Chapter 12: The Prince is a Woman 12

“Why not? I remember Seventh Sister has a talent for arithmetic. It’s just leading people to inventory the shops; there are people to handle the tedious tasks, you only need to supervise them.” A-Zhen’s tone carried a hint of pleading. “Seventh Sister doesn't realize how difficult it is for me to manage the vast Ning Prince Mansion. Second Sister needs to recover her health, and now that you are back, it is the perfect time to have someone close and trustworthy around. If you don't do it, who else will? If it weren't for the fact that I cannot leave the capital, I would go myself.”

Seeing A-Zhen’s plea, Ning Yuwan was somewhat moved, and the despondency weighing on her vanished.

It was true; she had been here wallowing in melancholy while forgetting that there was an A-Zhen to shoulder everything for her. A-Zhen was only seventeen, yet she had to manage everything in the Ning Prince Mansion and look after her elder sister; it was truly too exhausting. Now that everything had passed, how could she be a burden? As an elder sister, she had to pull herself together.

She did indeed have a talent for arithmetic, and since A-Zhen had a use for her, she naturally had to contribute.

“A-Zhen, I will go.” Ning Yuwan took on a look of total resolve, as if she were prepared to face any ordeal.

Three days later, A-Zhen packed Ning Yuwan up and sent her off. The people she arranged to accompany her were all top-tier martial artists. Additionally, she stuffed some poisons and hidden weapons into Ning Yuwan’s belongings to ensure nothing would happen to her.

“Has Seventh Sister left already?” Ning Yumei, whose health had recovered significantly, asked while leaning against a chair. She could now get out of bed and gazed out the window with a sense of longing.

A-Zhen could see that she wanted to go out, but her body was severely depleted; she would need at least a year of recuperation before A-Zhen could feel at ease.

“She has left. Once Second Sister’s health is fully restored, you can go visit Seventh Sister. The Ning Prince Mansion's shops are spread across all of Northern Xia, so she won't be back for a while. There is much to be done in the mansion, so I am counting on Second Sister to get well quickly and help me out.”

Ning Yumei could not bear A-Zhen’s words—that she was constantly hoping for her to recover faster.

“Alright, I will get well quickly. I won't let A-Zhen be so tired all by herself.” Ning Yumei still looked thin, but she was much better than the skin-and-bones state she had been in before, and there was some color in her face as she had gained a little weight.

She had to help A-Zhen shoulder many responsibilities; she had to nurture her health so she wouldn't become a burden, but could instead be of help.

Ning Yumei began to have many expectations for the future.

However, were the Ning Prince Mansion's shops really spread across all of Northern Xia? Was Father truly that formidable?

Ning Guangjun was naturally not that powerful; the spread of the shops across Northern Xia was entirely due to A-Zhen’s methods. In reality, the number wasn't massive; they were currently only established in several key locations.

The matter regarding the Li family had caused a stir in the capital for a time, but it was gradually replaced by new events and soon sank into obscurity. Just as many people were beginning to forget the incident, A-Zhen’s gaze fixed upon the fifth daughter of the Ning Prince Mansion, Ning Yuxue, who had married out.

Some noticed that A-Zhen’s sedan chair had stopped outside the Jian residence for several consecutive days. People pricked up their ears and widened their eyes, hoping to hear or see something.

Some even placed bets on it, wagering on when Ning Yuxue and her husband, Jian Jikang, would part ways.

When Jian Jikang left the imperial court, he could feel his colleagues looking at him strangely. Their hesitant, "wanting to speak but holding back" expressions left him feeling quite speechless. He was aware of the bets being placed on him externally, but he felt these people were demonizing his brother-in-law far too much.

They didn't know how reasonable his brother-in-law was, or how polite and respectful he was to him.

It was simply because Jian Jikang was about to be assigned to a provincial post; his brother-in-law, fearing Yuxue would suffer alongside him, had directly gifted several prosperous shops in that locality to Yuxue. Originally, they hadn't wanted them, but since the other party specified they were for Yuxue, what else could he say?

This provincial assignment was something he had looked forward to and had essentially earned for himself; it was the first step in his and Yuxue's complete break from the Jian family.

As long as he climbed fast enough, gained the Emperor's appreciation, and remained absolutely loyal, Yuxue would not suffer by his side, and the people of the Jian family would never dare bully her again.

Speaking of which, the hardest days were behind them.

Half a month later, A-Zhen saw Ning Yuxue out of the capital, while also providing her with twenty first-rate guards. These guards were trained by A-Zhen herself during her spare time, which was sufficient to handle any crises on the road. She also taught them other methods, ensuring the safety of the couple throughout their journey.

Fifth Sister, Ning Yuxue, had married well. Although the Jian family was complicated—the parents-in-law were mediocre, Jian Jikang’s brothers were highly competitive, and the sisters-in-law were scheming—Jian Jikang was a good man. At the very least, he was good to Ning Yuxue, protecting her fiercely and working hard for their future.

They were just about to start living a good life, but unfortunately, they died on the road to their new post; none of their traveling companions survived. Whether it was common bandits or something else that caused their death no longer mattered; the people A-Zhen had arranged were more than capable of handling such things.

“Fifth Sister, Fifth Brother-in-law, safe travels. I won't see you off any further,” A-Zhen said.

Jian Jikang replied, “Rest easy, Heir Apparent. I will protect Yuxue and ensure she never suffers.”

“Take care, A-Zhen.” Ning Yuxue wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “I am such a useless elder sister, having to rely on you for care. I will tell your Fifth Brother-in-law to work even harder so that in the future, he can stand up for you and speak on your behalf, so they know you have people protecting you as well.”

Hearing this, Jian Jikang nodded in agreement.

A-Zhen smiled faintly and responded, “Alright.”

The people in the capital who had placed bets waited and waited, only to receive such a result. No one won, and everyone found it quite dull.

Perhaps the previous two times were just coincidences?

A-Zhen did not remain idle. After seeing off Ning Yuxue and her husband, she turned her attention to the third sister, Ning Yutao. With Ning Yutao, she encountered a slightly more headache-inducing problem.

Ning Yutao’s husband was named Fan Wenjue, who had passed his exams from a remote region and was currently a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. He was upright and not unfaithful; he had only one wife, Ning Yutao, and had no intention of taking concubines. He was not abusive and appeared to be a very gentle man.

He had no strange eccentricities, his character was decent, and his parents-in-law were not harsh people; their life was quite good.

The only downside was that this Fan Wenjue shared the exact same obsession as Ning Guangjun: he wanted to have a son.

Ning Yutao had already given birth to three daughters and was preparing for her fourth pregnancy, giving off the impression that she would keep having children until she had a son.

As far as A-Zhen knew, Ning Yutao would die from complications during her fourth childbirth.

What gave A-Zhen a slight headache was that Ning Yutao was also very stubborn about this matter, determined to fulfill Fan Wenjue's wish without any regard for her own health.

“Is the Heir Apparent worried about the Third Lady?” Qingzhu asked.

A-Zhen said, “Yes, I fear she is in danger.”

Ning Yutao embraced the situation willingly, so there was nothing to be said. A-Zhen's task was to help the client protect her sisters; if one died in childbirth, the client's wish could not be fulfilled. Since she had accepted this task, she intended to perform it perfectly.

She had tested the waters and tried to advise the couple indirectly over the past few days, but to no avail.

In that case, if they wanted to keep having children, let them.

“Qingzhu, go find some midwives and doctors; I will have a use for them. Additionally, arrange for people to search for precious medicinal herbs in various places.”

A-Zhen tapped the armrest of her bamboo chair. She needed to train a group of people to preserve Ning Yutao's life, help her regulate her body, and prepare plenty of life-sustaining medicines.