Third brother Lu Cong’s wife, Tao Shi, was a girl with quite a full figure, with a face like an autumn moon. When she smiled, two dimples appeared, making her extremely likable.

Some people appear easygoing but aren’t necessarily easy to get along with—like Lu Zhuo. Others truly have hearts that match their appearance, genuinely beautiful in both looks and character, like Tao Shi.

Wei Rao had always felt there was some distance between her and her second sister-in-law, Qiao Shi. It wasn’t that the sisters-in-law had any conflicts-in fact, every time they met, they spoke harmoniously, chatting about weather, flowers and plants, clothing and jewelry, but it was limited to just that. Qiao Shi didn’t open her heart to her, and Wei Rao, knowing her poor reputation might make some virtuous ladies and young misses dislike her, wouldn’t eagerly try to curry favor either.

But Tao Shi was different. Tao Shi was like a happy little butterfly flitting joyfully through various flower clusters. She could become close to Qiao Shi, and she could also speak intimately with Wei Rao. Even with He Shi and He Weiyu, that aunt-and-niece pair who kept an extremely low profile, Tao Shi could enthusiastically sit in Spring Harmony Hall for half a day.

In short, once Tao Shi married into the Lu family, she quickly became familiar with everyone in all the branches.

Once, when Wei Rao was going to the fourth branch, she encountered Tao Shi and Lu Cong on the road, playfully chasing each other like children. Just as Duchess Ying had said, they were a match made in heaven.

Tao Shi entered the family in October and was diagnosed with pregnancy by the end of the twelfth month.

With two daughters-in-law both pregnant, Second Madam was so happy she seemed to have grown several years younger.

He Shi didn’t say anything in front of Wei Rao, but for the first time, Wei Rao felt some pressure regarding offspring. Fortunately, she would soon follow Lu Zhuo on his external assignment. Otherwise, when Qiao Shi and Tao Shi’s children were born one after another, even if Old Madam and He Shi didn’t pressure her, Wei Rao, as the eldest sister-in-law, would feel awkward.

“Raorao, don’t worry. With my example here, no one will gossip about you,” Fourth Madam gently comforted Wei Rao.

Wei Rao thought to herself: You and Fourth Uncle were unable to consummate your marriage for the first few years, but she and Lu Zhuo, except for the few days when she had her monthly courses, were intimate almost every night. So frequently that Wei Rao could clearly remember the position of every bone and muscle on Lu Zhuo’s body, knowing where he was ticklish and where he liked her to touch.

On the twentieth day of the first month, He Weiyu was married off.

Given He Weiyu’s status, her wedding didn’t need to be elaborate—at least it couldn’t compare to when Lu Changning married with guests filling the mansion. However, since she was marrying Second Master Qi of Marquis Pingxi Mansion, Duchess Ying decided that the wedding banquet should follow the standards of a Lu family legitimate daughter’s marriage. As for He Weiyu’s dowry, the main branch contributed the most, with various elders also contributing some, adding up to eighty-four carriers—quite respectable.

When the groom came to fetch the bride, under her bridal veil, He Weiyu cried her heart out, grateful that her aunt had brought her from a remote small town, grateful for the care the Lu family women had shown her, grateful that her cousin and cousin-in-law had arranged her marriage. Especially toward Wei Rao, He Weiyu felt deeply ashamed of her youthful romantic thoughts.

She cried so fiercely that even Qi Zhongkai felt apprehensive—did He Weiyu not like him?

Full of doubts, he brought the bride back to Marquis Pingxi Mansion. After being plied with alcohol by the male guests, Qi Zhongkai could finally go to the bridal chamber.

He was seven parts drunk and usually not particularly refined, appearing before He Weiyu in a drunken state.

Contrary to Qi Zhongkai’s expectations, He Weiyu, before him, no longer had red-rimmed eyes or a sorrowful expression. She shyly and gently helped him sit in a chair, then poured him sobering tea.

Qi Zhongkai stared at her intently. He Weiyu was certainly beautiful, but Qi Zhongkai wanted more to know her thoughts—whether He Weiyu had married him, this rough man, against her will due to He Shi’s persuasion, or if she was willing.

“When I came to propose to you, what did you think?” After drinking a bowl of tea, Qi Zhongkai asked directly.

He Weiyu looked over nervously and was at a loss. What did this question mean?

Qi Zhongkai put down the teacup, scratched his head, and said: “I mean, were you willing to marry me yourself, or did Aunt He and Shoucheng think I was good, so you complied with their wishes and married over?”

He Weiyu’s face reddened. She was too shy to speak, but seeing that Qi Zhongkai seemed eager to know the answer, He Weiyu lowered her head, twisting her fingers together: “Before meeting Second Master, I had only heard some things about you—that you were imposing and dignified, that your voice was like a lion’s roar, frightening many noble ladies from wanting to meet you for marriage prospects. Based on rumors alone, I was also afraid of Second Master. But that day when I saw Second Master at the temple, I felt you were quite good and not as terrifying as the legends said.”

Qi Zhongkai’s eyes lit up: “So you were willing to marry me yourself?”

He Weiyu nodded with a red face.

A fire ignited in Qi Zhongkai’s heart. With the help of alcohol, he reached out and pulled his delicate beauty of a wife into his arms.

Qi Zhongkai was rough yet considerate, someone who knew how to cherish others. So three days later, when He Weiyu brought him back for the bride’s first visit to her natal family, both Wei Rao and He Shi could see He Weiyu’s satisfaction with Qi Zhongkai.

Lu Zhuo was very confident in Qi Zhongkai’s character. Since Qi Zhongkai and He Weiyu became engaged, Lu Zhuo had never worried that his cousin would have a difficult life after marriage.

“When we’re not in the capital, I’ll trouble Brother Qi to bring cousin over often to accompany my mother.”

At the noon banquet, Lu Zhuo solemnly toasted Qi Zhongkai.

Qi Zhongkai laughed heartily: “We’re family—that’s only proper. Though I won’t call you cousin, from now on, Aunt He is like my own aunt. I guarantee I’ll be more filial than you.”

Lu Zhuo smiled, raised his wine cup, and drained it in one gulp.

Over the next two days, Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo separately bid farewell to Consort De in the palace, Shou’an Jun at the villa, and even Wei Rao’s uncle, Earl Cheng’an. With trusted subordinates overseeing their respective businesses, on the twenty-sixth day of the first month, Lu Zhuo, carrying the Ministry of War document appointing him as Ganzhou garrison commander, departed with Wei Rao.

The journey was long, requiring over a month of travel. Wei Rao brought only her two trusted senior maids, Liu Ya and Bitao, along with sixteen princess mansion guards. Lu Zhuo brought A’Gui, Zhao Song, and Zhao Bai, plus a squad of Shenwu Army personal guards. Having both experienced assassinations, for this long journey, both made thorough preparations.

Ganzhou was far to the direct west of the capital. Still in the season when water froze instantly, Wei Rao occasionally got out of the carriage to ride for a while, but usually stayed inside the carriage, sitting or lying down, utterly bored. Even when she lifted the window curtain to look at the scenery, outside was completely bare—grass hadn’t turned green, and flowers certainly hadn’t bloomed. The cold wind kept blowing, making Wei Rao’s face stiff with cold, so she refused to stick her head out again.

Lu Zhuo served his delicate wife almost obsequiously, very worried she might become unhappy and turn back to the capital halfway.

Wei Rao wasn’t actually that delicate. Moreover, this trip to Ganzhou wasn’t because Lu Zhuo had coaxed her to go, but because Wei Rao herself wanted to see the outside world.

“During your eight years of frontier training, were you in Ganzhou?” Leaning on the narrow couch, Wei Rao rested her legs on Lu Zhuo’s knees and asked curiously.

Lu Zhuo picked up a thin blanket to cover her legs, then slipped his hands underneath, holding her slender feet: “No, I was in Pingcheng before. Pingcheng is closer to the capital. Ganzhou is further west, located at the junction of our dynasty, Wuda, and Western Qiang.”

Precisely because Ganzhou was at the junction of three nations, it was extremely important to the Central Plains.

Lu Zhuo’s self-requested external assignment to Ganzhou showed he truly wanted to gain valuable experience. That Emperor Yuanjia dared entrust Ganzhou to him also demonstrated the emperor’s trust and regard for Lu Zhuo.

Realizing Ganzhou’s importance, Wei Rao developed an intense interest in the place.

Lu Zhuo had brought maps of the Ganzhou area with him. He took them out, spread them open, and explained in clear, melodious tones.

He was handsome and deeply understood the art of teaching, knowing exactly what would interest Wei Rao, so she listened with great fascination.

“In recent years, there’s been no warfare on the frontier, and trade has resumed among the three nations. In Ganzhou, you’ll see Qiang people, Wuda people, and merchants from even more distant Western Regions. Their native languages are vastly different from our Central Plains tongue. When you hear them speak, it’ll sound like heavenly script to you.” Lu Zhuo smiled.

Wei Rao’s eyes sparkled as she asked, unconvinced: “It sounds like heavenly script to me—what about you? Can you understand?”

Lu Zhuo smiled: “I’ve studied both Qiang and Wuda languages. I wouldn’t dare claim fluency, but daily communication should pose no problem.”

Wei Rao immediately became interested, asking Lu Zhuo to say the same sentence in both Qiang and Wuda languages.

Lu Zhuo spoke effortlessly. Though Wei Rao couldn’t understand, seeing Lu Zhuo’s composed and confident manner, he probably wasn’t fooling her.

Wei Rao began learning from Lu Zhuo. Both languages were very complex, so Wei Rao decided to start with the Wuda language, since Wuda’s territory was much larger than the Qiang nation, meaning there would be more Wuda merchants than Qiang people in Ganzhou city.

The more boring the journey, the more seriously Wei Rao studied the Wuda language. After completing the month-long journey, according to Lu Zhuo, Wei Rao could communicate with two or three-year-old Wuda children—the kind who were rather slow at learning to speak…

When he teased her, Wei Rao kicked him hard.

Lu Zhuo caught her foot, his palm burning hot, and the way he looked at her seemed as if he wanted to devour her.

Speaking of which, most of the post stations along the route were quite crude. To avoid letting outsiders overhear through walls, Lu Zhuo had been restraining himself for a long time.