Chapter 23
Lingyang Ningzhai.
The accounting office wasn't very busy these days, so Fu'er didn't go to the main accounting office to do the bookkeeping.
She does various chores assigned by Granny Yu every day.
Not having to serve Ning Shiyu is quite comfortable.
Granny Yu was in charge of the entire Ning residence, with only Xiang'er and two servants under her command.
The household's daily purchasing, handling disputes among servants, and the social engagements and gift-giving arranged by Ning Shiyu.
They all had to go through Granny Yu's hands.
As she gets older, she sometimes seems to be struggling to keep up.
Therefore, Granny Yu entrusted Xiang'er with the tasks of purchasing goods for the household and managing the servants.
Xiang'er was brought from Chang'an by Granny Yu. She was clever and quick-witted, and did not disappoint Granny Yu.
She was two years older than Fu'er and should have been married long ago.
But she remained silent. Unable to contain her curiosity, Fu'er would often ask her, "Sister Xiang'er, do you have a man you like?"
Don't your parents urge you to get married?
Fu'er followed Xiang'er to the main kitchen to resolve the dispute among the cooks.
On the way back, I couldn't help but ask.
Xiang'er seemed to know Fu'er well, but she rarely talked about herself.
He just smiled and shook his head, saying, "No, and I don't want to."
"So you don't want to get married?"
“What’s so good about getting married? I’ll just be like a nanny. When I get old, the young master won’t abandon me.”
Fu'er had always known that Xiang'er was proud and had never wanted to marry someone, not even if the other party was the son of a merchant.
Fu'er certainly didn't believe that Xiang'er wouldn't get married; she guessed that Xiang'er probably didn't want to marry in Lingyang.
When she returns to Chang'an in the future, with her intelligence and beauty, she will be able to find a good marriage even when she gets older.
"You were all brought by the young master from Chang'an."
"We will eventually have to go back."
"Even if I were to marry, it would be best if I married someone from Chang'an."
Xiang'er seemed unwilling to continue the conversation and casually changed the subject.
"Do you still have the pear blossom fragrance you made?"
"My nanny and I both like it. We light it before going to bed every night, and we can fall asleep quickly."
"I've used it up in the last few days, and I can't sleep well without using it."
Fu'er made many kinds of incense, including incense to promote sleep and incense to scent clothes.
There's also the fruity scent that's distilled and sprayed on your body.
The most successful one is the scent of pear blossoms that promotes sleep.
Not only does Granny Yu know how to use it, but Xiang'er also likes to use it.
She took most of the other spices she made home for her family and relatives.
"We don't have any more here. We haven't made any since we gave them to Caiwei last time."
"If you like, I'll make time to go back to Songtao Garden."
"I still have a lot of things there."
Xiang'er smiled and said, "Then there's no need to trouble yourself. Songtao Garden is almost out of the city, far from Ning Residence."
"It's too much trouble for you to make this trip for us."
"I'm fine, it's just that Granny hasn't been sleeping well these past few days."
"She was concerned about her master's safety."
When Fu'er heard that Granny An couldn't sleep well, she immediately wanted to go back to Songtao Garden.
Xiang'er objected, "I'm afraid the nanny won't agree, and Uncle Qi won't send you there."
Fu'er smiled and said, "It's fine if there's no carriage. I know a small path to the outskirts of the city."
When Fu'er was very young, her family had just come to Lingyang to do tofu business. At that time, they didn't have a shop yet.
Her father would carry a load on his shoulder and go from street to street selling his wares.
Fu'er often followed behind her father, walking back and forth several times.
Although she hadn't walked that path for many years, she still remembered it.
Xiang'er was still worried, "I'll have another maid go with you."
"No, no one can go to Songtao Garden without the young master's permission."
"Sister, don't worry, what's there to be afraid of in broad daylight?"
The path leading out of the city was winding and difficult to walk, surrounded by woods and slopes.
The forest became denser, and fewer people walked through it.
Moreover, she noticed that the people she saw on the street, mostly in twos and threes, were men.
She was the only woman.
Only then did Fu'er realize her mistake and regret taking this path.
Halfway there, Fu'er needed to use the restroom.
It's easy to take a look at the surrounding woods after everyone else has left.
Fu'er crouched down and walked into the woods, having just finished urinating.
Just as we were about to leave the woods, we heard a series of hurried footsteps approaching.
"Go into the woods to look for her. That girl is very clever. She probably sensed we were behind her and is trying to escape through the woods."
It was her brother-in-law Xu Yuan's voice.
Fu'er was so frightened that her heart pounded and her face turned pale. She dared not rush out of the woods.
If she hadn't heard it with her own ears, Fu'er would never have believed that her brother-in-law would have followed her all the way here.
Right now, all she could think about was escaping as quickly as possible, and she didn't have time to think about how Xu Yuan knew she would take this path.
Xu Yuan harbored a deep grudge against her. Being captured by him, especially in this desolate mountain, meant he was doomed.
Fu'er heard their footsteps heading into the woods, and then slowly walked out from behind the big tree.
However, this time Xu Yuan was much smarter; he deliberately guarded the entrance to the mountain himself.
When Fu'er came out, she bumped right into him.
Xu Yuan grabbed Fu'er with both hands and laughed loudly, "This time, let's see how you escape!"
"Stop looking, I've caught him."
No matter how much Fu'er struggled, she couldn't escape Xu Yuan, a grown man.
Seeing the three men emerge from the forest, Xu Yuan grinned wickedly, "You're in for a treat today. Take her to the woods, one at a time."
The three men were dressed in shabby clothes, as if they hadn't seen a woman in a long time, and each of them stared intently at Fu'er's body with burning eyes.
Fu'er was so frightened that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground.
She was carried away by a man with brute strength, and no matter how much she struggled and hit him, it was to no avail.
It would only be a waste of her energy.
The moment Fu'er was thrown to the ground, her mind suddenly cleared.
Seeing the man eagerly tugging at her clothes, Fu'er clutched her own collar and blurted out, "Brother, are you a fishmonger?"
The man was stunned. He didn't expect that the girl would not cry or make a fuss, and even guess that he was a fishmonger.
He immediately remembered Xu Yuan's instructions: he must defile this woman's body today, and he would cover for them.
"Don't try anything funny. As long as you don't cause trouble, it'll be over soon."
"You'll suffer less."
While issuing a warning, he continued to tug at Fu'er's clothes.
Fu'er, however, clutched her collar tightly, quickly exposing Xu Yuan's scheme.
"Big brother, do you know that by bullying me, you're just asking for trouble?"
"If it's really a good thing, we're all men, why would he let you have it so easily?"
The man paused in his hand, which was tugging at his clothes. "Xu Yuan said you're very shrewd, and seeing this, it's true."
"I don't care about your grudges. I haven't touched a woman in ages."
"I want to taste your flavor today; I heard you're still a virgin."
Seeing that Fu'er was grabbing his collar, he was also running out of patience, so he changed his approach and took off Fu'er's embroidered shoes and tore off her foot covering, revealing her snow-white and delicate feet.
His eyes gleamed like a hungry wolf, and he pulled even harder when he tugged at Fu'er's belt.
He pulled at one spot, and Fu'er blocked it.
He then loudly proclaimed, "I didn't play any tricks because he wouldn't dare to mess with the Ouyang family behind me."
Upon hearing the name Ouyang, the man stopped what he was doing.
“You are just a maid, what connection do you have with the Ouyang family?”
"I don't believe it. Don't spoil my fun."
He picked up Fu'er's footwear and stuffed it into her mouth.
Fu'er hurriedly dodged, "Big brother, you know Xu Yuan, so you should know that he didn't manage to get his son back, right?"
"It's not that he couldn't get it back, it's that he simply didn't dare to."
The man asked again in a gruff voice, "What does this have to do with me?"
Fu'er seized the opportunity to stand up. "Of course it's related, because even Xu Yuan doesn't dare to mess with someone, do you dare to mess with them?"
“My sister is Xu Yuan’s ex-wife, I wouldn’t lie to you.”
The man's eyes widened again, and the lust surging through his body subsided considerably. He asked incredulously, "You're Man'er's sister?"
Fu'er's eyes flashed with wild joy; it seemed she had guessed correctly. "You're Brother Aman?"
Before, when her sister and Xu Yuan were still on good terms, she often mentioned Aman, the fishmonger, in front of Fu'er.
He's said to be honest and kind, but he just can't keep his woman.
Just now, Fu'er smelled a fishy odor on him and saw bloodstains on his forehead that hadn't been wiped off, so she became suspicious.
After searching through the people around Xu Yuan in his mind, he guessed the other party's identity.
The man named Aman could no longer remain indifferent.
Ah Man knew perfectly well about the feud between Xu Yuan and the Luo family.
This also revealed that Old Madam Ouyang was protecting the Luo family.
At this point, he could no longer remain confused; he couldn't afford to cause this trouble. He immediately said, "Put your clothes on, and I'll take you away."
By the time Xu Yuan and the other two noticed something was wrong and went into the woods, the two men had already disappeared.
The Eastern Palace.
Ning Shiyu hadn't seen the Crown Prince for a long time, but the two didn't seem estranged.
After Ning Shiyu explained his purpose, the Crown Prince readily agreed.
The Crown Prince was two years older than Ning Shiyu, but he still addressed Ning Shiyu as he had when they were children, saying, "Cousin Yu, don't worry, Father's health has improved a lot recently."
"Tomorrow, I will take you to see him."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I am deeply grateful."
"There's no need for such formalities between us brothers. Just let me know if you need anything."
Empress Cui of the Eastern Palace had many spies, and the two tacitly understood each other, so they didn't mention anything else.
During casual conversation, they mostly talked about their experiences traveling.
"Cousin Yu, it's rare for you to return to Chang'an. Why not seize the day and play a game with me today?"
"I remember that when you were a child, even your father praised your chess skills."
After rising from his seat, the Crown Prince first went to the chessboard and sat down.
Ning Shiyu also moved to the chessboard.
The two were of one mind, just like when they were children, with the prince playing the black pieces.
Ning Shiyu held the white piece.
This time, however, Ning Shiyu's playing style has changed quite a bit.
It is no longer as sharp as before, only for defense and not for offense.
The prince hesitated for a long time, his fingertips hovering above the star point. When his gaze swept over the isolated piece surrounded in the lower right corner of the chessboard, he smiled and said, "Cousin Yu, being so restrained is not your style."
"Do you want to be surrounded and killed by me? Aren't you going to make a move?"
Ning Shiyu remained calm and smiled composedly, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I prefer things to stay the same and know where I belong. I dare not overstep my bounds in the slightest."
The Crown Prince's eyes flashed with a profound meaning. "It seems I've pushed you a bit too far. I'll give you some time to make amends."
As he spoke, the Crown Prince stepped back, leaving Ning Shiyu an exit in the upper left corner.
Ning Shiyu looked up at the Crown Prince, a complex expression welling up in his eyes. Instead of taking the opportunity to fill the vacancy, he did not.
They broke through the encirclement, but instead stayed in the same spot, placing themselves in a corner behind the white pieces.
The Crown Prince tightened his grip and then loosened it, laughing, "It seems that Cousin Yu doesn't trust me and is afraid that I'll sabotage your escape route?"
"Your Highness is overthinking it. Faced with Your Highness's powerful moves, I only want to protect my rear."
The Crown Prince, however, refused to budge, protecting Bai Zi from attacking. "Cousin, have you ever heard of the principle of putting all your strength into one direction?"
"Stay put, and I'll make you lose even faster."
The prince made two moves in quick succession, perfectly protecting the white pieces on the side.
Their eyes met unconsciously.
Looking at the situation on the chessboard again, it gradually became clear.
The originally scattered white pieces were quietly connected by the black pieces, seemingly fighting independently, but in reality, they were intertwined and unable to determine a winner.
The prince reversed the order and, after aligning with the white pieces, left the boundary for the black pieces empty.
He treated it as the enemy camp and encouraged Ning Shiyu to join him in attacking the empty space in the center of the chessboard.
Ning Shiyu's gaze remained calm, revealing no emotion, and he did not respond to the challenge.
He remained steadfast in his position until finally surrendering completely, saying, "Your Highness's chess skills are unmatched; I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."
Back at the princess's residence, only Mu Li and Ning Shiyu, mistress and servant, were in the study.
Mu Li hesitated before asking, "Master, His Highness's hint today was quite clear; he is willing to join us. Why don't you express your opinion?"
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