“What brings you here?”
Xiao Zheng had just stepped into the courtyard when Lu Chao turned at the sound of her voice.
“General Xiao climbed over my wall once. Surely it’s not too much for me to return the favor?”
Lu Chao stood in the courtyard, smiling.
“Today is your coming-of-age ceremony. I meant to ask my mother to pass this gift to you, but she insisted that delivering it personally would show sincerity. So here I am, intruding uninvited.”
Xiao Zheng lifted her gaze to meet his, pressing her lips together briefly before breaking the momentary silence.
“You’ve gone to such trouble today. This red falcon must have been difficult to obtain. And Aunt Lu, Xingyao… I owe you far too much.”
Lu Chao’s lips curled into a carefree smile.
“A friend helped me acquire it—no trouble at all. Don’t dwell on it. As for my mother and Xingyao, their kindness wasn’t solely for my sake. They adore you, so treating you well is only natural. Just repay them with your own kindness in the future.”
He paused, glancing at the darkening sky before adding,
“You’ve been busy all day. You should rest early. I won’t disturb you further.”
With that, he deftly placed the gift into Xiao Zheng’s hands, then snapped his fingers crisply. Liu Yao, who had been concealed in the shadows by the wall, flashed forward, scooped Lu Chao up, and vanished into the night in one fluid motion.
Li Tie stared at the wide-open courtyard gate, scratching his head in bewilderment. “The gate was wide open… Why did Young Master Lu insist on leaving by scaling the wall? Truly baffling…”
With a soft click, Xiao Zheng opened the brocade box. A dazzling golden light burst forth, and inside lay a hairpin—its design an exact replica of the long spear she wielded daily.
Xiao Zheng snapped the box shut. Only she knew how fiercely the walls around her heart were crumbling.
The carriage rattled forward, swaying gently.
Liu Yao leaned in, studying Lu Chao with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.
“Young Master, do you think General Xiao was moved when she saw the hairpin? You poured so much effort into crafting it—ten whole days just sketching the design!”
Lu Chao reclined against the carriage wall, closing his eyes briefly before shaking his head, his expression serene.
“How would I know?”
Liu Yao’s eyes widened in alarm. He leaned forward, voice rising.
“What? Could it be… she didn’t like it? After all your hard work, wouldn’t that be a waste?”
Lu Chao opened his eyes, his gaze clear, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“It’s no waste. I gave it willingly. The sentiment was mine to offer. If she likes it, that’s a bonus. If not, I have no regrets.”
Time slipped away unnoticed until the fragrance of spring had nearly faded.
“The results are posted! The results are posted!”
The clamor of gongs shattered the tranquility of the imperial capital. In moments, the announcement board was swarmed by a dense crowd, their eyes burning with fervor as they scanned the crimson scroll—their dreams of glory laid bare.
At the top floor of the Champion’s Pavilion, Lu Yuanyi leaned halfway out the window, gazing at the bustling scene below.
“Chao’er, look at this! Isn’t our eldest brother absurd? On the day the imperial exam results are announced, every scholar in the city is losing their minds, yet he’s sitting at home reading like it’s just another day!”
Lu Chao joined him at the window, nodding in agreement. He had reserved this prime viewing spot well in advance to catch the results the moment they were posted. Who could’ve guessed the man of the hour would refuse to come?
“Exactly. Anyone would think we were the ones who took the exam!”
Compared to Lu Yuanzhao’s calm demeanor, Lu Chao and Lu Yuanyi were practically vibrating with excitement.
They had arrived at the Champion’s Pavilion before dawn, pacing impatiently outside the locked doors. Their eagerness earned them a bemused once-over from the proprietor, who greeted them with a smile and wishes for their success.
“Second Brother, lift me up! I want to see what’s written on the imperial scroll!”
Xingyao, too short to see over the windowsill, stomped her feet in frustration.
“Alright, alright, I’ll lift you. Do you even know how to read?”
Xingyao shot him a withering look and ignored the jab, scanning the crowd until she spotted a familiar figure.
“Third Brother! Look, it’s Sister Xiao Zheng!”
Lu Chao darted to the windowsill, following Xingyao’s pointing finger.
Lu Yuanyi fretted, muttering under his breath, “Where? Let me see! We’ve been talking about her forever—why can’t I ever catch a glimpse?”
He was dying to know what the legendary female general looked like.
Lu Chao focused on the direction Xingyao indicated and soon spotted Xiao Zheng at the fringes of the crowd.
She wore a floral headscarf and a faded, patched-up tunic, carrying a bamboo basket laden with fresh vegetables. She trailed discreetly behind a woman in a veiled hat.
Dressed like this, no one would guess she was the famed general.
“Chirp.”
Lu Chao’s eyes darkened as he summoned his azure-feathered messenger bird, whispering urgent instructions. The bird blinked its beady eyes, flitted into the crowd, and vanished.
“Xingyao, don’t stare at Sister Xiao Zheng. She might be tracking a fugitive. If we draw attention, we could put her in danger.”
At the mention of a fugitive, Xingyao clapped a hand over her mouth and obediently looked away.
Xiao Zheng moved through the crowd when an odd sensation crept up her spine—the unmistakable feeling of being watched. She suppressed the urge to turn, but the gaze vanished before she could pinpoint it.
After a cautious scan revealed nothing amiss, she refocused on the veiled woman ahead.
Whether the woman had noticed Xiao Zheng or not, she now wove through the densest parts of the crowd, leading Xiao Zheng toward the announcement board. The throng was so thick that Xiao Zheng could only catch fleeting glimpses of the woman’s clothing through the gaps between bodies.
From his vantage point, Lu Chao saw it all unfold—until, abruptly, a decoy emerged. A woman identical in build and attire slipped out from the left side of the crowd and hurried off in the opposite direction.
Unaware of the ruse, Xiao Zheng pursued the impostor.
As soon as Xiao Zheng was gone, the original veiled woman stepped calmly from the crowd.
Then, without warning, she lifted her head—her gaze piercing through the masses, locking directly onto Lu Chao’s position with unnerving precision. Her eyes held a quiet scrutiny, as if she had known he was there all along.
