I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Wu Yu remained rooted to the spot.

He glanced at Madam Zhao, then at the marriage certificate on the table that hadn't yet been put away.

Just now we were saying that the two families are becoming even closer through marriage.

With the arrival of the Ninth Prince, he became a distant relative.

Lu Yuan glanced at the two boxes tied with red ribbons.

"The local specialties you brought when you visited were quite festive."

Madam Zhao quickly explained, "There are many customs in the countryside; please forgive me, Your Highness."

Zhao Mingzhu finally realized what was happening.

She lifted her skirt and walked down the steps to Lu Yuan's side, where she hugged his arm tightly.

The young lady of the escort agency, who had been furious just moments before, now lowered her head, her cheeks flushed.

"Why are you so late?"

Lu Yuan looked at Zhao Mingzhu, who was pressed against his arm, and raised his eyebrows slightly.

Women are indeed born actresses.

Madam Zhao stood in front of Wu Yu and casually stuffed the two marriage certificates back into the matchmaker's arms.

"Xiao Wu, you should go back now."

"Don't come again, I'm afraid His Highness will misunderstand."

Wu Yu's smug expression froze.

Just now, Madam Zhao said that the two families were becoming even closer through marriage, but in the blink of an eye, she can't even enter the Zhao family's door?

"good!"

Wu Yu shook off the guard's hand and gritted his teeth, saying, "Now that your Zhao family has climbed up to the prince, you look down on my Wu family."

"When I get back, I'll inform my father that from now on, if anything happens at the Ministry of Rites, don't expect the Wu family to speak up for you!"

Madam Zhao had already turned around.

"Your Highness, please come in."

Lu Yuan nodded and walked towards the main hall with Zhao Mingzhu.

The steward followed behind, closing the mansion gate behind him and keeping Wu Yu and the matchmaker outside.

Wu Yu stood at the bottom of the steps, holding the marriage certificate, his face turning from red to pale.

Seeing that things were not going well, the matchmaker turned to leave.

Wu Yu grabbed her sleeve.

"Who let you leave?"

"Young Master Wu, the marriage is off, what use is this old woman still?"

"You just helped them humiliate me too!"

"That's the Ninth Prince, who would dare to steal his woman?"

The matchmaker pried his hands off. "If you're really so capable, go settle accounts with the Ninth Prince. What kind of man bullies a matchmaker like me?"

She left quickly, leaving Wu Yu standing there.

Wu Yu looked back at the tightly closed gate of the Zhao family and kicked one of the wooden boxes.

"The Ninth Prince!"

"You dare to steal my woman, and you even dare to ruin my plans to take over the Fuyuan Escort Agency."

"I won't let you get away with this!"

A servant whispered a reminder: "Young master, His Highness the Ninth Prince is now favored by His Majesty; we may not be able to defeat him."

"If I can't beat them, someone else certainly can!"

Wu Yu straightened his clothes, turned around and left.

He worked in the Ministry of Rites. Although he rarely went to the government office, he had heard his father mention the situation in the court.

Of the princes who remain in the capital, only the Second Prince, Lu Cheng, who is under house arrest, dares to challenge Lu Yuan.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

"Go to the Second Prince's residence."

"Take the Wu family of the Ministry of Rites for example. They have a generous gift for the Ninth Prince that they wish to personally deliver to the Second Prince!"

……

The main hall of the Zhao family.

Madam Zhao personally invited Lu Yuan to the seat of honor and had her maid serve fresh tea.

Zhao Mingzhu sat next to Lu Yuan, maintaining a smile on her face, but her toes kept touching his shoes.

She wanted to remind Lu Yuan to stop.

The wedding has been ruined.

If we find an excuse to leave now, everything can still be salvaged.

Lu Yuan, however, seemed not to understand and looked directly at Madam Zhao.

"Madam, I won't beat around the bush."

"I have taken a liking to Miss Mingzhu, and I have come to your door today to discuss marriage."

Zhao Mingzhu's feet stopped in mid-air.

Madam Zhao was taken aback at first, then smiled so much that fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes.

"This is Mingzhu's good fortune!"

"The Zhao family couldn't be happier if His Highness took a liking to her."

Zhao Mingzhu quickly interjected, "Mother, isn't this all happening too fast?"

"What's the rush?"

Madam Zhao glared at her. "You two have already pledged your lives to each other. Are you going to drag this out for a few more years?"

"Actually, he and I..."

Madam Zhao pushed a plate of pastries in front of her.

"Do not interrupt in front of His Highness."

When Lu Yuan saw the mother and daughter, the corners of his mouth also turned up.

"Don't worry, Madam!"

"When Mingzhu enters the Ninth Prince's residence, I will not allow her to suffer any injustice!"

"Although the household already has a principal wife and concubines, the proper etiquette must not be neglected!"

Madam Zhao nodded repeatedly.

"Your Highness is a man of great loyalty and righteousness, and I naturally believe you."

"Mingzhu has been working as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) with her father since she was a child, and she has a straightforward personality. If she does anything wrong in the future, please forgive her, Your Highness."

"If she causes trouble, I will take the blame for her!"

Zhao Mingzhu turned her head to look at Lu Yuan.

The more this guy talks, the more believable it sounds.

Lu Yuan ignored her and asked again, "When will President Zhao's head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) return to the capital?"

"It could take as little as half a month, or as long as about a month."

Madam Zhao continued, "But I can make the decision about Mingzhu's marriage."

"That's good."

Lu Yuan stood up and straightened his clothes.

"After I return to my residence, I will have someone go to the Imperial Observatory to select a few auspicious days."

"Once Mr. Zhao's head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) returns, the two families will discuss and decide on the wedding date!"

Madam Zhao also stood up.

"I will obey Your Highness's orders."

"I will have lunch prepared."

"What kind of dishes does Your Highness like? Although the Zhao family's chefs are not as good as the imperial chefs in the palace, they are still very good at cooking."

Zhao Mingzhu quickly went to her mother.

"Mother, you can arrange lunch."

"I have some things I'd like to discuss with Your Highness privately."

Madam Zhao looked at her daughter, then at Lu Yuan, and smiled even more broadly.

"Okay, okay."

"You two speak slowly, I won't disturb you."

She left with her steward and maids, and even took Xiao Tao with her.

Zhao Mingzhu maintained a smile throughout.

Once only the two of them were left in the hall, the smile on her face vanished immediately.

"Are you crazy?"

She rushed to Lu Yuan and grabbed his sleeve.

"I told you to ruin the wedding, not to impersonate the Ninth Prince and propose marriage!"

"Do you know that impersonating a prince is a capital offense?"

Lu Yuan looked down at her hand.

"Miss Zhao, you said it yourself."

"As long as no one dies, I'll do whatever it takes."

"Now that Wu Yu is gone, the marriage certificate hasn't been changed."

"Wasn't the matter resolved?"

"But you dragged me into this too!"

Zhao Mingzhu loosened his sleeve and paced back and forth in the hall twice.

"My mother has already taken it seriously."

"You saw how she looked just now. Once she finds out you're an imposter, she'll skin me alive!"

Lu Yuan sat down in the chair and casually picked up a piece of pastry.

"Didn't you say before that the Minister of Rites is your great-uncle, and that the Zhao family fears no one?"

"But you can't impersonate a prince!"

Zhao Mingzhu snatched the pastry from his hand.

"This is the capital city, not a remote little county."

"This matter will eventually reach the ears of the real Ninth Prince."

"What will we do then?"

Lu Yuan looked up at her.

"What do you want to do?"

"How would I know?"

Zhao Mingzhu angrily put the pastries back on the plate. "Why don't you go out now and tell my mother that you were just talking nonsense?"

"Wu Yu hasn't gone far."

Lu Yuan pointed towards the gate of the mansion, "I'll explain it clearly one day, and he'll come back in with the marriage certificate the next."

Zhao Mingzhu opened her mouth, but couldn't find a rebuttal.

Lu Yuan stood up and moved closer to her.

Zhao Mingzhu subconsciously took two steps back.

The scene in the bathtub last night resurfaced in her mind, and she raised her hand to protect herself.

"What do you want to do?"

Lu Yuan took another step forward.

Zhao Mingzhu retreated to the side of the screen, her waist pressed against the wooden frame.

Lu Yuan looked down at her reddened ears, his smile growing increasingly wicked.

"Since we're afraid of being exposed, let's make the fake seem real."

Zhao Mingzhu stared at him warily.

"How will it change?"

Lu Yuan raised his hand and braced it against the screen beside her.

"How about we make it a fait accompli?"