With the financial accounts settled, Wei Rao then asked Lu Zhuo about the specific date of his departure for Jincheng.
Lu Zhuo replied, "It's up to you. If you have no other commitments, we can leave the day after tomorrow."
Wei Rao said, "Then it's settled for the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, I'll return to the Earl's residence to bid farewell to my grandmother."
Given the commotion she and Lu Zhuo had caused, even though she had informed her grandmother before seeking refuge with her maternal grandmother, she knew her grandmother must be terribly worried.
Without hesitation, Lu Zhuo responded, "I'll go with you. I also need to apologize to the old lady."
While Shou An Jun was at least aware that he and Wei Rao were in a sham marriage, Old Mrs. Wei had been kept completely in the dark. The more this was the case, the more he felt obligated to visit.
Hearing this, Wei Rao glanced in his direction. This Young Lord could be infuriating at times, but when it came to fulfilling their agreement, Lu Zhuo had indeed been thorough in every aspect. He took care of what was required without her having to ask.
"Will the Young Lord not need to go to the military camp tomorrow?" Wei Rao inquired.
Lu Zhuo replied, "No. From now on, my only responsibility is recruiting new soldiers in Jincheng."
Wei Rao was somewhat curious: "How many people do you plan to recruit?"
Lu Zhuo answered, "Eight hundred."
Across twenty-four prefectures, each would need to recruit about four hundred men on average. However, the recruitment numbers would be adjusted based on the historical availability of soldiers in each region. The Qingzhou area, known for its tall, robust, and strong men, made it easier to find new recruits who met the Divine Martial Army's criteria, hence the higher recruitment quota assigned there.
Wei Rao nodded and picked up her bowl to eat. After a few bites, she remembered something: "Have you informed Mother and Grandmother about me accompanying you?"
Lu Zhuo said, "I wasn't sure if you would agree earlier, so I haven't told them yet. I'll go and inform them after the meal."
Wei Rao felt a bit concerned—would the Duchess of Yingguo object?
Lu Zhuo went alone to inform the Duchess of Yingguo.
The Duchess was astonished: "You actually sought an imperial decree?"
Lu Zhuo explained in a low voice, "Grandmother is aware of the situation. After hurting her so deeply, I couldn't think of any other way to earn her forgiveness. But rest assured, Grandmother, I didn't act impulsively. From the Marriage to ward off misfortune between our families until now, the Emperor has repeatedly shown her favor. That's why I dared to request the imperial decree."
The Duchess asked curiously, "Apart from arranging for the Imperial Garment Bureau to rush her wedding dress, when else has the Emperor shown favor to Rao Rao?"
Lu Zhuo then recounted the incident on the fourteenth of the first lunar month when he and his brothers went out to admire the lanterns, and Emperor Yuanjia summoned him and Wei Rao alone: "Grandmother, if the Emperor wanted me to treat Wei Rao well, he could have simply instructed me when I entered the palace. That night, his words were likely meant for Wei Rao. What you may not know, Grandmother, is that there was a woman hidden behind the curtain. I boldly suspect that person was Li Guiren."
If it had been an ordinary palace maid, she wouldn't have dared to eavesdrop.
If the Emperor had been incognito, meeting a beauty from the common folk, he would have focused on enjoying her company—why invite two unrelated people onto the boat to disrupt the moment?
Given his favor toward Wei Rao and the hidden beauty, Lu Zhuo was seventy percent certain that the beauty was Wei Rao's mother.
Emperor Yuanjia had never held a selection of consorts since ascending the throne—his empress and three consorts were all from his days as the Crown Prince. The only exception was Li Guiren, whom he had newly welcomed into the palace. It was likely only Li Guiren could compel Emperor Yuanjia to "venture out of the palace in pursuit of romance."
The fact that Emperor Yuanjia granted his request only confirmed Lu Zhuo's suspicions.The Duchess of Yingguo was utterly stunned by her eldest grandson’s words. Could it be that Emperor Yuanjia still held such deep feelings for Li Guiren? So much so that he would risk offending the Empress Dowager by sending someone to the imperial retreat to bring Li Guiren back to the capital for the festival?
Yet, recalling the emperor’s attitude toward women and his particular care for Wei Rao, the beauty in the boat could indeed be none other than Li Guiren.
After a long silence, the Duchess glared at Lu Zhuo and said, “Since you guessed that His Majesty still favors Li Guiren, how dare you speak to Rao Rao like that? If it weren’t for her understanding and tolerance, even half a word of it getting out would have earned you His Majesty’s wrath.”
Lu Zhuo flushed with shame. At that time, he had been blinded by anger, convinced that Wei Rao had insulted his mother and aunt. In the heat of the moment, how could he have considered the consequences so carefully?
The Duchess studied her grandson’s handsome face, her heart softening slightly. “Whether the person in the boat was Li Guiren or not, His Majesty has publicly shown her coldness. Yet you were willing to speak to the emperor for Rao Rao’s sake. This desire to make amends truly exceeds your grandmother’s expectations.”
Lu Zhuo lowered his head. “The greater the fault, the greater the reparation. This much, your grandson understands.”
The Duchess pressed further, “And what are your thoughts about Rao Rao now? Do you still dislike her? Do you still believe you’re incompatible and only intend to be fake husband and wife for five years?”
Lu Zhuo was taken aback. He had never considered this question.
But there was no need to ponder it. Regardless of whether his opinion of Wei Rao had changed, she clearly wanted nothing to do with him and repeatedly emphasized their five-year agreement.
“Why are you hesitating? Speak,” the Duchess urged with a faint smile.
Lu Zhuo replied, “I did dislike her before, thinking her behavior unbecoming of a lady from a respectable family. But after your guidance and Mother’s teachings, I’ve come to understand that everyone lives differently. She is upright and kind-hearted—a good woman. So I no longer hold any dislike toward her. As for the five-year agreement, it was Wei Rao’s wish. I signed the contract and will honor it.”
The Duchess snorted. “Do you really believe Rao Rao only wants a five-year fake marriage? Think about it—when the five years are up and you divorce, even with a pretext, what will people say about her? Rao Rao is no fool. If she could remain a daughter-in-law of our family and continue being the admired wife of the heir, why would she willingly suffer the hardship of divorce and remarriage?”
Lu Zhuo said, “Grandmother, you may think our family is desirable, but perhaps she only wishes to marry someone she truly loves.”
Not everyone craved power and status. From the moment Wei Rao learned of his background, she had never shown him a smile, clearly indifferent to such things.
The Duchess retorted, “Are you suggesting Rao Rao never intended to truly marry you? That’s mistaken. When I went to the Cheng’an Marquis’s residence to propose, her grandmother and I agreed clearly: the two of you would either become a genuine, harmonious couple or live as a fake married pair in separate rooms. Rao Rao must have agreed to these terms as well.”
Lu Zhuo frowned and looked directly at the Old Madam. “But when I woke up and asked her about her plans, she only mentioned the five-year agreement.”
The Duchess said angrily, “You fool! Rao Rao drafted the five-year agreement because she feared you would disdain her reputation and refuse to be her real husband. She was securing an escape route for herself. If you had treated her with even a little courtesy when you woke up, she would never have brought up the five-year agreement. It was you who closed off the first path!”
Lu Zhuo carefully recalled his conversation with Wei Rao after waking from his serious illness and immediately flushed with shame.Given his attitude at the time, how could someone as proud as Wei Rao possibly have spoken of wanting to be his true wife?
"Now you realize you were wrong?" The Duchess of Yingguo studied him for a moment before asking.
Lu Zhuo acknowledged his mistake.
He had fallen ill first, which led to his grandparents begging Wei Rao to marry him to ward off misfortune. Wei Rao had intended to be his true wife, but he had forced her to choose a path that damaged both her reputation and that of the Cheng'an Marquis household.
"I truly adore Raorao. If you have even the slightest affection for her, take this trip to Jincheng as an opportunity to treat her well. Find a chance to destroy that five-year Contract. She's a fine young lady—if you truly delay her for five years without being able to disclose that your marriage was never consummated, what suitable match could she possibly find after a divorce?"
Lu Zhuo didn't know how to respond to his grandmother.
Perhaps Wei Rao had wanted to be his true wife when she first married him, but given how many times he had offended her since then, she might no longer be willing to accept him.
"It's getting late. I shall take my leave now."
"You... you stubborn mule!"
That night, Lu Zhuo rested in the western room of the rear courtyard.
He remained awake the entire time. When Wei Rao went to the courtyard to practice swordplay, he lay with his hands behind his head, silently listening.
If Wei Rao had never entertained the thought of being his true wife, Lu Zhuo would have respected their five-year agreement. But now he knew—she wanted to be the Duchess of Yingguo, to continue being the envy of others.
Two months ago, Lu Zhuo hadn't wanted Wei Rao as his wife. Now, two months later, he felt that marrying Wei Rao wouldn't be so bad after all. What mattered wasn't whether Wei Rao behaved like a proper lady from a noble family, but whether she could harmoniously coexist with his household. Clearly, she was well-liked by the elders.
Lu Zhuo recalled how Wei Rao had handled the two maids gossiping about Fourth Aunt during the Lantern Festival. From this, it was evident she also excelled at managing household affairs.
Lu Zhuo could accept Wei Rao as his wife now. The key question was whether the benefits of being the Duchess of Yingguo could outweigh Wei Rao's aversion toward him, allowing them to turn their false marriage into a real one—a perfect outcome where neither would have to suffer any grievances for the other's sake.
The next morning, Lu Zhuo accompanied Wei Rao to the Cheng'an Marquis residence to pay respects to Old Mrs. Wei.
Upon hearing of their arrival, Wei Rao's aunt Guo Shi and cousin Wei Chan came uninvited. Both mother and daughter were curious about how Lu Zhuo's attitude toward Wei Rao might have changed after the recent turmoil.
Old Mrs. Wei was equally curious and had no patience to entertain her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, eagerly watching the doorway instead.
Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo walked side by side along the corridor. As they approached the entrance, Wei Rao looked up at Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo understood immediately.
Wei Rao slowed her pace. Lu Zhuo appeared at the doorway first and offered an apologetic smile upon seeing Old Mrs. Wei. Just as he was about to enter, he noticed Wei Rao hanging her head, clutching her handkerchief, looking too ashamed to face anyone after her mistake. Lu Zhuo withdrew his right foot that had already crossed the threshold, his gaze softening as he took hold of Wei Rao's wrist and gently led his bashful young wife inside.
Once inside, Wei Rao glanced at Old Mrs. Wei, then at Guo Shi and Wei Chan. She seemed even more embarrassed, clutching Lu Zhuo's robe and hiding behind him.
Lu Zhuo tilted his head to look at her, a doting smile spreading across his face. "The fault lies with me. I'm not even afraid of Grandmother scolding me, so why should you be?"
Only then did Wei Rao peek out from behind him, her glistening eyes anxiously fixed on Old Mrs. Wei seated in the host's chair.Old Mrs. Wei's greatest worry had been that the young couple might grow estranged due to this farce. Now, witnessing their sticky-sweet, honeyed intimacy with her own eyes, all her anxieties took wing and flew away. She merely tightened her expression and feigned anger, scolding Wei Rao: "You little scoundrel, you had the nerve to throw a tantrum with the heir, but not the face to see me?"
Hearing this, Wei Rao finally stopped hiding and obediently walked before Old Mrs. Wei, kneeling down: "Grandmother, please don't be angry. I know I was wrong."
Lu Zhuo immediately knelt beside her, taking the blame upon himself: "Grandmother, it was all my fault for hurting Rao Rao in a moment of impulse. If you must blame anyone, blame me."
Guo Shi found the scene irritating and rushed to ask: "Heir, what exactly were you and Rao Rao quarreling about?"
Lu Zhuo glanced at her, then shamefully lowered his head, appearing too embarrassed to speak.
Wei Rao, her face flushed, said: "It was just drunken foolishness, not worth telling Grandmother and Aunt."
Drunken foolishness?
Observing Wei Rao's fox-like features, Guo Shi formed a conjecture: It must have been Lu Zhuo, newly initiated into marital affairs and full of youthful vigor, unable to resist Wei Rao's beauty. He had bullied her too fiercely, while Wei Rao—always delicate and thin-skinned—mistook her husband's passion for humiliation, thus running away in anger.
From this perspective, it seemed Lu Zhuo's treatment of Wei Rao was clearly excessive affection, entirely different from what they had feared!
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