Rao had never even thought about consummating the marriage. Lu Zhuo was unconscious, and even if he woke up, he likely wouldn't have the strength to do anything.
But curiosity got the better of her. She opened the booklet her grandmother had given her and flipped through it randomly. The first thing she saw was a picture of a man and a woman, partially undressed, embracing each other. If they had been completely naked, Wei Rao would have closed it immediately. But because they were only partially undressed, she couldn't tell at first glance what they were doing. Looking closer, she snapped the booklet shut, her face flushed red with disgust. "This is disgusting, Grandmother! You, you..."
She couldn't even finish her sentence.
Shou An Jun was amused by the girl's innocence and whispered an explanation, "The pictures in the book are exaggerated, deliberately darkened. It's not actually that ugly..."
Wei Rao covered her ears, not wanting to know what a man's thing looked like.
Shou An Jun didn't force her. "Fine, fine. Keep it for now. If you need it in the future, you can look at it then."
Wei Rao immediately tried to return the booklet to her grandmother.
Shou An Jun refused, striding away briskly.
Wei Rao had no choice. Afraid her grandmother would see it, she hid the indecent booklet under her pillow.
When Old Mrs. Wei came in and saw her granddaughter's rare blush and embarrassed expression, she guessed what Shou An Jun had discussed.
Pretending not to know, Old Mrs. Wei sat on the bed and, like Shou An Jun, took Wei Rao's small hand, slipping several banknotes into it.
Wei Rao exclaimed in surprise, "Grandmother, haven't you already prepared a dowry for me?"
She had seen the dowry list, which was no less than what her cousin, the Princess Consort of Duan, had received. The Cheng'an Marquis's household was not wealthy, and her grandmother had prepared so much for her. Wei Rao felt heartbroken, worried that her grandmother had left nothing for herself.
Old Mrs. Wei said, "That's the public portion. When your third sister marries, it will be the same. This is my personal gift to you. Your three sisters didn't receive this. They have parents to care for them; it's not my place to worry about them. You're the only pitiful one. If I don't favor you, who should I favor?"
Wei Rao lowered her head and leaned into her grandmother's embrace, choking up, "Grandmother, you're even worse than Grandmother. You're deliberately trying to make me cry."
Old Mrs. Wei stroked her head, her heart filled with pain, reluctance, and worry, not knowing where to begin.
To lighten the heavy mood, Old Mrs. Wei wiped her eyes and handed Wei Rao a small booklet, both amused and exasperated. "Shou An Jun must have talked to you about consummating the marriage. I just don't know if she prepared anything. Take this..."
"I already have one!" Wei Rao, flustered and annoyed, forgot her tears and adamantly refused to take it.
Old Mrs. Wei glanced at the bed and went to check under the pillow. Ignoring Wei Rao's bowed head and flushed face, she flipped through the booklet Shou An Jun had given. She noticed that Shou An Jun's booklet had more variations and finer illustrations. Old Mrs. Wei hummed, weighing her options, and decided to leave Shou An Jun's booklet with Wei Rao.
"Don't stay up too late. Get some sleep early," Old Mrs. Wei said, not wanting to delay any longer. Even for a marriage to ward off misfortune, her granddaughter should marry tomorrow in her most beautiful state.
Wei Rao saw off her two beloved elders and returned to her room. Quietly, she placed the booklet from her grandmother and the banknotes from her other grandmother into her private money chest.
Bitao came in to extinguish the lights, urging her to sleep early, and then left.
Wei Rao lay alone in bed. With the wedding imminent, she couldn't help but think of the groom, Lu Zhuo.
What condition was that guy in? So young—could he really be about to die?
If Lu Zhuo died, Wei Rao could simply live according to the first two conditions of the marriage to ward off misfortune, which would actually mean fewer troubles.
If Lu Zhuo recovered, would someone so aloof and proud be willing to be her real husband?
If Lu Zhuo was willing, Wei Rao would cooperate. After all, his looks, background, and talents were impeccable. He came from a military family with a tradition of not taking concubines without reason. Wei Rao felt that she couldn't find a better husband than Lu Zhuo. If they became a real couple, she would gain both substance and face.
If Lu Zhuo was unwilling...
Wei Rao hugged her quilt and let out a cold laugh.
If Lu Zhuo was unwilling, it meant he looked down on her. If that were the case, aside from demanding the respect she deserved and pretending to be an affectionate couple in public, Wei Rao would never give him a single pleasant expression in private. A man who despised her, no matter how high his status, how handsome his looks, or how skilled his martial arts, was not worth her currying favor with.
She slept dreamlessly that night. The next day was the thirteenth of the twelfth month, a day the entire capital was eagerly awaiting for the spectacle.
The Cheng'an Marquis's residence was filled with guests. Wei Rao, dressed in her wedding attire and magnificently adorned, sat in her boudoir, waiting for the Duke of Yingguo's Manor to come and fetch the bride.
The groom, Lu Zhuo, lay bedridden and unconscious. The Duke of Yingguo's Manor sent his youngest cousin, Lu Che, to fetch the bride on his behalf.
Twelve-year-old Lu Che, with lips red as rouge and a face like jade, forced a smile as he sat on horseback.
The eyes of the onlookers were fixed on what Lu Che held in his arms.
There, a large rooster with a golden crown, red feathers, and a black tail stood, its plumage glossy and its spirit vigorous. Its eyes slightly narrowed, it exuded a noble, almost imperious aura.
This rooster was the true symbol of the "groom," Lu Zhuo, heir to the Duke of Yingguo.
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