Chapter 15: The Heir is a Woman (15)

Chapter 15: The Heir is a Woman (15)

"A-Zhen, it has been a month since Fifth Sister left. Has there been any correspondence?" Ning Yumei asked suddenly. She set the ginseng tea back down on the stone table, a hint of worry creeping into her brow.

Deep within the bamboo grove, the leaves swayed gently. Though it should have been a moment of leisure, Ning Yumei's heart felt unsettled.

Because Ning Yumei's health had improved significantly, she had no trouble walking about on her own, so A-Zhen had rarely found the time to sit with her. A-Zhen paid close attention to her client's sisters; she felt she could only rest easy and attend to other matters once she saw them all healthy, well-fed, and glowing.

"From the capital to Qingzhou, a month should be enough for a round trip." The more Ning Yumei thought about it, the more nervous she became. Her slender fingers gripped her teacup as her entire body tensed. Could something have happened? The journey was long and unpredictable; the outskirts were not as peaceful as the capital, and there could very well be bandits.

"Don't worry, Second Sister, Fifth Sister is fine," A-Zhen said. "She hasn't had time to send a letter because she did encounter some trouble, but my people have been reporting her safety regularly."

Since it concerned the safety of Ning Yuxue and her husband, she could not afford to be careless.

Her people reported every three days.

The fact that Ning Yuxue had not sent a letter meant something had indeed happened, but the people were safe; it was Qingzhou that was in turmoil. A-Zhen guessed that the letter should be arriving soon; it simply hadn't been sent in time.

Ning Yumei trusted A-Zhen. Upon hearing this, her anxious heart instantly calmed.

She thought of herself then. By next year, she should be able to go out and see the world, shouldn't she? In truth, life in the Prince Ning Mansion was quite good—far better than it had been before she was married. She could even stay here for the rest of her life without ever stepping foot outside.

But she yearned for the outside world. Perhaps because her life was so stable, she wanted more.

As the letters from Seventh Sister arrived one after another, her curiosity about the world grew. She no longer wanted to merely watch the scenery from a carriage; she wanted to gallop on horseback through the flowers.

"I heard you went to see the horses at the estate earlier, Second Sister?" A-Zhen said suddenly. "Once your health improves and you can handle the activity of riding, I will find a master to teach you. In the future, if you get bored sitting in a carriage while traveling, you can ride a horse instead."

Expectation flashed in Ning Yumei's eyes, followed quickly by a touch of embarrassment. She touched her flushing face. Was she being that obvious? Even the constantly busy A-Zhen had noticed.

However, she did not refuse. Instead, she emphasized, "Though I long for the outside, it is not just for pleasure. I could also help you with some things, A-Zhen."

"That would be wonderful. I have always hoped you could help," A-Zhen said. "If you feel your body is otherwise fine, you could start by keeping an eye on some of the shops in the capital. Handling them all by myself is becoming quite a headache; I simply cannot keep up."

Ning Yumei knew how busy A-Zhen was. Aside from the nights spent in the mansion, she was often out and about. Furthermore, no matter how busy A-Zhen was, she would come by every day to check on her.

She was truly overworking herself.

"Alright," she said.

That afternoon, A-Zhen received a letter from Ning Yuxue.

The letter mentioned an ambush they had encountered mid-journey. The couple expressed their gratitude that the twenty guards A-Zhen had sent along were present; otherwise, facing such a large wave of bandits, they might truly have lost their lives. While the letter spent little time praising the twenty guards, Ning Yuxue noted that the bandits they encountered were linked to the situation in Qingzhou, and the former Prefect of Qingzhou was also implicated.

This matter was bound to cause a massive stir.

By the time her letter arrived, the dust would likely have settled.

Once she confirmed that Ning Yuxue and her husband were safe, A-Zhen stopped worrying. As for whatever was happening in Qingzhou, that was for the new Prefect, Jian Dikang, and the person in the Imperial Palace to resolve, so she did not arrange for anyone to investigate further.

After informing Ning Yumei of the news, A-Zhen returned to her busy schedule.

Within two days, the news broke that the former Prefect of Qingzhou had concealed the existence of iron and gold mines and had even assassinated imperial officials. The entire imperial court was shaken. Beyond that, there were various other matters, large and small, unfolding in Qingzhou. Needless to say, it was a chain reaction; it wouldn't be resolved anytime soon.

Countless people were likely to lose their heads.

None of this had much to do with A-Zhen. She sat inside her carriage, heading toward her Fourth Sister, Ning Yutong. She was almost there.

"Young Master, we have arrived at the Earl of Weian's Mansion," Ying Fang's voice rang out.

A-Zhen stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the plaque of the Earl of Weian's Mansion. The corners of her brows curled up slightly in a smile, looking quite well-behaved—resembling a pampered young noble curious about new things, one who had never known hardship.

She looked entirely harmless, yet quite deceptive.

Ying Fang caught a glimpse of that smile and thought to himself that the Fourth Brother-in-law was likely doomed.

The staff at the Earl of Weian's Mansion were surprised to see the carriage from the Prince Ning Mansion. A-Zhen was a familiar face in the capital, and the gatekeeper even trembled slightly, frantically searching his memory to see if his master had ever done anything improper to the Lady.

*Thank goodness, no.*

The Ning Heir wasn't merciless to all her brothers-in-law; as long as they hadn't mistreated her sisters or done anything outrageous, things usually went well. Weren't two of them doing just fine? Especially that Hanlin Academy compiler—even if he was desperate for a son, the Ning Heir hadn't said a word against it and had even helped him find work to build up the child's future inheritance.

Though the Master and Lady might not be a couple madly in love, they at least treated each other with mutual respect.

*Yes, it should be fine.*

The Ning Heir was likely here today to visit her sister.

With such thoughts in mind, the gatekeeper, upon learning that A-Zhen truly was there to visit Ning Yutong, enthusiastically and obsequiously ushered her in.

A-Zhen made no effort to hide her movements. As soon as she entered, word spread that she had gone to the Earl of Weian's Mansion. An elegant teahouse had set up a new wager. Given that the previous two sons-in-law of the Prince Ning Mansion had gotten along well with the Ning Heir, they weren't betting on *when* the son-in-law of the Earl of Weian would meet his end.

They were betting on whether this Fourth Son-in-law of the Prince Ning Mansion would meet his end or continue to live peacefully.

It was a difficult thing to predict; after all, who knew if he was doing anything unsavory in private?

"There's no way. I know Zhou Yuanjia very well; we've shared drinks several times. That guy doesn't even drink flower wine, let alone have any strange fetishes. He's usually busy training in the military camps with so many people watching his every move—what strange habits could he possibly have? Besides, I heard he's never even had a concubine. So, I bet Zhou Yuanjia will definitely be fine."

"Then I bet on Zhou Yuanjia being fine too!"

"I know Zhou Yuanjia; I bet he's fine."

"Fortune favors the bold. Since everyone thinks Zhou Yuanjia is fine, I'll bet that something happens to him. If I lose, it's not much, but if I win, I'll make a killing, hehe."

"Brother, you're not the only one thinking that. I'm thinking the same thing, haha!"