For Alliance Leader Jianlani rewarding with an additional update of Immortal Flowers Link (4.28)
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It was a letter from home.
His companions unloaded their doubts.
"You've got another letter from home," they said with a smile, "You've been receiving a steady stream of letters from home these days. And it isn't your first time away from home either, why are your uncle and aunt so worried about you?"
"Because the big exam is next year," Ning Yunzhao laughed as he put away the letter, "No matter how talented I am, in my parents' eyes, I am still a fool."
His companions burst into laughter.
Ning Yunzhao was indeed extremely talented but not arrogant, and was very adept at socializing, befitting someone from the Ning Family of Beiliu.
The group stopped prying and, laughing, returned to their lodging. Ning Yunzhao returned to his room and sat at his desk.
The desk was piled with volumes to the extent that even the ink, brush, paper, and inkstone were barely squeezed in, along with an oil lamp, and a lantern.
A servant boy brought up the tea.
Ning Yunzhao couldn't care less about the tea, he took out the letter and quickly skimmed it, his expression changing from surprise to tension and finally, a laugh.
Only after this did he let out a breath, took a sip of the tea, and began to read carefully, word by word.
"Young Master, I've also asked around," Xiaoding said standing in front of the desk, "Now all over Yangcheng they're saying that back then Fang Decang saved his lord and received an imperial decree, and that the Fang Family is fine, everything as it was before. Whether this is true or not, who knows."
Ning Yunzhao put down the letter and smiled.
"If the imperial decree is real, then the rest must also be true," he said, his expression tinged with a hint of emotion, his hand supporting the table, "I didn't expect the Fang Family to have an imperial decree."
The servant boy nodded.
"Yes, yes," he said, "Back then, if they had pressured our family with the imperial decree to acknowledge your marriage arrangement with Miss Jun, what would we have done?"
Ning Yunzhao raised his eyes to look at him.
The servant boy was embarrassed.
That'd be easy to handle.
That way, the Young Master wouldn't have to worry and hang on every word, unable to ask directly and resorting to eavesdropping for news.
"They have an imperial decree, which implies many unexpected events."
Ning Yunzhao looked at the servant boy and explained patiently.
"These unexpected events relate to many things; don't just think of mere romantic affairs and children's matters. Is the Fang Family the kind of people to wave an imperial decree for petty reasons?"
The servant boy uttered an "oh" and thought hard.
"But," he scratched his head, looking puzzled, "disappearing without notice because she went to gather herbs and didn't tell her family, that doesn't seem like a big deal either."
Compared to that, his Young Master's own marital affairs seemed more important.
"Her disappearance isn't just a simple case of not coming home for the night, is it?" Ning Yunzhao said with furrowed brows, patting the table, "At this time, for her to suddenly vanish, how significant is that!"
The servant boy hurriedly nodded.
For the Young Master, surely it's a big deal.
"Yes, yes, Miss Jun disappearing is a big deal, a very big deal," he repeated.
Ning Yunzhao could clearly tell what the servant boy was thinking; he wanted to explain but felt like talking to a blockhead would get him nowhere, better not to waste time.
"But Young Master, is this now good or bad news?" The servant boy asked cautiously, "Did the Fang Family really save the first emperor?"
Ning Yunzhao looked at the letter on the desk, holding his teacup.
"Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand; good news might be bad news, and vice versa," he said, "As for whether the Fang Family saved the first emperor, that's a very good thing, good for both the Fang Family and the first emperor."
Good?
"So is it true or not?" the servant boy asked, baffled.
Ning Yunzhao smiled and set down his teacup.
"As long as it's a good thing, why bother debating its authenticity," he said.
The servant boy, not understanding, simply stopped puzzling over it.
"Young Master, does this mean that Miss Jun and her family will be fine?" he asked directly.
Ning Yunzhao pondered for a moment.
"They're fine," he said, "Resolving the issue this way is pretty good for everyone involved."
At least for the moment, it was pretty good.
The servant boy sighed in relief and wiped his sweat.
"That's good, that's really good," he said.
Ning Yunzhao watched him and smiled.
"Alright, there's nothing to worry about now, you go rest too," he said.
"Young Master, you can rest easy now too," the servant boy laughed, "Don't worry, the people I arranged in Yangcheng are the most reliable, and they'll deliver any news the moment it arrives."
He scurried out before Ning Yunzhao could say another word.
Ning Yunzhao shook his head with a hint of resignation.
"People always tend to overthink," he said, his gaze falling on the lantern on his desk, "So Young Master Fang has actually recovered."
He thought for a moment and realized he could no longer remember what the girl looked like.
Like someone standing with a lantern in the dim light of the Lantern Festival, or like in the Fang Family's courtyard late at night, handing over a pear, always behind the veil of night, vaguely indiscernible.
No matter how ostentatious the wealth of the Fang Family could be, having a healthy husband is always a good thing.
This was rather nice.
She must be very happy now, right?
Should I write a letter to congratulate her?
As this thought flashed by, Ning Yunzhao furrowed his brows.
Why write a letter without reason? It's not as if we're that familiar.
Moreover, at this time, I wouldn't want her to think that I fear the imperial decree against the Ning Family is disadvantageous, and that I have a mean spirit.
Ning Yunzhao reached out to tap a lantern.
The imperial decree, eh.
Had the Fang Family really used an imperial decree to force a marriage agreement back then, what would have happened now?
Suddenly, another thought arose.
Then he coughed softly, lifted his cup to drink some tea, which had already gone cold. This made him smile, and he shook his head, put away the letter, and took out a scroll to read attentively.
Outside the window, the green shade was dense, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.
Miles away in Yangcheng, Fang Chengyu returned home after making his rounds.
Old Lady Fang and Lady Fang were waiting anxiously, one instructing to fan him, the other to bring him cool tea.
Fang Chengyu smiled as he accepted their caring indulgence.
"Everything is fine now; the whole city has already started talking about it," he said. "According to the news from the money businesses across Shanxi, the story has spread to other places too. Even Henan Province, along the route of the first emperor's relocation, has set up the appropriate rural rumors about past events."
Hearing this, Lady Fang smiled.
"Mother, you don't know, Chengyu even arranged for a well to be built at the old site. It's said to be the spring that was created when the first emperor stumbled and kicked the ground while being carried by grandfather during their escape, which the villagers later turned into a well," she laughed.
"When making up stories, one must be thorough," Fang Chengyu commented, and then looked at Old Lady Fang, "Grandmother, is my arrangement acceptable?"
Old Lady Fang looked at him with eyes full of satisfaction.
"You've done very well, very thorough," she said, with a touch of emotion, "I never imagined you could do this so well."
Fang Chengyu laughed.
"It's nothing that great, I've just read a lot," he replied. "There are many such stories in books. I've learned from them."
Learned on the fly.
It's easy to learn how to fabricate stories, but not so easy to learn how to read people, manage money businesses, or to kill.
Old Lady Fang looked at Fang Chengyu and couldn't help but feel teary-eyed.
Ever since Fang Chengyu returned, she felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart, suddenly having someone to rely on.
And this child had never let her down, never; even though ten years late, he was still as outstanding as she had hoped and imagined.
Lady Fang, standing by, couldn't help but wipe away tears.
How strange it was that now, when everything was fine, she had become more tearful.
"Grandmother, mother, as things stand, it seems we have no problems now," Fang Chengyu said with a smile.
Old Lady Fang nodded.
"Yes, neither the feudal authority nor the Jinyiwei have made any moves, which means they have also accepted this story," she said. "We have gotten past this hurdle."
"What about next?" Lady Fang asked.
She too was hearing about the imperial decree for the first time, and Old Lady Fang had candidly explained to her and Chengyu that the true origin of the decree could not be disclosed, at least not now.
The unknown always brings unease.
"Next, we will properly manage our money businesses and do what we ought to," Fang Chengyu took over the discussion.
The unknown seemed never to have troubled him.
"I was sick for so many years, and apart from the reason for my illness, I saw through everything else," Fang Chengyu said with a laugh. "Now that my only trouble has been resolved, there are no problems."
Old Lady Fang nodded in relief and with emotion.
"I wonder where cousin is now," Fang Chengyu suddenly said.
If he didn't know, they knew even less.
Old Lady Fang and Lady Fang looked at each other.
"The last message said she had already passed through Henan," Lady Fang said, then with a worried expression, "The child is traveling so quickly; could it be she hardly rests day or night?"
"She can manage herself freely, surely nothing is wrong," Fang Chengyu assured with a smile. "Grandmother and mother, there's no need to worry."
Truly, these words would be more apt for yourself.
Old Lady Fang and Lady Fang looked at him, his youthful face smiling like a blazing sun.
"Chengyu, now that business with the imperial decree has been arranged, there's another thing I must tell you," Old Lady Fang suddenly said.
Lady Fang jolted.
"Mother!" she exclaimed, "Don't..."
Don't say it, at least not now. How could one bear to say it, looking at the joy on the young face; how could one shatter it?
Old Lady Fang paused a moment, then looked at Fang Chengyu.
"Chengyu, our arrangement about you and your cousin's engagement is a falsehood," she finally voiced.
The smile on Fang Chengyu's face froze.
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Thanks to "South's Ice" for the reward of a Spirit Beast Egg (\(≧▽≦)/)
Thanks to "Jian Lani" for the reward of "Fairy Flower Fate" ((*^__^*))
The double monthly ticket event continues, so I must continue to ask for your basic monthly votes, just the basic ones, dear readers (~~~~(>_<)~~~~)