Apart from Wei Chan's embarrassing behavior, Wei Rao's bridal return visit today was quite successful. Lu Zhuo's gentle and humble demeanor had given her ample face and reassured her grandmother.
After lunch at the Cheng'an Marquis' residence, Wei Rao bid farewell to her grandmother and uncle, then boarded the carriage back to the Duke's Manor with Lu Zhuo.
"You've been busy all morning, Young Lord. How is your health?"
Once seated, Wei Rao glanced at Lu Zhuo, still somewhat concerned about the young lord who had just recovered from a serious illness.
Lu Zhuo leaned his shoulders and neck against the carriage panel, closing his eyes as he replied, "I'm fine."
He truly felt no physical discomfort, but Lu Zhuo disliked such meaningless social engagements. Before his military training at the border, he had been raised by his grandmother, who taught him to be a gentle and humble gentleman—a role he had indeed mastered. Yet at times, Lu Zhuo envied Qi Zhongkai's carefree nature, his ability to wear his emotions on his sleeve.
Seeing his tired expression, Wei Rao assumed he was exhausted and quietly sat beside him, refraining from further disturbance.
As the carriage made its way back to the Duke of Yingguo's Manor along the same route, Wei Rao watched the gently swaying curtain edge, thinking she must find an opportunity before the New Year to visit her maternal grandmother outside the city. Now that she had married into the Lu Family, her maternal grandmother’s concern for her would be no less than her paternal grandmother’s.
And what about her mother at the West Mountain Imperial Palace? She likely had no way of knowing her daughter had already married.
At this stage, Lu Zhuo still needed to recuperate. His younger cousins and female relatives visited him daily, staying only briefly to avoid disturbing the eldest brother’s rest.
As Lu Zhuo’s health continued to improve, the Duchess of Yingguo was no longer worried about her eldest grandson’s injuries. Instead, she grew concerned that Wei Rao might find life in the Duke’s Manor dull and frustrating. It was natural for every new bride to go through a period of adjustment when first marrying into her husband’s family, but Wei Rao’s situation was particularly pitiable—her husband had no intention of consummating the marriage, insisting on maintaining a false partnership. This made it even harder for Wei Rao to truly settle into the Duke’s Manor as her home.
Since the Duchess had been the one to arrange Wei Rao’s marriage, she felt responsible for ensuring the young woman’s well-being. If her grandson was being unreasonable, she, as the grandmother, would compensate Wei Rao doubly.
That morning, the Duchess summoned Wei Rao to the warm chamber of the Loyalty Hall. Besides Wei Rao, those present included Lu Zhuo’s mother, He Shi; his aunt, Fourth Madam; his cousin, Lu Changning; and his maternal cousin, He Weiyu.
"Rao Rao, do you know how to play leaf cards? Your second and third aunts are usually too busy to play with me," the Duchess said warmly, beckoning Wei Rao to sit beside her.
Wei Rao smiled. "I know a little. I often played with the old lady at home."
The Duchess nodded in approval. "Good. You’ll play with us today. Changning and Weiyu aren’t skilled—when they play together, they take even longer than an old woman like me to make a move."
He Weiyu blushed, while Lu Changning huffed, "I don’t even like playing cards. Grandmother insisted I come."
The Duchess glared at her. "If I didn’t call you, you’d be causing trouble at the training ground again. What kind of young lady spends all her time talking about martial arts? Do you even want to get married in the future?"
Wei Rao looked at Lu Changning in surprise.
Lu Changning’s face flushed at the mention of marriage. "So what if I don’t marry? Who wants to get married anyway?"
After retorting, she grabbed He Weiyu’s hand and stormed out.The Duchess of Yingguo rubbed her forehead and explained to Wei Rao, "Our family has many boys and few girls. Changning spends all her time playing with her brothers and cousins, and she has developed a competitive spirit, insisting on learning martial arts. If Meiyu hadn't come later and distracted her somewhat, who knows what she would be like now."
Wei Rao smiled and said, "Changning comes from a prestigious military family and has inherited the passionate blood of the Lu Family ancestors. Grandmother, you should be proud. Moreover, practicing martial arts strengthens the body. Learning martial arts is beneficial for Changning."
The Duchess of Yingguo exclaimed in surprise, "Rao Rao, you actually approve of girls practicing martial arts?"
Wei Rao pointed to herself and said shyly, "To be honest with you, Grandmother, I also know some martial arts and have been practicing for four years. Since I started training, I rarely catch colds, and even during those uncomfortable days that girls have, I feel perfectly fine."
The Duchess of Yingguo was so shocked she couldn't speak.
The reason she forbade her granddaughter from practicing martial arts was her fear that the girl would develop sturdy muscles like the boys. Girls were supposed to be soft and delicate—how could a rough and bulky figure be considered beautiful?
But now, this delicate girl, more enchanting than a peony, was telling her that she too had practiced martial arts.
"Is that true, Rao Rao?" the Duchess asked, taking hold of Wei Rao's left arm. She felt her wrist—it was slender and seemingly without much muscle. She looked at her small hand: the back was snow-white, but the palm... indeed had a thin layer of calluses, usually concealed by its elegant shape.
"Are you asking about my knowing martial arts or about martial arts strengthening the body?" Wei Rao teased playfully.
The Duchess replied, "Of course, about the martial arts. You said you've been practicing for four years—what can you do?"
Wei Rao answered truthfully, "I only know swordplay and horseback riding. Every time I visit my maternal grandmother at the Secluded Manor, I enjoy galloping on horseback."
She didn't want to suppress her true nature just because she had married. This was her chance to tell the Old Madam that she loved horseback riding. When spring came and she wanted to ride, she wouldn't have to bother finding excuses to hide it.
If the Old Madam accepted this, Wei Rao would respect this open-minded elder even more. If the Old Madam opposed it, Wei Rao would simply live her life as she pleased and no longer waste time on social niceties here.
"How did a young girl like you come to think of learning martial arts?" the Duchess was quite curious about this. An authoritative matriarch like Old Mrs. Wei didn't seem like the type to arrange for the girls in her family to practice martial arts.
Wei Rao lowered her head and said with a bitter smile, "When I was a child, I fell into the water while playing. It was winter, and the lake was freezing cold. I became seriously ill from the chill. If I hadn't practiced martial arts, I might have been confined to a sickbed for the rest of my life."
He Shi, upon hearing this, imagined a flower-like beauty confined to her bed as an invalid. She felt both heartache for her daughter-in-law's ordeal and thought that practicing martial arts was a good thing. If Wei Rao hadn't practiced martial arts, her mother-in-law wouldn't have witnessed Wei Rao's bravery in saving someone at the Dragon Boat Festival banquet. If her mother-in-law hadn't met Wei Rao, she wouldn't have proposed the marriage. If Wei Rao hadn't married into the family, her son might never have woken up.
Fourth Madam, however, thought about the cause of Wei Rao's illness. Back when Li Guiren was the favored consort in the harem, the incident of Wei Rao falling into the water had spread widely among the noble families.
She glanced at her mother-in-law.
The Duchess of Yingguo had naturally thought of this as well. Knowing the whole story, she felt even more compassion for Wei Rao.The Empress Dowager in the palace had never been liked by the Duchess of Yingguo. In her youth, she was cunning and solely focused on competing for favor; in her old age, she took advantage of her position as Empress Dowager to ruthlessly suppress those who had offended her. Fortunately, Emperor Yuanjia was relatively wise and did not allow the Empress Dowager to interfere in court affairs, or else the imperial court might have fallen into chaos.
"Hearing Rao Rao say this, it seems learning martial arts truly has many benefits. Alright, if Changning wants to practice martial arts in the future, I’ll let her seek your guidance. It’s more elegant for girls to learn swordsmanship," the Duchess of Yingguo declared.
Wei Rao smiled and nodded. Her sword technique had seven levels. If Lu Changning wished to learn, she could teach her the first three levels. Whether the later levels could be taught would require consulting her master.
After discussing martial arts, the four began playing cards.
To Wei Rao’s surprise, He Shi, Lu Zhuo’s seemingly delicate and indecisive mother, transformed completely during the game. She played, drew, and discarded cards swiftly and accurately, winning more often than losing. When she lost, she showed no anger; when she won, she beamed with joy.
The Duchess of Yingguo and Fourth Madam treated it as a lighthearted pastime, merely for enjoyment.
Wei Rao, being new, deliberately held back. After playing all morning, she lost five taels of silver.
Fourth Madam left first.
After she departed, He Shi took two small silver ingots from her purse and smilingly handed them to Wei Rao: "Mother won over twenty taels. I’ll share a bit with you for good luck."
The Duchess of Yingguo, still seated nearby, snorted upon hearing this: "Why don’t you share some luck with me?"
He Shi immediately clutched her purse tightly: "In our entire family, you’re the wealthiest. Why would you need me to share?"
The Duchess of Yingguo shook her head with a smile. This daughter-in-law came from a poor family and had brought little dowry when she married. She loved winning money from them through card games.
Though lacking in ambition, she was simple-minded and never stirred up trouble, which was just fine.
Wei Rao returned to the Hall of Pine and Moon with the five taels her mother-in-law had shared.
After washing her hands, Lu Zhuo also arrived, and Wei Rao instructed the maids to prepare lunch.
"How was your luck today, Young Madam?"
Lu Zhuo was a man of few words. While serving Wei Rao, Bitao asked curiously—they couldn’t all remain silent just because the Young Lord was present; that would be too dull.
Wei Rao smiled and said, "I lost five taels. The First Madam won a lot and rewarded me with five taels."
Wei Rao was merely chatting idly with her maid, but Lu Zhuo, hearing this, pressed his thin lips together, feeling that her words carried a hidden meaning, deliberately mocking his mother for her love of gambling and greed for money in his presence.
Although Lu Zhuo was the heir of the Duke of Yingguo’s manor and the future Duke, among the four branches of the Lu Family, his branch—the first—was the poorest. The main reason was He Shi’s meager dowry. Combined with his father’s assets, the inheritance left to Lu Zhuo was significantly less than that of the other three branches.
Lu Zhuo had gone to the border regions in his youth, where his food and clothing were no different from those of the soldiers in the camp. He cared little for material possessions. After returning to the Duke’s manor, the silver he had, his monthly allowance, and the Duchess of Yingguo’s private subsidies were more than enough for his expenses.
In truth, his mother didn’t have many expenses either, but she simply enjoyed playing cards and winning money from his grandmother and aunts. This made Lu Zhuo both ashamed and helpless.
His aunts never looked down on his mother or him for this, but he hadn’t expected Wei Rao, after marrying in, to do so.
After lunch, Wei Rao went to the east room to rest.
Lu Zhuo followed her in.
Bitao and Liuya, who were clearing the table, were stunned. What did the Young Lord intend to do?
Hearing his footsteps, Wei Rao stopped in the East Side Room and looked at Lu Zhuo inquiringly.
Lu Zhuo asked indifferently, "How is your card-playing skill?"Wei Rao was baffled: "It went fine, why do you ask?"
Lu Zhuo said, "My mother wins nine out of ten bets. If you don't want to lose money, just find an excuse to decline next time."
Wei Rao frowned at Lu Zhuo's cold, displeased expression. "Who said I'm afraid of losing money? What have I done to make the Young Lord think I can't handle losses?"
Lu Zhuo averted his gaze, looking out the window. "We're merely a nominal couple. It's better to minimize financial dealings between us."
Wei Rao carefully considered his words, then laughed in anger. "Are you truly worried about me being a sore loser, or are you concerned I might win silver from your Lu Family elders? If it's the former, rest assured—I dare to gamble and dare to lose. Even if I lose all my dowry, it's my own choice. If it's the latter, and you're worried about Old Madam and the others losing money, then directly advise them not to invite me. Otherwise, as long as they call, I'll attend. How much I win depends solely on my own skill."
She delivered this lengthy speech in a sweet voice brimming with towering fury.
Lu Zhuo felt irritated but remained silent for a long moment, finding no words to retort.
He turned and left.
Though he was gone, the matter wasn't over. Wei Rao couldn't swallow her anger.
The next day, when the Duchess of Yingguo sent a maid to invite Wei Rao again, Wei Rao hid in her inner chamber and had Bitao make a trip to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.
Bitao returned alone to the Duchess of Yingguo, kneeling on the ground and wiping her eyes with feigned grievance. "Old Madam, because our young lady came to play cards yesterday, the Young Lord inexplicably flew into a rage. He didn't explain clearly but forbade our young lady from coming again..."
Upon hearing this, the Duchess of Yingguo's anger flared up instantly, and she headed straight for the Hall of Pine and Moon!
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