Armed with a machete and a gun, armed with a system, they fled the famine.

Suddenly, Dou Xingyan pointed to a spot not far ahead and exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Zhao, look, isn't that my brother?"

What did she see?

She actually saw her brother admiring the lanterns with a woman?

This is incredible! Her brother, this ancient iron tree, is finally about to bloom.

Zhao Yan and the others looked ahead in the direction Dou Xingyan was pointing, and then they saw Dou Qingran standing under the lantern in plain clothes, with a slender woman standing next to her.

Several bodyguards were protecting them from behind.

Zhao Yan turned her head and quickly exchanged a glance with Yang Sanlang, both of them revealing a knowing look in their eyes.

Dou Qingran seems to be hoping for a chance encounter with them.

Ha ha.

This one works too.

So Zhao Yan quickly walked over to Dou Xingyan and whispered in her ear, "Your brother is probably worried that we'll scare your sister-in-law, so he wants to stage a chance encounter with us. We'll pretend to bump into you suddenly, so don't jump around like that, okay?"

Dou Xingyan nodded quickly and said, "Yes, I understand, I know what to do."

She smiled at Zhao Yan and walked forward chatting and laughing with her.

When she was about a step away from Dou Qingran, she pretended to look at the lanterns by the roadside and unexpectedly met Lu Min's gaze.

A look of amazement flashed in Dou Xingyan's eyes. Just as she was about to smile at the woman, Dou Qingran, who was next to Lu Min, said in surprise, "Xingyan, what brings you here too?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Min, the woman beside him, looked at Dou Xingyan and Zhao Yan with considerable surprise.

Of course, it was done secretly.

Dou Xingyan ignored Lu Min's secretly scrutinizing gaze and gave her brother a big smile: "Today is the Lantern Festival, of course I have to come out for a stroll."

She answered, then turned her gaze back to Lu Min.

She asked Dou Qingran, "Brother, who is this lady? Are you here to admire the lanterns too?"

Zhao Yan, Yang Sanlang, and the others remained silent, waiting for Dou Qingran to explain.

However, Zhao Xiaomi and the other children didn't know how to control their emotions. Their eyes were all staring at Dou Qingran and Lu Min beside him with great curiosity.

Lu Min seemed startled and quietly moved her body behind Dou Qingran.

Seeing this, Dou Qingran quickly coughed twice and explained to Dou Xingyan, Zhao Yan and the others, "This is the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. Xingyan, you should call her sister-in-law."

Dou Xingyan blinked and immediately greeted the woman behind Dou Qingran with a smile, "Hello, sister-in-law, I'm Xingyan, you can just call me Xingyan."

"Sister-in-law, don't be afraid. This is my sister Zhao, that's my brother Yang, and there's also brother Chen An and sister Tian. We're all here to wish you and my brother well."

The others nodded in agreement.

Yuan Yutang and Su Yanzhi were too old to walk much, so they stayed at home with Yuan Gang and didn't go out.

Lu Min recognized Dou Xingyan the moment she saw her, but being so reserved and suddenly surrounded by so many people made her a little nervous.

Dou Qingran tilted her head and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid, they are all family. Just treat them like family."

Dou Xingyan goes without saying; she was originally his younger sister.

Zhao Yan and Yang Sanlang naturally had no doubt that they were his good brothers and sisters-in-law.

And then there are Chen An and Tian Xiu'e. They are important to Yang Sanlang and Zhao Yan, so they are important to themselves as well.

Therefore, he was absolutely right to say they were family.

Lu Min nervously clutched the handkerchief in her hand, mentally preparing herself before finally mustering the courage to nod to Dou Xingyan, Zhao Yan, and the others, and whisper, "Hello."

After that, I didn't know what to say anymore.

After all, it was their first meeting, and they really didn't have much to say to each other.

At this point, Shen Yu suggested that everyone go to his restaurant's private room for a while.

Dou Qingran was already feeling that there were too many people on the street, so when she heard what he said, she naturally nodded in agreement.

So the group turned back and slowly arrived at Shen's Grand Restaurant.

Shen Yu led the people into a private room on the second floor and quietly had someone prepare some tea and snacks to be served.

Dou Qingran and Yang Sanlang, along with other men, sat on one side, while Dou Xingyan and Zhao Yan, along with other women, sat on the other side.

Lu Min was surrounded by Zhao Yan and Dou Xingyan, listening to them speak with restraint.

Dou Qingran, who was on the other side, would occasionally give Lu Min an encouraging look.

He didn't know why he would fall for a sensitive woman like Lu Min.

He fell in love with her the moment he first saw her.

Lu Min's image is everywhere, whether I open or close my eyes at night.

In fact, Lu Min's personality was not suitable to be an empress, but Dou Qingran knew that he would not be like the previous emperors, falling in love with every woman he met until he could no longer bear the weight of three thousand concubines in his harem.

He will only have one woman in his life, and that is Lu Min.

No matter how much the ministers might object later, he's the boss, so this matter has to be listened to.

Although Lu Min was timid and sensitive, Zhao Yan, Dou Xingyan and others always gave her gentle kindness, so it wasn't long before she was able to talk to them.

With the room filled with the giggling and laughter of Zhao Xiaomi and her little kids, her tense mood gradually relaxed.

Before they knew it, it was quite late, and Dou Qingran prepared to take Lu Min home.

Dou Xingyan hugged Lu Min's arm and said coquettishly, "Sister-in-law, you must come to visit me at home later. Sister Zhao, Sister Tian, ​​and I are waiting for you at home."

Lu Min smiled and nodded gently at her.

"Okay, I will definitely come to see you."

Dou Qingran raised an eyebrow in surprise, but asked nothing and said nothing. She responsibly escorted the person back to the Ministry of Revenue's residence before returning to the palace.

Unfortunately, Lu Min got busy right after the Lantern Festival.

In another month, it will be her wedding day with Dou Qingran, so she no longer has time to talk to Dou Xingyan, Zhao Yan and others.

She was busy embroidering her wedding dress and learning etiquette at home, so she didn't see Dou Xingyan and Zhao Yan again until her wedding day with Dou Qingran.

When the emperor gets married, the ceremony is naturally of the highest standard.

Not just anyone can enter the palace. Zhao Yan left the three siblings, Xiao Fu Bao and Xiao Fu Niu, with Yang Sanlang, while she and Dou Xing Yan went into the palace to accompany Lu Min.

They were busy until late at night before Zhao Yan and Dou Xingyan finally left the palace and went home, exhausted.

Inside the carriage, Dou Xingyan leaned against the cushions and complained to Zhao Yan, "I thought my wedding with Brother Shen was complicated enough, but I didn't expect my brother's wedding to be even more complicated. Sigh, I don't know how my sister-in-law put up with it?"

Lu Min had to get up before dawn to have her hair cut and makeup done. After the makeup was done, she couldn't eat anything unless the wedding ceremony was over.

There are so many rules, and it's exhausting.

Zhao Yan slumped to one side, saying weakly, "Fortunately, marriage only happens once in a lifetime, so I can just bear with it."

Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Can a living person be suffocated by rules?

So when she was in the room with Lu Min, she saw that Lu Min's face was pale from hunger, so she secretly had someone bring in a plate of pastries and a bowl of chicken soup.

Lu Min wasn't the kind of person who was stubborn. When she saw food, she immediately started eating without any hesitation.

Dou Xingyan was really exhausted. After returning home, she experienced some bleeding. Shen Yu immediately invited Yuan Yutang over.