Red candle flames burned on the table. Two trails of tears ran down the bride's face, washing two clear streaks through her thick powder.
Before marrying into the Duke's Residence, she had heard that the old duke had a somewhat peculiar temperament, but she had never imagined it would be this bad. Never mind his sudden disappearance during the ceremony-he had actually summoned the groom away on their wedding night. Was he dissatisfied with her, or did he have a quarrel with her father? If so, why had he agreed to the marriage in the first place?
Lu Ming had no idea what his new wife was thinking in the bridal chamber. As the Duke of Lu's youngest son, he possessed far more composure and perceptiveness than his reputation as a wastrel suggested. He knew his father must have something extremely important to tell him, and he had already noticed something unusual in the room.
This was the Duke of Lu's bedroom. An extremely valuable piece of porcelain had always stood on the display shelf beside the window-a large bowl said to have come from the Ru Kiln a thousand years ago. Warned since childhood not to touch it carelessly, he remembered that porcelain bowl very clearly. Why had it been replaced with a new one today?
"There was too little time today, so I grabbed something at random to fill the spot. Tomorrow, go to the storeroom and bring that large bowl from the Xin Kiln here."
Dressed in casual clothes, the Duke of Lu combed his graying hair with his fingers and reminded him again, "Don't forget."
Lu Ming acknowledged this, then asked, "Father, what exactly happened?"
The Duke of Lu looked up at him and said, "Everyone says I dote on you most. That is true. I