Hall of Pine and Moon.
Mama Miao stood guard in the courtyard with Wei Rao's maidservants, all maintaining a respectful distance from the main chambers.
In the East Side Room, the Duchess of Yingguo sat upright in her chair while Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo stood before her, one on each side.
Wei Rao kept her head lowered, a snow-white handkerchief clutched in her hand as she occasionally dabbed at the tears tracing paths down her cheeks.
She made no audible sobs, yet this image of a pear blossom trembling in the rain made her appear all the more pitiable.
"Shoucheng, has Rao Rao misrepresented even half a word of what she just described?" The Duchess of Yingguo could barely contain her anger as she glared at Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo pressed his lips together.
Every word Wei Rao had spoken was true, without the slightest exaggeration.
However, when Lu Zhuo had spoken impulsely earlier, it wasn't because he feared she couldn't handle losing, nor was it about her potentially winning money from his elders. He simply felt Wei Rao's remarks were deliberately using his mother to mock him. In truth, he had begun regretting his words the moment he caught up with her—a grown man shouldn't engage in petty arguments with a woman. But since he'd already approached her, he had asked about her mahjong skills.
He never expected Wei Rao to react so strongly, confronting him with sharp questions until he felt everything he said only made things worse. Ultimately, he turned and left.
Wei Rao had shown no signs of distress last night, leading Lu Zhuo to assume the quarrel was forgotten. Who could have predicted she would bring it to his grandmother's attention?
Watching Wei Rao repeatedly wipe her tears from the corner of his eye, Lu Zhuo wondered if he had indeed overthought her intentions—perhaps her words had been harmless after all?
"Grandmother, it is true that I spoke carelessly first and acted discourteously afterward."
Lu Zhuo admitted frankly, turning to bow in apology to Wei Rao before kneeling before the Duchess of Yingguo. "Your grandson acknowledges his fault and awaits your punishment."
The Duchess of Yingguo looked toward Wei Rao.
Wei Rao met the Old Madam's gaze with tear-filled eyes. "Grandmother, there's no need to punish the heir. I didn't bring this to you to shame him—I only wished to understand why he would say such things about me. I accept that my reputation is poor and that he may not wish to be true husband and wife with me. But he cannot belittle me without cause, questioning whether I'm a sore loser or greedy over a simple game of mahjong. If that's truly how he sees me, I would rather face the ridicule of the entire capital and request to return home than shamelessly remain in the Duke's Manor."
The Duchess of Yingguo also wanted to know what on earth her grandson had been thinking. "Explain yourself!" she snapped at Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo couldn't tell the truth—that would implicate his mother.
With his grandmother blocking the path of silence, falsehood became his only option.
Lowering his gaze, Lu Zhuo murmured, "Miss Wei entered this Marriage to ward off misfortune for me, a debt of gratitude I already owe her. Had she lost money in our household, my guilt would only deepen. Thus, I suggested she find excuses to avoid mahjong gatherings. I simply phrased it poorly, leading to this misunderstanding between Miss Wei and myself."
What nonsense was this?
Even the Duchess of Yingguo didn't believe it—if her grandson truly felt indebted to Wei Rao for the marriage, he wouldn't have chosen to maintain a false marital relationship.
As she prepared to scold him further, Wei Rao wiped her tears and spoke remorsefully, "So it was all a misunderstanding. Please have the heir rise, Grandmother. I share blame in this too—I should have sought clarification from him directly instead of dwelling on negative assumptions and troubling you unnecessarily."
Wei Rao held no curiosity about Lu Zhuo's explanation, for she knew in her heart: Lu Zhuo simply looked down on her, convinced she couldn't handle defeat.She had Bitao lodge a complaint to make Lu Zhuo understand that offending her would come at a cost—she would never tolerate being bullied. The Duchess of Yingguo was Lu Zhuo's grandmother. If Lu Zhuo didn't mind troubling the Old Madam, Wei Rao was prepared to play this game with him every single day.
Now that Lu Zhuo had both apologized and knelt, regardless of his sincerity, Wei Rao's anger had dissipated. Giving him a way out at this moment would only make her appear magnanimous.
The Duchess of Yingguo didn't believe her grandson's excuses, and she knew Wei Rao wouldn't either. Yet the young lady was so considerate, willing to endure a little grievance rather than press the matter further.
The Duchess was deeply grateful for Wei Rao's generosity. Since her grandson had already lied, further questioning would likely yield nothing good, and if things escalated, it might become irreparable.
"There's no need to plead for him, Raorao. Even if it was a misunderstanding, his rude behavior came first."
The Duchess snorted coldly, glaring at Lu Zhuo, who was still kneeling on the ground. "You've made a mistake, and as your grandmother, I ought to punish you. But you're grown now—if I beat you with a rod, it would shame the Duke's Manor. Making you write copies would be too lenient. Instead, since you made Raorao cry, I'll punish you by granting her one request. Whatever Raorao asks, as long as it doesn't violate propriety or morality, you must comply without refusal."
Wei Rao's heart stirred—this form of apology sounded quite appealing.
Just as she prepared to politely decline, Lu Zhuo agreed: "Very well. With Grandmother as witness, I owe Miss Wei one favor today."
The Duchess immediately turned to Wei Rao. "Raorao, have you decided what you want Shoucheng to do? Speak freely—I'll stand by you. He wouldn't dare break his word."
Wei Rao replied sheepishly, "Thank you, Grandmother, but in such haste, I truly don't know what to ask for."
"No rush," said the Duchess. "Take your time to think of something substantial—don't let him off easily."
Wei Rao smiled gratefully.
The Duchess stood, comforted Wei Rao a little longer, then led Lu Zhuo away.
Wei Rao glanced curiously at Lu Zhuo.
He kept his eyes forward, expressionless, as he followed the Duchess out.
Once they reached the front courtyard, the Duchess interrogated Lu Zhuo alone again.
Lu Zhuo refused to say a word.
Exasperated, the Duchess thumped her cane heavily twice. "Stubborn mule! I wash my hands of you. But remember—she's a young lady. You're a grown man; no matter how much you dislike her, you mustn't be harsh toward a girl. You're older now—even Chege is more sensible than you!"
Only then did Lu Zho respond, "Rest assured, Grandmother. I'll remember."
From now on, no matter what Wei Rao said or did, unless it concerned the dignity of the entire Duke's Manor, he would not interfere. Even if she openly mocked him, he would never retort, lest it give her another chance to complain to his grandmother.
News of this quarrel remained confined to Wei Rao and her maid, Lu Zhuo, and his grandmother, without disturbing anyone else.
Hoping to cheer Wei Rao up, the Duchess mentioned her swordsmanship to Lu Changning and He Weiyu.
Lu Changning immediately dragged He Weiyu over, eager to apprentice themselves to Wei Rao.
Wei Rao laughed. "No need for formal apprenticeship—I only know the basics. If you sisters wish to learn, you can come here every morning for half an hour."
Lu Changning rubbed her hands excitedly. "Sister-in-law, could you demonstrate a sword dance for us?"
Wei Rao teased, "What? Worried my skills aren't good enough to teach you?"Lu Changning's little face flushed bright red, for this sister-in-law truly resembled a delicate maiden, and she was genuinely a bit worried.
Wei Rao smiled and instructed Liuya to fetch the wooden sword she had used during her initial martial arts training.
After stretching her limbs, Wei Rao grasped the wooden sword and demonstrated a segment of swordplay in the small courtyard of Yafeng Residence for Lu Changning and He Weiyu. This was merely the first level of the "Seven Stars Sword," yet it left Lu Changning and He Weiyu clutching their chests, utterly dazzled and sincerely impressed.
"Sister-in-law, you're amazing! I want to learn, I want to learn!"
Lu Changning's exclamation was so loud that even Lu Zhuo, who was reading in the study in the front courtyard, heard it.
What did his cousin want to learn from Wei Rao?
Lu Zhuo set down his book and walked over alone.
He wore a moon-white round-collared brocade robe, with a jade-inlaid belt accentuating the slender waist and broad shoulders of a young military officer. Standing eight feet tall, Lu Zhuo was tall and straight yet exuded a gentle refinement, devoid of any trace of the rough impulsiveness commonly associated with military men. Strolling leisurely along the corridor, he resembled more a graceful scholar—one who could recite poetry with ease and wield a brush to depict romance.
Wei Rao only glanced at him before averting her gaze. A hypocrite like Lu Zhuo could only deceive those young ladies who didn't know him well.
Lu Changning, wholly focused on learning swordplay, had no interest in her elder cousin's elegance.
He Weiyu's heartbeat quickened, though she dared not show it, and she watched Lu Zhuo with slight unease.
Lu Zhuo was He Weiyu's cousin, but when she had been brought to the Duke of Yingguo's Manor to accompany He Shi, Lu Zhuo had already been sent to the border for training. Over the years, He Weiyu had only heard about Lu Zhuo's youthful exploits from her aunt and other members of the Lu Family but had never met him in person. It wasn't until earlier this year, when Lu Zhuo returned to the capital to become engaged to Sixth Miss Xie, that He Weiyu finally saw her cousin.
Like many young ladies, He Weiyu fell for Lu Zhuo at first sight.
She just didn't know if her cousin would like her in return.
He Weiyu was aware of her status; she never dreamed of becoming her cousin's wife—being his concubine would satisfy her completely.
She had long known about the Lu Family's principles, but she was different. She was Lu Zhuo's cousin, and both her aunt and the Duchess of Yingguo were fond of her. As long as she behaved obediently and didn't compete with Wei Rao for favor, she might have a chance to be exceptionally taken as his concubine.
"Did we disturb the heir?"
Dislike aside, in front of Lu Changning and He Weiyu, Wei Rao still had to put on an act, smiling brightly at Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo returned her smile, walked to her side, and asked gently, "What are you all doing?"
Lu Changning grabbed Wei Rao's arm excitedly and chirped, "Elder brother, did you know sister-in-law knows swordplay? She just performed a segment—it was as fluid as floating clouds and flowing water, even more beautiful than your spear drills!"
Lu Zhuo looked at Wei Rao in surprise. "You know swordplay?"
Wei Rao thought to herself, I practice swordplay twice daily—does Lu Zhuo really not know? He's putting on quite the act.
Wei Rao nodded.
Worried that her cousin might forbid her from learning swordplay, Lu Changning interjected, "Grandmother, aunt, and fourth aunt all know and support us learning from sister-in-law. You're not going to object, are you?"
Lu Zhuo smiled. "I don't object. What did Second Aunt say?"
Lu Changning grinned. "My mother said as long as I'm not afraid of hardship, I can practice as much as I want."
Lu Zhuo clenched his hand behind his back. Second Aunt, who values propriety above all, actually agreed?Wei Rao ignored him and called Lu Changning and He Weiyu aside. First, she tested their arm strength—if they couldn’t even hold a sword steady, they would have to start with the most basic horse stance and arm strength training.
Lu Changning, who had long been eager to learn martial arts, had secretly practiced with his brothers for several years and already had a solid foundation. He could begin sword training directly.
He Weiyu, on the other hand, had no foundation at all and was the epitome of frailty. Wei Rao instructed her to practice the horse stance at the edge of the courtyard.
Lu Zhuo observed quietly for a moment before walking over and speaking softly to He Weiyu, “If you don’t want to learn, there’s no need to force yourself.”
He sensed that his cousin seemed to have been dragged along by his younger cousin.
He Weiyu’s cheeks flushed crimson at his concern. Trembling on her slender legs, she stammered, “I want to learn, Cousin. Don’t worry—I can endure hardship.”
Only by practicing swordplay with Lu Changning would she have the chance to frequently visit the Hall of Pine and Moon and spend more time with her cousin.
Summoning her courage, He Weiyu lifted her gaze to the one she adored.
In his cousin’s eyes, Lu Zhuo saw unwavering determination. Since she was so eager to learn martial arts, he offered a few gentle words of encouragement before walking away.
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