"What's wrong with your maid?" Lu Mingxiu's face was cold and imposing. His eyes darkened, and he said in a cold voice, "Are you mute?"
Still unable to gain the Marquis of Pingyuan's favor, and unwilling to give up this rare opportunity, Liu Niang stepped forward with a humbled expression and curtsied, saying, "I am the sixth child in my family, and I am the elder sister of Jiu Niang. Your Excellency can simply call me Liu Niang."
She had thought that now that she had revealed her identity, the Marquis of Pingyuan's attitude should be more friendly, right? But the Marquis of Pingyuan just nodded coldly, the chill in his eyes still lingering.
"So it's Miss An Liu."
Lu Mingxiu held her behavior in utter contempt. An Liuniang was certainly aware of the imperial decree that had betrothed him to Jiu Niang. But Lu Mingxiu could still guess at her purpose in coming here dressed so alluringly.
If she wanted to put on a good show, he would cooperate. He wanted to see what kind of wicked thoughts this woman was hiding.
Therefore, after nodding slightly, Lu Mingxiu actually lifted his leg and walked outside.
Sixth Sister was anxious. This was at the door. If Marquis Pingyuan thought of the strict separation between men and women and just went out like this, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?
"Please wait, Lord Marquis!" Sixth Sister was anxious and was about to call out to Lu Mingxiu when she suddenly heard the servant's voice from outside.
After all, Sixth Sister was still rational. Seeing that this attempt failed, she had no choice but to hurriedly hide back inside.
To be honest, Lu Mingxiu was also a little disappointed that he couldn't see Liu Niang unleash her power. The servant who appeared this time was the one who had initially led the way for him. Upon seeing Lu Mingxiu here, he asked a question.
"I took the wrong turn," Lu Mingxiu explained casually, then followed him out.
Emerging from the small courtyard where guests were being received, the two paths were indeed quite similar. Without giving it much thought, the servant led Lu Mingxiu to the main courtyard.
******
Before Chu Tianze and Lu Mingxiu left the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, both of them were satisfied.
Even someone as wise as the Dowager Lady could only be led by the nose by him in the Marquis of Nan'an's residence. Chu Tianze couldn't help but chuckle to himself. The situation was beyond his control; he held an absolute advantage, so wouldn't it be foolish not to seize the initiative?
When the Pingyuan Marquis's mansion was in trouble, the Nan'an Marquis's mansion stayed far away. But after Lu Mingxiu became successful, the Nan'an Marquis dared to boast outside that the two mansions had once been engaged.
What a huge face!
Unfortunately, Lu Mingxiu fell for An Jia Jiu Niang.
Chu Tianze had considered the same doubts Yun Shu had. But when Lu Mingxiu first asked him to help An Jiuniang out of a predicament, he was clearly already tempted.
Chu Tianze had secretly used his connections to investigate An Ran, but he feared that Lu Mingxiu might be misled and suffer a loss.
The result, however, was beyond his expectations.
An Jia Jiu Niang grew up in Jiangnan. She was somewhat spoiled as a child, but after her adoptive grandmother passed away, she became a completely different person, very sensible, and took care of her younger siblings. Later, she was taken into the Marquis's mansion in the capital and became the ninth daughter of the Marquis of Nan'an.
She did indeed stay at the Prince Yi's residence for over a month, ostensibly to accompany Third Sister. Based on Chu Tianze's understanding of the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, if the Grand Madam were to send her illegitimate daughter to protect Third Sister's position, it would be something only a decisive and ruthless person like the Grand Madam would do.
However, An Jiu got along well with the Third Sister. During this time, after Consort Li and Lady Li were punished by the Princess Consort, she returned to the Marquis's residence.
It is easy to see from this that An Jiu is a smart, cautious and conscientious girl.
Chu Tianze also discovered that the Marquis of Dingbei's family had once wanted to marry An Jiu. However, because of the rumors circulating in the capital, Fang Ting abandoned the marriage proposal.
When Chu Tianze learned that the marriage between the two families had failed, he immediately guessed that the problem lay with Fang Ting.
This young master from a prominent family in the capital ultimately couldn't let go of his future. His decision to give up was exactly what Chu Tianze had expected. It wasn't easy for a son born out of wedlock to achieve what he had today; he'd heard that his aunt was extremely virtuous and understanding, and her son naturally inherited that trait.
Ultimately, it was fate that brought An Jiu and Lu Mingxiu together.
Chu Tianze did his best to help Lu Mingxiu not only because he liked and cared for this junior, but also because of his own old regrets.
When An Jiu was embroiled in infamous rumors, Lu Mingxiu was able to protect her firmly and directly petition the Emperor for a marriage decree. After that, no one in the capital dared to gossip anymore, and An Jiu's status was significantly elevated.
If you love someone, you should hold onto her tightly.
This is also Chu Tianze's biggest regret.
The Duke of Dingguo felt ashamed of his second son, so for many years he acted like a dissolute and frivolous young man, and did not get married for more than ten years, but the Duke of Dingguo never forced him to.
At that time, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion was going through its most difficult period. They had to secretly raise the late Crown Prince's son, keeping it a secret right under the new emperor's nose. The sacrifices made by the entire Duke of Dingguo's mansion were unimaginable.
The eldest son, Chu Tianqi, is also the heir of the Duke's mansion. He bears the responsibility of the family and is also the focus of the new emperor's attention, so it is impossible for him to use his skills in unorthodox ways.
Before he even reached adulthood, Chu Tianze was already traveling the martial arts world, contacting former officials of the late Crown Prince, accumulating strength to protect the Marquis's mansion, or helping the late Crown Prince's heir seize the throne... He took over the most shady side of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion early on.
In order to protect the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, Chu Tianze missed his true love in this life.
He could not abandon his entire family; he could not abandon the hatred for his country and family to flee far away.
This is a regret he can never make up for in this lifetime.
Now, seeing Lu Mingxiu bravely fighting for and protecting his beloved, he is most supportive.
That kind of regret is something you should never experience.
"I just told them that we'd finalize the deal once you get back." Chu Tianze refused to reveal even a trace of his sadness and grief. He blinked his peach blossom eyes, raised an eyebrow, and looked at Lu Mingxiu meaningfully, saying, "In a couple of days, I'll have the Imperial Observatory combine your birth dates and choose an auspicious day."
The implication was clear: if Lu Mingxiu didn't properly respect his "elders," he would have plenty of good days ahead of him, and it wasn't impossible for him to choose a later date.
To everyone's surprise, Lu Mingxiu remained lost in his own thoughts, a faint smile playing on his lips, his expression no longer as cold and aloof as before. The little incident in the bamboo forest had not affected his good mood.
Oh. Are these two young people having a pleasant conversation?
Lu Mingxiu was in a good mood today.
Everything was handed over to Jiu Niang smoothly, and she no longer showed the fear and restraint she usually did in front of him. The two of them seemed to have known each other for a long time, and the atmosphere was relaxed when they talked. Jiu Niang did not reject contact with him.
Just recalling An Ran's flushed cheeks and her shy, timid movements touched his heartstrings.