Chapter 105: Bridges are bridges, roads are roads
Ning Fu's heart beat very fast when Zong Si asked this question.
She pondered for a moment and said, "I'm looking for the Third Prince not because I think he's not simple."
She was just about to think of an excuse from her previous life when she heard him say, "Is it because of Jingcheng?"
Seeing that he knew about Jingcheng and Mengyuan, Ning Fu did not deny it, but she was unwilling to elaborate.
"Jingcheng is in Beijing now, right?" Zong Si asked again.
Since he asked about this, it meant he knew the answer. Ning Fu nodded.
Zong Si saw the caution and alertness in her eyes, and he couldn't help but slow down his tone and said, "I'm not interrogating you, I'm just chatting with you."
Now, after confirming that he and Nymph were husband and wife in his previous life, his attitude towards Nymph is actually quite different. He now almost regards her as his wife.
She saved his father, so it would not be difficult for him to marry her, and Zong Si had already informed King Xuan about his affair with Ning Fu.
And she had always kept her mouth shut about the fact that she was reborn, but now, for the sake of Prince Xuan's Palace, she told him about it. It was impossible for Zong Si not to be moved.
She didn't even tell Madam Ning, but told herself.
Zong Si couldn't help but feel tender in his heart: "Whatever you want to say in the future, you can tell me without worrying about it. There's no need to be so defensive. Only we know what we discussed behind closed doors."
In the last life, he and she divorced, but in this life, such a thing will not happen again. No matter what happened between the young couple, it was their own business.
Nymph asked, "Is King Xuan ready?"
"The north has begun preparing for war. Once this batch of food and fodder arrives, everything will be fine." Zong Si said without hiding anything.
"You stayed in the capital to guard against the Fourth Prince's backup plan?" Ning Fu also knew that although she knew the news from the previous life, it was not foolproof.
"If I had gone to the North as well, Meng Che would have become suspicious." And if Meng Che had been alert, it would not have been easy to catch him.
Ning Fu naturally knew what was going on in her mind. This was almost equivalent to evidence that Meng Che was in collusion with the Hu people, and Prince Xuan's Mansion would naturally not miss the opportunity. Taking advantage of the situation was the style of Prince Xuan's Mansion.
"In your previous life, since you didn't know who the new emperor was, I guess you died at a young age?" Zong Si asked.
This is really a case of bringing up something that is not relevant. Fortunately, Nymph no longer minds her previous life and nodded.
"Was it an accident?"
Nymph nodded again.
"It seems that your new husband is not necessarily a trustworthy person." Zong Si twitched his lips and said lightly. Thinking of Lu Xingzhi, he felt a little unhappy, and he couldn't help but add insult to injury.
Ningfu sighed in her heart, but at this moment, she couldn't refute. Since she said that she was remarrying, she could only let him ridicule this "non-existent" husband.
"By the way, how did the prince know that Northern Qi had enough food?" Although the amount transported at one time was not the majority, when added up over half a year, it was still a lot. The supervision of food in various countries has always been strict.
Zong Si's eyes flickered, and he thought for a moment, then said, "I have already sent people to keep an eye on this matter. Even in Northern Qi, there are many people from Prince Xuan's Palace."
Ningfu didn't ask any more questions.
"When I'm done with my work now, I'll take you to the north. But I don't know if you can stay there. The environment there is harsh and cannot be compared with the capital." Zong Si said again.
Is this to fulfill her wish from her previous life?
Unfortunately, Nymph no longer cares about the north in this life. In fact, she didn’t care in her previous life either. She just wanted to go there because he was there.
But after this year of rebirth, she has completely let it go. Now she only hopes that the people she cares about can always be by her side.
After the matter of King Xuan was over, she parted ways with him amicably.
What we need to do now is to wait patiently.
…
After April, the weather gradually became warmer, and all of Nymph's cloaks were put away.
If there is something hidden in one's heart, one will lose appetite and have no desire to eat or drink. Ning Fu has become much thinner and doesn't like to go out. Madam Ning discovered that except for occasionally going to the teahouse, she has never traveled far.
"Is the tea so addictive?" Mrs. Ning asked in confusion.
Ning Fu smiled and said, "I just love watching the tea girls picking tea recently. Since I go there, I have to show my support."
Madam Ning did not ask any more questions. She never restricted her daughter's hobbies. Knowing her daughter was happy was more important than anything else.
"Mother, are you going out today?" Ning Fu saw that she had prepared a lot of gifts and knew who she was going out to visit.
Madam Ning said, "Mrs. Lu has been ill recently, so I wanted to go visit her. She has always treated you very well. Do you want to go with her?"
Ning Fu began to worry about Madam Lu, so she went back to the Bamboo Garden to change her clothes, and then left the house with Madam Ning.
Mrs. Lu is now bedridden, but she is happy to see Ning Fu. She invites her to sit beside the bed and says with a smile, "I send away other people who come to see me, but when Ah Fu comes, I hope she can sit and stay with me for a while longer."
Ningfu held her hand and said with a smile: "Then I will go back later today to water the flowers and trees at the door for Madam, and then chat with Madam. After dinner, I will ask my mother to pick me up."
"If you are willing, I will be happy." Mrs. Lu naturally wished for this.
"Is Madam feeling better now?" Nymph asked.
Madam Lu said, "It's just a cold, nothing serious, I'm sorry to have you worried."
Madam Ning sat and chatted with Madam Lu for a while. As she had other things to do at home, she left Ning Fu alone at the Lu Mansion.
Nymph and Madam Lu had similar interests in flowers and trees, and they chatted for half an hour.
Madam Lu was still not fully recovered and soon felt a little sleepy. She said to Ning Fu, "If the fourth young lady is bored, she can go to Xingzhi's study to find some books to read. I will take a short nap first. When I wake up, I will have dinner with the fourth young lady and then send someone to take her back home."
Ning Fu let Madam Lu rest, and the servant led her to Lu Xingzhi's study. She said that this was not her first time here, and she knew that he had some good books. Although they were not as complicated as those in Qingtian Pavilion, they were enough to kill time.
All the important things in the study have been taken away, and the study is empty. There is some dust on the table, indicating that the owner of the study has been gone for some time.
Ning Fu saw the books on the table at a glance and picked them up. It was obviously read by Lu Xingzhi, so she might as well appreciate them.
She found a place with good sunlight and opened the book. But a piece of paper fell down. She picked it up, turned it over and was stunned.
The woman above is wearing a phoenix crown and a bridal robe, and it is clear that she is getting married.
Ning Fu couldn't help but look at it several times before she confirmed that the picture on the paper was clearly of herself.
It was the Nyingfu who married into Prince Xuan’s palace more than a year later.
Lu Xingzhi was actually reborn.
She had guessed it before, but now that it was confirmed, she found it a little hard to believe.
Nymph stroked the small painting. In fact, she herself could not remember it clearly, but someone could still remember it so clearly. The look reminded her of that time at a glance.
Nymph then recalled many things. She was wearing a veil that day and no one could see her clearly.
Someone jokingly said, "Fourth Miss, the prince is secretly looking at you."
"That's clearly a blatant look. It would be bad for a husband not to look at his wife." The matchmaker said happily.
Ning Fu boasted of herself as a great beauty at the time. She had not yet experienced the beatings in the deep backyard, so she felt that it would not be difficult to coax Zong Si into submission after marriage, and it was not a surprise at the time.
Then, Zong Si carried her into the wedding sedan.
"Hold me tight." He warned quietly.
Nymph put her arms around his neck, her face actually blushing with embarrassment, but when she thought that this was her husband and she would be closer to him in the future, it was only natural for her to hug him.
"My dear, do I look good today?" she asked him.
Zong Si paused and did not answer her, but he still held her firmly. But when she thought about it carefully, he was not very close to her at that time.
Ning Fu came back to her senses, but she didn't know why Lu Xingzhi could remember it so clearly.
In fact, she recalled that he had given her the carved wood countless times, which was not a big deal, but every time he went on a long trip, he would definitely bring it to her.
It seemed to be his obsession.
Ningfu no longer had the heart to read, so she put the book back in the study, but kept the portrait and took it back to the Duke's Mansion.
However, Lu Xingzhi's sudden return to his hometown because of his elders seemed somewhat meaningful. Lu Xingzhi's hometown, He County, was located in Danzhou, not far from Northern Qi.
He may have returned to his hometown under the pretext of concealing his identity to facilitate his actions.
The fact that Zong Si went to Northern Qi to transport food and fodder might not have been his doing. No wonder Zong Si said at the beginning that there was enough food and fodder. If Lu Xingzhi had intervened, perhaps it would really be enough.
When Ning Zheng came back, he saw his sister waiting for him in his yard.
Ning Zheng looked a little unnatural after meeting Fu Jiahui.
Ning Fu came to him for help today. Danzhou is adjacent to the outside of the Great Wall, so it is most appropriate to ask his brother for help. "Brother, how long will it take to send the secret letter from here to the outside of the Great Wall?"
"If we ride faster, five days will be enough." Ning Zheng said.
"I need my brother to help me do something. Send someone from outside the Great Wall to go to the Lu Mansion to see if Lu Xingzhi is in his hometown in He County." Ning Fu said.
Ten days later, the letter was returned.
Lord Lu only stayed at the Lu residence in He County for two days, and his whereabouts were unknown for the rest of the time.
…
By May, Meng Yuan's investigation into the grain and fodder corruption had come to an end, and the accompanying team returned to the capital in a mighty manner.
He handed over all the confiscated items and did not keep any for himself. He was honest and upright. If anyone was found offering bribes, they would also be caught by him.
Meng Che and Meng Ze, both of whom had people around them implicated, could only secretly curse Meng Yuan for being so tactless and not having any tact at all. But now that things had come to this, there was naturally no other way. Fortunately, both sides had suffered losses, so the resentment was not so strong.
Emperor Jingwen was naturally overjoyed, but he never expected that his son, who had always been indifferent to worldly affairs, could actually get things done so smoothly.
"How did you find out and how you were able to return to Beijing so quickly?" Meng Che asked curiously.
"Kill the one who doesn't cooperate first, and the others will cooperate," said Meng Yuan.
"Are you so careless?" The smile on Meng Che's face was almost gone. Only if Meng Yuan acted like this, Emperor Jingwen would not really blame him. If it was someone else who killed people without blinking an eye, their reputation would be bad.
Emperor Jingwen was also a little embarrassed, fearing that the ministers below would think of him because of him. However, this was the third brother's first time doing things, and if he punished him severely, it would also easily leave the impression of a tyrant.
"This is the first time I'm doing this and I have no experience." Meng Yuan said calmly, not caring at all about what others think.
"Those people should be executed even if the Third Prince does not punish them. Moreover, this case deserves severe punishment. This is the only way for officials in various states to behave themselves in the future. Although it is a bit cruel, it is also a way to solve future troubles." A minister looked at Emperor Jingwen's face and saw that he clearly did not want to punish them, so he knelt down and sought legal advice.
"Yes, although it was cruel this time, it was also a kindness to future generations. The Third Prince has no experience. If there is a mistake, it is also the fault of the people accompanying him. Why not advise the Third Prince?"
Emperor Jingwen's expression eased a little, and he just found a reason to punish the accompanying officials.
Meng Yuan acted as if it had nothing to do with him. After having dinner at the celebration banquet, he returned home.
"Third brother, I'm going home too, and I'd like to go the same way as you." Meng Che stopped him.
Meng Yuan said nothing, but he did not refuse, which meant he agreed.
The two were in the carriage, and Meng Che said to him with a smile: "Third brother, you are too polite. You might have offended someone unintentionally."
Meng Yuan looked at him and said, "I am just doing my job impartially. Since I have done it, I cannot be biased on that side."
Meng Che said: "It's fine for me, it's just the temper of the Third Prince, but it may not be the case for the Sixth Prince. You are his brother from the same mother. Even if you are neutral, the Imperial Concubine will think you are biased towards me."
"I don't care what she thinks." Meng Yuan remained indifferent.
"In that case, then I feel relieved." Meng Che smiled. This time, he knew that Meng Yuan was by no means useless. At least he was someone who could stand in front of him and do the dirty work. However, who doesn't want to do things so decisively? But one has to protect his reputation.
Such a person is also useful, so naturally he has to be given a try. As for his attitude towards Concubine Zong, as long as he does not have deep feelings for her, then there will be no family ties between him and Meng Ze.
"This place is not on the way, Third Brother, please go back home." Meng Che returned to his carriage when he reached the intersection.
After he left, Meng Yuan stroked the ring on his finger thoughtfully.
When we returned to the prince's palace, the distinguished guest was already waiting there.
"Thank you, Your Highness the Third Prince, for the supply of food and grass." Zong Si calmly placed a white piece on the ground.
Why did Meng Yuan execute these people? First of all, these people deserved to die. Before he went to each state, he had found out the details of the officials in each state, and he already knew which ones were the most corrupt.
Secondly, once these people died, there would be no evidence to prove their wrongdoing. The specific amount of money they had embezzled would provide room for manipulation, and some food and grass could be left for the north.
Meng Yuan asked: "Where did you hide these grains and grasses? How do you transport them out?"
Zong Si also asked in return: "Your Highness the Third Prince is hiding his incompetence. Does he really want to be an idle prince, or does he want to watch the tigers fight from afar and reap the benefits?"
Both of them had extremely acute problems.
When their eyes met, neither of them showed any emotion.
"How about the next round?" Zong Si retracted his gaze and said calmly.
Meng Yuan did not refuse.
However, Meng Yuan's chess skills this time were not as mediocre as usual. The two of them played without showing any emotion and were evenly matched.
"I am not that interested in the throne. If the people can live and work in peace and contentment, it is enough for me to be an idle prince. But as for the Xuanwang Mansion, although the prince also serves the country and the people, he cannot let go of the power in his hands, and the prince cannot give up the glory of the Xuanwang Mansion." Meng Yuan said.
"The royal palace has been built for a hundred years, and our ancestors have walked step by step to this day. How can it be destroyed in my hands? I don't want to be a sinner of the Zong family." Zong Si did not deny it.
"Meng Ze is not a wise ruler."
"He may be able to learn to be a wise king," Zong Si said.
Meng Yuan didn't ask any more questions.
The Xuan Palace would rather use power as a sharp weapon to force the emperor to restrain himself. This is the case with Emperor Jingwen. If it weren't for the Xuan Palace's constraints, he would not be like he is now. He can be considered a fairly qualified monarch.
Therefore, Emperor Jingwen needed Prince Xuan's Palace on the one hand, but hated it on the other, and was always trying to weaken its power.
In just a few words, he had already found out the other party's bottom line. If we have different ideas, we cannot work together, so there is no need to waste words.
…
In July, the north was suddenly attacked by the Hu people. King Xuan led his troops to fight hard, but the Hu people were unable to withstand their offensive, so they switched to harassing the Hu people with small troops, depleting their reserves, and then attacked with fire, trapping them in the city of Danyang.
Ten days later, thinking that they had run out of ammunition and food, they entered the city gate, but contrary to their plan, King Xuan and General Han launched a counterattack.
The war lasted for more than a month, and it was already August when the news that the war was over came to the capital.
August is the hottest month and also the sleepiest month.
Ning Fu was awakened from her sleep by Dongzhu and learned the news that King Xuan had returned to the capital.
"Young lady, don't sleep any more. It's time to go back to the capital with King Xuan." Dongzhu said.
Ning Fu had no time to rest anymore, so she had to get up and leave the house with Ning He.
Today, Emperor Jingwen also left the palace and waited for King Xuan at the palace gate.
Ningfu and Ninghe stood in the outermost corner and watched the long army slowly approaching. The momentum was so magnificent that everyone was amazed.
This was the first time that Ning Fu had seen King Xuan in the past year. As a military commander who had been on the battlefield for many years, his aura was very strong. Just a glance from him could make people feel a chill down their spine.
But even though he was over forty, his face was still handsome and imposing.
Ning Fu saw Zong Si who was accompanying him at a glance. Since King Xuan was returning to the capital, he must have gone to greet him a few days in advance.
The man just happened to look back at her, but his face was somewhat unhappy and cold.
Ever since King Xuan's war situation in the north improved, Zong Si had invited her to meet him several times. However, since King Xuan's situation had turned out well, Ning Fu had no reason to see him, so she declined and did not keep the invitations.
King Xuan dismounted and saluted, but Emperor Jingwen barely held him up and laughed, "My dear minister, you have made great contributions to Dayan. I am really happy. If Dayan did not have King Xuan's palace stationed at the border, there would be no peace in the capital. In my opinion, everyone should thank King Xuan."
The officials agreed one by one.
"I am relying entirely on your Majesty's trust. The royal palace holds the military power, but your Majesty is not on guard at all. If your Majesty were not a wise ruler, how could the royal palace have won victory after victory?" King Xuan said firmly and earnestly.
The smile on Emperor Jingwen's face became even brighter.
"But we don't know when the Hu people will come back again, so we must not let our guard down." King Xuan said.
Ning Fu knew that King Xuan's words were a warning to Emperor Jingwen that ministers with military power were not the same as ordinary ministers. Obviously, King Xuan also knew that Emperor Jingwen might have turned a blind eye to this turmoil.
If King Xuan won, it would be a great joy. But if he lost, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. If the intelligence from the Hu people came from the palace, it could be intercepted at the right time.
For Emperor Jingwen, his fear of Prince Xuan's Palace was probably no less than his fear of the Hu people.
Ning Fu was just thinking about it, but saw Xuan Wang Chao looking over himself, and then looked at Zong Si. Although he didn't say anything, his words were meaningful enough.
Zong Si looked calm, as if King Xuan was not looking at him.
Ning Fu paused, and saw Emperor Jingwen looking at her, and introduced to Prince Xuan: "You have not been in the capital for many years, and you may not recognize these female monarchs when they grow up. This is the fourth lady of the Ningguo Mansion."
King Xuan smiled, which was rare for him, and said, "The lady of the Duke's Mansion is really eye-catching. I also heard that she is very talented and has won first place in both riding and archery. She is really as good as a man."
King Xuan's words were quite meaningful, otherwise why would he praise a female monarch so much in front of others?
Even Emperor Jingwen looked over with some inquiries.
But Zong Si's aloofness also made people give up the idea of speculating that Prince Xuan's Mansion was interested in forming a marriage alliance.
Nymph could only smile and thank him: "Thank you, King Xuan."
Madam Ning frowned, not understanding the situation. She became even more confused when she and Ning Fu were invited to the family dinner at Prince Xuan's mansion.
"Grandfather, what do you think Prince Xuan's Mansion is thinking now?" Madam Ning discussed with Old Lady Ning.
"I'm afraid he has fallen in love with Afu." Old Mrs. Ning couldn't say she was sure about this matter. After all, this fact was too weird.
Meanwhile, at Prince Xuan's mansion, the atmosphere was equally strange.
If we talk about the person who is least able to adapt, it would be Princess Xuan.
Ever since I heard Sanlang's words and learned that Ning Fu was willing to take risks for Prince Xuan's palace, and if it weren't for her, Prince Xuan would have fallen into a different situation this time, I knew that something bad was going to happen.
And when he heard King Xuan say that Sanlang intended to marry into the Ningguo Mansion, he felt for the first time that something bad had happened.
She has always looked down on nymphs and never taken them seriously.
Now, Sanlang wants to marry her, and her husband agrees. How will the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law be in the future?
It is impossible to say that Princess Xuan has no regrets in her heart. If she had known this day would happen, she should not have been so disdainful towards Nymph.
At this time, he couldn't help but envy Mrs. Zong Er. At least she was polite to everyone outside. Unlike himself, his daughter-in-law had left an impression of being difficult to approach before she even got married.
It was just as An Ning said a long time ago, if she might marry into Prince Xuan's Mansion in the future, she would regret it.
"Mother, there is no need to be anxious. Sister Ning has always been tolerant and generous." Zong Ning said from the side.
Princess Xuan said that she was fine, but she was still a little nervous when she saw Ningfu.
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