Chapter 31

When Fu'er learned about it from Cuiya, many people in the mansion who had used her pear blossom fragrance compared the scents and came one after another to ask her if she made it.

Fu'er, of course, could not admit it and answered no to all of them.

Even Xiang'er noticed the smell; it was exactly the same as the one Fu'er had given her in the past.

"Fu'er, this incense looks very similar to the ones you make. You really didn't secretly take it out to sell?"

"Don't forget the young master's warning from the past."

Even though Fu'er and Xiang'er are very close, they will not back down on this matter.

"Sister, you're overthinking it. I haven't had time to make incense lately, and the flower petals I dried have other uses."

"Could you please not tell the old woman about this? I'm afraid she'll overthink it."

Xiang'er smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't tell."

These maids and Xiang'er are easy to fool; when faced with doubts, she can simply deny everything.

She rarely lies, but she was still a little flustered inside.

I'm afraid the news will reach Ning Shiyu.

After calming down, Fu'er also figured out a solution.

To ensure everything went smoothly, Fu'er thought for a moment and made a distinction between the spices kept in the mansion and those that were sold.

This year, she added appropriate amounts of peach blossoms and last year's osmanthus to her newly made pear blossom fragrance.

I took it to the shop to sell.

Then she rushed to make another batch for use at home, replacing the peach blossoms and osmanthus with mugwort leaves.

She wasn't afraid if things ever escalated to Ning Shiyu's level.

When Fu'er was learning incense making in the past, Ning Shiyu had given her a serious warning.

The incense she makes can be used by herself and those around her.

It is absolutely impossible to have the idea of ​​selling it to others or making incense to earn money.

Although Fu'er made the pear blossom fragrance herself, she also learned the skill from Granny Yu.

Ultimately, it was passed down from Ning Shiyu's mother.

Ning Shiyu was always the one who had the final say in the mansion, and Fu'er had witnessed his methods of punishing his servants.

To avoid arousing suspicion, she couldn't stop using spices.

Otherwise, if Qingyu Shop suddenly stopped selling, the truth would be revealed without anyone suspecting it.

Fortunately, Ning Shiyu has been coming home very late these past few days.

This matter was not discovered.

For several days in a row, Zhuang Xing returned with messages saying that Ning Shiyu was not returning to the mansion.

Fu'er's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

*

These days, besides busying himself with matchmaking between Li Huiqing and Miss Cao, Ning Shiyu has also been busy with other matters.

We must also keep a close eye on the fighting in Lingnan.

Half a month ago, the King of Qin received news that the Nanrong people were invading the Lingnan border.

The commander stationed in Lingnan put up a fierce resistance, but the situation remained dire, and he requested the imperial court to send troops to support him.

These days, aside from military affairs, the King of Qin has devoted most of his energy to this matter.

Therefore, Ning Shiyu was put in charge of the marriage between Li Huiqing and the Cao family girl.

Only two days after Li Huiqing returned from the Cao family mansion, the Cao family came to the Lingyifang store to see Ning Shiyu.

He claimed that all he wanted was for his cousin to break off the engagement arranged by his parents.

The Cao family was willing to marry their daughter to his cousin.

He was even willing to spend extra money to appease the woman.

Seeing that the fish had taken the bait, Ning Shiyu readily agreed.

However, when the messenger asked if the Cao family's daughter wanted to meet his cousin, Ning Shiyu politely declined.

"I dare not make a decision on this matter on my own; I am merely a messenger."

"The matter of annuling the engagement has not been settled yet, so how can I let my cousin meet with Miss Cao in private?"

"If Miss Cao really wants to see my cousin, we should wait until both sets of parents meet and discuss the matter before we talk about it."

"This is good for the reputation of both companies."

The next day, Ning Shiyu sent a letter to the Cao family, saying that the family of the woman to whom his cousin was engaged did not want to break off the engagement.

Ning Shiyu did this to force Cao Yukun to show his face.

The method proved effective. Two days later, Ning Shiyu finally met the person he wanted to see: Cao Yukun, the military governor of Hexi.

This man, a military officer by birth, went straight to the point, speaking in a domineering tone, "Young Master Ning, what would it take for the woman's family to break off your cousin's marriage proposal?"

Ning Shiyu said frankly, "Since General Cao has come to see me personally, I will tell you the truth."

"There is no woman involved, and my cousin is not from an ordinary merchant family, but the son of the King of Qin."

Cao Yukun was so angry that his face turned ashen. Having been in officialdom for many years, he immediately understood.

This was a carefully planned scheme by the King of Qin to lure his enemy into a trap.

He stood up abruptly, clenching his fists, "You're using my daughter's marriage to scheme against me, how despicable!"

"I will not give up easily."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slammed his large hand down, shattering the tea table in front of him.

Mu Li darted out in a flash, protecting his master.

Ning Shiyu remained calm and waved for him to leave.

Without a trace of fear on his face, he smiled faintly and asked, "General Cao, do you intend to form a marriage alliance with the Cui family?"

Ning Shiyu, having grasped his weakness, continued, "Let's not talk about whether your daughter is willing."

"If you agree to this marriage with the Cui family, it will only bring endless trouble to your Cao family."

Cao Yukun snorted coldly, "This general has his own opinions, and it is not up to a junior like you to point fingers at me."

Ning Shiyu stood up and bowed, "This junior meant no disrespect, but I would like to ask General Cao, the soldiers stationed here haven't received their pay for half a year."

"Does he intend to jeopardize his daughter's marriage this time as well?"

"What exactly Cui Mingyou is planning to do is something that General Cao knows without me having to tell you."

Upon seeing a young man who seemed to know everything about his military camp, Cao Yukun had to reassess the background of this young man.

"It seems that the King of Qin is surrounded by hidden talents; I never expected to find such promising young men among them."

At this moment, Mu Li served hot tea again.

It was placed right in front of Cao Yukun, and the teacup was steaming hot.

Cao Yukun clenched his fist, a hint of coldness creeping into his gaze as he looked at Mu Li.

"Could it be that marrying my daughter to the Prince of Qin's son will bring endless trouble?"

"I'm afraid there will be even more trouble."

Ning Shiyu leaned back in his chair, his long, slender fingers tracing the rim of his cup, and smiled gently, “If the general is willing to form a marriage alliance with the Prince of Qin’s family.”

"The King of Qin can not only provide you with a generous dowry, but also solve your urgent problem of military pay."

"It was publicly stated that Miss Cao was marrying the son of a merchant, and that the two would not have to live in the Prince of Qin's mansion after their marriage, but would instead live in a separate courtyard in the east of the city."

"This way, the Cui family won't know about your relationship with the King of Qin."

"Most importantly, the King of Qin can also help you get back the unpaid military pay from the court."

Upon hearing him mention military pay, Cao Yukun finally agreed to sit down, and his tone was much better than before.

He just looked like he was watching a joke, and didn't take it seriously at all.

"Oh, I'd like to see how the King of Qin, who can't even protect himself, will manage to get back the unpaid military pay for me?"

Ning Shiyu smiled and said, "When the general is willing to see the King of Qin, he will tell you about this matter."

Cao Yukun was willing to sit down and listen to Ning Shiyu's subsequent demands, which clearly indicated that he was somewhat swayed.

After a moment of silence, he stood up and said, "I will give you an answer in three days."

"Still in this teahouse."

Ning Shiyu rose to see him off, saying, "Yes, I await your good news, General."

Cao Yukun is still willing to meet, so the matter can be considered largely successful.

After leaving the teahouse, Ning Shiyu instructed Zhuang Xing to relay the day's events to the King of Qin.

Then, Mu Li was sent to the You Ran Ju villa in the east of the city where Li Huiqing was staying, to inform her in advance.

If he wasn't mistaken, the Cao family would likely send someone to investigate.

The guards and gatekeepers of You Ran Ju were all Ning Shi Yu's men. Only after Mu Li gave instructions would the guards allow the Cao family to enter the villa.

Ning Shiyu returned to the Ning residence. The guard in the carriage reported, "Master, Zhuxi just reported that all the medicines you requested have been prepared."

"Understood, let's go back to the manor."

"yes."

These past few days, he's been busy with important matters and hasn't been back to the Ning residence.

Lifting the curtain to look at the noise outside the carriage, Ning Shiyu could only picture Fu'er's chattering voice in his mind.

She chuckled to herself, realizing that her heart had unknowingly followed Fu'er's lead.

Where is Fu'er? Where does his longing lie?

If Fu'er is in Songtao Garden today, he will definitely return to Songtao Garden.

When passing by Zhengmingzhai, he specially asked the guards around him to buy Fu'er's favorite cherry biscuits.

Seeing that it was still early today, I thought I would take her out of the manor for a stroll.

However, upon returning to the mansion, Fu'er was nowhere to be found.

Only after asking Granny Yu did she learn that she had left the mansion again.

Ning Shiyu assumed she was bored at home and had gone home, so he didn't pay much attention.

One person went into the study, thinking that he still had a few letters to write.

After serving the tea, Granny Yu did not leave.

Ning Shiyu took the hot tea from her and asked, "Is there something you need, Granny?"

Seeing her hesitant expression, Ning Shiyu waved away the guards beside him.

At this moment, Granny Yu spoke up, "Young master, I have something to report."

"It's about Fu'er."

Seeing her serious expression, Ning Shiyu knew it was something bad, so he immediately put down his teacup and his pupils contracted.

Her tone was somewhat tense, "What's wrong with her? Is she feeling unwell?"

A few days ago, Ning Shiyu noticed that Fu'er was very sleepy all day and didn't eat much.

I still have some worries.

"Don't worry, young master, Fu'er is fine now."

"What I'm trying to say is that Fu'er opened a spice shop on Qingyu Street."

After finishing her sentence, Granny Yu didn't dare to look at Ning Shiyu's expression.

Half a day later, he asked in a cold voice, "Is it true?"

“This servant dares not deceive you, young master. I personally followed her today and saw it for myself.”

A chill suddenly emanated from Ning Shiyu, and he swept the teacup off the table.

The teacup fell to the ground and shattered, startling the little orange cat under the table, who meowed loudly and darted out of the study.

Granny Yu stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move.

A moment later, Ning Shiyu said in a cold voice, "Go and find her."

Granny Yu wiped the fine sweat from her face and said tremblingly, "Yes, young master."

Ning Shiyu was the only one left in the study, and he remained motionless as if in deep meditation.

He couldn't believe that Fu'er would lie to him.

The year Ning Shiyu agreed to let her learn incense making, he had already warned her.

These are the skills and rules passed down from his mother, and he doesn't allow anyone to break them.

This was the only thing he could do for his mother.

Protecting everything her mother loved in her lifetime was as if preserving her traces in this world.

It was as if she had never gone far.

This is also the reason why Ning Shiyu persists in this way.

He silently missed his mother in his own way.

Unexpectedly, Fu'er knew he was wrong but still made a mistake, which was disrespectful to his mother.

Over the years, Fu'er has always been well-behaved and has never crossed his bottom line.

Why has she changed so much this year?

It's not just about making incense.

If I say I won't go back to the Ning residence, then I won't.

Ning Shiyu felt that Fu'er had escaped his control.

This feeling was awful; he couldn't calm down at all.

Another voice echoed in her mind: she's still young, could it be that she's been influenced by others?

Especially her cousin.

Not long after, Fu'er was finally found, still soaking wet and not having had time to change out of her clothes.

She glanced at Ning Shiyu's gloomy face.

Then, recalling the solemn expression on Granny Yu's face, she knew that Granny Yu had gotten into trouble again.

Before she could ask why, Ning Shiyu said in a cold voice, "Why are you not following the rules and selling spices outside the mansion without permission?"

Fu'er wanted to argue a bit more, but Ning Shiyu threw a box of pear blossom incense in front of her.

Fu'er was stunned. She had kept everything a secret, but somehow Ning Shiyu found out.

Seeing her avoid eye contact, she remained silent for a long time.

Ning Shiyu asked loudly, "But your cousin encouraged you to do it?"

Fu'er shook her head and said, "No, it was my own idea."

Ning Shiyu was furious as she clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly. "Why did you do this?"

Seeing that Ning Shiyu was truly angry, Fu'er whispered, "This servant...this servant wants to earn more money."

Ning Shiyu slammed his hand on the desk and said sternly, "You're lying."

Fu'er trembled with fright and looked at Ning Shiyu with teary eyes.

Ning Shiyu's heart skipped a beat, and his tone softened involuntarily.

Tell me the real reason.

Fu'er dared not reveal her true plans.

He wanted to open a spice shop so that he would have a business to make a living after he returned to Chang'an.

Under Ning Shiyu's stern gaze, she stammered, "My family is short of money... my mother..."

Before Fu'er could finish speaking, Ning Shiyu interrupted again, saying, "Enough. Do you really think I'm that easy to fool?"

"Since you're unwilling to explain the reasons, you should know the consequences."

Fu'er immediately knelt down in front of Ning Shiyu, "Young Master, I was wrong, I will never dare to do it again."

"How about I give you all the thirty taels of silver I've earned?"

Ning Shiyu tried his best not to look at her and said in a deep voice, "As long as you tell me the real reason, I will let bygones be bygones."

Damn it, Ning Shiyu only realized this now. At this moment, all he wanted to know was the real reason why Fu'er had secretly opened a shop outside the mansion.

But Fu'er just shook her head and refused to say.

Ning Shiyu felt a sudden emptiness in his heart, as if his true feelings had been misplaced.

I am extremely disappointed in Fu'er.

Filled with anger and unsure where to vent it, he said calmly, "Are you in such a hurry to learn how to make agarwood so you can open a shop later?"

Fu'er quickly shook her head and said, "No, it's not true."

"Young master, I didn't."

The process of making agarwood is complicated and the materials are expensive, which is something Fu'er can only afford.

No matter how Fu'er explained, Ning Shiyu seemed to have lost interest in listening any further.

“I have indulged you many times, but you have overstepped your bounds and violated the rules of the household time and time again.”

"How can you not be punished? From this moment on, I will expel you from the Ning family."

"Mu Li took her out of the manor; I don't want to see her again."