Chapter 141 Marriage

More than half a month later, Chu Ran received the imperial edict that appointed him as the official of the East Factory. Along with the imperial edict, a brand new black dark gold python robe was delivered, with the python pattern woven with gold thread. On top of the clothes was a black veil hat with golden rolling cloud patterns. Next to the clothes was a white jade belt, with a dark gold Taotie pattern on the four-finger-wide leather belt, which was solemn and steady, and a black sapphire was inlaid in the center.

The eunuch who came to deliver the imperial edict smiled and said to Chu Ran: "Your Majesty specially ordered the Clothing Bureau to make this suit in a hurry. It would have taken at least a month to make it, but the palace servants knew that Your Majesty was in a hurry, so it only took half the time to make it."

Chu Ran took the clothes and belt handed over by the eunuch, and they looked exactly like the domineering Dongchang factory owner he imagined. In short, from beginning to end, everything was done exactly as Chu Ran had described to Li Fu before.

However, Li Fu had not told Chu Ran these things before, apparently he wanted to give Chu Ran a surprise.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Chu Ran stroked the delicately embroidered patterns on it and said with a smile.

The young eunuch also smiled, but looked very respectful. "See what you said, I will work under you from now on, and I will have to rely on you a lot in the future."

Chu Ran waved his hands pretentiously, looking a little proud, "Hey, it's nothing, nothing."

"Thank you very much, sir. I will not bother you any more. I will take my leave now."

After watching the young eunuch leave, Chu Ran couldn't wait to put on his clothes, fasten his belt, and put on his hat.

Chu Ran was born with red lips, white teeth, fair and slender complexion, and his facial features were more delicate than those of ordinary men. After putting on this outfit, he looked even more elegant and noble.

Chu Ran admired himself in the bronze mirror and became more and more satisfied the more he looked.

At this time, Li Fu was discussing matters with his ministers in Qianxing Palace, and it was almost time for lunch.

During this year or so, Li Fu lost a lot of weight and often had stomach pains. At first, Li Fu hid this from Chu Ran and said it was not a big deal. It was later when Chu Ran eavesdropped on the conversations of the imperial physician and Dong Quan that he learned what kind of life Li Fu had lived in the year after his death.

Li Fu didn't eat or sleep well. He was busy with government affairs all day long and forgot to eat and sleep. Before he met Chu Ran, he even slept only two or three hours a day for several days in a row, almost using himself like a perpetual motion machine.

If we keep going on like this, all the good people will be corrupted.

Li Fu sleeps well now, but he still often forgets to eat.

The imperial physician asked Dong Quan to remind Li Fu to eat on time, but Li Fu didn't listen to Dong Quan, so Chu Ran had to watch him himself.

But if I were to go there dressed like this... it would seem a bit too formal.

Forget it, let’s change clothes.

So Chu Ran reluctantly took off his clothes and changed into his daily eunuch uniform.

As soon as he arrived at the gate of Qianxing Palace, Chu Ran saw the ministers coming out of the house. At the same time, a familiar figure was walking towards Qianxing Palace in the distance. Chu Ran quickly chased after him and whispered, "Fifth Prince! Fifth Prince!"

Li Dingning heard the shouting, turned around, and saw it was Chu Ran. His eyes lit up slightly, and he stopped and waited for Chu Ran to come over.

"You're back in the palace?"

"I came back early."

Li Dingning went out of town some time ago and no one knew what he was doing. He just came back recently and didn't know that Li Fu and Chu Ran had reconciled.

"Look at you..." Li Dingning saw Chu Ran's eyes full of joy, which must be a happy event. Moreover, there should be only one happy event that can make Chu Ran so happy, "Is Fourth Brother okay?!"

"Yeah! Hehe."

"Okay, okay." Li Dingning clapped his hands excitedly. Soon, he grabbed Chu Ran's hand and whispered, "Let's find time to talk about you and Fourth Brother. It just so happens that I don't know what to write in my story recently. If you talk to me, it will give me some inspiration."

"This..." Chu Ran thought for a moment and said, "I have to ask His Majesty."

"Oh, why don't you ask him what he is doing? Just tell me in secret. Let's keep it as our little secret. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else."

"Hmm..." Chu Ran was still a little hesitant.

"Your Highness, don't you want to see the Emperor? The Emperor is waiting for you inside."

Dong Quan walked out at some point, and Li Dingning immediately let go of Chu Ran. He winked at Chu Ran as he left.

Chu Ran: “…”

"What do you want from me?" Li Fu sat behind the dragon table and raised his head to glance at Li Dingning.

"I want to ask my fourth brother to issue an imperial decree to arrange a marriage between me and Princess Wucheng!"

Before he could finish his words, Li Dingning fell to his knees on the ground.

Li Fu glanced at Li Dingning who was kneeling below him, and did not ask him to stand up. Instead, he picked up the brush in his hand and wrote something while saying, "I heard that you have not been in Beijing recently. Where have you been?"

"I... your brother... your brother didn't go anywhere..." Li Dingning muttered. After a while, Li Dingning said awkwardly and shyly, "Your brother heard that there was a meteorite falling in a village outside the city some time ago, so I wanted to move the iron back and find a better blacksmith to forge the meteorite into a sword and give it to Princess Wucheng as... as a token of our love."

The Princess Wucheng mentioned by Li Dingning is Qin Nianwei, and the title "Wucheng" was bestowed upon her by Li Fu.

"Did she accept it?"

"Yes," Li Dingning said happily, "It is because she accepted me that I came to ask for a marriage from my fourth brother!"

Li Fu said calmly: "If both of you are willing, I have no objection."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Fourth Brother!"

Li Dingning was so excited that he kowtowed to Li Fu, then stood up and left happily.

"Your Majesty, I just saw that Eunuch Chu was also standing outside."

Li Fu stopped writing and said to Dong Quan, "Go outside and see if he is still there."

After a while, Dong Quan came back from outside and said to Li Fu, "Still here."

Li Fu sighed, put down his pen, and said to Dong Quan, "Notify the kitchen to serve the meal."

It was not until he saw the young eunuch running to serve the meal that Chu Ran left and went straight to the East Factory.