Chapter 74 Good news?

Every autumn rain brings a chill. The grass and trees in Kyoto are moist, and the air is filled with the smell of damp earth.

The streets were bustling with activity. The windows of the elegant rooms on the second floor of Jinzun Tower were half open, and the cries of vendors could be heard inside, adding a touch of worldly air to the decadent atmosphere.

The young man in brocade robe on the soft couch had drunk countless cups and looked a little tipsy. Even when he was teased by several young masters from aristocratic families next to him, he remained indifferent.

"I suddenly remembered that the beginning of next month is Brother Chu and Miss Huo's wedding day?"

"That's right. Miss Huo lived in Baohua Temple for three years, and Brother Chu waited for her for three years. As soon as she came back, the wedding date was immediately arranged."

"Speaking of which, Brother Chu is only half a month older than the young master, and he's about to get married, but the young master hasn't even decided on a marriage. Isn't the young master anxious?"

As the young men drank, their conversation became increasingly unrestrained. The young man on the couch finally reacted and kicked the young man with his usual harsh tone, "My grandmother hasn't urged me yet, why are you urging me?"

The room burst into laughter.

There was a chessboard on the table on the soft couch. Lu Qian sat up, picked up two chess pieces and played with them in his hands.

"The last time I saw the young master's cousin, she was stunningly beautiful. I think the young master and her get along quite well. Since they are so close, it would be better to marry her and strengthen the relationship."

This remark caused the other young men to laugh even louder. The young man beside the chessboard had no expression on his face, but his hand that was playing with the chess piece paused for a moment.

"I think so too. Last time at the Pei family, the young master was supporting my cousin."

"It's a beautiful thing for a cousin whose parents are both orphaned to marry a cousin who knows her family well. Speaking of which, wasn't our late emperor's first empress a cousin..."

The bright light from the window leaped into Lu Qian's dark eyes. He remained silent throughout. He moved his fingers slightly, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and said nonchalantly, "Who said I get along well with her?"

The voice was clearly neither loud nor soft, but the room was inexplicably silent.

Everyone suddenly remembered that the young master didn't like others guessing his likes and dislikes. Last time, a young man brought a beautiful woman to the banquet without saying hello, and said he wanted to give her to the young master for entertainment. As a result, he was beaten up by the young master.

They were also drunk and forgot about it, so they started to make fun of each other.

The long street downstairs suddenly became noisy.

This gave the young men a chance to catch their breath, and one of them went to the window and looked at the street.

Under the autumn sun, several Jinyiwei came on horseback. At the front of the team, a handsome man in a black brocade robe was riding a horse, holding an iron whip in his hand. Passers-by retreated one after another.

"Huh?"

"Isn't that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?" The young man leaning against the second-floor window exclaimed, "Strange, who is that person?"

Hearing this, the other young masters came over.

The Jinyiwei rode past the Jinzun Tower, and at the end of the team were several disheveled strong men, all of whom were covered in wounds.

"The one in the middle seems to be called Shi Tao. I've seen him before."

"I heard from my father that Shi Tao embezzled military equipment and was wanted for several months but still couldn't be caught. It had to be His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"This Shi Tao is quite good at hiding. The Ministry of Justice sent people to Jueshui County a few days ago to investigate, but he was so good that he killed people and disfigured them. I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was furious, so he personally took action."

Snap——

The warm jade black spots suddenly slipped from the fingertips.

The figure beside the chessboard raised his head and stared at the young man who had just spoken with deep eyes.

"What did you say? The prince went to Jueshui County?"

"Yes, I happened to see it when I passed by this street this morning."

Jingjue Temple is also in Jueshui County. The dead girl said that she wanted to accompany the old lady to stay in the temple for a while. With her personality, it would be strange for her to sit still in the Buddhist temple. She would definitely run down the mountain.

Don't run into...

Thinking of this, Lu Qian instantly lost the mood to drink. He casually threw the remaining chess pieces in his hand into the chess box, lifted his robe and stood up.

"Huh?"

"Where is the young master going?"

Lu Qian said lazily, "Let's go home."

…

The backyard of the Duke's Mansion.

Lu Qian sneaked into the mansion from the back door and was about to go back to his room to change clothes and wash up, but he ran into Niu Ma, the housekeeper of Wang Shi, in the curved corridor.

He didn't come home all night yesterday and was drunk today. If Nanny Niu knew about this and told the Duke and his wife, he would definitely be beaten.

Just as Lu Qian was thinking about how to get away with it, Nanny Niu came over with a beaming face. She didn't notice the alcohol on him at all and said with a mysterious smile, "Young Master, why did you come back so late? You almost missed some good news."

"What good news can there be?" Lu Qian said casually, nonchalantly, "I'm going back to my room to catch up on some sleep. It won't be too late to find out after I wake up."

Nanny Niu said, "How can it not be good news? This morning, the old lady sent a message back saying that the Pei family is coming to the mansion to propose marriage!"

Propose marriage?

What kind of relationship are you talking about?

Lu Qian's brows furrowed, his eyes filled with suspicion. "Are you really planning to marry Lu Yu to Pei Zhao?"

“…”

Nanny Niu was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing and denied it repeatedly: "Young Master, you misunderstood. It's not the Second Young Lady, it's the Cousin Young Lady!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Qian's expression froze.

"Who are you talking about?"

Nanny Niu didn't notice her young master's unusual behavior and continued to smile, "My dear cousin, the two wives of the Pei family personally went to Jingjue Temple to discuss this matter with the old lady. Both Pei Erlang and my cousin are very satisfied with this marriage."

As she spoke, she sighed again, "Originally, Madam was planning to bring Pei Erlang and the second young lady together, but Pei Erlang had no interest in that."

Are you all satisfied?

Lu Qian's tongue touched his cheek, and there was a murderous look in his dark eyes.

"He's not interested in Lu Yu, but he's interested in that dead girl?"

Hearing his bad tone, Nanny Niu thought the young master was speaking up for the second young lady, so she faded a little, "Young master, you can't say that. Although marriage is decided by parents and matchmakers, it also depends on fate. Pei Erlang and the second young lady are not compatible, and even the lady has accepted it calmly. You should also be more open-minded."

"It's a good thing that the Lu and Pei families can become relatives."

Lu Qian suddenly sneered.

A good thing? Not necessarily.

"Have Father and Mother agreed?"

"The old lady has agreed, so the Duke and his wife naturally have no objection. Now we are just waiting for the Pei family to come and propose marriage." Nanny Niu said.

As soon as the words fell, the corridor fell into dead silence.

"Got it." Lu Qian walked towards the courtyard as if nothing had happened. His voice was leisurely and there was not much emotion in it. "The Pei family hasn't mentioned it yet, so what's there to be happy about?"

“…” Nanny Niu frowned.

I always feel that there is a hint of gnashing of teeth in the young master's words. Could it be that he is angry because his cousin is going to marry Pei Erlang?

That's impossible. Everyone in the mansion knows that the young master and the cousin don't get along, and they've had many conflicts before.

She must have been overthinking it.