"Hurry up and greet the madam!" Zhu, Lu Mingxiu's fourth aunt, hurriedly pushed two people forward.
Before they arrived, Madam Zhu had already given instructions to send them to Marquis Pingyuan, Lu Mingxiu, as concubines. Marquis Pingyuan is now a man of great power and influence, and although he has a wife, she is still a young boy, not even fifteen yet. It is said that they can only consummate their marriage when she turns fifteen, so they still have more than a year to wait.
If she could manage to conceive the Marquis's child, she could at least become a concubine. With her son's birth, she could rise in status and have a promising future. It would be far better to become a concubine in the Marquis's household and enjoy wealth and luxury than to marry into a humble family.
Both women came from impoverished families and came to seek refuge with Madam Luo and Madam Zhu, naturally unwilling to marry only ordinary men.
Therefore, the two of them stepped forward shyly and were about to bow to Anran.
"Wait a minute."
An Ran waved her hand to stop the two. She smiled and said, "Since they are relatives of your families, even though I don't need to show them any respect, I certainly won't look down on them. I have to call the maids around my grandmother and mother 'elder sister.' Since you two say I'm too young, there's even less need for that."
Tongniang and Xuanniang froze in place, unsure of what to do.
If they were genuine relatives, such formalities wouldn't be necessary during ordinary visits; proper seniority would precede any conversation. However, if they harbored ulterior motives, as An Ran stated, they were already lowering themselves in status. Now, before An Ran has even granted them entry, were they already performing the rites of a concubine?
They looked at Zhu and Luo with pleading eyes.
An Jiuniang may look young and gentle, but she is not easily fooled.
Zhu, however, remained steadfast in her convictions. If she were to be fooled by An Ran again today, she feared she would never have another such good opportunity.
"Ninth Sister, do I really need to spell these things out for you?" Madam Zhu looked at An Ran with a serious expression and said, "In terms of looks, ordinary girls naturally can't compare to you. But men also have needs. If you don't consummate your marriage, problems will arise sooner or later."
“It’s a good thing that the Marquis dotes on you because you’re young.” She saw that An Ran seemed to be deep in thought and thought she had moved An Ran. She quickly said, “But rather than letting some shady people climb into the Marquis’s bed, it would be better to choose two people who know you well and can be your right-hand men in the future.”
An Ran seemed to be touched.
The two thought they had a chance and were overjoyed, waiting for An Ran's reaction.
"Tongniang and Xuanniang are also talented. They have some knowledge of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and they are also good at Go and backgammon," Luo added from the side.
So these two were specifically prepared to be concubines?
Little did An Ran know that she was genuinely stunned; she hadn't expected the two to say such things. They'd only met twice, yet they'd already sworn about things like "climbing into bed." It was truly remarkable how shameless they were.
Do you really think she's so young and brainless?
"Oh? What about their indentures?" An Ran smiled slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of pride and nobility as she looked at Tong Niang and Xuan Niang. "Only when I have their indentures in my hands will I feel at ease."
Madam Zhu thought she had persuaded her, but An Ran brought up the matter of the indenture with some displeasure. She said, "Ninth Sister, your aunt is thinking of you. If you think about it carefully, those two are actually distant relatives of the Marquis. How can you treat them like maids? Don't worry, they will naturally side with you."
“I’ve never seen a distant relative so eager to become someone’s concubine.” An Ran stopped beating around the bush, her smile tinged with sarcasm. “Since they are relatives of your families, you should be teaching them from time to time.”
Only then did Madam Zhu and Madam Luo realize that An Ran had been dissatisfied for a long time, so they simply let them finish speaking before they finally reacted.
“Both of you have unmarried daughters in your families.” Since the two of them came uninvited last time, An Ran had learned a bit about the situation of the two families. Zhu Shi also had a fourteen-year-old second daughter who was not yet married, while Luo Shi’s fifteen-year-old eldest daughter was in the process of being engaged.
An Ran looked at the slight change in their expressions, her smile growing even brighter. "When choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. If the principal wife is only focused on fighting with the concubines, that's low-class behavior... What family would dare to marry such a daughter-in-law? Wouldn't it be a loss if your daughters' reputation were affected because of relatives?"
Is An Jiu Niang threatening them?
Zhu's face immediately turned ugly, and Luo said even more directly, "An Jiu Niang, you have no respect for your elders! How dare you threaten us?"
"The path you're on is one you've walked yourself," An Ran said calmly, looking at the two of them.
Tongniang and Xuanniang, standing to the side, were naturally extremely embarrassed. They had been left aside, and no one cared about them anymore. Zhu Shi and Luo Shi's focus had shifted to whether An Ran would use her status as the wife of the Marquis of Pingyuan to cause trouble.
"Don't think you can be arrogant just because you married Lu Mingxiu." Madam Luo glared at An Ran with hatred, then suddenly smiled, saying in a sinister tone, "The day you fall out of favor, you'll have nowhere to cry!"
"You think you're some kind of celestial being just because you have a bit of beauty? You're nothing but a concubine's daughter. Do you even deserve Lu Mingxiu?"
Before An Ran could speak, a dignified male voice came from outside, seemingly tinged with anger. "My wife is not for you to judge."
It was Lu Mingxiu's voice!
An Ran quickly got up, and sure enough, in no time, a handsome man's face appeared behind the eight-panel sandalwood carved screen depicting the four seasons. An Ran was almost startled; his cold and dignified expression seemed to be brewing a storm in his eyes, making him terrifyingly gloomy.
"My lord, you're back." An Ran hurriedly went to greet him.
Madam Zhu and Madam Luo dared not act like elders in front of Lu Mingxiu, so they busied themselves, smiling ingratiatingly at him. "You weren't busy with official duties today? You're back so early. You truly have the Emperor's favor and are exceptionally considerate."
Lu Mingxiu didn't respond, but stared coldly at the two of them, making their legs tremble.
"What brings you two here today?" Lu Mingxiu stood beside An Ran, adopting a protective stance. His sharp gaze seemed to expose Luo and Zhu's petty schemes.
The two looked at each other and hesitated for a moment before falling silent.
"I heard what you just said." Since they wouldn't speak, Lu Mingxiu spoke for them. He saw the two women shrink back slightly before slowly saying, "The Emperor has bestowed a marriage upon me and Jiu Niang. Do you think the Emperor has made a mistake?"
Remembering what Chu Tianze had told him, Lu Mingxiu didn't immediately throw the two of them out.
During this time, Lu Mingxiu, like An Ran, didn't even glance at Tongniang and Xuanniang standing to the side, acting as if they didn't exist.
Who dares to speak ill of the Emperor? Nobody wants to live any longer!
Luo and Zhu stammered, only saying that he had misheard and that they hadn't said anything. But Luo refused to give up. Even with the stunning beauty An Ran in her arms, men still had desires. Her two nieces, with their pitiful and delicate charm, were most likely to attract a man's sympathy and affection; she didn't believe Lu Mingxiu would be completely unmoved.
“You and your wife are newly married, and the large Marquis’s mansion must be short-handed. We thought it would be a blessing for them to send two people they know well to serve you and your wife, even if it’s just to serve tea and water.” When speaking to Lu Mingxiu, Madam Luo did not dare to be too casual, so she quickly said tactfully, “Although the two of them are not very good-looking, they are very diligent.”
If she could stay as a maid for now, that would be good, as she would still have the opportunity to serve Lu Mingxiu closely in the future.
“The household is indeed short-staffed.” Even Chu Tianze praised Lu Mingxiu, saying that his methods had become more moderate since his marriage. Lu Mingxiu’s expression softened slightly, but his next words made them regretful. “The kitchen and laundry areas are short-staffed.”
Not only did I have to work the hardest and most tiring jobs at those two places, but I also couldn't see Lu Mingxiu at all!
An Ran inwardly applauded Lu Mingxiu. The calm and composed Marquis Lu seemed even more difficult to deal with than the cold-faced Marquis Lu.