flstandardbreds Chapter 387
Chapter 387
"Isn't that inappropriate? Miss Dong is, after all, the daughter of the prefect. What would it look like if she stayed by my side? Wouldn't that ruin her reputation?"
Zhou Chu said.
Zhou Chu could see through Dong Shu'er's intentions at a glance, as could Yun Jin, who was standing to the side. She was simply trying to climb the social ladder, which was a very common thing.
Some daughters of officials would lower themselves considerably in order to climb the social ladder, some to gain status for themselves, and others to secure a better future for their families.
It doesn't matter if I fail. No one will publicize this kind of thing, and no one will know. I can just find someone of a decent social standing to marry into later. It won't have much of an impact.
It can be said to be both offensive and defensive, and it won't be too bad no matter what.
“My lord, there is no need to worry. It is my honor to serve by your side.”
Dong Shu'er asked somewhat anxiously.
At this moment, Dong Shu'er was afraid that Zhou Chu would not want to keep her by his side. As long as she could stay, Dong Shu'er felt that with her own methods, she would definitely be able to win over Zhou Chu, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
"Yes, my lord. It is my honor to serve you."
Dong Rui also expressed his opinion.
"Then stay here. Second Brother does need someone to serve him."
Just as Zhou Chu was about to refuse, Yun Jin, who was standing to the side, told Dong Shu'er to stay.
Yun Jin allowed Dong Shu'er to stay for two reasons. Firstly, Zhou Chu did need someone to take care of him personally. Whether it was changing his dressings or something else, it wasn't appropriate for Yun Jin to do these things. After all, men and women are different. Even though Yun Jin planned for the two of them to get married in the future, she still knew what she should and shouldn't do.
On the other hand, although the days she spent with Zhou Chu in Zhangjia Village were sweet, they were also somewhat mundane. Having Dong Shu'er around was a welcome addition to their fun.
Since she's not afraid of ruining her reputation, let her stay here and add some fun for herself and her second brother.
The fundamental reason is that, in Yun Jin's eyes, a woman like Dong Shu'er, who wears her scheming on her sleeve, is incredibly foolish and poses no threat to her. If it were Chu Li, Yun Jin would not have agreed.
Chunlan only knew that Zhou Chu was still alive, but she didn't know his exact location. Zhou Chu planned to have Chunlan come over after a while, since Zhangjia Village couldn't accommodate so many people right now, and the Xuanwu Army was stationed outside Zhangjia Village.
Zhou Chu gave the village chief Zhang Laowu some money and asked him to find someone to expand many houses. They didn't need to be luxurious; they just needed to be similar to ordinary villagers' houses.
These newly built houses were prepared for Hai Rui and others. Zhou Chu planned to begin teaching Hai Rui and others in Zhangjia Village.
Hearing Yun Jin say this, Zhou Chu glanced at Yun Jin helplessly, but did not object. After all, he did need someone to serve him, and since someone was eager to serve him, why not?
"Who is this?"
Dong Rui noticed Yun Jin as soon as he entered, but Yun Jin didn't say anything, so he didn't ask.
“My name is Lu Wan’er, also known as Lu Yunjin. My father is Lu Song, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and my brother is Lu Bing, a deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”
Yun Jin spoke up.
Yun Jin's own identity as the commander of the Xuanwu Army is currently kept secret. Even if it weren't, these two people wouldn't know what kind of army the Xuanwu Army is. Since she was introducing herself, she needed to let people know her identity, so introducing herself by mentioning Lu Bing and Lu Song's identities was the most appropriate thing to do.
In particular, Lu Bing was well-known throughout the Ming Dynasty because of his relationship with the emperor and Zhou Chu, including Dong Rui and his daughter.
Upon hearing this, Dong Rui was startled, as he was naturally aware of the relationship between the Lu family and Zhou Chu.
"This humble official greets Miss Lu."
Dong Rui hurriedly bowed.
Dong Shu'er, on the other hand, was shocked when she learned of Yun Jin's identity, but she also found Yun Jin to be a real eyesore.
She knew about Zhou Chu's relationship with the Lu family, and that Zhou Chu and the Lu family's daughter were like siblings, but they were not blood-related siblings. It was highly likely that they would get married in the future. Thinking of this, Dong Shu'er's heart immediately went into overdrive, and her gaze toward Yun Jin was filled with apprehension.
"In that case, I shall take my leave."
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Dong Rui said...
Upon hearing this, Zhou Chu waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.
Dong Rui left Zhangjia Village in a sedan chair, completely satisfied. As soon as he returned to his own doorstep, he saw a familiar face.
"Isn't this Yanzhi?"
The man before him was Li Wenchang, courtesy name Yanzhi, a colleague of Dong Rui. He was a civil official of the third rank, one rank lower than Dong Rui.
"Lord Dong, what a coincidence! I've come to see you. I sent you a visiting card a couple of days ago, but you were probably too busy to see it, so I've come here now."
Dong Rui was displeased upon hearing this, thinking to himself, "I didn't reply to your invitation because I didn't want to see you. You're really shameless."
However, he had a big smile on his face.
"What brings you here, Yan?"
As Dong Rui spoke, he ushered Li Wenchang into the Dong residence.
After arriving at the main hall and settling down, Li Wenchang explained his purpose.
"Lord Dong, you may not know this, but ever since your family held a lantern festival two months ago, my son caught a glimpse of your daughter from afar. Since then, he has been so obsessed with her that he can't eat or drink and insists that I come to you to ask for a marriage proposal. I had no choice but to swallow my pride and come to you."
Upon hearing this, Dong Rui became even more displeased. His daughter was a precious person, beautiful, well-educated, and with an excellent reputation. How could his son possibly have any designs on her?
Moreover, now that Dong Shu'er has just joined Zhou Chu's side, Dong Rui has even less reason to agree.
“Yanzhi, it’s not that I don’t want to agree, it’s just that my wife is a bit too headstrong, and I can’t make decisions for her. I did think of arranging a marriage for her before, but she didn’t want to. She’s only fifteen, so there’s no rush. How about this, you go back first, and let me ask her opinion. This matter needs to be discussed in detail.”
Dong Rui did not refuse outright. Having served as an official for many years, he understood the necessity of having a backup plan. In case his daughter was not favored by Lord Zhou, he could still arrange a marriage between her and Li Wenchang's son. Although Li Wenchang was a third-rank official, he came from a scholarly family, which would be considered a good match for the Dong family.
"Very well, with Lord Dong's words, I understand the situation. I can give my son an explanation when I get back."
Li Wenchang said happily.
"Yanzhi, there's no need to be too optimistic. In my opinion, my husband might not agree."
Dong Rui realized that Li Wenchang had misunderstood and hurriedly said something.
"I understand. Whether it succeeds or not, Lord Dong should just do his best."
Li Wenchang said happily.
At this moment, in Zhangjia Village, Dong Shu'er was enduring the pungent smell of the ointment as she changed Zhou Chu's dressing.
Dong Shu'er, who had never lifted a finger before, was now unusually anxious, afraid that she might do something wrong and upset Zhou Chu.
"I hope Miss Lu won't be angry that I'm serving you like this?"
After changing Zhou Chu's dressing, Dong Shu'er observed Zhou Chu's expression and felt that he was fairly satisfied, so she immediately started acting up.