Married First, Love Later with the Love-Brained Regent - Chapter 5

Ning Huanyi had no choice but to stop overthinking. She stood up and left the private room, her head lowered the entire way back to the Yongchang Marquis Manor.

Seeing Ning Huanyi in such a state, Qingdai assumed it was because of her encounter with Liu Jingming that had dampened her spirits. Along the way, Qingdai couldn’t help but voice her indignation: “Miss, you needn’t take Liu Jingming’s words to heart. I heard the Liu family has arranged a marriage for him—he’s to be a live-in son-in-law at a princess’s residence, cutting off any future in officialdom. Such an unambitious man isn’t worth your sorrow…”

“What? Where did you hear that?” Sure enough, Ning Huanyi’s attention was immediately diverted. She hadn’t heard Liu Jingming mention anything about becoming a live-in son-in-law earlier.

There were only three princesses in the current dynasty, and only one—a concubine-born princess who had come of age three years ago—was about to leave the palace to establish her own residence. For some unknown reason, she had delayed setting up her own household. Now, it seemed Liu Jingming’s entry into her household was the reason for her finally doing so?

“Just now, while standing by the stairs, I overheard Liu Jingming’s friends discussing it. He didn’t deny it, so I thought it must be true,” Qingdai replied honestly, noticing her mistress’s thoughtful expression.

Ning Huanyi’s health couldn’t withstand drafts, so the carriage had been waiting outside Ruyi Fang. She casually picked out some jewelry from the first floor of Ruyi Fang and gave it to Qingdai. After the commotion they had caused upstairs, it was only right to compensate the shopkeeper with a purchase.

Yesterday, Ning Huanyi had already taken home the pieces she liked. These random selections were merely a reward for Qingdai’s useful information.

Once such news spread, people would only scorn Liu Jingming for climbing the social ladder. Ning Huanyi wasn’t about to swallow this humiliation silently. Since seeking medicine from the head of the Imperial Hospital, though the treatment only addressed symptoms and not the root cause, it at least allowed her to go a full day without coughing.

She was no longer the Ning Huanyi confined to her sickbed all day. Yet some insisted on exaggerating her delicate health, which irked her deeply.

Liu Jingming’s actions weren’t just about venting his anger—he wanted to make Ning Huanyi unmarriageable in the capital.

Such malicious intent didn’t deserve to go unpunished. The concubine-born princess’s mother had long passed away, and she had never been a prominent figure in the palace.

The carriage was exquisitely adorned. Though it lacked gemstone embellishments, its specifications and horses were of the highest quality. Plaques bearing the single character “Ning” hung from its four corners, and the horses wore small silver bells. Wherever the carriage went, vendors in the capital had to make way.

Thanks to this, the journey to Yongchang Marquis Manor was smooth. The manor’s golden plaque hung prominently outside, but the servants’ expressions were oddly varied. Seeing their young mistress’s carriage arrive, they hesitated before finally bringing out a footstool for Ning Huanyi to alight.

“Whose carriage is that in front? Do we have guests today?” Ning Huanyi frowned delicately. Of all days for visitors to arrive—if her parents were looking for her now, they wouldn’t be able to find her.

It was already past noon, the time for lunch and rest. Who would visit at such an hour?

Moreover, the carriage’s specifications were extraordinary. Ning Huanyi’s own carriage was the finest in Yongchang Marquis Manor, yet the one before her was drawn by four prized steeds, its woodwork crafted from the most expensive materials. Even the imperial consorts wouldn’t be entitled to such a carriage.

Ning Huanyi couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on—was today’s guest really such an important one?

Not daring to delay any longer, she quickly rehearsed her lines with her maid Qingdai, planning to say they had gone to Xichan Temple in the capital to offer incense and pray. But just as she stepped into the Yongchang Marquis Estate, she saw the other maids from Qiyan Pavilion waiting at the gate.

The moment they spotted Ning Huanyi returning, they all rushed forward. Fortunately, the Yongchang Marquis Estate had strict rules about servants’ conduct, forbidding them from crowding around the young ladies and madams with chatter. So, no matter how excited they were, they spoke one by one.

As they walked inside, it took about a quarter of an hour for Ning Huanyi to finally grasp the situation by the time they reached the main hall of the estate.

“So, you’re saying that His Highness the Regent, who just returned to the capital, has come with a lavish betrothal gift to propose marriage?” Ning Huanyi’s mind went blank. Hadn’t she just been released from an engagement? How could someone else be proposing—and not just anyone, but the rarely mentioned Regent?

A few years ago, the emperor had enfeoffed Xiao Ning’an, who was leading troops at the border, as the Regent. This move instantly drew dissatisfaction from many court officials, though her father, Ning Yuanxun, Marquis of Yongchang, was among the few who stood by the emperor.

It wasn’t until Xiao Ning’an proved her worth by saving the entire kingdom of Yongli from peril that the opposition gradually faded from court. Ning Huanyi had heard her father mention that the Regent hadn’t returned to court immediately—she had waited until the emperor consolidated his power before coming back, staying away for another year to avoid suspicion.

“Xiao… Xiao Ning’an? The one known as the Rakshasa King who makes the Xiongnu tremble in fear?” Ning Huanyi’s delicate face instantly paled. Though she had received an excellent upbringing, she was still the pampered jewel of the family, well aware of her own little temper. She had originally hoped to marry into a family of slightly lower status, where she could continue to be revered. But how could this Regent possibly indulge her?

Qingdai, standing beside her young mistress, was equally shocked. “The Regent has never even met you, miss. Why would she propose the moment she returns to the capital?”

Ning Huanyi’s delicate brows furrowed, but she still stepped forward. The main hall of the Yongchang Marquis Estate was grand and imposing, but the courtyard in front was piled high with gifts.

Five estate servants stood nearby, meticulously recording each item in ledgers. Ning Huanyi didn’t rush into the hall but paused to take in the sight of the red-lacquered chests filling the courtyard. Each one had been opened, revealing treasures that nearly blinded her with their brilliance.

The Ning family had seen plenty of gold and jewels, but Ning Huanyi never expected the Regent to propose with what looked like her entire fortune. Qingdai, reading her thoughts, nudged her and whispered, “Miss, the Regent is the emperor’s favorite. This likely isn’t her entire fortune.”

In the courtyard, there were also lively sacrificial animals—three kinds of livestock—and, apart from the gold and jewels, several large carp, symbolizing abundance year after year.

Among the smaller, less conspicuous items, dried longan, dried lychee, dried walnuts, and peanuts still in their shells caught Ning Huanyi’s eye. These, too, carried meanings of completeness, blessings, and endless prosperity.

In the main hall, a figure in a dark official robe stood at the center, while Pei Ruan and Ning Yuanxun sat uneasily in the seats of honor.