Chapter 38 Flirting
"Sister Ning is so beautiful. The prince must like such a beauty. If she is willing to be a concubine, will the prince accept her or not?" Cheng Shuang quickly followed him and said provocatively.
Rather than being a provocation, it would be more accurate to say that he wanted to use this aggressive attitude to get a denial from him.
Zong Si stopped and looked back at her indifferently, but did not immediately deny her words.
Cheng Shuang's face turned a little paler.
She was not completely sure that the man who appeared in the carriage with Ningfu was Zong Si.
She didn't even want that man to be him.
If Zong Si was so indifferent to everyone, she would feel better.
But his attitude really makes people think more.
Although Prince Xuan's Mansion looked down on Duke Ning's Mansion, there were not so many requirements for taking a concubine. If he really liked her, it was not impossible.
If Ning Fu knew what she was thinking, she would probably sigh. She was not that mean. Not to mention being Zong Si's concubine, she didn't even want to be his wife.
I thought being his legal wife was a good job?
An ordinary female monarch, facing him who is so sinister and ruthless and only pursues power in the future, would probably shed tears every day. Nymph even feels that she was worthy of the word "strong" in her previous life.
"It's not very kind of Miss Cheng to talk about a woman's private affairs behind her back." Zong Si glanced at Ning Fu who was standing at the corner not far away.
Cheng Shuang was a thin-skinned lady after all. After hearing what he said, she couldn't help but blush and lost the courage to question him further.
For a moment, she felt that his words were so decent that it was unlikely that he would have a private meeting with the lady in the carriage. Over the years, she had never heard of any romantic rumors about him.
However, Zong Si is a difficult person to understand, as can be seen from this. People only pay attention to his attitude but not his words. In fact, he clearly did not say a word about whether he was willing to marry Ningfu.
Nymph was not far away and actually heard a vague idea of what was happening.
Cheng Shuang, the person involved, didn't hear it clearly, but she heard it clearly.
Zong Si didn't give a definite answer, but he was probably testing her attitude towards being a concubine, or deliberately letting her hear some rumors.
Ning Fu was sure that Zong Si would not want to marry her as his wife, but if he wanted to take her as a concubine, that was hard to say. After all, he had never forbidden himself to have sex with her in his previous life. And it was said that he also had a beauty in the north, so perhaps he would not mind taking her as a concubine.
After Zong Si left, Cheng Shuang walked towards Ning Fu.
"Sister Cheng." Ning Fu looked at her red eyes.
Cheng Shuang couldn't help but throw herself into her arms and burst into tears, but she was afraid of being noticed by others, so she cried very carefully.
"Blame it if you want to. I'm not the daughter of the Duke of Qing and I wasn't born in a good family. In fact, Sister Xie, you don't like him as much as I do." After a moment, Cheng Shuang raised his head from her arms and wiped his wet eyes with a handkerchief.
"There are countless men in the world, there will always be a good match for you." Ning Fu said. If Zong Si did not reject her directly, it would be a disaster for her.
Cheng Shuang felt unhappy, as she always felt that she was being laughed at, not to mention the other female monarchs. Not wanting to be laughed at, she hurried back home.
"Why did Sister Cheng come back home so soon today?" Wei Ziyi asked curiously when Ning Fu sat back down. Usually, she would stay until the end.
Ning Fu would not expose other people's shortcomings, so she said, "Sister Cheng is feeling a little unwell."
"She has been acting strangely lately. She didn't like to play with you before, but in recent times she has been looking for you." This was not the first time Wei Ziyi had mentioned this.
Ning Fu knew why Cheng Shuang came to her, it was simply because she didn't like gossiping. But she had no idea who she had married in her previous life. It seemed that after Xie Ruyi left the academy, she had quickly married someone else.
But why she married and moved to another place, Ningfu didn't know.
She pondered again about Zong Si's trip out of town. In half a month, the case of Lord Song's bribery would be thoroughly investigated. Now that he was leaving the capital, it might be because of this matter.
After waiting for about half a year, this matter is finally coming to an end.
The same goes for the matter of her asking Doctor Mu for the Jade Hibiscus on behalf of Zong Si. Soon she won’t have to see him again.
When Ning Zhenyuan returned home that night, he looked worried. He asked Ning Fu about her homework and sent her away early.
At night, a fire was lit in a side garden of the mansion, burning all the secret letters exchanged with Lord Song. The letters, which had long since turned to ashes, were swept into the lake one by one.
"If anyone tells anyone about what happened tonight, I will cut off his tongue!" Ning Zhenyuan's expression looked cold and resolute under the light of the fire.
When they returned to the Lotus Pavilion, Madam Ning was also worried and said, "The Sixth Prince informed you of this matter in advance. I'm afraid he was trying to win you over."
Ning Zhenyuan couldn't help but sneer and said, "There is no place for me by his side. He is clearly trying to sow discord between me and the Fourth Prince. Elder Song is in trouble, but I am not implicated. Even if he doesn't remind me, the Fourth Prince will do his best to protect me."
He did not write a letter to intercede for Lord Song, and was able to protect himself. The Fourth Prince must have known about the news in advance, and would have taken the lead in getting him out if he could avoid being implicated.
However, the Sixth Prince suddenly informed him that there was no hope for the Song Lord matter, which inevitably made him appear to be a traitor.
"The reason why the Sixth Prince came to inform me is because he was sure that I was not involved. He couldn't make things difficult for me this time, so he simply pretended to be friendly and tricked me. If the Fourth Prince believed his tricks and became suspicious of me, it would just suit his wishes. If the Fourth Prince didn't believe it, there would be no loss to the Sixth Prince." Ning Zhenyuan sighed deeply.
This was an open conspiracy, and the Fourth Prince could guess the reason behind it, but human hearts were hard to predict.
Madam Ning took his hand and stroked it, which was also a kind of comfort.
Ning Zhenyuan took a look, put his other hand on the back of her hand, and warned, "The emperor has issued a secret order to thoroughly investigate those who are related to Elder Song in the next few days. People from the Ministry of Justice will come to investigate me in the next two days. If there is any accident, you and Afu don't have to worry about me."
Just as he finished speaking, he heard the door being pushed open.
"Father." Nymph said.
"It's so late, why haven't you gone to bed yet?" Ning Zhenyuan couldn't help but frowned as he looked at his daughter who suddenly appeared.
"I heard everything you said to your mother," she said straight to the point.
Ning Zhenyuan pursed his lips. He didn't want to involve his daughter.
Ning Fu said, "Father, you have always been on good terms with Lord Song, but this time you are so innocent. Although His Majesty has no evidence to convict you, he may be suspicious. He may suspect that you already knew Lord Song was like this and that you are the same as him, so he won't speak up for him."
Ning Zhenyuan frowned even more deeply, as this was exactly what he was worried about. Although he escaped punishment, if Emperor Jingwen suspected that he was in cahoots with Lord Song, he would be marginalized sooner or later.
"I have read about the deeds of Prime Minister Zhou of the Hua Dynasty. The prime minister was upright and worked hard for the country and the people, but he was also suspected by the crown prince of colluding with the King of Shang to make money. The prime minister did not want to endure such an insult, and to prove that he was dedicated to doing practical things, he asked to be sent to a remote post. He governed Tongzhou so well that no one picked up things on the road and no one locked their doors at night. Later, he was personally invited back to the court by the crown prince." Ning Fu suggested casually.
Ning Zhenyuan began to think seriously.
At the moment, the Fourth Prince is probably unable to fully trust him, and temporarily giving up the power in his hands can not only show Emperor Jingwen that he is not like Lord Song, but like Prime Minister Zhou, he is unwilling to suffer the humiliation of greed for money and ruining the country, and is determined to do practical things for the country, but it can also make the Fourth Prince calm down in such a tense situation.
Once you figure it out, everything becomes clear.
"It seems that you have read a lot of books recently." Ning Zhenyuan said with relief.
"I have read all the history books my father gave me. I find that every event has its shadow in the history books." Nymph smiled.
Ning Fu made such a suggestion because she knew that her father had done several major things when he was sent away. If it were not for these major things that changed Emperor Jingwen's opinion of her father, the Ningguo Mansion would probably have been doomed long ago.
In his previous life, my father could only be considered to have made meritorious contributions while serving his sentence, but in this life, he has made real contributions, so I had to go.
As Ning Zhenyuan expected, on the second day, people from the Ministry of Justice came to conduct a thorough investigation of the Ningguo Mansion.
The guards are all tall and straight, with stern faces. Anyone who violates the rules will be executed on the spot.
The Ningguo Mansion was well prepared and nothing unexpected happened. No secret letters between the mansion and Lord Song were found.
However, the fate of other prefectures was not necessarily good. In just half a month, more than 20 people were arrested, including six people who had accepted bribes and more than ten people who knew about the crime but did not report it, most of whom were ministers in the court and local officials in Langya.
The amount of money stolen by Lord Song was staggering, and he was sentenced to immediate execution.
A few days later, Ning Zhenyuan went to the court and requested to be sent to Liangzhou, the most chaotic place.
"My dear minister, you must think carefully. Being an official in Liangzhou is not as easy as you think." There was a meaningful look on Emperor Jingwen's face.
"I am wholeheartedly serving the country, not seeking comfort. If the people of Liangzhou can live and work in peace and contentment, I will be willing to endure any hardship," Ning Zhenyuan said solemnly.
The Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince looked at each other, each with their own thoughts.
"Since my dear minister has such a heart, how can I let him down? Well, I hope you can make me look at you in a new light." Emperor Jingwen showed a look of relief, but there was still a lack of trust in his eyes.
After resigning, he was immediately sent to a new post. Just three days later, Ning Zhenyuan had prepared his carriage and was ready to leave.
Madam Ning was reluctant to leave her husband, and the desolation of Liangzhou was known to everyone in Dayan.
"When I am more stable in Liangzhou, I will take you and your daughter over if I have the chance." Ning Zhenyuan was reluctant to leave his wife and daughter.
"How is Afu going to get there? It's only a few months before she reaches the age of 15, and she still has to stay in the capital to find a husband. How can she find one if she goes there?" Madam Ning disagreed, but then she remembered that Lu Xingzhi seemed to be in Liangzhou as well, and she couldn't help but think about it carefully.
"The second young master Lu from the Lu family is also in Liangzhou. They are both from Beijing. You should take care of him when the time comes." Madam Ning advised.
Ning Zhenyuan also had a good impression of Lu Xingzhi, but he didn't say much.
After seeing her father off, Ning Fu began to research the matter of Lord Song and found out the list of people implicated. However, when she saw the name of Hezhou Xing, she was stunned and memories of her previous life emerged in her mind.
King Xuan once said to Zong Si, "Fortunately, you dealt with He a few years ago, otherwise the King Xuan's Palace would have been hard to escape this disaster."
It turned out that the He family was dealt with this time.
The reason why Zong Si was delaying the matter of Lord Song might be that he was waiting for this person to take the bait.
The timing of the matter of Lord Song was arranged just right. It was already difficult to count how Zong Si had killed several birds with one stone by setting up this scheme.
But even though the matter was over, Zong Si still did not show up, and no one knew what he was busy with.
…
"Miss, Manager Zhang from Nuanxiang Pavilion has sent a letter." Dongzhu entered Ningfu's bamboo garden early the next morning.
Nymph had just woken up at the moment. After hearing this, she reached out to take the envelope, poured the revealing potion onto the paper, and the notes appeared.
The handwriting was very elegant, and Mu Ruoheng asked her to meet at Linglongtai.
"Miss, are you going to that place again?" Dongzhu was a little reluctant.
Nymph had already changed into men's clothes. She was tall and slender, but at first glance, she looked like a young man.
"Let's go." She changed to a jade-handled folding fan today.
The two of them came to Linglong Terrace again, and they were much more familiar with the place. When the woman who greeted her saw her, her eyes lit up and she said, "Go tell Murong quickly that his young master is here!"
In just a moment, Murong appeared in front of her.
"Thank you very much, sir, for paying for me to rest." Murong said in a low voice.
Compared to the noble and cold Murong last time, this one is much more amiable and gentle. Ning Fu knew that the two were not the same person.
It is not difficult to understand. Perhaps because Murong is popular, Linglongtai produced many "Murong" in batches in order to make money.
As expected of a big businessman, Ninfu admired his business ability and cunningness.
Ning Fu took him into the private room again and drank tea for a while. Then he was led by Song Bo to meet Mu Ruoheng.
"The antidote for Yu Furong has been prepared. The young lady is asked to come and get the antidote today." Mu Ruoheng said.
The bottle of pills wrapped in celadon on the table was probably it.
"What does the miracle doctor think about the matter of Lord Song?" Ning Fu thought for a moment and asked.
"Human greed is like a snake swallowing an elephant. He deserves to die." Mu Ruoheng said.
With such an attitude, it seems that he is not the Fourth Prince's man. However, what Zong Si said is very true. He is the only miracle doctor in the world, so he may not have a friendship with any one of them.
"The fourth lady's father is the one I admire." Mu Ruoheng added, "A gentleman judges deeds rather than hearts. If he can govern Liangzhou well, even if it is not his will, he will be a man of complete merit."
This comment is indeed bold, but he also has the ability to look down on everyone.
Ning Fu couldn't help but be a little alert, "It's better for the doctor to be cautious."
"Why do you have to do this? As long as we are born into this world, we will inevitably be judged by others, even the nobles in the palace are the same."
"What does the miracle doctor think of the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince?" Ning Fu thought for a moment and asked.
Doctor Mu smiled and said, "There are not only two princes in the palace."
Nymph said: "There is also a third prince, but he is weak and has an old leg injury, so he rarely shows up on weekdays."
Mu Ruoheng said: "For me, whoever cares for the people, is willing to reform, and reduce taxes is suitable for the position of crown prince."
Ningfu also thought so. What the world needs is a wise ruler, not someone who ignores the consequences for the sake of power.
"The miracle doctor gave me the Jade Hibiscus. Is there anything you want?" she asked.
"If this antidote is used for the right purpose, I will give it to you. If not, I will not give the antidote to you, girl." Mu Ruoheng said with a smile.
Back at the Linglong stage, Nymph put the antidote away, and heard the sound of a windpipe, melodious and graceful, but also sad and melodious.
Nymph looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man playing the flute. He was wearing a white brocade robe and had a face as beautiful as jade. He was also a rare beauty and was very lovable.
The beauties in Linglongtai are all better than each other.
If she had to take the Duke's Mansion into consideration, she would also like to have two. How wonderful life would be then.
Ning Fu admired it for a moment, and suddenly heard a voice behind her saying indifferently: "Are you interested again?"
She turned around and saw "Murong" looking down at her, still wearing the fang mask on his face, but he was clearly right behind her, and if she wasn't careful, the two of them could be very close to each other, and their postures were a little too intimate.
"How about you serve me together with him?" Nymph pretended to be indifferent and said in a charming manner.
Murong looked at her for a moment and asked seriously, "I'm with him? Even if it's just me, can you come and serve me?"
Ning Fu couldn't help but blushing. Although he also said "serve", his words instantly made people think of something else.
"How does your husband teach you on a daily basis?" Murong suddenly asked, remembering something.
Nymph reluctantly said, "I am a man, where can I find a husband?"
Murong said: "Perhaps you were a woman in your previous life, so you naturally had a husband."
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