The capital city, the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion.

The warm autumn sun shone through the carved window lattices, casting dappled light and shadow in the flower hall, which was covered with thick velvet carpets. The air was filled with the elegant aroma of fine Longjing tea, mixed with the cool and subtle fragrance emanating from a pot of ink chrysanthemums in full bloom on the table.

In the center of the flower hall, however, the atmosphere was completely at odds with the leisurely and elegant ambiance, with an invisible smell of gunpowder permeating the air.

Luo Qingrou sat gracefully in a rosewood armchair, her sky-blue brocade palace dress accentuating her snow-white skin and exquisite features. She held her chin slightly raised, her posture elegant, like a proud peacock. But at this moment, two obvious flames of anger burned in her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, fixed intently on the figure opposite her, who was lazily leaning against the doorframe.

Lu Zheng, the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo, wore a black, narrow-sleeved, fitted outfit that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. He casually tossed a handkerchief embroidered with delicate butterflies and flowers, which he had just "borrowed" from Luo Qingrou's maid, a familiar, slightly roguish smile playing on his lips. To Luo Qingrou, that smile was utter provocation!

"Lu Zheng!" Luo Qingrou's voice was clear and crisp, filled with barely suppressed anger. "Give Jinse back her handkerchief! A dignified heir of a duke, engaging in such thieving behavior, have you no shame?"

Lu Zheng stopped tossing and catching the handkerchief, which carried a faint fragrance, and held it between his fingers. He deliberately brought it to his nose and sniffed it, clicking his tongue twice. "Tsk, so fragrant. Even the handkerchief used by a maidservant is so exquisite. No wonder it's the style of the Prime Minister's mansion." He looked up and met Luo Qingrou's almost fiery eyes. His smile deepened, filled with undisguised mockery. "Face? What is that? Can it be eaten or drunk? All I know is that just now in the garden, some stupid bird, I don't know whose, fluttered by, and the mud splattered from its claws landed squarely on my new brocade robe." He pointed to a few extremely inconspicuous, almost negligible, light gray stains on his dark robe. "Miss Luo, tell me, how should this debt be settled?"

"You!" Luo Qingrou's cheeks flushed red with anger as she stood up abruptly. "You're just making excuses! It was clearly you who wasn't watching where you were going and bumped into a tree, startling the birds! And now you're blaming my parrot? And taking your anger out on Jinse's handkerchief? Lu Zheng, you're simply... utterly shameless!" Her chest heaved slightly, clearly furious.

The maid Jinse beside her turned pale with fright. She wanted to persuade her but dared not, and could only watch anxiously as her young mistress battled with this unruly young master.

"Rogue?" Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, not annoyed at all, but as if he had heard an interesting assessment. He straightened up, strode forward, and stopped three steps away from Luo Qingrou. He leaned forward slightly, and his usually nonchalant peach blossom eyes were now as sharp as a hawk's, possessing a penetrating power that locked onto Luo Qingrou. "Miss Luo, compared to some people who clearly have something on their minds and are in dire straits, yet still insist on putting on airs and making veiled accusations in front of me, my little bit of 'roguery' seems much more honest and endearing."

His gaze was pointed and intense.

Luo Qingrou's heart skipped a beat at his sudden, almost piercing gaze, as if a corner of her heart had been unexpectedly illuminated. She instinctively avoided his eyes, forcing a calm smile as she gave a cold laugh: "What could possibly be wrong with me? Young Master Lu, you should mind your own business! Spending your days fooling around, it's no wonder the Duke of Zhenguo..."

Her words came to an abrupt end.

Because from outside the moon gate leading from the flower hall to the inner courtyard, came the deep, resonant, and authoritative voice of Duke Zhenguo, Lu Qingcang, as he argued with his wife. The voice wasn't loud, but it drifted in clearly:

"...His Majesty's decision has been made. The Rong and Di tribes in the north have been making frequent disturbances lately. Several important passes that the old Duke conquered back then are now under different command, and the morale of the army is unstable. Although Zheng'er is young, he has gained considerable experience in military affairs under my command over the years. Although he is impetuous, he has a strong sense of responsibility. Sending him to the north is ostensibly for training, but in reality, His Majesty places high hopes on him, hoping that he can restore the prestige of the Lu family army in the north... The handover must be swift..."

boom--!

Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, it exploded in Luo Qingrou's ears!

The Northern Frontier? The Rong and Di tribes? Lu Zheng?

Her sarcastic and cutting words froze on her lips, her mind going blank. All her anger, all her confrontation, was shattered in that instant by this sudden news! She felt a chill run through her body from the soles of her feet, as if her blood had frozen. Her hand holding the teacup trembled violently uncontrollably!

"Clang!"

The exquisite blue-and-white porcelain teacup slipped from her hand and shattered on the polished, mirror-like gold-brick floor! Scalding tea splashed everywhere, and brown tea stains quickly spread, just like her suddenly shattered heart.

The hall fell silent instantly. The Duke of Zhenguo's voice stopped. The Duke and his wife fell silent. Jinse cried out in alarm and rushed over to check if Luo Qingrou had been burned.

Lu Zheng's roguish smile vanished instantly. He looked at Luo Qingrou's face, which had suddenly lost all color, at her dazed eyes that seemed to have all their strength drained away, at her slightly trembling fingertips, and at the few glaring tea stains on her skirt... A complex and difficult-to-decipher emotion flashed quickly across his eyes, including astonishment, inquiry, and a hint of... a flutter that even he himself was unaware of.

His words were a deliberate attempt to test her, given her unusually frequent visits to the manor to "stir things up" lately and the strange anxiety in her voice. He never expected the news from the northern frontier her father brought to elicit such a strong reaction!

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