Chapter 108 Zong and Lu, a conversation
When Ning Fu heard the news that Zong Si was coming, she avoided Madam Lu.
The two had just talked about some sensitive topics a few days ago, and it would be awkward if they were to meet again now.
Zong Si stepped into the study and immediately saw the teacup with steam rising from it next to Lu Xingzhi. He then calmly withdrew his gaze.
It was not difficult to guess who was in the study just now, and who avoided him when hearing that he was coming.
Zong Si couldn't help but curl the corner of his mouth. He was really diligent in hiding. Even if he met her, could he still eat her?
Lu Xingzhi also noticed where his eyes were looking, but he didn't care at all and didn't try to hide it.
Neither of them mentioned the hot tea and they talked about business. However, Zong Si saw the burning thing hanging on the wall. If it was a dream he had, it must be the situation in his previous life. Nymph had used this thing to seduce him to consummate his marriage.
Now this bow is hanging on the wall of Lu Xingzhi's study. He obviously takes great care of this bow. He must have wiped it after returning to Beijing. The bow arm is shiny black.
In fact, the man was also extremely sensitive in this regard. It was not that this gift was so dazzling and precious that he had to get it, but the gift that was supposed to please him now belonged to someone else, so he was naturally unhappy.
It wasn't just unhappiness. If he had known in his previous life that Ningfu would give Zhuoyao to someone else in this life, he would not have consummated the marriage with her. Why should he use something that belonged to him to please other gentlemen?
"Regarding the shortage of food and grass, where did the news come from? Is there any news?" Zong Si asked, retracting his gaze.
In fact, both parties know exactly where the leak came from and have clues.
Lu Xingzhi pondered for a moment and said, "What are your plans, my lord?"
Zong Si said: "Even if there is evidence, as long as His Majesty is willing to turn a blind eye, then the evidence is not evidence. It is just a few inconclusive clues to His Majesty."
If Emperor Jingwen wanted to protect Meng Che, these clues would not constitute evidence, nor would they embarrass him. If he did not want to protect Meng Che, it would not be too late to hand over the solid evidence to Emperor Jingwen.
These evidences should be kept for now. If Emperor Jingwen plans to deal with Meng Che one day, these evidences will naturally come in handy.
Lu Xingzhi was not at all surprised, as if he had known this result, but he had no intention of bringing it up.
Although Zong Si knew that he knew more, he never made things difficult for him. Lu Xingzhi was very good at doing things. He never made mistakes in anything he was asked to do, no matter it was the bribery case of Lord Song, the bandit suppression in Liangzhou, or the smuggling of grain and fodder in Northern Qi.
Zong Si didn't want to talk about Ning Fu in front of Lu Xingzhi. He just stared at the tea in the cup and couldn't help asking in a calm voice, "In the last life, after she married me, did she have a bad life?"
In fact, he was a very perceptive person and had noticed early on that Ning Fu and Lu Xingzhi had been reborn. Now that Ning Fu had confessed to him, Lu Xingzhi's rebirth was even more certain.
Lu Xingzhi paused, and his originally neither humble nor arrogant attitude finally changed. He pondered for a moment and said seriously, "The prince has been busy with official business and rarely responded to the fourth lady. If a woman has a husband's love, she can hold on no matter how hard her life is. If her husband is always cold, she will have no sense of belonging to her husband's family. I think it must be very painful. The fourth lady may not have been able to regard Prince Xuan's Mansion as her own home."
During the three years she spent in Prince Xuan's mansion, she was always living under someone else's roof.
It was not until after Lu Xingzhi was reborn that he realized that Nymph's pain came from her inner loneliness and anxiety. A woman's world is so small, and in a man's eyes, the harem is almost everything to a woman.
Others could shift their attention to the child, but she had no child either. The pressure of not having a child for three years also strangled her neck tightly. Many women in various mansions were plotting against her behind her back.
Zong Si curled his lips and said, "It seems that she is happy with you."
Lu Xingzhi said nothing.
Zong Si did not ask any more questions about this matter. He was afraid that this was just a matter of love between the couple, and he could not listen to this calmly at the moment. Instead, he asked, "I don't like her, so why would I marry her?"
Zong Si is not a person who will compromise.
Lu Xingzhi's eyes flickered, and he said, "Then only the prince himself knows the specific reason why he agreed to the marriage."
Zong Si glanced at him.
"When he first married her, the prince probably only regarded her as his wife, but after the fourth lady died, the prince was extremely sad. Perhaps people only know the value of something after they lose it."
Lu Xingzhi fell into reminiscence and said calmly, "I was the prince's aide. I knew the pain he felt after losing his wife, so in this life, I wanted to give him a chance. But later, since you two couldn't be in love, I just wanted her to live a good life and not die again."
All this happened when he discovered that Nymph's love for him was no longer there, so he gave up the idea of matchmaking.
Zong Si then remembered Lu Xingzhi's provocation towards him, but it was not hostility. His purpose was obviously not to compete for Nymph, but to remind him that if he treated Nymph badly, she would return to him.
"Your Highness may one day like her very much, but I hope that Your Highness will let her live the life she wants in this life. She finally restored the relationship between Lord Ning and Madam Ning, saved the Princess's Mansion from being raided, and also tried every means to prevent Lord Ning from being demoted. The fate of the Duke's Mansion has changed little by little because of her. She has worked so hard, and I can't bear to let her live this life in vain."
A corner of Zong Si's heart moved slightly. In fact, when he heard that Ning Fu had a hard time with him in her previous life, he felt a little guilty, otherwise he would not have followed her wishes and given up the idea of getting married.
Regarding the marriage, he followed her wishes. Although it was due to her kindness, he also felt that he owed her something after she said she didn't want to die any sooner.
Zong Si didn't think he was a compassionate person, but at that time, he felt a little sad. Although he might not be willing to live and die for her, he also wanted her to be well.
"What's the difference between her previous life and this life?" Zong Si asked again.
"In my previous life, I was more naive and easier to talk to. But after I married the prince, I learned a bit of calculating from him." Lu Xingzhi couldn't help but smile, so he became a lot more cunning in this life.
After listening to it so many times, Zong Si felt that many scenes flashed through his mind, as if he was experiencing some scenes from his previous life.
Zong Si didn't know what he was thinking. After a long while, he stood up and said, "I am not the kind of person who would coerce her. She has already rejected my marriage proposal a few days ago. I won't disturb her."
In fact, sometimes when it was late at night and everyone was asleep, he still felt unwilling and wanted to use some means to make her submit to him, but it was just a thought, as he was not the kind of person who would repay kindness with enmity.
When Zong Si was leaving the Lu Mansion, he happened to see Ning Fu and Madam Lu planting flowers in the front yard. They were both smiling, which made him pause for a moment.
When Nymph saw herself, she stopped smiling.
Zong Si nodded slightly at her, then turned and left.
Nymph breathed a sigh of relief.
…
Ningfu only went to the tea house once until someone came to tell her that there was new tea.
Mu Ruoheng said: "It is time for your father to return to the capital. I will have someone transfer him back to the capital soon."
Ning Fu pondered for a moment and said, "Can you please not alert the Fourth Prince?"
"Meng Che just thought that your father went to investigate the county magistrate's food supplies because he had fallen into the trap of Prince Xuan's Mansion. Your father was promoted after returning to the capital, and he still needs your father, so let your father do things for him first." Mu Ruoheng said, "Meng Che originally only wanted to deal with Meng Ze. Your father is helping him, and he is also doing things for me."
Ning Fu pondered for a moment. In Meng Che's opinion, his father was doing his best and she would not doubt him.
"Your Highness, I'm afraid His Majesty has no intention of pursuing him this time."
"Father is still in good health. Even if he wants to suppress Meng Ze, he will not punish Meng Che." Mu Ruoheng said, "Every emperor is most wary of his own son."
"I'm afraid the miracle doctor would be happy to see this happen." Nymph said.
"Not only me, but the Xuanwang Mansion is also like this." Mu Ruoheng said, "My cousin Zong Si is aloof and arrogant. I didn't expect that he would take the initiative to mention your marriage."
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