More and more matchmakers came to the princess’s mansion to propose marriage. With nothing else to do, Wei Rao would listen to how the matchmakers praised those young talents, but she only listened—she had no interest in actually going to meet those young masters from great families or rising stars.

Some clever matchmakers sensed the princess’s thoughts and went back to advise the male families. Princess Wu’an wasn’t an ordinary young lady. Even Consort had said the princess’s marriage was entirely up to her own decision. Since that was the case, why didn’t the men personally visit with gifts? This would show their sincerity and allow the princess to have a look. If the princess took a liking to them, that would be best. If not, the men could give up or seek other opportunities based on their interaction with the princess.

The men thought this was a good idea, but regarding gifts, Princess Wu’an had seen all kinds of treasures, so sending gold, silver, pearls, and jade would be insulting to the princess.

One young man was skilled in calligraphy and wrote beautiful characters, so he went to the princess’s mansion under the pretext of asking the princess to critique his work.

Among all those suitors, finally came someone with a fresh approach. Wei Rao met him together with A’Bao.

Wei Rao was twenty-five years old, while the suitor was just twenty. Normally, a twenty-year-old young master meeting a lady several years his senior shouldn’t show such timidity, but Wei Rao’s beauty was like an enchanting, brilliant peony queen. She merely sat there with a lazy demeanor, yet filled the entire room with radiant light. This Young Master Wang only glanced at her upon entering, and his fair face immediately flushed red. He kept his eyes downcast, unnaturally clasping and unclasping his hands, not daring to look again.

“Mother, why is his face red?” A’Bao asked innocently.

Now Young Master Wang’s neck turned red too.

Wei Rao smiled as she observed this Young Master Wang. Anyone daring to seek her hand would naturally be good-looking. With his jade-like face and peach-blossom eyes, he could certainly be considered a handsome man. Yet seeing this Young Master Wang, Wei Rao somehow thought of Lu Zhuo at twenty. The same age, but back then, Lu Zhuo had disdained her, as if blind, completely unmoved by her beauty.

“I heard Young Master Wang writes beautiful characters?” Wei Rao invited the guest to sit and asked with a smile.

The flush on Young Master Wang’s face faded slightly, but he still dared not look directly at Wei Rao. He said humbly, “I dare not claim beautiful writing. It’s barely presentable. Please critique it, Princess.”

After speaking, Young Master Wang received the calligraphy from his attendant, which Liu Ya then took over to show Wei Rao and A’Bao.

Wei Rao examined it carefully while A’Bao, uninterested in calligraphy, craned her neck to study Young Master Wang.

Young Master Wang smiled at the little princess. He was indeed handsome, which initially gave A’Bao a good impression, but unexpectedly Young Master Wang’s teeth were not very straight. This smile exposed his flaw, like a beautiful jade with imperfections.

A’Bao immediately lost interest in Young Master Wang.

Wei Rao noticed her daughter’s change and looked toward Young Master Wang.

Young Master Wang dared look at the little one but not the big one, blushing as he lowered his head.

Wei Rao said teasingly, “Your calligraphy is very good, Young Master, but you want to marry me, yet don’t dare look at me. Even if you truly married me, what would be the point? It seems we’re not suitable. Please return, Young Master.”

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wang’s face flushed red. He gathered courage to lift his head, wanting to defend himself, but saw that the princess across from him had already started coaxing the little princess, leaving his words stuck in his throat.

Liu Ya escorted the guest out.

After Young Master Wang left, Wei Rao asked her daughter curiously: “A’Bao doesn’t like him?”

A’Bao nodded: “His teeth aren’t pretty.” Fifth Uncle’s teeth were very pretty.

Wei Rao was stunned—it was because of his teeth?

This made her think of Lu Zhuo’s teeth. That fellow didn’t have a single unattractive feature from head to toe.

Wei Rao’s gaze fell on her daughter’s face. Her daughter resembled her but had more of Lu Zhuo’s bearing. Combined with her young age and lack of pretense, her way of finding fault with others was truly arrogantly infuriating.

Wei Rao was proud by nature but considered herself kind to others, unlike Lu Zhuo, who had nearly driven her to death with anger back then.

The news that Young Master Wang had personally come to the princess mansion with gifts to propose but was rejected spread throughout the capital.

Everyone then knew that Princess Wu’an didn’t like timid young masters—at minimum, they had to dare look directly at the princess’s radiant beauty.

Now, those who prided themselves on being bold all came calling.

Whenever Wei Rao was at the princess’s mansion, she would meet all visitors and always brought her daughter along. She purely sought entertainment for herself, while A’Bao seriously selected a desirable father. But these men either lacked sufficiently handsome features—at least not meeting A’Bao’s standards—or their words and behavior weren’t gentle enough, as A’Bao hoped for a gentle father.

Sometimes Wei Rao would give the suitors face by finding a tactful reason for refusal. Other times, she simply repeated her daughter’s words directly, pointing out what about the man’s appearance didn’t please her.

With the mother and daughter being so picky, fewer people finally came to propose. Just as the capital’s young ladies had been reluctant to meet the nitpicking Qi Zhongkai back then, now the scions of great families were reluctant to knock on the princess’s mansion’s door, despite their elders’ strong encouragement. After all, these people were all heaven’s favored sons—how many young ladies in the entire capital dared to be so selective and critical of them?

Yet Wei Rao was precisely that person who dared to be picky and had the qualifications to be picky.

Just when all the rising stars had retreated, in mid-twelfth month, after a heavy snowfall, a widowed scion from a great family rode to the princess’s mansion gates, requesting an audience with the princess.

This widower was Li Wei, the Third Young Master of Marquis Zhennan Mansion. Back when Lu Zhuo hadn’t yet won Wei Rao’s heart, Li Wei had already been interested in her. But Lu Zhuo was determined to have Wei Rao, acting quickly and decisively. A single trip to the traveling palace earned him Emperor Yuanjia’s imperial marriage decree. Watching Wei Rao marry Lu Zhuo, Li Wei had no choice but to obey his parents and marry a wife.

Just two years ago, Li Wei’s wife had died from postpartum weakness, leaving behind a daughter.

Though Li Wei was the third son, he was the most promising of the Li family’s generation, and the family elders groomed him as the next commanding general of the Flying Eagle Army. When his first wife died, people immediately wanted to marry their daughters to Li Wei as his second wife. But after emerging from the grief of losing his wife, Li Wei set his sights on Wei Rao.

While Lu Zhuo was alive, he knew he couldn’t win Wei Rao’s heart. Now that Lu Zhuo was gone, Li Wei felt that besides himself, no one else could match Wei Rao.

One had lost a husband, the other a wife—they were simply made for each other.

Wei Rao had met so many unmarried young men without taking a liking to any, perhaps because she found those juniors too immature and preferred his type.

Standing before the princess’s mansion, Li Wei was already imagining their wedding night, picturing Wei Rao’s alluring submission beneath him.

When Wei Rao heard the visitor was Li Wei, she smiled and had him invited in.

Wei Rao still remembered Li Wei’s impressive bearing when she glimpsed him by the Shun River years ago. He was indeed a fine young man. Because she had watched Li Wei’s competition with Qi Zhongkai, Lu Zhuo had even wanted to personally compete with Li Wei. Wei Rao had deliberately left, and Li Wei took the opportunity to mock Lu Zhuo. Later, when they became husband and wife, Wei Rao asked Lu Zhuo what he had thought at the time. Lu Zhuo had only given Li Wei four words—”still wet behind the ears.”

Li Wei was younger than Lu Zhuo but a year older than Wei Rao.

“Mother, who is Li Wei?” A’Bao asked, sitting beside her mother.

Wei Rao thought for a moment and said: “He’s the Third Master of the Li family from the Flying Eagle Army, one of the Upper Four Armies. Be polite to him later.”

A’Bao understood what the Upper Four Armies were. Their Lu family’s Shenwu Army was the most powerful, Uncle Qi’s Fierce Tiger Army ranked second, the Li family’s Flying Eagle Army was third, and the Dragon Guard Army, having changed commanders, temporarily ranked last among the Upper Four Armies.

Li Wei arrived.

At twenty-six, Li Wei, though having been married once, remained handsome and upright. Aside from his more robust and imposing physique and a bearing that carried more steadiness and determination, his appearance seemed little changed from several years ago. Compared to Lu Zhuo, he was slightly inferior, but compared to Lu Che, the two were hard to distinguish.

A’Bao looked with delight at Li Wei as he entered.

Li Wei smiled at the little princess, then his gaze fell on Wei Rao’s face. He had long experienced Wei Rao’s temperament and knew she was proud and untamed—the more weak-willed a man, the less she would regard him. So Li Wei did not attempt to hide his admiration for Wei Rao and his possessive ambitions. The Li Wei of years past might have been immature, but the current Li Wei was like a male lion, radiating attraction to the opposite sex.

“Your subject Li Wei pays respects to Princess and Princess.” Li Wei bowed composedly.

Wei Rao dismissed the formalities and invited him to sit.

Li Wei had his attendants bring in his gift.

It was a beautiful box. When opened, it contained two snow-white fox fur cloaks, one large and one small, made entirely from the finest white fox fur, light as fairy garments.

“Your subject heard the princess favors white, so I specially sought these two cloaks to present to Princess and Princess.”

Wei Rao nodded with a smile.

Liu Ya brought over the two fox fur cloaks. Wei Rao indeed liked them, and A’Bao also loved white, happily touching the fur.

Li Wei continued looking at Wei Rao: “The weather has been clear these past days. I would like to invite the princess for horseback riding in the suburbs. Would the princess honor me with her presence?”

Since winter began, Wei Rao had mostly stayed at the princess’s mansion and indeed hadn’t gone out for a long time.

“Very well. When is the Third Young Master available?”

Li Wei was overjoyed, his gaze burning: “How about tomorrow?”

Wei Rao agreed.

After Li Wei left, A’Bao put on the white fox fur and preened, then threw herself into her mother’s arms, eyes sparkling as she said: “Mother, I like Uncle Li San.”

Wei Rao touched her daughter’s rosy cheeks and laughed at her: “Hopeless—one fox fur cloak and you’re won over?”

A’Bao said, “He’s the most handsome!”

Wei Rao only smiled.

A’Bao asked again: “Mother agreed to go riding with him—do you like him too?”

Wei Rao didn’t answer.

It was too early to speak of liking. She just wanted to try. She was indeed still young with decades ahead of her. Li Wei’s appearance and temperament were fair to her taste. If tomorrow’s ride showed Li Wei could make her heart flutter, Wei Rao was willing to give him more chances. Otherwise, she and Li Wei would only ride together this once.

Early the next morning, Wei Rao sent her daughter to Duke Ying Mansion. She was going out riding, and with her daughter staying home alone without company, it was better to let her play with her cousins at Duke Ying Mansion.

As for Wei Rao, she changed into riding attire and walked outside the princess’s mansion to find Li Wei had already arrived.

Li Wei also rode a white horse and wore jade-white brocade robes, handsome as the bright moon in the sky.

Wei Rao wore red clothing with slate eyebrows and red lips, enchanting.

Li Wei’s chest burned with passion as he set off alongside Wei Rao, followed by eight guards from the princess’s mansion.

The two rode out of the city so conspicuously, a perfect match in talent and beauty, looking incredibly well-suited.

Someone sighed: “It seems the princess truly intends to remarry.”

“Indeed, no one else could match the princess. With Third Master Li’s appearance, even if Lu Zhuo were alive, Third Master Li could compete with him.”

“It’s different, though. Third Master Li is still a bit too proud—Lu Zhuo was much gentler.”

The common people who were fortunate enough to encounter the princess and Third Master Li discussed animatedly, but once the pair rode away, the chatter died down.

Over an hour later, two tall horses galloped to the gates of the capital. The two riders on horseback were travel-worn, dressed as people from the Central Plains, their exposed faces tanned bronze. The older man’s face was weathered, but couldn’t hide the determination in his eyes. The younger man had a light scar on his left cheek but retained his handsome, gentle bearing.

“Travel permits.” The city guards expressionlessly checked the people entering the city, glancing at the two men.

Seeing the older man, the city guard showed no particular expression. When he looked at the young scarred man, the guard was about to look away when he suddenly looked back again.

Lu Zhuo smiled at him. The city guards weren’t replaced frequently, and Lu Zhuo remembered this soldier.

If he remembered him, how could the city guard who had seen Lu Zhuo enter and exit the city gates so many times not remember that face?

Although the scarred face before him was darker, his hair rougher, and he had a scar, it was still the same. Especially when he smiled…

The city guard stared blankly at Lu Zhuo.

Lu Zhuo took out the travel permit prepared by the border commander for father and son and handed it over.

The permit clearly stated: Former Deputy General Lu Mu and Former Deputy General Lu Zhuo of the Shenwu Army returning to the capital—grant passage.