The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 68

Lu Xingzhi stood straight as a spear, dressed in a round-collared robe of pale lavender silk. The texture of the brocade was exquisite; whoever had selected the fabric had clearly done so with great care. Anyone who saw him would have to admit that the color suited him perfectly—it enhanced his stature, making him appear as steadfast as a pine tree yet refined and scholarly.

Zong Si swept a glance over him, his expression cooling slightly.

“Xingzhi, you have reached the age for marriage. If you have someone in mind, I can decree a union for you,” Emperor Jingwen said with a meaningful smile.

Lu Xingzhi replied solemnly, “I do not yet know her heart, and I have no wish to force anyone.”

The Emperor teased, “With such consideration for her, it is only a matter of time before you win your beauty.”

Lu Xingzhi did not dwell on the matter. Instead, he reported on the situation in Liangzhou. Some bandits had been eliminated, while others were granted amnesty. Those pardoned were now atoning for their crimes by reclaiming wasteland and building cottages for the commoners.

“This was Master Ning’s suggestion,” Lu Xingzhi noted. “Master Ning believes that Liangzhou is barren, and unless the people can fill their bellies, the region cannot prosper. Many became bandits out of desperate poverty; since labor is needed, it is better to give them a chance to reform. To secure this chance, the former bandits work with absolute devotion.”

While local officials might not always act in the people’s best interest, these reformed men, seeking a righteous path, served the commoners with genuine sincerity.

The Emperor’s expression remained unreadable. “You and Zhenyuan (Ning Fu’s father) seem quite close.”

“We were both in Liangzhou, and our official duties overlapped. It was inevitable that we would cross paths,” Lu Xingzhi replied.

The Emperor fell into a long silence before finally conceding, “Governing Liangzhou is no easy feat. He has worked hard.” With these words, the Emperor set the tone for Ning Zhenyuan’s legacy—he was officially recognized as a meritorious official.

Zong Si looked at Lu Xingzhi. He knew that for Ning Zhenyuan to stabilize Liangzhou so smoothly, Lu Xingzhi must have provided significant support behind the scenes.

The Confrontation

As the two men left the palace together, Lu Xingzhi looked at Zong Si and asked, “Does the Heir Apparent have nothing to ask me?”

“You helped Ning Zhenyuan quite a bit,” Zong Si remarked.

“Is that not exactly what the Heir Apparent wished to see?” Lu Xingzhi countered.

Zong Si remained silent.

“You did not interfere in the Liangzhou affair, which served your interests perfectly,” Lu Xingzhi continued. “While I removed Ning Zhenyuan’s worries, I also, in a way, resolved a great concern of yours.”

Zong Si looked at him. “And what would my ‘great concern’ be?”

“You have interests in Liangzhou, but you would rather see the people live in peace. You simply feared that if you reached too far, the Emperor would grow suspicious. You helped Master Ning get his posting to Liangzhou precisely because you wanted to change the region’s fate.”

Zong Si’s expression didn’t flicker, but he began to reconsider Lu Xingzhi. Even back during the Princess’s birthday banquet, Lu’s insights regarding the Li Fang matter had been piercingly accurate. He was far too sharp for a simple scholar.

Zong Si recalled how Ning Fu seemed to have lived a previous life. Could there be a second person who has done the same?

“Xingzhi, you truly see everything,” Zong Si said, his eyes narrowing with a cold, probing intensity.

Lu Xingzhi paused and met his gaze, seeing the suspicion in the Heir Apparent’s eyes. He knew Zong Si better than anyone—he knew how sensitive and paranoid the man could be.

“The person who made these clothes for me… was the Fourth Ning Miss,” Lu Xingzhi said suddenly.

Zong Si watched him for a long moment. “If you have something to say, speak plainly.”

Lu Xingzhi was silent for a while before finally speaking. “In Liangzhou, I frequently had a recurring dream. In that dream, the Fourth Miss and the Heir Apparent were once intimately involved in secret. Later, the Heir Apparent grew tired of her and introduced her to me. At first, I was dissatisfied, but under pressure, I married her. Only then did I realize her worth, and we lived in perfect harmony thereafter.”

Zong Si’s face became a mask of cold stone. He remembered that day on his bed when Ning Fu had called out the name “Master Lu”—a name that had haunted him ever since. If she had mistaken him for Lu Xingzhi, perhaps it was because of a deep-seated habit.

In her previous life, the man she shared a bed with most often… was the one who formed that habit.

“In my dream,” Lu Xingzhi said, staring directly at him, “the Fourth Ning Miss was my wife.”

Zong Si’s lips twitched, his eyes darkening with a terrifying gloom, yet he remained silent.

Lu Xingzhi gave a respectful bow. “Though it was but a dream, it pained my heart. I fear the dream becoming reality. Therefore, I hope that in the waking world, the Heir Apparent will no longer seek her company.”

A Growing Favor

The news of Lu Xingzhi’s promotion to a fourth-rank Commander spread through the capital like wildfire. At such a young age, he held real power and the Emperor’s favor. The Lu Manor, once quiet, was now overflowing with guests.

Ning Fu was brought there by her mother. She was familiar with the Lu household, and the servants greeted her warmly.

“Madam Ning, your daughter is truly beautiful,” a guest, Madam Rong, remarked while studying Ning Fu. “I haven’t seen her in a while, but she seems even more radiant now—she has the air of a mature woman.”

The comment struck a chord. Mature grace was usually the mark of a married woman. Ning Fu couldn’t help but think of her encounter with Zong Si, and her mood soured instantly.

While many admired her beauty, the pragmatists in the capital were still wary of her father’s precarious status. They liked her, but few dared to commit.

Ning Fu wandered into the garden alone to look at the flowers, only to find a figure blocking her path. She looked up and saw Lu Xingzhi.

“Master Lu,” Ning Fu said, standing up. She noticed she now reached his chin; before, she had only come up to his shoulder.

Every woman wishes to look her best before someone she admires. She hoped to see a hint of shock or awe in his eyes now that she had matured, but Lu Xingzhi’s gaze remained calm and steady. Then, she noticed he was wearing the robe she had made for him. It suited him even better than she had imagined.

“You’ve grown taller,” he said softly. She looked more and more like the woman in his memories, and his tone softened unconsciously.

“A little,” she replied.

Lu Xingzhi looked at her stunning, flower-like face. “I have been promoted.”

“The whole city knows,” she said, genuinely happy for him. “Master Lu is now a fourth-rank Commander. Your future is bright.”

“What use is a bright future?” he asked.

“A career isn’t everything, but after all the hardships you endured, you deserve it.”

“Then, does the Fourth Miss like a gentleman with a bright future?” Lu Xingzhi asked.

Ning Fu was momentarily speechless, her ears burning. The question was asked so seriously, yet it felt like a direct flirtation. Seeing her lower her head in bashful confusion, a smile flashed in Lu Xingzhi’s eyes. “There are many guests today; I cannot chat longer. Forgive me.”

“Go tend to your guests,” she said.

“Fourth Miss,” he said, pausing to look at her one last time. “Hibiscus and peonies… neither can compare to you.”

Ning Fu stood frozen. Only after he had walked away did she realize he was praising her beauty. He was so serious that she hadn’t even recognized it as a compliment at first.

Madam Ning, seeing the two of them, was beyond satisfied. No other young man in the capital fit her criteria so perfectly. When it was time to leave, the elder Lady Lu was exceptionally warm, urging them to visit more often.

Back at the Duke’s Manor, Madam Ning went straight to Old Madam Ning. “Matriarch, what do you think of the second Lu son?”

“The one who returned today?” the Old Madam asked with renewed hope. “A young man of achievement. Do you mean to say the Lu Manor has intentions toward A-Fu?”

“We need to observe a while longer,” Madam Ning said. “But from what I saw today, Master Lu himself is quite satisfied with A-Fu. Even in his busyness, his eyes followed her.”

The Old Madam laughed. “If it is him, I could not be more pleased. I can finally stop worrying about her marriage. But for now, we must keep this quiet, lest someone tries to ruin it.”

When the day of Ning Fu’s Ji Li finally arrived, the Old Madam saw Lu Xingzhi in person and found him even more suitable. He was handsome and upright; aside from his family background, he was in no way inferior to the Heir Apparent she had once considered.