With the money matters settled, Wei Rao turned to ask Lu Zhuo about the specific departure date for Jin City.

Lu Zhuo: “It depends on you. If you have nothing else to do, we’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”

Wei Rao said: “Then let it be the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, I’ll return to the Earl Mansion to bid farewell to Grandmother.”

She and Lu Zhuo had caused such a commotion that although she had informed Grandmother before seeking refuge with her maternal grandmother, Grandmother must be worried.

Lu Zhuo said without hesitation: “Let’s go together. I also need to apologize to the Old Madam.”

At least Shou’an Jun knew that he and Wei Rao were a fake couple, but Old Madam Wei had been kept in the dark all along. The more this was the case, the more he should go.

Hearing this, Wei Rao glanced in his direction. This heir could be infuriating when he was being infuriating, but in fulfilling their agreement, Lu Zhuo was indeed thorough in every aspect. What he should do, he did without Wei Rao having to ask first.

“Doesn’t the heir need to go to the military camp tomorrow?” Wei Rao asked.

Lu Zhuo said, “Mm, from now on, I only need to be responsible for recruiting new soldiers in Jin City.”

Wei Rao was somewhat curious: “How many people do you need to recruit?”

Lu Zhuo: “Eight hundred.”

Twenty-four states, averaging about four hundred people per state, though recruitment numbers would be allocated according to each state’s past military source conditions. Men in the Qing State area were generally tall, robust, and strong, making it easier to recruit new soldiers who met the Shenwu Army’s requirements, so the allocated recruitment numbers were relatively high.

Wei Rao nodded, picked up her bowl to eat, and after a couple of bites, remembered something: “Have you told Mother and Grandmother about me going with you?”

Lu Zhuo: “I didn’t know whether you would agree before, so I haven’t told them yet. I’ll make another trip after dinner.”

Wei Rao became somewhat worried – would Duchess Ying object?

Lu Zhuo went to inform Duchess Ying privately.

Duchess Ying looked shocked: “You went to request an imperial edict?”

Lu Zhuo explained in a low voice: “Grandmother knows the situation. I hurt her so badly that, besides this method, I really couldn’t think of anything else that might make her forgive me. But Grandmother, rest assured – your grandson wasn’t being impulsive or rash. From our two families’ wedding ceremony until now, the emperor has repeatedly shown her favor, which is why I dared to request the edict.”

Duchess Ying said, strangely, “Besides arranging for the Imperial Wardrobe Office to rush the wedding dress, when else has the emperor shown favor to Raorao?”

Lu Zhuo then told her about the fourteenth day of the first month, when the brothers went out to view lanterns and Emperor Yuanjia summoned him and Wei Rao privately: “Grandmother, if the emperor wanted me to treat Wei Rao well, he could have instructed me when I entered the palace. That night, the emperor’s words should have been meant for Wei Rao to hear. What Grandmother doesn’t know is that there was also a woman hidden behind the curtain. Your grandson boldly guesses that person was Consort Li.”

If it were an ordinary palace maid, she wouldn’t have the courage to eavesdrop.

If the emperor had left the palace incognito to meet with a folk beauty, he could have spent time favoring the beauty – why call two unrelated people onto the boat to disturb his elegant mood?

Both showing favor to Wei Rao and hiding a beauty, Lu Zhuo was seventy percent certain that the beauty was Wei Rao’s mother.

Emperor Yuanjia had never held selection ceremonies in his years of rule. The empress and three consorts were all from his days as crown prince. The only exception Emperor Yuanjia made was newly bring Consort Li into the palace. Probably only Consort Li could make Emperor Yuanjia do something like “leaving the palace to hunt for beauty.”

Emperor Yuanjia’s approval of his request exactly confirmed Lu Zhuo’s speculation.

Duchess Ying was completely shocked by her eldest grandson’s words. Emperor Yuanjia’s feelings for Consort Li were so unforgettable? He was willing to risk offending the Empress Dowager by sending people to the palace to bring Consort Li back to the capital for the festival?

But recalling Emperor Yuanjia’s attitude toward women and his care for Wei Rao, the beauty in the boat could indeed be none other than Consort Li.

After a long silence, Duchess Ying glared at Lu Zhuo: “Since you guessed that the emperor still favors Consort Li, why did you dare say such things to Raorao? If Raorao weren’t sensible and hadn’t endured it, if even half a sentence had gotten out, the emperor wouldn’t have spared you.”

Lu Zhuo was ashamed. At that time, he had been possessed, convinced that Wei Rao was insulting his mother and aunt. In his impulse, how could he have thought so thoroughly?

Duchess Ying looked at her eldest grandson’s handsome face, her heart stirring: “Regardless of whether the person in the boat was Consort Li, the emperor is openly neglecting her. That you were willing to approach the emperor for Raorao’s sake – this gesture of compensation truly exceeded Grandmother’s expectations.”

Lu Zhuo lowered his head: “However great the mistake, the apology should match. Your grandson understands this principle.”

Duchess Ying: “What’s your view of Raorao now? Do you still dislike her, feel that your temperaments don’t match, and only want to be fake spouses with her for five years?”

Lu Zhuo was slightly stunned. He hadn’t thought about this question.

However, there was no need to think. Regardless of whether his opinion of Wei Rao had changed, Wei Rao didn’t think well of him and kept emphasizing that five-year agreement.

“What are you dazing for? Speak.” Duchess Ying urged with a half-smile.

Lu Zhuo then said: “Previously, I didn’t like her, feeling her behavior wasn’t befitting a noble lady. Later, after Grandmother and Mother’s teachings, your grandson has understood that everyone has their way of living. Her nature is upright – she’s a good girl. So your grandson no longer harbors any dislike for her. As for that five-year agreement, it’s what Wei Rao wanted. Your grandson signed the contract and will naturally honor it.”

Duchess Ying snorted: “Do you think Raorao only wants to be a fake spouse with you for five years? Try thinking – when the five years are up and you two divorce, even if you find good excuses, how will outsiders gossip about Raorao? Raorao isn’t stupid. If she could always be our family’s daughter-in-law, always be the envied heir’s wife, why would she seek suffering by divorcing and remarrying?”

Lu Zhuo said, “Grandmother thinks well of our family, but she might only want to marry someone she fancies.”

Not everyone liked power and influence. From the moment Wei Rao learned of his identity, she had never smiled at him, clearly not caring about such things.

Duchess Ying: “You mean Raorao never intended to truly marry you? That’s where you’re wrong. When I went to Earl Cheng’an Mansion to propose marriage, Raorao’s grandmother and I agreed very clearly – you two would either be true spouses raising the tray in harmony, or fake spouses sleeping in separate rooms. Raorao agreed to this condition, too.”

Lu Zhuo frowned and looked directly at the old lady: “But when I woke up and asked what her plans were, she only mentioned the five-year agreement.”

Duchess Ying said angrily: “You fool! Raorao drafted that five-year agreement because she feared you’d despise her reputation and wouldn’t want to be a real spouse with her, so she was finding herself a backup plan. When you woke up, if you had been even slightly courteous to Raorao, she never would have mentioned any five-year agreement to you. You blocked off the first path yourself!”

Lu Zhuo carefully recalled his conversation with Wei Rao when he first recovered from his illness, and his face immediately showed shame.

Given his attitude at that time, how could someone as proud as Wei Rao possibly say she wanted to be a true spouse with him?

“Do you know your mistake now?” Duchess Ying looked at him for a while and asked.

Lu Zhuo knew his mistake.

He had fallen ill first, which led to his grandfather and grandmother asking Wei Rao to rush into marriage for him. Wei Rao had planned to be a true spouse with him, but he had forced her to choose a path that damaged both her reputation and Earl Cheng’an Mansion’s honor.

“I truly like Raorao. If you also have even a bit of liking for her, treat Raorao better during this Jin City trip. Find an opportunity to destroy that five-year contract. She’s a perfectly good girl – if you delay her for five years and can’t announce that you two never consummated the marriage, once you divorce, what good marriage prospects could she find?”

Lu Zhuo didn’t know how to respond to his grandmother.

Perhaps Wei Rao had wanted to be a true spouse with him when she first married over, but now, after he had offended her so many times, Wei Rao might not be willing to accept him anymore.

“It’s getting late. Your grandson will take his leave first.”

“You, you stubborn mule!”

That night, Lu Zhuo rested in the west room of the back courtyard.

He couldn’t sleep. When Wei Rao went to the courtyard to practice swordplay, he lay with his hands behind his head, silently listening.

If Wei Rao had never had thoughts of a real marriage, Lu Zhuo would respect her five-year agreement. But now that he knew she wanted to be the wife of Duke Ying’s heir, and wanted to continue being envied by outsiders.

Two months ago, Lu Zhuo hadn’t wanted Wei Rao to be his wife. Two months later, he felt there was nothing wrong with marrying Wei Rao. What mattered wasn’t whether Wei Rao was like a noble lady, but whether she could get along harmoniously with his family members. Wei Rao was well-liked by the elders.

Lu Zhuo also thought of that night during the Lantern Festival, how Wei Rao had dealt with those two little maids who gossiped about Fourth Aunt. From this, Wei Rao was also good at managing household affairs.

Lu Zhuo could now accept Wei Rao as his wife. The key question was whether the benefits that the title of Duchess Ying could bring Wei Rao could offset Wei Rao’s disgust for him, thereby allowing the two to make their fake relationship real – a win-win situation where neither would have to suffer any grievance because of the other.

The next morning, Lu Zhuo accompanied Wei Rao to Earl Cheng’an Mansion to pay respects to Old Madam Wei.

Learning of their arrival, Wei Rao’s eldest aunt Guo Shi and cousin Wei Chan came uninvited. Both mother and daughter were curious about how Lu Zhuo’s attitude toward Wei Rao would change after this upheaval.

Old Madam Wei was equally curious and had no mind to deal with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, eagerly watching the doorway.

Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo walked side by side along the corridor. As they neared the entrance, Wei Rao looked up at Lu Zhuo.

Lu Zhuo understood her meaning.

Wei Rao slowed her pace. Lu Zhuo appeared at the doorway first, and seeing Old Madam Wei, he showed an ashamed smile. Just as he was about to enter, noticing Wei Rao hanging her head and clutching her handkerchief like someone who had made a mistake and was too ashamed to face people, Lu Zhuo withdrew his right foot that had already stepped inside. His gaze became gentle as he took Wei Rao’s wrist with one hand and led his bashful little wife inside.

Once inside, Wei Rao glanced at Old Madam Wei, then at Guo Shi and Wei Chan. She seemed even more embarrassed, grabbing Lu Zhuo’s robe and hiding behind him.

Lu Zhuo turned his head to look at her, smiling with complete indulgence: “The matter started because of me. I’m not even afraid of Grandmother’s blame – what are you afraid of?”

Only then did Wei Rao emerge from behind him, her watery eyes looking anxiously at Old Madam Wei on the main seat.

What Old Madam Wei worried about most was that the young couple would become estranged because of this drama. Now seeing them so sticky and sweet like honey mixed with oil, all her worries grew wings and flew away. She only put on a stern face, pretending anger as she scolded Wei Rao: “You rascal! You had the face to throw tantrums with the heir, but no face to see me?”

Hearing this, Wei Rao finally stopped hiding. She obediently walked before Old Madam Wei and knelt: “Please don’t be angry, Grandmother. I know I was wrong.”

Lu Zhuo immediately knelt beside her, actively taking the blame: “Grandmother, it was all my momentary impulse that hurt Raorao. If you want to blame someone, blame me.”

Guo Shi found the sight painful to watch and hastily asked: “Heir, what exactly did you and Raorao quarrel about?”

Lu Zhuo glanced at her, shamefully lowering his head as if finding it hard to speak.

Wei Rao blushed and said, “It was all drunken foolishness. We won’t tell Grandmother and Aunt about it.”

Drunken foolishness?

Guo Shi looked at Wei Rao’s fox-like face and formed a guess. It must have been that Lu Zhuo, having first tasted carnal pleasures and being hot-blooded, couldn’t resist Wei Rao’s beauty and bullied her too severely. Wei Rao, being naturally delicate and thin-skinned, had mistaken her husband’s love for humiliation and run away in anger.

From this perspective, Lu Zhuo’s treatment of Wei Rao was excessive affection, completely different from what they had hoped for!