Sure enough, the marks of needle pricks remained on her fair and slender fingers, which made Lu Mingxiu feel a pang of heartache.
"It's okay, it doesn't hurt!" An Ran smiled. After all, the needle marks on her hand proved nothing except that she was clumsy. She pulled her hand back, trying to cover it up with a smile. "I'll be more experienced next time."
"Just this once." Lu Mingxiu took her hand, considering whether to apply some ointment to An Ran. "These things can be left to the needleworkers."
Although An Ran knew that Lord Lu meant well, she couldn't help but feel somewhat frustrated. "Do you really think I'm that useless?"
"No, no." How could Lord Lu dare to upset his beloved wife? He said sincerely, "My wife is very capable, but I prefer the purse she makes. Please make me another purse next time you have some free time."
Ultimately, I was afraid she would prick her own hand.
Lord Lu had already humbled himself, and An Ran wasn't one to hold grudges. She quickly put all these things behind her and focused on watching Lu Mingxiu drink his soup.
Cuiping and the others served Lu Mingxiu in the room. After Lu Mingxiu finished his soup and went to wash up, they tidied up the room and then quietly withdrew. It was easy to keep watch for the Marquis and his wife at night; they usually didn't call for help. This was the first time they had asked for water.
Cuiping and Jinping were head maids, and they had been trained. Seeing the lady's appearance that day, they knew that the Marquis had not succeeded in the end.
If only the lady could reach marriageable age soon, consummate her marriage with the Marquis, and give birth to a legitimate son, then I could finally be at ease.
When Lu Mingxiu returned, An Ran had already unceremoniously crawled into bed, which he did quite easily. "Turn off the light and put your coat on the high table."
Lu Mingxiu did as he was told. After he put down the curtain, he picked up An Ran and whispered in her ear with a smile, "I have done everything you asked of me, Madam. Is there a reward?"
Nestled comfortably in Lu Mingxiu's arms, the man's chest, though not broad, made her feel incredibly warm and safe. She tilted her head back and placed a light kiss on Lu Mingxiu's lips, intending to brush it off.
But Lord Lu was not one to suffer losses.
He pried open Anran's soft lips and deepened the kiss until he had taken away all of Anran's breath before letting her go.
Although the light inside the tent was dim, after a while, they could see each other clearly. An Ran rolled her eyes at Lord Lu and said breathlessly, "I still have important things to tell you!"
Lu Mingxiu was addicted to teasing his young wife. Holding her warm and soft body in his arms, he said with satisfaction, "Oh, what important matter do you want to discuss in bed, my wife?"
"My lord!" Seeing Lu Mingxiu's frivolous behavior, An Ran kicked him. Although the kick was small, it still made Lord Lu let out a soft cry, which made An Ran feel a little better. "What did you just say? I didn't quite hear you. Could you please repeat it?"
The voice, which should have been gentle and soothing, was full of threat, and Lord Lu naturally admitted defeat.
"Please speak, my lady. I am all ears," Lord Lu replied solemnly, no longer daring to tease her.
An Ran was finally satisfied: "Princess Yunyang came today and gave me some pointers, telling me a few things."
Seeing that Lu Mingxiu was listening attentively, she briefly recounted everything that Princess Yunyang had said that day, and then said, "You've been busy with these things these days, haven't you?"
Lu Mingxiu nodded and said, "That's right. They've been lying low for ten years, and now they're starting to make their move. Ever since they sent assassins to infiltrate Princess Yunyang's residence, they've been operating in the shadows for another ten years, making them more difficult to investigate."
The imperial intelligence agencies were already operational, and these trusted ministers of the emperor had to handle many things personally at this time.
“These days, wherever you go, you must have plenty of guards with you.” Lu Mingxiu added to An Ran, “If the Grand Princess of Lin’an comes to you again, you don’t need to give her face. I already broke off relations with her last time, so just refuse her.”
An Ran only understood now the purpose of Lu Mingxiu's personal visit to the Grand Princess's residence that day.
He did that to eliminate any future trouble. Now that the pretense was over, they no longer needed to feign compliance with the Grand Princess of Lin'an's schemes.
Lu Mingxiu did it for her safety.
"We've made some progress on the Yu family's matter," Lu Mingxiu said in a low voice. "I'm afraid Yu Zhou's father didn't have the surname Yu when he was traveling. Qin Feng's information is that the Chen family did indeed come into contact with a businessman surnamed Xu eight years ago, and he most closely resembles the Yu family's description."
An Ran didn't find it strange at first. Using an alias is not uncommon. After all, when traveling, one inevitably has more to worry about.
“Xu is a common surname, but it’s strange that Yu Zhou’s father didn’t mention it to them,” An Ran asked casually.
Although Lu Mingxiu hadn't confirmed it yet, he already had a guess in his mind. He had heard of this surname Xu before.
"Back then, the Xu family had an excellent business in both Jiangnan and the capital, and were renowned imperial merchants." Lu Mingxiu recalled the once-prosperous Xu family and couldn't help but sigh, "It's just a pity that they were also involved in the sudden death of the former crown prince and were suppressed by Yun Xu's personal order."
The Xu family was a family of Confucian merchants with a history of over a century, but they disappeared from people's sight in an instant, and no one has mentioned the Xu family of Jiangnan since.
“Since Yu Zhou’s father used the alias Xu, I guess Xu is actually his real surname, and Yu is the name he used when he was hiding his identity.” Lu Mingxiu slowly stated his guess. “Of course, this still needs to be verified. I have already asked Qin Feng to do it. I’m afraid there are other connections involved in this matter.”
This also involves the grudges of the previous generation. If Yu Zhou's father is indeed Xu Cheng, this matter is no longer just a family affair of the Yu family.
The Xu family...
An Ran suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She remembered the Xu family, which was famous in Jiangnan in her previous life. When the young master of the Xu family appeared in Yangzhou, he was someone that even the Chen family had to look up to.
Could Yu Zhou be Xu Zhou? Is he the young master of the Xu family? If only she had met the young master of the Xu family in her previous life.
Is it really that much of a coincidence?
"Don't think about it anymore, go to sleep early." Lu Mingxiu was unaware of the turmoil in An Ran's heart; he thought she was worried about the Xu family. "Don't worry, I'll handle this. I'll definitely get to the bottom of this."
An Ran nodded haphazardly in Lu Mingxiu's arms and closed her eyes.
If Yu Zhou is really Xu Zhou, and truly the young master of the Xu family, how did he discover those past events in his previous life? And how did he take on the responsibility of the Xu family's business?
At this moment, he probably didn't know the identity of his father, and even his mother probably didn't know, otherwise she wouldn't have kept saying that his surname was Yu.
This makes it highly likely that Yu Zhou's father is a member of the Xu family. He must have been afraid that his past would implicate his family, which is why he hid his identity and refused to reveal the truth.
The day when the truth is revealed is not far off.
******
The Chen residence.
After the clouds cleared and the rain stopped that day, Xu Hui leaned against Chen Qian, her slender fingers pointing at his chest, and said, "Sir, I want to ask you for a favor."
Chen Qian was in a great mood, feeling very comfortable being served by Xu Hui. "What is it? Speak."