novelaction Chapter 556 Madam Lu 2 visits!
Chapter 556 Madam Lu 2 visits!
Although Mu Xin Nuan had given away her only 200,000 taels of silver, she knew in her heart that it was just a drop in the ocean to maintain the construction of both Chang Le Fang and the school at the same time.
She had already asked her family in the capital once before, so she was naturally too embarrassed to ask again.
The businesses under Duanmu Chuze's control generate considerable income, but the problem is that they also have to support so many soldiers in Yanzhou, and the expenses are no less than those of Chang Le Fang.
Mu Xin Nuan was somewhat worried. As the saying goes, even a clever cook can't cook without rice. Wasn't this exactly the kind of trouble Duanmu Chu Ze was facing right now?
Later that afternoon, Mu Xin Nuan was thinking about whether to hold another auction to see if she could raise more money when a servant came to report that Madam Lu had arrived.
Mu Xin Nuan was slightly taken aback. Although this Madam Lu had started managing the household after recovering from her illness, she had never been very close to her and had never had a deep relationship with her. What was the purpose of her visit?
Aunt Fang replied, "Your Highness, the second wife of the Lu family is also traveling with us today."
Mu Xin Nuan's mind suddenly cleared up. The second wife of the Lu family was the wife of the second master who was in charge of the Lu family's rice and grain.
"Please."
"Yes, princess."
Mu Xin Nuan immediately changed her clothes and went to the main hall to meet him.
Although the second wife of the Lu family was not married to an official, her demeanor was in no way inferior to that of the first wife of the Lu family. In fact, she seemed to be showing a tendency to surpass her.
"Greetings to the princess."
Mu Xin smiled and raised her hand to help her up, "Please, no need for formalities, have a seat."
The second wife of the Lu family, Madam He, was a local of Yanzhou.
Instead of sitting down with Madam Lu, Madam He stepped forward and handed the small box in her hand to Rongyue, asking her to pass it on to the Princess.
Rongyue opened the box and took out the contents. Mu Xinnuan was taken aback at first, then her eyes lit up with joy. After closing the box, she instructed Rongyue to keep it safe.
"What's wrong, Second Madam?"
"Your Highness, this was sent by my husband. He said that since the Lu family is dependent on Your Highness, they will naturally rely on Your Highness's guidance and support in the future. If the Lu family does anything inappropriate, I hope Your Highness will be lenient in consideration of their status as Your Highness's servants."
That's an extremely humble statement.
Mu Xin Nuan nodded slightly, "Second Madam, you are being too modest. His Highness's intention is for everyone to prosper together. The Lu family is a prominent clan in Yanzhou, a family that has been established in Yanzhou for over a hundred years. If His Highness needs anything in the future, he will have to rely on the Lu family for support."
"Your Highness is too kind. It is our Lu family's duty and honor to serve our master."
"Very well, then I will accept this silver on behalf of the Prince. As for what happens next, I believe I don't need to say anything more. I've heard that your son has been thoroughly trained by the Prince lately."
When Mrs. He heard that her son was mentioned, her face lit up with a smile, a genuine joy from the bottom of her heart.
What woman wouldn't love her child? Mrs. He was no exception.
"It is my son Shao Hong's good fortune to be favored by the Prince. However, the child has always been a bit stubborn, which inevitably makes the Prince unhappy. I hope the Princess can put in a good word for him."
"Oh! Look at what the Second Madam is saying. If that's really the case, then all I heard from the Prince were words of praise for Young Master Lu?" Mu Xin Nuan said, chuckling twice, and then ordered someone to fetch two boxes.
"Second Madam, it's our first meeting, and I don't have much to offer as a reward. These were given to me by my maternal grandmother before I left the capital. It just so happens that we have a connection today, so I'll present these jade bracelets to you."
Madam He was startled and immediately stood up, declining, "This concubine dares not. How could this concubine accept the Princess's courtesy?"
"What's there to be afraid of? Didn't you just say that the Lu family is subordinate to the Prince? So, in that case, we're all family. It's perfectly normal for family members to exchange gifts when they meet for the first time, isn't it? Or are you hoping that as soon as you leave, someone will say that I don't know the rules?"
"I dare not?" Madam He said with some fear.
Seeing this, Madam Lu smiled and said, "Since it was a gift from the Princess, you should accept it. Now that you are a resident of Yanzhou, you will inevitably have to visit often in the future."
In short, this reminded Madam He that since she had come to the Chang Le Prince's Mansion for the first time, she would naturally come again.
"Yes, thank you very much, Your Highness."
Mu Xin smiled and then had the second box delivered to Madam Lu's left side.
"Madam Lu, I heard you had been ill for a while and hadn't had a chance to visit you. Later, I also fell ill myself. Now we're both better. This is a thousand-year-old ginseng. It's not the finest, but it's good for replenishing your qi and blood."
Madam Lu never expected that she would be included this time. Thinking about what she had done before, she felt ashamed.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I will certainly cultivate my character and take good care of my health from now on, so that I can serve Your Highness well."
Mu Xin Nuan nodded, "No matter what you do, you need to be healthy first. Your complexion looks about right now. With another month or two of proper care, I recuperate, and I think you'll be fine."
"Yes, thank you, Your Highness."
Mu Xin Nuan chatted with the two women for a while longer, intending to have them stay for a meal. However, the two women declined repeatedly. Mu Xin Nuan also felt that it was not appropriate to rush things when dealing with this Madam Lu for the first time, so she did not insist on keeping them.
Finally, he had someone select ten bolts of brocade from the storeroom and send them to the two Lu families respectively.
Although the amount was small, once the news spread, the ladies and young women of Yanzhou naturally understood the Princess's meaning. This was to cultivate good relations with the Lu family, who had now won the Princess's favor.
When Madam He heard this news, her expression was not very pleasant.
She adopted the illegitimate daughter from the main branch of the family as her own, making her the legitimate daughter, with the intention of winning over the Lu family.
The two families are now engaged, but the bride hasn't officially entered the family yet. Now that Princess Chang Le is getting so close to the Lu family, I'm afraid her previous plans will fall through.
The Xie family lost the Lu family's major support. In terms of officialdom, it may not seem like much, but in terms of financial resources, it has obviously become much more difficult.
As the largest rice merchant in the Great Yong Dynasty, the Lu family's wealth and influence are certainly not acquired through mere means!
Nowadays, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess's plans are all inseparable from money. Although they receive tributes from their subordinates, it's not exactly easy to spend them.
Originally, the plan was to use the marriage between the two families to win back the Lu family and keep them dependent on the Xie family in the capital. But now it seems unlikely.