A Marriage of Convenience with a Love-Struck Regent: From Arrangement to Love [GL] - Chapter 30

A golden crane paced across the cloud-patterned railing.

Xiao Ning’an strode into the study, her long legs carrying her with purpose. The door behind her closed automatically. The room was spacious, filled with fine wooden desks laden with the nearly obsolete tools of calligraphy: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. An elderly man, addressed as “Advisor,” sat at one of these desks, stroking his beard as he calculated something.

Hearing the movement, the old man immediately rose and bowed deeply. “Greetings to Your Highness.”

The sight of a white-bearded elder bowing to a beautiful woman in her early twenties was undeniably peculiar. But Xiao Ning’an, long accustomed to such deference, waved for him to rise.

The old man shakily straightened and presented her with a scroll. Xiao Ning’an settled into the grand desk at the main position and scrutinized the account book.

“Your Highness,” he began, “even the ten thousand taels of gold bestowed by His Majesty would barely cover the cost of a wedding unprecedented in history. Now that our coffers are overflowing, we’ve used the funds to purchase a new residence and furnishings for the Prospective Consort. Please review the accounts.”

This elder was Song Ru, a tutor Xiao Ning’an had known since childhood. His foresight far surpassed that of a mere tutor, and she had recruited him as both advisor and house steward before returning to the capital. Thus, he now managed all financial matters.

Xiao Ning’an didn’t care about the cost. Her phoenix eyes swept over the numbers in the ledger, and the results quickly formed in her mind. She’d possessed this remarkable mental arithmetic ability since childhood, allowing her to calculate swiftly and accurately without even needing an abacus.

“Handle these matters as you see fit,” she said, closing the ledger. “Just ensure the Princess Consort suffers no slight.” Song Ru watched Xiao Ning’an’s rare display of genuine concern and chuckled, stroking his beard. “Now that Your Highness is about to marry, showing attentiveness to the Princess Consort will indeed bring harmony to the household. However…”

He paused, pouring tea and pushing the cup forward. His cloudy eyes held a trace of worry. “The matter of leveraging the Princess Consort’s family… if handled poorly, it could sow seeds of discord.”

This was precisely Xiao Ning’an’s concern. To achieve her goals, she needed to utilize the Marquis of Yongchang Residence. Her original plan was to marry Ning Huanyi, indulge her with good food and comforts, and maintain strict boundaries.

Yet unexpectedly… it was she who first lost control and drew closer to Ning Huanyi.

“I understand what you’re saying, and I’ll keep things in check,” Xiao Ning’an said irritably, picking up her teacup and gulping it down. When she was upset, her eyes narrowed slightly, taking on an extremely dangerous aura.

Song Ru fell silent and sat down to fiddle with his abacus, calculating the exact expenses for the wedding banquet and planning the guest list. As Xiao Ning’an had instructed, this was to be a grand affair, with half the Capital City in attendance. The Regent Prince’s Residence was already alarmingly vast, and with such a large-scale event, the margin for error would inevitably increase.

To preserve Xiao Ning’an’s reputation, Song Ru would have to go to great lengths. Meanwhile, Xiao Ning’an began assisting the Emperor with state affairs, fulfilling her duties as Regent Prince.

The study was heavily guarded; these memorials might contain state secrets. Even the guards were illiterate men who had never attended school. Only this way could the confidentiality of the documents within the Regent Prince’s Residence be guaranteed.

As for Song Ru… he had long ago signed a Blood Contract with Xiao Ning’an, making him the most trusted person in the entire residence.

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