Qionghua Island, Wangxian Tower.

The Empress granted Xie Hualou a seat beside her.

Xie Hualou was beautiful and dignified, born into a scholarly family. If Old Grand Tutor Xie were still alive, if the Xie family had never refused to let her marry Lu Zhuo for good fortune, even though Xie Hualou was already nineteen this year, she would still be the premier young lady that prestigious families in the capital would compete to marry. But there were no ifs. Although Old Grand Tutor Xie’s death at that time provided a face-saving cover for the Xie family’s refusal of the wedding, everyone knew the Xie family simply couldn’t bear to marry their beautiful daughter to Lu Zhuo, whose life and death were uncertain.

If it had been someone else, they might also have been reluctant to marry, but since this only happened to the Xie family, other prestigious families would naturally stand on the moral high ground of propriety and blame the Xie family. What scholarly family – clearly in that situation, even if Xie Hualou didn’t observe mourning for her grandfather, no one would criticize her. She didn’t marry because she was afraid of becoming a widow!

Comparing this to Wei Rao later preferring to observe mourning for Old Madam Wei rather than divorce from Lu Zhuo, that golden son-in-law, who was truly filial and who was falsely filial, was clear at a glance.

Xie Hualou’s reputation had long since deteriorated, though everyone had never brought it up openly.

The Empress would never allow Xie Hualou to become her daughter-in-law; she was just using Xie Hualou.

If Lu Zhuo saw Xie Hualou and was moved by her beauty and dignity, abandoning Wei Rao who had repeatedly rejected him to seek marriage with Xie Hualou, then the capital’s discussions about Wei Rao would surely reverse – from envying Wei Rao for obtaining Lu Zhuo’s devoted love to mocking Wei Rao for putting on airs and losing such a good husband. At that time, when Xiao Zhou Shi, Consort Li, learned of this, she would certainly resent Lu Zhuo for making her daughter a laughingstock, becoming irreconcilably opposed to Duke Ying Mansion from then on.

The Empress certainly didn’t want Lu Zhuo to truly win back Wei Rao and then become a supporter behind Consort Li and the Fourth Prince.

Conversely, if Lu Zhuo remained unmoved by Xie Hualou and continued to pester Wei Rao relentlessly, then Lu Zhuo would offend the Xie family, and Xie Hualou and the Xie family would hate Lu Zhuo, Wei Rao, and Consort Li’s faction together. Although Old Grand Tutor Xie was gone and the Xie family men all held low positions, Xie Hualou’s five female cousins had all married into prestigious families. With deep sisterly bonds, they would more or less criticize Wei Rao and her mother in their husbands’ families.

In summary, if the Empress succeeded as a matchmaker today, Lu Zhuo and Xie Hualou would have to thank her. If she didn’t succeed, it would cause no harm to the Empress either.

Long before sending a palace maid to summon Xie Hualou, the Empress had already sent someone to summon Lu Zhuo in advance.

Xie Hualou knew nothing of this.

Among the several ladies present, Xie Hualou had met them all at her family’s banquets. At that time, her grandfather was still alive, and she was still the ideal daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law in the elders’ minds. The elders all liked to praise her. Today, however, those praises were merely superficial.

Xie Hualou didn’t want to attend today’s dragon boat banquet at all, including April’s peony flower gathering.

The young ladies of the Xie family never stepped outside the Xie residence before marriage, all deeply raised in their quarters. Families who knew the Xie family’s rules for raising daughters wouldn’t send invitations to the Xie family’s young ladies either. When her grandfather was alive, the palace nobles had never summoned their sisters. This year, however, the Empress made exceptions twice.

Mother said the Empress might have taken a liking to her, wanting to make her Princess Jing or Princess Fu.

Xie Hualou explained that she had been engaged and broken the engagement, so it was impossible.

But Mother still held hope, still persuaded her to enter the palace happily. Xie Hualou indeed couldn’t refuse the Empress, so she could only come.

Today, the Empress specifically arranged for her to watch the race together with Wei Rao.

Xie Hualou then had her answer – the Empress wanted to use her to suppress Wei Rao and even Consort Li’s momentum.

Xie Hualou only found it ridiculous. Now, besides being dignified enough, what else did she have to suppress Wei Rao with?

But she couldn’t show it. She had to continue being dignified; she couldn’t ruin the reputation of Xie family daughters.

Qionghua Island was an island, and Wangxian Tower’s position commanded a high view. Before long, Xie Hualou noticed palace servants leading a young military officer in crimson official robes along the bluestone path up the slope. Crimson was the color of the Shenwu Army’s battle robes among the Upper Four Armies, and across the lake were the Shenwu Army’s dragon boat teams.

As the young military officer drew closer and closer, Xie Hualou finally saw his face.

Legend said that the heir of Duke Ying Mansion, Lu Zhuo, had the bearing of an immortal.

Xie Hualou’s heartbeat quickened. Noticing someone looking at her, Xie Hualou quickly looked toward the several dragon boat teams across the lake, but her palms began to sweat.

Toward Lu Zhuo, Xie Hualou felt admiration, respect, and deep guilt. The two had been engaged, yet when Lu Zhuo most needed her, she followed her parents’ wishes and broke the engagement. Outsiders might think her observing mourning for her grandfather was proper, but Xie Hualou knew in her heart that her parents were worried she would become a widow and couldn’t bear to give her away in marriage.

If she had insisted on marrying him then, would the woman Lu Zhuo was now publicly pursuing be her?

“Subject Lu Zhuo pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress, to Your Highness Consort Duan, to Your Highness Consort Xian.”

Arriving at the pavilion, Lu Zhuo looked straight ahead and bowed to the Empress and the two consorts.

The capital’s Young Master Lu lived up to his reputation. When Lu Zhuo stood there, everyone in Wangxian Tower, except Xie Hualou, even the serving palace maids, couldn’t help staring at Lu Zhuo. The Shenwu Army’s crimson official robe made him look like a top scholar, elegant and handsome.

The Empress smiled: “Young Master Lu, please rise quickly.”

Lu Zhuo nodded, straightened his back, his gaze remaining downcast throughout.

While admiring Lu Zhuo’s bearing, the Empress said curiously, “I still remember three years ago when Young Master Lu single-handedly reversed the Shenwu Army’s defeat. Why isn’t Young Master Lu competing this year?”

Lu Zhuo cupped his hands: “The Shenwu Army has many elite and brave generals. With such a rare opportunity to display themselves before His Majesty and Your Highnesses, this subject shouldn’t monopolize a position continuously.”

Consort De praised: “Young Master Lu has such grace.”

The Empress nodded: “It’s just a pity for us – we were hoping to see Young Master Lu’s prowess again.”

Lu Zhuo smiled modestly.

The dragon boat race hadn’t yet begun. The Empress first explained that she had invited Lu Zhuo to help commentate on the race later, then teased Lu Zhuo: “Recently, Young Master Lu’s pursuit of the Princess has been the talk of the capital – I’ve heard about it even in the palace. Has the Princess agreed?”

Lu Zhuo shook his head shamefully.

The Empress laughed and pointed at Xie Hualou, asking Lu Zhuo, “Does Young Master Lu recognize who she is?”

Lu Zhuo looked in that direction.

Xie Hualou hadn’t expected the Empress to suddenly turn the topic to her, having Lu Zhuo look at her directly. Her face immediately flushed with embarrassment as she lowered her gaze to avoid his, which only added several degrees of charm and allure to her beauty that could “make the moon hide and flowers feel ashamed.”

Lu Zhuo only glanced once before withdrawing his gaze, saying respectfully: “This subject doesn’t…”

Before he finished speaking, something suddenly fell from his wide sleeve. He caught it quickly with sharp reflexes and immediately put it back in his sleeve.

The Empress was extremely curious. Forgetting her well-prepared words, she looked at Lu Zhuo’s sleeve opening: “What good thing is Young Master Lu hiding in his sleeve?”

Everyone looked at him. Lu Zhuo showed embarrassment but didn’t hide it, openly taking out a copper tube about a foot long and as thick as a scroll from his sleeve.

“What is this object?” the Empress asked.

Lu Zhuo didn’t answer immediately but opened the copper tube.

The seemingly ordinary copper tube was two tubes fastened together. When opened, it revealed an even finer jade tube inside, with crushed ice layered between the copper and jade tubes. The jade tube could also be split into two. When Lu Zhuo opened it again, everyone saw three bite-sized honey date rice dumplings arranged in the remaining half of the jade tube – snow-white glutinous rice with bright red honey dates embedded in the center, making mouths water just looking at them.

After everyone had seen clearly, Lu Zhuo carefully refastened the jade tube and copper tube, cautiously returning them to his sleeve. He explained to the Empress: “Your Majesty, the Princess loves honey date rice dumplings, so this subject carefully prepared this gift, thinking that, entering the palace today, I might encounter the Princess and take the opportunity to present the gift. I don’t seek the Princess to change her heart, only hope to earn a glance from her.”

The gift he had prepared and the humble devotion revealed in his words shocked all the ladies present.

Xie Hualou lowered her eyes, as if seeing the tender scene of Lu Zhuo and Wei Rao spending the Dragon Boat Festival together after their marriage.

The Empress clenched her handkerchief. Lu Zhuo displaying his deep feelings for Wei Rao in front of everyone made it difficult for her to continue matchmaking Xie Hualou to him.

“Your Majesty, today is swelteringly hot. This copper tube has been opened, letting the cool air escape. If delayed too long, the dumplings might lose their taste. This subject noticed while coming up that the Princess is at Yuezhao Pavilion. Please grant permission for this subject to first deliver the gift to the Princess.”

The Empress could only smile: “Go, go. Since your heart is entirely on the Princess, don’t come back up later either, lest your eyes keep wandering toward Yuezhao Pavilion during commentary.”

Several ladies cooperatively chuckled.

Lu Zhuo looked ashamed, bowed, and took his leave.

Yuezhao Pavilion was very close to Wangxian Tower. Though they couldn’t hear sounds from there, they could see the figures of the Empress and others. When Lu Zhuo left Wangxian Tower and came down, the several young ladies beside Wei Rao immediately became excited again, secretly observing Lu Zhuo while guessing what he had said in Wangxian Tower.

Soon, Lu Zhuo stopped at the intersection where the main path led to Yuezhao Pavilion.

A palace servant followed him. Lu Zhuo took out the copper tube from his sleeve, handed it to the palace servant with both hands, then stood at the intersection watching the palace servant walk toward Wei Rao.

Wei Rao faced the lake and hadn’t seen what he did, until the palace servant came before her and said respectfully: “Princess, Young Master Lu says he prepared some small pastries and requests the Princess to enjoy them.”

Only then did Wei Rao turn around, glancing at Lu Zhuo across from her. With little interest, she instructed the palace servant: “Open it and let me see.”

The palace servant then followed Lu Zhuo’s example, first opening the copper tube to reveal the jade tube surrounded by crushed ice.

Just this jade tube alone was beautiful enough to make several young ladies gasp and show envy.

When the palace servant opened the jade tube, revealing the three small honey date dumplings inside, Wei Rao, who had shown no expression until now, curved her lips slightly.

“Thank the heir for me,” Wei Rao accepted the uniquely novel and exquisite food container, smiling as she spoke to the palace servant.

The palace servant accepted the command and withdrew.

Lu Zhuo watched from the intersection. Seeing Wei Rao smile and accept his gift, without needing the palace servant to speak, he knew this gift was well-chosen. Bowing to Wei Rao from afar, Lu Zhuo smiled as he descended Qionghua Island.

Wei Rao sat on the beauty’s rest, watching Lu Zhuo’s tall, elegant figure gradually disappear among the island’s flowering trees before withdrawing her gaze.

Bamboo picks were also prepared in the jade tube. Wei Rao picked up one small honey date dumpling and bit it in one mouthful – just the right size.

The fragrant glutinous rice was only a thin layer, with a pitted honey date inside, sweet and perfectly to Wei Rao’s taste.

The three small ones were purely toothpicks. Wei Rao quickly finished them, wiped the corners of her lips with a handkerchief, ignored the envious glances of several young ladies, and began focusing on enjoying the competition below.

The archery competition had just begun when Xie Hualou returned from Wangxian Tower, immediately noticing the copper tube beside Wei Rao.

Xie Hualou’s expression didn’t change; she still wore a smile.

However, the other young ladies’ attitudes toward her weren’t as warm as before. By this point, they had also realized that since the Empress deliberately arranged for Lu Zhuo and Xie Hualou to meet, how could she make Xie Hualou a princess? Moreover, Lu Zhuo had seen Xie Hualou, seen the beauty they thought could outshine Wei Rao, yet remained completely devoted to Wei Rao. With Xie Hualou losing face, these supporters also felt they had lost face.

The next day, news of the palace dragon boat race’s grand occasion spread.

Lu Ya’s Shenwu Army dragon boat team won the championship again, Qi Zhongkai’s Imperial Guards bravely took second place, and Li Wei’s Flying Eagle Army unexpectedly pressed the Dragon Cavalry Army to take third. However, what the officials’ wives and young ladies talked about with great interest was the encounter between Lu Zhuo, Wei Rao, and Xie Hualou.

In this discussion, Xie Hualou completely became a foil to Lu Zhuo’s devoted love for Wei Rao.

Wei Rao continued being her princess, watching palace servants prepare luggage for accompanying the imperial procession to the traveling palace. At the Xie mansion, Xie Hualou shut herself away and secretly cried alone. She didn’t hate the Empress, didn’t hate Lu Zhuo, and even less did she hate Wei Rao – she only hated her fate.

Yang Shi felt sorry for her daughter. She secretly vowed to find her daughter a husband even more outstanding than Lu Zhuo!