Ning Fu fell silent. If Zong Si were to ask Lu Xingzhi for the “Zhuoyao” sword, the latter would certainly be unable to offend the Heir of the Prince of Xuan’s Mansion. Lu Xingzhi would likely be put in a very difficult position.
After careful consideration, she decided not to reveal that Zhuoyao was currently with Lu Xingzhi. Instead, she said, “Zhuoyao is part of my dowry. I hope the Heir can forgive me, but I cannot fulfill your request.”
Since he had already rejected their marriage engagement, she reasoned he would not press the matter further. As expected, Zong Si did not say another word, though a cold, fleeting sneer brushed his lips.
“Whenever I am free, I will come again to help relieve the Heir’s boredom,” Ning Fu said sincerely. Since he was using his “injuries” as an excuse to silence Meng Ze, he naturally wouldn’t leave this place of recuperation easily.
Of course, her true intention was to find out what had happened between him and Meng Ze. Why had Meng Ze been so furious that day, and did it have anything to do with Grand Secretary Song?
Zong Si, for his part, intended to further test the depths of the Fourth Miss Ning. There were things about her that he found incomprehensible; thus, he did not refuse her subsequent visits.
Both harbored their own hidden agendas.
Since her first attempt at sneaking out had been successful, there followed a second and a third.
Occasionally, visitors would climb Mount Hanxiang in the morning—Zong Duo and Meng Ze had both visited—so Ning Fu usually arrived in the afternoon. Zong Si maintained his usual “keep-away” persona, but he frequently probed her. Ning Fu even had the illusion that he was testing to see if she had lived a previous life.
Zong Si was indeed testing her, driven by the two dreams he had experienced. However, the Fourth Miss Ning was incredibly guarded regarding this matter, and he knew better than to be too aggressive.
Yet, in this back-and-forth of hidden motives, there were bound to be accidental encounters.
On this day, Ning Fu arrived dressed in men’s clothing as usual. Just as she removed her bamboo hat, Zong Ning arrived, puffing with anger. Despite her resentment, Zong Ning still placed a neatly copied volume of The Classic of Poetry onto the desk.
With her back to Zong Ning, Ning Fu hurriedly pulled her hat back on. She shot a questioning look at Zong Si; if Zong Ning saw her in this outfit visiting him, she would never be able to clear her name from the ensuing scandal.
The man, however, acted as if nothing was wrong. There wasn’t a hint of panic in his cold, sharp eyes. One could imagine that even if he kept a mistress outside, his primary wife might never notice.
“I have done as Third Brother commanded,” Zong Ning said, pouting.
Zong Si flipped through the book. The handwriting inside was upright and elegant, showing no signs of laziness. “Are you angry?”
Zong Ning felt wronged. “It was my fault. I don’t care if the others ignore Sister Ning, but I had selfish motives for not inviting her to the snow-viewing party. I didn’t want her to come here and risk running into Third Brother, fearing Sister Xie would be unhappy. That is why I intentionally left her out.”
Ning Fu wasn’t surprised that this was about her. She knew Zong Si wasn’t doing this for her sake, but rather to discipline Zong Ning and mold her into a better person.
Zong Si glanced at Ning Fu, who was still in men’s attire and a bamboo hat, before looking back at Zong Ning. He said coldly, “Since childhood, Mother taught you never to offend people intentionally. If I do not punish you, people will eventually say that the ladies of the Prince of Xuan’s Mansion use their power to bully others.”
This accusation was heavy. Zong Ning’s eyes turned red; she feared tarnishing the Prince’s reputation. She hadn’t meant it that way. She secretly observed his mood, and only then did she notice the thin, frail “young scholar” standing to the side.
“And this is?” The scholar wore a bamboo hat and a black round-collar robe. His stature was small; the only words that flashed through Zong Ning’s mind were “frail and weak.”
Ning Fu bowed to her. Fearing her voice would give her away, she pointed to her throat.
“A mute?” Zong Ning felt a pang of sympathy.
Ning Fu nodded.
She then noticed the originally calm Zong Si frown. He didn’t offer a single word to help her out of the situation; instead, he seemed to be enjoying the spectacle.
A hint of resentment rose in Ning Fu’s heart. He had nothing to worry about, but if they were caught, all the blame would fall on her.
“Are you my Third Brother’s aide?” Zong Ning did not look down on others; anyone permitted near her brother was surely no ordinary person.
Ning Fu shook her head. She knelt by the desk, her fair, soft hands picking up an ink stick. She gently and gracefully began to grind the ink. Once the ink was fine and even, she took a brush, smoothed her sleeve, and wrote: “I am Master Shuyu of the Yixiang Pavilion.”
After reading it, Zong Si’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smirk.
“A master from the Yixiang Pavilion? Then that means you are…” Zong Ning couldn’t bring herself to say the word gigolo. She looked at Zong Si and stamped her foot in anger. How could her Third Brother be corrupted by such a person?
“Bold prostitute! To think you’ve brought your schemes into the Prince of Xuan’s Mansion!” Zong Ning cried out in a rage.
Ning Fu took two steps back and hid behind Zong Si. Her entire frame was shielded by his tall body. She gripped his arm as if terrified, seeking his protection.
Zong Si did not stop her.
What a delicate, helpless “Daji” (vixen)—Zong Si pitied such a person, and anyone who loved such a person would surely be a muddled, doting fool.
If he wanted to watch her perform, why should she be the only one on stage? Naturally, she had to pull him down with her. Since they still needed to find the Divine Physician Mu, he couldn’t do anything to her anyway.
Zong Si was not a man who craved beauty, and he usually detested “femmes fatales.” However, in those dreams, he and Ning Fu had been unrestrained and passionate. Her soft moans during his wanton possession were exactly like this—pitiful, as if begging for his shelter, yet willingly accepting it. Inevitably, a wave of heat rose in his lower abdomen.
Unconsciously, he shielded her firmly behind him.
Once he realized his reaction, his expression shifted, turning noticeably colder.
“Third Brother, how can you protect such a person?” Zong Ning said angrily. “I’m going back to tell Mother!”
Unwilling to look a moment longer, she slammed the door and left.
Ning Fu released Zong Si and straightened her robes. “The Heir was the one unwilling to clear the air for me. As things stand, we should be making things convenient for one another.” In front of Meng Ze, she had, after all, spoken many good words on his behalf.
Zong Si rubbed his forehead, his tone turning quite indifferent. “Go back.”
Ning Fu paused, then nodded. She wasn’t worried; he would have his own way of explaining things to Zong Ning. If not for that certainty, she wouldn’t have dared to play the prank so far.
Zong Si added, “For the next few days, I will not be at Mount Hanxiang. You don’t need to come.”
Women’s intuition can be mysterious. A thought popped into Ning Fu’s mind: Zong Si wasn’t actually busy; his true goal was simply to stop her from coming back.
Was it because of the prank with Zong Ning today?
Ning Fu felt Zong Si was being a “sore loser.” If he hadn’t refused to help her and allowed Zong Ning to interrogate her, she never would have acted that way.
“If the Heir asks me not to come, I naturally won’t.” Ning Fu gave a polite smile, not at all angry. This wasn’t a matter of importance, and anger wasn’t worth the effort. Besides, she had a general idea of why Meng Ze was upset.
It was undoubtedly regarding Grand Secretary Song. It was clear that Zong Si wasn’t fully committed to helping Meng Ze.
In any case, once the Divine Physician Mu was found and the Jade Hibiscus was obtained, the two of them would go their separate ways. There was no need to care about his attitude. A lady only has requirements for her future husband, not her former one.
Zong Si glanced at her. This Fourth Miss Ning was different from other noble ladies. Not only did she keep her secrets well-hidden, but she was always smiling and rarely grew angry.
It was as if she didn’t care about any of it.
Zong Si withdrew his thoughts. He was rarely moved by women, yet today he had felt a protective urge toward Ning Fu. He had to stay on his guard.
After descending the mountain, Ning Fu didn’t know where Zong Si went. For over a month, there was no news of him.
To Ning Fu, meeting Zong Si was like being “on duty,” and no one likes to be constantly busy with work. Not seeing him was actually quite a relief.
As the Lunar New Year approached, Ning Fu finally understood what the Sixth Prince, Meng Ze, meant by “next time in the palace.” Emperor Jingwen hated loneliness. On New Year’s Eve, he would traditionally invite the noble ladies and gentlemen close to the imperial family into the palace as guests.
In previous years, Ning Fu never had such a privilege. However, since she had caught the Emperor’s eye this year, His Majesty remembered her—and Meng Ze had likely heard the news early on.
In her two lifetimes combined, Ning Fu had entered the palace fewer than ten times, so she was naturally somewhat nervous.
Being favored by Emperor Jingwen was a great honor for the Duke’s Mansion. Both Madam Ning and Ning Zhenyuan took it very seriously, sending people early on to tailor new clothes for her.
“The palace is strictly guarded and filled with nobles. If you encounter someone you don’t recognize, they could be a Princess or a Prince. You must not offend anyone,” Madam Ning lectured her repeatedly.
Ning Fu, however, knew the various figures in the palace quite well, which eased her mind. She turned to Ning Zhenyuan and asked, “Father, why do you think the Heir was injured in Langya?”
She didn’t want to mention Grand Secretary Song directly, or her father would wonder how she knew. Her father was a clever man; a key hint would be enough for him to guess.
Ning Zhenyuan had heard his daughter mention this a few days ago, and he still felt a lingering fear. If Zong Si was injured in Langya, he was clearly investigating the matter of Grand Secretary Song. It was lucky that his daughter had smelled blood on Zong Si at the Prince’s mansion and that Lu Xingzhi had mentioned Langya to her; only then did he connect the dots.
He had even prepared a memorial to plead for Grand Secretary Song and was nearly ready to present it to the Emperor! If he hadn’t learned of this beforehand, he might have been implicated.
Ning Zhenyuan was profoundly relieved. He didn’t fear trouble for himself, but he feared dragging down the Duke’s Mansion and his children.
“Regarding this matter, act as if you know nothing. You must not breathe a word of it,” Ning Zhenyuan warned.
Ning Fu nodded obediently. “If Father tells me not to speak, I won’t.”
Fine lines had appeared at the corners of Ning Zhenyuan’s eyes, but his grace remained unchanged. Having such a daughter, he felt Heaven had been kind to him. He looked at his wife and felt his life was complete.
The day before entering the palace, Ning Fu visited the Fragrance Pavilion—her own shop. The reputation of the “Snow-Skin Pills” had gradually spread over the past month, though it hadn’t reached the palace yet. She planned to bring some for the Imperial Consorts during her visit.
As she stepped out of the shop, she saw Lu Xingzhi arriving with the guard army.
After not seeing him for two months, he looked a bit thinner. It seemed he was about to leave the capital on business.
Seeing him, Ning Fu’s heart fluttered. She felt a genuine fondness for him now.
As if sharing a telepathic connection, Lu Xingzhi looked at her and said softly, “Fourth Miss.”
Ning Fu’s heart softened. When you have feelings for someone, even them just saying your name can make you blush.
“Leaving the capital again?” she asked quietly, worried he might get hurt.
“I am going to Liangzhou with Young Master Wei to deal with the mountain bandits,” he replied.
“Master Lu has excellent talent and strategy; it is only right to have great ambitions.” Ning Fu guessed that he wanted to earn a promotion as quickly as possible. Without a background or a penchant for flattery, he could only rely on his abilities and achievements.
Lu Xingzhi looked at her and said, “To protect those I care about, this is the only way.”
Ning Fu didn’t know what—or who—he was referring to.
“Once I am promoted,” Lu Xingzhi continued, “talking about marriage… will also be much smoother.”