Chapter 54: Lang Youqing

"Miss Four, if you have something to say, please speak up." The man wanted to get to the bottom of the matter.

Seeing that he was clearly getting more and more excited, Nymph pursed her lips and refused to say another word.

In such a dark night, neither of them spoke a word. The only sound in their ears was the sound of each other's breathing. The breaths seemed to be intertwined, lingering and affectionate.

She even slowed down her breathing.

In the darkness of the night, Zong Si paused and stopped teasing her.

I don’t know how long it took before the people outside left.

After Zong Si took her downstairs, they each went about looking for things and no longer exchanged any words.

Ning Fu didn't expect to get any results today, but knowing what Zong Si was planning, it wasn't like there was no progress. It would always be easier to follow him.

"This person must know it for sure. Li Fang also left a confession." Ning Fu calmed down and said.

"Your grandmother may not care about this matter." Zong Si glanced at her sideways.

Ning Fu couldn't help but speak for Kang Yang, "What happened in Yongzhou City is not entirely related to my grandmother."

Zong Si said, "There is a rumor in Yongzhou that some officials take bribes, abuse their power for personal gain, and commit corruption. The people have suffered from this for a long time. Who do you think the person is? Such a person should be beheaded..."

Although this is not entirely true, Kang Yang is still somewhat right. Ning Fu lowered her eyes and said, "If it was my grandmother who did it, I would admit it, but if it wasn't, I wouldn't let my grandmother take the blame. Besides, my grandmother is not really so evil."

It was just that Emperor Jingwen needed my grandmother to be such a treacherous minister, and my grandmother could only be this treacherous minister. As for achievements, the princess's mansion also had them. My grandmother donated a lot of silver to the army of Prince Jin, and my uncle also died for Dayan.

Zong Si said: "If they are all capital crimes, what difference does it make if they are more or less? People will only judge whether they are good or bad, but will not remember how many evil things they have done."

Ning Fu felt as if she had been hit by a club. Her grandmother was under suspicion of Emperor Jingwen, so one more piece of evidence or one less piece of evidence might not make much difference to the final outcome.

"Although Madam Ning's words seem heartless and disloyal, she asked you to cut off ties with the princess's mansion. It shows that she cares about you." Zong Si said coldly.

He was not one who cared about other people's life or death, but Ningfu had some feelings for him in the previous life, so he kindly advised her that if she was wise, she should not get involved in Kang Yang's affairs at the moment.

Even if Kang Yang had not made any mistakes, Emperor Jingwen would not have been able to keep her.

Many people wanted my grandmother to die, including Zong Si.

Ning Fu felt even more distressed, thinking back to her grandmother who was humiliated and trapped in a prison van in her previous life and committed suicide, her cousin Jingzhe who died of poisoning, her uncle who died in prison, and her cousin Jingcheng who became a military prostitute. She felt even sadder and tears finally fell.

But she quickly wiped it off as if nothing had happened.

"I just want a fair result." Nymph said.

Zong Si paused and said nothing more.

They returned to the villa and stayed under the candlelight. He saw tears in her eyes and couldn't help but pause.

Zong Si's eyebrows were cold as he stared at her motionlessly. Even though the beauty was crying, she was still incredibly beautiful, but she looked more like the her in his dreams, in his previous life.

The lady who called him Langjun.

He reached out and wiped away her tears.

Nymph froze and stepped back.

At this moment, Zong Si seemed to have a little pity for her.

"I will help you find the indictment, and I can help you more. If you find out that my grandmother is not as bad as people say, I hope you will show mercy." She took the opportunity to say.

"It's too late, take a rest." Zong Si withdrew his hand and said calmly without responding to her plea.

Ning Fu paused in her heart, and remembered that before leaving Beijing, he asked her to go back and talk about their affairs. She wondered if he did it on purpose to let her see his pity.

"It's been a while since I came out. I'm leaving now." Zong Si said as he walked forward.

"Who is the girl talking to?" Dongzhu knocked on the door and asked worriedly.

Ningfu came with Dongzhu today. Except that Jingcheng borrowed her a few days ago, Dongzhu has always been by her side.

Ning Fu dismissed her perfunctorily and thought about today's events. The one who knew that there was a backup of Li Fang's indictment must be close to him. However, in Yongzhou, no one likes him, so who could have a good relationship with him in private?

She thought of Yu, who was brought back to the princess's mansion today. She had a good personal relationship with Li Fang and must have been to Li's mansion privately. Yu must be familiar with him. At least among all the nobles in Yongzhou, he was the one Yu was most familiar with.

Yu certainly wouldn't dare to reveal it, but a person's subconscious behavior cannot be deceived, and it is not completely impossible to get information from her.

However, Ningfu stayed in the villa for several days when she went out of the city this time. One reason was to prepare a birthday gift for her grandmother, and the other was to avoid appearing too deliberate to go out of the city that night.

The Kangyang Banquet was coming up, and Xie Heng was busy. No one disturbed her, and she was quite quiet. It was not until the day of the banquet that the princess's mansion sent a carriage to welcome her.

"Cousin." It turned out that Jingcheng came with the carriage.

"Cousin Jing, how is things at home these days?" Ning Fu asked as she got on the carriage.

"The prince interrogated Yu for two hours, but there was no result. He also did not make any movement in the following days." Jing Cheng was also very worried in the past few days, but now he is relieved.

Ning Fu was clear that Zong Si was just being secretive enough, it was impossible for him to not make any noise.

I don't know if he has made any progress.

…

The princess's mansion today was simpler than Ningfu had imagined. There was no extravagant or prosperous scene, and the birthday gifts were not expensive. Only the red carpet covering the floor and the red lanterns everywhere gave off a festive vibe.

There were many guests in the princess's mansion today, and Jingcheng had no time to take care of her after returning home.

"The young man standing next to the prince is dressed simply but looks very handsome. I wonder who he is? Let's go and ask." The queen of Yongzhou has always been bold.

"That's Lord Lu from Liangzhou. I heard that he hasn't married yet." The woman next to her laughed teasingly.

Ning Fu saw Lu Xingzhi in the crowd, and he seemed to have seen her earlier and quickly looked at her.

I don’t know if I’m overthinking it, but when he looks at me, his eyes seem to be different from when he looks at others. He seems to be more tolerant and patient.

She could never understand why he treated her like that, and how could there be any kindness in the world without reason.

Zong Si also looked over, his expression was unreadable.

Ning Fu lowered her eyes and did not step forward to greet him, but went back to the West Garden first.

In recent months, she has been accustomed to being casual in Yongzhou, and her clothes are not particular. Compared with the dignified style in Beijing, she focuses more on comfort. But today, since she has a distinguished guest, she cannot be like this.

"Miss, you haven't worn this wide-sleeved skirt for a long time. I can't take my eyes off it, let alone those gentlemen." Dongzhu praised with a smile as she tied the belt for her.

Dongzhu had been in Yongzhou for a long time, and her words became bolder.

Ning Fu felt her chest seemed to be tighter than before, but she could still accept it: "Has my father's birthday gift for my grandmother arrived?"

Ning Zhenyuan was busy with work and couldn't make it in time. If the birthday gift hadn't arrived yet, she would have to prepare another one.

Dongzhu smiled and said, "Madam has prepared it long ago, so you don't have to worry, Madam."

Ning Fu felt relieved, thought for a moment, and said, "Find two strangers, and in the name of the prince, invite Yu to the mansion to celebrate grandmother's birthday, and say that the prince is apologizing for his rudeness that day."

Dongzhu was a little worried and asked, "Will the prince blame me?"

"I will explain this to him." Ning Fu knew Zong Si well enough. If it was serious business, he would be flexible. Moreover, the reason for inviting Yu to come was reasonable, and her grandmother would only think that he was still keeping an eye on Yu.

It was not until this birthday banquet that Ning Fu made her first appearance in front of the various governments in Yongzhou.

As it was a happy occasion today, she wore a crabapple red dress with wide sleeves and a tight waist, which showed off her graceful figure to the fullest.

"Grandma." Nymph called out with a smile on her face.

Even the tone of voice used to act coquettishly towards elders makes one's heart melt.

Xie Heng couldn't help but take a few more glances at her face. Normally, she was bare-faced, as fresh and refined as a gardenia. But today, with makeup on, she looked as delicate and beautiful as a lotus. Each of them had their own charm.

Xie Heng was not the only one who stole a peek at Nymph. All the young men in Yongzhou City were amazed by her.

Only Lu Xingzhi and Zong Si remained motionless, their expressions looking normal.

Kang Yang glanced at Zong Si and waved to Ning Fu, who sat down next to her.

"The princes and princesses of Her Royal Highness the Princess are all handsomer than the other. Jingcheng and the fourth lady are both outstanding." The speaker was Xie Kangwei from the Xie Mansion, Xie Heng's father.

"I have never seen any girls more outstanding than the two in the Princess's Mansion. If any one of them can marry my son, my family will never treat her unfairly." Some people also showed their goodwill in the name of joking.

For a time, some people were eager to try, while others were disdainful of the opportunity to seize the initiative.

"Not everyone can look up to a girl from the princess's mansion. Sir Zhang, please stop joking." Tu Zhizhong said with a smile.

Several people were fighting back and forth, using both open and covert tactics.

"You don't have to flatter them, or their tails will be lifted up to the sky." Kang Yang said with a smile at the right time, and Ning Fu just sat quietly beside her. The superiors never want the people around them to be harmonious. This is true for Emperor Jingwen and my grandmother.

Just at this time, Yu arrived.

Ning Fu noticed her gaze and first looked at Tu Zhizhong, then glanced at Zong Si.

Tu Zhizhong didn't care much about it. He just looked like an outsider, watching a show.

Kang Yang's smile faded a little.

Yu knelt down and saluted, and said with lingering fear: "Your Highness, the prince sent someone to ask me to come and congratulate you on your birthday."

Ning Fu couldn't help but look at Zong Si, who glanced at her, paused, and then said calmly: "Lord Li has worked hard for Dayan. Yu is the widow of Lord Li. She represents Lord Li and the heroes who sacrificed for Dayan. They come to celebrate the eldest princess' birthday. What do you think of it, the eldest princess?"

Kang Yang thought of the sacrifice of his eldest son, and was somewhat moved. He looked at Zong Si meaningfully and said, "I am very happy that Yu Shi can come. Come, please give her a seat."

Yu was still cautious. After sitting down in the corner, she looked at Tu Zhizhong again.

Once was an accident, twice was not.

When people are in an unfamiliar and dangerous situation, they often look to the people they are most familiar with and trust the most.

Tu Zhizhong's subconscious attitude of not caring about her did not seem to be fake, which ruled out the possibility of having a private relationship with her, which could explain that Yu was only familiar with him unilaterally. This was the case when Yu met him many times but never talked to him.

The person who has a personal relationship with Tu Zhizhong is obviously Li Fang.

As for trust, it is not difficult to explain. In an environment like Yongzhou where Li Fang was excluded, there were people willing to make friends with Li Fang in private. As Li Fang's concubine, how could she not be moved? She would naturally think that he was a good person.

However, Ning Fu was not completely sure and had to find an opportunity to try Tu Zhizhong.

"However, the Crown Prince and the Fourth Young Lady are both outstanding among the young masters and ladies. How come they didn't fall in love with each other in the capital?" Someone asked.

Ning Fu and Zong Si looked at each other in silence, and no one knew what he was thinking about.

"The fourth young lady is so beautiful that countless men have sought to marry her. She will surely find a good man in the future." After a moment, Zong Si said in a distant but graceful manner.

Ning Fu was thinking about how to smooth things over, but when she saw him distance himself from the matter and lowered his eyes without saying anything, he naturally would not let anyone find out his true colors.

Jing Cheng smiled and said, "Why are you making fun of the prince? Isn't Mr. Lu also a handsome man, and a young master in the capital, not inferior to the prince in any way? Why don't you make fun of him and my cousin?"

In fact, everyone knows that Lu Xingzhi's background is much worse than that of the Ningguo Mansion, and the lady of the Ningguo Mansion may not be willing to marry him.

Kang Yang also smiled and said, "Xingzhi is willing to go to Liangzhou to suppress the bandits. He is capable and well-educated. He is a man of both civil and military talents. He even taught Afu how to ride and shoot. She ranked among the top in the capital. He is also handsome. He is indeed good."

This recognition from Kang Yang has a special meaning, it seems like he is backing me up.