Chapter 7: Climbing the Wall
Lu Yu waited for a long time, but Jiang Ran didn't come back.
I heard that she was not feeling well and had returned home first. When I chased her out, I saw her holding Lu Weiqing's hand and getting into the carriage.
"Jiang Ran, Jiang Ran!"
He ran after the carriage for a long time, shouting as he ran, but the carriage did not stop.
He was so tired and out of breath that he had to stop.
At this time, Shen Yingshi caught up with him on horseback, and Lu Yu grabbed the reins and was about to mount the horse.
"Strange, why would Prime Minister Lu let Jiang Ran ride in his carriage?" Shen Yingshi asked.
Lu Yu recalled that Jiang Ran didn't see him just now, but his uncle did. He glanced at him coldly as if he didn't know him, turned around and got on the carriage.
He felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, but he subconsciously ignored it and said stubbornly: "Maybe her carriage broke down. After all, we are engaged, so it is normal for my uncle to give her a ride."
Shen Yingshi wanted to say more, but was stopped by Lu Yu's words, "Stop nagging, I'll go find Jiang Ran and ask clearly."
Unexpectedly, he didn't even see Jiang Ran.
From childhood to adulthood, Lu Yu has never been turned away at the Jiang Mansion.
The doorman was annoyed by his questions and said in disgust: "My lady said that Master Lu is not allowed in. If I let you in, I will lose my job."
"Okay, okay! Let her not regret it!"
Lu Yu also got angry.
It was just a misunderstanding. He repeatedly tried to make peace with Jiang Ran in a humble manner, but she became even more angry.
Lu Yu returned home angrily and met Mrs. Lu as soon as he entered the house.
"Yu'er, why are you running? It's so cold and you're sweating all over your forehead. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Mrs. Lu took out a handkerchief and was about to wipe the sweat off his face.
Lu Yu hid for a moment and tried to go back to his own yard.
"Hey, don't leave in such a hurry." Mrs. Lu frowned, guessing that he was in a bad mood and it must be that girl from the Jiang family causing trouble again.
"Don't make things too awkward with Jiang Ran. The Jiang family shop's revenue is also a huge source of income for the mansion."
Lu Yu paused, "What revenue? How come I don't know?"
Mrs. Lu thought that he would know about this matter sooner or later, so she told him everything.
A few years ago, the Jiang family was framed by villains, who said that General Jiang falsely reported that the soldiers guarding the border were drawing empty salaries, and that he was colluding with foreign races and intending to rebel.
The emperor was furious. It was only after Elder Lu mobilized a large number of civil officials to die in protest that the truth came to light and saved the Jiang family.
To show his gratitude, Jiang Ran's grandfather gave half of the Jiang family's shops in Chang'an to the Lu family.
Mr. Lu declined on the grounds that he was not good at business.
Finally, the Jiang family decided to give the shops to the Lu family for management and send the revenue and account books of these shops to the Lu Mansion every year.
"Does our dignified Lu family still need the little money they earn from business?" Lu Yu was greatly shocked, and his words were full of disdain.
Mrs. Lu didn't want to go into detail with him. He wasn't the head of the household, so he didn't understand the huge Lu Mansion and its various expenses.
She changed the subject: "You've come at the perfect time. I've made an appointment with Madam Xu to go boating on the lake. Please change your clothes and come with me."
Mrs. Lu still didn't know what happened in the princess's mansion today, and she wanted to push forward the marriage with the Xu family.
Lu Yu glared at him, shaking with anger, and shouted, "I'm not going! You're not allowed to go either!"
"It's all your fault. You went behind my back to discuss marriage with the Xu family. You're harming me!"
"I'm putting this out there today. I, Lu Yu, will marry no one but Jiang Ran."
He strode into the yard, not noticing that Lin Buqiu was standing deep in the corridor, looking at him with eyes full of resentment and jealousy.
-------------------------------------
On the other side, Jiang Ran was thinking about how to repay Lu Weiqing's favor.
He has helped her several times, and it is only right that she should express her gratitude.
"Taoli, let me ask you this. If I owe you a favor, how do you want me to repay you?"
Jiang Ran lay on the chaise longue, tossing and turning, but still didn't know what to do, so he simply called Tao Li to ask.
Tao Li's eyes widened. "This servant is willing to serve the young lady and does not ask for anything in return."
After Jiang Ran guided her for a long time, Tao Li finally gave a decent answer: "Let's go eat the roast chicken at Jiangyun Tower. The young lady likes it, and Tao Li likes it too."
Will Lu Weiqing like it?
Jiang Ran wasn't sure.
She stopped worrying about it. There was no harm in going out for a meal. She was craving it anyway.
Jiang Ran immediately wrote a post, inviting Lu Weiqing to a gathering at Jiangyun Tower tomorrow.
"Taoli, ask Jiang Chuan to deliver this invitation to Lord Lu."
"Miss, aren't you going to bring Miss Xu some food?"
Jiang Ran shuddered and quickly got up and ran to the small kitchen. Fortunately, Tao Li reminded her that if she didn't show up in front of Xu Roujia tonight, she would be dead.
"Then find someone to deliver it, and tell Jiang Chuan to come to the kitchen to find me!"
Jiang Ran hurriedly went to find Aunt Yue and begged her to cook some delicious dishes.
She never expected that Tao Li would pass by the door and hand the invitation to the doorman, "Send it to Lord Lu's residence. This is the young lady's special instruction. Please take good care of it."
"Hey, don't worry, Miss Taoli. I won't have to worry about it."
The concierge only heard the word "Lu" and hurriedly nodded and bowed in response, secretly regretting that he had been so rude to Master Lu just now. Seeing that they were about to reconcile, the master's heart was like a needle in the sea. He sighed and went to the Lu Mansion.
"Cuckoo cuckoo——"
Jiang Ran stepped on Jiang Chuan's shoulders, clung to the wall of Xu's house, and stealthily imitated a few bird calls.
Seeing the candles in the ancestral hall go out and light up again three times, she knew that Xu Roujia had been severely scolded this time and had closed the ancestral hall again.
What a sin.
Jiang Ran slapped Jiang Chuan hard, "Harder! Haven't you eaten yet? Go higher."
"Stop, stop, stop, there's someone there. Go down a little, go down a little."
"Quick, lift it up now."
After struggling for a quarter of an hour, the two finally avoided the patrolling servants and reached the entrance of the ancestral hall.
Jiang Chuan wiped the sweat off his neck and handed the food box to Jiang Ran, "Take it, ancestor."
Jiang Ran crossed his arms across his chest, showing no intention of taking it.
"You go, and I'll keep watch. If we get discovered, who will run faster, you or me?"
Jiang Chuan thought so too, and he went up the stairs swiftly, not forgetting to instruct: "If anyone comes, just let out a whistle and run away first, I will find a way to get away."
"Stop talking so much and hurry up." Jiang Ran waved his hand and rolled his eyes.
Seeing Jiang Chuan come in, she took out a handkerchief and wiped it casually, then found a secluded place in the shade to sit down.
The Xu family has very strict rules. They teach girls music, chess, calligraphy, painting, precepts, rules and training all day long from a young age. They are not allowed to show off or stand out.
Xu Roujia has committed a serious offense by showing off this time. I'm afraid that not only will she be shut down in the ancestral hall, but she will also be confined to her room and forced to copy as punishment.
If it weren't for seeing her brother, Xu Roujia might not have made up her mind to help her.
Jiang Ran also couldn't understand why such a good girl like Xu Roujia would fall for her third brother.
When Jiang Ran first discovered that Xu Roujia liked her third brother, she thought she was crazy.
If it was a relationship that had been cultivated since childhood, her eldest brother was skilled in martial arts, her second brother was quick-witted, and her third brother knew nothing. Why did these flowers have to be placed on Jiang Chuan's head?
The conclusion she came to after years of questioning seemed to be because Jiang Chuan was the best to her.
That day, when asked urgently, Xu Roujia blushed and stammered, "At first, I envied you for having a brother who doted on you, and then I don't know how... I started to like you."
Forget it.
Jiang Ran rubbed her arms and legs, which were sore from climbing the wall. Thinking about her promise to bring Jiang Chuan to see her three times, she felt that she was truly the most loyal sister in the world.
“Who’s there!”
The sudden shout frightened Jiang Ran greatly.
She quickly threw a stone at the door and ran away quickly.
Fortunately, Jiang Chuan reacted quickly and came out to lead the servants away.
Jiang Ran was lying on the wall and just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a pitch-black dog running towards her and barking at her.
And dogs, she is most afraid of dogs!
Jiang Ran was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost fell down.
She had been lazy in her martial arts training since she was little, especially the most tiring Qinggong, which she always slacked off in. She had only managed to learn the third level of whip technique just to look cool, but it was completely useless in this situation.
"Help, is there anyone, please save me." Jiang Ran whispered to himself.
She didn't have much hope, glanced outside the wall, and was instantly petrified.
"Do you need help, Miss Jiang?"
Under the outer wall, Lu Weiqing was holding a lantern, his white robe as white as snow.
The light was not bright enough, his face was half bright and half dark, his eyes were dark, and his thin lips moved slightly.
"Ah?" Jiang Ran uttered a syllable subconsciously, then pursed his lips, his face instantly turning red to his ears.
The fear of being dominated by Lu's uncle when I was a child came back again.
Whenever she got into trouble, she and Lu Yu were punished by having to do horse stance with a bowl of water on their heads. Lu Weiqing would just stand quietly beside them with a book in hand.
"Learn from others."
"Can you guys be like Wei Qing and study more and hang out less?"
I've heard these words so many times that my ears are callused.
When he suddenly saw Lu Weiqing just now, the shadow of his childhood when he was caught flashed back to his mind.
"Help! I won't dare to do it again next time." The words slipped to the tip of her lips but she swallowed them back.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
