The Cold Minister’s Obsession: Chasing His Wife - Chapter 7

Tao Xi nodded proudly. “I asked. It’s true that the eldest son of the Lu family went to Liangyuan earlier this year, but by that time, they had already finished their business and left for Zhangzhou.”

“Not in Liangyuan?”

“No.”

Not in Liangyuan—so the man that night truly wasn’t him.

Lu Yan was an official in the capital. Though the Huo family had some connections in Liangyuan, their influence didn’t stretch that far.

After testing the waters this morning, Hua Qingyue still wasn’t fully at ease, so she had Tao Xi discreetly inquire further. The results aligned.

At this moment, Qingyue finally let her guard down slightly.

Suddenly, the pain in her body seemed to fade. “Tao Xi, tomorrow I want to study longer, to finish the tasks assigned by the instructing matron as soon as possible.”

“That won’t do! Your legs are already red, miss.”

“I know my limits. If I can make a good impression on Eldest Young Master Lu, my chances of marrying Lu Li will improve.”

She had seen the situation yesterday—not only did the younger generation of the Lu family treat him with respect, even the elders were warm and cordial toward him. Winning his favor would surely aid her plans.

Tao Xi, recalling something, added, “Oh, today I also learned about Young Master Yu’s background. He isn’t Eldest Young Master Lu’s biological son. Six years ago, during a battle on the frontier, Eldest Young Master Lu went missing for three months. The Lu family thought he wouldn’t return, so they adopted a child from the clan to continue the lineage of the main branch.”

“Not long after, Eldest Young Master Lu returned from the battlefield. Ning Sui County Princess and her husband wanted to send the child away, but the young master felt a strong connection with him and decided to keep him, treating him as his own.”

“If you truly want to catch his eye, perhaps starting with Young Master Yu would help. It might improve your odds. What do you think, miss?”

Hua Qingyue tapped Tao Xi’s forehead with a slender finger and smiled. “Well done, Tao Xi. What’s in that little head of yours? You’ve been a great help.”

She had been worrying about how to proceed, and now—here was the solution.

“My head is full of thoughts about you, miss. I want to grow quickly so I can help you more.”

Fei Jiu, harvesting lotus seeds not far away, overheard the entire conversation between mistress and maid. He rushed back to the duty courtyard at once and relayed every word to his superior without omission.

The more he spoke, the lower his head drooped, fearing his master’s displeasure might land him in trouble—perhaps even demoting him to clean the stables for the Feiyu Army.

In the end, this was all Fei Shi’s fault. Sent out on an assignment, he had delayed for over half a month without returning. If he were here today, this task wouldn’t have fallen to Fei Jiu.

After all, his master despised scheming the most—especially when the schemer aimed to marry his younger brother by targeting the Lu family.

Truly unforgivable.

“Master, how would you like to deal with that girl? This subordinate will handle it immediately.”

Fei Jiu scrambled to make amends, seizing this rare chance to prove himself. Surely this would spare him from repercussions.

Lu Yan didn’t answer. Instead, he sat at his desk, picked up a brush, and began writing.

The room fell silent, save for the soft scratching of the brush against paper.

That reckless girl was truly asking for death—look how she had angered the master.

Fei Jiu muttered inwardly, then heard a deep voice from the desk.

“The next time her maid comes asking you questions, you’ll know what to say, won’t you?”

Fei Jiu bowed solemnly and said earnestly, “This subordinate understands. I will immediately relay the orders that if they ever come asking about the master or young master again, not a single word should be revealed.”

Before his voice faded, a cold, stern tone came again, “Since you have nothing pressing lately, make a trip outside the city. It seems the stables of the Feiyu Army are due for cleaning.”

Initially, Fei Jiu’s expression turned grave upon hearing his master order him out of the city, but the latter half of the sentence truly was about cleaning stables.

Thud—he dropped to his knees.

“Master, spare me! With Fei Shi absent, please allow this subordinate to remain by your side. Those people failed on our return to the capital and surely won’t give up. I beg you to let me stay with you.”

He knew exactly where his previous mistakes lay.

Heaven bear witness—this time, he truly had no idea! He could only admit fault first.

“In the future, if any maids around her ask about preferences or anything else, simply answer according to what’s written on this paper.”

“Yes, Master.” Fei Jiu took the densely written sheet and immediately understood, bowing with clasped hands. “Master is formidable. The strategy of luring the enemy deep is brilliantly employed.”

…

“Sister Hua, Sister Hua!” In the afternoon, Lu Zhining barged into Qingzhu Courtyard with a crowd of maids and matrons, leaving no room for refusal.

Tao Xi swiftly blocked Hua Qingyue’s path, trembling as she spread her arms.

She had thought it through—even if they were outnumbered, her own strength could at least restrain a few. Leaning close to Hua Qingyue’s ear, she whispered urgently, “Miss, when I rush forward to grab those matrons, you must run straight to Chaohui Hall. Don’t worry about me, understand?”

Nearby, Lu Zhining’s lips twitched. With a wave of her hands, the maids and matrons stepped forward, presenting trays before Hua Qingyue.

Hua Qingyue signaled with her eyes for Tao Xi to stay calm and slowly approached Lu Zhining.

“Miss Zhining,” Hua Qingyue responded politely.

Lu Zhining glanced sideways at the unfinished rouge. She had long heard from servants that Hua Qingyue sent people outside the estate to purchase cheap materials. A flash of disdain crossed her eyes.

Yesterday’s exchange had been mere pleasantries, yet she actually went through with it. How laughable.

The Lu family lacked nothing. All the sisters in the household used imperial-grade rouge and powder brought back by Second Sister from the palace. Who would care for the subpar products she concocted? She couldn’t even distinguish genuine words from false.

If not for the task she carried today, she wouldn’t have bothered setting foot in this place. But for Third Brother’s and her own reputation, she would endure for now. Soon enough, this lowly merchant’s daughter would no longer have any ties to the third branch of the Lu family.

Lu Zhining warmly took Hua Qingyue’s hand and spoke earnestly.

“Sister Hua, after you left yesterday, Grandmother told me the details. So, it was your grandfather who saved them! And yet I gave you such a hard time. I truly owe you an apology. Let me make amends, and I hope you can forgive me.”

As she spoke, she made to bow, but Hua Qingyue swiftly stopped her. “Sister Zhining, it’s alright. I’ve already forgotten yesterday’s matter. Besides, since you call me sister, how could an elder sister hold a grudge against a younger one?”

Hua Qingyue was puzzled by this sudden show of goodwill but had no time to ponder before Lu Zhining continued, “I knew Sister Hua would be magnanimous and wouldn’t blame me. As expected.”

While speaking, she beckoned the maids and matrons behind her to bring the items forward.

“Yesterday I noticed my elder sister didn’t have many eye-catching accessories, and the fabric of her clothes was something that fell out of fashion in the capital years ago. Coincidentally, I recently bought more than I could wear, so I thought of sending them to Sister Hua as a meeting gift.”

Before Hua Qingyue could respond, the maids and servants had already placed the items down and withdrawn.

Under such circumstances, refusing would have been awkward.

Then came Lu Zhining’s sweet voice again, “In half a month, our family is hosting a banquet. You must look absolutely stunning and turn everyone’s heads.”

Hua Qingyue ran her fingers over the fabric, feigning delight. “These materials and accessories look incredibly valuable. Are they really all for me?”

“Of course.”

“Then I must thank you, Sister Zhining.”

Lu Zhining, far from her haughty demeanor the day before, seemed genuinely eager to befriend her. Hua Qingyue went along with it, addressing her warmly as “sister” until she escorted her out the door.

Returning inside, she frowned at the lavish garments and jewelry filling the room. “Register and store these properly. We’ll return them when the time comes.”

Tao Xi touched the dazzling gem-studded hairpins and the silken fabrics smoother than her own skin. Back when the mistress was alive, she would also provide such luxuries. But after her passing, Huo Shi took over and cut their allowances. Later, the young mistress stayed up nights formulating recipes for rouge shops, using all her earnings to seek treatments for the young master’s illness, never bothering to adorn herself.

If her mistress dressed up, surely no one would look down on her anymore.

“Miss, why not pick a few pieces to wear daily? With the Lu family banquet coming up, no one would dare belittle us based on your attire.”

Hua Qingyue still found the situation suspicious. Though it might be excessive to judge others by her own standards, staying cautious in unfamiliar surroundings was never wrong. “Better to store them away. Everyone knows my standing. I’ll thank Miss Zhining and Third Madam when I pay respects to Old Madam Lu later.”

“Alright.” Though puzzled, Tao Xi obeyed, sighing. “Rest for a while, miss.”

“No, you tidy these first. Don’t attend to me tonight—I’ll finish my work quickly and settle this matter.”

Tao Xi finished organizing but didn’t leave to rest, sitting beside Hua Qingyue instead.

“This Miss Zhining is so strange—one moment sharp-tongued, the next showering us with gifts. I checked carefully, the fabric is exquisite, the jewelry finely crafted, and the clothes seem normal. It really looks like a sincere gesture.”

Then, as if struck by a thought, she brightened. “Could it be that Old Madam Lu favors you, and Third Madam and Miss Zhining have no choice but to accept this kinship?”