Lu Mingxiu looked at An Ran, the warmth in his eyes never fading. "How about this, just write to me whatever you think, and I'll tell you whether I think it's good or bad. Once you've written it, have someone deliver it to Qin Feng."
An Ran was taken aback, then nodded obediently.
"I'm leaving." Lu Mingxiu explained everything clearly, thinking that Chu Tianze's situation was about right. He still needed to go to the palace to meet the emperor before leaving the capital, so he couldn't stay too late. He gave An Ran a deep look with his dark eyes, and handed her the key to the camphor wood chest: "Take good care of it."
Take care!
His body heat still lingered on the key. An Ran held the key and token in her hand and nodded vigorously.
"You too, Lord Marquis, please take care while you're away." An Ran thought for a moment, then couldn't help but add another sentence.
Lu Mingxiu turned around, revealing the first smile he had shown that day, instantly giving people a feeling of ice and snow melting and clouds clearing after a storm.
He nodded seriously before turning and leaving.
******
In the main hall.
Regarding Lu Mingxiu and An Ran's marriage, the three matriarchs were almost entirely led by the nose by Chu Tianze.
Although An Yuanliang and Zhao Shi's scheming was no match for Chu Tianze, and even though the Grand Madam had her own plans, she couldn't resist the fact that this was a marriage bestowed by the Emperor. The person who was speaking on her behalf was the Emperor's cousin, the Second Master Chu of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.
“Since the Dowager, the Marquis, and Madam Zhao have no objections,” Chu Tianze said with a hint of satisfaction in his peach blossom eyes. He smiled and said, “Once the Imperial Observatory has matched the two people’s birth dates, we will choose an auspicious day and get married as soon as possible.”
The Imperial Observatory was still under their control!
Chu Tianze was strategizing. If Lu Mingxiu was sensible and knew how hard his second uncle had worked, the Imperial Observatory could determine an auspicious day sooner.
As Lu Mingxiu was walking towards the main hall, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had been tricked.
The old lady felt anxious, but there was nothing she could do. The initiative was now in the man's hands; they were weak and powerless, and could only follow his arrangements, even having to repeatedly say yes.
“Mingxiu will be leaving the capital on official business the day after tomorrow. Once he returns, we will formally finalize the agreement.” Chu Tianze thought for a moment and said, “Please also make preparations as soon as possible.”
Aside from nodding in agreement, An Yuanliang couldn't say anything else.
Half of his mind was on dealing with Chu Tianze, while the other half was racing, trying to figure out how to respond to Chen Qian.
Once the imperial decree is issued, even if Chen Qian knew, he would only know that the daughter of the Marquis of Nan'an had married the Marquis of Pingyuan. He had never met Jiu Niang. Besides, Liu Niang and Qi Niang were of marriageable age; it would be such a pity to give up such a good match!
An Yuanliang felt he had found a good method, and he couldn't help but smile more when facing Chu Tianze. No matter what Chu Tianze said, he readily agreed.
Seeing this, the old lady could only curse An Yuanliang in her heart for being so useless.
Chapter 86
After following the servant who led the way out the door, Lu Mingxiu felt that something was wrong.
This was not the path he had taken before. Although it was somewhat similar, it was not the way back to the main hall. Moreover, this servant did not recognize the person who had led him here.
Lu Mingxiu, however, remained calm and pretended not to notice anything, following him forward.
After walking a short distance, we came to a small garden. Although it wasn't large, it was filled with bamboo and some tall trees, and it looked very quiet.
"Please wait a moment, Your Excellency." The servant seemed flustered. He hurriedly said, "I've only been here a short time and have taken the wrong road. I'll go find someone to ask right away. Please, Your Excellency, be magnanimous and forgive me this time. Don't tell my master!"
Lu Mingxiu immediately became alert.
He was leaving the capital the day after tomorrow, and although leaving now would allow him to avoid the trouble, someone in the Marquis of Nan'an's residence wanted to cause him trouble, which was undoubtedly aimed at his marriage to Jiu Niang. If he avoided this opportunity, he wouldn't even know who the other party was, and what if Jiu Niang was harmed?
We must absolutely not leave any potential dangers that could harm Jiu Niang.
Thinking of this, Lu Mingxiu did not expose his clumsy lie, but simply nodded slightly.
The servant thanked him profusely and ran away.
Lu Mingxiu casually strolled around the courtyard, but never left the gate, unwilling to let the person hiding there have his way.
With his exceptional eyesight, he had long ago spotted a pale blue figure behind a dense grove of bamboo. The person was clever; they had deliberately changed into inconspicuous clothing. They were just waiting for him to walk in unnoticed when the figure suddenly appeared, catching him completely off guard.
The man had planned everything very carefully. Although he might not have noticed the hidden person behind him if he wasn't paying attention, he was no match for the Marquis of Pingyuan.
Seeing that the man remained motionless and very composed, seemingly waiting for him to go inside, Lu Mingxiu smiled coldly to himself and turned to walk out.
"Please wait!" The man finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up. A soft, seductive voice called out to him, "You are... Marquis Pingyuan, aren't you?"
Lu Mingxiu turned around.
From behind the dense foliage of pillars emerged a graceful woman, dressed in a light blue dress that accentuated her snow-white skin. A few strands of her long, black hair were delicately tied back with two red-gold and pearl hairpins, while the rest cascaded down her back.
The makeup, which should have been fresh and elegant, was instead tinged with a touch of allure.
This woman was none other than An Liu Niang, whose beauty rivaled that of Jiu Niang. She was originally the most beautiful of the sisters, possessing the greatest assets. However, when An Ran entered the mansion, the even more charming and stunning An Ran stole everyone's attention.
Moreover, Anran is not even fourteen yet, and she will grow up to be even more beautiful, probably beyond her reach. Her jealousy and hatred intensified, but she didn't show it because Qi Niang was there to protect her.
"This humble girl greets Your Excellency."
As he had predicted, Lu Mingxiu stared coldly at the alluring Liu Niang before him.
The woman's features seemed somewhat similar to Jiu Niang's, so Lu Mingxiu guessed she was An Ran's older sister. However, he feigned ignorance, deliberately ignoring the words "my little girl" in her address, and asked with considerable impatience, "Who are you? Since you know me, and see me lost here, why don't you come out and guide me? Is this how the servants of the Marquis of Nan'an treat their guests?"
The speech that Liu Niang had prepared was completely choked back.
Judging from her appearance, is she dressed as a maid? It's one thing that Marquis Pingyuan wasn't captivated by her beauty, but he actually treated her like a servant! Liu Niang's eyes reddened, her gaze filled with affection and glistening with tears, making her look utterly pitiful and evoking pity in everyone.
Even if she really was a maid, shouldn't Marquis Pingyuan have some pity for her at this moment?