bayedsolid Chapter 411 The Real Intention of Winning Them Over!
Chapter 411 The Real Intention of Winning Them Over!
Mu Xin Nuan looked at the man in front of her. Although he was a little drunk, his eyes still held a trace of clarity, indicating that he was not completely intoxicated.
"You chose Lu Shaofeng not just because of his talent, right?"
"Of course! My Ah Nuan is so smart." As he spoke, he reached out and stroked her little face. Mu Xin Nuan blushed and immediately avoided him.
Seeing that she was a little shy, Duanmu Chuze didn't dare to tease her too much. He lowered his hand and helped Mu Xin Nuan lie down on the bed. Then, taking advantage of her unpreparedness, he pulled her onto the bed as well.
Mu Xin Nuan struggled for a moment, but Duanmu Chu Ze held her down tightly. "Don't move! Lie down with me for a while."
Mu Xin Nuan knew he had drunk too much and had no intention of getting entangled with him any further. Besides, judging from his appearance, he really wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon, and might even want to talk to her.
Duanmu Chuze raised his hand, gently pinching his brow, and asked with a hint of pleasure, "Does Anuan know the Liu family?"
"I know. I heard that the family has declined, which is why Madam Lu has lost favor with Liu. She always feels that Liu is not good enough for Lu Shaofeng. I even had someone inquire before. The reason why Lu Shaofeng chose to endure was because Madam Lu kept pressuring him to divorce her. But he is a sentimental person and was unwilling to divorce her, so he willingly gave up the inheritance of the title."
"The Liu family comes from Jiangnan. Although their family has declined, Madam Lu is too short-sighted. Moreover, the Lu family has lived in Yanzhou for generations, so they naturally don't know much about things in Jiangnan. Although the Liu family is not as powerful as before, Liu's father is an extremely talented man. Perhaps one day, this relative of the Lu family will make a name for himself."
"really?"
Duanmu Chuze glanced at her. "What good would it do me to lie to you?"
Mu Xin Nuan choked, and could only glare at him before turning her face away from him.
Duanmu Chuze chuckled softly. She was truly adorable, throwing a little tantrum. Especially the blush of shyness on her pretty face; it made him even more captivated!
“Anuan, Liu’s father, is no ordinary man. He is very learned, but he has always refused to enter officialdom. Everyone says he is foolish, but only he knows that he is yearning for a wise ruler.”
"Does this mean he's a talented individual, waiting for his discerning mentor to appear?"
"Not bad!"
Mu Xin Nuan's mind raced. "Did you try to make a move on him before?"
"It's not just me. People outside don't know. King Ming, King Kang, and even the Crown Prince have all sent many people to persuade him to come out of seclusion, but he has always refused."
"So you didn't send anyone over to invite them?"
Duanmu Chuze shook his head. "Firstly, I have no interest in the throne. Why bother? Everyone's scrambling for that position, yet it's a position of unbearable suffering. I'm not that foolish! Secondly, I only heard about this from my elder brother, the Crown Prince, and I felt that this person was too arrogant. Ordinary masters naturally wouldn't catch his eye. And at that time, I was young and proud, so how could I possibly think of humbly begging a commoner like him?"
"Aren't you arrogant anymore?"
Duanmu Chuze reached out and lightly flicked her nose. "Always talking back to me! The situation in Yan is unclear right now. This Mr. Liu, however, is a man of great talent. So, this spring, I was hoping to bring him to Yan. Unfortunately, I didn't succeed. Of course, I didn't do it myself. But I never expected that his daughter would marry into Yanzhou City. So, it seems even Heaven is helping me out."
"Come on, you!"
Mu Xin Nuan chuckled. At this moment, she had a pretty good idea of what Duanmu Chuze was thinking. The reason he valued Lu Shaofeng was, in essence, because he valued his father-in-law, Mr. Liu!
Mu Xin Nuan couldn't help but feel worried when she thought of Ming Wang and Duanmu Chen, two people with somewhat dark thoughts.
"Aze, if the Ming King and the Crown Prince's men find out that you have taken Mr. Liu under your command, won't they be jealous of you?"
"It's certain for Brother Ming. But it's unlikely for the Crown Prince. Besides, I've made it clear that I have no interest in that position. If they don't believe me and insist on harming me, then I'll have no choice but to do my best."
"How did you express your true feelings? Don't forget, even if you appear too indifferent, they probably won't easily believe that you have no desire for power."
"That's true! However, I once made it clear to my father in the Imperial Study that my only wish in this life is to grow old with my beloved in my fiefdom. Moreover, given my insistence on not taking concubines, my power is naturally limited. Do you think they believe me?"
Mu Xin Nuan remained silent.
Duanmu Chuze's unwillingness to take noble ladies as concubines meant he missed an opportunity to win over these families, which naturally limited his own power. But was he doing this for his own benefit, or did he truly have no interest in the throne?
"Don't give me that look! You are my wife. Since I said I would only have you as my wife for life, I must keep my word. How can a man break his promise?"
"Aze!"
"Alright, didn't you want to know about Mr. Liu? Don't worry, the Crown Prince won't react too much. After all, I invited Mr. Liu here only to have him help me govern Yan. That way, I'll have time to accompany A-Nuan around. Isn't that wonderful?"
Mu Xin Nuan felt extremely embarrassed. Who was this person? If Mr. Liu knew that the Prince of Chang Le was thinking like this, he would definitely not come no matter what! Mr. Liu may be talented, but that doesn't mean he's willing to do hard labor for the rest of his life!
When Mu Xin Nuan thought of a few questions and wanted to ask him again, she heard his soft snoring, clearly indicating that he had fallen asleep!
Mu Xin Nuan sighed and rubbed her forehead, thinking to herself that after today's incident, the Lu family would probably be quite a spectacle tonight. It seemed she needed to do something; otherwise, her claim of being Liu's backer would be nothing but empty talk.
"Someone, bring me that ancient zither that I collected before, and then have the steward and Aunt Fang deliver it to the Lu residence and personally hand it over to Young Madam Lu."
"Yes, princess."
Mu Xin Nuan breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to pull her hand away. The person on the bed turned over, mumbled something, and then went back to sleep.
When Mu Xin Nuan arrived outside, she saw that Aunt Fang had already changed her clothes. She then instructed her, "Remember, you must convey to everyone that I greatly admire Liu Shi."
"Yes, princess."