Chapter 169: Breaking off the Engagement
Ning Zheng couldn't help but wonder in his heart. Zong Si had known him since childhood, but their relationship was not harmonious. He was not the kind of person who cared so much about others.
Why would I care about Ye Sheng today?
However, because of Fu Jiahui's matter, Ning Zheng was grateful to him and was very patient with him. He said, "It was my grandmother who asked me to invite Lord Ye to visit our house today."
Ning Fu glanced at Zong Si for a second longer, knowing that he was probably just jealous.
"Isn't it time for the prince to return home?" she said.
Zong Si lowered his eyes slightly, looking cold and innocent, and said, "It's time to go back."
Ning Zheng said enthusiastically: "Since we are hosting a banquet for Lord Ye today, the prince should stay and have dinner with us."
At present, Fu Jiahui is still working under Zong Si, so Ning Zheng is naturally polite to him. What's more, he owes the prince a great favor in this matter.
"Since Lord Ning has invited me, I will respectfully obey your command." Zong Si said.
Ye Sheng glanced at Zong Si, feeling somewhat puzzled. He wondered why the prince looked at him with some hidden hostility.
"What were the prince and my sister talking about just now?" Ning Zheng suddenly remembered.
Ning Fu's face was always a little heavy. Seeing this, she sighed and whispered in Ning Zheng's ear to tell him about Wei Xiao.
Ning Zheng couldn't help but frown, his expression solemn, and said: "Second sister, do you know about this?"
Ning Fu shook her head. Wei Xiao and Sister Ran were husband and wife after all, and they might not be able to accept this right now.
How would Ning Ran's mother-in-law, Mrs. Xiao, feel if she knew about this?
Zong Si naturally did not interfere in the family affairs of the Duke's Mansion, so he did not express his opinion and let the two siblings discuss countermeasures.
"We can't keep this a secret for too long. My second sister will know about this sooner or later." Ning Zheng said, "Wait a few days and find a chance to tell her."
Ning Fu nodded. Ning Ran had to know about this matter before the Wei Mansion so that it would be easier for Ning Ran to make plans. The Wei Mansion’s attitude was now aggressive, so it was a good time to leave the Wei Mansion.
At the dinner, Ye Sheng couldn't help blushing when he saw Ning He.
Although Ning Fu was more beautiful, Ye Sheng felt that Ning He was more lively, delicate and tender, and seemed to have a very good temperament.
Ye Sheng looked at Ning He for a while.
Zong Si noticed it, looked up at him, and then his worries were put aside. If he was looking for a husband for Ning He, Ye Sheng would be a good choice.
However, Ye Sheng is General Ye’s legitimate son, so it’s a little more difficult.
Ye Sheng withdrew his gaze somewhat embarrassedly, not expecting to be discovered by the prince.
In fact, it was not only Zong Si who discovered it, Ning He herself also discovered it.
Ye Sheng practiced martial arts for many years. He was tall and handsome. He also taught Xiao Zhi a lesson for her. The second brother said that he was a very good person.
Ning He couldn't help but lower her head, her face flushed. However, she was very self-aware. General Ye's legitimate son was not something she could dream of. She was a concubine's daughter, and if she married him, her status would be low, and her life in the future might not be easy.
Ning He sat obediently beside Madam Ning.
Madam Ning was no longer willing to underestimate Zong Si. Even the matter of Miss Fu was resolved so quickly by him. To put it nicely, he was capable. To put it bluntly, he was determined to get Afu.
Madam Ning couldn't help but sigh with a headache. Now she knew that Xingzhi agreed to the marriage with Afu just to avoid the Sixth Prince Meng Ze. As long as it didn't let Xingzhi down, she would not interfere.
If you really think about it, Afu would not be at ease no matter who she married, because she would inevitably worry about Meng Ze. If it was Zong Si, she would feel more at ease.
When Mrs. Ning saw her daughter looking at Ning Ran, she inexplicably developed a bad feeling in her heart.
After dinner, Madam Ning pulled Ning Fu aside and asked, "But something happened in the Wei Mansion again?"
Ning Fu was hesitant to speak. It would be better to let her uncle's mother tell Sister Ran herself. Sister Ran was a person with such a strong self-esteem that she might not want to see her lose control of her emotions.
She told her mother about this, and Madam Ning's face changed. She went to the main house that night.
That night, the Duke's Mansion was still noisy until midnight. Several doctors were called in. It was because Wei was so sad about the death of her son-in-law that she fainted.
"Fourth Miss, Second Miss asks you to come over." Ning Fu and Ning He, both of whom had not gone to bed yet, looked at each other, and Ning He felt a little worried.
"You should go to bed early. I'll be back soon." Nymph comforted him patiently with a smile.
Ning Ran didn't call Ning He, which meant she wanted to talk to her.
Now that Wei Xiao is dead, this is a foregone conclusion. What we should talk about is the future of Ning Ran and the child.
…
When Ning Fu saw Ning Ran, she seemed more like an outsider compared to the panic-stricken eldest wife.
She just sat there quietly, a little absent-minded, wondering if she was thinking about the past.
"Sister Ran." Ning Fu called softly.
"I have been married to him for only a few years, but I didn't expect that I would end up in this situation. Even his death does not make me sad." Ning Ran said softly.
Not long ago, she even imagined what would happen if Wei Xiao died. Would those women who hooked up with others outside dare to think about marrying into a rich family?
"I had never thought of marrying him in the beginning. He was the one who begged me to come to the Wei Mansion. At the beginning, he was indeed nice, but I never thought a man could change his mind so quickly. Before we parted, he was so confident that he could get promoted that he said he wanted to divorce me. But now he has died."
Ning Ran couldn't help but laugh out loud, and in her heart she contemptuously cursed him for what he deserved.
But I couldn't help but tears welling up in my eyes.
She was once a young lady, hoping to marry someone and have everything be well.
Three years have passed, but everything has changed.
"Sister Ran." Ning Fu couldn't help but shout with some concern.
Ning Ran wiped away her tears and smiled coldly: "My mother-in-law is still showing off her power, but she doesn't know that her son has already suffered retribution."
Nymph said nothing.
Ning Ran was silent for a moment.
"I asked you to come here tonight because I want to discuss my future plans with you." Ning Ran also did this because Zong Si was behind her.
"What is Sister Ran's plan in mind?" Ning Fu asked.
"I want to stay in the Wei Mansion." Ning Ran no longer trusted men. They were just scumbags who were good at pretending. And now that the Wei Mansion's son had died, her only two children were left. This Wei family would be her Wei family in the future.
This is the best plan for her. If she remarries, she will not be able to take care of her two children, and she will just fall into another abyss. If she stays in the Duke's Mansion, she may have a rift with her sister-in-law due to interests in the future.
As soon as Ning Fu said it, she understood her plan. This was for the sake of profit. With the Wei Mansion under her control, her nephew's future would be secure.
It is said that life may not be difficult for a widow whose husband has died. With a man who is not an eyesore and who has power in his hands, perhaps life can be considered comfortable.
Ning Ran met her mother-in-law Xiao again. Xiao pretended not to see her, but Ning Ran couldn't help laughing out loud.
I was still hoping my son would become successful, but unfortunately Wei Xiao is already dead.
She didn't care how Xiao threw dirty water on her, she would beg her to return to Wei Mansion. Ning Ran thought coldly.
It was at the end of the month that the news of Wei Xiao's death reached the capital.
At the same time, the news that Fu Jiahui was conferred the title of Princess was also made public.
This meant that Meng Yuan's flood control work was quite effective and there was no need to keep it secret any longer, so he returned to the palace with Lu Xingzhi in triumph.
After all, Ning Fu was Lu Xingzhi's future fiancée, so she should have gone to the Lu Mansion. However, she was stopped by Ning Zhenyuan because of Wei Xiao's matter.
As relatives, it is not easy for them to go out now, so Ning Fu did not think much about it.
When Mrs. Xiao heard that her son had passed away, she almost burst into tears.
Now that her son is gone, the grandson who is the only blood relative becomes extremely important. No matter how painful it was for Xiao, she still came to the Duke's Mansion.
Ning Ran sat there motionless, unwilling even to look at her.
"Aran, your husband is gone, you should go and see him off." Xiao said humbly.
"Madam Wei, since you said that the Wei family wants to divorce me, why not just make it happen now?" She looked at her like an ant, but smiled, "Madam Wei, do you know why Wei Xiao died? Maybe it was because of your evil intentions, throwing dirty water on me, saying that I had an affair with someone, and throwing dirty water on Ah He. The retribution that should have been yours has all been paid on your son."
These understatement words touched Xiao's sore spot. If he had really done something bad, how could he not care about it?
Whenever she thought that her son might have gone there to suffer retribution for her, the regret and pain in Xiao's heart would torture her to a point where she would rather die than live.
She couldn't help crying, she hugged herself pitifully and knelt on the ground in agony.
Xiao thought of her recent sarcasm towards Ning Ran, how she bribed the servants in her yard to accuse her of having an affair, and how she deliberately said that Ning He was shameless in an attempt to lower the character of the entire lady of the Duke's Mansion.
"You're right, it's my fault, it's my fault." Xiao regretted it and believed deeply in the theory of retribution. Now he fell into endless self-blame.
"Aran." Wei stopped her from saying anything further.
Ning Ran just looked at Xiao coldly and said, "Wipe off the dirty water on me the same way you threw it. Don't forget that you still have a son, Wei Lin. Be careful that she will die young."
As a mother, Wei also felt that her words were a bit vicious, so she helped her.
"Mother, you are in the Duke's Mansion, your second sister-in-law is easy to get along with, and your grandmother protects you. You don't know how filthy the rest of the mansions are. If I'm not vicious, I will be bullied endlessly." Ning Ran said indifferently, "Mother can't feel how they treat me. Only when they feel pain, I can have a good life."
Ning Ran, although she thinks highly of herself, has never thought of harming others. But she is not so easy to talk to. Even she herself admits that compared with other children in the Duke's Mansion, she is the most indifferent and selfish.
Whoever made her unhappy, she would definitely repay tenfold.
Seeing her like this, Wei dared not say anything.
Old Madam Ning sighed and said to Madam Ning: "The eldest wife is just so confused. She is soft-hearted when she should be cold-blooded."
Madam Ning did not respond.
However, Wei Xiao was rewarded by Emperor Jingwen after his death because he had received the secret order to control the flood. Now that he is dead, the reward falls on his child.
If a father sacrifices himself for the country, his descendants will be able to enjoy some conveniences in the court in the future.
After Ning Ran met Xiao that day, she went back to the Wei Mansion to prepare for Wei Xiao's funeral. Xiao also confessed that she had thrown dirty water on Ning Ran, saying that she could not stand this daughter-in-law anymore, so she resorted to such despicable means to force her son to divorce her.
As a mother, Xiao took the blame for Wei Xiao on herself and left a good reputation for her son.
The reputation of Xiao as the evil mother-in-law spread, and she was despised and there were many people talking about her behind her back.
The seventh Miss Lin couldn't help but feel lucky in her heart that she didn't marry Wei Xiao as a concubine, otherwise she would have met such a wicked mother-in-law and there was no telling how she would have been taken advantage of.
Ning Ran also knew that it was pitiful that Xiao protected her son so much, but there must be hateful things about pitiful people, and she never said a good word for Xiao.
Because Wei Xiao was a "meritorious official", several princes in the palace also came to his funeral.
Meng Ze was naturally happy that he had dealt with Wei Xiao, a big worry for him, while Meng Yuan remained as indifferent as ever.
"The emperor sent my third brother to show his respect to him. It seems that he respects him very much." Meng Ze joked, but he didn't look wary at all. No matter how much he respected him, it was impossible for him to support Meng Yuan to become the emperor.
Meng Yuan said calmly: "I don't have much interaction with other people."
Meng Ze asked: "Why is there such a big gap in the money allocated for repairing the dam? Brother San has found out."
Meng Che also looked over.
Meng Yuan said: "This matter is not about taking bribes, but is related to Northern Qi. The Chaozhou officials' ancestors were from Northern Qi. They may be spies. Now my father is personally investigating this matter."
Meng Ze smiled and said: "If no one is willing to help, the Chaozhou minister may not dare to do so."
"What do you mean, Sixth Brother?" Meng Che sneered.
Meng Yuan didn't say anything more, but glanced at Lu Xingzhi who was not far away. Next to him stood an ordinary woman, who was brought back from Chaozhou this time.
The person who saved him was actually Lu Xingzhi, not Fu Jiahui, but he himself was washed away by the flood and then appeared in front of him with this woman.
Zong Si glanced at the woman with an indifferent expression, but seemed to be thinking about something.
Ningfu naturally saw it as well, and for a moment, she felt a little complicated. She knew what the appearance of a woman next to him meant.
He was not close to the woman, but he felt somewhat familiar with her, as if he had known her in his previous life.
No wonder his father asked him not to go to the Lu Mansion. This was probably the main reason.
When Lu Xingzhi came to her side, Ning Fu asked with a smile: "Who is this girl?"
Lu Xingzhi lowered his eyelids indifferently, not looking at her, and said: "She is my savior, I must protect her."
The honest and simple girl smiled at Ning Fu and said, "The girl in the capital is so pretty."
Then he remembered that this was a funeral and quickly put away his smile.
Ning Fu wanted to ask more questions, but Zong Si followed her and watched her every move, as if he was afraid that she was having an affair, so she didn't ask any more questions.
"You are handsome too," the woman said, "As handsome as Mr. Lu."
Ning Fu actually had a guess in her mind. This woman might have had a close relationship with Lu Xingzhi in her previous life. So in this life, Lu Xingzhi found her and brought her back to control the flood, perhaps just to find her.
…
Later, Lu Xingzhi brought the woman into the palace.
"You mean you want to cancel the engagement with Afu?" Emperor Jingwen coughed a few times.
"The woman next to me is named Shuiying. She risked her life to save me, which caused her to be disliked by her husband's family. I should be responsible for her." Lu Xingzhi said.
Emperor Jingwen said: "Even if you have to be responsible for her, it's not a bad idea for her to be your concubine." For a commoner girl to be your concubine was already a blessing.
"How can I owe her so much? Her original marriage was a formal one." Lu Xingzhi said, "Your Majesty also knows the bottom line in my heart. Otherwise, I will not be able to sleep or eat well. If I am here first, when the ministers in the court are in danger in the future, if the one who saves them is a woman, there will be no worries."
What Emperor Jingwen cared about most was the safety of his loyal ministers in the court.
Moreover, this time, Lu Xingzhi also came here to receive credit.
"I also need to give an explanation to the Duke's Mansion." This was Emperor Jingwen's intention to give in.
"I am willing to take the blame for this. It is all my fault." Lu Xingzhi said.
"You are an upright person. You beg me so sincerely, and I can do nothing about it. I will tell you the truth. It is true that you and Afu are not destined to be together." Emperor Jingwen sighed.
Lu Xingzhi understood what Emperor Jingwen meant. He was asking for reward for his merits. Although Emperor Jingwen was an emperor, he was a wise ruler who could not bear to hurt the feelings of his meritorious officials. It was not like a king would go back on his word.
"Your Majesty was forced to do so by me. He had no choice but to do so." Lu Xingzhi said.
The marriage was granted because he had made a request based on his merits.
The same is true for breaking off an engagement now.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
