Chapter 312 Cousin, have you taken a fancy to Prince Rui?
Some people are born with a natural comedic flair, and Jiang Yu thought Lu Xiaowu was one of them. Seeing him blushing and trying his best to say he was different from before, Jiang Yu couldn't help but laugh again.
However, this little cousin has indeed changed a lot since he took up his post in the Secretariat. Children should be praised for their progress. She coughed to suppress a laugh and said, "Yes, when I saw my maternal grandfather at court the other day, I praised you to him for your recent diligence."
The praise was a bit too direct, and Lu Xiaowu felt a little embarrassed, saying, "No... not really."
Jiang Yu raised the corners of her lips again, "You have indeed made great progress, so I want to entrust you with an important task."
Lu Xiaowu sat up straight, his eyes sparkling with disbelief and anticipation. Jiang Yu nodded in approval at his attitude and looked at him, asking, "Do you know what happened at court a few days ago?"
Lu Xiaowu asked, "Is it about Ding Zhe's father being dragged out of the court?"
Ding Shaojie's second son is named Ding Zhe.
Jiang Yu nodded, "When Ding Shaojie reported that when young ladies from outside the capital came to the capital, the carriages they rode in had silver bamboo patterns embroidered on the window screens. It is rumored that Prince Rui likes silver bamboo patterns."
Jiang Yu paused here, looking at Lu Xiaowu, waiting for his reaction. Lu Xiaowu frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Ding Zhe's father wants to harm Prince Rui? Isn't he just asking for trouble?"
Jiang Yu smiled, an approving smile. This child isn't a complete spoiled brat; he can still use his brain.
“Ding Shaojie wants to harm Prince Rui, and the reason is definitely not because he’s bored.” Jiang Yu looked at him and said, “The Ding family doesn’t have much power in the capital, and Ding Shaojie isn’t brainless. He wouldn’t harm Prince Rui for no reason. I suspect he’s being instructed by someone, but my people haven’t found out. You’re familiar with Ding Zhe, see if you can get some information out of him.”
Lu Xiaowu blinked and remained silent for a while, then looked at Jiang Yu and asked, "Cousin, have you taken a fancy to Prince Rui?"
Jiang Yu: "......."
Is the thought process of a playboy different from others?
“Otherwise, why would you care so much about Prince Rui’s affairs?” Lu Xiaowu asked again.
Jiang Yu: "...You guessed wrong, don't talk nonsense. I can't tell you the specific reason yet, just do as I say."
Lu Xiaowu was somewhat afraid of her and dared not ask any more questions, so he nodded and agreed. Jiang Yu gave him a few more instructions and then let him leave. Lu Xiaowu returned to the Marquis of Anyuan's residence and was led to the study by the Marquis of Anyuan's personal attendant.
"What does your cousin want with you?" An Yuanhou asked.
Lu Xiaowu recounted what Jiang Yu had told him, then leaned closer to Marquis Anyuan and whispered, "I think my cousin has taken a liking to Prince Rui. Otherwise, why would she be so concerned about Prince Rui's affairs?"
Marquis Anyuan: "........"
Lu Xiaowu felt that his guess was correct, mainly because Prince Rui was too handsome, and many women in the capital were attracted to him. Seeing that Marquis Anyuan did not speak, he continued, "I don't think my cousin and Prince Rui are suitable. No matter how handsome Prince Rui is, he only knows how to tinker with things all day long and is not considerate."
Marquis Anyuan couldn't help but chuckle at his words, "Have you forgotten your cousin's requirements for a husband? He must be studious, ambitious, and also..."
“Grandfather,” Lu Xiaowu quickly interrupted Marquis Anyuan, “I know I am not good enough for my cousin, you don’t need to put me down with such words. But Prince Rui is not good enough for me either.”
These words made Marquis Anyuan sigh; Jiang Yu's marriage was a major concern for him. He frowned and said, "It's not what you think, don't talk nonsense. Just do what your cousin asked you to do."
Seeing that Marquis Anyuan was serious, Lu Xiaowu knew he had guessed wrong. He responded and was then dismissed by Marquis Anyuan. After he left, Marquis Anyuan sat there deep in thought. He was thinking about Jiang Yu's important life event.
Although Jiang Yu was different from ordinary women—even if she remained unmarried her entire life, no one outside would dare say anything, and no one in the Duke of Chu's mansion would object—she couldn't truly remain unmarried forever. As an elder, he hoped for a perfect life for Jiang Yu.
But what kind of man is worthy of her?
Marquis Anyuan recalled Lu Xiaowu's earlier words; Prince Rui was a good choice. However, the Emperor and Empress Dowager would not agree.
The Empress Dowager raised Prince Rui as her own son, and the Emperor wanted to mold him into the ideal image he envisioned. This demonstrates how much they valued Prince Rui.
Everyone thinks their own child is the best, and he felt that no man in the world was good enough for Jiang Yu. However, in the eyes of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, Jiang Yu had a fatal flaw: she had been divorced. Moreover, the Emperor and Empress Dowager also thought she was too domineering and too scheming.
Marquis Anyuan sighed again, then got up and went back to his room to rest…
The next day, Lu Xiaowu asked his servant to invite his close friends to Qianleyuan after their shifts. This included Ding Zhe, whom he had initially planned to meet during his shift, but then thought that going after his shift would be less suspicious.
After finishing his shift, he rode his horse towards Qianleyuan. Qianleyuan was a restaurant, but it had many interesting activities that young noblemen liked, and the playboys of the capital especially enjoyed going there.
Lu Xiaowu's horse stopped at the entrance of Qianleyuan, and a quick-witted waiter came up to greet him, "Oh, Young Master Lu, it's been a long time since you've been here."
Lu Xiaowu tossed him the riding whip, "I have important business to attend to now."
"Oh my, look at your memory, young man. You're an official in the Secretariat now." The waiter smiled and bowed, saying, "This humble servant greets Your Excellency."
Lu Xiaowu was amused by him and tossed him a piece of silver, saying, "This is a reward for you."
"Thank you, Your Excellency." The waiter bowed again with a smile. Lu Xiaowu was about to step inside when he heard a familiar voice calling him from behind. He turned around and saw it was Shi Shangzhi, the seventh son of the Minister of Rites.
The two were usually best friends. When they saw Lu Xiaowu turn around, Shang Zhi rushed over and hugged his neck, saying with a grin, "I thought you became an official and stopped playing with us."
Lu Xiaowu, his good friend, punched him and said as he walked inside, "I've been kept in the family's sight for a while and have to go to work every day, so I haven't had time."
Fashionable Zhi sighed after hearing his words, "Thanks to you, I haven't had a good time lately either. My father saw that you've been working seriously since you entered the Secretariat, and now he's forcing me to study every day, insisting that I pass the imperial examination and become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations), saying that he'll arrange a good job for me then. Tell me, I'm just not cut out for studying!"
Lu Xiaowu thought to himself that he wanted to pass the imperial examination to become a scholar, but he couldn't concentrate on his studies. However, he swallowed the words back. He felt he could still try harder, and it was best not to say anything discouraging.
"Can everyone else come today?" Lu Xiaowu asked.
"Yes, as soon as I got your message, I contacted them, and they all said they could come." Shi Shangzhi lowered her voice again and whispered in Lu Xiaowu's ear, "I thought Ding Zhe wouldn't come. You know that something big happened in his family, but who knew he would say he would come too."
Lu Xiaowu raised the corners of his lips almost imperceptibly and said, "He probably wants to clear his head. Things must be tough for him at home right now."
“My dad also said that Ding Zhe’s dad has lost his mind,” Shi Shangzhi said.
Lu Xiaowu sighed but didn't respond. The two followed the waiter to the private room.
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