The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 43

Yue Niang collected her thoughts.

When she learned of Zong Si’s identity, her heart was filled with apprehension. She knew he was noble, but she never imagined he was the son of Prince Xuan.

Prince Xuan’s Consort, seeing her dexterity and considering that the heir apparent often traveled to the northern borders and needed someone to look after him, had once wanted Zong Si to take her in. However, due to Yue Niang’s own mistake later on, the matter was dropped.

“Although I don’t know who saved Miss Yue, he must be a very righteous person,” said Madame Ning. With countless military officials, great and small, traveling to and from the northern border, Madame Ning naturally could not guess who had brought her back to the capital.

Yue Niang’s expression softened a little. She said, “Madam is right. He is a good man; those indebted to him are innumerable.”

Ning Fu stretched out her arms, allowing Yue Niang to measure her waist, but remained silent. Fu Jiahui had mentioned Yue Niang the last time she came to the Hong Xiu Pavilion, so Ning Fu naturally knew that the nobleman who saved her was Zong Si.

In her previous life, she was equally unaware of this person’s existence and knew nothing of the story between him and Zong Si.

Anything Zong Si wished to conceal, she could not detect, no matter how clever she was.

Fortunately, she did not care now. As long as it was unrelated to her elder brother and the Ning State Duke Manor, she did not want to waste any more thought on it.

Madame Ning saw that Yue Niang was amiable and friendly, and she developed a favorable impression of her. She asked, “Does Miss Yue have a match arranged?”

Yue Niang shook her head. “I am already past twenty; it is hard to find a suitable husband. The ones who favor me, I do not like, and the ones I favor may not favor me. Therefore, it is better not to worry about this matter. I can earn a good amount of silver at the Hong Xiu Pavilion, and I am quite content living alone.”

Madame Ning agreed with her. For an outsider woman with no status or background, it was better to make a living herself than to marry just anyone.

This top-tier embroiderer was meticulous in making dresses; even the measuring of the dimensions was extremely precise, measuring Ning Fu’s body almost inch by inch.

“The Fourth Miss is truly a marvel. Few girls who have reached the age of the hair-pinning ceremony are as graceful and charming as the Fourth Miss. Making clothes for a beauty always puts me in a better mood,” Yue Niang said with a gentle smile.

To be praised by a stunning beauty like Yue Niang, Ning Fu was pleased but inevitably felt a little self-conscious.

After a short while, she ran into Princess Jing Wen.

“Cousin Ning, I didn’t expect to run into you,” Princess Jing Wen had a rare chance to leave the palace today to play. After having enough fun at the Prince Xuan’s residence, she stopped by the Hong Xiu Pavilion to pick up her clothes, but unexpectedly bumped into Ning Fu.

“My respects to Your Highness the Princess,” Ning Fu curtsied and saluted.

“You don’t need to observe such formalities with me,” Princess Jing Wen helped her up. She asked, “Are you also here to have Yue Niang make a dress?”

“I’ll have my hair-pinning ceremony in five months. I’m here now to decide on the wide-sleeved dress for the ceremony,” Ning Fu replied.

For a woman, the hair-pinning ceremony was the most important day in her life; no noblewoman failed to prepare for it early.

“You must invite me to your hair-pinning ceremony then, Cousin Ning,” Princess Jing Wen was willing to show her support.

“If Your Highness is willing to come, I will certainly receive you well. I would be overjoyed,” Ning Fu’s eyes curved as she couldn’t help but smile. Everyone was happy to be valued.

Princess Jing Wen thought for a moment, recalling the Cuju match with Zong Ning. She said, “I will be hosting a Cuju match in the palace in a few days and am short of hands. Cousin Ning, why don’t you come and fill the numbers for me?”

“I fear I would cause the Princess’s team to lose the match,” Ning Fu was absolutely unwilling to bear that responsibility.

Princess Jing Wen said, “My Sixth Brother said your equestrian skills are good, and your core is definitely stable. If you practice Cuju a little, you’ll surely be better than most people. Besides, it’s just for fun. If we lose, we lose. How could I possibly blame you for winning or losing?”

She then turned to Madame Ning and said, “Aunt-in-Law, please persuade Cousin Ning.”

Madame Ning was the daughter of the Princess Royal Kang Yang. Although Princess Jing Wen was not related to her by blood, calling her “Aunt-in-Law” was appropriate.

As the Princess personally invited her, Ning Fu could not refuse to join in the fun. Furthermore, maintaining a good relationship with the Princess was certainly not a bad thing.

After returning to the manor, she practiced alone for a few days. She had excellent balance from her equestrian practice, and the techniques were somewhat integrated with Cuju, so Ning Fu did not play badly.

This time entering the palace was not for a grand banquet, and the palace lacked its usual hustle and bustle. The palace walls on both sides stood tall, seeming to pierce the clouds, solemn and dignified, causing one to instinctively be cautious with every step.

The one escorting Ning Fu into Jinghe Palace was Princess Jing Wen’s personal eunuch, who was quite courteous to her, introducing her to the princesses and young ladies participating in Cuju that day.

The captains of the two teams were Princess Jing Wen, the Seventh Princess, and Princess Jing Yi, the Ninth Princess. Zong Ning was on the Ninth Princess’s team this time.

As soon as she entered Jinghe Palace, she heard a few cries of “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (Wishing you a prosperous new year), but the voice was strange. As she drew closer, Ning Fu realized it was the white parrot standing on a perch in front of Meng Ze.

“A beauty has arrived! A beauty has arrived!” The white parrot flapped its wings when it saw someone enter. It was now very robust, having been well-fed by Meng Ze. Its feathers were fine, smooth, and immaculate white. It tilted its head to look at Ning Fu.

Ning Fu was amused and couldn’t help but laugh. She curtsied and greeted, “Sixth Cousin.”

Meng Ze turned around. Seeing her dressed very neatly today, her slender waist tightly bound by a belt, and her ears bare, without any adornments, he said, “Cousin Ning.”

Ning Fu mused to herself: Ever since the matter of Elder Song was settled, stripping Fourth Prince Meng Che of many of his pawns, Meng Ze had become increasingly spirited and confident.

“Only Sixth Cousin has such ability. This parrot, in Sixth Cousin’s hands, is no longer the bird it used to be,” Ning Fu praised.

Both Zong Si and Meng Ze were as handsome as jade, but their differences were great. Zong Si rarely smiled; even when he did, he still resembled a cold piece of jade, seemingly born in a cold spring.

Meng Ze, however, looked extremely gentle, like a refined gentleman, almost like a man of deep affection. Those who did not know him would not realize his sinister thoughts and how he could kill without batting an eye.

“Since it’s for you to raise, I naturally put some effort into it,” Meng Ze bent down to tease the parrot.

This was an awkward remark to respond to. Ning Fu pondered for a long time and finally said, “Thank you, Sixth Cousin.”

“Have you learned Cuju?” Meng Ze asked again.

“I learned a bit temporarily,” Ning Fu answered truthfully.

Meng Ze smiled and ordered a servant, “Bring the Cuju ball.”

In a moment, someone came holding a Cuju ball. Meng Ze took the ball and beckoned to her.

Ning Fu did not move.

“Cousin Ning seems a little wary of me,” Meng Ze said with a hint of playfulness.

Ning Fu thought to herself: In her previous life, he had almost forced her into marriage. She knew too well that getting close to him was definitely not a good thing.

Just then, Princess Jing Wen and Cheng Shuang arrived. Seeing that Meng Ze was in the mood to teach, Princess Jing Wen quickly said, “Sixth Brother, teach Sister Cheng and me as well.”

Teaching three was no different than teaching one, so Meng Ze did not refuse and began to explain the techniques involved.

“If I win against Ninth Sister today, Sixth Brother must figure out what gift to give me,” Princess Jing Wen said.

“Cousin Ning is on her team. Are you sure you can win?” Meng Ze did not believe her.

Princess Jing Wen was displeased. “Is Sixth Brother doubting Cousin Ning?”

Meng Ze’s smile widened. Looking at Ning Fu, he said, “I naturally trust Cousin Ning.”

“Sixth Cousin’s confidence in me is actually confidence in his own technique. Cousin is truly confident in himself,” Ning Fu said.

The more distance Meng Ze saw her maintain, the more interesting he found it. Ordinary women, seeing him take the initiative, would desperately cling to him. Yet, she was afraid of getting even a tiny bit involved. However, this made the conquest more exciting.

Once she was in bed, she would know his charms. He feared she would then be reluctant to let him go, worried he would go to someone else’s room.

Meng Ze had countless women around him. Even those who initially disliked him later fought amongst themselves for his favor, each believing she was his most beloved. However, to him, they were all the same.

Women were merely playthings, though some playthings had a bit of utility.

Ning Fu would be no exception. Once Ning Zhenyuan could no longer protect her, she would be his. If he tired of her, he could simply discard her.

“Cousin Ning is right. I trust my own technique. If you play well today, Cousin, I shall certainly reward you handsomely,” Meng Ze said with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

In today’s match, Ning Fu mostly didn’t know the members on Princess Jing Wen’s team, while the Ninth Princess’s team included Zong Ning, Xie Ruyi, and Rong Min.

Among the princes, Third Prince Meng Yuan also came to watch today.

Ning Fu looked towards Meng Yuan. He suffered from a leg ailment and rarely went out. His skin was fairer and his build was thinner than Meng Ze’s. He looked detached and seemingly indifferent to everything.

Ning Fu couldn’t help but recall his affairs, but her memory was severely lacking. In her previous life, Meng Yuan truly had no presence and did not participate in the conflict between the Sixth Prince and the Fourth Prince. His life seemed to pass peacefully.

As Meng Yuan spoke with Meng Ze, his peripheral vision caught her glance.

That one look made Ning Fu feel a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen him somewhere before.

Ning Fu thought back carefully, but she had no clue. Could she have actually encountered Meng Yuan before?

She had no time to ponder further and refocused her attention on the ball.

Initially, Princess Jing Wen’s team was five points behind the Ninth Princess’s team. Ning Fu was fine when practicing alone, but on the field, she seemed disorganized. However, after playing for a while, she gradually found her rhythm. Coupled with her good balance, she did not become the team’s weakness.

Meng Ze watched with interest. In a women’s match, Ning Fu’s skill was naturally not exceptional, but she was barely able to cope. It was not easy to achieve this level in her first time playing Cuju.

“Perhaps raising an interesting bird is more amusing,” Meng Ze said with a faint smile, a sense of conquest rising in his heart.

Meng Yuan was uninterested in everything and was too lazy to speculate about Meng Ze’s intentions. He remained silent as always, with little presence.

“Third Brother, although you injured your leg, don’t give up on yourself. You are also the Emperor’s son. It’s not difficult to find a woman to accompany you. Marrying a wife and having children will make life less boring,” Meng Ze said, consoling Meng Yuan.

Meng Yuan did not reply.

Meng Ze then grew tired of talking to him. This elder brother of his was not favored by their father, nor by his own mother. He and Meng Yuan were not very close.

The match on the field gradually reached a critical point.

Cheng Shuang was about to score a goal, but the ball was snatched away by Xie Ruyi. Cheng Shuang already held some resentment toward her and felt that Xie Ruyi was deliberately preventing her from standing out today.

She held back her anger. When the Cuju ball reached her feet again, she looked up, hesitated repeatedly, and finally kicked the ball out. It landed precisely on Xie Ruyi’s leg, which was not wearing a protective guard.

Xie Ruyi had just taken two steps back when her leg was struck with a sharp pain, and she fell to the ground.

“Sister Xie!” Zong Ning immediately ran over worriedly. The noblewomen stopped the match and gathered around her.

Cheng Shuang wore a worried expression and said, “Sister Xie, I didn’t mean to. I didn’t aim properly just now.”

Xie Ruyi stared at her for a moment but said nothing, lowering her head to check her injury.

Ning Fu frowned. If Cheng Shuang had done it deliberately, this person would be difficult to deal with. If she were to displease Cheng Shuang in the future, she might be retaliated against. It was one thing for noblewomen to gossip behind backs or even compete, but being malicious was a serious problem.

“Sister Xie, how are you?” Princess Jing Wen asked.

“It should just be a sprained ankle,” Xie Ruyi said with a slight smile. “Your Highness needn’t worry.”

Since Xie Ruyi sprained her leg today, she returned to her manor early after the imperial physician examined her. The match did not continue, and naturally, no winner was declared.

“Actually, if we had played a little longer, we would have won,” Princess Jing Wen said with some regret.

Ning Fu said, “There will be plenty of opportunities to win in the future.”

“Actually, you played well today. You even stole the ball from Ah Ning. Go back and practice more. We’ll rely on you in the future,” Princess Jing Wen said with a smiling face.

Ning Fu sighed internally. Sometimes, such words should be kept to oneself.

“But do you think Cheng Shuang did it on purpose today?” Princess Jing Wen suddenly asked.

As Ning Fu was not a direct party to the incident, she naturally dared not speak carelessly. Even if she knew, it was better to keep it to herself, so she simply said she wasn’t sure.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what Sister Xie’s attitude is,” Princess Jing Wen said.

Xie Ruyi, however, showed no intention of pursuing the matter, and the incident seemed to pass just like that.

News of the ankle sprain in the palace quickly spread, and noblewomen from various manors all arranged to visit her.

Ning Fu, therefore, took Ning He to the Duke of Qing State Manor.

Prince Xuan’s Consort and Zong Si happened to be there as well. Xie Ruyi could not give her full attention to Ning Fu and only said, “Younger Sister Ning, Younger Sister He, please sit here for a while and have some tea.”

Also present were Miss Lin and Rong Min.

Zong Si did not look at Ning Fu once. In front of Xie Ruyi, he naturally had to appear as if he was not well-acquainted with her.

Ning Fu only drank her tea. In her heart, she began to speculate: In her previous life, Cheng Shuang was married off to a distant location shortly after. Was it because she had injured Xie Ruyi this time? Both Prince Xuan’s residence and the Duke of Qing State Manor would certainly not let her off lightly.

Mindful of the separation between men and women, Zong Si did not stay long. As he left, his eyes lingered on her for a moment, but there was no discernible emotion in his look.

Prince Xuan’s Consort held Xie Ruyi’s hand, instructing her like her own daughter, “You must apply this ointment on time every day. If it runs out, just send someone to the Prince’s residence to fetch more.”

Xie Ruyi’s eyes were red as she said, “Your Highness Consort, I caused trouble for you…”

However, as there were outsiders present, she did not continue speaking.

“Silly child, focus on healing your leg. Your mother and I will take care of the rest,” Prince Xuan’s Consort said with a pained heart.

Even after Ning Fu left, Prince Xuan’s Consort remained.

“The Consort truly dotes on Sister Xie,” Ning He said enviously on the way back. Especially since the Consort was usually indifferent to everyone and paid no mind to anyone, yet she was exceptionally kind only to Sister Xie among all the noblewomen.

Ning Fu stroked her head and laughed, “In the future, someone will treat you just as well.”

Ning He said seriously, “Fourth Sister, I hope someone can treat you this well even more. You grew up treasured in Second Aunt’s palm, so your husband’s family must treat you the same way for the marriage to be worthwhile.”

“Then, which young gentleman do you think is good?” Ning Fu joked with her.

“That Young Master Lu, whom Fourth Sister took me to meet that time, is quite good,” Ning He said. She initially thought his family background was a little lacking and unworthy of her Fourth Sister, but now, hearing that he was ordered by the Emperor to suppress bandits in Liangzhou and had gained the Emperor’s trust, his future prospects should not be bad.

Ning Fu couldn’t help but think of Lu Xingzhi. Suppressing bandits in Liangshan must be arduous. She wondered how he was doing now.

Just as Ning Fu thought of him, Lu Xingzhi was mentioned in the return letter from Ning Zhenyuan.

Ning Zhenyuan had only been in Liangzhou for half a month. Everyone thought the Emperor had found an excuse to demote him to Liangzhou and shunned him. Yet, Lu Xingzhi had taken the initiative to visit him within this half-month.

He was neither servile nor overbearing, and he did not avoid people, showing no concern about being associated with him. He even courteously sent over supplies needed for daily life.

His conversations with Ning Zhenyuan were cordial and familiar.

If not for only having met a few times, Ning Zhenyuan would have thought they had been acquainted for a long time. He felt it must be a case of instant affinity.

In his letter, Ning Zhenyuan showered him with praise, noting that a person’s character was clearest when working together.

Madame Ning was also surprised after reading the letter. It was the first time she had seen her husband praise a young man, even in his family letters.

However, Madame Ning already had some thoughts about Lu Xingzhi and didn’t mind the situation. Now that Lu Xingzhi had been transferred to Liangzhou, it was perhaps a good thing, as other noblewomen who might have their eyes on him could not get ahead of her.

On the contrary, having her husband stay with him now made it more convenient for them to get to know each other better.

Madame Ning, however, felt that Lu Xingzhi probably had a motive.

How could anyone be so attentive without a purpose? While he might have previously courted favor because of the Ning State Duke Manor, now that Lu Xingzhi’s future was secure, Madame Ning couldn’t think of anyone else he would be so concerned about besides Ah Fu (Ning Fu).

“Why don’t you test his attitude? Among so many young masters, I can only think of him as suitable after much deliberation. He will return to the capital in half a year, which is just when Ah Fu’s hair-pinning ceremony will be. If it works out, the timing would be perfect.”

Madame Ning wrote in her reply.