As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, the festive atmosphere in the capital grew vibrant.

A’Bao had thought the Dragon Boat Festival was just about eating zongzi, but after following her father and mother out for a stroll, she discovered the liveliness of the markets. Besides the stalls selling various goods, there were also magic shows, monkey performances, and ring toss games. A’Bao tried everything she could play, and when she returned home, she carried an armful of prizes to the Hall of Loyalty and Righteousness, eager to show off her half-day’s adventures to Old Madam.

Lu Zhuo only had this half-day free, as he had to supervise the Shenwu Army’s dragon boat training in the afternoon.

This year, it was the palace’s turn to host the Dragon Boat Festival dragon boat race again. To Wei Rao’s surprise, Lu Zhuo was participating in this year’s event.

How to put it? Lu Zhuo was thirty-one this year, about the same age as Han Liao when he participated in the dragon boat race ten years ago. Moreover, Lu Zhuo looked younger and more handsome than Han Liao, so his participation wasn’t really surprising. But Wei Rao just felt that Lu Zhuo might have other plans. Lu Ya, Lu Cong, Lu Ze, and Lu Che were all old enough to serve as dragon boat race commanders. Lu Zhuo had previously yielded to Lu Ya, so why was he suddenly competing with his younger brothers for the spotlight this year? Even Qi Zhongkai wasn’t participating.

Wei Rao wanted to take her daughter to watch their training, but Lu Zhuo wouldn’t allow it, saying that if they watched beforehand, it would spoil the fun – he wanted to give his daughter a surprise during the dragon boat race.

Wei Rao vaguely understood that Lu Zhuo wanted to display his prowess in front of his daughter, which was why he had competed with his brothers for the commander’s position.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Wei Rao and her daughter entered the palace with the female family members of Duke Ying Mansion. However, shortly after taking their seats, Consort Gui sent someone to escort Wei Rao and A’Bao to the Star-Plucking Tower atop Qionghua Island.

This year’s Star-Plucking Tower was filled with imperial relatives.

Needless to say, Emperor Yuanjia was present. Among the consorts, the Empress was bedridden and unable to attend, so Consort Gui Xiao Zhou Shi’s seat was arranged beside Emperor Yuanjia. Consort Xian, Consort De, and Consort Hui were seated to one side. All four princes were also present, along with Prince Duan and his family of four – Prince Duan, Princess Duan, and their legitimate son and daughter.

Prince Jing was the Empress’s legitimate son. His Princess Jing had given birth to two daughters in succession, and today brought one of them. Side Consort Xie Hualou had borne two sons, and thanks to her sons’ status, she had also brought her eldest son to watch the race. Xie Hualou possessed peony-like beauty, her looks rivaling Wei Rao’s fame. Prince Jing favored beauty, and since gaining Xie Hualou, he had doted on her greatly. When Xie Hualou advised him to indulge less and focus more on his duties, Prince Jing listened to her. For this reason, Emperor Yuanjia had even praised Xie Hualou’s virtue.

Prince Fu and Princess Fu also came with their son and daughter.

As for Wei Rao’s younger brother, Fourth Prince Zhao Chengyan, he was still just a twelve-year-old youth.

When Wei Rao led A’Bao up, everyone’s gaze fell upon the mother and daughter.

Xiao Zhou Shi smiled as she looked at her granddaughter.

Wei Rao led A’Bao in paying respects to Emperor Yuanjia and her mother.

Emperor Yuanjia’s smile was warm and gentle.

A’Bao habitually wanted to call Emperor Yuanjia “Grandfather,” since she called Consort Gui “Grandmother.” She had initially called Emperor Yuanjia “Grandfather,” but her mother had very seriously told her to properly call him “Your Majesty.” Though A’Bao didn’t quite understand, she obeyed her mother.

“A’Bao pays respects to Your Majesty,” the little princess said with clear articulation.

Emperor Yuanjia nodded approvingly and praised A’Bao a few times.

Palace servants granted them seats, positioned just behind and to the side of Xiao Zhou Shi.

A’Bao snuggled in her grandmother’s arms for a while, then went to find her little uncle. After all, being a child, A’Bao preferred playing with her young uncle.

Fourth Prince was usually silent and reserved, speaking little. Even in front of Wei Rao, he maintained a serious, adult-like demeanor. Only in front of A’Bao would he show a smile.

“Little Uncle, are those the dragon boats?” A’Bao sat on her little uncle’s lap, pointing at the six differently colored teams by the shore.

Fourth Prince nodded and began introducing them to A’Bao one by one: “The team in crimson uniforms is the Shenwu Army…”

The young man’s voice was clear and melodious. Since everyone else had nothing particular to discuss at the moment, they all listened to the uncle and niece’s conversation.

Xiao Zhou Shi’s gaze swept across Xie Hualou’s face, then turned to look at her daughter. What peonies and herbaceous peonies – in her eyes, her daughter was the most beautiful girl in the capital.

Wei Rao understood her mother’s look and gently tugged at her mother’s sleeve. Those were all old matters, and she certainly didn’t want her mother to compete for her honor at this moment, just like how the Empress used to lord over and bully her years ago. Wei Rao didn’t want her mother to do such things, nor did she need her to.

Xiao Zhou Shi naturally wasn’t so petty-minded. The peony and herbaceous peony comparisons that had once circulated in the capital were, at their root, all idle gossip fabricated by the Empress Dowager and Empress when they had nothing better to do. What fault did Xie Hualou have? It was just that when her daughter was being attacked, and Xie Hualou was the girl being pushed above her daughter, Xiao Zhou Shi naturally couldn’t bring herself to like her.

But Xiao Zhou Shi didn’t need to do anything, because she knew that no matter how beautiful or virtuous Xie Hualou was, she would at most be a prince’s side consort for life. Given Prince Jing’s character, Emperor Yuanjia would never leave the throne to him.

“I heard that Shoucheng is also participating this year?” Xiao Zhou Shi chatted with her daughter with a smile.

Wei Rao said, “Yes, he wants to show off in front of A’Bao.”

Xiao Zhou Shi teased, “He usually seems so steady, but who would have thought he also has a childish temperament?”

Before Lu Zhuo’s fake death, Xiao Zhou Shi had always maintained a cool attitude toward Lu Zhuo, as if she still minded the humiliation Lu Zhuo had inflicted on her daughter years ago. But ever since Lu Zhuo returned, knowing that Wei Rao had considered remarrying yet still chose to be with Wei Rao, this magnanimity had completely changed Xiao Zhou Shi’s opinion of Lu Zhuo. Now, when she saw her son-in-law, she would even show a smile.

The mother and daughter’s voices weren’t loud, but Emperor Yuanjia, sitting nearby, heard everything.

He looked at A’Bao, then at his own youngest son, and cast his gaze toward the Shenwu Army.

If Lu Zhuo was participating in this dragon boat race solely for A’Bao’s sake, he could understand that. Lu Zhuo had been missing for three years, three years without seeing his beloved daughter. After returning, he would naturally want to make up for those three lost years in every way possible. Emperor Yuanjia also had his most beloved son, but had also been separated from his son for many years due to various circumstances.

The dragon boat race began.

A’Bao refused to sit still, running to the front of the Star-Plucking Tower and shouting encouragement for her father. Wei Rao watched with alarm, but fortunately, Fourth Prince immediately took hold of A’Bao’s hand and never let go.

“The Flying Eagle Army has quite good momentum this year,” Xiao Zhou Shi observed the archery field. The Shenwu Army was far in the lead, but the Flying Eagle Army showed signs of surpassing the Fierce Tiger Army, temporarily ranking second.

Emperor Yuanjia seemed to speak deliberately for her to hear, saying in a low voice, “This year’s Flying Eagle Army commander is Li Wei.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhou Shi looked again at her son-in-law’s position among the Shenwu Army and suddenly understood.

She turned to look at her daughter.

Wei Rao had heard Emperor Yuanjia’s words, and only at this moment did she finally understand that Lu Zhuo wasn’t just trying to show off in front of their daughter – he also wanted to compete with Li Wei again in front of her. Years ago, by the Shun River, Lu Zhuo had wanted to compete with Li Wei, but she had left, and Li Wei had also found an excuse to flee. Lu Zhuo had probably kept this in his heart all along.

Meeting her mother’s teasing gaze, Wei Rao’s face flushed slightly.

In the mounted archery competition, the Shenwu Army came first, the Flying Eagle Army second.

Next came the dragon boat race.

Since the Shenwu Army’s archery had proceeded without incident, their victory in the dragon boat race was also without suspense. Afterward, they very arrogantly maneuvered their dragon boat directly in front of the Flying Eagle Army’s boat. Despite having the strength to lead by a wide margin, they deliberately kept blocking the Flying Eagle Army. Now, Lu Zhuo’s vendetta was obvious to all the ministers and female family members on Qionghua Island.

What grudge did Lu Zhuo have against the Flying Eagle Army?

The only conflict was that Li Wei had once pursued Wei Rao and had taken Wei Rao horse riding on the day Lu Zhuo returned to the city.

The most frustrated was Li Wei. On that Lantern Festival night, when he saw Lu Zhuo appear, he had automatically withdrawn and stopped competing with Lu Zhuo. Li Wei felt he had given Lu Zhuo considerable face, but who would have thought Lu Zhuo was so vindictive, actually humiliating him like this during the dragon boat race, in front of the Emperor!

Li Wei wanted to have a good fight with Lu Zhuo, but he had no confidence in defeating Lu Zhuo. If that happened, Lu Zhuo would truly be satisfied, while he would only lose face once more.

After the competition ended, Emperor Yuanjia, as usual, summoned the six army commanders to the Star-Plucking Tower.

As soon as Lu Zhuo came up, A’Bao happily ran over: “Father!”

Lu Zhuo smiled and lifted his daughter, his gaze then turning to Wei Rao behind Consort Gui.

Wei Rao glared at him.

Lu Zhuo’s smile deepened.

Xie Hualou sat beside Prince Jing. Having heard various stories about Lu Zhuo and Wei Rao’s loving relationship, and now witnessing it firsthand again, Xie Hualou completely let go of the last trace of obsession in her heart. She thought that even if Lu Zhuo hadn’t fallen ill years ago, and Wei Rao hadn’t married into the Duke’s mansion to bring him good fortune, even if she, Xie Hualou, had been the one to marry into the Duke’s mansion, Lu Zhuo would never have treated her with the same unwavering devotion he showed Wei Rao.

The palace banquet ended, and Lu Zhuo still had to return to the Shenwu Army. Wei Rao and the others returned to Duke Ying Mansion first. It wasn’t until dusk that Lu Zhuo came home.

He was covered in sweat and went to bathe in the front courtyard first. While bathing, Lu Zhuo suddenly remembered something.

After changing clothes, Lu Zhuo headed to the storage room.

A’Gui followed beside him.

Lu Zhuo came to the position where he had once placed the imperial golden walnut, but after searching all the shelves front, back, left, and right, he couldn’t find the small box from his memory.

“Ten years ago, at the dragon boat race, I won a golden walnut and placed it here. Where did it go?”

Lu Zhuo turned back and asked A’Gui. That year at the frontier, when his daughter had her first birthday ceremony, Lu Zhuo had seen the golden walnut in Wei Rao’s hand and decided to place the two golden walnuts together after returning to the capital. Unexpectedly, three years of accidents intervened. After returning to the capital, he and Wei Rao had spent a month worrying about each other before meeting. Lu Zhuo had been so angry that she wouldn’t come see him that he had completely forgotten about the golden walnut.

A’Gui thought for a moment and said, “The golden walnut was always kept here. Logically, no one would dare touch it. However, three years ago, the Princess came once and might have taken it.”

Lu Zhuo’s heart trembled.

It must have been her. She still remembered his words. Even thinking he was dead, Wei Rao had still placed the two golden walnuts together.

Leaving the storage room, Lu Zhuo went to the back courtyard.

Wei Rao was playing with A’Bao. Seeing him return, she instructed Liu Ya to go to the kitchen and have dinner served.

“Father was so amazing today!” A’Bao ran over and praised her father once more.

Lu Zhuo smiled, “It’s all thanks to A’Bao. Father heard you cheering for him.”

A’Bao giggled.

Lu Zhuo looked at Wei Rao.

Wei Rao suddenly felt that his gaze was strange.

After their daughter returned to her room to sleep, Lu Zhuo followed Wei Rao into the inner chamber. Wei Rao sat at her dressing table, combing her hair while Lu Zhuo sat on the bed, staring at her intently.

Wei Rao couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Lu Zhuo smiled, “How am I looking at you?”

Wei Rao couldn’t explain clearly. The feeling was like they were newlyweds, as if Lu Zhuo had never experienced a woman before, wanting to pounce on her immediately yet restraining himself, waiting for her to approach him first.

Sure enough, as soon as Wei Rao walked over, Lu Zhuo pulled her into his arms and kissed her with fiery passion.

“What’s gotten into you?” Wei Rao asked, grasping his long hair.

Lu Zhuo couldn’t explain it clearly either.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, when Wei Rao had just told him that she hadn’t taken a liking to any of those suitors, including Li Wei, Lu Zhuo had believed her.

But only today did Lu Zhuo have the feeling that even if he had never returned, Wei Rao, who had quietly treasured that pair of golden walnuts, would never have fallen for anyone else.

He wouldn’t ask Wei Rao if she truly felt this way – he just knew.

Author’s Note: Let’s use this Jia Jin Chai – Chapter as the main story’s conclusion – it creates a nice bookend, hehe.

I’ll maintain a single daily update schedule for the extras from now on. See you tomorrow!