Chapter 19
Fu'er initially wanted to say she didn't want his house, but changed her mind at the crucial moment.
She hadn't expected that her plan, which was simple to devise, would be so difficult to execute, and she decided to give up.
She still planned to use her own savings to buy a smaller courtyard.
Although I didn't grow up living here, and the emotional connection isn't that deep, it saves me a lot of trouble.
After saying this, he bowed slightly to Ning Shiyu and strode out.
Mu Li, who was on the side, was used to it and remained silent, keeping his eyes down and his mind at ease.
This wasn't the first or second time that Fu'er had disobeyed her master.
Ning Shiyu felt a sudden emptiness in his heart. He stared at her disappearing figure at the door for a long time without making a move.
Thinking back to a few years ago, when Fu'er was still a child.
Unaware of the truth, Ning Shiyu falsely accused Fu'er of using incense to knock out Granny Yu.
And she said she didn't want her anymore. Fu'er's eyes were red, her little fists were clenched, and her eyes were filled with anger, like a little orange cat with its fur standing on end.
Her voice still trembled with tears as she retorted, "If you don't want me, then I don't want you either."
Just like the days before, I decided to leave on a whim.
Granny Yu tried to coax Fu'er with all sorts of her favorite pastries, but Fu'er still refused to come back.
In the end, it was Ning Shiyu who personally went to Xieqiao Lane and threatened Fu'er with her mother's job before she agreed to return to the Ning residence with him.
Ever since Ning Shiyu brought Yunyou back, Fu'er has become more and more abnormal, and it's getting worse every day.
Thinking of this, Ning Shiyu lost his appetite.
Tell Mu Li to remove the meal.
I went to the study, but after flipping through the books for a long time, I couldn't understand a single word.
He got up and went for a walk in the courtyard, his legs seemingly disobeying him.
We arrived at the courtyard where Fu'er lived.
The light was still on in her room, and Fu'er was sitting by the window, busy tidying up.
Ning Shiyu walked slowly to the window, hesitated for a moment, and then pushed open the door and went inside.
Fu'er looked up abruptly and saw that it was Ning Shiyu.
He was startled, "Young Master!"
Ning Shiyu rarely came to Fu'er's room, whether at the Ning residence or Songtao Garden.
Seeing him suddenly appear, Fu'er was surprised and put down the bundle in her hand.
"It's so late, young master, is there something you need from me?"
Ning Shiyu shifted his gaze from her bundle and said softly, "Light some of the incense you made recently."
“I’ve been useless for some time now.”
She saw him come to her room only so that she could light incense.
Fu'er didn't know what he meant, but she did as he said. "There's no pear blossom fragrance. What kind of incense would you like me to light, young master?"
Ning Shiyu's gaze followed her the whole time. "Anything you make is fine."
In the past, he would only use the pear blossom scent made by Fu'er, and he refused to use any other incense.
At this point, however, she said that any incense she made would be acceptable.
Fu'er was somewhat surprised, and her anger subsided considerably.
For her, having someone like the incense she makes is a form of encouragement and recognition.
Moreover, this person is Ning Shiyu, who has used all kinds of incense before.
Fu'er felt a warmth in her heart that she was still willing to use these unknown mixed fragrances she made.
Putting his anger aside, he lit incense, closed the incense burner, and introduced himself, "Young master, I lit mugwort incense."
“I never used it at home; I only took it home for my parents to use.”
"They say it smells good too."
"It contains not only mugwort, but also peach and apricot blossoms dried in the spring."
"Is it easy for you to use, young master?"
Granny Yu taught her how to make incense, but not every type of incense.
Instead, it described a method in a general way.
Because the raw materials for each spice are different, the price is also different.
When Fu'er was figuring things out on her own, she didn't want to waste good things, so she used whatever she could find on the spot.
Over time, the incense made from flowers came to be the main ingredient.
This mugwort incense was made by her at the Ning residence in the past.
She asked Mu Li to bring it to her yesterday.
In a good mood, Fu'er even brewed a cup of chrysanthemum tea for Ning Shiyu.
Ning Shiyu picked up the teacup, glanced at the chipped cup, took two sips, and replied, "I'm used to it, it's very comfortable, and it has a faint, refreshing fragrance."
Fu'er smiled sweetly, "Thank you for the compliment, young master."
Seeing that she was about to continue tidying up, Ning Shiyu said, "Would you like to learn how to make agarwood?"
Fu'er turned around with a huff, her eyes shining brightly, "Of course I want to."
Remembering Granny Yu's instructions, the scent of agarwood was never passed on to outsiders.
His mother couldn't even teach Granny Yu.
How could a mere maid like her learn this? Her eyes dimmed involuntarily. "But Granny said I can't learn it."
"In your family, only your mother knows how to do it; no one else does."
Ning Shiyu gently placed the teacup on the table and said softly, "I will."
"If you want to learn, I'll teach you when I have time."
"But you have to agree to one condition."
Upon hearing that he was willing to teach her, Fu'er replied without hesitation, "As long as you teach me how to make agarwood, I will agree to any conditions you set."
Ning Shiyu smiled slyly, "Alright, you said it yourself."
"My condition is that no matter what happens, you are not allowed to leave my... residence."
Upon hearing the request, Fu'er did not answer immediately. Instead, she sat on the couch opposite Ning Shiyu and pondered it carefully.
At this moment, Ning Shiyu spoke again: "I have not abandoned you, nor will I abandon you."
You're overthinking it.
"You are not allowed to say that again."
Seeing that Fu'er remained silent, Ning Shiyu continued, "Didn't you say last time that you wanted a raise in monthly allowance?"
"I'll raise the price for you."
"You can raise it however much you want."
Fu'er looked up at Ning Shiyu, her heart softening slightly.
Mustering her courage, she spread out her ten fingers and asked, "Then, how about an increase of ten taels of silver per month?"
She said this with some resentment, having heard Xiang'er say it before.
Yunyou's monthly allowance is twenty taels of silver.
A half-smile flickered in Ning Shiyu's eyes, as if he could see through her thoughts.
He chuckled and said, "Okay."
Fu'er was somewhat skeptical, "Really?"
The seat was moved from the opposite couch to the embroidered stool next to Ning Shiyu.
Ning Shiyu's smile widened as he looked at her watery eyes, which were partially obscured by a few stray strands of hair.
He raised his hand and dug around again until he could clearly see his reflection.
"It really works."
"So, are we still leaving now?"
Fu'er smiled and said, "I won't leave. I will definitely listen to Young Master and won't throw a tantrum anymore."
Two days later, a supervisory official from the imperial court arrived at the Prince of Qin's residence.
Normally, the inspection should be carried out by the supervising censor, but this time it was the censor-in-chief, Lord Qiao, who was temporarily assigned.
This man was also a sworn enemy of the King of Qin, and he had often targeted the King of Qin in court in the past.
He was still the son-in-law of the Cui family, and the purpose of the Cui family sending him this time was quite obvious.
He appeared aggressive, pretending to inspect the military camp, but instead went directly into the Qin Prince's bedroom in the Qin Prince's residence.
Everyone in the mansion was completely bewildered, thinking that the man's female relatives had some connection with the Prince of Qin and that he had come to catch them in adultery.
However, only if the King of Qin and his queen understand why.
Fortunately, they had already seen through the other party's plot.
Lord Qiao had his men search Qin Wang's bedroom from top to bottom, but they still couldn't find what he wanted.
His previous arrogance vanished instantly, leaving him looking utterly defeated.
The King of Qin, of course, would not let the matter rest and insisted that Lord Qiao explain why he had entered his bedroom and searched it.
Looking at the dense crowd at the Prince's mansion, Lord Qiao had no choice but to invoke the name of Prime Minister Cui from the imperial court.
However, he was in the wrong first, so the King of Qin ignored him.
Locking Lord Qiao in the woodshed for two days meant he was starving for two days.
When she came out, she was so weak that she could barely walk.
He secretly resolved that when he returned, he would definitely complain about the King of Qin to the Prime Minister.
In the end, he had underestimated the situation. He was attacked by assassins as soon as he left Lingyang territory.
This group of men were highly skilled in martial arts and killed all of his guards.
Lord Qiao was also seriously injured.
He tried to escape in his carriage, but was pulled off by the assassin.
Seeing his opponent raise his knife and bring it down, he was so terrified that he wet himself, thinking he was doomed.
He declared that the Cui family would avenge him.
Unexpectedly, the assassins revealed that he had kept a mistress outside the marriage and even had a child with her.
Lord Qiao's wife is Prime Minister Cui's niece, and she relies on the power of her maternal family.
She's a shrew at home.
If she finds out that Lord Qiao did this,
Even if these people release him, I'm afraid Lord Qiao won't have a good time when he gets back.
Lord Qiao felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that he had not shown his face for many days since arriving in Lingyang.
In just a few days, this group of people had figured out his background completely.
He became even more wary and begged them to release him, promising not to speak ill of their master, the King of Qin, when he returned.
Unexpectedly, the other party immediately denied it, claiming that their master was not the King of Qin, but all the high-ranking families in Lingyang who wanted him dead.
They couldn't stand the Cui family's arrogant attitude in Lingyang, which showed no respect for the King of Qin.
This way, Lord Qiao can die knowing why.
At first, Lord Qiao didn't believe it, but just as the swords were about to fall, the King of Qin's deputy led his men to rescue him.
They also arranged for a doctor to be brought to Lord Qiao and escorted him back to Chang'an.
Even if Lord Qiao had some doubts, it was a scheme orchestrated by the King of Qin, a combination of kindness and coercion.
But if someone catches you red-handed, you'll have no way to complain.
Upon returning to Chang'an, Lord Qiao dared not say a word.
He only said that he had encountered bandits.
However, judging from his injuries and his stammering manner, the officials in the court privately said that it must have been the work of the King of Qin.
The officials all declared that they dared not go to Lingyang to serve anymore.
Although Lord Qiao dared not tell the truth, Prime Minister Cui also guessed the same thing, and took this opportunity to seize the Qin King's weakness.
He immediately gave Lord Qiao a dressing down, demanding that he tell the truth.
However, his nephew-in-law claimed that it was done by a prominent family in Lingyang.
They disapproved of his domineering behavior in Lingyang.
The prominent families of Lingyang were considered prestigious clans in the Northwest.
One of them was a wealthy family that Prime Minister Cui wanted to win over so that they could join forces to deal with the King of Qin in the future.
This includes the family of Cao Yukun, the military governor of Hexi who was stationed on the southwestern border.
This commotion, even if Prime Minister Cui didn't believe it, aroused his suspicion and he wouldn't easily appoint these sons of powerful Northwest families who were officials in the court.
Inside the study of the Prince of Qin's residence.
The King of Qin looked smug and said with a smile, "Yu'er, you have used this perfect plan to benefit both sides very well."
"It not only gave the officials in the court a warning, but also dragged the gentry of Lingyang into the mess."
"To prevent them from remaining uninvolved in the Cui family's tyranny."
Previously, Ning Shiyu's spies had discovered that the Wei and Cao families, two prominent clans in Lingyang, intended to form a marriage alliance with the Cui family.
If these two powerful families join forces with Prime Minister Cui, then the King of Qin's plan will face greater obstacles.
The Cao family guarded the border between the northwest and southwest.
If the Cao family truly becomes Prime Minister Cui's in-law, their interests will be intertwined.
The King of Qin had no choice but to launch a direct attack, so the first pass to the south would be Hexi.
The Cao family's garrison was not weak, and they were about to face a fierce battle.
To avoid this fierce battle, the King of Qin secretly sent people to persuade the Cao family and other northwestern gentry to join him in resisting the Cui family.
They all acted as if it were none of their business, and at this moment, they smeared them with mud.
Even if they want to prove themselves, they can't clear their names from suspicion.
Ning Shiyu said calmly, "Uncle, Prime Minister Cui is narrow-minded. He will not let this go easily after we have suffered a loss."
"We need to be more cautious."
The King of Qin was well aware that this treacherous minister, who had usurped power from the Li family, harbored wolfish ambitions.
Right now, the person he most wants to get rid of is himself.
"Yu'er's reminder is correct. This lesson should be learned by all, whether in my royal palace or in important positions in the military."
"I will clean up and rectify them one by one."
Then the King of Qin explained the matter of the Crown Prince's letter to Ning Shiyu.
"Yu'er, we can't completely trust the Crown Prince's line of communication."
"We still need to be on guard."
Ning Shiyu certainly wouldn't put all his eggs in one basket with the Crown Prince.
This matter is quite complex, and he had no choice but to reveal his original intention.
“Uncle, Yu’er’s efforts to win over the Crown Prince are also for your safety. Right now, only the Crown Prince can protect you in the palace.”
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