Time passed in the blink of an eye, and before anyone realized it, an entire month had gone by.
The imperial marriage between the Marquis of Yongning’s household and the Marquis of Wuan’s household had, under the intense preparations of both families, largely been arranged. All that remained was to await an auspicious date and hour.
According to custom, an unmarried young lady awaiting her wedding was expected to remain quietly at home, cultivate her character, and learn the proper rules and etiquette.
And for the entire month, Lu Jiaojiao had actually stayed indoors.
She neither stepped beyond the main gates nor ventured past the inner gates, obediently remaining within her embroidered chamber and courtyard.
For someone who used to find an excuse every few days to sneak out riding, wander through the markets, or even secretly run off to the training grounds to watch the soldiers drill, this was nothing short of unprecedented.
What was more, she had personally asked her mother to invite an elderly matron who had once served in the palace to teach her the more complicated etiquette expected of a noblewoman.
From the way she walked, sat, and reclined to how she conducted herself at banquets and responded in conversation, she practiced everything with meticulous care.
She copied the family rules and ancestral teachings over and over again. The focused, tranquil expression she wore was completely different from the former Third Miss Lu, who used to frown at the mere mention of the word rules.
Even her eldest and second sisters, who had specifically returned home to visit her after hearing the news, were astonished by the change. Taking her hands, they repeatedly asked:
“Jiaojiao… are you all right?”
“You’re not feeling unwell somewhere, are you?”
From her parents to her brothers and sisters-in-law, no one in the household felt reassured by her sudden “good behavior.”
Instead, they became even more uneasy.
They all felt that beneath this unusual calm, an even greater storm might be brewing. They feared that she was bottling up all her resentment and grief and might eventually make herself ill.
Yet Lu Jiaojiao continued to behave with perfect obedience.
Whenever her family expressed concern, she would merely smile softly and say in a quiet voice:
“Since your daughter has already accepted this marriage, naturally I should learn how to manage a household and observe proper etiquette, so that in the future… I will not bring shame upon the Lu family.”
The more sensible and understanding she appeared, the more heartbroken the Marquis and Marchioness of Yongning became.
Behind closed doors, Madam Chen had no idea how many more times she had secretly wiped away her tears.
And that
That was exactly the effect Lu Jiaojiao wanted.
She gave a cold snort in her heart.
That was precisely how she intended things to be.
She wanted everyone to believe that she had suffered an enormous injustice. She wanted their sympathy for her—and their dissatisfaction toward Huo Shiran—to take root firmly in her family’s hearts.
She wanted to see, once she had married into the Huo family, with morality and familial affection both leaning ever so slightly in her favor—
Whether her, Lu Jiaojiao’s, methods would prove superior…
Or whether that damned blockhead could somehow turn the tables!
At the thought of being able to “deal with” Huo Shiran openly and legitimately after marrying him and in countless creative ways the sharpness in her calligraphy gradually softened into something deeper and more composed.
Just wait, Huo Shiran.
You’re going to suffer!
Meanwhile, life at the Marquis of Wuan’s residence was far from peaceful for Huo Shiran.
Over the past month, whenever any of his familiar friends from noble families or colleagues from the military saw him, not one of them could resist waggling their eyebrows and teasing him:
“Young General Huo, when are you going to treat us to your wedding wine? Third Miss Lu is talented and beautiful. You’re a lucky man!”
“Brother Shiran, I’m afraid after this, we’ll never again get to witness the spectacular sight of you two ‘sparring’ in the capital. What a pity, what a pity!”
“Tsk, tsk. You two have been fighting since childhood, and who would have thought you’d end up fighting your way into becoming husband and wife? This truly is… fate working in mysterious ways!”
Whenever Huo Shiran found himself surrounded by such teasing, his expression was anything but pleasant.
He was on fairly good terms with Lu Jiaojiao’s second brother, Lu Baiyang. The two served in the military together and often drank and practiced martial arts together.
But recently, even Lu Baiyang would look strangely complicated whenever he saw him.
He would seem as though he wanted to say something, only to stop himself.
In the end, he would usually just give Huo Shiran a heavy pat on the shoulder, sigh, and walk away.
Clearly, he knew about the turbulent undercurrents hidden beneath his younger sister’s “obedient” appearance.
He pitied his sister, of course
But he also felt a trace of sympathy for his future brother-in-law…
Along with a certain eagerness to watch the drama unfold.
Huo Shiran felt increasingly frustrated, yet there was nowhere for him to direct his anger.
This marriage had caught him off guard as well.
Lu Jiaojiao the girl who had fought him over saddles since childhood, competed with him in archery, and had never once lost an argument to him—
Was suddenly going to become his wife?
The thought alone made his scalp tingle.
Especially when he heard that she had recently undergone a complete “change in temperament” and had become extraordinarily gentle and obedient, every alarm bell in his mind began ringing.
Something was definitely wrong.
When things behaved abnormally, there was always a reason.
Who knew what kind of grand scheme Lu Jiaojiao was secretly planning for him?
At the edge of the hunting grounds, the dust had not yet settled.
Lu Baiyang urged his horse closer to Huo Shiran and nudged him lightly with his elbow. Waggling his eyebrows, he lowered his voice.
“Hey, Huo the Second, seriously are you really going to marry that ‘little ancestor’ of ours?”
He grinned mischievously.
“If you change your mind now, I can still help you ride through the border overnight and hide out on the frontier for a while.”
Huo Shiran shot him an irritated glance and flicked his reins, guiding his horse a few steps away.
His tone was blunt.
“You think an imperial decree is something you and I can treat like a joke?”
“And besides, do I, Huo Shiran, look like the kind of coward who runs away from battle?”
“Hey! I’m just worried you’ll be killed in action on your wedding night!”
Lu Baiyang dramatically shrank his neck and made a throat-slitting gesture.
“I’m warning you—Jiaojiao has been terrifyingly quiet this past month. She hasn’t gone beyond the gates or even left the inner quarters. She’s fooled even my father and mother.”
“But I’m telling you, she’s definitely holding back for some huge move!”
“Think about it when has she ever been so ‘virtuous and ladylike’?”
At those words, instead of becoming worried, Huo Shiran’s lips curved into a roguish smile, his expression carrying the excitement of someone who had finally met a worthy opponent.
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Perfect. At least I won’t be bored after getting married.”
“Whatever tricks she has, she can bring them on.”
“If I, Huo Shiran, so much as furrow my brow, then I’ll consider it a loss!”
“Fine! Then I wasted my breath worrying about you!”
Lu Baiyang was so annoyed by his attitude that he laughed.
“Then tell me how exactly are you planning to ‘take care of’ our family’s little ancestor?”
Huo Shiran raised his chin. His eyes carried their usual arrogance, along with a hint of resigned amusement.
“Relax. She’ll receive every bit of respect she deserves.”
“I’ll make sure she eats well and lives well. I won’t let her lack spending money.”
“If she wants to fight, I’ll accompany her.”
“If she wants to make trouble, I’ll be waiting.”
“As long as she doesn’t actually tear the roof off the Marquis’s residence, then as for everything else…”
He shrugged.
“She can do whatever makes her happy.”
He paused, then glanced sideways at Lu Baiyang and added:
“The more everyone expects the two of us to turn the household upside down, the more determined I am to live with her in perfect harmony.”
Lu Baiyang burst out laughing at his grand declaration, nearly falling off his horse.
“All right, all right! Young General Huo truly is a man of great spirit!”
“Then let me congratulate you both in advance on…”
He paused deliberately.
“Meeting your match. Two worthy opponents.”
Then he emphasized the final four words with particular force:
“A hundred years of blissful marriage!”
The anticipation in his voice made it abundantly clear that he was enjoying the prospect of watching the chaos.
“Thanks for the blessing!”
Huo Shiran ground his teeth and replied with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
Then he cracked his whip.
“Enough nonsense! Let’s race again!”
“The loser has to help me deal with your eldest brother when he blocks the door on my wedding day!”
“Ha! In your dreams!”
Lu Baiyang shouted and immediately spurred his horse after him.