Lu Zhuo was a military general, but in everyone’s eyes, he seemed more like a scholar, fair and handsome, with an elegant and gentle smile when he laughed. Even street vendors dared to chat and ask questions of the young master.

This included Wei Rao. Though she had personally witnessed his heroic bearing on horseback and seen him single-handedly withstand assassination attempts by over a dozen assassins, Lu Zhuo’s face was too easily disarming. Especially since Wei Rao had argued with him so many times, and almost every time it was Lu Zhuo who lowered his head to beg her forgiveness, coaxing and pleasing her.

To Wei Rao, Lu Zhuo’s most domineering moment was in the poplar grove at Xing Palace, but even then, after she slapped him three times, Lu Zhuo still restrained himself, not daring to touch her collar – like a tame big dog that would only act wild within the boundaries set by its master.

So in Wei Rao’s imagination, tonight’s Lu Zhuo would also maintain his previous gentleness and restraint. He would extinguish all the lamps in the room according to her wishes, leaving only two red candles. He would lower two layers of bed curtains and complete what married couples should do in the darkness.

However, when things happened, it was completely different.

Not a single lamp was extinguished, and there wasn’t even time to lower the bed curtains. With just a turn of her head, Wei Rao could see the candlelight on the wedding table through the screen.

Wei Rao was naturally unwilling, but Lu Zhuo was simply a scoundrel. No matter how Wei Rao pounded and cursed at him, he didn’t respond with half a word. He tore off his belt to bind her two wrists and devoured her like a wolf that had finally pounced on its prey, not giving her even a glance. Scolding was useless, and begging him was beneath her dignity. Wei Rao kept her eyes tightly shut, and when she was extremely angry and ashamed, she tried to kick him with her feet, but was easily restrained by him as well.

“Lu Zhuo! If you continue like this, I’m going to be angry!”

Wei Rao said through gritted teeth.

Lu Zhuo casually pulled off the red silk stockings from her delicate feet. Looking at Wei Rao lying in the bright red wedding quilt, her black hair scattered messily beneath her body, several strands sticking to her flushed face and snow-white shoulders – beautiful to the extreme and seductive to the bone – Lu Zhuo smiled and grasped Wei Rao’s small feet that were struggling to kick, saying: “Princess, please bear with it for now. This subject is willing to accept punishment afterward.”

Wei Rao felt a thunderous roar in her mind. He, he dared?

Having gone this far, what wouldn’t Lu Zhuo dare to do?

No matter how willful and domineering Wei Rao was during the day, Lu Zhuo indulged her, but in this deep night with no disturbances and only the two of them, Lu Zhuo no longer wanted to endure or yield. He wanted Wei Rao to taste what it felt like to have her heart controlled by another person, just as she had tormented him, unable to find peace, pushed to the limit until she threw everything to the back of her mind and indulged freely.

He picked up Wei Rao and untied the restraints on her hands. Once Wei Rao gained freedom, she immediately clawed viciously at his back twice.

A soft laugh sounded by her ear. Before Wei Rao could feel satisfied with her revenge, Lu Zhuo once again sent her to the eye of the storm.

Dawn was just breaking on the horizon when Liu Ya yawned, dressed, and rolled up her bedding. She first went to the side room to wash her face, then brought water back, quietly wiping tables and chairs and cleaning the room.

Soon, Bitao arrived as well.

Both maids had dark circles under their eyes because they had waited all night for the young master and princess to call for water, waiting until the third watch. The princess’s scolding had grown weaker and weaker, their legs had grown more and more numb from standing, and in the entire back courtyard, only the young master seemed made of iron, somehow maintaining such energy.

After cleaning the side room and tidying the main hall, suddenly a “creak” sound came from inside.

Bitao and Liu Ya both felt a bit nervous. Having listened to so much through the walls last night, they knew the princess well enough – they had served their master for over ten years. But the young master, though he hadn’t made much noise last night, to make the princess cry out in such a pitiful way, one could imagine that the young master hadn’t done anything good.

The curtain was lifted, and a figure in red robes emerged – tall and straight, with a jade pendant at his waist, elegant and graceful.

Bitao and Liu Ya simultaneously stopped what they were doing and bowed to the young master.

Lu Zhuo said, “This morning we’ll serve tea to the elders. Wake the princess in two quarters of an hour.”

After speaking, he strode out.

The two women breathed a sigh of relief. After everything was tidied up and two quarters of an hour had nearly passed, Bitao went to instruct the young maids to prepare water while Liu Ya entered the inner chamber first.

The dragon and phoenix red candles on the wedding table had burned down completely, accumulating two full trays of fire-red wax. The red curtains hung down behind the screen. Thinking of all the sounds they had heard last night, Liu Ya’s face heated up as she stepped lightly around the screen.

“Princess, it’s time to get up,” Liu Ya called softly.

The sleeping beauty in the curtains frowned and turned to face the inside.

Bitao also came. There was no sleeping in this morning. The two maids flanked left and right, first lifting the bed curtains. As the curtains were raised, a rich scent wafted out – the familiar, faint, sweet fragrance from the princess’s body, mixed with another strange and unfamiliar smell, like sweet olive flowers.

The scent gradually dispersed. Looking at their master who wrapped herself in the quilt and refused to wake up, Bitao propped one hand on the bed and gently touched their master’s earlobe with the other.

Wei Rao hummed and brushed her hand away.

She wore a loose bright red undergarment, and when she raised her arm, it revealed a section of fair arm. Precisely because her wrist was so white, the circle of light blue marks harshly stung Bitao’s eyes. Liu Ya, standing nearby, also saw it. They had carefully tended to Wei Rao’s delicate skin for many years – why would it be injured when it had been perfectly fine?

“Princess, did the young master bully you?” Bitao grasped Wei Rao’s hand, asking with heartache.

Now Wei Rao was truly awake. With her arm held up by Bitao, she turned over and saw that circle of blue marks.

Had Lu Zhuo bullied her?

Images from last night flooded her mind like a tide. Wei Rao felt both ashamed and angry. To say Lu Zhuo had bullied her – he certainly had, but the little books described consummation between men and women exactly like this. Lu Zhuo had simply been too domineering and forceful, but hadn’t done anything inappropriate. Moreover, Wei Rao had only been angry with him at the beginning – later, drowning in passion, how could she think of anything else?

“No, don’t think nonsense,” Wei Rao withdrew her arm, looked at the light outside, and asked: “Where is the young master?”

Liu Ya: “The young master woke early and told us to wake you at this time.”

Wei Rao nodded.

She had bathed last night, so her body felt fresh and clean, just with some ambiguous marks. The two maids’ faces were red with embarrassment, and Wei Rao silently cursed Lu Zhuo ten thousand times in her heart. He was clever to run away early – otherwise, when Wei Rao woke to find him still lying beside her, she would certainly have taught him a lesson.

While Wei Rao was having her hair done, Lu Zhuo finally appeared again.

Wei Rao kept her head still, watching him through the mirror. He wore bright red brocade robes, his handsome face calm and detached as if free from all desires. Who could imagine he would become so frivolous at night?

As she was thinking this, Lu Zhuo looked toward her, and their gazes collided in the mirror.

Wei Rao quickly averted her eyes as if burned by fire.

The corners of Lu Zhuo’s lips lifted, his gaze moving to the canopied bed that had already been tidied up, and his throat rolled. Last night’s Wei Rao had been a flower spirit born from tender white peonies, making men willing to die beneath her skirts. However, only he would ever see Wei Rao like that in this lifetime.

By some strange impulse, Lu Zhuo suddenly remembered a sentence that Consort De had specifically asked Emperor Yuanjia to add to the imperial edict.

Unfortunately, he would never give Wei Rao a chance to divorce her husband.

Heading to Zhongyi Hall to serve tea, Lu Zhuo didn’t let Wei Rao’s maids follow – just the married couple went alone.

Wei Rao looked straight ahead as if Lu Zhuo didn’t exist in her eyes.

“Is the princess angry about last night?” Lu Zhuo moved closer to her, asking in a low voice.

His warm breath fell on Wei Rao’s earlobe – the place he had ravaged countless times last night. The trembling imprinted deep in her skin was awakened by him, making Wei Rao’s entire body burn hot. Her willow-like eyebrows stood on end as she glared at him angrily: “If you mention last night by even half a word, don’t even think about entering my door tonight.”

Lu Zhuo said seriously, “This subject has absolutely no intention of being disrespectful. It’s just that last night, this subject said that for any offense against the princess, this subject is willing to accept punishment.”

No matter how proper he acted, it was still teasing. Wei Rao was so annoyed that she rushed forward, reaching out to pull Lu Zhuo’s ear and make him stop pretending!

But before her hand could touch Lu Zhuo, her slender waist was suddenly grasped and lifted. Wei Rao grabbed his shoulders in shock. The world spun, and in an instant, Lu Zhuo had pressed her against a willow tree beside them.

Willow branches with newly sprouted tender leaves swayed gently behind Lu Zhuo, his handsome face close before her eyes.

Wei Rao gritted her teeth: “Aren’t you afraid of being seen?”

Lu Zhuo smiled: “I’ve confirmed – there’s no one around.”

“Still not allowed. Let go quickly,” Wei Rao said anxiously. Duke Ying Mansion had so many servants – what if someone came by? If someone saw them, people wouldn’t criticize Lu Zhuo but would laugh at her for being seductive. Wei Rao wasn’t afraid of being discussed for being unconventional, but she would respectfully decline a reputation for being a seductive enchantress.

Lu Zhuo just liked seeing her fierce outbursts. After teasing her a bit, he put Wei Rao down.

Wei Rao straightened her skirt, looked left and right, shot Lu Zhuo a fierce glance, and hurried forward.

Lu Zhuo followed with a smile.

After walking for a while, Wei Rao’s complexion returned to normal, but arriving at Zhongyi Hall, remembering that she had already served tea to the elders once before, coming again today made Wei Rao feel quite embarrassed. Her previous separation from Lu Zhuo was because there had been a knot between them that really couldn’t be resolved without clearing it up, but toward the Lu family elders, Wei Rao had not a word of complaint.

Lu Zhuo noticed that this little phoenix, who held her tail high to the sky in front of him, became well-behaved and docile when meeting the elders, her face red and shy, displaying another kind of charm.

“Your granddaughter-in-law serves tea to grandfather, serves tea to grandmother,” Wei Rao said with a red face, holding the tea bowl.

Duke Ying nodded and drank the tea directly.

Duchess Ying observed the young couple for a moment, then smiled: “Good Raorao, I knew it – it-no matter how we change, my eldest grandson’s wife would still be you.”

Though she said this, given the previous experience, after breakfast, Duchess Ying still called Wei Rao aside privately, softly confirming: “Raorao, last night Shoucheng and you…”

Wei Rao’s face turned so red it could almost drip blood. Before the old lady finished speaking, she covered her ears and ran to stand by the door. She couldn’t leave – she had to wait for the burning in her face to subside.

Duchess Ying looked at her daughter-in-law’s shy demeanor with squinting smiles, finally feeling at ease.