The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 16

Ning Fu was comforting the little maid Fuxin, but the latter still cried, wiping her tears with her sleeves. “I spilled the second young master’s ink. He’s definitely going to punish me,” Fuxin said fearfully. This ink was a precious item called “Like Gold” that the second young master had gone to great lengths to find. It must have been a rare item to be named so.

The second young master had just asked her to take the ink to his study, and she had spilled it. Fuxin didn’t know how to explain it to the second young master. Besides, the second young master was not as gentle as the first young master, nor as indifferent as the Crown Prince. She heard that when he punished people in the army, he never showed any mercy.

If Ning Fu knew what Fuxin was thinking, she would definitely argue with her. In fact, Zong Duo was the most approachable and kindest person. He was also the most trusting.

Right now, Ning Fu was also a little troubled. She didn’t want to get too close to the people in the Prince Xuan’s estate, but she saw Fuxin as just a little girl. Although they had only met a few times, Ning Fu knew she was kind-hearted and couldn’t bear to see her punished.

“Where is the second young master?” After much hesitation, Ning Fu decided to speak up for her.

Fuxin pointed to the corner. “After you turn this corner, there is a pavilion, and the second young master is there.”

“If the second young master asks, just say that I accidentally bumped into you,” Ning Fu said.

Fuxin was surprised that a young lady from the Duke of Ning’s estate would be willing to help her like this. She immediately knelt down and kowtowed. “Fourth Miss, Fuxin is so grateful.”

Zong Duo, who was nearby, was speechless. Was he really that unreasonable? He was strict in the army, but in the estate, he wasn’t a person who randomly punished his servants! What if the fourth Miss misunderstands me and thinks I’m a terrible person? What should I do? He felt a little anxious and returned to the pavilion. A moment later, he saw the fourth Miss Ning gracefully approaching.

Today, Ning Fu was wearing a white goose-down embroidered dress. If a person’s skin was dark or had blemishes, white would make their skin look worse. But Ning Fu had inherited her mother’s good skin, and this dress made her look even more like frost and snow. The light pink plum blossom huadian on her forehead made her look very pretty. Zong Duo looked at her and suddenly felt a little shy.

“Second Master,” she said, bowing gracefully.

Even when she bowed, Zong Duo felt that she was different from others. When she lowered her body, she seemed shy, and when she stood up, she was extremely elegant. It was very beautiful. However, he didn’t like delicate young ladies. Ning Fu seemed delicate, but she wasn’t. She got first place in archery!

“Fourth Miss,” Zong Duo said, trying to stay calm. I must be composed!

Ning Fu said, “I’m here to apologize to the second master. I accidentally bumped into your maid just now and made her spill the ink. I hope the second master won’t punish her. I have some good ink, and I’ll have someone from my estate send it to you.”

Zong Duo immediately said, “It’s nothing. The fourth Miss doesn’t need to take it to heart. As long as they don’t betray their master, I never punish the people around me.” He was explaining himself to her. He wasn’t some evil young master! Zong Duo didn’t want to leave a bad impression on Ning Fu. Although he didn’t know what would happen between him and Ning Fu, she was the first woman he had ever admired. If he had the chance, he even wanted to have an archery duel with her!

Ning Fu exchanged a few polite words with him and only then did she realize that Zong Duo hadn’t asked her how she knew that Fuxin was his maid. But since he didn’t ask, Ning Fu didn’t say anything else.

“Second Master, I hope you won’t tell the Crown Prince that you saw me today,” Ning Fu said at the end.

“Okay.” This was his private business, and Zong Duo wouldn’t have told him anyway. It seems Third Brother was overthinking things! In the fourth Miss’s eyes, Third Brother is probably not as good as me! Zong Duo felt a little sweet feeling in his heart.

In her previous life, Ning Fu had a nephew-in-law relationship with Zong Duo, and they didn’t have many private conversations. Although she knew that he only seemed difficult on the surface but was kind-hearted, she didn’t expect him to be even more approachable than she had imagined. She secretly thought, Grandmother should have considered Zong Duo instead. Not only would the success rate have been higher, but Zong Duo was also easier to get along with. He wasn’t as cold and heartless, and he didn’t have a childhood sweetheart. He was a man suitable for marriage. However, Ning Fu wouldn’t consider Zong Duo for herself. After all, he was her former brother-in-law, and she couldn’t accept it. How was that any different from violating moral principles?

Ning Fu didn’t stay for long, but the faint sweet scent in the air didn’t immediately dissipate. Zong Duo sat in the pavilion for a while before going to Zong Si’s Jinghua Residence. His older brother, Zong Ting, was also there. Zong Duo was very respectful of his older brother, so he stood to the side. However, when he thought of Ning Fu, he couldn’t help but smile.

Zong Si had already taken off his clothes. There was a very deep wound two inches above his chest and one inch below his shoulder. Although it was bandaged, blood was still seeping out. Zong Ting couldn’t help but frown. “The injury isn’t light. Why did you rush back?”

“I didn’t want to miss A-Ning’s birthday,” Zong Si said flatly, as if the injured person wasn’t him. Zong Ting didn’t say anything. His third brother was not a spoiled person. He had been injured on the battlefield even more times. Zong Si said calmly, “If I showed that my injury was very serious, the sixth Prince would become suspicious.” It was his style to hide the injury and not reveal it. The Prince Xuan’s estate was not without the sixth Prince’s people, so he would naturally know about his injury.

“The sixth Prince is very wary of Grand Secretary Song’s connections. Now that there is a breakthrough, he naturally hopes that you can capture them all as soon as possible,” Zong Ting said. He had heard Zong Si talk about some of it. “Do you have evidence of Grand Secretary Song’s bribery?”

Zong Si naturally did. “Now is not the time to deal with Grand Secretary Song.” Grand Secretary Song was a veteran of two dynasties, and many high-ranking officials were his students and were involved with him. Therefore, he was very well-informed, and in the official world, information was the most valuable thing. If such a person was on their side, he would be the best resource. But Grand Secretary Song was on the fourth Prince’s side.

For the sixth Prince, this was naturally a good time to get rid of the fourth Prince’s right-hand man. He naturally hoped that Zong Si would quickly find evidence of Grand Secretary Song’s crime and bring the Prince Xuan’s estate’s support for him into the open. This would be a favorable bargaining chip for him and could win over many neutral officials. However, this was not a good thing for the Prince Xuan’s estate. Now was not the time to openly take sides. Zong Si was “assassinated” on his way to Langya to investigate Grand Secretary Song. The sword wound he received was the result of a game of wits with the sixth Prince.

Zong Ting didn’t say anything else. He looked at Zong Duo, who was a little distracted and a little shy. He said, “Second Brother, what are you smiling at?”

Zong Duo came back to his senses and said a little awkwardly, “I just thought of something interesting.” He then walked forward to look at Zong Si’s wound.

“Did you go to Yixiang House today?” Zong Si asked when he got closer, as he smelled a sweet, unique scent of a woman on him.

Zong Duo looked at him with some confusion. “It’s A-Ning’s birthday today. I’ve been in the estate and haven’t gone out.”

The smell was a little familiar. Zong Si glanced at him but didn’t say anything else.

The brothers were rarely reunited, so after seeing off the guests, they gathered in the living room. Zong Ting had been married for ten years, and his son was seven years old. He grew up in the army with Zong Ting and was much sturdier than his peers, but he was also very mischievous and not afraid of being disciplined with a stick.

Madam Zong Second was overjoyed to see her grandson, but she looked at Zong Duo and couldn’t help but sigh. “Third Brother’s marriage is a matter for the royal estate and can only be put on hold for now, but when do you plan to get married?”

Zong Duo usually ignored this topic, but today he was uncharacteristically a little coy. He said, “I’m just afraid that you won’t like the person I like.”

Zong Si looked at him.

Madam Zong Second said, “As long as you like her and her family background is clean, I will like her.” The second son was neither the Crown Prince of the Prince Xuan’s estate nor the eldest son. He had much more freedom when it came to marriage. Even if a woman wanted to influence him, the second son didn’t have much power to lose. To put it bluntly, even if he was fooled, it wasn’t a big deal.

Zong Duo thought for a moment. “We’ll see.”

Madam Zong Second understood her son. If he could say it, he would have already. His hesitation probably meant that the woman he liked had a special identity. She might be someone who had been considered for his third brother. However, she was not an old-fashioned person. Having been considered was not the same as being in love. After they got married, the second son would also have his own courtyard and wouldn’t see his third brother much.

Madam Zong Second had a vague guess. It might be the fourth Miss Ning. The Prince Xuan’s Consort disliked the fourth Miss Ning and preferred the second Miss Xie, but Madam Zong Second thought the fourth Miss Ning was not bad. At the birthday banquet today, she had looked at her from afar. Although A-Ning gave her a cold shoulder, she was still amiable and didn’t deliberately try to please A-Ning. She was a magnanimous and sensible person. The second son was just naive when it came to matters of men and women, but he had a good heart. He would do well living with a young lady like her. But this was just a guess for Madam Zong Second, but it wouldn’t be wrong to be a little more polite to the fourth Miss Ning.

After Ning Fu returned to the estate, she found some gold leaf ink and had a pageboy from the estate send it to Zong Duo. When she saw Madam Ning, she couldn’t hide the smile in her eyes.

“What are you happy about, Mother?” Ning Fu asked curiously.

“Your grandmother sent a message praising you for your talent and rewarding you with a tavern,” Madam Ning said with a smile.

Ning Fu’s eyes lit up. She was about to ask about the tavern, but Madam Ning said mercilessly, “I will manage the tavern for you first. After you get married, I will give you the tavern along with your dowry.” Ning Fu didn’t dare to act spoiled about this. She just hoped that things would go smoothly with Sister Fu.

“Was everything smooth at the royal estate today?” Madam Ning asked, straightening her clothes. Although Zong Ning had a grudge against her, it wasn’t a big deal. Ning Fu nodded.

She and Fu Jiahui arranged to meet at a bookstore so as not to arouse suspicion, pretending they had run into each other and talked a little more. The Clear Sky Pavilion was the largest bookstore in the capital. Many young ladies and gentlemen came here, and although Ning Fu’s beauty occasionally made people stop and stare, no one was surprised by her appearance.

“Fourth Miss, please follow me.” The shopkeeper greeted her respectfully when he saw her.

“I’m waiting for Sister Fu.”

“Miss Fu has already arrived,” the shopkeeper said.

Ning Fu hadn’t expected that this Clear Sky Pavilion was also a Fu family business. “Sister Fu, you’ve really opened my eyes,” Ning Fu said with a smile when she saw Fu Jiahui.

Fu Jiahui, however, said, “This is not my territory. I’m just managing it for someone. Did you bring the recipes?”

Ning Fu handed her the recipes. “Women love beauty. The胭脂 and powders on the market sell very well. Beauty products will naturally not be bad. But how to make a name for them is a difficult problem.” Not everyone dared to try new things on their faces.

Fu Jiahui listened quietly, waiting for her to continue.

Ning Fu considered for a moment. “If we can get the Consort to say that the recipes are good, there will be no problem. The noble ladies in the capital will naturally be willing to buy them,” Ning Fu said. The Consort had a high status in the capital, and her food and clothing were always mimicked.

Fu Jiahui was taken aback. “You are too bold. You dare to scheme against the Prince Xuan’s Consort. Putting everything else aside, why would the Consort be willing to come out and say the recipes are good?”

Ning Fu had already thought about this problem. The Prince Xuan’s Consort disliked her, so she would definitely not be willing to talk about the recipes she got from her. She would be afraid that the Prince Xuan’s estate would get involved with the Duke of Ning’s estate. But if the person she loved gave her the recipes, she would definitely show them off. The minds of elders were all about the same. They all loved it when their juniors cared about them and loved to share the good things their juniors did for them. Now that Zong Ning had a prejudice against her, Ning Fu thought she could only start with Xie Ruyi.

Ning Fu said, “We can make the recipes into pills and give them a beautiful name. Find a way to have Sister Xie give them to the Consort. The Consort will definitely talk to her friends about it. Then we can let everyone know that the pills Sister Xie bought were from you.” The name of the item was also very important. For example, “radish” and “turnip.” Although they were the same thing, they gave people a completely different feeling.

“The premise for this method to work is that your recipes are truly effective,” Fu Jiahui said.

Ning Fu said, “If they weren’t effective, I wouldn’t be thinking of opening a shop.” Besides, she thought of the Consort also because the Consort had used these recipes before, and the effect was very good.

“Everything will have to wait until I have verified the recipes. If there are no problems, we will proceed as you said,” Fu Jiahui said.

Ning Fu nodded. After they finished their business, they browsed the Clear Sky Pavilion for a while. Her personal maid Dongzhu came out with her. Ning Fu needed a helper, and Dongzhu was very meticulous, so she didn’t plan to hide this from her. After the initial shock, Dongzhu quickly calmed down. She was always on her mistress’s side. She would help with what she should help with and not say a word about what she shouldn’t.

Three days later, Ning Fu received a letter. Fu Jiahui invited her to the Clear Sky Pavilion again. Ning Fu went there discreetly. This time, Fu Jiahui was waiting for her in person.

“Sister Fu,” Ning Fu said with a smile, walking forward.

Fu Jiahui didn’t reply. Her eyes were a little complicated. She was Ning Zhen’s sister, after all. She instructed her, “Just tell the truth when I ask you something later.”

Ning Fu’s smile faded a little. Perhaps because of her state of mind, Ning Fu felt that the Clear Sky Pavilion was a little colder this time. Ning Fu walked step by step, and her heart sank for no reason. When she saw Zong Si, her heart was filled with a raging storm, but she quickly calmed down.

If the Clear Sky Pavilion belonged to Zong Si, then everything made sense. Ning Fu figured out many things. How could the Fu family’s business be so big? Could they only get the Prince Xuan’s estate’s protection by helping them with some military supplies? There was only one explanation: The Fu family was just a name, and they took a small portion of the profits, while the person behind these businesses was Zong Si.

Ning Fu broke out in a cold sweat. She thought of something even more terrifying: Since the Fu family was Zong Si’s agent, her brother’s death might also have something to do with Zong Si. The Fu family’s interests were enormous, and Zong Si needed a minion who was absolutely loyal. Sister Fu loved her brother and had said that she would no longer be involved in the Fu family’s business after she got married. Zong Si couldn’t bear to lose his useful right-hand woman, Sister Fu, and he couldn’t let the secret be exposed, so he couldn’t let her brother, Ning Zhen, live. In her previous life, her brother had also secretly investigated the Fu family’s business.

“Fourth Miss,” Zong Si glanced at her. His voice was as indifferent as the spring snow in the mountains.