Phi-Fic Chapter 470 Lu Family Rice and Grain!
Chapter 470 Lu Family Rice and Grain!
“I only learned today that plum blossoms can actually be used to make wine,” Mu Xin Nuan said, her eyes darkening. “Now we’re sitting here, admiring the plum blossoms, but drinking wine made from them. Aze, aren’t we being a little naughty?”
Duanmu Chuze paused slightly, then turned to look at her. He saw a hint of bitterness in her clear eyes, and his heart ached. He put his arm around her waist again. "Anuan, if you have something to say, just ask. There's no need for this between us."
Mu Xin Nuan's eyebrows twitched, and the corners of her lips curved slightly. "A Ze, is Madam Lu's poison really unrelated to you?"
Duanmu Chuze's eyes first showed pain, then coldness. Although both were extremely subtle, Mu Xinnuan in his arms still felt them.
"Ah Nuan doesn't believe me?"
Mu Xin Nuan shook her head, her clear eyes looking straight at him. "A Ze, now that I've married you, I naturally have to trust you and rely on you for the rest of my life. I'm just feeling a little uncomfortable. It has little to do with whether I trust you or not."
Although the words were somewhat unclear, Duanmu Chuze still understood them clearly.
He tightened his grip on her arm; his Ah Nuan was, after all, too kind-hearted. Did she really think that if you let go of something, others will too?
"Although the Luo family is helping to smooth things over with Xie Yilin's matter, sooner or later, the Xie family will still turn their anger on me. Since that's the case, why don't I just strike first? As for the Lu family, they are rooted in Yanzhou. If they can't submit to me, has Anuan ever considered whether it will be a blessing or a curse for me?"
Mu Xin Nuan's eyes twitched, and unconsciously she reached out and clutched her collar, shivering slightly before speaking slowly, "Yes, I was too soft-hearted. The Xie family is large and powerful, with deep roots and many branches, how could they possibly allow something like Xie Yi Lin to happen? Right now, it's all the Luo family's fault, because they've found concrete evidence, and also because compared to you, the Luo family is someone they want to get rid of as soon as possible."
Once the Xie family has truly dealt with the Luo family, they will likely turn their attention to the Prince of Chang Le in Yanzhou. Of course, she didn't say this last sentence aloud; when power is involved, even kinship ties are rarely so pure.
Just like how the Crown Princess tacitly allowed Xie Yilin to come to Yanzhou to test them back then.
Is the Crown Prince truly unaware of this?
Perhaps when Duanmu Chuze was young, he and his wife were indeed very kind to their younger brother. Even now, as long as Duanmu Chuze wants something and it doesn't involve the Crown Prince's interests, they would probably give it to him without hesitation. But all of this comes with a prerequisite, doesn't it?
The thought of the power struggles within the imperial court sent a shiver down Mu Xin Nuan's spine. She naturally recalled the scene from her past life where her maternal grandfather's family lay dead in pools of blood. The image of hundreds of lives lost, rivers of blood flowing, and her uncle's head being severed with a single blow—even now, the memory still sent chills down her spine, sending cold sweats down her back.
"Anuan, don't be afraid! I told you, I'm here for you. Everything will be alright."
"Aze, I don't crave wealth and status, nor do I desire power or fame. As long as you are well and our family is well, that's enough. I can't stand by and watch my loved ones leave me one by one! I can't! Aze!"
As Mu Xin Nuan spoke, her voice choked with sobs. She held Duanmu Chu Ze tightly, as if afraid that he would disappear at any moment.
"Anuan, I'm here! I've always been here. Don't worry, I'll protect you for the rest of your life. I'll safeguard the people you care about and the people you cherish! No one can make you sad or upset. None of your family members will be harmed, and I will not allow such a thing to happen. Anuan, trust me!"
Mu Xin Nuan nodded, already sobbing uncontrollably. She felt a cool sensation on her face, which was then enveloped in warmth. At that moment, Mu Xin Nuan felt that her rebirth in this life seemed to truly allow her to change the tragic fate of her loved ones from her previous life.
The thought that they were killed by the Ming King for supporting the Crown Prince back then, and that in this life, with Duanmu Chuze by the Crown Prince's side, things should be very different.
No matter what, he possesses an extremely powerful force!
"Anuan, be good. It's windy outside. If you cry again, your little face will freeze off. Do you want to be Princess Chang Le with a frostbitten face?"
Suddenly, Mu Xin Nuan burst out laughing through her tears, "You're so naughty!"
“Ah Nuan, actually, I didn’t poison Madam Lu. However, some of the poison found in those bird’s nests was indeed something I tricked Zhao Zihe into believing. Otherwise, do you think Master Lu and Lu Shaofeng could have been so heartless as to sever all ties with the Xie family and return to serve under my Chang Le King?”
Mu Xin Nuan was stunned for a moment before she reacted, "So, those bird's nests are non-toxic?"
"Half and half. Anyway, those bird's nests are ruined now. The most important thing is that Xie Yilin's mother did tamper with those things, and they can't trace that back to me."
"I don't understand, you've gone to such lengths just to win over the Lu family?"
Seeing his young wife's puzzled expression, Duanmu Chuze chuckled softly, "Anuan, you underestimate the Lu family. The Lu family's power is far more than it appears on the surface. As far as I know, the Lu family pays the Xie family 100,000 taels of silver every year. And that doesn't even include the gifts and treasures they present during festivals. Tell me, just how rich is the Lu family?"
"So powerful? No wonder when Xie Yilin had her accident, the Xie family head actually wrote a letter to comfort her and even sent gifts? So, it turns out, they couldn't bear to part with this powerful family that depended on them? Then, in that case, the Lu family's power mainly comes from shady dealings?"
Duanmu Chuze smiled and nodded at her quick reaction, "You guessed quite right. Besides the businesses that are publicly known, the Lu family's rice and grain are the best in our Great Yong!"
One sentence was enough to startle Mu Xin Nuan again. She broke free from his embrace and looked at him with disbelief.
Lu family's rice and grain? The best in the Great Yong Dynasty?
What does this mean? If that's really the case, then wouldn't all the people of Yan be saved? Wouldn't the problem of these refugees be easily solved?
"Don't get too excited yet. The Lu family's rice and grain business is mainly a commercial activity, and it's controlled by a collateral branch of the Lu family. If we want them to provide us with convenience, the best way is naturally to win over the direct line of the Lu family."