The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 31

“The Divine Physician asked me to find you, Miss, as he wishes to meet you.” Uncle Song took a letter from his sleeve. “The Divine Physician asked me to hand this to you.”

Ning Fu opened the letter. After noting the meeting location, she quickly burned the letter in a nearby tea brazier.

“Since the task the Divine Physician assigned to me is complete, I won’t disturb you any longer, Miss,” Uncle Song said.

After he left, Ning Fu pondered the location arranged in the letter. Linglong Terrace was outwardly known as a pleasure district, but the power behind it was quite complex. She wondered which noble in the palace the Divine Physician Mu was acquainted with.

Just as she was thinking, the curtain was lifted, and the person in the ochre-colored martial attire was none other than Zong Si.

Ning Fu was only surprised for a moment before calming down. She knew he had come because he didn’t trust her regarding the Divine Physician Mu’s matter. “When did the Heir-Apparent return?”

“Two days ago,” Zong Si said flatly. He had only appeared now because he learned a strange person had shown up at the Warm Fragrance Pavilion, guessed it was related to the Divine Physician Mu, and wanted to test her.

Once again, she demonstrated the ability to “foretell the future.”

The fact that the Divine Physician Mu did not recognize her made her identity even more peculiar.

“Is there anything the Heir-Apparent wants to ask me?” He must have been suspicious of her conversation with Uncle Song, for instance, how she possessed a prescription that even the Divine Physician Mu didn’t have himself.

Zong Si’s gaze fell on the exquisite earrings beside her ear. Women in Great Yan usually wore jade ornaments, but she wore something different every time. Pearls and gemstones were common on her.

Seeing his silence, Ning Fu stood up. For a moment, she forgot about her aching knees and stumbled, about to fall to the ground.

Ning Fu sighed inwardly. Such a fall would likely mean another half-month of recovery.

However, things went differently than she expected. Zong Si pulled her up, and she clearly felt that she was now pressed against his chest.

His embrace was broad and steady. Many people, due to his handsome face, differentiated him from a strong, burly general. However, with his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his build was no less impressive than that of those generals.

In Ning Fu’s view, Zong Si definitely belonged to the powerful and sturdy category of men—colloquially speaking, a “brawny man,” just with a very handsome face.

“Thank you, Heir-Apparent.” The next moment, Ning Fu pushed him away. She didn’t want to take any advantage of him whatsoever.

Zong Si looked at her. “What’s wrong with your leg?”

“I knelt for too long and injured it.” She didn’t hide such a trivial matter.

Zong Si paused, his distant manner unchanged. “The Qingtian Pavilion has medicinal ointment.”

“The Imperial Arts assessment is coming soon, so it’s inconvenient for me to leave the estate again soon,” Ning Fu said, moving to the main topic. “The Divine Physician Mu wants to meet with me. I plan to go alone the first time and take the opportunity to inquire about the antidote for Jade Hibiscus.”

Zong Si clearly had no intention of participating and remained silent.

“Sister Wei is still waiting for me, so I should leave…” Seeing that he didn’t intend to interrogate her, Ning Fu made to depart.

Although only Zhang Zhong knew he was there, besides themselves, Ning Fu did not want Zhang Zhong to misunderstand that there was anything improper between the two of them.

Once she met the Divine Physician Mu and secured the Jade Hibiscus antidote, she wouldn’t have to see him anymore, and this could be resolved quickly.

“Miss Four’s dream was a great help to my Second Elder Brother this time,” Zong Si said flatly.

Ning Fu managed a smile. “I don’t know why I happened to have that dream. I suppose Heaven favors the Second Lord.”

Zong Si asked, “Is that so?”

“It is, of course,” Ning Fu insisted.

“Younger Sister Four, where are you?” Wei Ziyi’s voice rang out just then.

Wei Ziyi’s footsteps were approaching, and Ning Fu felt a rush of urgency and made to leave.

“It’s not like you’re secretly meeting a lover. Why the rush?” Zong Si looked at her, his tone cold and indifferent.

“The Heir-Apparent has returned to the capital without even telling Younger Sister Ning, yet you secretly came to see me. What’s the difference between this and a secret assignation, in the eyes of an outsider?” Ning Fu thought back to her casual chat with Zong Ning earlier; clearly, she didn’t know Zong Si was back.

She couldn’t worry about anything else, raised her foot, and hurried out. She didn’t see the slight change in Zong Si’s expression behind her, which quickly returned to calm.

The Calm Before the Storm

Wei Ziyi was about to push the door open, but it was opened first, and Ning Fu stepped out.

“You scared me. I thought someone had kidnapped you,” Wei Ziyi breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Ning Fu hadn’t come out for a long time, she had boldly entered the back courtyard.

“The goods in the front were depleted. The steward sent someone to retrieve more, and worried I’d be bored waiting, he arranged for me to have a cup of tea in the back courtyard,” Ning Fu instantly found an excuse and smiled. “Sister Wei, let’s go back.”

“Younger Sister Ning from the Prince Xuan’s estate seems very enthusiastic about you lately,” Wei Ziyi said suddenly after they returned to the Duke’s estate.

Ning Fu couldn’t say it was because of Zong Duo, so she only pretended to be equally puzzled.

Ning Fu planned to give one of the two boxes of Snow Muscle Cream she had bought to Madam Ning, and the other one was specially ordered for Wei Ziyi.

“I’m giving this to you, so Aunt won’t say anything,” Ning Fu said.

Wei Ziyi was both touched and reluctant for her to keep thinking of her like this. “Younger Sister Four, you don’t need to consider me so much.”

“Since Sister married into the Duke’s estate, I naturally must treat you well,” Ning Fu smiled.

Later that evening, a pageboy at the gate came to the Bamboo Court. “The young lady from the Fu estate sent someone to deliver something to you, Miss.”

When Ning Fu opened it, it was medicine to help the injuries heal. This was obviously sent by Zong Si.

Something he sent must be good quality. Zong Si’s invisible-writing ink came in handy, and she wrote a flowing letter of thanks and had it delivered back.

After that, there was no more activity from Zong Si’s side.

Dual First Place

By the time of the Imperial Arts assessment, Ning Fu’s leg was almost healed. Equestrian skills did not rely on muscle memory like archery; it emphasized core strength and coordination with the horse. Either you could do it or you couldn’t. Ning Fu’s score in horsemanship tied for first place with Zong Ning.

Perhaps because she had already won first place in the archery assessment, getting first place in the Imperial Arts assessment was less sensational.

However, the weight of Dual First Place was significant. The number of families visiting the Duke’s estate to discuss marriage gradually increased. But marriage discussions prioritize quality over quantity. If there were no suitable candidates, no matter how many men’s families came to call, a marriage would be difficult to arrange.

Moreover, Ning Fu currently had no intention of discussing marriage.

Throughout the second month, besides the young ladies’ Imperial Arts assessment, the most sensational news was the return of the Prince Xuan’s estate to the capital. Everyone in the capital admired the swiftness with which the conflict was settled, though they also lamented that the Hu barbarians, who had seized half of the North in just one month in the previous reign, had become so weak.

Emperor Jingwen was beside himself with joy, and the palace celebrated with singing and dancing for three consecutive days.

Ning Fu was not invited to the palace banquet, but she did attend the banquet hosted by the Prince Xuan’s estate.

As soon as Zong Ning saw her, she excitedly rushed to Zong Duo’s courtyard. “Second Elder Brother, Elder Sister Ning is here.”

Zong Si’s hand, holding a chess piece, paused. He looked toward her.

“We’ll finish this game tomorrow.” Zong Duo immediately got up and left upon hearing the news.

Zong Si looked at his departing back, frowned slightly, and his expression was extremely cold.

The Awkward Exchange

“Now that the Heir-Apparent is back, his marriage will probably be finalized. The Emperor even spoke to him about it in the palace a few days ago,” Rong Min said to Cheng Shuang beside her.

Cheng Shuang’s face looked somewhat upset.

“The Heir-Apparent usually finds ways to postpone it, but he didn’t deny it this time,” Rong Min nudged Cheng Shuang with her elbow. “Why are you so uninterested today? You usually love coming to the Prince Xuan’s estate.”

Cheng Shuang was feeling distressed because Zong Si’s marriage was about to be finalized. Unwilling to talk to Rong Min, she said to Ning Fu beside her, “Younger Sister Ning, do you want this osmanthus cake?”

Before Ning Fu could speak, Zong Ning linked arms with her. “Sister Ning, sit with me for a bit.”

With that, she led her away.

Ning Fu had a bad feeling, worried that this was related to Zong Duo.

The facts proved her right. Upon seeing Zong Duo, Ning Fu quickly curtsied while contemplating what excuse to use to leave. “Second Lord.”

When Zong Duo saw Ning Fu, his eyes softened, carrying the unique bashfulness of an unmarried man.

He had often thought of her during his time in the North, and the fact that she had saved him from disaster made him feel incredibly warm!

A few days ago, he heard that her Imperial Arts score was excellent, which made him regard her even more highly.

A woman who was skilled in both riding and archery was truly admirable. Even he couldn’t achieve Dual First Place!

“Thank you, Miss Four,” Zong Duo said solemnly.

Ning Fu only wanted Zong Duo to owe her a debt of gratitude and had no intention of a further relationship with him, so she spoke cautiously. “It was merely a small effort. The one the Second Lord should thank is yourself for listening to my dream. If the Second Lord hadn’t taken precautions, anything I said would have been useless.”

Zong Duo only felt that she was a woman of excellent character, unwilling to claim credit.

What a wonderful young lady!

He took out a hairpin from his sleeve. “Miss Four, I didn’t know what you liked, but I thought this hairpin would look beautiful on you, so I bought it. Please accept it as a token of my gratitude.”

The hairpin was entirely silver-white, but unlike ordinary silver, the flower stamens were coated with a layer of fine gold powder, and the edges were outlined with indigo shattered jade, making it extremely brilliant.

This was his first time giving a gift to a young lady, and he felt a mix of nervousness and shyness.

Even Ning Fu, who was accustomed to fine things, knew its price was considerable. Moreover, a hairpin given by a man to a woman held significant meaning, which she absolutely could not accept. She only smiled. “Thank you, Second Lord. I have received your kind intention, but this is too valuable, and I cannot accept it.”

Zong Ning felt a sourness bubble up inside her. Her Second Elder Brother had never been so thoughtful to her. It must have taken a lot of effort to choose such a beautiful hairpin.

Zong Duo pondered for a moment, realizing he had made her uncomfortable. He didn’t want to trouble her. Once they became closer in the future, there would be plenty of chances to send her gifts. He put the hairpin away. “What do you like, Miss Four?”

“If I encounter difficulty in the future, and the Second Lord can offer a helping hand, how about you assist me then?” Ning Fu suggested, thinking it better to ask for something useful.

“That’s no difficulty at all,” Zong Duo smiled, readily agreeing.

As for other matters, Zong Duo was in no hurry. They should naturally get to know each other slowly.

Seeing his straightforward agreement, Ning Fu couldn’t help but smile. It was comfortable interacting with a person like this, unlike the other one, whose thoughts were roundabout, extremely distant and cold, making it impossible to guess his intentions.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while.

Zong Duo did not mention marriage, and Ning Fu felt it inappropriate to state her position. However, it didn’t matter; she could state her position whenever he brought it up.

Ning Fu soon found an excuse to leave.

Though Zong Duo was a little reluctant, he knew that staying any longer would make outsiders speculate, so he didn’t say anything further.

She was very familiar with the Prince Xuan’s estate. Not wanting to walk through the crowd and let people know she had been with Zong Duo, she decided to go around the rock garden.

The Chess Match

Unexpectedly, Zong Si was already there.

From this angle, he could clearly see her earlier interaction with Zong Duo and Zong Ning.

“Heir-Apparent,” she said softly.

“Play a game with me,” Zong Si looked at her.

Ning Fu replied, “The estate is full of people today.”

“You talked with my Second Elder Brother for so long; was that not crowded?” Zong Si countered flatly.

Ning Fu thought, Usually you are the most careful to avoid suspicion, but now you say this.

However, she never liked arguing over small matters. Since he invited her, he likely ensured no one would discover them.

“Then I will play a game with the Heir-Apparent,” Ning Fu said, respectfully accepting the instruction.

Go (Weiqi) tests patience and temperament. Ning Fu slowly placed a stone, recalling the patterns she used to play with him in her previous life.

In her past life, Ning Fu had played many games of Go with him to spend more time together. However, it was merely a pastime, and unlike her archery and riding, she hadn’t taken the time to seriously learn it.

Zong Si quickly followed suit.

Ning Fu could initially keep up, but gradually, she found it difficult.

She had to stop and carefully examine the board. The distribution of the pieces felt strangely familiar. Her heart jumped, and she paused, smiling politely. “The Heir-Apparent’s skill is brilliant. I concede.”

If she let him realize that her Go skill followed his patterns as well, Zong Si would become even more suspicious of her.

“Miss Four’s skill is not bad. I imagine the person who often played with Miss Four must be proficient in this art,” Zong Si curled his lips, an expression that made him seem somewhat cold.

Ning Fu agreed. “Indeed, he was a highly skilled old gentleman.”

“But what was the name of this gentleman?” Zong Si pressed her for details.

Ning Fu couldn’t help but look at him. He was somewhat aggressive today.

“I do not know the gentleman’s name, but he stayed at my estate for a time years ago. Perhaps he has already passed away.” Even if Zong Si wanted to look, there would be no living witness.

Zong Si looked at her, saying no more.

When Ning Fu placed her second stone, he saw whose Go skills she resembled. However, compared to her equestrian and archery skills, she was less focused on Go, so her learning seemed proficient but was easily revealed as a paper tiger upon testing.

This “paper tiger” didn’t want him to detect “where she learned,” which explained why she sought out Lu Xingzhi for riding and archery. Unfortunately, although he and Lu Xingzhi learned from the same place, their archery habits differed, so she hadn’t managed to conceal it entirely.

Zong Si rubbed his forehead. He was willing to patiently teach her, ensuring she was proficient in both archery/riding and Go. If she truly was his wife, what kind of relationship did the two of them share?

He couldn’t imagine why he would marry Miss Ning Four.

Or perhaps, she was not his official wife.

Ning Fu thought for a moment and shifted the topic. “I hear that when you returned this time, your marriage to Elder Sister Xie will be finalized soon. The Heir-Apparent and Elder Sister Xie are a perfect match. Congratulations.”