The place where Lu Zhuo and his cousins were drinking was chosen on Pine Hill, the highest point within the Duke's Manor garden. Standing atop Pine Hill, one could overlook the entire garden. At that time, Lu Zhuo happened to be facing north and caught sight of Fourth Madam and Wei Rao passing by one after another on the bluestone path below—one running hurriedly, the other looking around furtively.
Suspicious, Lu Zhuo found an excuse to leave Pine Hill and followed them.
Lu Zhuo could tell that Fourth Madam was crying. Since Wei Rao had chased after her, regardless of her intentions, she would surely comfort Fourth Madam. Therefore, Lu Zhuo only waited outside and did not follow them in, lest he overhear something a man shouldn't.
But Lu Zhuo never expected that Wei Rao would refuse to reveal even a single word after coming out.
Fourth Madam was his aunt. In just half a month, they had witnessed her crying twice—something serious must have happened.
"Has Fourth Aunt encountered some trouble?" Lu Zhuo followed behind Wei Rao, pressing in a low voice.
Wei Rao stopped and turned around.
The bright moonlight cast a cold glow over Lu Zhuo's handsome face. His brows were slightly furrowed, clearly deeply concerned about the matter.
Wei Rao thought for a moment and subtly jabbed at him: "Earlier, while I was admiring the lanterns in the garden, I overheard two young maids gossiping about how Fourth Uncle might take a concubine since he has no son. Just as I was about to scold them, I noticed Fourth Madam nearby, driven to tears by their idle chatter."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhuo's expression turned colder than the night of the Lantern Festival.
Fourth Uncle had a leg ailment, and Fourth Madam had willingly married him and tirelessly cared for him. Lu Zhuo and the other nephews all respected her deeply. Today, she had been reduced to gossip by two loose-tongued maids. What angered Lu Zhuo even more was that the maids' chatter indicated lax discipline in the Lu Family—and this scene had unfortunately been witnessed by Wei Rao.
Judging by Wei Rao's expression, she was clearly using the moment to mock him.
Lu Zhuo turned and left.
Wei Rao calmly reminded him: "One of those maids has large, beautiful eyes and thick lips; the other has narrow eyes and a cherry-like mouth. Both were on night duty in the garden tonight. With a little investigation, you can easily identify them. Find some excuse to dismiss them—just don’t disturb Fourth Madam again."
With his back to her, Lu Zhuo coldly uttered his thanks.
The two then went their separate ways.
After the lantern viewing ended, Wei Rao returned to the Hall of Pine and Moon with Bitao first. Liuya informed her that Lu Zhuo had not yet returned.
Wei Rao said, "The Third and Fourth Young Masters are leaving the capital tomorrow. The heir is drinking with them. Prepare some sobering tea in case he needs it."
On such a festive day, if Lu Zhuo did not come to the rear courtyard to spend the night, it would be a slap in her face. A hypocrite like him would never forget that.
Liuya went to make the arrangements.
Wei Rao changed into her practice attire and went to the courtyard to practice swordplay. While soaking in the bathtub during her bath, she heard Lu Zhuo return.
"Does the heir need sobering tea?"
"No need. Prepare hot water."
The next day, all branches of the Duke's Manor rose early. When Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo arrived at the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, half the family was already present.
Lu Cong and Lu Ze, both dressed in riding attire, stood side by side before the Duke of Yingguo, listening respectfully to their grandfather's admonitions.
Second Madam and Third Madam watched their sons with red-rimmed eyes.
He Shi arrived with He Weiyu.
Fourth Master and Fourth Madam were the last to arrive.
Wei Rao looked inquisitively at Fourth Madam. Their gazes met in mid-air, and Fourth Madam's face flushed red before she immediately lowered her head, a mix of shyness and an unusual sweetness in her expression.Wei Rao was secretly astonished. Could it be that Fourth Madam had acted so quickly and already accomplished the matter with Fourth Master?
She discreetly observed Fourth Master again, but unfortunately, he appeared no different from usual, hiding his emotions flawlessly.
Wei Rao couldn’t keep staring and redirected her attention to the farewell scene.
Lu Zhuo stood beside her. Though he didn’t deliberately watch Fourth Master and Fourth Madam, he caught every subtle shift in Wei Rao’s expression, from curiosity to surprise.
This made Lu Zhuo even more curious about what exactly Wei Rao had discussed with Fourth Madam. Yet he knew he couldn’t ask, and Wei Rao wouldn’t volunteer the information.
Fortunately, whether he knew or not didn’t matter. As long as Wei Rao harbored no ill intentions, it was enough for Fourth Aunt and Fourth Uncle to continue respecting each other.
With the brisk hoofbeats of the young men riding away, the farewell at the Duke of Yingguo’s Manor came to an end.
After the Lantern Festival, Wei Rao’s cousin Huo Jue sent a visiting card.
Wei Rao had already informed the Duchess of Yingguo. Since Huo Jue was her maternal relative and the Duchess adored Wei Rao, she was naturally pleased to receive him.
Huo Jue, dignified and handsome, remained composed even in the presence of the capital’s top aristocratic family. His visit was not only to deliver dowry gifts on behalf of his parents but also to present elegant presents—such as calligraphy, paintings, tea, and wine—suited to the elders of the Duke’s household, including the Duke and Duchess, He Shi, and the second, third, and fourth branches.
Seated beside the Duchess, Wei Rao felt a sense of pride in her cousin’s excellence.
The Duchess praised Huo Jue profusely and even invited him to stay at the Duke’s Manor for a few days.
Huo Jue smiled and replied, “I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Old Madam, but my younger sister’s wedding is approaching. After paying my respects to you today and spending time with my grandmother tomorrow, I must return.”
Thus, the Duchess did not press him to stay.
Wei Rao invited her cousin to the Hall of Pine and Moon for a brief visit. She had prepared a dowry gift for her younger cousin Huo Lin and entrusted Huo Jue to deliver it.
Huo Jue instructed his servant to pack the gift and prepared to take his leave.
Wei Rao urged anxiously, “Cousin, you haven’t even had tea. Why not stay a little longer?”
Huo Jue gazed at her tenderly. “Cousin, you are now the young madam of the Duke’s Manor. You must act with greater caution and avoid giving others any reason to gossip.”
With that, he asked her to stay where she was and departed with his servant.
Only then did Wei Rao realize that her cousin’s hurried visit was to prevent outsiders from spreading rumors about their relationship.
A bittersweet feeling welled up in her heart. Truthfully, she hadn’t spent much time with her cousin—meeting only once every two or three years. Last year, when her grandmother celebrated her birthday, Huo Jue had been busy managing the family’s business in the capital, so they had met a few more times. Yet, he treated her so well, granting every request and always considering her interests—even a biological brother couldn’t have been more devoted.
But such a wonderful brother would soon be separated from her by distance once again.
After leaving the Duke of Yingguo’s Manor, Huo Jue visited his family’s shop and lingered until late afternoon. Then, he rode out of the city to his grandmother’s Secluded Manor.
Usually, when he visited, his grandmother would be beaming with joy, his aunt Wang Shi would be delighted to see him, his elder cousin Zhou Huizhen would be reserved, and his younger cousin Zhou Huizhu would buzz around him like a true sister.
However, as soon as Huo Jue stepped into the hall today, he sensed something amiss. His grandmother wore a stern expression, his aunt hung her head low, his elder cousin Zhou Huizhen was absent, and his younger cousin Zhou Huizhu seemed caught between their grandmother and aunt, unsure whose side to take, gazing at him pitifully.
“Grandmother, what has happened?” Huo Jue went straight to Shou An Jun.Shou An Jun glared at Wang Shi, first dismissing Zhou Huizhu.
Zhou Huizhu obediently left, even thoughtfully closing the door from the outside.
Huo Jue turned his gaze back to Shou An Jun.
Shou An Jun snorted, "That Han Liao, heir to the Marquis of Xiting—the one whose marriage proposal to Huizhen I rejected earlier—came again this morning to propose. Your aunt and cousin both want this marriage. Jue'er, tell me, would Han Liao be a good match for Huizhen?"
Huo Jue, typically steady and reserved, furrowed his brows into a deep frown at these words.
The West Pavilion Marquis Estate was indeed prestigious and wealthy, but Han Liao had countless concubines and children—it seemed he would chase after any beauty he saw, treating women as mere playthings and tools for bearing children. Moreover, Han Liao had a harsh mother above him. If Cousin Huizhen were to marry into that family, she would likely be devoured completely by them.
"The heir to the Marquis of Xiting is notoriously lustful. Young ladies in the capital avoid him at all costs. I urge you to reconsider carefully, Aunt," Huo Jue advised bluntly.
Wang Shi lowered her head, the handkerchief in her hands nearly twisted to shreds.
She understood the reasoning perfectly. But once the New Year passed, Huizhen would be seventeen. Since losing face during the spring outing to Cloud Mist Mountain last year, no suitable young master from a noble family had shown interest. Seeing Wei Rao marry into the Duke of Yingguo's manor and become the envy of countless young ladies, if her Huizhen really followed her grandmother's plan to marry some useless live-in son-in-law, wouldn't she become the laughingstock of the entire capital?
No matter how lustful Han Liao was, once her daughter married him, she would be the esteemed wife of a marquis' heir. After enduring a decade or so, once the wicked mother-in-law passed away, her daughter would become the mistress of the marquis' household—who would dare gossip then?
Besides, Han Liao might be lustful, but her daughter was beautiful and would certainly not fall out of favor. Once she bore a son, her position would be firmly secured.
For her daughter's sake, Wang Shi resisted the pressure from her mother-in-law and nephew. Keeping her head lowered, she said, "But he is, after all, the heir to the Marquis of Xiting. If we reject his proposal a second time, we might damage relations."
Hearing this, Shou An Jun closed her eyes, leaned back in her chair, and took a deep breath.
If she didn't exhale, she feared she might be angered to death by Wang Shi and her daughter.
Though only Wang Shi sat before her, Shou An Jun knew that her eldest granddaughter, Zhou Huizhen, was even more eager than her mother to marry into the West Pavilion Marquis Estate and live in luxury. Unfortunately, the foolish girl didn't understand that while fine food and drink came easily, the prestige of a marquis' household was hard-earned—it required her own merit and family support. In that Marquis of Xiting household, who would protect her? Who would be willing to protect her?
"Mother, please agree to this. Huizhen is so beautiful—how can you bear to see her ruined by some mediocre live-in husband?" Wang Shi knelt before Shou An Jun, pleading tearfully for her daughter.
Her daughter's beauty was no less than that of the Zhou sisters, and not much inferior to Wei Rao's. Why should those three women marry so well, one after another, while her Huizhen remained buried in this superficially elegant estate far from the capital? The thought of Shou An Jun selecting some honest but ordinary man for a matrilocal marriage was unbearable to Wang Shi herself, let alone to her daughter who aspired to marry into a powerful family.
"Mother, I beg you. The heir to the Marquis of Xiting has glorious military achievements—no matter what, he's a true hero."
What man wasn't lustful? A lustful hero was still better than a lustful coward.
Setting aside the troublesome members of the Marquis of Xiting household, Wang Shi genuinely believed Han Liao himself was quite admirable—handsome, capable, only slightly inferior to that Lu Zhuo.
Shou An Jun remained with her eyes closed.At that moment, the tightly shut door was suddenly pushed open, and Zhou Huizhen rushed in holding a pair of scissors.
"Cousin, what are you doing?" Huo Jue stood up angrily and walked over to snatch the scissors from Zhou Huizhen.
"Don't come any closer!" Zhou Huizhen shouted at him, then turned tearfully to Shou An Jun seated in the main position. "Grandmother, Han Liao likes me, and I like him too. I've made up my mind—I won't marry anyone else in this lifetime. If you don't agree, I'll cut off my hair and become a nun right now!"
Seeing her hysterical behavior, Shou An Jun actually laughed. "Go ahead and cut it. I think you'd live more comfortably as a nun than married to him."
Zhou Huizhen's eyes widened. With no one stopping her, she found herself unable to make the cut.
Huo Jue seized the opportunity to grab the scissors from her.
With her threat foiled, Zhou Huizhen covered her face, knelt on the ground, and began sobbing. "Grandmother, you're biased! Raorao married so well—why won't you allow me to marry into a prestigious family? Aren't we both your flesh and blood? How can you only favor her?"
Shou An Jun looked at her coldly. "What does your marriage have to do with Raorao? Do you really think marrying Han Liao will make your life as good as hers?"
Zhou Huizhen lifted her head, her beautiful face streaked with tears and full of defiance. "If I marry Han Liao, I'll have an even better life than hers."
Shou An Jun took several deep breaths and rubbed her forehead repeatedly before finally relenting. "Fine, marry him if you want. I won't stop you. But remember this: when you marry, your mother can prepare your dowry as she pleases. Don't even think about getting anything from me. If I'm not mistaken, sooner or later you'll be begging to remarry. When you marry for the second time, I'll make sure you get your fair share—I won't shortchange you then."
Wang Shi grew anxious. "Mother, you can't do this! You—"
A sharp glare from Shou An Jun silenced her. She then asked Zhou Huizhen, "Well? Do you still want to marry him?"
At this moment, Zhou Huizhen was overjoyed, feeling as if she could fly. As long as she married Han Liao, all his wealth would be hers. What did it matter if her grandmother didn't provide a dowry?
She wiped away her tears, her face beaming with excitement. "I'll marry him!"
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