Chapter 55: Delegation of Power

Qin Rong could not be certain whether Wen Ruyu would betray him, but he ultimately chose to sheathe the knife in his hand.

If he wasn’t going to kill Wen Ruyu today, he couldn’t allow any injuries on her body, as that would arouse suspicion and potentially create enmity with her.

Although, his actions might have already been noted by Wen Ruyu.

With the knife back in its sheath, he said, “I will leave the Lu family, but not yet. Chu Ying has brought trouble to the Lu family. If one day fortune smiles upon him, he will certainly not forget the Old Madam’s kindness. As long as Chu Ying lives, he will protect the Lu family from being implicated.”

Wen Ruyu raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

If he couldn’t even protect the Qin family, how could he protect the Lu family?

Chu Ying, also known as Qin Rong, seemed to notice the doubt in Wen Ruyu’s expression.

“The Qin family is too far from me; I cannot ensure its safety. Besides, Old Master Qin is indeed part of my father’s faction, so his danger could have been predicted long ago. But my father stubbornly refused to retire, despite my persuasion.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Ruyu had a moment of realization.

It seemed the Qin family could have avoided this disaster, but Old Master Qin refused to give up his official position, leading to the subsequent misfortune.

From what Chu Ying said, it appeared that he likely held some influence around Qinghe County.

However, this influence seemed to be lying dormant.

A beast that does not move is surely waiting for the right moment.

Still, Wen Ruyu couldn’t be sure whether Chu Ying was a beast capable of ruling.

As she pondered, she heard Chu Ying speak again, “But if Chu Ying dies, I cannot guarantee the safety of the Lu family.”

Wen Ruyu’s brows furrowed slightly.

It was clear now that Chu Ying was threatening her.

If Wen Ruyu decided to expose him, the consequences for her and the Lu family would not be pleasant.

Chu Ying was warning her that while he might not be able to eliminate the power behind her, he could easily kill her or her entire family.

With her life in his hands, what could she do?

“Rest assured, my lord, I understand the limits,” Wen Ruyu replied.

Ultimately, it was still the weakness of the Lu family’s power.

In Qinghe County, the Lu family was considered respectable, and local bullies dared not offend them easily.

But in the capital, they were insignificant.

“The Old Madam is kind and capable in business, and the housekeeper is well-organized. Chu Ying admires them deeply. For me, it is an honor to be taken in and helped by the Old Madam,” said Chu Ying.

Wen Ruyu gave a small, knowing smile in her heart.

“Your Highness overestimates me,” she replied politely.

As they spoke, Chu Ying had already put his knife away, returning to his silent demeanor.

Wen Ruyu looked outside and noted that they had been quiet for about ten seconds before she heard someone speaking outside.

She couldn’t help but marvel—Chu Ying was still in his growing years, no more than thirteen or fourteen, and yet he had such martial skills.

It was a miracle that this child had survived up to this point.

When his family faced a great crisis, and he was struggling to survive, he had managed to keep his composure and hidden in the Lu family, successfully blending in.

Had it not been for the dream from the original owner, Wen Ruyu might have thought she had traveled into some heroic fantasy novel.

Whether in strategy, mentality, luck, or appearance, Chu Ying was clearly not an ordinary person.

Perhaps in the future, he could truly achieve something great.

But for now, Wen Ruyu had no intention of latching onto him.

His influence was not great enough to make her feel compelled to attach herself to him, and he was at constant risk of being cut down.

Wen Ruyu sought wealth and power, but she was not willing to take excessive risks.

If possible, she would prefer to climb step by step with the Lu family, aiming for what was achievable without facing such enormous risks.

At this point, the maids entered the room.

Wen Ruyu stood up, and a few maids began helping her with her clothes.

After tea in the afternoon, it was soon time for dinner.

Since the weather was good, the family ate together.

On very hot or cold days, Wen Ruyu couldn’t be bothered to get up and would eat in her own room.

That evening, she hadn’t seen Lu Jinnian, but Zhao Shu immediately told her that he had gone out for a walk.

“Have you sent someone to follow him?” Wen Ruyu asked.

“Not yet,” Zhao Shu replied, pretending to be surprised. She smiled and stood beside Wen Ruyu, placing a plate of braised prawns in her bowl before serving some three-flavor soup.

She set the soup in front of Wen Ruyu, waiting for it to cool so she could taste it.

Wen Ruyu never explicitly told her daughter-in-law what she liked to eat.

Zhao Shu had picked up on it, learning from her habits, perhaps by observing or asking the maids.

Her daughter-in-law was not unintelligent—she was just too virtuous.

Zhao Shu wanted to gain the Old Madam’s favor but didn’t want to offend any of the younger family members.

Whenever anyone in the family made a mistake, she would only advise them gently and never speak harshly.

She was also easily softened when her younger siblings wanted something, often letting go of important principles.

The word “smooth” was quite fitting for Zhao Shu.

She wasn’t vicious, and sometimes, she would even sacrifice her own interests to maintain harmony within the family.

Wen Ruyu liked this daughter-in-law not only because she was compliant but also because she was deeply caring.

In modern times, she had never met a girl so “understanding.”

This kind of understanding was heart-wrenching because she never thought of herself, only of others. She was so considerate that it almost made her lack her own opinions.

Even though Wen Ruyu recognized Zhao Shu’s smoothness, she never exposed it.

If Zhao Shu felt that this kind of life gave her a sense of security, then she was fine to continue living this way.

As for Lu Jinnian, Wen Ruyu would have someone keep a closer eye on him.

The family sat down to eat, when someone came to announce that the matchmaker from the Lin family had arrived.

At the table, Lu Ke froze for a moment before looking toward Wen Ruyu.

He was naturally anxious about his own marriage.

“Please invite her in,” Wen Ruyu said calmly.

It was likely the matchmaker hadn’t had dinner yet.

In ordinary families, although one man could support a whole family, not every family ate meat every day.

The matchmaker, being opportunistic, was truly doing business.

Thus, Wen Ruyu was willing to offer her a meal.

When the matchmaker arrived, Wen Ruyu had already instructed the kitchen to prepare an extra set of dishes for her.

The matchmaker didn’t dare to sit at the table, so Wen Ruyu had her eat on the side while listening to the outcome.

As expected, Lu Ke was a popular candidate in Qinghe County’s matchmaking market.

It seemed the Lin family had already investigated him and accepted the proposal on the same day.

The Lu family was naturally pleased with this news.

Although Lu Ke wasn’t born of the main wife, marrying into the Lin family would benefit the entire family.

Wen Ruyu quickly had someone give the matchmaker a silver token, and when the time came, the family would send the wedding gifts with the servants.

This was considered the formal proposal.

After the meal, Wen Ruyu, in front of Qian Yiniang, Lu Ke, and the others, called for the housekeeper, Lu Cheng.

She instructed him, “Today, go to the account room and get two hundred taels of silver, specifically for handling the wedding gifts. When the list of gifts is ready, bring it to me for approval. Let Qian Yiniang assist you with the arrangements.”

Hearing this, Lu Ke said, “It’s better for the Old Madam to make the final decision.”

Qian Yiniang, hearing this, looked at Lu Ke with a mix of joy and grievance.

Wen Ruyu understood that he was merely being polite.

“I am getting old, and I can’t manage everything well. I have left the more important matters to your wife. But she has many responsibilities, and I don’t want her to be too overburdened. After all, your mother is your birth mother, so it’s only fitting that she handles this. Just leave it to her and don’t make a fuss.”

Wen Ruyu wasn’t interested in preparing these matters herself.

After all, this was Lu Ke’s marriage, so it was better left to his biological mother. Even if something went wrong, she would not be held responsible.

Then Wen Ruyu spoke to Qian Yiniang, saying, “If you don’t understand something, ask Shu’er for advice. But don’t push the tasks onto her, understand?”

Qian Yiniang naturally agreed with a smile, “Rest assured, Old Madam, I will handle it, and I will make sure you are satisfied!”

Wen Ruyu nodded without changing her expression.

What was there to satisfy her? It wasn’t her wedding.

All she needed was for Lu Ke to not complain later.

Lu Ke naturally realized that Wen Ruyu had specifically delegated these matters to his mother, even having Lu Cheng and Zhao Shu assist to ensure that his mother could find someone to ask if she encountered any problems.

His biological mother might only have one major matter to manage in the Lu family—his marriage.

This was also the issue his mother cared about the most.

From this point on, Lu Ke began to change his previous opinion of Wen Ruyu.

Perhaps the Old Madam didn’t like him, but it had to be said that she had never done anything excessive toward him.

Even the wedding gifts for the Lin family were reasonable.

When the Lu family had prospered, they had only offered two hundred taels of silver for the elder’s marriage.

Now that his father was gone, the Old Madam had not treated him differently.

In fact, she knew that his second brother’s marriage was difficult, yet she was still willing to take charge of it first.

Such a matriarch was rare to find in any family.

For some reason, at this moment, Lu Ke felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Wen Ruyu.

Wen Ruyu only noticed that Lu Ke and Qian Yiniang were very emotional at this moment, but she did not realize the huge change in their attitude toward her.

Even if she did, she would consider it perfectly normal.

Her position in the Lu family was clear—once she delegated a little power, it would give Lu Ke and his mother enough face.

As the saying goes, “There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.”

She had done something beneficial to Lu Ke and his mother, so of course, they considered her a good person.

Similarly, if one day she did something to harm their interests, they would hate her.

Thus, their changed attitude toward her didn’t mean much to Wen Ruyu.