Yining nodded and invited him to sit down in the tea room.
Sitting down in the teahouse, Cheng Lang frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Although the whereabouts of the Duke of Yingzhou are unknown, I have to tell you something cruel. The Duke of Yingzhou's accident has also implicated 30,000 troops. The military strength of Xuanfu has been weakened. If it weren't for Lu Jiaxue's efforts to turn the tide, the border might have been in danger. The emperor will definitely be angry about this, and Ting'er is still young. It's possible that the Wei family will deprive the Duke of Yingzhou of his title..."
Cheng Lang was a court official with a keen eye for politics. The Emperor wouldn't do anything to the Wei family because of their past achievements, but the title of Duke of Ying was a different matter.
Yi Ning felt a chill in her heart after hearing Cheng Lang's words. Although she had long suspected this, she didn't dare to dwell on it. She murmured, "Father was doing this for the people at the border. He himself is in danger and his whereabouts are unknown. If the emperor really wants to strip the Wei family of their titles for this..."
"While it's reasonable, Xuanfu has always been a strategically important place, and the Emperor holds it in high regard. If it were truly lost, he wouldn't care what the Duke of Ying was actually doing," Cheng Lang patiently explained. "Since the founding of the nation, few of the families who were granted titles during the founding of the nation remain. Upon ascending the throne, the Emperor stripped Song Yue, Marquis of Jining, of his title..."
In fact, she understands all this.
Yining didn't say anything, she was thinking about Wei Ling.
Wei Ling was in danger that year, but he finally returned. Not only did he return, but he also continued to be the Duke of Ying and the General of Xuanfu.
Yi Ning should be hoping Wei Ling was alright, or perhaps this was all just a plot by Wei Ling. But she didn't know what changes she had made to the situation. If it was really because of her existence that he died on the battlefield, or even lost his title as Duke of Ying... Yi Ning wished she had never existed! At least not to have implicated him!
"I see." Yi Ning nodded and said, "Let me think about what to do. You still have to go to the six ministries tomorrow, so I'll take you out."
When Cheng Lang stood up, he suddenly said to her: "...I will help you."
Yi Ning looked up at him. He was much taller than her.
Cheng Lang said, "Yining, I am no longer that Alang." He is now a serious official appointed by the court, not the child who hid behind her.
Yi Ning shook her head and said, "This is a matter of state, how can you help me?" Even if he could help, the price would be high. She didn't want to drag Cheng Lang down.
Cheng Lang smiled and said nothing more.
While no one else could help Yi Ning, there was one person who could. The Duke of Ying's mansion was in danger, and without someone to back it up, it would be incredibly difficult. Yi Ning hadn't even reached the age of marriage yet, so how could she manage such a large mansion? He didn't want Yining to go looking for this person, so he was the only one who could help. But it would be incredibly tricky.
Apart from General Lu Jiaxue, who else in the world can influence the emperor's thoughts?
No matter how much I hate it, I have to admit this.
Yi Ning had the housekeeper escort Cheng Lang out. When she returned, it was already midnight. After hearing from the maid that Old Madam Wei had calmed down, she left Jing'an Residence. She gazed at the magnificent carved beams, brackets, and eaves of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion. Her steps felt a little unsteady.
All she saw was the endless darkness. Zhenzhu, Qingpu, and the others standing beside her were silent. Yi Ning walked down the stairs. Zhao Mingzhu was still standing there, her maid holding her hand as she prepared to go see Old Madam Wei. Seeing her approach and glancing at Yi Ning's expression, Zhao Mingzhu suddenly called out to her.
Yining turned around to look at her. Zhao Mingzhu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sister Yining...don't be too upset."
She found that Zhao Mingzhu looked at her with some sympathy.
Yining said thank you and returned to Dongyuan.
There were fewer guards in the East Garden than usual. Yi Ning saw Wei Ling's courtyard was pitch black. She thought of the time she had gone to his study to find him, and he had taken her to dinner. The candlelight was incredibly warm. No matter how dark the night, there was nothing to fear, because someone was standing by her side to protect her.
Yining walked quickly towards her yard.
Songzhi had asked the servants to arrange everything. Returning to the familiar house, Yining leaned tiredly on the pillow.
Her cockatoo was delighted to see her. Having not seen its owner for so long, its lethargy disappeared. It fluttered from its perch and flew into her hand. Yi Ning stroked its feathers, noticing they were less smooth than before and balding in spots. She took a small porcelain plate from the small table and fed it millet. It lowered its head and pecked.
The maid who cared for it said, "I feed it according to your instructions. This parrot is very strange. It gets irritated when it can't see you and even pecks its feathers...but when you come back it's happy and eats so well."
Yining touched the parrot's feathers. The parrot was happy for a moment and called out twice, "Yining, Yining!" It often heard Wei Ling call it like that, and it actually learned it.
As Yi Ning listened to the second word it had learned with great difficulty, she suddenly couldn't help herself. Her eyes welled up, and she leaned over the table and burst into tears, her shoulders shaking violently, as if all the sorrow was pouring into her.
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