Chapter 12: Token of Love, Gift to Others
"The student has never had such contact with Fourth Miss Ning." Zong Si said calmly.
Mr. Guanyang naturally did not doubt him. If there was really something going on between him and the Fourth Miss Ning, the Ningguo Mansion would have come to ask him to give an explanation long ago.
"It's really a strange thing." He had no idea what was going on.
Zong Si didn't care, and said in a deep voice: "If something happens, it's all man-made. It's just that the other party is more skilled."
As long as the other party's purpose is found, the reason why Nymph knows archery will naturally come to light.
Ning Fu returned to the school and sat there for only a cup of tea before Zong Ning came back after finishing his exam.
"Sister Ning, you performed really well today." Zong Ning rarely took the initiative to greet her.
Originally, when Zong Ning heard that her competition with the princess during the autumn hunt was also very exciting, she didn't believe it. But now, after seeing it, she was completely convinced. Among the female monarchs, no one was better at archery than her.
Ning Fu asked, "Sister Ning, can you do me a favor?"
"It depends on whether I can do it." Zong Ning said.
"During the last autumn hunt, the princess and I got drunk, and I might have offended the prince, but it was definitely not intentional. I would like to trouble Sister Ning to convey my apologies to the prince." Ning Fu said sincerely.
Zong Ning couldn't help laughing and said, "Sister Ning, my third brother is not such a petty person, don't worry."
Ning Fu said silently in her heart, that’s because you are his biological sister. If it were someone else, Zong Si wouldn’t be so nice.
She still remembered how sinister he was in front of his subordinates in his previous life, and now he was only slightly better than after getting married.
"Sister Ning, please make sure to convey this to me." Ning Fu emphasized worriedly.
Zong Ning agreed, and then curiously asked her: "Sister Ning, are you a little afraid of my third brother?"
Ning Fu was not afraid of him, but there was no need to offend Prince Xuan's Mansion.
She had been waiting for Zong Ning specifically, and after entrusting him with the task, she planned to return home.
It was still bustling outside the school. Ning Fu glanced at the venue and this time saw Zong Si from afar. He was introducing Xie Ruyi to Mr. Guanyang.
The young man is as noble as jade, with an elegant appearance, while the young lady is as graceful as an orchid, with a delicate forehead and beautiful eyebrows. Just by standing together, one can feel the harmony of phoenixes and phoenixes.
"I heard that the second Miss Xie performed very well." As people came and went, the coachman also heard some rumors.
Nymph knew this better.
Although Xie Ruyi's riding and archery skills were far inferior to her arts of ritual and music, she still ranked first among the female monarchs in the archery assessment in her previous life.
But she is hardworking and smart, and this is what she deserves. God always rewards people like her who work hard.
On the way back, Zong Ning started asking Zong Si for a reward: "Third brother, if I can get a top grade in archery this time, you will give me the Swift Wind."
Ji Feng was a Ferghana horse captured by Zong Si when he followed King Xuan on an expedition to the north last year. It had a fierce and unruly temperament, and he spent some effort to tame it.
Zong Si said: "We'll see how your performance is then."
What he meant was that he agreed. Zong Ning was satisfied, and thinking of Ning Fu, he said, "Sister Ning asked me to convey to you that if I offended you unintentionally during the autumn hunt that day, I hope you will forgive me."
Zong Si looked indifferent and did not respond. He had no intention of pursuing what happened that day. It was not the first time that Fourth Miss Ning had offended him.
Zong Ning said mysteriously, "I think Sister Ning is pretty good recently. Why not introduce her to my second brother? He should get married at this age."
She likes Sister Ning.
Zong Si frowned and said, "You are a female monarch who has not yet reached the age of marriage. Are these the things you think about all day long?"
Zong Ning knew she was in the wrong, so she shut up tactfully. However, she still felt that her second brother might like Sister Ning. Sister Ning was very good at riding and shooting, and her second brother might like a woman like this who could go hunting with him.
She wasn't making blind guesses. After all, her second brother liked to take her to play horse riding, archery and cricket fighting when they were little. Human nature would not change.
A while ago, when Zong Ning was chatting with the maid about Sister Ning's autumn hunt, the second brother listened to the whole story before leaving for the first time.
You have to know that her second brother usually has no interest in anything related to women.
But that night, Zong Si had a strange dream.
In the dream, there was a woman living in his Jinghuaju. Although he did not go in, he knew clearly the woman's movements. Sometimes she would sit in front of the door and read, sometimes she would do some handicrafts, and sometimes she would take care of the flowers and plants in the yard.
The woman was not close to him, but she didn't seem to be a stranger to him either.
She unscrupulously seized his territory and placed all kinds of gadgets everywhere, turning the originally prosperous Jinghuaju into something unrecognizable.
But he never got angry. Instead, he gave his bedroom to her and rested in the study.
Then one day, the woman pushed open the study door and held a bow in her hand. It was the "Zhaoyao" bow used by the famous general Shentu of the previous dynasty. All the men flocked to it.
The girl was stunningly beautiful, with skin as white as cream, as gorgeous as peach blossoms in full bloom in March, and affectionate eyes. She was clearly a more mature version of the Fourth Miss Ning.
She said in a tender voice: "Before I got married, many men asked me for the scorching sun, but this is my dowry, and I only want to give it to you, my dear husband."
His eyes flickered as he looked at her in silence.
"But I'm not giving it to you for free. From today on, you have to live in the backyard." She blushed and dared not look at him. She bit her lip and said, "You and I have been married for three months. My dear, I don't want to stay alone in an empty room."
She boldly and straightforwardly invited him to consummate their marriage, but her expression was reserved and charming. Even the most heartless man would not be able to refuse her advances. Moreover, in her words, she praised him as the one and only one in her heart.
…
After Zong Si woke up, he rubbed his temples.
Although it was cold at night, there was a slight heat in my lower abdomen.
The dream was so absurd that when he heard about Nymph from Princess Xuan a few days later, he paused imperceptibly while drinking tea.
“I heard that the first place in this archery test is Fourth Miss Ning.” Princess Xuan said with a hint of disbelief in her tone.
Zong Si was not surprised at all. He already knew this when the results came out yesterday. The second place was Xie Ruyi and Zong Ning was the third. There were only three of them who got top marks.
Princess Xuan was worried again, "Mrs. Ning asked me to go to Hanxiang Temple to worship Buddha tomorrow. I wonder if her intention is what I think."
Speaking of this, Princess Xuan couldn't help but have a headache. Although everyone hoped that their daughters could marry high, if she set her sights on Prince Xuan's Mansion, she would inevitably look down on the Ningguo Mansion.
"Just refuse as you see fit, mother." Zong Si said without raising his head.
"The palace is watching you, and it will be difficult for you to find a marriage for a while. Why not arrange two concubines for you first?" Princess Xuan suggested. At this age, it is not a good thing to have no one around.
Zong Si said, "I will go to the north after the new year, so mother, don't worry about it." The current situation was tense and he couldn't spare the energy to deal with women.
He had a firm idea in mind, and Princess Xuan couldn't persuade him. She also knew that he was not the kind of person who was obsessed with women, so she had to give up.
At the Ningguo Mansion, people were filled with joy over Ning Fu's first place in archery.
Even Ningfu herself had never thought that she could achieve such a result, and it was worth it that her wrist had been swollen for more than half a month.
Madam Ning was so happy that she rewarded all the servants and maids in the courtyard. She wrote letters to Ning Zhenyuan, Ning Zheng, and Princess Kangyang who were on business outside, wishing to tell everyone about it.
Old Mrs. Ning was also in high spirits and radiant, looking several years younger.
"How do you plan to arrange the banquet?" The old lady also wanted to make it known.
Madam Ning smiled and said, "There is no need to rush. We will have the Imperial and Music Art Assessments after the New Year. We should avoid people thinking that our Duke's Mansion is too impatient."
"Well, the Duke's Mansion is already tight on revenue and expenditure this year, so it's better not to be extravagant." At this point, the old lady couldn't help but sigh and said, "Wei's talent in managing money is really mediocre. I think you still need to help her."
"Grandfather, how would I understand these things? Let my eldest sister-in-law continue to take charge." Madam Ning politely declined, not saying a word against the eldest wife.
Ningfu was wondering if her aunt was having a hard time taking care of the child and that was why she asked her grandmother to test the waters.
In the early years, my aunt was unwilling to give up her power in household affairs, and my grandmother was partial to her, so my mother didn't get any benefit from this matter.
Since Mrs. Ning refused, it was naturally difficult for Old Lady Ning to force her.
When Ning Fu returned to the Bamboo Garden, she said to Madam Ning, "Mother, it's not impossible to help my aunt manage the Duke's Mansion."
Firstly, Ning Fu couldn't bear to see the Duke's Mansion continue to suffer losses at the hands of her aunt.
Secondly, if you hold money in your hands, you hold power in your hands. It doesn’t matter when my father and uncle have a good relationship, but the love between brothers may not be deep enough for a lifetime.
If the Duke's Mansion is managed by my mother, no matter what the eldest wife has in mind, she will have to consider the interests involved and weigh them carefully.
"Of course it's possible, but not now. Your aunt is reluctant to give up much of the power in her hands right now," said Madam Ning.
She was not willing to do something that was thankless, so she had to wait for Wei to come and beg her for help one day so that she would have enough bargaining chips.
Ning Fu thought about it for a while. Her aunt was arrogant and never wanted to admit her shortcomings. That was why the Duke's Mansion was short of treasury money next year. She originally wanted to intervene in this matter in advance, but now it seems like this is a good opportunity to make her aunt bow her head.
But if this is the case, we must prepare money in advance to get through this crisis in the Duke's Mansion.
Ningfu will definitely not touch her mother's family property, so she has to think of ways to make money.
Early the next morning, Mrs. Ning was going to Hanxiang Temple with Mrs. Wei to worship Buddha, and she brought Ning Fu with her.
Autumn is coming to an end. Large patches of red maple leaves on Hanxiang Mountain have already withered and covered the entire trail. The lake beside the mountain is sparkling, quiet and remote.
When she met Princess Xuan, Ning Fu couldn't help but pause, then said, "Hail, Princess."
As soon as Princess Xuan saw Ning Fu, she remembered the prescription for scar removal that Ning Fu recommended to her last time. As she said, it was indeed very effective. However, she was afraid that Mrs. Ning would think she was being too close to Ning Fu, so she did not thank her.
"What is it that the old lady asked me to meet her today?" Princess Xuan asked straight to the point.
"Afu, grandma and the princess are going in to worship Buddha. You wait in the temple and don't wander around." Madam Ning warned.
Ning Fu nodded, but she was a little uneasy. She had a vague answer in her mind as to why her grandmother wanted to see Princess Xuan, but she was also clear about the result.
With nothing to do, she went to the temple to worship, and saw the marriage fortune and the future fortune, so she asked for one for each.
Ningfu didn't really believe in this, but she had nothing to do anyway, so if it was a good fortune, she would believe it, and if it was not a good fortune, she would just look at it and pretend that she had never drawn it.
The results are all good.
The career sign indicates a life of good fortune.
The marriage fortune is very auspicious, saying that you are destined to be together.
Ning Fu thought to herself, could it be that her husband was not a man from Dayan, but she didn't want to marry far away.
Even if she had a perfect husband, she didn't want the Duke's Mansion to be too far away. The husband's family was empty, and only the mother's family was the confidence of a woman.
After much thought, Ning Fu decided not to believe in the marriage fortune for the time being and just believe in the future fortune.
Just as I was thinking about it, I suddenly heard someone shout, "Sister Ning."
Ning Fu turned around and saw who else it was but Zong Ning? With her was Xie Ruyi: "Sister Ning, Sister Xie."
"Sister Xie and I came here with my mother to worship Buddha. I didn't expect Sister Ning to be here too. What did you pray for?" Zong Ning asked curiously.
Xie Ruyi looked at the lot in her hand.
Ning Fu was a little embarrassed, but she said truthfully: "I just happened to be passing by, so I came to read the fortune for my marriage and future."
There are actually quite a few women who come to ask for marriage fortunes secretly, but most of them are secretive. Only a few are as frank as her.
Zong Ning's love for her grew even stronger.
She smiled and said, "Just now I asked Sister Xie to draw a marriage fortune. The fortune teller said that Sister Xie's marriage is one in a million, a perfect match made in heaven, and they will be happily married."
Ning Fu said: "Sister Xie is a perfect match. Whoever marries Sister Xie will be blessed." Xie Ruyi is good enough in herself and has a good family background. No matter who she marries, it will be a good match.
On the contrary, whoever marries Xie Ruyi is blessed. If Ning Fu were a young man who could marry Xie Ruyi, he would probably want to worship her.
Zong Ning's smile became more obvious. The marriage fortune that Xie Ruyi had calculated was with Zong Si, but because Ning Fu was here, she couldn't tease her.
"Sister Ning won first place in archery this time, congratulations." Xie Ruyi said.
Nymph said embarrassedly: "I didn't expect to win first place this time."
The three female monarchs sat and chatted for a while until Ning Fu saw Old Lady Ning, Lady Wei, and Princess Xuan coming out from the backyard, and then she said goodbye to them.
The atmosphere in the carriage was more solemn than when they came.
Ningfu didn't ask any more questions and just read the book quietly.
When she arrived at the Duke's Mansion, she bowed obediently to Old Madam Ning and returned to the Bamboo Garden.
"Grandfather, please don't get angry and hurt yourself." Wei Shi waited until Ning Fu left before she spoke to comfort him.
Madam Ning was furious: "Look at how high and mighty she is. I was just negotiating with her, but it was as if I was sending Afu to her doorstep for her to trample on."
"Afu is so beautiful, and now she is the best in archery. She can choose any husband in Dayan. Let's not consider Prince Xuan's Palace." Wei said.
Old Madam Ning was a person who cared a lot about her reputation, and after what happened, she gave up the idea of marrying into the Xuan Palace.
Wei felt a little more balanced in her heart. What Prince Xuan's Mansion looked down upon was the entire Duke's Mansion, not her daughter, so it was not shameful for her daughter.
A few days later, when she went to her daughter's house as a guest, Wei told Ning Ran about this.
"Liu was left to watch the fun before, and now her Afu has suffered the same fate." Wei said with some pleasure.
"Did the prince himself refuse the marriage?" Ning Ran confirmed.
Ning Ran hopes that Ning Fu will marry well, but the prerequisite is that she doesn't marry Zong Si. She wants Ning Fu to marry into Prince Xuan's Mansion, which will be beneficial to the future of the Duke's Mansion and her father and brother. However, the better candidate in Ning Ran's mind is Zong Duo, the second son of Prince Xuan's Mansion.
Although Zong Duo is addicted to martial arts, he is not a playboy. Ning Ran feels that he is a good match for Ning Fu.
"According to the princess, the prince has someone he loves." Wei said.
She asked, "Afu likes the prince, and now she's been rejected, I wonder how sad she must be."
Wei said, "She must be sad. I haven't seen her for a few days."
The little girl was about to reach marriage age, so it was natural that she would be able to sense it completely. She was very quiet in the carriage that day, and the more abnormal she was, the more it showed that she knew something.
.
In the bamboo garden, Nymph was reciting the Book of Songs out of boredom.
After a while, Madam Ning came into the room and said as she used a comb to braid her hair: "You don't have to think about this all the time. When a man and a woman get married, they are selecting each other. It's normal for one to look down on the other."
Madam Ning had long guessed the purpose of Old Madam Ning's visit to Hanxiang Temple, so she just went with the flow and put an end to her thoughts.
What made Ning Fu sad was not the rejection by Prince Xuan's Mansion, but the thought of Prince Xuan's Mansion's attitude towards her. In her previous life, it must have been very difficult for her mother to arrange a marriage for her.
She could never understand why Zong Si agreed to marry her in his previous life.
"Mother, are you also worried about my marriage?" This was the first time she talked about this with Madam Ning.
Madam Ning said, "Although mother is anxious, she is more worried that you will not marry well, so she is not that anxious."
Nymph lowered her eyes and asked, "What kind does mother like?"
"As long as he treats you well and is a down-to-earth person, mother doesn't care about those empty things." A prominent family background is naturally better, but it is not the most important. Since this matter was brought up, Madam Ning simply opened her heart and said, "Mother thinks Lu Er is good."
If my mother thinks it’s good, then it must be okay.
Originally, Ning Fu should have thanked Lu Xingzhi after the archery results came out, but after the autumn hunt, he was sent out of town by Zong Si to do some work.
Half a month later, Ning Fu heard from Ning Yu that he had returned.
Ning Fu planned to give him the world-famous bow "Zhuoyao". Although her archery skills were the result of Zong Si's efforts in her previous life, Lu Xingzhi had also been dedicated when teaching her. She was grateful to him from the bottom of her heart. Moreover, she wanted to get closer to Lu Xingzhi, so she didn't mind spending a lot of money.
You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your child. Whoever wants to get closer will have to pay the price.
In her previous life, she gave Zhuo Yao to Zong Si in order to coax him into consummating their marriage. Zong Si really behaved very well that night. Moreover, the bow she used from then on was always Zhuo Yao, so she was aware of Zhuo Yao's attraction to men.
As for Zong Si seeing it, that’s nothing, he wouldn’t know that Zhuo Yao was the “token of love” she gave him.
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