Wei Rao was somewhat particular about her bed. Having grown accustomed to the beds in both the Cheng'an Marquis residence and her boudoir at the Secluded Manor, she slept rather poorly during her first night at the Lu Family. She awoke when Bitao went to summon A Gui to attend to Lu Zhuo.
Now that Lu Zhuo had regained consciousness, news of the successful Marriage to ward off misfortune between the two families would surely spread throughout the capital today. Friends and relatives of the Lu Family would undoubtedly come to visit.
It was destined to be a busy day.
Wei Rao lingered in bed a while longer before rising just before Mama Miao's arrival. She applied the same elegant and appropriate light makeup as before.
A Gui shouldn't remain in the bridal chamber for too long, so he left after assisting Lu Zhuo with his personal needs.
Outside, darkness still prevailed, but the festive decorations in the bridal chamber, illuminated by several lamps, created a rather cozy atmosphere.
Wei Rao approached the screen and asked the Young Lord on the bed through the brocade fabric, "Does the Young Lord wish to sleep longer, or shall I have the maids come in to assist with your washing?"
Lu Zhuo replied, "Washing."
Wei Rao then signaled to Bitao and Liuya standing by the door.
As the maids went to fetch water, Wei Rao's gaze swept across the dressing table. An idea struck her, and she retrieved a handheld bronze mirror from her dowry. Concealing it behind her back, she circled around the screen and appeared at Lu Zhuo's bedside with a smile.
Lu Zhuo glanced at her mischievous smiling face, then at her hands.
Wei Rao explained softly, "Bitao and Liuya are quite capable in their duties, but they've never attended to a man before, let alone someone seriously ill. They're rather timid. If they happen to be less than perfect in their service later, I hope the Young Lord will be understanding and not scold them or mistake our Wei Family maids for being clumsy."
Lu Zhuo didn't quite grasp her meaning.
Wei Rao extended her hand, holding up the bronze mirror toward Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo lifted his eyes and saw his current appearance in the exquisite, clear reflection of the bronze mirror.
He then looked back at Wei Rao.
This woman—instead of showing sympathy for his grave condition, she was actually worried he might frighten her maids?
Indeed, the words "gentle" and "graceful" had nothing to do with her.
"If you feel they're being mistreated, you may ask Mama Miao to come," Lu Zhuo said indifferently.
Wei Rao put away the mirror and smiled, "How could that be? We're a loving couple after all. It's their good fortune to serve the Young Lord—there's no mistreatment whatsoever. I merely wanted to remind you that your current appearance is rather alarming. Just think, when you woke up last night, if it hadn't been me but some other bride in this Marriage to ward off misfortune, she wouldn't have dared share a bed with you."
Lu Zhuo remarked, "The young lady's courage is truly admirable."
Wei Rao smiled. Hearing what sounded like Mama Miao's approach in the corridor, she slightly frowned. It seemed she would have to put on an act in front of Mama Miao this morning, forcing herself to endure some discomfort.
"How is the Young Lord feeling?" Mama Miao, who had served the Duchess of Yingguo for years and watched Lu Zhuo grow from a nursing infant into a promising young man, shared the Duchess's constant concern for him, especially after the Duke of Yingguo sent him to the border regions, worrying he might suffer hardships there.
To Lu Zhuo, Mama Miao was a respected and dear elder.
"Much better. You should go back to sleep, Mama. There's no need to rise so early."
Mama Miao laughed, "I can't sleep anymore. The thought of the Young Lord being awake fills my heart with joy, like it's the New Year."As they spoke, Wei Rao rolled up her sleeves and personally placed a white cloth into the bronze basin held by Bitao. She dampened it, wrung it until it was partially dry, then walked gently to Lu Zhuo's bedside with tender eyes and said softly, "Allow me to assist the Young Lord in washing his face."
Lu Zhuo looked over in surprise.
Wei Rao shyly lowered her gaze.
Mama Miao, who was accustomed to taking over such tasks, noticed the young mistress's bashful demeanor and immediately stepped aside from the bedside to avoid interrupting the young couple's bonding. She stood by cheerfully instead.
Knowing Wei Rao intended to act out a scene, Lu Zhuo thanked her gently and closed his eyes.
Suppressing her disgust, Wei Rao meticulously wiped Lu Zhuo's face, which resembled that of a living corpse. His sallow complexion now only retained a pair of elegantly arched eyebrows worth looking at—the rest was unsightly, with dry lips and bloodshot eyes. Only his closest kin would still treasure him as a precious gem.
After finishing his face, Wei Rao rewet the cloth and carefully wiped Lu Zhuo's fingers.
She cradled his emaciated hand with one hand while using the cloth to wrap around his fingers, gently rotating it.
The skin contact made Lu Zhuo instinctively want to frown, but he owed Wei Rao for the Marriage to ward off misfortune and felt obliged to play along with her act.
When this mutually detested caregiving performance finally concluded, the Duchess of Yingguo and He Shi, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair, arrived early.
While He Shi fussed over Lu Zhuo's well-being, Mama Miao quietly informed the Duchess about the young couple's respectful harmony.
The Duchess was greatly relieved, as she had feared her eldest grandson might believe external gossip and repay Wei Rao's kindness with ingratitude.
After consuming Medicinal Cuisine and taking medicine, Lu Zhuo felt some strength returning. He discussed with the Duchess, "Grandmother, since I've narrowly escaped death, relatives and friends will likely visit one after another. It would be inconvenient for me to rest in the Back Residence. Perhaps I could be moved to the front courtyard first. Once I can get out of bed and walk, I'll return to the Back Residence."
The Duchess instinctively glanced at Wei Rao. Only one night had passed—if guests saw her grandson still residing in the front courtyard, wouldn't misunderstandings arise? Or was her grandson proposing this precisely because he wished to avoid sharing a room with Wei Rao?
Wei Rao found it inappropriate to speak up. Lu Zhuo coughed and explained, "During my stay in the front courtyard, my wife will move there with me."
Wei Rao bashfully hid behind He Shi.
The Duchess felt reassured at once. Considering that receiving guests in the Back Residence was indeed inconvenient, she agreed.
After Wei Rao finished breakfast, A Gui led two tall, sturdy men—Zhao Song and Zhao Bai, both Lu Zhuo's longtime attendants who had trained with him at the border for eight years and were his trusted aides.
The three entered the Hall and first paid respects to the new mistress.
Wei Rao, dressed in red wedding attire, stood beside the Duchess and smilingly instructed them to handle the Young Lord carefully to avoid dropping him.
Zhao Song and Zhao Bai dared not look directly at the young mistress, only sensing that her voice was clear, sweet, and charming—she must be a beauty.
A Gui, having visited the Back Residence twice already, was bolder. He stole a quick glance at the young mistress, and that single look made his heart pound wildly. So breathtakingly beautiful! No wonder the Young Lord had been so concerned about whether he had embarrassed himself in front of her. If it were A Gui, forget having the young mistress as his wife—even if she lived next door, he'd be too ashamed to fart loudly.
Collecting himself, A Gui led Zhao Song and Zhao Bai inside.Zhao Song and Zhao Bai carried over a long stretcher. Both men were strong, and the Young Lord had become as thin as a bamboo pole, so the brothers effortlessly lifted him face-down onto the stretcher.
Lu Zhuo remained expressionless, while the Duchess of Yingguo and He Shi watched with bated breath. Wei Rao stood behind the two elders, completely treating the scene as a spectacle.
The room in Lu Zhuo’s front courtyard had been decorated like a bridal chamber to reinforce the Marriage to ward off misfortune.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, the Duchess of Yingguo decided to spend the entire day with Wei Rao by her eldest grandson’s side, allowing guests to see her regard for Wei Rao and minimizing gossip.
The first wave of visitors to the Hall of Pine and Moon were members of the Lu Family.
Wei Rao had met the Duke of Yingguo and the Duchess of Yingguo before her marriage and remembered them vividly, while the others had only been briefly introduced the previous night.
In the eldest branch of the Lu Family, only He Shi and her son Lu Zhuo remained. However, since Lu Zhuo had spent eight years at the border, He Shi, lonely in her widowhood, was pitied by the Duchess of Yingguo, who arranged for He Shi’s niece from her maternal family to stay with them. The young girl, named He Weiyu, was thirteen years old and Lu Zhuo’s cousin.
In the second branch, the widowed Second Madam had raised three children: Second Young Master Lu Ya, Third Young Master Lu Cong, and the only daughter of the Lu Family, Lu Changning.
In the third branch, the widowed Third Madam had also given birth to two sons: Fourth Young Master Lu Ze and Fifth Young Master Lu Che.
In the fourth branch, the Grand Ancestor, only thirty-two years old, was confined to a wheelchair due to the loss of a leg. It was said that since his injury, the Grand Ancestor had secluded himself and disliked receiving guests. He would not have appeared this time if not for Lu Zhuo. Fourth Madam, with her delicate beauty, stood quietly beside the Grand Ancestor like a blossoming magnolia. Though she was the only one among the four sisters-in-law who was not widowed, she had no children.
The Duchess of Yingguo introduced everyone to Wei Rao and then, looking at Lu Zhuo on the bed, said with a smile, “Once Shoucheng recovers, we’ll formally serve tea and acknowledge our relatives. I look forward to seeing the two of you kneel before me together.”
They could serve tea now, but having only Wei Rao do so would be too unfair to her.
In a joyous wedding, having a brother-in-law stand in for the ceremony was unavoidable, but serving tea should be done with the husband by her side.
Wei Rao simply feigned shyness.
Lu Zhuo still needed rest, so after the visit, the various branches of the Lu Family took their leave.
The Duchess of Yingguo instructed A Gui to watch over her eldest grandson inside while she took He Shi, Wei Rao, and He Weiyu to the warm chamber to chat about everyday matters.
Wei Rao skillfully engaged the Duchess of Yingguo in conversation while carefully observing her nominal mother-in-law, He Shi.
He Shi was thirty-five years old. Perhaps her life as a widow had not been entirely smooth, as traces of time were visible on her face, yet they could not overshadow her stunning beauty. Among the Duchess of Yingguo’s four daughters-in-law, He Shi had the humblest background but was the most beautiful. It could be said that Lu Zhuo’s ethereal, immortal-like appearance before his injury was seventy percent inherited from He Shi.
Although Lu Zhuo’s four cousins were also handsome, they were far less striking than him.
Wei Rao thought to herself that the noble young ladies who admired Lu Zhuo ought to be most grateful to He Shi.However, although He Shi was beautiful, she fell far short of her sisters-in-law in terms of demeanor—she was the kind of naive beauty who wore all her thoughts on her face. This lack of worldly wisdom might endear her to elders when displayed by a young girl, but in a matriarch expected to manage household affairs, it gave the elders headaches.
It was said that the Lu Family was currently managed jointly by Second Madam and Third Madam, while He Shi remained purely idle.
While observing He Shi, Wei Rao noticed that Miss He Weiyu, sitting beside her aunt, kept stealing glances at her.
Once their eyes met, Wei Rao offered a polite smile.
He Weiyu blushed and lowered her head.
She was a delicate beauty, though not as striking as He Shi, still quite lovely in her own right.
"Old Madam, the Marquis of Pingxi, Young Master Qi, and Second Master Qi have come to visit the heir!"
A young maid cheerfully ran in to announce the arrival of another wave of guests.
The Marquis of Pingxi's household and the Duke of Yingguo's Manor were old family friends, with strong relationships between both the elder and younger generations. The Qi father and sons' visit today was entirely expected.
The Duchess of Yingguo and He Shi both rose with smiles, while the shy and easily flustered He Weiyu glanced curiously at Wei Rao.
Wei Rao didn't need to think hard to know that He Weiyu had heard the rumors about her allegedly trying to climb above her station by pursuing Second Master Qi Zhongkai.
Wei Rao simply laughed it off.
Come to think of it, had Lu Zhuo heard these rumors? Did he believe them? Would he worry that she might continue to pursue Qi Zhongkai?
Suddenly, Wei Rao felt that marrying Lu Zhuo would add no small amount of amusement to her life.
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