Chapter 43 Before the Storm
Yue Niang withdrew her thoughts.
When she learned of Zong Si's identity, she was uneasy. She knew he was noble, but she didn't know he was the son of King Xuan.
Seeing that she was clever and skillful, and considering that the prince traveled to the north all year round and needed someone to take care of him, Princess Xuan also wanted to let Zong Si take her in. However, due to her own fault, the plan was later dropped.
"Although I don't know who saved Miss Yue, I believe he must be a righteous person." There are many generals, both big and small, in the capital who travel to the north. Madam Ning naturally couldn't guess who brought her back to the capital.
Yue Niang's expression softened a bit, and she said, "Madam is right. He is a good man, and we have received countless favors from him."
Ningfu opened her arms and let Yue Niang measure her waist without saying a word. The last time she came to Hongxiu Pavilion, Fu Jiahui mentioned Yue Niang. She naturally knew that the noble who saved her was Zong Si.
In her previous life, she also didn't know the existence of this person, nor did she know what story existed between her and Zong Si.
No matter how smart she was, she couldn't detect what Zong Si wanted to hide.
Fortunately, she doesn't care now. As long as it has nothing to do with her brother and the Ningguo Mansion, she doesn't want to worry about it anymore.
Mrs. Ning saw that Yue Niang was kind and friendly, and she felt a little fond of her. She asked, "Is Miss Yue married?"
Yue Niang shook her head and said, "I'm already in my early twenties, and it's hard for me to find a suitable husband. I don't like the ones who like me, and the ones I like may not like me either, so it's better not to worry about it. I can make a lot of money in Hongxiu Pavilion, and I can be happy and comfortable even if I'm alone."
Madam Ning also agreed with her words. For a woman from another place with no identity or background, it would be better for her to make a living on her own if she just married someone casually.
This top-notch embroiderer was extremely meticulous in making the dresses, and even when measuring the size, she was extremely particular, measuring the nymph's body almost inch by inch.
"The Fourth Young Lady is such a wonderful person. Among the girls who have reached the age of marriage, there are few who are more graceful and elegant than the Fourth Young Lady. I feel more in the mood to make clothes for such a beauty." Yue Niang said with a smile.
Ning Fu was happy to be praised by Yue Niang, such a beautiful lady who could make the world pale in comparison, but she couldn't help feeling inferior.
After a while, she ran into Jingwen.
"Cousin Ning, I didn't expect to run into you." Jingwen had a rare opportunity to go out of the palace to play today. After playing enough in Prince Xuan's Mansion, she went to Hongxiu Pavilion to pick up clothes, but she didn't expect to run into Ning Fu.
"Princess, all is well." Nymph bowed and saluted.
"You and I don't need to go through all this nonsense." Jingwen helped her up and said, "Sister, are you here to ask Yue Niang to make a dress for you?"
"In May, I will be a coming-of-age girl. Now let's decide on the wide-sleeved dress for the coming-of-age ceremony." said Nymph.
For a girl, the coming-of-age ceremony is the most important day in her life, and every female ruler starts preparing for it early.
"You have to invite me to your cousin Ning's coming-of-age ceremony." Jingwen was willing to support her.
"If the princess is willing to come, I will certainly entertain her well. I am so happy." Nymph curved her eyes and couldn't help but smile. Everyone would be happy to be valued.
Jingwen thought for a moment, and recalled the Cuju match with Zong Ning, and said, "I will hold a Cuju match in the palace in a few days, and I am short of manpower. Cousin Ning, please come and help me gather the numbers."
"I'm afraid that the princess will lose the game." Nymph could not bear this responsibility.
Jingwen said, "My sixth brother said that you are good at playing football and your core must be solid. If you practice Cuju a little, you will definitely be better than ordinary people. Besides, it's just for fun. If you lose, you lose. How can I make things difficult for you because of winning or losing?"
Then he said to Madam Ning, "Cousin, please persuade Cousin Ning."
Madam Ning is the daughter of Princess Kangyang. Although Jingwen has no blood relationship with her, she can still call her cousin.
Since the princess had personally invited her, Nymph didn't want to spoil the fun. Besides, it wasn't a bad thing to have a good relationship with her.
After returning home, she practiced alone for a few days. She had mastered the art of imperial courtship and had a very good grasp of balance, which was integrated with the skills of Cuju, so Ningfu's kicking was not bad.
This time when I entered the palace, it was not a grand banquet, and the palace lacked the liveliness of the past. The palace walls on both sides stood tall, as if towering into the clouds, solemn and dignified, making people unconsciously cautious with every step they took.
The one who welcomed Ningfu into Jinghe Palace was Jingwen's personal eunuch. He was very polite to her and introduced her to several princesses and girls who were participating in Cuju today along the way.
The captains of the two teams are the Seventh Princess Jingwen and the Ninth Princess Jingyi. This time, Zong Ning is in the same team with the Ninth Princess Jingyi.
As soon as she entered Jinghe Palace, she heard a few voices of "Congratulations on your prosperity", but the voice seemed a little strange. When she got closer, Ning Fu realized that the one who spoke was the white parrot standing on the shelf in front of Meng Ze.
"The beauty is coming! The beauty is coming!" The white parrot flapped its wings when it saw people coming in. Now it was raised by Meng Ze and became very strong. Its feathers were delicate and smooth, pure white and flawless. It tilted its head and looked at Nymph.
Nymph was so amused that she couldn't help laughing. She bowed and said, "Sixth cousin."
Meng Ze turned around and saw that she was dressed very neatly today. Her slender waist was tightly bound by a belt, and her ears were clean, without any ornaments. "Cousin Ning."
Ning Fu was thinking in her heart. Ever since the matter of Lord Song was settled, many pawns in the hands of the Fourth Prince Meng Che had been eliminated. He was in a very good position for a while, and he became more and more arrogant.
"Sixth cousin is really capable. This parrot is no longer the same as before in his hands." Nymph praised.
However, Zong Si and Meng Ze are both as handsome as jade, but there is a huge difference between them. Zong Si does not like to laugh, and even when he smiles, he still looks like a piece of cold jade, as if born in a cold spring.
But when Meng Ze looked at him, he was very gentle, like a handsome young man, and even more like a lover. Those who didn't understand him would have no idea that he was vicious and would kill people without blinking an eye.
"I'm raising it for you, so you have to take better care of it." Meng Ze bent down and teased the parrot.
This was a difficult question to answer. Ning Fu pondered for a while and said, "Thank you, Sixth Cousin."
"Have you learned how to play Cuju?" Meng Ze asked again.
"I just learned some basic knowledge temporarily." Nymph said truthfully.
Meng Ze smiled and told his servants, "Bring the ball."
After a moment, someone came over with a ball. Meng Ze took the ball and waved at her.
The nymph did not move.
"Cousin Ning seems a little wary of me." Meng Ze said with a hint of amusement.
Ning Fu thought to herself that she was almost forced to marry him in her previous life, and she knew too well that being close to him was not a good thing.
Jingwen and Cheng Shuang happened to be there too. Seeing that Meng Ze was ready to teach someone today, they quickly said, "Sixth brother, teach me and Sister Cheng too."
Teaching three is also teaching, Meng Ze did not refuse and explained the techniques.
"If I defeat Ninth Sister today, Sixth Brother must think of what to give me." Jingwen said.
"Cousin Ning is on the same team with her. Are you sure you can beat her?" Meng Ze didn't believe her.
Jingwen was dissatisfied: "Sixth brother, do you not trust cousin Ning?"
Meng Ze's smile widened, and he looked at Ning Fu and said, "Of course I trust Cousin Ning."
"Sixth cousin's confidence in me means he is confident in his own skills. Cousin actually trusts himself." Ning Fu said.
The more Meng Ze kept her distance, the more interesting he found it. Ordinary women would want to get close to him when they saw him taking the initiative, but she was afraid of having the slightest connection with him. However, this kind of conquest was interesting.
If I could get him to bed, I would know that he was well, but I would be reluctant to leave him, fearing that he would go to someone else's room.
There are countless women around Meng Ze, and some of them didn't like him at first, but later they all became jealous of him and thought that he loved them the most. However, to him, no one was different.
Women are nothing more than playthings, but some toys have some value.
Ning Fu would not be a surprise. When Ning Zhenyuan can't protect her, she will be his. If he gets tired of her, he can just throw her away.
"Cousin Ning is right. I believe in my own skills. If you play well today, I will reward you handsomely." Meng Ze said with a smile.
…
In today's competition, Ning Fu didn't know most of the people on Princess Jingwen's side, but on Princess Nine's side, there were Zong Ning, Xie Ruyi, and Rong Min.
Among the princes, the third prince Meng Yuan also came to watch today.
Ning Fu looked at Meng Yuan. He suffered from a leg disease and rarely went out. His skin was whiter than Meng Ze's and he was thinner. He looked like he had no desires and didn't seem to care about anything.
Ning Fu couldn't help but think of him, but her memory was very scarce. In the previous life, Meng Yuan really had no sense of existence, and he did not participate in the dispute between the Sixth Prince and the Fourth Prince. His life seemed to be peaceful.
When Meng Yuan was talking to Meng Ze, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
This glance made Ningfu feel somewhat familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere.
Ning Fu tried to recall carefully, but had no clue. Could it be that she had actually met Meng Yuan?
She had no time to think about it and turned her attention back to the ball.
At first, the Jingwen team was five points behind the Jiugongzhu team. Ningfu was fine when she was practicing alone, but she seemed disorganized when she came on the court. Only after playing for a while, she gradually found the trick, and with her good balance, she did not become a flaw for the team.
Meng Ze was very interested. In the women's game, Ninfu's skills were naturally not good enough, but she could barely cope with it. It was not easy to achieve this level in her first time playing Cuju.
"It might be more interesting to raise an interesting bird." Meng Ze smiled, and the desire to conquer arose in his heart.
Meng Yuan was not interested in anything, and was too lazy to guess what he meant. He remained silent as usual and had no sense of existence.
"Third brother, although your leg is injured, don't give up on yourself. You are also the emperor's son. It is not easy to find a woman to accompany you. If you get married and have children, your life will not be boring." Meng Ze looked at Meng Yuan and comforted him.
Meng Yuan remained silent.
Meng Ze was too lazy to talk to him anymore. Not only was his brother disliked by his father, but even his mother disliked him. He was not very familiar with him.
The game on the field gradually reached a critical point.
Cheng Shuang was about to score a goal, but it was snatched away by Xie Ruyi. She already had some resentment towards her, and felt that Xie Ruyi was deliberately not letting her get the spotlight today.
She was holding back her anger, and when the ball was at her feet, she looked up, hesitated for a long time, and finally lifted the ball out, hitting Xie Ruyi's leg which was not wearing protective gear.
Just as Xie Ruyi was about to take two steps back, she felt a pain in her leg and fell to the ground.
"Thank you, Sister!" Zong Ning immediately ran over worriedly, and then the ladies stopped playing and gathered around.
Cheng Shuang looked worried and said, "Sister Xie, I didn't mean to do that. I didn't see the direction correctly just now."
Xie Ruyi stared at her for a moment without saying anything, and lowered her head to check her injuries.
Ning Fu frowned. If Cheng Shuang did it on purpose, it would be difficult to get along with this person. If she was upset in the future, she might retaliate. It was okay for a lady to gossip behind her back, and it was not a problem to compare with her, but if she had a vicious mind, it was a big problem.
"Sister Xie, how are you?" Jingwen asked.
"It should be just a sprained ankle." Xie Ruyi smiled slightly, "Princess, don't worry."
Today, Xie Ruyi sprained her leg, and the imperial physician returned home early after examining her. The competition did not continue, and naturally, there was no winner.
"Actually, if we compete for a while longer, we will win." Jingwen said with some regret.
Nymph said: "There will be plenty of opportunities to win in the future."
"Actually, you played well today and even snatched the ball from Aning. Go back and practice more. We're relying on you in the future." Jingwen said with a smile.
Ningfu sighed in her heart. Sometimes, words like these should just be kept to oneself.
"But do you think Cheng Shuang did it on purpose today?" Jingwen suddenly asked.
Ning Fu was not involved in this matter, so she naturally didn't dare to say anything. Even if she knew, she would keep it to herself and just say that she didn't know.
"We'll have to wait and see what Sister Xie's attitude is," Jingwen said.
Xie Ruyi had no intention of pursuing the matter, and the matter seemed to have just passed.
The news of her sprained ankle in the palace spread quickly, and the ladies from various mansions made appointments to visit her.
Ning Fu then took Ning He to the Duke Qing's Mansion.
Princess Xuan and Zong Si were also there, so Xie Ruyi couldn't spare any attention for them. She just said, "Sister Ning, Sister He, you two should sit here for a while and have some tea."
Also present were Miss Lin and Rongmin.
Zong Si didn't even look at Ning Fu. In front of Xie Ruyi, he naturally had to act as if he was not familiar with her.
Ning Fu was just drinking tea, but she began to guess in her heart that in her previous life, Cheng Shuang married and moved to another place not long after. Was it because she hurt Xie Ruyi this time that Prince Xuan's Mansion and Duke Qing's Mansion would naturally not let her go?
Considering the difference between men and women, Zong Si did not stay long. When he left, his eyes stayed on her for a moment, but he did not show any emotion.
Princess Xuan held Xie Ruyi's hand and told her like she was her own daughter: "You must apply this plaster on time every day. If it's not enough, send someone to the palace to get more."
Xie Ruyi said with red eyes: "Princess, I am making things difficult for you..."
But because there were outsiders present, he didn't continue talking.
"Silly child, take care of your foot injury first. As for the rest, your mother and I will take care of it for you." Princess Xuan said with concern.
Even after Ningfu left, Princess Xuan stayed behind.
"The princess really loves Sister Xie." Ning He said with some envy on the way back. Especially on weekdays, the princess was not enthusiastic about anyone, and did not take anyone seriously, but only treated Sister Xie well.
Nymph touched her head and said with a smile: "Someone will treat you like this in the future."
Ning He said seriously, "Fourth sister, I actually hope someone can treat you so well. You were raised by Second Aunt, and your husband's family must treat you like this to make you worthy of marriage."
"Which young man do you think is good?" Nymph joked with her.
"The Master Lu that my fourth sister took me to see that time was a very good person." Ning He initially thought that his family background was not good enough and he was not worthy of her fourth sister. But now, she heard that he was ordered by the emperor to suppress bandits in Liangzhou and had the trust of the emperor, so his future prospects should not be bad.
Ning Fu couldn't help but think of Lu Xingzhi. It must have been hard for him to suppress bandits in Liangshan. She wondered how he was doing now.
But Ning Fu was just thinking of him when Ning Zhenyuan mentioned Lu Xingzhi in his reply.
Ning Zhenyuan had been away from Liangzhou for only half a month. Everyone thought that the emperor was looking for a reason to demote him to Liangzhou and no one liked him. However, Lu Xingzhi took the initiative to visit him during this half month.
He was neither humble nor arrogant, nor did he avoid people. He didn't mind having anything to do with him at all, and he politely brought him the supplies he needed for life.
Talking to him, he seemed familiar.
If they had not met only a few times, he would have thought that they had known each other for a long time, and that this was like they had known each other for a long time at first sight.
Ning Zhenyuan praised him in the letter. One can know a person's character best when working with him.
Mrs. Ning was also a little surprised after reading the letter. It was the first time she met her husband, and even the family letter was praising a young man.
However, Madam Ning had some ideas about Lu Xingzhi, and she didn't mind it. Now that Lu Xingzhi was transferred to Liangzhou, it might not be a bad thing. Other female monarchs who wanted to take advantage of him would not be able to seize the opportunity.
On the contrary, since her husband is with him now, it would be more convenient for them to get acquainted with each other.
Madam Ning felt that Lu Xingzhi might have ulterior motives.
How could a person be so attentive for no reason? If it was before, maybe it was because of the Ningguo Mansion that he tried to please her, but now that Lu Xingzhi's future was settled, Madam Ning couldn't think of anyone other than Afu who could make him care so much about his husband.
"Why don't you try his attitude? Among all the young masters, I think he's the only one who's suitable. He'll be back in Beijing in half a year, and A-Fu will be coming of age by then. If it's possible, it would be perfect."
Mrs. Ning wrote in her reply.
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