"And you're not entirely indifferent, are you?"
******
An Ran followed Princess Yunyang out of the gate of Fengqi Palace in a daze.
Even after getting into the sedan chair and then switching back to the horse-drawn carriage, Anran still felt a sense of unreality as she rode back to her residence with Princess Yunyang.
The Empress asked her directly what she meant.
"If you agree today, the Emperor will immediately issue a decree to bestow a marriage upon you and Mingxiu." The Empress asked her earnestly, "If you are unwilling, it will be pointless for Mingxiu to be so enthusiastic on his own, right?"
"Are you willing?"
An Ran, as if possessed, nodded in agreement.
To be honest, she wasn't completely indifferent to Lu Mingxiu. After all, Lu Mingxiu had saved her twice, and each time she saw him, she felt a sense of security. She still remembered his warm, dry hands and his deep voice.
She longed for a stable and peaceful life.
What moved An Ran even more was that when her reputation was ruined, the Marquis of Dingbei's family had already broken off the engagement. It was unlikely that Lu Mingxiu could hide these things from him, but Lu Mingxiu still asked the Emperor for a decree to grant them the marriage.
What moved her most was Lu Mingxiu's trust.
Just as the Empress said, "Life is what people live."
With this mutual trust, she and Lu Mingxiu are sure they can make a good life together.
Moreover... Chen Qian, whom An Ran fears most, is someone who, even if he were to stir up trouble, would probably not dare to offend Marquis Pingyuan.
On her way back, Princess Yunyang was overjoyed. She looked at Anran, who was clearly out of sorts, with tenderness and tolerance. Everyone has a youthful time when their hearts are stirred by spring.
Marrying the Marquis of Pingyuan would probably be the best option for An Ran right now.
Lu Mingxiu is a responsible and capable man; at least half of the unmarried noble ladies in the capital want to marry him. An Ran's description of "from the south of the city to the north" is not an exaggeration.
An Ran was somewhat distracted on the way, unaware that the Empress had sent someone to deliver a message to the Emperor, saying that she had something to report to him after the court session. Xiao Jin also sent someone to deliver a message to Lu Mingxiu, telling him not to leave the palace yet.
Since the Empress was in trouble and there were no important matters in the court, Yun Shu naturally prioritized Xiao Jin.
"Your Majesty, I think Ninth Sister of the An family is very good, and she is a perfect match for Mingxiu." Xiao Jin said with a smile, "I have someone tell Mingxiu not to leave yet, and to wait for him to take your decree to propose marriage!"
Yun Shu had already been persuaded by Xiao Jin, and the arranged marriage was a done deal.
“How could I dare disobey the Empress’s command?” Yun Shu looked at Xiao Jin with the same deep affection and tenderness as ten years ago. “Since the Empress thinks it’s a good match, I will grant their wish.”
Xiao Jin smiled slightly.
“In that case, I would like to see Mingxiu and give him a few words of advice.”
Yun Shu took Xiao Jin to the Imperial Study and then ordered someone to call Lu Mingxiu in.
Lu Mingxiu entered the Imperial Study with trepidation, but when he saw the Empress with a gentle smile standing in front of the Emperor, he felt much more at ease.
"Your subject Lu Mingxiu greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."
As Chu Tianze said, with the Empress's help, success should not be difficult!
A hint of excitement flashed across Lu Mingxiu's face.
"When it comes to marriage, you're like a greenhorn." Seeing Lu Mingxiu's unusually cheerful expression, Yun Shu couldn't help but tease, "Where did the usually calm and aloof Marquis Lu go?"
Lu Mingxiu was overjoyed.
The Emperor must have agreed!
"Don't be so happy yet. Getting married isn't an easy thing," Xiao Jin said with a smile. "I'm just asking you, your household is a mess. You'll have to clean it up properly before the wedding. Someone should take charge of your household."
Lu Mingxiu nodded repeatedly.
"I just met the Ninth Lady of the An family. She is quite remarkable, a very beautiful young lady, and also quiet and gentle. No wonder Mingxiu took a liking to her." Xiao Jin smiled at Yun Shu and said, "She is indeed worthy of being Mingxiu's principal wife."
She told Yun Shu the same thing again in front of Lu Mingxiu, just to put Lu Mingxiu's mind at ease.
“The young lady is a good person, you must treat her well,” Xiao Jin instructed Lu Mingxiu, “To put it bluntly, Mingxiu, since you have chosen An Jia Jiu Niang, you cannot let her down.”
Knowing that the Empress cared about him, Lu Mingxiu nodded vigorously.
His cold, stern face seemed to melt away like ice and snow, and beneath his composed and reserved expression, there was a hint of youthful excitement.
This shows that he truly cares about An Ran.
Xiao Jin was satisfied and let him go.
The first thing Lu Mingxiu did upon returning to the Marquis's residence was to have Ke Lin and Qin Feng copy the account books in the storeroom. Even Song Yan and Song Mo, who were literate, were brought in to help organize the deeds and property deeds of Lu Mingxiu's properties and fields.
In the past, Lu Mingxiu did not care about these things. He didn't even know how many estates he owned in the suburbs of Beijing. He would send Colin or Qin Feng there.
"Find two people in a group, each person makes a copy, and compare them to each other to make sure there are no mistakes." Lu Mingxiu then handed over the reins and let the rest of them do the hard work.
Songyang, Songmo, Kelin, and Qinfeng could make a whole mahjong table.
Colin and Qin Feng knew some of the truth and felt that their liberation was just around the corner, so they worked with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Song Yang and Song Mo were still lamenting in their hearts, juggling multiple jobs and wondering when the day would come when the Lady of the Marquis would give them a raise.
Fortunately, the four of them were very efficient, and in just three days, they had sorted out all the accounts clearly.
Since Lu Mingxiu didn't know anything about it anyway, he simply "gave up" and didn't look at it at all, filling a whole box with account books.
Yun Shu finally issued an imperial decree, betrothing Lu Mingxiu and An Ran to each other.