Chapter 40 Not a Concubine
Zong Si looked at her almost as she finished speaking, his expression didn't change much, and was still a little cold as always.
But he himself knew that he was inexplicably unhappy.
"I don't know how the marriage between the prince and Sister Xie is going, but Sister Xie is such a good lady, and she is a perfect match for the prince. The prince will definitely not miss her." Ning Fu thought for a while and said.
Mentioning Xie Ruyi meant that he should calm down. He hasn't married his sweetheart yet, so why would he think about having her as a concubine? Right?
Zong Si looked up at her.
Nymph said nothing.
Now that Zong Si wanted to make her his concubine, she had to stay away from him.
Zong Si stared at her, and said indifferently, "Since Fourth Miss has found Divine Doctor Mu for me, you naturally don't have to come to me again in the future. But does Fourth Miss mean that she is a little afraid of me?"
It was almost exactly what she said. She was afraid that getting along with him would lead to deviating from the right path, which would lead to trouble in the future. She didn't want to fall into the same trap a second time.
Ning Fu had no choice but to bring up the serious matter: "My father was able to go to Liangzhou smoothly this time. The prince must have spoken well of him in front of His Majesty. I am very grateful."
"What is the fourth lady afraid of?" Zong Si asked unreasonably. Obviously, at this moment, he did not intend to discuss with her whether Ning Zhenyuan had escaped unscathed or whether he had interfered in it.
Nymph lowered her eyes, feeling upset at the moment.
But no one spoke.
When Zong Si had patience, it was common for him to remain motionless for several hours. Now that he forced her to speak, he naturally remained silent, but his aura was so compelling that even her breathing was restrained a little.
"The daughter of the Duke of Ning's mansion will never be allowed to be someone's concubine." After a cup of tea, Ning Fu could no longer bear the pressure and said bluntly with her eyes downcast, "Otherwise, people will definitely gossip about her behind her back."
Zong Si looked at her, and sure enough, she was very perceptive. When Cheng Shuang asked him about it that day, he didn't say it explicitly because he did have considerations in this regard. It's not that he likes her very much, but with a beauty like Ning Fu, her future would not be smooth, and if her husband's family is mediocre, it would be difficult to protect her.
In her previous life, she was his wife or concubine, so he always had some affection and pity for her. Seeing her die because of marrying the wrong person, he might as well keep her by his side and protect her. As for the position of concubine, it would be enough to ensure that she would have no worries, and Prince Xuan's Mansion would not have to be involved in the affairs of Duke Ningguo's Mansion.
At that time, Ning Zhenyuan would definitely not refuse for the sake of his daughter's safety.
But at the moment, the Ningguo Mansion is still safe, and he has not made a decision. Zong Si has no intention of mentioning this matter. If Ning Fu had not mentioned it today, he would not have talked about this with her for a year.
"If you don't want to be a concubine, then you want to be the main wife?" Zong Si asked in a calm voice.
There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
Not to mention being his legal wife, she didn't even want to be his ancestor.
Being his woman is a tough job.
Ning Fu stood up, smoothed her dress, bowed in front of him, and said sincerely: "Your Highness, please understand. I don't have such thoughts. My heart is as clear as a mirror. Sister Xie and Sister Cheng are more suitable for the position of the Crown Prince's Consort than me. How could I have such inappropriate thoughts?"
She thought for a moment, and then said, "To be honest, I am considering a husband's family like the Lu Mansion or the Lin Mansion. I am not smart, and I can only barely cope with it if the husband's family has a simple family background."
It is rare to find a wife from an ordinary family. In the words of Old Lady Ning, anyone who wants to marry down from a lower class must be a loser.
"It is not a good thing for you to marry into the Lu or Lin family. The two families are not of high status and will not be able to protect you in the future." Zong Si said.
Ning Fu had different ideas from her. Besides, both the Lu Mansion and the Lin Mansion were good, especially the Lu Mansion. Lu Xingzhi was a rare handsome man. He was hardworking and a good person. If he got promoted in the future, he might be able to protect her.
When it comes to living a good life, Zong Si is far inferior to Lu Xingzhi.
Zong Si was aware of her taboo, and his expression was cold and indifferent, as if he was a little angry.
In fact, from the attitude of the Fourth Miss Ning, one can guess that she is not nostalgic for Prince Xuan's Mansion, nor for him, otherwise why would she never want to mention the past in front of him.
In her previous life, she might have married him for profit, not necessarily because of any feelings.
However, he, who couldn't remember his past life, was able to occasionally put himself in the role of her husband recently and paid more attention to her than before.
Zong Si withdrew his thoughts and looked at her in silence. The unhappiness in his heart became even worse.
He didn't like it. She pretended to know nothing, leaving him to guess. Zong Si didn't like this feeling of losing control.
But he didn't care about her rejection.
Ning Fu said: "Please understand me, my lord. As the lady of the Duke's Mansion, I don't want to bring shame to the Duke's Mansion. Otherwise, I'd rather die."
"I don't like to force things on others, and I don't want you to be my concubine as you imagine." Zong Si looked at her and said, if it weren't for his previous life, he wouldn't have this plan, nor did he have any feelings for her.
Ning Fu felt relieved, and then she slowly sat down on the soft bamboo chair opposite him, and said: "The secret room of Qingtian Pavilion, if I am not mistaken, should be under the Hanting Lake in Xuanwang Mansion."
Zong Si ignored her.
"It is very difficult to build a secret room underwater, so most of them use a canal. There are not many mansions in the capital that have artificial rivers. Anyone with some eyes can guess it. So, apart from the prince's close ministers, I'm afraid that no one else knows that there is such a place in Prince Xuan's mansion." She continued to tell her guess.
Zong Si knew that she didn't know this in her previous life. It seemed that although they were husband and wife, they were far from being honest with each other and were not a couple who shared weal and woe.
He said, "Go back."
When the sandalwood incense was burning out, Fu Jiahui walked in and said, "Sister Ning, I will take you back."
I don’t know how Zong Si passed the message to Fu Jiahui, but she arrived at the right time.
Ning Fu followed Fu Jiahui out.
"Did you have a fight with the prince?" Fu Jiahui suddenly asked.
"The prince is of noble status, how dare I offend him like that." Ning Fu denied.
"Although Liangzhou is not big, there are many local tyrants. If Lord Ning is threatened, he can ask the person in the letter for help. If Lord Ning can pacify the various forces in Liangzhou, he will definitely be able to move up when he returns to Beijing in the future." Fu Jiahui handed her a letter.
After returning, Ningfu read the letter and found that the people mentioned in it were all bandits.
After a moment's thought, she had an idea.
The power of Liangzhou officials is inevitably involved with those in Beijing. If the officials protect each other, my father will probably find it difficult to deal with it. The bandits have plenty of manpower. No matter how high-ranking an official is, he is afraid of the sword and will not offend them. It is most appropriate to use the bandits to do bloody things.
No wonder it took Lu Xingzhi so long to suppress the bandits. It was probably because Zong Si used these bandits to balance the various forces in Liangzhou. How could he let these bandits be wiped out before all the forces were eliminated?
Lu Xingzhi and Zong Si were also close friends, so the speed of suppressing the bandits might not be deliberately delayed.
Ning Fu naturally used the name of Zong Si when sending this letter. What he wanted was stability in Liangzhou. Since he was willing to lend a helping hand this time, he thought his father would not be suspicious.
…
Half a month after Ning Zhenyuan requested to be transferred to a remote post, Ning Zhenxiu, the Duke of Ningguo, was promoted from the fourth rank of Taichang to the third rank of Taifu. The first wife was naturally overjoyed.
Ning Fu and Madam Ning knew the reason why Ning Zhenyuan asked to be sent away.
But others only thought that this was because Ning Zhenyuan was demoted, and the future of the second branch of the Ningguo Mansion might be worrying. For a while, the young master's mansion, which had some thoughts about Ning Fu, also gave up and no longer came to the Ningguo Mansion to get close to her.
"They are all so realistic. I look down on families like them." Old Mrs. Ning couldn't help but sneer.
However, Mrs. Ning's words are inevitably suspected of double standards. Aren't the few companies she values also considered from the perspective of interests?
Nymph fed her the medicine without saying a word.
As soon as my father passed away, my grandmother became worried and fell ill. She caught a cold, but she is recovering soon.
"I'm afraid your father must have suffered a lot in Liangzhou." Old Mrs. Ning sighed again. Liangzhou was a tough nut that two generations of emperors had not been able to crack. Although her son requested to be sent away, it was no different from being demoted.
"Don't worry, grandma. Father will take good care of himself." Nymph said.
Later, Madam Ning also came to Qinyuan. Seeing that she was in high spirits and without any worry on her face, Mrs. Ning felt a little dissatisfied. But she said that her husband had gone to that bitter and cold place, and would stay there for at least a year. How could a wife not go with him?
According to Old Madam Ning's thoughts, Mrs. Ning should go with her to take care of her son's daily life.
But she remembered what her son had said when he left, asking her not to cause trouble for Mrs. Liu. No matter how dissatisfied she was, she did not dare to blame Mrs. Ning.
"It's really lonely for Zhenyuan to be alone in Liangzhou." Old Mrs. Ning said indirectly.
Madam Ning said, "I would like to go with you, but my husband won't let me. If the old ancestor wants me to go too, you might as well write him a letter."
Old Madam Ning didn't dare to offend her, so she changed the subject: "The palace also needs you to take care of it now, so it's better for you to stay in the palace."
"This month, the revenue of several shops in the palace has begun to improve. Starting from next month, after deducting expenses, there will be a surplus." Madam Ning said.
Old Madam Ning then revealed a sincere smile, but couldn't help but feel regretful: "If you had been managing the palace for the past twenty years, the situation would probably be much better than it is now."
Madam Ning, however, sneered. She had previously favored the eldest wife, so she would not be grateful for these words now. After the last incident, she and the old lady were only getting along on the surface.
Old Mrs. Ning felt guilty, but didn't say anything more.
Wei arrived a little late today, and was very polite when she saw Madam Ning. She smiled and said, "If you are busy, you can go first. I will serve you, old ancestor."
If she had felt somewhat uncomfortable handing over the household items in the beginning, fearing that the second house would turn against her, but as she watched Liu manage the Duke's Mansion better and better and never made things difficult for her, she let go of that resentment.
If Ning Zhenxiu hadn't had the money in the Liu family, he wouldn't have been able to maintain good relationships and wouldn't have been promoted today.
Ever since her husband sided with her, Madam Ning's life has been much smoother. No matter whether it is the eldest wife or Old Madam Ning, they have to think carefully before speaking, and never say anything that offends her.
"Okay, I'll leave first." Mrs. Ning just sat down and drank a sip of tea, then stood up and left.
Wei looked at Ning Fu again and said, "Ran girl has been bored in the mansion recently, and she wanted to ask you to go over and keep her company, but it depends on whether you want to go or not."
Ning Fu pondered for a moment. Now that Ning Ran was pregnant, she asked to see her, which meant she really wanted to see her. After all, she was her sister, so she didn't refuse.
When Ning Ran returned to the Wei Mansion, her belly was already visible, round and small. However, her brother-in-law Wei Xiao was not by her side today.
"I'm glad you're here. I've been so bored lately that I'm going moldy." Ning Ran said, holding her hand.
"Where is my brother-in-law?" Nymph asked.
Ning Ran sneered and said, "I don't want to see him, so I drove him away."
It is normal for couples to quarrel, so Ning Fu did not think much about it and said, "Second sister, you have to take care of your body now, and don't get angry for no reason."
Ning Ran's eyes turned red, and she said, "I can't sleep with him. After only one month, he went back to his room. The two of them were very close in private, but not much closer than when he was with me."
Ning Fu was extremely surprised. She had always thought Wei Xiao was a good man, but she didn't expect him to be like this.
"However, all men are like this. It's just that his concubine is ambitious and deliberately made me unhappy. So I sent her away in front of your brother-in-law, and your brother-in-law didn't say a word. Let her see clearly what she is. She is just a plaything." Ning Ran said hatefully.
Ning Fu remained silent. Zong Si wanted to take her as his concubine. I'm afraid that Zong Si's wife would look at her the same way Ning Ran looked at his concubine.
"Afu, love is false. Only the power in your hands is real. Don't be stupid for men in the future." Ning Ran said this sincerely. "Don't be sad because your man has someone else. If he has someone else, then he has someone else. But if someone wants to surpass you, you have to deal with them as soon as possible. It's best if those concubines are your own people."
After Ning Ran dealt with the concubine, she arranged her own people to ensure that there would be no trouble: "I gave Xia Yun to Wei Xiao." Xia Yun was her dowry maid.
However, even though she took the initiative to give Xia Yun away, Wei Xiao did not refuse, which still made her feel a little hurt, so she drove Wei Xiao away and did not see him for several days.
Ningfu felt complicated. Although she had heard of a maidservant becoming a concubine, she had never thought it would happen to her own sister.
In his previous life, Zong Si had always been very tactful to avoid the two maids in her room and never looked at them more than once. Even when they changed clothes, he almost always took them off himself, so she thought this was just an isolated case.
"Now that your second uncle has gone to Liangzhou, your marriage has become a headache. I guess your grandmother is very worried about it." Ning Ran started to care about her again.
"For now, we can only let nature take its course." Afraid that she would think that she was not serious about the marriage, Ning Fu had to pretend to have a headache.
Ning Ran didn't want to put too much pressure on her, so she didn't mention it anymore. The two of them went to meet the elders of the Wei Mansion, and also met Madam Wei, Ning Ran's mother-in-law. Her youngest child, who was only four or five years old, was very naughty and cried and wanted to go out to play.
"I'll go with him." Madam Wei valued Ning Ran and was overly enthusiastic towards her, and Ning Fu just wanted to take a break.
"Then thank you for your help, Fourth Miss." Mrs. Wei said.
"Thank you, sister. Let's go." Wei Lin said.
Ning Fu led him out of the door, and Ning Ran followed. As for her slingshot skills, she was the best among the female monarchs, and she fascinated Wei Lin to death.
"Sister, you are amazing." Wei Lin said, "I want to recognize you as my big brother."
Nymph pinched his face and said chubbyly: "I don't accept little brothers."
"Can you come and play more often in the future? We can play slingshots together every day, and we can also play Cuju, cricket fighting, and wrestling." Wei Lin said with a longing look on his face.
Nymph smiled.
Ning Ran couldn't help laughing and said, "These are all for the young master to play. Afu is a queen, she doesn't know how to do these things."
Nymph taught him how to use the slingshot, but Wei Lin had no talent in this area and after teaching for a long time, he saw no improvement.
"Sister, why am I so stupid? Do you think I'm a stupid kid?" Wei Lin touched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.
"No, I like children." Nymph took his hand and taught him, but the slingshot she fired deviated in direction and landed in front of a few people who happened to be walking towards her.
Nymph had already recognized the person, lowered her eyelids, and said, "I'm sorry."
The young masters in front of him, besides Wei Xiao, the other two are Zong Si and Zong Duo.
Zong Si's gaze fell on her hand holding Wei Lin's. It was a simple action, but it also revealed a sense of tenderness, as if it had a bit of maternal nature. Perhaps it was the same when she held her own child in her previous life.
He and Nymph might have had a child in their previous life.
Thinking of this, his heart moved slightly, but he did not show it at all.
Zongduo, who was standing aside, felt much more complicated when he saw Nymph again. Although he had not thought of her for some time, he still felt an indescribable sour feeling when he saw her again.
Zongduo couldn't help but warn himself in his heart that he was not allowed to think about Lu Xingzhi: A friend's wife should not be deceived, and the same goes for the person a friend likes!
"My sister is playing slingshot with me. I'm sorry for being rude to you brothers." Wei Lin was also a man who knew how to read people's expressions.
Zong Si picked up the stone that had fallen at his feet and walked towards him, "I'll teach you."
Nymph made room to the side and said nothing.
Zong Si glanced at her, handed her the extra stones, and said calmly: "Please take it first, Miss Four."
The tone was cold and distant.
Nymph took it quietly.
Zongduo frowned slightly, he didn't know when his third brother had become so enthusiastic about children.
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