Chapter 95: Fighting for Respect (3)
Zhang looked at her daughter not far away and suddenly became emotional: "Why should I regret it? She is a concubine's daughter, a money-loser, and she still wants to fly up to the tree and become a phoenix?"
Ningfu remained silent. What Zhang loved was not her son. What she wanted was power. However, she didn't know that her daughter could also bring her these.
She smiled and said, "Aunt, what you mean is that the fifth young lady of the Ningguo Mansion is the money-loser?"
Zhang was stunned, but she didn't dare to say anything more: "No, no, I don't mean to bring trouble to the Duke's Mansion."
Ning Fu smiled politely and said, "Auntie, go back and have a good rest."
Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Ning Fu was kind-hearted. She might be reminding her not to be caught by Wei.
Naturally, she was unwilling to accept this in her heart. When her husband came back, she would definitely get back at him. Her husband doted on her and would not let her suffer any grievances.
When Wei faced Nymph, she also sighed and said, "I'm afraid Zhang won't stop. When your uncle comes back, she will still make trouble."
"If she wants to make a fuss, let her do it. This time, my aunt is kind-hearted. If anyone disobeys her, my uncle will naturally know what's going on." Ning Fu said.
No matter how much you pamper someone, if he/she keeps acting unreasonably, you will eventually get tired of him/her. Serving someone with your beauty will not last long.
Wei smiled and said, "That's true."
Naturally, Ningfu didn't mind Wei adding fuel to the fire. As long as Wei was alive, he had to suffer more.
"I'm afraid A'fu made all this noise just to have an excuse to send A'he to the second house?" Wei simply spoke to her straight to the point.
If Zhang was too calm, if Ah He went to the second house, outsiders would say that she was a sycophant who abandoned her biological mother. If Zhang treated Ning He harshly, outsiders would sympathize with her.
For Ning He, Ning Fu can be said to be very attentive.
"The same goes for my elder brother and Sister Ran. I have always been wholeheartedly devoted to the Duke's Mansion." Ning Fu looked at her and said.
Wei looked at her and his heart beat faster for some reason.
Nymph smiled and said, as if chatting with her, "People are all evil. Those who don't work for themselves are fools. But as a family, we should always work together on major issues, aunt, don't you think so?"
Wei felt a little guilty and forced a smile, "I also know that you have always taken care of the Duke's Mansion, and the same is true for our eldest wife."
Duke Ningguo also truly doted on Zhang, and after a few days, he hurried back home.
As soon as Zhang saw her, she felt like she had found a supporter and cried bitterly, as if she had suffered a great injustice. After a period of affectionate love, she started to complain about Wei.
Although Ning Zhenxiu, the Duke of Ningguo, was heartbroken, Wei had to be dealt with according to the family rules, and he could not break the rules. He could only make arrangements behind the scenes and take care of Zhang more in private.
When Ning Fu arrived at Qin Garden, Ning Zhenzheng was sitting next to Old Madam Ning's main seat, obviously ignoring Wei.
Wei looked unhappy and aggrieved. She was clearly following the rules, but her husband still hated her because of Zhang.
"Grandma, Ah He's injury is better now." Ning Fu thought for a moment, walked in and said, then called Ning Zhenxiu "Uncle".
"How is your father doing in Liangzhou these days?" Ning Zhenxiu asked with a relaxed expression.
"My father wrote back not long ago, telling me that he is fine." Ning Fu walked to Wei's side and sat down, saying to her, "Ah He's injury this time is known to everyone in the academy. The ladies all praised my aunt for her kindness and were willing to keep Aunt Zhang."
Ning Zhenxiu then glanced at Wei.
Seeing that she was speaking for her, Wei couldn't help but sigh and said, "I know this is a thankless task, but I am the wife of the Duke, and I am the only one who can do this."
"Aunt did the right thing, and she should be punished. If outsiders knew that our Duke's Mansion did not distinguish between rewards and punishments and condoned evil deeds in the backyard, how would they view our Duke's Mansion?" Ning Fu said.
Ning Zhenxiu paused, and couldn't help but fall into deep thought, the Duke's Mansion represented him, and he had originally been promoted because of his connections, so he was being watched by a lot of people. Now that the Duke's Mansion had another scandal, it would be extremely disadvantageous to him and the officialdom.
When I saw Zhang again later, she was still clamoring for her salary. Without money, how could she manage the Duke's Mansion? And so many people were laughing at her.
Ning Zhenxiu did not give in to her this time. No matter whether it was Wei or Zhang, none of them made him worry. Unlike his second brother, Liu was aloof but clear-headed and never made trouble. He said coldly, "I think it's because I give in to you too much on weekdays that you never know how to reflect on yourself."
Zhang was stunned and cried, "Is the master tired of me?"
Ning Zhenxiu said impatiently: "If you touch Ah He again in the future, you can live in the villa."
After saying that, he did not stay in her courtyard. Thinking about Nymph's words, he was afraid that outsiders would think that he doted on his concubine without limits, so he simply confined her to the courtyard and did not allow her to leave the courtyard for a year.
Wei couldn't believe that her husband, who had always doted on her, would treat her like this. Confining her for a year was no different from falling out of favor. She couldn't help but burst into tears.
When Wei found out about this, she was naturally extremely happy. The fact that her husband personally brought up the matter of house arrest was enough to hurt Zhang's heart, but it also made her feel relieved.
Because of this, Wei was somewhat grateful to Ninfu. If she had been determined to deal with Zhang at that time, this would not have happened.
Ning He was already satisfied with Zhang's punishment. Although she was heartbroken, she still didn't want to see her aunt die. Being able to stay in the mansion was already the best outcome.
Ning Fu accompanied her and decorated the side yard of the bamboo garden, which would become Ning He's residence in the future.
As the mistress of the first house, Wei naturally had to express her gratitude for Ning He's move to the second house. She spent a lot of money to buy some supplies for Ning He. However, spending this money was nothing compared to buying her a dowry in the future.
Nymph was busy running around.
Wei's mood was naturally complicated. Afu clearly didn't want to let Zhang go, so she went with the flow to help her, but she got away with it. She was grateful to her, and Ahe was also grateful to her. Even Zhang had no complaints about her.
Although she seems kind and gentle, Nymph's heart is probably cruel.
Wei couldn't help but feel scared. Fortunately, she was not allowed to marry into the Wei Mansion. It would be fine if she had a good relationship with A'ran, but once she also wanted to gain a foothold in the Wei Mansion, she and her daughter might become enemies. After all, everyone cares about their own interests first.
Ning Fu looked at Wei with a complicated expression and smiled slightly. She didn't mind letting her aunt know what kind of person she was. If her aunt was afraid of her, it would save a lot of trouble.
However, five or six days had passed since this incident.
When Ning Fu had some free time, she heard that Old Master Lu was seriously ill, and Lu Xingzhi would have to return home soon to see the old man for the last time.
Ning Fu had not expected that she would receive a letter from Mrs. Lu, inviting her to visit the Lu Mansion today, so she hurried away.
This was the first time that Nymph had left the house in nearly half a month.
In the Lu Mansion, the person waiting for her was Lu Xingzhi. Ning Fu was not surprised and looked at him quietly.
"I asked my mother to write the letter. I took the initiative to invite the fourth girl, so it's inevitable that there will be gossip." Lu Xingzhi said.
"I know." Nymph said.
"I'm afraid I'll have to stay for some time when I return home this time. I'm worried that something might happen to the Fourth Miss, so I called her here to give her some advice." Lu Xingzhi looked at her and said, "The rift between the Fourth Prince and the Sixth Prince will only become more exposed. The Fourth Miss must be careful and not get involved."
"Okay." Nymph looked at him and said.
Seeing her answer so straightforwardly, Lu Xingzhi smiled, "I didn't know that the fourth lady could be so obedient."
Ning Fu said: "If you listen to others' advice, you won't make mistakes. Mr. Lu misunderstood me. I have always been like this."
"The fourth young lady is definitely not an obedient queen." Lu Xingzhi said.
"Then Mr. Lu, what kind of queen do you think I am?" Ning Fu asked.
Lu Xingzhi wondered how to describe Nymph. When he first met her, she seemed harmless, sincere, and well-behaved. But she was not someone who would always coax people. Once she didn't want to be coaxed, she would be too stubborn to bow her head.
And in this life, he is actually very sincere at heart, but he was hurt in the previous life, so he closed himself off in this life and just hides away to lick his wounds.
"The fourth young lady is naturally an excellent female monarch." Lu Xingzhi said.
Ning Fu smiled and said, "Mr. Lu is also good at being perfunctory."
"Only those who have entered the heart of the Fourth Young Lady will know how good she is." Lu Xingzhi said with a smile.
The two of them sat together and just had a few drinks. They didn't do anything inappropriate. In Nymph's heart, he was her confidant, or perhaps a little more than a confidant. He caused ripples in her heart, but she couldn't think about why those ripples happened.
"The sun is blazing in the sky, but I can't feel the warmth as I bid you farewell." Nymph said.
Lu Xingzhi didn't speak for a long time.
When Ning Fu saw that he was silent, she glanced at him sideways and saw the reluctance hidden in his eyes. That reluctance actually made her feel a little sad.
Lu Xingzhi once said that he looked like the person he once admired. Was that really the case? Was he so desperate just because he looked a little like that person?
Lu Xingzhi did not keep her for long, and he knew the right measure very well.
It was only when I watched her back that the reluctance was released and no longer suppressed.
He had to stay away from her again and again. Last time, in order for Ning Zhenyuan and Liangzhou to get things done smoothly, he went to eliminate the bandits half a year in advance. It was worth it just for her.
When Ning Fu was leaving Lu Mansion, she happened to bump into Zong Si who was coming to Lu Mansion.
Lu Xingzhi has returned to his hometown, and naturally has a lot of official business to hand over. It is not surprising that Zong Si comes to Lu's house.
Zong Si was explaining something to Qu Yang, but when he saw her out of the corner of his eye, he paused.
Qu Yang also looked up and did not dare to speak for a moment. He knew best how unhappy the prince was recently because of the person in front of him.
Nymph bowed and was about to leave.
Zong Si's eyes were complicated, and he pursed his lips and said, "Are you avoiding me so much?"
"I'm not avoiding the prince, I just don't know what to say to him." Ning Fu thought for a moment and said, "The prince mentioned in the letter that he could hire an imperial physician for Ah He. I'm very grateful."
"Now that the affairs in the mansion have been dealt with, why don't you come to Qingtian Pavilion?" Zong Si asked again.
Nymph said, "I just got some free time."
"Just got free? You don't have time to go to Qingtian Pavilion, but you have time to come to Lu Mansion." Zong Si said coldly. In fact, if you listen carefully, the sour taste can't be hidden.
This seems to be aggressive. Originally, it was a good thing for both parties to walk down the stairs without feeling awkward.
Nymph stopped talking. She didn't want to chat with him about these meaningless things. Instead, she glanced at the coachman and got on the carriage.
There were many people outside the mansion, and Zong Si's face looked unhappy, but he did not step forward to stop her.
After the female students in the school got their results in mathematics and arts, they had some free time. The boys' school was also not busy, so they held a boat trip on the lake.
The school has always been clearly divided between boys and girls, and the number of times they can participate in activities together like this is very rare. It is also the age when boys and girls are most easily attracted to each other, so both men and women were a little excited for a while.
Nymph was probably the most indifferent person in the crowd. She had long lost interest in matters between men and women. Even if a young man was very handsome, he would not be able to stir any excitement in front of her. She was extremely calm.
However, there are quite a few gentlemen who are interested in Ning Fu. Although Ning Zhenyuan is now in Liangzhou, it is possible that these gentlemen are still looking for a feast for the eyes. Even if they cannot marry her, it is satisfying to just look at her.
When Nymph smiled at them kindly, it made people's hearts melt, and they couldn't wait to talk to her.
The ladies gathered in pairs and set up tents to avoid the wind.
When it came to Nymph, she was left alone. Now that she was considered older in the academy, the female lords naturally preferred to be with those of the same age.
Zong Ning wanted to be with her, but he remembered his brother's instructions and did not dare to act rashly. He just watched her from afar.
Ning He was sick and didn't come, so she set up the tent by herself. Although it was a bit difficult, it was not a big deal.
"Miss Ning Si, let me help you." Someone from the young master's side spoke.
"Yes, Fourth Miss Ning, although there are differences between men and women, helping each other is a virtue. Besides, you are not alone now, so let us help you." Another young man said.
Men are most restless and love to show off at the age of sixteen, but when they reach the age of adulthood, they are completely different.
Before Nymph could even move, several young men came forward and tied the tent ropes for her.
She had no choice but to stand aside.
The remaining young masters also came to help the other female monarchs.
"Prince." After a while, things started to get lively on the Queen's side.
Ning Fu glanced sideways, and then saw Zong Si coming on horseback, his eyes falling on those eager young masters.
"My prince, are you here for some lady?" Someone in the crowd joked.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
