Chapter 15 Who is in Mind
Zong Si wore a dark silk robe today. Although his aura was restrained, he was still very intimidating. The white jade pendant he usually wore around his waist was replaced with an embroidered purse, which was made with excellent workmanship. I wonder who made it.
The two had just experienced the embarrassment of marriage, and Ningfu wanted to avoid him, but she bowed reluctantly due to etiquette.
Zong Si just glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, no different from looking at Ning Ran or the woman who once loved him, and hurried to the backyard.
As she passed by him, Nymph seemed to smell blood on him.
She couldn't help but be stunned. Is he injured?
"No matter how busy the prince is, he will not miss the young lady's birthday." The steward Song Bo, who led Ning Fu into the house, said with a smile.
Ning Fu also guessed that Zong Si came back to celebrate Zong Ning's birthday.
There is only one girl, Zong Ning, in Prince Xuan's Mansion. She is very rare. It is not an exaggeration to say that she is like the moon surrounded by stars. Even Emperor Jingwen would think of her when he has something good.
Nymph was late to the birthday banquet today. The ladies who were supposed to come had already arrived and were eating cakes and drinking tea.
All the prefectures in the capital city gave face to Zong Ning. Even during the Wanhua Festival, there were not as many female monarchs attending as today, and it was very lively.
Zong Ning and Xie Ruyi were sitting together, cutting paper-cuts. The girls surrounding them were younger, all of them were relatives of Prince Xuan's family. This showed how important Xie Ruyi was in Zong Ning's heart.
"Sister Ning, I wish you happiness every year and everything goes well." Ning Fu stepped forward and said.
When Zong Ning saw her today, he was not as enthusiastic as before, and his eyes were extremely complicated. He just said distantly: "Thank you."
But he didn't even call her Sister Ning anymore.
Ning Fu knew what was going on. Zong Ning probably knew what she had discussed with her grandmother at Hanxiang Temple and Prince Xuan's Mansion that day. She also unconditionally sided with Xie Ruyi and shared the same hatred for the enemy. She thought that it was she who wanted to intervene between Zong Si and Xie Ruyi, and that was why she no longer liked her.
Ning Fu was also somewhat dissatisfied, as it was clear that this matter had nothing to do with her from beginning to end.
But she didn't blame her grandmother. Although her grandmother didn't take care of her wholeheartedly in this matter, she loved her sincerely on weekdays. Besides, as the elder of the family, she had to consider the entire Duke's Mansion.
From the grandmother's perspective, Prince Xuan's Mansion could naturally help the Duke's Mansion, but from the experience of the previous life, even if she married into the Prince's Mansion, it would depend on whether she could win over Zong Si's heart, otherwise the marriage would be in vain.
"Sister Xie, I gave the purse you gave me to my third brother. When will you make another one for me?" Zong Ning asked Xie Ruyi with a smile.
Ning Fu remembered that when she ran into Zong Si just now, she saw him wearing a purse, which turned out to be made by Xie Ruyi.
Of course, she was not a stupid person and knew that Zong Ning's words were meant for her.
If she had any common sense, she shouldn't have interfered between people's childhood sweethearts.
Ningfu was really wronged. She had suffered enough in her previous life and there were shadows in her heart. There was no way she could get involved in this.
"As long as you like it, I will make it for you when I get back. Can you tell the prince that the purse was made by me?" Xie Ruyi asked.
Zong Ning naturally didn't say anything. What she told her third brother was that she made the purse, but she couldn't admit it in front of Ning Fu: "I said it."
Xie Ruyi's ears turned red, and she asked, "What style do you want this time?"
Zong Ning told her everything about his preferences.
Xie Ruyi took note of it, then looked at Ning Fu and said softly, "Sister Ning, standing is tiring, find a place to sit down."
Ning Fu thought highly of Xie Ruyi even more. She had an extraordinary vision and was never concerned about who was a love rival or not. Of course, this also showed that Xie Ruyi was a very confident person.
As for Zong Ning, the former sister-in-law, she was of a straightforward nature and had good intentions, so Ning Fu would not bother with her. Of course, there were also reasons why she could not offend her.
Ning Fu looked around and finally set her sights on Fu Jiahui, the daughter of a merchant.
In the previous life, the relationship between brother and sister Fu also went through many twists and turns. Finally, they got engaged, but what awaited them was the death of brother. Sister Fu committed suicide because she did not want to marry another woman. Ningfu hoped that they could live happily together and live in peace and prosperity in this life.
The Fu family is now considered to be famous. When talking about the wealthy people in the capital, most people will think of the Fu family first. They are involved in all walks of life, from the silk, jade, and tea used by the nobles in the palace to the inns and fabrics used by ordinary people to drink tea.
However, Dayan advocated emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce. Even if merchants were rich enough to rival a country, they would not be favored by officials.
The reason why Fu Jiahui was invited to Prince Xuan's Mansion today was, firstly, because of her outstanding talent and admiration, and secondly, Prince Xuan benefited from the Fu family in the matter of military pay, so naturally he was willing to give the Fu family some face.
The Fu family also needs to find a backer to protect their family assets, which can be considered mutually beneficial.
However, Ning Fu had her own thoughts when she came here today. She had not given up the idea of doing business. The Ningguo Mansion needed money not only because her aunt was not good at managing the household affairs, but also because she would need money for her brother's affairs in the future.
Ning Fu has a way to make money, but what she needs is someone who can put her method into practice. Fu Jiahui is the best candidate.
"Sister Fu." Ning Fu sat down beside her.
"Fourth Miss." Fu Jiahui and Ning Fu had no previous interaction, so she was a little surprised to see her coming to find her, but she quickly returned to normal and smiled at her.
Because of Ning Zheng, Fu Jiahui hopes to get closer to Ning Fu.
Ning Fu sat quietly beside her for a while, and suddenly saw a man in armor walking towards Zong Ning. The latter smiled happily when he saw him, and shouted happily: "Big Brother."
This is the elder brother of King Xuan, the eldest son of General Zong Sheng, named Zong Ting. He is over thirty years old. King Xuan Zong Zhan and the Zong Sheng brothers have a very good relationship, so the younger generations are also very close to them. Zong Ting also rushed back specially to celebrate Zong Ning's birthday.
However, in the previous life, there was some estrangement between Zong Si and Zong Ting. It was not known whether it was due to their personalities or if there was some other hidden story.
In his previous life, Zong Si was more indifferent. Although he felt sorry for Zong Ning and the princess, he spoke very little when facing them.
I don’t know if it was something that happened later.
Ning Fu thought for a moment and said to Fu Jiahui, "Sister Ning's brothers all love her very much."
Fu Jiahui thought of Ning Zheng and her heart moved: "Doesn't your brother treat you very well?"
Ning Fu knew that Fu Jiahui liked her brother, so she deliberately found a topic to talk to her: "My brother is naturally very good, but it's hard to see him."
"When will Mr. Ning return to Beijing?" Fu Jiahui asked.
"He will probably be back next year." Ning Fu also deliberately gave her some news, fearing that her sister-in-law would be anxious waiting, and also afraid that her sister-in-law would be snatched away by someone else.
Fu Jiahui wanted to ask something else, but she didn't have the right position to ask. Although she had forcefully kissed Ning Zheng two years ago and scared him away, she still didn't know what he was thinking.
Furthermore, Madam Ning might not be able to accept a merchant's daughter, and she has not yet come up with a plan to deal with it.
"Now that your brother is back, it's time to talk about marriage." Although Fu Jiahui was joking, she felt bored in her heart.
Ning Fu tactfully reminded him, "Mother did mention this to my brother in her letter, but he refused. I'm afraid he already has someone in his heart."
Fu Jiahui felt better. Before Ning Zheng left Beijing, there were no other women around him. And the places outside the Great Wall are all made up of grown men, making it even more difficult to meet a female ruler. If Ning Zheng had someone in his heart, it was only her.
"Sister Fu, I came to see you today and I have a favor to ask." Ning Fu then got to the point.
"Miss Four, please feel free to speak." Fu Jiahui said.
Ning Fu pondered for a moment and lowered her voice and said, "I have a few secret recipes for beauty. Although the herbs are hard to find, the cost is not high. I want to open a few shops."
Earlier, the scar removal recipe she recommended to Princess Xuan was one of these folk remedies.
"If you want to open it in the name of the Fu family, I can help you, but you have to make three things clear first." Fu Jiahui immediately understood what she meant.
"First, depending on your plan, the customers you are targeting are probably noble ladies in Beijing. If something goes wrong, the Fu family cannot bear the responsibility, so the safety of the recipe must be verified by me first. There is a risk of leaking the secret recipe to me. See if you can accept it. Second, how do you and I split the profits? Third, if the shop fails, who will bear the loss?"
Ning Fu said seriously, "I trust Sister Fu. I can test the prescription. We can split it 50% each. As for the losses, I will bear them in the initial stage. But Sister, you must not reveal that the shop is jointly opened by you and me."
Fu Jiahui smiled and said, "Split it into four for you and six for me."
Nymph frowned.
"Otherwise, no discussion."
Nymph: “…”
"Sister Ning, this is how business works. Now that you need my help, I can naturally ask for a high price. If you are unwilling, I won't force you." Fu Jiahui handed her a cup of tea.
Ning Fu pondered for a moment. She did not have much bargaining chips at the moment, but it might not be the case in the future. There would naturally be opportunities for negotiation in the future. She gritted her teeth and agreed: "Then you take six and I take four."
As for the details, they are not something we can discuss today.
The two of them made a new appointment.
As expected, Prince Xuan's Mansion had some say in front of Emperor Jingwen, and even invited the opera troupe from the palace. After the discussion, Ning Fu and Fu Jiahui separated and listened to the opera quietly.
The play being performed on the stage is "A Dream in the Garden", which tells the story of a failed scholar who, with no hope for his future, mistakenly enters the Peach Blossom Spring. The actor's singing is melodious and like the sound of nature, which makes people immersed in it.
"The opera troupe in the palace is truly extraordinary and makes people unable to extricate themselves." After the song ended, Nymph couldn't help but sigh.
"What did Sister Ning hear?" Xie Ruyi looked over and asked her.
Ning Fu said: "It is appropriate to describe it with Lu You's poem, 'When you are surrounded by mountains and rivers, you may think there is no way out, but when you look up, you will find another village. A desperate situation may not be a hopeless situation.'"
Rongmin curled his lips in disdain, "Conspicuous bag."
Ning Fu frowned. In fact, all the female rulers in the capital grew up together. They were of the same age and had a pretty good relationship with each other.
Only Rongmin always likes to sabotage himself.
"Sister Rong, I've always been curious about how I offended you," Ning Fu asked directly.
Rongmin was speechless for a moment as he didn't expect her to ask directly.
"Sister Ning just has some feelings. It's okay for her to talk about what's on your mind." Xie Ruyi tried to smooth things over.
Ning Fu smiled sweetly at Xie Ruyi.
Rongmin would naturally not give Xie Ruyi face, so he did not say anything else.
.
Zong Si didn't show up until just before the banquet.
He still looked a little dusty after coming back just now, but even after traveling so long, Sanlang of Prince Xuan's Mansion was still handsome. He changed into a smoky blue silk round-necked robe. Although his temperament was cold, it was as charmingly cold as a plum blossom, especially his deep eyes, which could make women fall in love with him.
He was even more eye-catching than the birthday boy, Zong Ning. Ning Fu almost thought that many ladies came just to see him.
"Third brother." After all, he was his biological brother from the same mother. Zong Ning was even happier than when he saw his other brothers. He patted his shoulder and asked, "Is the matter done?"
"Hmm." Zong Si frowned, then returned to normal and said, "I have had your birthday gift delivered to your bedroom. You can share these candies with the ladies."
"Thank you, Prince." Many female monarchs took the opportunity to talk to him.
Ning Fu secretly guessed that Zong Si’s injury was probably on his shoulder.
Ning Yu said that Lu Xingzhi left Beijing with him a few days ago. I wonder how Lu Xingzhi is doing.
Ning Fu was a little worried, but she was too embarrassed to ask Zong Si. After thinking it over, she had to ask Xie Ruyi to ask on her behalf. Ning Yu was not around in recent days, and if she didn't ask Zong Si, she would not be able to find out about Lu Xingzhi's situation.
At the moment, Zong Ning might not be willing to pay attention to her, and she didn't want to get close to him. Besides, Ning Fu didn't mind letting Xie Ruyi know who she had her eyes on, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings with her.
Besides, Xie Ruyi was definitely not the kind of person who liked to gossip, and asking about her injuries was not something that would damage her reputation.
Xie Ruyi looked at her. Even though she knew that it was the Ning Fu whom Zong Si had rejected, she still felt inexplicably relieved when she heard Ning Fu mention Lu Xingzhi.
Perhaps it was because the nymphs were so beautiful. How many men really didn't like beauty?
Although Ning Fu was not suitable to be the principal wife of Prince Xuan, what if she was a concubine? The Ningguo Mansion might decline one day, and if Miss Ning Si dragged on for a few more years, it was not completely impossible for her to be a concubine. Could a man really not favor such a concubine?
"Don't worry, Sister Ning. I'll ask for you." Xie Ruyi said.
.
Although Zong Si's injuries were not fatal, he still had to rest for a while and had no plans to stay for long.
However, he was hit by the sword deliberately, using the excuse of recuperating from his injuries to avoid being involved in the recent disputes in the palace.
On the way back, Zong Si was blocked by Xie Ruyi.
"Long live the prince," she said softly.
Even though Zong Si was not in the mood to deal with people right now, he could still be patient with Xie Ruyi and asked, "Miss Xie, what's the matter?"
"Miss Ning asked me to ask if Mr. Lu was injured?" Xie Ruyi also had her own selfish motives, so she did not hide her affection for Lu Xingzhi.
To Zong Si, these words made sense. Ning Fu naturally noticed that he was injured, so she thought of Lu Xingzhi.
Fourth Miss Ning was quite sensible and didn't ask her any questions, but she also had no intention of playing any tricks on their behalf.
"It's all right." Zong Si said lightly before leaving.
Xie Ruyi didn't know if it was her illusion, but the prince seemed a little unhappy.
Ning Fu was completely relieved when she heard that Lu Xingzhi was not injured. She said gratefully, "Thank you for your trouble, sister."
Xie Ruyi said, "I still have to accompany An Ning to entertain the lady. If Sister Ning feels bored, you can go shopping by yourself. You can go back after the banquet."
Ningfu felt that the crowd was too noisy, so she avoided the crowd and wanted to get some fresh air.
There are many guests in the palace today, and the servants are very busy. A maid about fifteen years old fell in front of Ningfu, her face pale with fear: "I'm sorry for disturbing you, young lady. I deserve to die."
Nymph squatted down, helped her up, and asked her in a soft voice if she was hurt.
"Are you the maid in the second young master's room?" Ning Fu had some impression. In her previous life, she often took care of Zongduo's children. Sometimes Dongzhu would chat with her and she had a good relationship with Dongzhu.
"Yes." She said timidly, "My name is Fuxin."
Zongduo was actually nearby, and he heard what Nymph said.
How did Nymph know Fuxin?
Could it be that he was deliberately trying to find out about me?
Thinking of this, Zong Duo couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She was not asking about his third brother, but about herself!
Does this mean that she feels she is more attractive than her third brother? Although he doesn't like to compare himself with his third brother, he is still secretly happy in his heart.
She is so gentle to her servants that one's heart can't help but melt. What a kind little lady!
Not long ago, Zong Si rejected the marriage proposal with Miss Ning Si. When Zong Duo learned the news, he was secretly relieved.
When he learned that Ningfu won first place in archery, he was full of admiration!
Such a woman is extremely charming!
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