The abstinent and powerful minister is cold and aloof during the day, but he adores her in his dream

Chapter 43 Always Emphasizing Rules and Etiquette

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Zhenzhu suddenly blinked, "Really?"

Zhiwan was taken aback by her question, "What do you mean?"

“Actually, it’s not just Wei Jinyi who noticed; I also feel that Lord Lu treats you differently from others,” Ouyang Zhenzhu teased.

Upon hearing this, Zhiwan couldn't help but roll her eyes. "How come you're just like Wei Jinyi, with poor eyesight? How is my cousin treating me differently from others?"

She didn't notice at all.

“Lord Lu doesn’t look at anyone else, but he will look at you,” Ouyang Zhenzhu said.

Zhiwan said with a smile, "He treats me differently when he looks at me? Compared to you and Wei Jinyi, he is more familiar with me. We live in the same mansion. Besides, you and Wei Jinyi are young ladies. It would be impolite for him to look at you. My cousin always values ​​rules and etiquette."

Ouyang Zhenzhu said sullenly, "What you say makes sense. Fine, I can't argue with you."

Zhiwan pulled the blanket up for her. "It's getting late, go to sleep."

"Ah."

……

The next day.

After the court session ended, Lu Zhan left the palace together with Duan Ling and Ouyang Lei.

Just as they were about to mount their horses, a middle-aged man walked over.

The middle-aged man had a large belly, but looked shrewd.

He called out loudly to Lu Zhan, "Lord Lu, please wait!"

Lu Zhan turned around and asked calmly, "Does Lord Chen have something to say?"

Chen Liangcai smiled and said, "The murderer from Baiweilou yesterday has been apprehended. My subordinates told me that the success of this operation was entirely due to Lord Lu's help."

"Lord Chen, you flatter me. I was of no help whatsoever," Lu Zhan said dismissively.

"Lord Lu is too modest. If it weren't for the portrait you provided, catching the murderer would not have been easy. Lord Lu has saved the Ministry of Justice a lot of trouble. I heard that the portrait was drawn by a lady from your family. I have seen it, and the painting skills are truly remarkable," Chen Liangcai praised.

Lu Zhan frowned slightly, "Lord Chen is too kind. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

"Please!" Chen Liangcai smiled and gestured for them to enter.

After leaving the palace gate on horseback, Duan Ling and Ouyang Lei rode alongside Lu Zhan.

"What does Chen Liangcai mean? The Emperor already mentioned this matter in the hall just now. Is it really necessary for him to bring it up in front of us again?" Duan Ling was very dissatisfied.

"They received an award from the Emperor and are just showing off!" Ouyang Lei sneered, utterly disdainful. "The Ministry of Justice gets all the benefits. My cousin Zhi shouldn't have interfered yesterday and helped them paint that portrait!"

“Ouyang Lei, why are you blaming her?” Lu Zhan suddenly turned his head and glanced at him unhappily.

Duan Ling chimed in, "Why are you taking your anger out on your cousin? I was the one who asked them if they knew what the murderer looked like."

Ouyang Lei said sullenly, "I misspoke."

This matter really cannot be blamed on Zhiwan.

He was furious.

The Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice have always had a strained relationship.

In particular, Chen Liangcai has always liked to oppose the Dali Temple.

If it weren't for their intervention, the Ministry of Justice might not have been able to solve and close the case so quickly yesterday.

But just now in the hall, Chen Liangcai didn't mention this matter at all, but now he's come here to thank Lu Zhan insincerely, in fact, just to annoy them.

"It's a good thing that the murderer has been caught, regardless of who gets the credit," Lu Zhan said calmly.

Duan Ling immediately said, "Lei Zi, you need to learn from Lao Lu. You need to have a broader perspective and think about the big picture. Don't lose your sense of proportion for a little bit of petty gain and let that fatso benefit first."

Ouyang Lei was so angry he laughed. "Next time that fatso tries to act all smug in front of you, you better remember what I said today."

Duan Ling: "..."

At the Duke of Dingguo's residence, Wei Jinyi brought Lu Lan to Yaoguang Pavilion early in the morning, inviting Zhiwan and Ouyang Zhenzhu to fly kites.

Zhiwan was reluctant to go; she had already wasted a day. She wanted to paint, but Ouyang Zhenzhu was in her room, so it wasn't convenient for her to paint. Since Ouyang Zhenzhu wanted to go, she had no choice but to agree.

After they finished making the kites, they took them to the Duke's garden to play.

There's a grassy area in the garden, perfect for flying kites.

The girls, including Zhiwan, were having so much fun that they didn't notice Wei Jinyi's maid coming over and saying something to her. Then, Wei Jinyi loosened her grip on the kite, and it broke free and floated away quickly.

"Ah, my kite!" Wei Jinyi exclaimed, hurriedly lifting her skirt to chase after it.

As luck would have it, the kite string got tangled in a tree branch by the pond and finally came to a stop.

Seeing the kite floating in the air, Wei Jinyi became anxious and tried to climb the tree to untie the string. However, for some reason, she slipped and fell into the pond.

"Help, help me..." Wei Jinyi thrashed about in the water, shouting and screaming.

Zhiwan and the others were all frightened.

"Dongxiang, quickly find an old woman who can swim!" After regaining her senses, Zhiwan immediately gave the order.

Dongxiang went immediately.

Zhiwan and the other two hurriedly ran to the edge of the pool.

"My young lady can't swim! Someone, please save her!"

Wei Jinyi's maid wiped away her tears while secretly glancing at the path beside her, her heart filled with anxiety.

Zhiwan didn't notice the maid's movements. Looking at Wei Jinyi struggling in the water, she felt a surge of anxiety.

If something happens to Wei Jinyi, it will definitely cause trouble for her aunt.

In her panic, she saw a branch sticking out from a nearby tree and ran over to break it off to pull Wei Jinyi out.

Ouyang Zhenzhu guessed what she was thinking and ran over to help.

As they frantically broke off the branches, they saw Lu Zhan and the others appear beside the pond.

"Young Master Lu, my young lady has fallen into the water! Please save her quickly!" the maid cried, tears streaming down her face.

Seeing this, Zhiwan's heart sank.

If Lu Zhanruo intervenes in front of everyone, Wei Jinyi will definitely take the opportunity to cling to him.

Wei Jinyi's repeated attempts to manipulate the situation show that her aunt had no intention of strengthening their familial ties.

If Wei Jinyi were to become attached to Lu Zhan because of this incident, her aunt would likely be displeased.

Zhiwan didn't have time to think about whether Wei Jinyi's fall into the water was an accident or a clever arrangement.

Not wanting to put her aunt in a difficult position, she hurriedly ran to the edge of the pond, stretched a branch into the water, and tried to reach Wei Jinyi, saying, "Jinyi, grab the branch quickly, I'll pull you up."

The branches barely reached Wei Jinyi.

Zhiwan was overjoyed and hurriedly urged, "Jinyi, grab it quickly!"

Whether it was because Wei Jinyi was too scared or for some other reason, she suddenly swayed a little.

The branch was only so long to begin with, and when she suddenly swung away, Zhiwan couldn't reach her.

In her anxiety, she instinctively tried to move forward.

"Wanwan, be careful!" Ouyang Zhenzhu called out urgently from behind.

Zhiwan was startled, but it was too late to stop herself.

Just as she was about to step into the water, a strong arm suddenly reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back.

"Go back!" the man snapped, snatching the branch from her hand.

(End of this chapter)