Transfer Gold Hairpin

Wei Rao's daily nap duration was fairly consistent, and she would naturally wake up after half a shichen.

The afternoon sun in April was already quite intense, and the courtyard was silent. The young maids had likely all found spots to doze off and slack.

Wei Rao yawned, got up, and put on her outer robe.

As the weather grew warmer, the underwear she wore had become thinner. Lu Zhuo, with his thick skin, could casually remove his outer robe in front of her, but Wei Rao had no intention of giving him the chance to take advantage of her.

She unlatched the door, intending to call Lu Zhuo in to arrange the bedding for appearances' sake so she could summon the maids to attend to her. Unexpectedly, when she lifted the curtain, Lu Zhuo was still lying on the daybed, the quilt covering him up to his waist, revealing his upper body clad in his underwear. The sunlight outside the window was bright, and he lay facing inward, seemingly startled awake by her. Just as Wei Rao was taken aback, Lu Zhuo opened his eyes.

Wei Rao averted her gaze, looking at the floor as she said, "It's time to get up."

Though she was fully dressed, for the sake of maintaining appearances in front of the maids, she had not tied up her long hair. It cascaded loosely over her chest and shoulders, smooth and glossy like black satin. Freshly awakened, a faint blush lingered on her cheeks, adding boundless charm and allure to her already striking beauty. Standing at the doorway with her head bowed, she looked as if she were shyly and coquettishly calling her husband to join her.

Lu Zhuo didn't move. "Are you going out? If there's nothing to do, I'd like to sleep for another shichen."

Wei Rao had no particular plans but didn't want to stay cooped up in the room. The posthouse had a garden, and it would be nice to take a stroll there.

"Then come in first. Later, just say you were tired and slept in, while I got up on my own."

Lu Zhuo's lips curved into a smile as he looked at her. "A short absence feels like a new honeymoon. Since we're putting on a show, you should be the one to wake up later than me."

Wei Rao looked at him in surprise. What did he mean by "a short absence feels like a new honeymoon"?

But Lu Zhuo closed his eyes, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

Wei Rao, having read the little booklet her grandmother had given her, quickly understood. Her face flushed crimson with embarrassment. She let the curtain fall and strode inside, only to stop after two steps. If she and Lu Zhuo really stayed cooped up in the room for another shichen, wouldn't that confirm his insinuation of "a short absence feels like a new honeymoon"?

In broad daylight, Wei Rao had no intention of letting others misunderstand that she and Lu Zhuo had spent an hour and a half in a "newlywed" tryst!

At this thought, she stepped out of the inner room again, stood beside Lu Zhuo's feet, and glared at him angrily. "Get up!"

Lu Zhuo sat up, the quilt still covering his legs, his gaze cool. "You demanded in the Contract that I cooperate with your act, and I've played my part flawlessly. Now you want to go back on your word?"

Wei Rao clenched her fists. "I'm grateful that the heir takes his promises seriously. But since you pride yourself on being a gentleman, you should know that a gentleman does not engage in licentiousness in broad daylight. If you insist on acting out such a scene, you're deliberately trying to saddle me with the reputation of soliciting favor during the day."

Lu Zhuo looked at her as if he'd heard something laughable. "So the lady cares about reputation after all. I thought reputation was nothing but fleeting clouds in your eyes."

Wei Rao paused. "I have a clear conscience about what I've done, no matter how others talk. But for things I haven't done, I'd prefer to avoid as much slander as possible."

Lu Zhuo smiled faintly. "If the lady doesn't want to bear slander, then what should I do? You've been going in and out of shops and taverns with other men for days. If you're recognized, how others talk about you is none of my concern. But you and I are husband and wife now. Do you think people won't gossip about me when they see you coming and going with all sorts of outside men? Does my dignity mean nothing to you, lady?"

Wei Rao truly hadn't considered this point.Because she believed her encounters with those merchants were merely fleeting, and they would soon be separated by vast distances with little chance of meeting again. Moreover, she had disguised herself, so even if any merchant were to see her again in the capital, they likely wouldn’t dare recognize her—this included the residents of Jincheng who had seen her coming and going with these merchants.

However, from Lu Zhuo’s perspective, it was understandable that he would worry about being gossiped about, with people claiming his wife had made him a cuckold and laughing at him.

“It was thoughtless of me and has caused you trouble, Young Master,” Wei Rao admitted frankly.

Lu Zhuo’s pupils contracted slightly. He had grown accustomed to Wei Rao’s confrontational attitude—why was she acting differently today?

After a moment of silence, Wei Rao suddenly smiled at him. “To be honest with you, Young Master, when I agreed to the marriage to ward off misfortune, it was to borrow the influence of your Lu Family to intimidate a certain person. But our temperaments are incompatible, and my ways of doing things clash with your family’s traditions. Holding onto the title of your wife only restricts me and brings trouble to you and the Duke’s Manor. How about this? Once we return to the capital, let’s divorce immediately. From then on, whatever I do will have nothing to do with you or the Lu Family.”

Wei Rao no longer wanted to marry.

A fake husband would find fault with her in one way or another, and a real husband would likely be no different.

Wei Rao loved riding horses, hunting, and all the fascinating tales and adventures beyond the capital.

Her grandmother and maternal grandmother had both hoped she would marry into a prominent family—one that would make the Empress Dowager wary. But just moments ago, Wei Rao had suddenly thought of a solution. The Empress Dowager disliked her precisely because she was doing well and sought to harm her. So, why not appear to be doing poorly? When she and Lu Zhuo divorced, the capital would surely be filled with mockery and scorn. At that time, Wei Rao could pretend to be unable to bear it and leave the capital to seek refuge with her aunt and uncle.

Why bother listening to merchants’ lofty discussions? Wei Rao decided she would travel north and south herself. Her aunt often accompanied her uncle on business trips, and her cousin was also traveling far and wide for trade. Wei Rao could follow either her aunt or her cousin. She would do what she loved and let others think whatever they wanted. If they feared she would tarnish a husband’s family reputation, then she simply wouldn’t marry.

It felt as though a shackle binding her had finally shattered. Wei Rao’s heart felt suddenly clear, and even Lu Zhuo’s gloomy face seemed exceptionally handsome to her. Lu Zhuo, the heir to the Duke of Yingguo, was an extraordinarily handsome man. There was no enmity between them; their mutual dislike stemmed solely from being forced together. Once their ties were severed, they would be nothing more than strangers!

“What do you think, Young Master?” Wei Rao asked with a smile.

Lu Zhuo’s right hand clenched tightly on the quilt beneath him as he stared at Wei Rao. “You agreed to the marriage to ward off misfortune, and now you want a divorce? Is marriage nothing but a game to you?”

Wei Rao remained calm. “It’s not a game. I acted when there was something to gain, and now I see that divorcing you would be more beneficial to me. So, I wish to terminate our agreement early.”

Lu Zhuo’s expression was far from pleasant. “I just requested the Emperor’s permission to accompany you to visit Li Guiren. If we divorce as soon as we return to the capital, what will the Emperor think?”

Wei Rao thought it over seriously and replied, “The Emperor is occupied with countless affairs of state and likely won’t concern himself with our matters. Besides, you are of noble status and the future commander of the Divine Martial Army. If you were to remarry a dignified and virtuous wife, one praised by all in the capital, who could support you in raising the next generation of Divine Martial Army commanders, the Emperor would surely be very pleased.”She was thinking far ahead, but Lu Zhuo only felt a fire burning in his chest.

He had already decided to make their marriage real. To please her, he had worn flowers and even carried a hedgehog, yet this woman’s attitude toward him hadn’t improved in the slightest. Instead, she couldn’t wait to divorce him.

Was it because of Huo Jue? Because she had seen her beloved cousin and couldn’t bear the pretense of being with him anymore?

One was unconventional and rebellious, the other indulged her in chatting freely with an unrelated man—cousins truly were a perfect match.

"Fine, as you wish." Lu Zhuo rose from the couch, flicked his sleeve, and left.

Wei Rao heard him open the door, heard him instruct Bitao to pack his trunks and move them to the front courtyard.

With the divorce imminent, there was no longer any need to keep up the act.

Wei Rao felt physically and mentally at ease, but Bitao rushed in frantically, stopping before her to ask, "Miss, have you quarreled with the Young Lord again?"

Wei Rao smiled faintly and whispered, "You could say so, but it’s for the best. Once we return to the capital, we’ll divorce, and I’ll never have to cater to anyone’s whims again."

Bitao stared at her mistress in disbelief, then realized she was serious—truly intent on divorcing the Young Lord and genuinely happy about it.

Bitao’s feelings were deeply conflicted. Aside from often angering her mistress, the Young Lord was actually quite good in other respects. Both she and Liuya had sincerely hoped he would grow to love their mistress and that they would become a truly affectionate couple.

Now, that hope had vanished completely.

"What about the Young Lord’s trunks…"

"Go pack them. In a little while, have Zhao Song and the others carry them over."

Front courtyard.

Zhao Song and Zhao Bai, guessing the Young Lord should be awake, had come to wait in the courtyard early in case he had any orders.

The brothers stood under the shade of a tree when suddenly they heard heavy footsteps. Turning, they saw the Young Lord approaching from around the corner of the corridor, wearing only his underwear. He was the same person they knew, but his expression was darker than the layers of storm clouds before a downpour.

Zhao Song looked at Zhao Bai, Zhao Bai looked at Zhao Song—both brothers thought of the same thing: the Young Lord and the young mistress had quarreled again!

If A Gui were here, he might dare to approach and inquire, but the Zhao brothers were more accustomed to treating the Young Lord as the deputy general of the Divine Martial Army and didn’t dare pry into his Back Residence affairs.

They watched in fearful silence as the Young Lord entered the main room.

Not long after, Bitao arrived. Seeing both brothers there, especially Zhao Song, her eyes suddenly grew hot. She approached with her head down, wringing her hands as she said, "The Young Lord just told me to pack his trunks. They’re ready now. Please go and bring them over."

Zhao Song was shocked. Was the Young Lord going to sleep separately from the young mistress again?

Zhao Bai asked Bitao, "What exactly happened? Did the young mistress get angry because the Young Lord was joking with that young lady?"

Bitao didn’t know anything about a young lady, nor had she noticed her mistress being angry. While she was packing the trunks, her mistress had been leaning over the table, happily playing with a set of wooden carvings of a shepherd boy and an ox.

"I don’t know. Just go quickly," Bitao said, agitated and upset.

Zhao Bai was at a loss, but Zhao Song sighed and told his brother and Bitao to wait. Steeling himself, he went to the main room.

Stopping outside the side room, Zhao Song inquired, "Young Lord, Bitao asked us to move your trunks. Was this your order?"

"Yes. I’ll be going to the military camp tomorrow morning and will stay there from now on."

Zhao Song was taken aback but didn’t dare ask further. He quickly withdrew."How did it go?" Zhao Bai asked, while Bitao also watched him nervously.

Zhao Song looked grave: "The Young Lord says that starting tomorrow, he will be staying at the military camp."

If the young mistress hadn't come along, it would be perfectly normal for the Young Lord to stay at the camp to supervise the new recruits' training, but...

"Never mind, let's go move the things first." Zhao Song glanced at Bitao, hiding the unease in his heart.

Lu Zhuo had only brought two chests on this trip. The two brothers each carried one, completing the task in a single trip.

After placing the chests in the inner chamber, Zhao Bai held up the rosewood-colored outer robe the Young Lord had tossed onto a chair and anxiously advised, "My lord, please put this on first. It's not that warm yet—you might catch a chill."

Lu Zhuo glanced at the robe in his hand, and the image of Wei Rao covering her nose with a slight gesture flashed through his mind.

"Throw it away."

Zhao Bai was shocked. This robe was newly made this spring, and the Young Lord had only worn it once...

Zhao Song secretly nudged him, signaling him to leave first. The Young Lord had worn this robe while chatting and laughing with an unfamiliar young lady in the shop, and now he wanted to discard it. This was enough to prove that the Young Lord and the young mistress had quarreled fiercely over that very scene.

"My lord, you're going to the military camp tomorrow. What about the banquet to entertain your cousin tomorrow evening?" Zhao Song inquired softly.

Lu Zhuo did not answer.

Zhao Song waited silently.

A long time passed before Lu Zhuo finally rubbed his forehead and said, "The banquet remains unchanged. I will return before sunset. Make sure to remind the young mistress."

Zhao Song understood.

Early the next morning, Lu Zhuo rode off to the military camp.

Observing the Young Lord's expression, Zhao Song felt a bit worried for the new recruits.

After seeing off the Young Lord, Zhao Song asked a young maid to fetch Bitao and instructed her to remind the young mistress that the evening's banquet would proceed as scheduled.

If Bitao hadn't relayed the message, Wei Rao would have almost forgotten about it.

Her cousin had no idea that she and Lu Zhuo were only pretending to be married. If she suddenly revealed the truth now, her cousin would surely be distracted by her situation, which could affect the fur procurement—that would be disastrous. It was better to keep him in the dark a little longer. Once they returned to the capital and finalized the divorce, she would write to inform her aunt and uncle.