She turned around and went into the palace.

Ning Yan guessed that the Emperor would summon her soon, but she didn't expect it to be so fast. The next day, she was summoned to the palace.

When she left the palace again, she was a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, and she was given a secret imperial decree to lead her subordinates out of the palace to search for iron ore.

Ning Yan suddenly felt a little regretful. Xi Hua was pregnant, but she had to go out on business, and she didn't even know when she would be back. She felt really bad for him.

But the Emperor had no time for romance. His decree ordered her to carry out her duties immediately. So, after returning to her residence, she only had time to give some instructions to the two men before she set off with her luggage and the guards and officials arranged by the Emperor.

Ning Yan was gone for more than five months.

The Third Prince was good at finding things to do. Every day after waking up, he would practice martial arts diligently as Ning Yan taught him, and then go to Shuhua Courtyard to have breakfast with Yuan Xihua.

Yuan Xihua handled the affairs of the inner quarters in the morning, as well as meeting with the managers of the shops, while he watched from the side. The two of them had lunch together at noon.

In the afternoon, he would give prenatal education to the child in Yuan Xihua's womb, either by playing the piano or reading. Occasionally, the two of them would go out together to inspect the shops. In any case, the two of them were living a pretty good life.

On the fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Ning Yan finally returned to the capital.

In the past six months, she has traveled through most of the Phoenix Feather Kingdom, finding three iron mines, two gold mines and two associated silver mines, as well as a salt mine and a coal mine.

Moreover, the Emperor has already ordered people to excavate several mines.

After reporting to the palace, the emperor's decree was quickly issued.

Ning Yan was promoted to Vice Minister of Works.

He was a third-rank official, or even a high-ranking official of the third rank.

The emperor's gift was taken back to her residence with her.

Outside the Ning residence, the Third Prince and Yuan Xihua, along with their servants, waited at the gate. Ning Yan quickly jumped off the carriage and walked briskly to Yuan Xihua. "You're over seven months pregnant. It's so cold outside. Why are you running around like this? Come on, let's go back together."

Yuan Xihua: "It's okay, I just came out too, and I also brought a hand warmer."

Ning Yan pulled him into the courtyard, and of course, she didn't forget the Third Prince who was standing there dumbfounded, and pulled him over as well.

"Idiot, don't you recognize me because I've gotten a tan?"

Third Prince: ...He is indeed a bit dark-skinned, but not to the point of being unrecognizable.

Waaaaah, tomorrow he's going to the palace to tell his mother that his wife can never go out again!

"The three elders are waiting at home, so please go and wash up first, my lady."

In order to show the Emperor how hard she had worked, Ning Yan didn't even go home and went straight to the palace, covered in dust. She really needed to wash up properly before seeing her parents and her biological father.

After getting ready, Ning Yan went to pay her respects to her elders. The family held her and showed concern for her for a while. After lunch, the elders immediately left, and Ning Yan went back to the Wutong Courtyard with the Third Prince for a short rest.

"My lady, go to sleep. Now that you're back, we'll be receiving so many visiting cards that our hands will be sore from holding them."

Ning Yan: "Why would I sleep with you?"

The Third Prince: "I'm not sleepy."

Ning Yan smiled, "That's perfect."

"Just right what?"

Ning Yan pulled him into her arms. "Let me check if you've been practicing your skills properly these past six months."

"Of course I've been practicing hard, um..."

"My wife..."

Shh, don't talk~

The mouth has many functions besides speaking.

...

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the gatekeepers at the Ning residence were overwhelmed with invitations. Everyone could see that Vice Minister Ning was destined for great things, and everyone wanted to curry favor with him in advance.

Some people even set their sights on her backyard.

Don't say things like she's already married to the Third Prince and won't take any more concubines or remarry.

Once it happens, it will happen again.

If she were truly afraid of the Third Prince, she would have divorced her husband, surnamed Yuan, long ago.

Since the Yuan family is still around, their sons have a chance.

They devised a plan to invite Ning Yan to a banquet and party. Ning Yan would go if she really couldn't refuse, but she was very cunning. She would send her maid back to the mansion in advance to inform the Third Prince that he should pick her up from the restaurant at the appointed time.

Since the place for drinking is Zhenxiu Pavilion anyway, she might as well go and make money for her own family.

Within a few days, the news that Vice Minister Ning was henpecked spread throughout the capital!

For this reason, the Crown Princess even summoned Ning Yan.

"The news circulating in the capital lately isn't very friendly to you. What are you thinking?"

She never imagined that, back then, both the Empress and she were waiting for the mistress to hit a wall and turn back, but Ning Yan gave them far too many surprises.

Putting her abilities aside, during the five months she spent exploring, she worked hard and devoted all her energy to finding minerals. None of the Ministry of Works officials who worked with her were immune to her charms.

She was the only one who refused all the men who were brought to her room.

And more than once.

The wives of the eldest and second princes may appear to have only one husband, but that doesn't mean they haven't slept with other men.

Compared to that, it's not as good as Ning Yan, who has everything out in the open.

Ning Yan smiled, "What's wrong with it? I think it's fine. In public, His Highness is the ruler and I am the subject, so it's only right that I be respectful to him."

Privately, Your Highness manages the household affairs for me and bears my children. While I'm busy traveling, he takes care of everything at home, allowing me to focus on my duties without any worries. What's wrong with having such a good husband keeping a close eye on me?"

Crown Princess: ...If I didn't know that your husband Yuan was in charge of the household affairs and that he had a child, I would have believed you!

"Don't think I don't know your scheme. Aren't you just trying to use my brother to intimidate those officials?"

Ning Yan bowed deeply to the Crown Princess, saying, "Your Highness is wise; I had no choice."

These days, the invitations to my house are piled up almost as thick as a city wall. If I still want to serve as an official in the court, I can't refuse all of them. But those people not only want to invite me for drinks, they also want to send me men..."

The Crown Princess immediately retorted angrily, "They're blind! You're my brother's wife, how dare they even think about you!"

Ning Yan immediately straightened her back. "That's right! That's why I asked A Yan to pick me up, so they would all know that I'm taken, and they'd be blind to even think about me!"

The most annoying person among these people is that old woman, the Minister of Rites. She invited me to dinner, fine, but she also brought along her two illegitimate sons, saying that I could choose whichever I wanted!

I was so angry I wanted to slap that old woman twice, but I was afraid that hitting her would embarrass A-Yan, so I didn't dare.

And that Marquis of Anping, bah! He's the princess's maternal relative, yet he dared to belittle my two husbands right in front of me. I really wanted to beat her up, but she's so big and strong, I couldn't possibly beat her..."

She launched into a long tirade, naming all the officials she disliked. (End of Chapter)