The wife of the prefect had always had a good impression of Jian Ning. After she learned that her real identity was the legitimate daughter of the Prince of Pingnan and that she was also the Princess An Ning who was personally conferred by the emperor, she wrote a letter to Jian Ning, in which she was extremely humble and said that she had been very negligent and asked her to forgive her.
Jian Ning also wrote back to her, saying that ignorance is not a crime and asked her not to take it to heart, and also said that she had not neglected him.
Now that they met again, the wife of the prefect also knelt deeply to greet Jian Ning. She hurried forward to help her up and said, "Madam, please stand up. It's better to keep it the same as before. Too much etiquette is not only unfamiliar but also makes people feel uncomfortable."
She asked everyone else to stand up and glanced at Ding Zhu inconspicuously. She saw that she was still accompanied by only one of her former maids, and there were no additional servants. There was no wet nurse holding a baby beside her. She must still be a concubine, probably because she was unable to give birth to children for Lord Yang.
A quick glance and Jian Ning noticed that Ding Zhu was much more stable than before. Thinking that she was Ding Youtian's niece after all, and that she had given up her evil intentions and knocked over the teacup with poison three years ago, Jian Ning wanted to give her some face. After chatting with the wife of the prefect in the inner room for a while, Jian Ning pretended to remember and asked, "I remember there is a concubine in your house. I think she is called the same name as my husband's niece, is that right?"
"The princess has a good memory, that's right." The wife of the prefect said with a smile.
"Are you in a good mood?"
"To be honest, Princess, I only saw her that day when you came. I saw her a few more times after that. I think she was a bit frivolous when she was young. Fortunately, she is educated. My master is willing to respect her and teaches her to read and write in his spare time. Now she seems to have calmed down."
"In that case, I won't hide it from you, Madam. My husband's eldest niece died of an illness when she was a teenager. His brother and sister-in-law doted on their niece, and since we have the same name and surname, I think it would be a good idea to treat her with respect. I will recognize her as my husband's niece. What do you think, Madam? Is that okay?"
Ding Zhu was just a concubine. Even if she was promoted to a concubine in the future, her children could only have one mother, and that was the wife of the prefect. She could not lower her generation to that of the prefect or his wife. How could the wife of the prefect not be happy?
"Oh, she is really blessed with this name, how can we not make use of it? I will ask someone to call her over." The wife of the prefect was happy. The concubine in the mansion had caught the eye of Princess An Ning, which would only be helpful to her and her husband. She hurriedly ordered someone to call Ding Zhu.
"Madam." Jian Ning took her hand and said with a smile, "Although you have acknowledged her as your niece, it's fine as long as Madam and Lord Yang treat her the same way they did in the past. There's no need to treat her too highly, lest she develop any inappropriate thoughts."
Upon hearing this, the wife of the prefectural governor stood up without saying a word, knelt down and bowed deeply to Jian Ning, "Thank you, Princess. I am truly grateful for your consideration for me."
Because the wife of the prefect had no imperial edict, according to the etiquette of the grand banquet, the wife of an official had to refer to herself by her husband's official title in front of princesses and royal concubines.
After Ding Zhu arrived, she learned that Jian Ning had adopted her as Ding Youtian's niece. Tears immediately filled her eyes and she felt mixed emotions. She turned her head to look at the wife of the prefect, not knowing what to do for a moment.
"Look at you, you usually seem smart, but you've become stupid because of overjoyed. Why don't you quickly pay your respects to the princess? It's a blessing you've earned in several lifetimes to have caught her eye."
As soon as the lady finished speaking, a maid brought a cushion and Ding Zhu knelt on both knees. "I, the concubine Ding Zhu, greet the princess aunt. I wish the princess aunt a long life and endless blessings!"
A maid brought water. Ding Zhu cleaned her hands and wiped them with a handkerchief. Another maid brought tea, which she held with both hands and offered to Jian Ning. Jian Ning took the tea and drank it, then nodded her chin. "Another toast to your wife. I'm only honoring you because you share the same name as my husband's niece. Don't think you're taking advantage of me. From now on, you must serve your wife wholeheartedly, fulfill your duties, and don't cause any trouble. Do you remember this?"
Ding Zhu knelt down again and said, "Yes, I've got it in mind. I won't forget it."
She knew Jian Ning was trying to warn her. Her master, as the governor of the prefecture, was usually kind and gentle to his servants, and his wife wasn't mean or ungrateful. Neither of them was like her grandparents, who bullied others just because they had a little power. She had been around them for a few years, learning from their example, and she had become somewhat more intelligent. Plus, as she got older, she had become more understanding and more thorough.
Because Duan Xinyan herself was a concubine's daughter, she was extremely close to Mei Niang, who was also born a concubine. However, she disliked Ding Zhu, who was also a concubine like her mother. She said to her with a sullen face, "My elder sister is praising you, so please don't get the wrong idea and harbor any intentions of harming others! Remember, the mistress is the mistress. Respect your wife well. If you harbor any evil intentions and ruin my elder sister's reputation, I will not forgive you!"
"Yes, Ding Zhu will keep it in mind and will never forget it." Ding Zhu knelt down and bowed slightly.
"Sister Ding Zhu." Erniu and Sanniu, both eight years old, came forward and each took her hand. "We want to go for a walk in the garden. Can you take us there?"
Ding Zhu looked at the wife of the prefect, who waved her hand and said with a smile, "Go ahead, but be careful not to let the two young ladies fall or get hurt."
"Yes." She led them both out, and when they reached the garden, Erniu was the first to shake off her hand. She looked around, and seeing that the maids and servants following them were quite far away, she lowered her voice and said, "My mother winked at me and my sister, so we called you out. I think my mother will have something to say to you later. We don't like you."
"Second girl, Third girl, I was wrong in the past, but I know now that I was wrong. I will never go against your parents again. I have no relatives here, and your family is my only family. Now that I see you are about to leave, I really know that I was wrong in the past. Can you forgive me and stop holding a grudge against me?"
Ding Zhu's eyes turned red as she spoke.
Erniu and Sanniu looked at each other, and Sanniu pulled Ladinzhu's hand and said, "Big sister, you have changed for the better. Second sister and I forgive you and are not angry with you anymore."
"I, I'm not angry with you anymore." Erniu also said.
The three of them strolled through the garden. Jian Ning, along with the prefect's wife and Duan Xinyan and her servant, also arrived. Using the excuse of strolling around the garden, Erniu and Sanniu's chattering distracted the prefect's wife, and Jian Ning led Ding Zhu to the pavilion. After asking her and learning that she and the prefect had consummated their marriage, she asked Ding Zhu to extend her hand so she could feel her pulse.
"You've taken contraceptive soup, and you have a bit of a cold uterus. Fortunately, you're young, so it won't be a problem. I'll write you a prescription and you can go get the medicine yourself."
"Aunt Si, I know I was wrong before. I hope you can send a message to my mother and tell her that I am still alive..."
She lowered her head and wiped away her tears.
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