Throughout the entire Duke of Yingguo's Manor, Wei Rao held no grievances against anyone except Lu Zhuo. In fact, she even felt quite fond of the others.
But after Lu Zhuo had insulted her so severely, if Wei Rao continued to socialize cheerfully with the women of the Lu Family, it would appear as though she truly had to curry favor with Lu Zhuo's relatives.
Ever since she had thrown the bowl at Lu Zhuo, Wei Rao had not voluntarily stepped out of the Hall of Pine and Moon. Five days later, when Bitao and Liuya informed her that the wound on Lu Zhuo's forehead had completely healed, Wei Rao seized the opportunity and immediately went to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.
"Rao Rao, are you feeling unwell? Why is your little face so pale?" The Duchess of Yingguo, noticing her pallor, asked with concern.
Wei Rao looked weary, her eyes downcast as she replied, "Grandmother, please don't worry. I am perfectly fine. It's just that I had a nightmare last night and wish to visit the temple to pray."
The Duchess said kindly, "Yes, it would be good to go and pray. The day after tomorrow, Shoucheng is on leave. I'll have him accompany you."
Wei Rao lowered her head even further. "Shoucheng rarely gets time off. He should rest at the manor. To be honest, Grandmother, I miss my maternal grandmother. After paying respects to Guanyin, I would like to stop by her place and stay for a while."
Hearing this, the Duchess's heart skipped a beat. A married woman would not return to her maternal home without reason. Although Wei Rao had a poor reputation, she was actually a very proper young lady who would not throw a tantrum without cause. Could it be that her eldest grandson had mistreated her again?
The Duchess signaled Mama Miao to take the young maids away, then took Wei Rao's hand and lifted her downcast face. "Rao Rao, tell me the truth. Did Shoucheng bully you again?"
Wei Rao buried herself in the Duchess's embrace and wept bitterly.
"Old Madam, you are a grandmother yourself. If Changning were determined to marry a man she fancied, could you bear to disregard her well-being and stand in her way? My maternal grandmother had already rejected the Han Family once. She dotes on her grandchildren so much—if she hadn't been left with no choice, why would she have agreed? Shoucheng argued with me over my cousin's marriage, and I argued back. He can say whatever he wants about anyone else, but why must he insult my parents? To be frank, Old Madam, if divorcing him now wouldn't bring a storm of gossip upon me and my family, I would be too ashamed to stay in the Duke's Manor any longer."
She sobbed intermittently, tears streaming down onto the Duchess's robes as she recalled the humiliation. Watching the young girl weep so bitterly in her arms, the Duchess felt her pain and began to cry as well. "This is beyond intolerable! When that scoundrel returns, I will personally have him beaten!"
Why would an eight-foot-tall military man bully his wife, who was already suffering?
Wei Rao shook her head, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "There's no need to punish Shoucheng. I have a quick temper, and I already threw chicken soup at him. He has sincerely apologized to me. But he doesn't like me, and you can't force these things. I truly don't blame Shoucheng for anything. I just need to get away for a while to clear my mind. Once I feel better, I will return to keep you company."
Wei Rao genuinely did not want the Duchess to punish Lu Zhuo further. She simply needed the Old Madam to understand that she was not moving out without reason.
The Duchess could empathize with Wei Rao's anguish. Such pain could not be dispelled quickly; it required a change of scenery—a place where she would not feel wronged or fear being looked down upon.
"Go ahead. Take Changning with you. We can tell others that she has long admired the Secluded Manor and wishes to stay there for a few days."
"I appreciate your kindness, Grandmother, but Changning is so innocent and carefree. I don't want her reputation to suffer because of me."
"But...""Grandmother, please let me go alone, and don't blame Zhuo for anything. Otherwise, he'll resent me even more. I'll just endure this discomfort for a while, and once it passes, I'll be fine."
Faced with Wei Rao's tearful eyes, the Duchess of Yingguo could only sigh deeply and arranged for the Duke's Manor guards to escort Wei Rao out of the city.
At dusk, as soon as Lu Zhuo returned, he was summoned by the Duchess's messenger to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness.
"Speak plainly—are you trying to force Rao Rao to ask for a divorce herself?"
Seeing her grandson, the Duchess got straight to the point, her face stern as she questioned him.
Lu Zhuo looked up in surprise. Five days had passed since their last argument—had Wei Rao already come to plead with his grandmother for intervention?
"Grandmother, since I've signed a five-year Contract with her, I would never force her into anything. That day, I spoke impulsively and out of turn—it meant nothing more."
"Impulsive? Why aren't you impulsive with others? Everyone outside praises you as a gentleman as refined as jade, but tell me yourself: which of your actions toward Rao Rao reflects that?" The Duchess, enraged, rose from her seat and approached Lu Zhuo with her cane, unable to hide her disappointment. "When Rao Rao's father was killed by villains, she was only eight years old—just a child who lost her father, and later her mother left her too. As a grown man, why must you argue about her parents? Is this the way of a gentleman I taught you?"
Lu Zhuo knelt, lowering his gaze. "Your grandson admits his fault."
The Duchess simply couldn't understand: "Where has Rao Rao ever offended you that you'd treat her so cruelly? Even if she has reasons to rely on our Lu Family, when you were lying in bed between life and death and other young ladies avoided you, she was willing to enter a Marriage to ward off misfortune for you. Don't you feel even a shred of gratitude?"
Lu Zhuo truly felt no gratitude, for he believed neither in gods nor in marriages to ward off misfortune. His recovery had nothing to do with Wei Rao, and she had married him with no intention of saving him—only because his grandparents had cut off her escape routes, forcing her to minimize her losses.
Regarding the marriage, Lu Zhuo only felt guilt toward Wei Rao—guilt for placing her in a position where she had no choice but to marry him. Thus, at the time, if Wei Rao had demanded he honor the marriage and become her true husband, however reluctantly, Lu Zhuo would have agreed. But Wei Rao needed no such compensation. She disliked him, had no desire to be his wife—she only sought the Lu Family's protection for five years. After that, she would seek a divorce.
Lu Zhuo had signed the Contract with Wei Rao. He strictly adhered to its terms, pretending to be a loving couple in public to preserve Wei Rao's dignity and silence those who wished to mock her.
His only wrongdoing toward Wei Rao was repeatedly misinterpreting her words and offending her in moments of impulse.
"Grandmother, I promise this will be the last time."
The Duchess smiled bitterly. "You promised me that last time too, and what happened? Shoucheng, I had hoped that daily interaction would foster affection between you and Rao Rao. Now, seeing how things have deteriorated, I've lost all hope. But since she's here, if you don't like Rao Rao, can you at least treat her as a guest staying temporarily in our home?"
Lu Zhuo accepted the admonition with shame.The Duchess of Yingguo sat back in her chair, rubbing her temples as she said, "Raorao came to me today after being scolded by you, asking to stay at the Secluded Manor for a while to clear her mind. I agreed. That child is suffering inside, so let her stay a few more days. The day after tomorrow is your day off—go there and apologize. Even if she hasn’t forgiven you, come back on your own. On the twentieth, go again just for appearances. At the end of the month is when you’ll really bring her back. This mess is of your making, so no matter what you have to do, you must bring her back to me—and she must return happily, her anger gone."
Wei Rao’s move to the Secluded Manor did not escape the notice of those who paid attention, inevitably leading to speculation that she had fallen out of favor with the family. Though Wei Rao, heartbroken by her grandson’s actions, was too disheartened to care, the Duchess of Yingguo had to clean up the mess for the two young ones. Since the husband had driven his young wife away, it was only natural for him to make several trips to coax her back.
Lu Zhuo only caught one thing: Wei Rao had actually left?
Over the past five days, he hadn’t seen Wei Rao even once. He knew she wouldn’t easily let go of her anger, but he never expected her to choose to leave.
She was so proud—perhaps it was truly as she had said: if divorcing him now wouldn’t leave her at too great a disadvantage, she would sever all ties with him and return to her family.
With a heavy heart, Lu Zhuo returned to the Hall of Pine and Moon.
A Gui rushed up to him in a fluster: "Master, you’re finally back! The young mistress has moved to the Secluded Manor. She didn’t even say a word—what exactly is going on?"
Even though A Gui had never been married, he could sense that something was off between the master and the young mistress.
"It’s nothing. She’ll be back after a few days. Prepare the meal," Lu Zhuo replied with his usual smile and headed to the inner chamber to change.
Just then, He Shi emerged from inside, her face full of worry. Her daughter-in-law had run off, and she had been waiting for her son for quite some time.
The Duchess of Yingguo, who knew the inside story, could directly reprimand her grandson. But He Shi knew nothing and, in her anxiety, became even more incoherent, desperate for her son to tell her what had happened.
Lu Zhuo was irritated by his mother’s endless nagging, especially the spot on his forehead where he had been struck, as if Wei Rao were standing right in front of him, glaring at him with tear-filled eyes.
But that wasn’t quite right—if it were Wei Rao here, he wouldn’t feel so agitated, nor would he want to walk away.
"I made her angry," Lu Zhuo said to his mother, his deliberately feigned calm making him seem all the more heartless, as if driving his wife away was nothing to make a fuss about.
He Shi took a few steps back in shock, unable to believe her son could be so cold-blooded. "You—what did you do to make Raorao so angry?"
Lu Zhuo didn’t want to explain. He sat with downcast eyes, frozen like ice.
He Shi stared blankly at him, feeling more and more that this son of hers was a stranger—unfamiliar in his coldness, unfamiliar in his silence.
"You—you don’t want to tell me, but how can a newlywed couple quarrel to the point of her returning to her family home?" Before the city gates close, hurry to the Secluded Manor. Comfort Raorao tonight, go directly to the military camp from there tomorrow morning, and bring her back together at dusk." Unable to get an answer and chilled by her son’s demeanor, He Shi proposed a solution outright.
The Duchess of Yingguo, however, thought differently: her grandson’s insults toward Wei Rao’s parents showed that he despised her to the core and would not apologize sincerely. Even if he went tonight, Wei Rao and Shou An Jun would not appreciate it. With few people around in the dark, it would be better to have him bring gifts on his day off and make a bigger show of it, giving Wei Rao more face.
Compared to her grandson’s worthless sincerity, the dignity he could provide might please Wei Rao and Shou An Jun more.He Shi, however, believed that one must strike while the iron is hot. Since her daughter-in-law had run off today, her son must coax and fetch her back today to have a better chance of reconciliation.
Lu Zhuo’s head was nearly splitting from the family elders’ nagging. Rather than staying to endure his mother’s scolding, he preferred to leave the city.
“Mother is right. I shall go at once.”
Without even changing out of his official robes indoors, Lu Zhuo turned to leave.
He Shi continued with a stream of admonishments.
Lu Zhuo quickened his pace. Just as he was about to step out of the Hall of Pine and Moon, he collided head-on with Fourth Master, who was being pushed by A Shi.
Lu Zhuo stared in astonishment.
Fourth Master’s face was cold as frost. Tilting his chin slightly, he fixed his gaze on Lu Zhuo and said, “Among the men of the Lu Family, if we look no further than the past three generations, not one has driven his wife to storm off and return to her maiden home. You truly have talent!”
He Shi’s repetitive, incessant nagging had grated on Lu Zhuo’s nerves, but Fourth Master’s stern and authoritative brevity shamed him with just a few words. His fourth uncle, who lived in seclusion and seldom involved himself in mundane affairs, had actually come today to reprimand him over his domestic troubles!
Fourth Master had not intended to come, but his wife, for some reason, had taken a great liking to Wei Rao. She had been anxious all day because Wei Rao had moved to the Secluded Manor. Considering she was only a few years older than her nephew, she felt it inappropriate to intervene herself, so she urged him to go. For his wife’s sake, Fourth Master had no choice but to make the trip.
“Why are you still standing there? Waiting for the city gates to close so you can turn back?”
“Yes, I’m leaving now.”
Under Fourth Master’s icy glare, Lu Zhuo practically fled.
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