Chapter 228: The Crown Prince Invites Ningning to the Palace?
Chapter 228: Chapter 228: The Crown Prince Invites Ningning to the Palace?
The wolf raised by Shen Ningning had crushed the spirit of Changling’s fierce beast at the martial arts competition.
Word of this event quickly spread throughout the Capital City, even reaching the Emperor’s ears.
He laughed heartily and, with a flourish of his brush, granted Shen Ningning countless rewards.
"Princess Funing is the Fuxing of our Cangyun Country, wouldn’t you agree, Minister Xie?"
The Emperor asked Xie Suzhi, who was standing in the study, as he wrote furiously with his brush.
Xie Suzhi, his expression calm and handsomely cool, smiled faintly. "Ningning’s good fortune is all thanks to the Emperor’s blessing."
The Emperor smiled without a word. After finishing the Imperial Decree for the rewards, he had someone accompany Xie Suzhi back to his mansion to deliver it to Shen Ningning.
With the Emperor’s attitude so clear, and the fact that Mo Lingwei had openly protected Shen Ningning at the competition that day, the news became common knowledge.
The tide had turned at the National Academy.
Those who had previously avoided Shen Ningning now sought to cozy up to her again.
However, there were also those who remained disdainful.
For example, the group of young ladies who were close to Xie Yuanjiu.
After class, having nothing better to do, they sat in a pavilion feeding the fish.
When the conversation turned to Shen Ningning, the most arrogant among them was the Imperial Tutor’s own granddaughter, Ye Shangyi.
"So what if she’s impressive? What does that prove? It only further proves that Shen Ningning is getting ahead solely because of the Crown Prince’s favor."
"If she had any real ability, she wouldn’t need to rely on such things," Ye Shangyi said.
She sat in the center of the pavilion, surrounded by the others. Even Xie Yuanjiu could only sit beside her.
Previously, this group of young ladies had fawned over Xie Yuanjiu; even Ye Shangyi had to curry favor with her.
After all, who could deny the Xie family’s great merits, with members in both civil and military official posts?
But now that the Xie family had an adopted daughter, everyone naturally saw which way the wind was blowing. Xie Yuanjiu was no longer the center of their circle.
Ye Shangyi’s family status was the highest, so they all flocked to her instead.
Xie Yuanjiu spoke in a gentle voice, taking the initiative. "Don’t say that. It’s not the same. How could the Commandery Princess have no ability?"
"Haven’t you heard? She was the one who summoned the great rain that spread across all of Cangyun Country, ending the drought that plagued us for years. She’s a blessed girl, you know."
Ye Shangyi raised her elegant eyebrows, her eyes filled with disdain.
"So what if she’s really a blessed girl? What if it was just a coincidence?"
"Besides, there are no disasters now. Who can prove she’s a blessed girl anymore?"
"But, Miss Xie Si, you keep speaking up for her, yet it seems your relationship isn’t that good. When you two see each other at the National Academy, you merely exchange nods."
Xie Yuanjiu lowered her head and said in a magnanimous tone, "The Commandery Princess is still young and isn’t close to me. She prefers the people from my uncle’s side of the family."
The surrounding young ladies immediately showed expressions of understanding.
They spoke with a hint of disgust, "To be such a sycophant at such a young age. It’s truly unfair to Fourth Sister Xie."
Just then, Shen Ningning and Lu Shaoyuan appeared in the distance, walking over with books in their arms.
The young ladies instantly fell silent.
Although they dared to speak ill of Shen Ningning, they only said a few words.
If the person in question were standing right in front of them, they wouldn’t dare let out a peep.
Lu Shaoyuan said to Shen Ningning, "I listened to you and went back and told my mother."
"She thought you were right and immediately bought up all the winter clothing in the Capital City and the three surrounding cities!"
"And guess what?"
Shen Ningning blinked. "What?"
Lu Shaoyuan laughed. "Because my mother bought everything, all the merchants selling winter clothes got anxious."
"They insisted on buying everything back from her at a premium of five taels of silver per item."
"So my mother turned around and sold it all, making a net profit of fifty thousand taels of silver! She’s been praising you to me nonstop, saying you have a real head for business."
"She also said that since the New Year is coming up, she wants to invite you, Grandma Qin, and the Black Wolf King to our home for a simple meal."
Looking at Lu Shaoyuan’s bright, cheerful smile, Shen Ningning silently blinked.
"You... sold it all? Didn’t you tell your mother you were supposed to hoard it?"
"I did! But my mother said there was no need to hoard so much. The drought didn’t starve our family, so a little snow surely won’t freeze us to death."
The little one felt helpless.
She scratched her cheek. "Uhm, Lu Shaoyuan, I’m being serious with you. The snow disaster this year might be very severe."
"You should find a chance to talk to Mrs. Meng properly. Tell her to buy things and not sell them. Hoard them."
The image from her dream—a deep pit where tens of thousands had frozen to death—was something Shen Ningning couldn’t forget.
She couldn’t believe it was just a simple dream.
Seeing how serious she was, Lu Shaoyuan immediately nodded. "Alright, I’ll go tell her when I get back."
"So what about you? Do you agree to come to my house for a meal during the New Year?"
"Okay, I’ll go if I’m free then," Shen Ningning readily agreed.
The end of the year was approaching, and she also needed to give Lu Shaoyuan his dividend for the year.
Business at the shop hadn’t been good before. Although it had improved a little in the last few days, it was still unsatisfactory.
Shen Ningning simply gave the refugees at the shop a holiday, letting them rest until after the New Year before reopening properly.
「December fifth.」
After class at the National Academy ended, Shen Ningning was picked up by Xie Suzhi to return to the Xie Mansion for dinner.
"Your second brother won’t be able to make it back before the New Year," Xie Suzhi told her with a helpless smile.
The little one blinked. ’Second Brother, Xie Ming’an?’
"Why? Did something happen to Second Brother?"
"He was on his way back from Qingzhou and passed through Shu State, but he found that it had been snowing heavily for three straight days. The blizzard blocked the waterways, and the official roads are hard to travel. So, I told him to stay in Shu State for the New Year."
Shen Ningning’s long lashes fluttered. She looked up and smiled at Xie Suzhi like a cheerful little sunflower.
’Poor Second Brother.’
One person’s sorrow is another’s joy.
Xie Mingxu was originally supposed to follow an Imperial Decree and return to the border.
After all, he had returned to the Capital on a mission. Now that the mission was complete, there was no reason for him to stay any longer.
But he couldn’t bear to leave Shen Ningning. Unexpectedly, heavy snow had blocked the roads in the Capital region, and the Emperor graciously permitted him to leave after the New Year.
Xie Mingxu, dressed in a long cyan robe with a white fur cloak, stood at the entrance of the Xie Mansion, waiting for Shen Ningning to come home.
When he saw the little one being carried out of the carriage by Xie Suzhi, his cool, handsome face lit up as he stepped forward.
"Father, Sister," Xie Mingxu said, his voice a little deep and cool.
Shen Ningning wrapped her small hands around Xie Suzhi and asked in a soft, sweet voice, "Brother, why aren’t you going inside? It’s so cold out here."
Xie Mingxu smiled. "I was waiting for you."
He then turned to Xie Suzhi. "Father, an Imperial Decree just arrived from the palace."
"Next spring, the Ninth Prince will begin his studies at the Imperial Clan School, and he needs a female official to be his companion."
"Therefore, in three days, Consort Rong will be holding a selection for the female official."
"Our Ningning has been specially invited by the Emperor to enter the palace in three days to participate..."
Hearing this, Shen Ningning and Xie Suzhi, who had similar brows, furrowed them at the same time.
The father and daughter’s reactions were identical.
Xie Suzhi’s eyes darkened. "I have heard about this matter, but the Emperor did not mention it in court today."
Xie Mingxu lowered his voice. "I heard it was the Crown Prince’s request."
Shen Ningning’s little face had been full of refusal, but upon hearing this, she blinked her big, dark eyes.
"Then I absolutely have to go take a look!" she agreed decisively.
Xie Suzhi was amused by her innocent expression and gently tapped her little nose.
"Didn’t you promise to accompany your godfather to the villa to admire the plum blossoms in two days? Are you backing out already, little one?"
Shen Ningning shyly wiggled her chubby little body.
"Brother probably isn’t angry with me anymore. I want to go have a good talk with him."
The father and son of the Xie family were also aware that Mo Lingwei had been angry.
Xie Mingxu and Xie Suzhi exchanged a look.
If Shen Ningning wanted to go, they certainly wouldn’t refuse her.
However... Xie Suzhi turned, still holding the little one, and started walking. He said with a smile, "Let your godfather think about it. Didn’t Ningning say she was hungry? Let’s go eat first, and we can discuss this later."
Unexpectedly, at the dinner table...
Second Madam Xie took the initiative to say, "Big Brother, about the selection of a female official companion for the Ninth Prince—if Ningning isn’t going, how about letting our Yuan Jiu go in her place?"
"Last time, Yuan Jiu accidentally ruined the sutras Consort Rong had copied. We’ve been looking for a chance to apologize! This is the perfect opportunity."