Chapter 96: From the Heart
The one who teased Zong Si was a young man, who was probably a little younger than Ningfu. His pair of peach blossom eyes were as bright as stars, revealing a cleverness and youthful spirit.
Just this sentence "Which lady did the prince come for?" made the ladies blush and successfully focused their attention on him.
In fact, this statement is somewhat inappropriate, but no one will pursue it at this time.
Zong Si said in a deep voice: "Mr. Jushan has to go out to teach today. He is afraid that you will play too much and lose your sense of proportion. Seeing that I am free today, he asked me to take his place to watch over you."
Mr. Jushan is the teacher in charge of the female emperor in the school. He also taught Zong Si in his early years. Although the two of them are very different in age, they can be considered as close friends between teacher and student, and Zong Si is also his favorite student.
Mr. Jushan was supposed to come today, but he had something urgent to do. When he went to visit Prince Xuan's mansion, he happened to know that Zong Si was free, so he asked him to do it instead.
Although there are guards patrolling this forest all year round, the boats for boating on the lake have to be taken by these young ladies and gentlemen themselves. The water in this lake is not deep, but it is winter now, so if you fall into the water, it will be very painful.
"So that's how it is. Thank you for your hard work today, Your Highness." The speaker was the young lady of Hua'an Prefecture, named Zhang He. She was the lady who won first place in mathematics and arts this time. She had received a lot of praise in the capital recently.
Zhang Linsheng, the third son of Hua'an Prefecture, had been with King Xuan in the north. King Xuan accepted him as a brave general, and he would risk his life to save King Xuan in the future. It was about half a year later.
However, some people were happy about Zong Si's arrival, while others were worried. He was four or five years older than the other female monarchs and young masters present. Whether because of his status or age, the young masters did not dare to act rashly.
With him as a shining example, these young masters are no longer good enough to look at. Zong Si's appearance and experience are a dimensionality reduction blow to them. The ladies will not pay attention to them anymore.
"Prince, can you help me cut down these bamboos? It's time for us to start making the bamboo raft." Zhang He's tent had already been set up, and he looked at Zong Si earnestly.
Zong Si was taking over the elder's identity today and was supposed to be looking after them, so he walked towards her.
"Miss Fourth Ning, do you need me to chop some bamboo for you?" asked the young man who was setting up the tent for her.
Men who are proactive and attentive always have ulterior motives. Ning Fu smiled at him and said, "I can do it myself." When she was in Yongzhou, she would go to the mountains and forests to play in her spare time, and she had some experience in cutting bamboo.
Everyone thought that Nymph was just finding it interesting and didn't take it seriously for the time being.
Ning Fu borrowed a knife from the young master and walked towards the bamboo forest. She happened to see Zong Ning and Zhang He standing in front of Zong Si. The bamboos on the ground had been neatly arranged in sections.
"Thank you, Brother Prince." Zhang He looked at Zong Si gratefully and smiled sweetly.
"Miss Zhang, there is no need to thank me." Zong Si had an air of elegance and a bit of coldness. It was this sanctimonious look that made the ladies miss him.
Little do they know that women cannot get any advantage from him, and if they cross the line, he will be on guard against them.
When Zong Si looked over, Ning Fu withdrew her gaze and patted the bamboo in front of her. There are some tricks to choosing bamboo. The crisper the sound, the hollower the bamboo joints are, and the better the buoyancy is, making it more suitable for making bamboo rafts and boats.
She selected one and chopped it off.
However, the woman's strength was not as great as that of the man, and the knife got stuck between the bamboos. Nymph tried several times but failed to take it out.
"Sister Ning, why don't you let my third brother come to help you." Zong Ning watched from the side for a while and finally couldn't help but said.
Ning Fu turned around and glanced at Zong Si. She saw that he was looking at her, pursing his lips, with an expression of emotion that she could not describe. He stood there motionless.
He seemed to be waiting for me to speak.
Ning Fu would not beg him. If she asked him, it would be the same as showing weakness. She also did not want to accept Zong Si's favor, so she smiled and said, "Sister Ning, don't worry about me. I can try it myself first."
"Third brother, please go and help Sister Ning, otherwise her hand will be hurt by the shock." Zong Ning looked at Zong Si and said.
The man was about to step forward, and Nymph said hurriedly, "Your Highness has cut a lot of bamboo, and he must be tired. I'll ask other young masters to help."
After she said that, she glanced towards the distance.
Zong Si paused, looked at her, and said nothing.
Ning Fu was walking out when she heard someone outside say, "Sister Ning, Prince, the Second Young Master is here."
Before Nymph walked out of the woods, Zongduo walked in and bumped into her face to face. Nymph was stunned for a moment. She hurriedly took several steps back and almost fell down. Fortunately, Zongduo was quick to help her up.
The lingering fragrance of gardenia wafted into Zongduo's nose, and he couldn't help but hold his breath.
"Thank you, Second Young Master." After standing firmly, Ning Fu thanked him and then quietly distanced herself from him.
Zongduo happened to hear that Mr. Jushan had gone to teach in another place, so he asked his third brother to take part in the school's lake boating activity this time. He happened to be free and this was an activity he liked, so he rushed over after finishing his shift.
In Zongduo's opinion, Zong Si didn't like to join in the fun, so he could do it instead.
As for his coming here, he never thought he would run into Nymph.
"The fourth girl fell into the water once. I thought she would be afraid of water, but I didn't expect she would dare to come boating on the lake." Zongduo said with some admiration.
Ningfu just smiled, because she had no intention of going into the water at all. She just had some fun making the bamboo raft.
"Second brother." Zong Ning called out from behind.
Zongduo took a look at the knife stuck in the bamboo.
"I failed to break the bamboo and was about to go out to find someone to help me." Nymph said.
This was just a trivial matter, Zong Duo stepped forward and took out the knife, and cut the bamboo in half. He looked at Zong Si and said unhappily: "What if you help Fourth Miss Ning?"
It was just a small matter, Zong Duo thought there was no need to avoid suspicion, and he didn't approve of Zong Si's overly cold and ruthless behavior!
No wonder Second Miss Xie didn't follow him! Sixth Miss Mu didn't follow him either!
The two brothers had never had any conflict before, but today Zongduo was extremely dissatisfied with his third brother.
Zongduo was unable to get close to Ningfu due to his position in the Xuanwang Mansion, but a long time ago, it was because of her advice that he was able to avoid any accidents on his way to the north. He was grateful to Ningfu.
That's why he couldn't be so indifferent to Nymph.
Ning Fu said hurriedly: "The prince offered to help me. I saw that the prince had just helped Sister Zhang and was probably tired, so I thought of asking someone else for help."
"It is common for him to suffer in the military camp. If chopping bamboos makes him tired, how can he lead troops to fight?" Zong Duo looked at Zong Si and said.
Zong Si glanced at Ning Fu and asked, "Shall I cut some bamboo for you?"
"It's time now, so I'll come." Zongduo said.
Zong Si still looked at Ning Fu, waiting for her to speak.
Ning Fu thought about it and smiled: "Your Highness and the Second Young Master don't have to help me. I just didn't have any experience. Now I can do it myself. I will enjoy the fun of it myself."
Zongduo said nothing more and did not leave, just watching him from the side.
Zong Si had no intention of leaving, but he was called away. Although he was impatient, he had responsibilities to fulfill today, so he naturally could not shirk his responsibilities as usual.
After Nymph cut down the bamboo, Zongduo did not just stand there, but helped her cut the bamboo branches and carried the bamboo out of the bamboo forest for her.
Nymph followed him empty-handed.
"Who's in your group?" Zongduo asked.
Ning Fu thought for a moment and said, "Originally, I was supposed to be in a group with my fifth sister, but my fifth sister is now recuperating at home, and I have no plans to go into the water, so I didn't form a group with anyone."
"It is not easy for one person to build a bamboo raft." Zongduo said.
"I will do as much as I can." Ningfu just wanted to exercise her hands-on ability and enjoy the process, not focusing on the results.
Zongduo said nothing.
However, when Ningfu was making the bamboo raft, she still felt Zongduo's care for her. He would come to her from time to time and tell her a few words about the techniques and experience of making the bamboo raft.
But after all, there are differences between men and women, and he could only give her a few words of advice.
"Prince, can you check for me whether this bamboo raft is sturdy?"
"Please help me too."
"I need it too."
“…”
The ladies were extremely enthusiastic.
When Nymph encountered difficulties, she also figured them out on her own, but she was better than the others. They were planning to go into the water, while she just did what she could.
"Second Young Master, is it better to open this door upwards or downwards?" After a moment, she noticed a figure beside her and thought it was Zongduo coming again.
But when he looked up, he saw Zong Si.
Nymph lowered her head again and said nothing.
Zong Si's gaze fell on the back of her hand that was scratched by the bamboo. The wound was not deep, just a shallow mark, but on her pale face, it looked somewhat shocking.
He squatted down beside her and took the carving knife from her hand.
Neither of them spoke a word. Zong Si just made the bamboo raft frame for her.
It was too close, and Nymph couldn't help but stand up.
"When you are with me, there will inevitably be people talking behind our backs. Miss Four, why don't you stay aside for now?" Zong Si said calmly.
Ningfu actually thought he was meddling, but she didn't stop him. Instead, she stood up and sat not far away.
Seeing that she was alone, the female monarchs naturally worked more slowly. It was reasonable for the prince to help her at this time, so no one thought much about it.
In the end, Ningfu's bamboo raft was completed by Zong Si alone.
By the time the bamboo rafts were built, it was already getting dark and the rafts were pushed into the water, drifting down the lake.
Zong Ning had already played it once and found it very interesting. She couldn't help but pull Ning Fu and said, "Sister Ning, do you want to try it too?"
Nymph hesitated.
"There's no problem with this bamboo raft. Third brother made it for you and he did his best." Zong Ning said, and then realized that he spoke too quickly. Fortunately, no one around took it seriously.
"Then let's give it a try." Nymph said.
Zong Ning pulled her onto the bamboo raft. When Ning Fu got on the raft, Zong Si looked over, and Zong Duo also looked at them.
Nymph was a little scared at first, but gradually she relaxed and found it interesting. It was so free and unrestrained, drifting freely with the wind and the current on the lake, which made people feel relaxed and happy.
Zongduo saw her smile, and his face also smiled a little more. Seeing that she held the pole with her left hand, he asked curiously: "The fourth girl is left-handed?"
"My hand hurts." Zong Si took a look and guessed why she didn't use her right hand. Her right hand was scratched.
Zong Duo couldn't help but pause, but he didn't expect that the person who answered him was Zong Si. It was somewhat inappropriate for a man like him to answer this question.
Zong Si looked back at him. He had explained it clearly countless times, but Zong Duo never understood it once.
After drifting, Nymph gradually relaxed and her mood was not as heavy as when she came.
In the mountains and forests, eating is naturally based on hunting, but not for the sake of eating enough, but to enjoy the fun of wild game campfires.
The young master was in charge of roasting the game, while the ladies sat around the campfire, chatting happily.
"Miss Ning Si, this string of rabbit legs is for you." said the young man who helped Ning Fu set up the tent during the day.
Zong Si, who was grilling meat, looked over.
Nymph thanked him and reached out to take it.
Unexpectedly, the young master's hand shook, and the string of rabbit legs fell to the ground.
"Someone touched me accidentally." The young master said a little embarrassedly. He just turned around to look, but he didn't know who did it.
"It's okay. I'll just wait a little longer." Nymph still smiled gratefully.
"Then I'll grill another skewer for you." The young master felt better.
Zong Si handed the skewer of meat in his hand to Zong Ning. Just as he was about to speak, another skewer of meat appeared in Zong Ning's right hand. Zong Duo said, "Give it to your sister Ning."
Zong Ning glanced at Zong Si. She knew without guessing that this string of gifts from the third brother was also for Sister Ning. Although he ignored her, he still did what he was supposed to do, including building the bamboo raft and barbecuing.
Zong Si didn't say anything, as if the skewers of meat were for her sister.
When Zong Ning walked to Ning Fu, she still gave her the skewers of meat from her third brother. It was not that she was partial to her third brother, but after all, her third brother and Sister Ning already had an intimate relationship, and it would be inappropriate for her second brother to interfere.
Zong Si looked away when he saw Ning Fu eating.
"The meat is roasted well." Nymph took a bite and couldn't help but feel amazed. The meat was neither dry nor tough, but delicate and smooth, still containing some juice.
Zong Si, who was not far away, finally looked a little relieved.
After eating and drinking, the men and the queens gathered around the campfire, with the men sitting next to the men and the queens sitting next to the queens. At the junction, Zong Ning sat next to Zong Si, and on the other side was a brother and sister.
"I heard that the autumn hunting is also so lively." Zhang He felt a little regretful for not going to the autumn hunting.
"The autumn hunt is not as good as it is now. With His Majesty and the Sixth Prince here, we are always restrained. We can't be as free as we are now." The speaker was Rong Min.
“Is there anyone who wants to perform a talent show?”
"Let me dance." Zhang He glanced at Zong Si and offered, "It just so happens that I learned the blessing dance, so I'll just pray for everyone in Dayan."
"Okay." Everyone agreed.
Zhang He stepped forward and pulled Ning Fu and said, "Sister Ning, would you like to come with me?"
With so many young masters and ladies here, Nymph couldn't afford to lose face. Strong-willed ladies have strong self-esteem, and women would help if they could. She smiled and said, "Of course."
Zhang He looked at her gratefully.
"Prince, can you play a song 'Wan Shan Ning' for us?" Zhang He asked Zong Si again.
Zong Si did not refuse either.
The blessing dance is not at all vulgar; every movement is open and frank, and it is a great test of the fusion of the woman and the music.
Ning Fu naturally didn't want to steal the limelight from Zhang He. She just wanted to be a foil today, so she was holding back.
Zong Si took out the flute, but his eyes could not help but fall on Ning Fu. For convenience today, she wore tight clothes, but she also looked gentle. Zhang He might be a better dancer, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ning Fu's beauty is unknown to outsiders, only he knows it.
That was a secret between him and her. He didn't want to share it with anyone, nor did he want others to peek into it.
He is her only one.
It will be her only one.
If he had to pay something, then he would pay something. She had to be his.
Zong Si lowered his eyes and curled the corners of his mouth. At that moment, everyone saw a hint of evil in him, but the next moment, it disappeared without a trace, as if it was an illusion.
Ning Fu had a feeling that Zong Si was always watching her.
She couldn't help but look at him.
Zong Si didn't look at her.
…
The two people's dancing postures, one unrestrained and the other restrained, are well-paced and extremely beautiful.
When the dance ended, everyone couldn't help but applaud.
"No wonder Miss Zhang is so confident. Her dancing skills are indeed superb." Zong Si said, paused, and then said, "The performance of the fourth lady is also remarkable."
It seems that the praise of Nymph was just a casual remark.
But Nymph didn't care, and she didn't care whether he did it on purpose or not.
Zhang He was somewhat happy in his heart and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness. However, Your Highness's flute playing really complements Sister Ning's dancing. If there is a banquet in the future, it would be wonderful if Your Highness and Sister Ning performed a song together."
Zong Si glanced at Ning Fu, who was smiling politely and seemed to be wearing a mask on her face, making it impossible to tell what she was really thinking.
He did not respond to this, and said calmly: "The fourth lady may not agree."
Nymph is so angry, you put all the blame on her, right?
"If there is an opportunity, of course I can." She smiled. When will there be an opportunity? It's up to her to decide.
Others, however, thought that Zong Si was shirking his responsibility.
Everyone has gotten used to it. Zong Si has never been too close to the female monarch, so such topics will naturally be glossed over.
Nymph did not participate in the following excitement. Today she had chopped bamboo and performed a blessing dance, and she was a little tired, so she planned to take a rest in the tent.
However, Ning Fu met Rong Min who wanted to urinate. After thinking for a moment, she accompanied her.
It was getting dark and the road was unclear, so the two walked extremely carefully.
Although Rongmin didn't like her, he was a little scared at this moment, so he still held her hand and said with some fear: "I heard that wild beasts appeared at night in the past few years. I wonder if there are any now."
"There are guards patrolling here, so Sister Rong doesn't have to worry." Nymph said.
She followed Rongmin, who felt a little embarrassed and pulled her further inside.
"Be careful not to get lost." Nymph said a little worriedly.
"I remember the way." Rongmin said, "I've been here twice today."
Ning Fu had no choice but to say nothing more and waited for Rongmin outside the bushes.
When Rongmin came out, it was getting darker.
"If it's any later, we should go back. You and I have to hurry." said Nymph.
Rongmin nodded.
Take her out together.
"I heard that Mr. Lu returned home." Rong Min suddenly said.
Ningfu had no intention of talking to her about Lu Xingzhi. In fact, Ningfu was unwilling to talk about him with any other female monarch because he was a different kind of person.
"He is so close to your brother, you should know a lot about the situation," Rongmin said sourly.
Lu Xingzhi was close to the Ningguo Mansion, and many people knew that he was cold to herself but very gentle to Ning Fu.
"I don't know." Nymph replied.
Rongmin was unhappy and was about to say something sarcastic, but suddenly his face changed and he said nothing.
Nymph didn't think anything was wrong at first. After walking for a cup of tea and still not returning to the tent, she said, "You can't find the way back."
Rong Min couldn't hide it anymore, and said with some fear: "I must have gone in the wrong direction just now. It was too dark, and I didn't notice it."
Ning Fu had never seen such an unreliable person before, and was almost laughing out of anger. She said: "Who said he remembered the way?"
Although Rongmin was proud, he didn't dare to talk back at this moment, as he felt very guilty.
"They will be leaving soon," said Nymph. "If you and I are late, we will have to stay here."
Rongmin said: "They will come to find us."
As the two were talking, Nymph stepped on empty air and fell down. For a moment she didn't know where she fell, she just felt pain all over her body.
"Sister Ning!" Rongmin said anxiously.
Ningfu only felt that the sound was a little far away. It was obviously impossible for her to go up there by herself. Moreover, it was night time and she couldn't see clearly, so she didn't dare to take the risk.
I can't help but complain in my heart. Nothing good will happen when I'm with Rongmin. He looks smart and strong, but he fails at the critical moment.
"Go back and find someone." Ning Fu was so angry that she didn't even call her Sister Rong.
"Then I can't leave you here alone." Rong Min said.
"Then jump down and join me." Ningfu said angrily. If she doesn't find someone to come, what's the use of her?
Rongmin remained silent.
"Go back quickly. I think my leg is injured. It will be cold at night and I won't be able to hold on." Nymph comforted her.
Rongmin also knew how cold it was at night. Although he was worried about not being able to find the way, he also knew that he really couldn't waste time here with Ningfu.
Ning Fu felt as if she was getting a toothache even when drinking cold water.
It was impossible to say that she wasn't afraid at all after Rongmin left. But being afraid was useless, so Nymph could only try to cheer herself up.
But she was extremely tired today, and she fell asleep half an hour later.
…
When Nymph woke up, there was a man sitting next to her.
There was a faint light from a fire burning beside her, and she was covered with a cloak.
"What about them?"
"Let's go back." Zong Si built a fire nearby.
"Where's Rongmin?" Even though she was unreliable, Ning Fu still asked.
"Maybe he went back too." Zong Si couldn't help but feel a little annoyed with Rong Min at this moment, and his tone was very cold.
"I never thought she couldn't even remember the way."
"Yeah." Zong Si said, "In the future, don't get too close to someone as stupid as her."
It was the first time that Ning Fu heard him speak of Rong Min so bluntly. She couldn't help but pause for a moment. Strictly speaking, the Rong family could be considered part of Prince Xuan's palace.
"Why hasn't the prince waited for the guards?" Ning Fu knew clearly that if he could take her up, he would not have waited until now.
"Why don't I wait for the guards?" Zong Si looked at her and asked.
Nymph was silent for a while, then said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
"You always thank me all the time, but all you do is things that bother me." Zong Siqing sneered, "The meat grilled by that young master is delicious, isn't it?"
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