On the twenty-sixth day of the first lunar month, the Duke of Yingguo's Manor was celebrating the first birthday of the sixth young master, Lu Bin.
Though Lu Bin had just turned one, he was the eldest son of Fourth Master from the fourth branch of the Lu Family, belonging to the same generation as the Young Lord Lu Zhuo from the main branch. If Lu Zhuo hadn't been so unaccomplished—still without an heir at twenty-three—Lu Bin might already have had nephews or nieces older than himself.
Lu Zhuo had many cousins in his generation, but Lu Bin held special significance as the long-awaited firstborn son after Fourth Master's nine years of marriage. Thus, the Duke of Yingguo's Manor decided to host a grand celebration, inviting numerous guests.
Before dawn, the servants of the Duke's Manor had already risen to begin a day destined to be filled with busyness.
Lu Zhuo had been practicing swordplay for half an hour.
He had begun martial arts training at age four, dabbling in various weapons, but his expertise lay in the Lu Family's ancestral spear techniques. He usually practiced with spears; sword training only started after Wei Rao left.
Counting the time, Wei Rao had been married to him for just a year—a few months shorter than the duration since their separation.
When he first discovered that his bride in the Marriage to ward off misfortune was Wei Rao, Lu Zhuo had been highly resistant and believed he would never develop feelings for her. During that brief year, they had several arguments, almost always initiated by his offenses. Strangely, after each quarrel, Lu Zhuo's perception of Wei Rao would shift.
When he stood with her before the gates of Flowing Wave Palace, watching her kneel before the fourth prince with tears streaming down her face, Lu Zhuo wanted to pull her into an embrace.
When he emerged from behind a tree where he had been hiding and witnessed her swift, decisive move to kill an assassin, Lu Zhuo smiled.
In that moment, he finally understood what kind of woman captivated him.
He still respected elegant and virtuous young ladies, believing they would make good wives for men. Had he never encountered the real Wei Rao, after her departure, Lu Zhuo might have obediently followed his elders' arrangements to marry a gentle, well-matched woman from a suitable family. He would have treated her with courtesy, cared for her, and entrusted the household's elders to her care when he went off to battle.
But Lu Zhuo had seen Wei Rao—her enchanting silhouette reclining on a couch, her dashing figure galloping on horseback, her vulnerability in longing for her mother, her fearless valor in confronting assassins, her sweaty, disheveled state as she dragged assassin bodies into a pit to spare nearby village children from fright, and her delicate beauty fresh from a bath.
After Wei Rao left, Lu Zhuo thought of her with open eyes and dreamed of her with closed ones.
Over the past year, he often recalled their arguments, for only then did Wei Rao reveal her most vivid self in his presence. How ironic—during those quarrels, she could infuriate him to the point of chest tightness, yet in retrospect, the reasons for their disputes faded into unimportance. All he remembered and yearned for was her demeanor in those moments.
With such a person occupying his heart, how could he possibly marry another? The thought never even crossed his mind.
After bathing and changing clothes, Lu Zhuo went to pay respects to his mother.
"Cousin is here."
He Shi was in the inner chamber, while her niece He Weiyu sat in the Hall. Spotting Lu Zhuo, she rose with a blossoming smile, her affectionate address tinged with a hint of shyness.
Lu Zhuo noticed his cousin wore a begonia-pink dress today—a lovely color. He remembered Wei Rao had worn a similar shade.
His grandmother had said she would come today. He wondered when she would arrive.Lu Zhuo absentmindedly nodded to He Weiyu. Shortly after, He Shi emerged, and the family of three exchanged a few words before going their separate ways.
Lu Zhuo's task for the day was to accompany the Duke of Yingguo in entertaining male guests in the front courtyard. The second young master, Lu Ya, along with the fifth young master, Lu Che, were greeting guests at the entrance. As for the third young master, Lu Cong, and the fourth young master, Lu Ze, the two brothers were still stationed at the border and would not return until winter.
As the sun rose higher, the alley where the Duke of Yingguo's Manor was located grew increasingly lively with the steady arrival of guests, bustling with voices and activity.
"Shoucheng, today we're here to celebrate your sixth child's first birthday. When will we get to drink at your son's first-year celebration?"
With a booming, resonant voice, Qi Zhongkai appeared before Lu Zhuo, laughing heartily.
Qi Zhongkai was a year older than Lu Zhuo. Yet, while Lu Zhuo had already been through a marriage and divorce, Qi Zhongkai remained unmarried. Over the past two years, he had attended several matchmaking meetings, but they never worked out—either he found the women unsuitable, or they were put off by his rough demeanor. As far as Lu Zhuo knew, Qi Zhongkai's mother, the Madam Marquis of Pingxi, seemed to have given up on him.
Today, Qi Zhongkai wore a sapphire-blue brocade robe. He had grown a beard a couple of years ago to appear more mature but had since shaved it clean off.
Lu Zhuo pursed his lips slightly, recalling how shortly after his divorce from Wei Rao, Qi Zhongkai had rushed over to ask what had happened. He wondered if Qi Zhongkai was genuinely concerned or had ulterior motives.
"You're not in a hurry, so why should I be?" Lu Zhuo replied indifferently.
Qi Zhongkai laughed. "How can we compare? I'm the second son—the title goes to my elder brother, who already has both sons and daughters. But you're the Young Lord in your family, the eldest grandson, the big brother among six siblings. You need to marry quickly and have sons soon."
As he spoke, Qi Zhongkai affectionately straightened Lu Zhuo's already neat robe like a close brother and lowered his voice to tease, "Besides, ever since you became single again, so many young ladies in the capital have delayed their engagements, waiting for a chance to marry you. If you pick one soon, it'll give us bachelors a chance too, right?"
Lu Zhuo smiled and nudged Qi Zhongkai toward an empty seat before turning to attend to other guests.
The male guests were gathered in the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, while the female guests' banquet was set in the fourth branch's Hall of Morning Light, making it convenient for them to witness the child's Zhua Zhou ceremony at the auspicious hour.
A Gui stood guard at the entrance of the Duke's Manor, seemingly busy with tasks but actually just peering at the carriages lined up outside. His patience paid off when he spotted a familiar maid's face. His eyes lit up, and he slipped inside like a monkey to report to the Young Lord: "Young Lord, in about a quarter of an hour, you should come out."
Lu Zhuo continued to entertain guests without showing any change in expression.
Qi Zhongkai, holding a wine bowl, watched A Gui dart away and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
Not long after, Lu Zhuo found an excuse to leave the Hall.
The entrance of the Duke of Yingguo's Manor was a continuous stream of arriving guests. After alighting from their carriages, guests would exchange greetings before splitting into separate groups—men and women—upon entering.
"The Young Lord is truly impressive in demeanor."
A lady who had just stepped through the gate felt a surge of warmth upon seeing Lu Zhuo and deliberately made way for the two young ladies following her. While Lu Zhuo was the most desirable match in the Duke of Yingguo's Manor, his four younger cousins were also of marriageable age. The second young master, Lu Ya, was already engaged, but the third, fourth, and fifth young masters, along with the divorced Young Lord Lu Zhuo, were all excellent prospects for a good marriage.Lu Zhuo smiled and bowed in greeting. Just then, his gaze shifted forward, and after offering a quick apology to the lady, he hurried past her.
The lady and the two young women beside her couldn’t help but turn to look back.
At the entrance of the Duke’s Manor not far away, a woman in a turquoise beizi and a crimson gold-woven silk skirt was approaching with her maid. Her face was blocked by the Second Young Master Lu Ya, who had stepped forward to greet her, revealing only the opulent hem of her skirt. The gold-woven skirt was elegant and striking, while the turquoise beizi exuded grace, making her stand out among the gathered young ladies.
Who could it be, to make Young Lord Lu Zhuo so eager to personally welcome her?
"Lu Zhuo pays his respects to the Princess."
Upon seeing Wei Rao, Lu Zhuo spoke respectfully. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he revealed no further intentions.
As he appeared, the murmurs of conversation among the guests inside and outside the gate suddenly quieted. Curiosity was universal—not just among commoners in the streets, but even among nobles and officials who enjoyed a spectacle.
Wei Rao hadn’t seen Lu Zhuo when she alighted from the carriage, yet in just a few steps, he had appeared.
Fortunately, Wei Rao was accustomed to playing her part. Without giving onlookers room for speculation, she smiled faintly and returned the gesture. "Young Lord, there’s no need for such formality."
"Today’s banquet is held in the Chaohui Hall. Allow me to escort you," Lu Zhuo said, gesturing for her to proceed.
Wei Rao had no intention of causing a scene and replied gently, "Thank you."
The former couple then walked away side by side.
Only after they had moved some distance away did hushed whispers rise again among the guests who had witnessed the scene.
"It seems Young Lord Lu treats the Princess with great respect, even personally welcoming her. Could it be that their separation was truly to honor the Princess’s filial duties? Does Young Lord Lu wish to rekindle their relationship?"
"That does seem plausible."
"Not necessarily. If he truly cared for her, they wouldn’t have separated. Marriage is no trifling matter—it’s not a game. Even applying for the title of Lady of the Manor requires a formal petition. Would the Duke and Duchess indulge such whims? In my view, the Duke of Yingguo’s household is acting magnanimously, not wishing the Princess to face excessive criticism. They likely invited her to help preserve her dignity."
"Alternatively, they might have noticed the Emperor’s favor toward the Princess and are simply showing respect to the throne."
"That makes sense…"
Wei Rao couldn’t hear the idle chatter. Once they were farther from the crowd, she turned to the man beside her with a puzzled expression. "Young Lord, did you come out specifically to greet me just now?"
Without even turning his head, Lu Zhuo could glimpse her radiant, fair face from the corner of his eye. Dressed in such luxurious attire today, she carried herself with increasing poise, truly embodying the grace of a princess.
"Indeed," Lu Zhuo admitted without denial.
Wei Rao chuckled. "To dispel rumors of our discord, you’ve certainly gone to great lengths, Young Lord."
Hearing this, Lu Zhuo gave a wry smile. "Why must it be about dispelling rumors? What if I wished to see you, to mend our broken bond? Is that not allowed?"
Wei Rao looked at him as if he’d told a joke, eyeing him like a stranger. "You pride yourself on being a gentleman. If you truly admired any young lady, you would adhere to propriety. How could you use the pretext of welcoming a guest to act so presumptuously? We know each other well—if you have something to say, speak plainly. There’s no need for pretense between us."
Bitao followed closely behind the two of them.Initially, after more than a year apart, Bitao felt somewhat unfamiliar with the Young Lord. But as they walked a short distance and she saw the two masters exchanging barbs again after just a few words, that unfamiliarity instantly vanished. Well, her mistress was still the same mistress, and the Young Lord was still the same Young Lord—they looked like a perfect match yet were fundamentally incompatible.
While Bitao was silently criticizing them, Lu Zhuo remained quiet throughout.
Faced with Wei Rao’s suspicion and sarcasm, Lu Zhuo found himself with nothing to refute.
It was he who had once postured as a gentleman and scorned her for not being ladylike enough; it was also he who had coaxed her with promises of benefit not to seek a divorce.
So, on what grounds did he think Wei Rao would believe him if he spoke his heart now?
She was covered in thorns of self-protection, and he had touched nearly every one of them. When he was pricked and hurt, had she not suffered just as much?
“The Chaohui Hall is just ahead. Please proceed on your own, Princess. I shall take my leave now.”
Lu Zhuo stopped, pointed in the direction of Chaohui Hall, and spoke with polite courtesy.
Wei Rao gave him a puzzled glance, noticing female guests following at a distance behind them. She nodded and walked off with Bitao without another word.
Lu Zhuo stood still for a moment before turning and choosing a secluded path where he wouldn’t encounter any female guests, heading back to Zhongyi Hall.
Just as he rounded the corridor, a familiar figure suddenly blocked his way.
Lu Zhuo looked at the other person expressionlessly.
Qi Zhongkai grinned widely: “You deliberately sent A Gui to keep watch over the Princess, then rushed over to escort her yourself the moment she arrived. What, are you thinking of marrying her all over again?”
Lu Zhuo met his gaze: “What if I am?”
Qi Zhongkai was momentarily speechless, then grew agitated. Scratching his head in frustration, he exclaimed, “If you like her, why did you let her go and allow her to become the laughingstock of the entire capital?”
Lu Zhuo: “None of your concern.”
His indifferent tone suddenly provoked Qi Zhongkai’s defiance. Gritting his teeth, he retorted, “How is it none of my concern? If you truly like her and she likes you back, then I won’t think twice and will continue being your good brother. But if you don’t like her, or if she doesn’t like you, then I still have the right to pursue her!”
Lu Zhuo sneered and was about to walk away when he suddenly turned back to Qi Zhongkai: “She may not like me, but that doesn’t mean she likes you. How do you plan to pursue her?”
Hearing the first part of his sentence—confirming that the Fourth Young Lady didn’t like Lu Zhuo—Qi Zhongkai was even more thrilled than when he had topped the imperial martial exams. Excited, he began pacing and pounding his fist, muttering incoherently: “How to pursue her? Of course, go all out! If even someone as handsome as you can’t win her over, it means she’s not that shallow. She doesn’t prioritize looks or family background. With those ruled out, she must care about a man’s sincerity! That’s good, that’s good. Then I’ll cater to her preferences, send her gifts in creative ways, and win her favor. Women are soft-hearted—as long as I persist, I’ll eventually win her affection!”
By the end, Qi Zhongkai seemed to envision himself already winning the beauty, his eyes gleaming brightly as he looked at Lu Zhuo.
In that moment, Qi Zhongkai forgot that Lu Zhuo might not have given up on Wei Rao, forgot that Lu Zhuo was also his rival. Instead, he purely regarded Lu Zhuo as a good brother, hoping for his approval and encouragement.
Lu Zhuo, however, merely let out a light scoff and walked away without looking back.
Only then did Qi Zhongkai snap back to reality. Shaking his fist at his scoundrel of a brother’s retreating figure, he went back to refining his grand plan to win the beauty!
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