Jiang Yuwei saw that the kitchen had everything, so she guessed that Ning Zixuan must have ordered it prepared in advance because he knew she didn't trust Wan'er to eat out.
So Jiang Yuwei prepared a braised eggplant, a sweet and sour pork dish, and a shredded pork with garlic sauce, along with a refreshing cold dish and a pot of rice. The meal for the family of four was thus prepared.
As Ning Huaizhi was carrying the food out, he happened to run into Ning Zixuan entering the courtyard, so he greeted him:
"Young Master, have you eaten? Come and have some with us."
Ning Zixuan inhaled the aroma in the air and couldn't help but swallow. He hadn't eaten Jiang Yuwei's cooking for a long time since leaving Ningjia Village. Now that Ning Huaizhi had invited him, he naturally had to have a few bites.
So he nodded solemnly and said:
"You can have some."
As he spoke, Ning Zixuan followed Ning Huaizhi into the house. Jiang Yuwei brought in rice, and seeing that Ning Zixuan was also staying for dinner, she sent Ning Zhao to get another set of bowls and chopsticks.
Jiang Yuwei knew that the Prince's mansion had many rules, so she set aside some food for Yun Qing and let him eat it in the kitchen by himself.
After everyone was seated, Ning Zixuan spoke first:
"I heard Wan'er woke up, so I rushed over as soon as I finished what I was doing. So, did Wan'er tell me who hit her?"
Jiang Yuwei picked up the bowl, nodded, and slowly said:
"It's Aunt Lin."
"How could it be her?"
Ning Zixuan frowned and said with a sullen face.
“I suspect that she colluded with the royal physician to harm the princess. That’s why she rushed to arrest Wan’er and question her as soon as Wan’er left the princess’s courtyard. When Wan’er refused to speak, she ordered her men to beat Wan’er into that state.”
Upon hearing this, Ning Zixuan slammed his chopsticks on the table and angrily said:
"You wicked Aunt Lin! I thought you were an honest person, but I never expected you to secretly plot against my mother and Wan'er. I was originally thinking of letting your family off the hook because of your past relationship with my father, but now it seems there's no need for that!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei immediately turned to Ning Zixuan and asked:
"What happened to Aunt Lin's family?"
Ning Zixuan glanced at Jiang Yuwei and then spoke:
Do you remember Qinghe County, which we passed through on our way north that night?
Jiang Yuwei nodded.
"Yes, I remember. We stayed at Jia Yu's house that night."
Ning Zixuan continued:
"After returning to the capital, I ordered people to investigate Cao Kangcheng, the magistrate of Qinghe County. Later, I found out that he was a protégé of Lin Qingfeng, the Minister of Personnel and the father of Aunt Lin. He had bribed Lin Qingfeng to become the Minister of Works. I followed this lead and found that Lin Qingfeng had indeed been involved in buying and selling official positions for many years."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei immediately became angry and said:
"No wonder they say it's hard for children from poor families to rise to prominence. With such parasites lording it over those in power, when will ordinary people ever have a chance to get ahead!"
Seeing that Jiang Yuwei was emotionally agitated, Ning Huaizhi quickly patted her back and then handed her a cup of tea to help her calm down.
Ning Zixuan also picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued:
"I was hesitant to act rashly because of my relationship with Aunt Lin. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, the Lin family and the Prince Jing's family are closely related. So I thought I would wait until my father returned to the mansion before discussing it with him."
With that, Ning Zixuan put down his teacup and sighed.
"Right now, I alone am not capable of bringing down the Lin family. Over the years, Lin Qingfeng's influence in the court has become deeply entrenched. I can only wait for my father to return home and persuade him to join me in bringing down the Lin family."
Jiang Yuwei had calmed down by now and looked at Ning Zixuan, asking:
"How is the prince's relationship with this concubine, Lin?"
Ning Zixuan knew what Jiang Yuwei was worried about, so he spoke up:
"Don't worry, my father is a man of integrity and despises the business of buying and selling official positions. If he finds out that the Lin family has been using his name to swindle and cheat people, he will definitely not let Lin Qingfeng off easily. As for Aunt Lin, you and Mother will have to handle that. After all, they have a relationship that has lasted for decades."
Jiang Yuwei nodded and said:
"Now that the Prince isn't an incompetent fool, I feel more confident. I'll take care of Aunt Lin. Once I've gathered all the evidence, we'll join forces and wipe out the Lin family!"
Ning Zixuan had never seen Jiang Yuwei with this expression before. If this were back in Ningjia Village, Jiang Yuwei would definitely have picked up a broom and rushed into Aunt Lin's yard to beat him up. He never expected that she would be sitting here analyzing the situation with him and plotting how to bring down the Lin family.
Ning Zixuan hadn't expected Jiang Yuwei's change, so he couldn't help but scrutinize her more.
Seeing that Ning Zixuan was staring at her and not eating, Jiang Yuwei picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and put it in Ning Zixuan's bowl, smiling as she said:
"Eat quickly, it will get cold. After you finish eating, I need to check if Wan'er is awake and feed her."
Ning Zixuan glanced at the sweet and sour pork in his bowl and quickly lowered his head to eat.
After the group finished their meal, Ning Huaizhi saw Ning Zixuan out.
"Brother Huaizhi, please tell your wife that I will take her to the servants' place tomorrow to choose a maid, and ask her to settle Wan'er in properly tomorrow."
Ning Huaizhi was somewhat surprised. Why was Ning Zixuan being so gentle with him today? He hadn't called him "brother" since Ning Zixuan regained his memories. This sudden address made Ning Huaizhi feel flattered, so he quickly nodded and said:
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Your Highness. I'll tell Yuwei later."
Ning Zixuan gave Yun Qing a few more instructions before leaving.
Seeing that Ning Wan was awake, Jiang Yuwei went into the room to feed her. Ning Huaizhi, after seeing Ning Zixuan off, also went into the room.
“Yuwei, the prince said he would take you to buy a maid tomorrow. Wan'er will have Zhao'er stay at home to take care of you. With Yunqing guarding outside, no one else can get in.”
Jiang Yuwei nodded and said:
"Alright, I'll be right back. No matter how skilled Yun Qing is, he's just a servant in this household. If someone tries to use their status to pressure him, he won't be able to withstand it."
Ning Huaizhi took the bowl and chopsticks from Jiang Yuwei and sat down next to Ning Wan.
"Yuwei, I'll feed Wan'er. You've been working hard for days, go and get some rest. I'll stay here tonight to keep watch."
Jiang Yuwei shook her head and said:
"No, you still have to go to court during the day, so you must get a good rest at night. I'll keep watch for the second half of the night, and Ning Zhao will keep watch for the second half. You should quickly clean up the dishes and go back to your room to sleep. Tell Ning Zhao to go to sleep as well, and not to read at night, so as not to hurt her eyes."
After feeding Ning Wan the last bite of food, Ning Huaizhi stood up and said:
"Okay, I'll go out now. Wan'er, be good and go to sleep early."
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