Wei Rao had trouble adjusting to new beds. The beds in Cheng’an Earl Mansion and the leisure manor’s chambers were ones she was accustomed to sleeping in. Coming to the Lu family for the first time, she didn’t sleep very well. When Bitao went to call A’Gui to attend to Lu Zhuo, Wei Rao was already awake.
Since Lu Zhuo had awakened, today, the news of the successful wedding celebration between the two families would spread throughout the Capital City. The Lu family’s relatives and friends would certainly come to visit.
It was destined to be a busy day.
Wei Rao lazed about for a while longer, getting up before Nanny Miao came, still applying the same generous and appropriate light makeup.
A’Gui shouldn’t stay in the bridal chamber too long, so he left after solving Lu Zhuo’s toilet needs.
Outside was pitch black, while inside the bridal chamber, the festive decorations reflected several lamplights, appearing quite warm and cozy.
Wei Rao walked to the screen, asking through the layer of brocade to the Young Master on the bed: “Does the Young Master want to continue sleeping? Or shall I call the maids in to help you wash and dress?”
Lu Zhuo: “Wash and dress.”
Wei Rao then gave Bitao and Liu Ya, who were standing at the door, a meaningful look.
The maids went to fetch water. Wei Rao’s gaze swept across the dressing table, her heart stirring. She went to take a handheld bronze mirror from her dowry, put both hands behind her back, rounded the screen, and appeared at Lu Zhuo’s bedside with a smile.
Lu Zhuo glanced at her malicious smiling face, then at her hands.
Wei Rao gently explained: “Bitao and Liu Ya are both very skilled at attending to people, it’s just that they’ve never attended to men, much less someone seriously ill, and they’re timid. Later, if they don’t serve you well, I hope the Young Master will be understanding and not scold them, or misunderstand that our Wei family’s maids are clumsy.”
Lu Zhuo didn’t quite understand her meaning.
Wei Rao extended her hand, holding up the bronze mirror aimed at Lu Zhuo.
Lu Zhuo raised his eyes and, in that exquisite, clear bronze mirror, saw his current appearance.
Lu Zhuo looked back at Wei Rao.
This woman—he was this ill, and not only did she not sympathize, she was worried he might frighten her maids?
Indeed, the words “gentle and graceful” had nothing whatsoever to do with her.
“If you feel they’re wronged, you can ask Nanny Miao to come over.” Lu Zhuo said flatly.
Wei Rao put away the mirror, smiling: “How could that work? We’re a loving couple. For Bitao and Liu Ya to serve the Young Master is their good fortune—there’s no talk of being wronged. I’m just reminding the Young Master. Your current appearance is quite frightening. Just last night, when you woke up, if it hadn’t been me but some other wedding celebration bride, she simply wouldn’t have dared sleep in the same bed with you.”
Lu Zhuo: “Miss’s courage is extraordinary, truly worthy of Lu’s admiration.”
Wei Rao smiled. Hearing Nanny Miao seeming to come from the corridor as well, Wei Rao frowned slightly. It seemed this morning she’d have to wrong herself a bit and put on an act in front of Nanny Miao.
“How does the Young Master feel?” Nanny Miao had served Duchess Ying for many years, personally watching Lu Zhuo grow from a nursing baby into a jade-like, elegant youth. Later, when Lu Zhuo was sent to the frontier by Duke Ying, Nanny Miao, like Duchess Ying, worried constantly about him, fearing he would suffer hardships at the frontier.
To Lu Zhuo, Nanny Miao was also an elder he respected and felt close to.
“Much better. Nanny, go to sleep a bit more. You don’t need to get up so early.”
Nanny Miao smiled: “Can’t sleep anymore. Just thinking that the Young Master has awakened makes my heart as happy as the New Year.”
As the two spoke, Wei Rao rolled up her sleeves and personally placed a white towel into the copper basin Bitao was holding, dampened it and wrung it until it was sixty percent dry, then walked to Lu Zhuo’s bedside with gentle brows and eyes, softly saying: “Let me help the Young Master wash his face.”
Lu Zhuo looked over in surprise.
Wei Rao shyly lowered her eyes.
Nanny Miao habitually wanted to take over this task, but seeing the young mistress show such a bashful appearance, how could Nanny Miao delay the young couple’s bonding? She immediately stepped aside from the bedside, standing to the side with a beaming smile.
Lu Zhuo knew Wei Rao was acting, so he thanked her gently and closed his eyes.
Wei Rao suppressed her nausea and carefully helped Lu Zhuo clean that living-corpse-like face. This waxy yellow face—now only the pair of elegant, upright, long eyebrows was worth looking at. Everything else—ugly face, dry mouth, eyes full of bloodshot veins—only close relatives would still treat him as a treasure and cherish him.
After washing his face, Wei Rao re-dampened the towel and wiped Lu Zhuo’s fingers again.
She held Lu Zhuo’s skeletal thin hand in one hand, and with the other wrapped the towel around his fingers, gently rotating.
The skin contact made Lu Zhuo want to frown, but since he owed Wei Rao for the wedding celebration matter, he should cooperate with her acting.
When this scene of care that disgusted both of them finally ended, Duchess Ying and He Shi, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, had arrived early.
While He Shi was expressing concern for Lu Zhuo’s well-being, Nanny Miao quietly told Duchess Ying about the young couple’s mutual respect and courtesy.
Duchess Ying was very gratified. What she feared most was that her eldest grandson would listen to outside gossip and repay Wei Rao’s kindness with enmity.
After eating medicinal food and taking medicine, Lu Zhuo felt he had recovered some strength and discussed with Duchess Ying: “Grandmother, I’ve escaped death this time. Relatives and friends will surely come to visit one after another. Resting in the back courtyard is quite inconvenient. Why don’t you have me carried back to the front courtyard first? When I can get out of bed and walk around, I’ll return to the back courtyard.”
Duchess Ying instinctively looked toward Wei Rao. It had only been one night—if guests saw that her eldest grandson was still living in the front courtyard, what if they misunderstood?
Or was her grandson suggesting this precisely because he didn’t want to share a room with Wei Rao?
Wei Rao couldn’t speak up. Lu Zhuo coughed and explained: “While I’m living in the front courtyard, my wife will move there with me.”
Wei Rao shyly hid behind He Shi.
Duchess Ying was immediately relieved. Considering that receiving guests in the back residence was indeed inconvenient, she agreed.
After Wei Rao finished breakfast, A’Gui led over two tall, strong men. One was called Zhao Song, the other Zhao Bai. Both were Lu Zhuo’s attendants, loyal confidants who had accompanied Lu Zhuo through eight years of training at the frontier.
The three men entered the hall and first paid respects to the new mistress.
Wei Rao stood beside Duchess Ying in red attire, smiling as she instructed the three to be careful with their movements and not drop the Young Master.
Zhao Song and Zhao Bai didn’t dare look directly at the young mistress, only feeling that her voice was sweet—she must be a beauty.
A’Gui had been to the back courtyard twice now and was bolder. He quickly glanced at the young mistress, and in just that one glance, A’Gui’s heart started pounding. So beautiful! No wonder the Young Master asked so many questions, so concerned about whether he had embarrassed himself in front of the young mistress. If it were A’Gui, never mind having the young mistress as his wife—even if she just lived next door, he wouldn’t dare fart loudly.
Collecting himself, A’Gui led Zhao Song and Zhao Bai inside.
Zhao Song and Zhao Bai brought over a long stretcher. Both were very strong, and the Young Master had become as thin as a bamboo pole, so the brothers easily lifted the Young Master onto the stretcher face down.
Lu Zhuo remained expressionless. Duchess Ying and He Shi watched with sweaty palms, while Wei Rao stood behind the two elders, completely treating it as watching a show.
Lu Zhuo’s room in the front courtyard had also been decorated like a bridal chamber to consolidate the wedding celebration.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, Duchess Ying decided to spend the entire day with Wei Rao at her grandson’s side, letting guests see how much she valued Wei Rao and reducing gossip.
The first wave of guests to Song Yue Hall was people from Duke Ying Mansion itself.
Wei Rao had met Duke Ying and Duchess Ying before marrying in, leaving a deep impression. The others she had only met briefly last night.
The Lu family’s main branch had only He Shi and her son, Lu Zhuo. However, because Lu Zhuo had spent eight years at the frontier and He Shi was lonely in her widowhood, Duchess Ying, taking pity on her daughter-in-law, had arranged to bring over one of He Shi’s nieces. The young girl’s given name was He Weiyu, thirteen years old this year, Lu Zhuo’s cousin.
The Lu family’s second branch: the widowed Second Madam had raised three children—Second Young Master Lu Ya, Third Young Master Lu Cong, and the Lu family’s only daughter, Lu Changning.
The Lu family’s third branch: the widowed Third Madam also bore two sons—Fourth Young Master Lu Ze and Fifth Young Master Lu Che.
The Lu family’s fourth branch: Fourth Uncle was only thirty-two years old but had lost a leg and could only travel by wheelchair. It was said that Fourth Uncle had become reclusive since his injury and disliked seeing guests. If not for Lu Zhuo this time, he wouldn’t have appeared. Fourth Madam was beautiful, like a quietly blooming magnolia standing beside Fourth Uncle. Though she was the only one among the four sisters-in-law who hadn’t been widowed, she was childless.
Duchess Ying introduced everyone to Wei Rao, then looked at Lu Zhuo on the bed and smiled: “When Shoucheng recovers, we’ll formally have the tea ceremony and recognition of relatives. Grandmother just hopes to see you two kneeling before me as a pair.”
They could do it now, but with only Wei Rao, it would be too unfair to her.
For such a joyous wedding, having the young uncle substitute at the ceremony was an unavoidable necessity, but the tea ceremony should have the husband personally accompanying.
Wei Rao just acted shy.
Lu Zhuo still needed to rest quietly. After the visit, the various branches of the Lu family took their leave.
Duchess Ying had A’Gui guard her grandson inside while she took He Shi, Wei Rao, and He Weiyu to sit in the warm pavilion for conversation and family chat.
Wei Rao handled accompanying Duchess Ying in conversation with ease, while also carefully observing her nominal mother-in-law, He Shi.
He Shi was thirty-five this year. Perhaps her widowed days hadn’t been entirely pleasant, as her face showed some traces of time, but those traces couldn’t conceal He Shi’s stunning beauty. Among Duchess Ying’s four daughters-in-law, He Shi had the worst background but was the most beautiful. It could be said that Lu Zhuo’s immortal-like appearance before his injury was seventy percent inherited from He Shi.
Though Lu Zhuo’s four cousins were all handsome, none were as outstanding as Lu Zhuo.
Wei Rao thought that those noble young ladies who admired Lu Zhuo should be most grateful to He Shi.
However, though He Shi was beautiful, her bearing was far inferior to her sisters-in-law. She was the type of naive beauty who wore all her thoughts on her face and was unworldly. This unworldliness might be endearing in a young girl, but placed on a clan wife who should bear household management responsibilities, it would give the elders headaches.
It was said that the Lu family was now managed jointly by Second Madam and Third Madam, with He Shi being purely idle.
While Wei Rao was observing He Shi, she noticed that cousin He Weiyu, sitting beside He Shi, kept glancing at her.
When their eyes met once, Wei Rao smiled politely.
He Weiyu’s face reddened, and she lowered her head.
She was a small-family beauty whose looks, while not as outstanding as He Shi’s, could still be considered beautiful.
“Old Madam, Marquis Pingxi, Young Master Qi, and Second Master Qi have come to visit the Young Master!”
A little maid ran over smiling, announcing the arrival of another wave of guests.
Marquis Pingxi Mansion and Duke Ying Mansion were family friends. The relationship between the elders and the younger generations of both families had always been good. The Qi family, father and sons, coming today, was expected.
Duchess Ying and He Shi both stood up smiling. Only the shy and bashful He Weiyu looked toward Wei Rao with curiosity.
Wei Rao didn’t need to think to know that He Weiyu had heard the rumor about her attempting to social-climb Second Master Qi, Qi Zhongkai.
Wei Rao laughed it off.
Speaking of which, had Lu Zhuo heard this rumor? Did he believe it? Would he worry that she would continue pursuing Qi Zhongkai?
Wei Rao suddenly felt that marrying Lu Zhuo would add considerable amusement to her life.