The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, and the festive atmosphere in the capital was gradually becoming more intense. Whether in the civilian areas or the military camps, dragon boat teams had long been training enthusiastically.

Dragon boat training required river surfaces, and whenever this time came, young masters and young ladies from the capital would go to the riverbank for spring outings, taking the opportunity to get an early glimpse of the dragon boat racers’ prowess. The dragon boat racers trained by wealthy merchants naturally had their following of common people, but what everyone loved to watch most were still the racers from the Upper Four Armies, the Imperial City Department, and the Imperial Guards.

The racers from the six armies each occupied a section of the river, with different training methods. When the tall, sturdy military men sweated profusely, the leisurely young masters and young ladies watched from both banks. The young masters watched openly and boldly, while the young ladies either flew kites or gathered herbs, always needing to find an elegant excuse first before secretly watching.

Previously, Wei Rao had only been carefree near the villa. In front of the capital’s noble children, she still had to pretend to be dignified, so she had never come to the riverside to watch the excitement. Now it was different. When Lu Changning invited her out for spring outings, horse riding, and watching the racers train, Wei Rao gladly agreed, only telling Lu Changning in advance that she would not go to watch the Shenwu Army racers’ training.

Lu Changning rode a black steed. Hearing Wei Rao’s request, she couldn’t help but ask, “Princess, how exactly did my eldest brother offend you that you dislike him so much?”

The sun was bright, and Wei Rao wore a veiled hat. While leisurely admiring the scenery outside the city, she laughed and answered, “The ways he has offended me are numerous, so Changning, just don’t mention him.”

Lu Changning laughed, “Fine, I won’t mention him if you don’t want me to. I didn’t come for my eldest brother either. This year’s dragon boat race, the eldest brother isn’t participating. It’s my second brother leading the team. Perhaps the eldest brother didn’t even come today.”

Wei Rao thought of the Lu family’s second young master, Lu Ya, who seemed to be twenty-one this year and would marry in early autumn.

The two steeds ran slowly side by side, with guards following at a distance.

Arriving at the banks of the Shun River in the suburbs, they could see that every section of the river had several dragon boats training in formation.

Lu Changning didn’t know which river section the Shenwu Army racers were at, but she wasn’t in a hurry. Today’s spring outing was most important; watching the second brother’s training was just incidental.

“Is that the dragon boat team in black clothes ahead of the Flying Eagle Army?”

After traveling along the riverbank for a while, the several dragon boat teams they had passed earlier had sparse spectators, but the team ahead had both banks packed with young men and women, wealthy young masters and common people in plain clothes alike.

“With so many people watching, it must be the Flying Eagle Army. Sister Rao, shall we go take a look too?”

“Let’s go.”

There were still seven or eight days until the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Flying Eagle Army had prepared five racing teams to train together.

Further ahead were all the people. Wei Rao and Lu Changning stopped at a less crowded part of the bank and saw five racing teams lined up in a row, preparing to start.

Each dragon boat had thirteen racers – one standing to command and twelve sitting to row.

Wei Rao’s gaze quickly fell on one of the commanders.

He was a handsome man with a face like jade, looking more than twenty years old. Like the others, he wore the Flying Eagle Army’s battle uniform – a black robe embroidered with a soaring eagle spreading its wings. Among the five standing commanders, he was the youngest, most handsome, and most outstanding in bearing – proud and spirited, just like the Flying Eagle Army’s eagle totem.

“That’s the Third Young Master Li Wei from the Marquis Zhennan Mansion,” Lu Changning introduced to Wei Rao. As a young lady from Duke Ying Mansion, she often visited the other three families of the Upper Four Armies and was thoroughly familiar with the situations of the Dragon Cavalry Army’s Han family, the Fierce Tiger Army’s Qi family, and the Flying Eagle Army’s Li family.

Wei Rao smiled, “He looks good. I wonder how his skills are.”

Lu Changning immediately said, “I heard grandfather say that among the Li family’s grandsons’ generation, Li Wei is the most promising, but he currently seems lacking in composure and still needs more experience.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the five dragon boats set off, racing toward Wei Rao and the others.

A long red silk ribbon was stretched across the river, symbolizing the finish line.

The dragon boat team personally commanded by Li Wei was naturally the Flying Eagle Army’s most hopeful team for victory, quickly pulling ahead of the other four teams.

The dragon boats drew closer and closer. Li Wei, dressed in black, cut a dashing figure with his sleeves rolled up, revealing two strong arms.

Wei Rao remembered that Li Wei had not participated in the dragon boat race three years ago.

Spectators on both banks were cheering for Li Wei. Li Wei focused on observing his teammates’ performance until a flash of snow-white and bright red burst into his vision. Li Wei turned his head and saw two steeds stopped there, with a woman in red riding attire sitting on the snow-white steed. River breezes blew continuously, stirring her veiled hat and face veil.

The veil was thin, and the woman’s features underneath could be vaguely seen – snow-white skin and red lips, certainly a beauty.

She could make his heart flutter even through the veil; if she removed her hat and revealed her true appearance…

Seeing him staring at her without any attempt to hide it, Wei Rao smiled and said to Lu Changning, “Let’s move forward.”

Lu Changning glared fiercely at Li Wei. Although Li Wei had keen eyes to discover the Princess’s beauty, Lu Changning hadn’t given up on making the Princess her sister-in-law, so Li Wei’s behavior was disrespectful to her future sister-in-law.

The white horse carried the beauty forward. Li Wei craned his neck to follow her retreating figure until the dragon boat reached the finish line. Only then did Li Wei suddenly react, immediately ordering his men to bring the dragon boat to shore. He instructed the others to continue training while he rushed to mount his horse and chase after the beauty. He feared that if he missed her today, he would never find her again!

Wei Rao and Lu Changning were just riding slowly. Li Wei spurred his horse quickly and soon caught up.

He rode past the two women, and when no one stopped him, he turned his horse around, wanting to approach Wei Rao, but four guards from the Princess’s mansion blocked his path together.

Li Wei then guessed that Wei Rao had considerable status. He quickly retreated two steps, sitting upright on his horse and cupping his hands toward Wei Rao: “Miss, I am Li Wei from the Marquis Zhennan Mansion. I was just training dragon boats on the river and inadvertently glimpsed that you were also watching, but we hadn’t yet determined the winner when you left. Do you find our Flying Eagle Army’s dragon boats insufficiently exciting?”

Wei Rao smiled faintly, “Young Master, as a commander, you became distracted and looked elsewhere during the race. With such a perfunctory attitude, how could you expect to keep us here?”

Li Wei’s handsome face immediately flushed red. After a moment of embarrassment, he pleaded earnestly, “I know I was wrong. Please return and watch us race once more.”

Wei Rao remained silent. Lu Changning snorted, lifted her veil, and glared at Li Wei: “What’s so good about watching the Flying Eagle Army’s dragon boats? The third Young Master should hurry back to training. Your Flying Eagle Army ranked fifth in the last dragon boat race. This year, with you participating, just don’t come in last place.”

She recognized Li Wei, and Li Wei naturally recognized her too. Hearing this, he gripped his reins tightly, his gaze fixed on Wei Rao: “Are you also a young lady from the Lu family?”

If so, even if she were as beautiful as a celestial fairy, Li Wei would disdain further entanglement.

Wei Rao shook her head.

Li Wei was overjoyed and once again extended an invitation to Wei Rao.

Wei Rao said, “Thank you for Third Young Master’s kind intention, but we still need to hurry to appreciate other teams. As for the Flying Eagle Army’s heroic bearing, we’ll save that for the dragon boat race itself.”

She urged her horse forward. Li Wei followed reluctantly: “May I ask which family’s young lady you are? Perhaps your mansion has old connections with our Marquis Zhennan Mansion.”

Wei Rao didn’t answer, and Lu Changning didn’t want to tell him either.

So Li Wei kept following.

Further ahead were the Imperial Guards’ dragon boat teams. Qi Zhongkai was on the bank, scolding a guard who had made a mistake. Seeing Wei Rao’s white horse from afar, along with that flamboyant red riding attire, Qi Zhongkai had no doubt who it was. He kicked away the guard in front of him, ordered his attendant to bring his horse, and went to meet Wei Rao.

“Princess, what elegant interests you have. Did you come to watch our training today?” Qi Zhongkai said in his booming voice.

Now Li Wei finally knew the beauty’s identity – there was only one princess in the entire capital.

She was Lu Zhuo’s former wife, that Fourth Lady Wei whom Lu Zhuo had repeatedly tried to please but couldn’t win back?

Consort Li’s beauty had already spread throughout the capital, said to be an incomparably charming beauty. Wei Rao also had quite a reputation for beauty, though not always flattering – things like “little vixen” and “seductive peony” – but Li Wei felt that was just women who couldn’t match her looks deliberately speaking ill of Wei Rao. For Wei Rao to make Lu Zhuo utterly devoted, she must have her wonderful qualities.

Li Wei not only didn’t mind that Wei Rao had been married, but became even more infatuated. If he could win the favor of a beauty that even Lu Zhuo couldn’t obtain, wouldn’t that prove he was superior to Lu Zhuo?

“So you are the Princess. I was disrespectful,” Li Wei apologized very sincerely, but showed no intention of withdrawing despite his apology.

Only then did Qi Zhongkai notice there was a follower beside the Princess. His tiger eyes glared: “Instead of training your Flying Eagle Army, what are you doing following the Princess?”

Li Wei had naturally also heard about Qi Zhongkai’s marriage proposal to the Princess being rejected. He chuckled lightly: “Brother Qi, aren’t you also abandoning the Imperial Guards to come see the Princess?”

Qi Zhongkai understood – this little brat Li Wei, whose fur hadn’t even fully grown, actually dared to covet the Princess, too?

“I am me, you are you. Get back there quickly, or don’t blame me for being impolite!”

“Come on then, who’s afraid of you?”

Li Wei’s martial arts were excellent. Although Qi Zhongkai was two or three sizes larger than him, Li Wei wasn’t afraid.

So Qi Zhongkai dismounted to teach Li Wei a lesson.

Wei Rao and Lu Changning exchanged glances, both urging their horses to move away a bit before turning back to watch the two men spar.

Both were legitimate heirs of the Upper Four Armies’ four families. Qi Zhongkai had passed the military examination for top scholar, and Li Wei was also skilled in martial arts. The two sparred for dozens of rounds and still couldn’t determine a winner, but they attracted many spectators. Soon, the reason for their contest spread through the crowd – they both wanted to win the Princess’s favor!

Wei Rao watched with great interest when suddenly there was a commotion in the crowd. By the time Wei Rao noticed, a black steed had already come to her side.

Wei Rao glanced at him and continued watching the match as if nothing had happened.

Lu Zhuo wore the Shenwu Army’s crimson official robe. When he and Wei Rao were together, both in red, they rather resembled a married couple.

Withdrawing his gaze from Wei Rao’s face, Lu Zhuo smiled gently and asked the entangled Qi Zhongkai and Li Wei in a clear voice: “How much longer will you two need to determine the result?”

Qi Zhongkai was so familiar with him that he immediately recognized Lu Zhuo’s voice. Distracted by glancing over, he was seized by Li Wei, who grabbed Qi Zhongkai’s iron arm and was about to throw him to the ground. With Lu Zhuo’s arrival, Qi Zhongkai no longer wanted to fight. He tightly hugged Li Wei’s shoulders and pulled Li Wei down with him.

What a joke – if he were easily defeated by Li Wei, how could he continue as an Imperial Guard?

The two rolled half a circle on the ground. Qi Zhongkai jumped up, patted his backside, and ran away.

Only then did Li Wei see Lu Zhuo.

Lu Zhuo sat on his horse, looking down at the young man on the grass: “If Third Brother wants to find someone to spar with, how about I accompany you for a few moves?”

Li Wei’s expression changed slightly.

Just then, Wei Rao gave a light cry, turned her horse around, and galloped away.

Seeing this, Li Wei burst into loud laughter: “Forget it. I sparred with Brother Qi to show my skills before the Princess. Now that the Princess has left, even if I defeated Brother Lu, what would be the use?”

Having said this, Li Wei patted the dust off his robe, mounted his horse in good spirits, and took his leave with a carefree air.

The watching commoners also let out good-natured laughter, laughing at how Lu Zhuo wanted to show off in front of the Princess, but the Princess wouldn’t even give him the chance.

Lu Changning looked at her eldest brother with sympathy.

Lu Zhuo maintained his noble and refined demeanor, which made the young ladies present unable to look away.

Author’s Note: Lu Changning: Eldest brother, you really can keep your composure.

Lu Zhuo smiled faintly. When no one was looking, he spat out a mouthful of blood in frustration.