PNB Chapter 79 In Public
Chapter 79 In Public
Ning Zhi raised the corners of his mouth, but the smile did not reach his eyes: "I have important matters to attend to right now. I will wait until I formally meet my cousin before we share a drink together. Farewell."
After he finished speaking, he turned grim and hurriedly walked out, a hint of suppressed anger flashing between his brows.
Xiao Hengzhi's blatant provocation suddenly filled him with a sense of crisis—
If Jiang Mian really marries Xiao Hengzhi, he will inevitably lose an excellent pawn.
Xiao Hengzhi's hostility towards him also made him vaguely feel that even if he sat on the throne, it might not be so stable.
He quickened his pace and went to Duan Zhi'an's side hall.
Even before stepping into the palace, a faint floral fragrance filled the air, serene yet intense.
He didn't know why the Grand Tutor had suddenly become obsessed with incense making, and he hadn't even touched his favorite tea set for some time.
He was intently boiling the flower stamens, stirring the flower juice, his expression focused and serene.
Ning Zhi stood outside, hesitating whether or not to go up and disturb them.
"Your Highness, please come in."
A soft call suddenly came from inside.
Ning Zhi quickly stepped in and bowed slightly, saying, "This student greets the teacher."
Duan Zhi'an held the bamboo chopsticks and stirred the boiling flower juice in the pot with concentration. He said, "Your Highness looks worried. You must have something troubling you?"
Ning Zhi sat opposite him and pondered for a moment before getting straight to the point: "I was thinking that my previous intention to form a marriage alliance with the Chi family was due to the Third Prince's power. Now that the Third Prince has lost his power, is it still necessary to do so?"
After he finished speaking, he waited quietly for Duan Zhi'an to speak, but his expression was calm and he couldn't tell what he was thinking.
Ning Zhi added, "Although the Chi family can gather the power of civil officials, it will be very difficult to eliminate them in the future. Therefore, I think that if we can form a marriage alliance with the Jiang family and win over the hearts of the army, wouldn't that be more beneficial?"
Duan Zhian looked up, his smile calm. Ning Zhiming asked a question blatantly, seemingly unable to contain his impatience.
"Your Highness has spoken so thoroughly, it seems you have already made up your mind. I will certainly do my best for Your Highness."
“But…” Ning Zhi continued, “There’s another matter. Xiao Hengzhi will be conferred the title of prince on a chosen day. He and Miss Jiang have an unusually close relationship, and in our previous encounters, I could sense his strong hostility. I’m somewhat uneasy. If I were to marry Miss Jiang, would he…”
"Are you worried that he'll get in your way?"
"That's right. Given his current status, I can't touch him. I'm in a dilemma. Please enlighten me, teacher."
Duan Zhian continued stirring the flower juice slowly, his tone casual yet hitting the nail on the head.
"Your Highness is worried that Xiao Hengzhi will hinder important matters, simply because of his identity. But if he loses that identity, will Your Highness still be troubled?"
"Loss his status? But now he is the Empress Dowager's adopted grandson. How can you expect her to disown him?"
"His parents died early, and he was frail as a child and rarely left the Prince's residence. Now, several years have passed, and he has changed. The Empress Dowager is old, and she accepted him based solely on the gold and jade talisman. Who knows if it's because she's worried about him? The Emperor is truly filial, and no one dares to contradict the Empress Dowager, so they naturally went along with her wishes and accepted him. The Prince of Beiqin's residence isn't a princely lineage; it's just a title earned through merit. To please the Empress Dowager, it's fine to let him inherit it."
Ning Zhi pondered for a moment, then his heart skipped a beat: "Teacher, are you saying that if someone could question Xiao Hengzhi's identity, perhaps Father would hesitate to bestow a title upon him?"
"The Emperor never argues with the Empress Dowager; any questions or doubts must be voiced by someone else."
Duan Zhian's words were like a wake-up call, clearly clarifying the complex emotions in Ning Zhi's heart.
A dark glint gradually appeared in his eyes, and the oppressive feeling in his chest instantly eased considerably. He smiled and said, "Student understands."
......
Outside the palace, Jiang Mian's carriage remained stationary.
She still had much to say to Ning Zhi, but once she left the palace, she couldn't go back in at will. So she waited there, hoping that a familiar face from the Crown Prince's palace would pass by and deliver a letter to her.
But after waiting for a long time, no one passed by.
The guards on duty outside the palace did not forcefully drive her away because she was the daughter of the Grand Commander.
But it had indeed been too long and was against the rules, so the guards kept asking her to leave.
Not wanting to put anyone in a difficult position, Jiang Mian told the driver to leave.
But just as he was about to get up, he saw a very plain-looking carriage drive out of the palace gate.
It belongs to Duan Zhi'an.
Why did he leave the palace again?
However, it would allow him to pass the letter on to Ning Zhi.
Jiang Mian turned to the coachman and said, "Go and catch up with that carriage, quickly."
The driver didn't stop and followed along the way.
But along the way, Jiang Wan never expected that the place Duan Zhian was going to was so close to hers.
Just as she was wondering if Duan Zhian was going to find her, she saw the carriage ahead turn and head in another direction, towards the residence of the Marquis of Pingnan.
Jiang Man realized that he must have gone to find Wen Qian.
This uncle, who isn't related to her by blood, truly dotes on his niece.
"The iron tree is blooming," Jiang Mian said with a soft, mocking laugh.
Seeing that she couldn't keep up, she had no choice but to return to her residence. She would have to give Ning Zhi that explanatory letter another time.
As soon as I entered the house, I saw the servants carrying all sorts of utensils, running around busily.
She casually grabbed a maid and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry? Is something wrong at the manor?"
The maid said, "Second Miss, Master specifically instructed that Young Master Xiao is a distinguished guest, and the manor should prepare another family banquet to entertain him."
Jiang Wan was somewhat surprised. She turned around and went to Jiang Xun's room, asking, "Father, wasn't Xiao Hengzhi recognized by the Empress Dowager? Why is he back at the Jiang residence?"
Logically speaking, now that the Empress Dowager dotes on him so much and wants to make up for all the love he lacked in his childhood, she should naturally arrange for him to live in the palace or return to the Prince of Beiqin's residence.
Jiang Xun replied, "He said that before returning to the Prince's Mansion, he wanted to come to the Jiang Mansion again to say goodbye properly. After thinking it over, I felt that I should treat him with great courtesy."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan's heart sank slightly.
Now that his status has suddenly changed, his father should treat him with respect.
But when she thought about what had just happened at Cloud Tower, an irresistible resistance rose in her heart.
If he were simply Xiao Hengzhi in this life, that would be fine, but he happens to be that madman, the Regent.
......
As dusk fell, it was time for dinner.
Jiang Mian, dressed in simple, elegant clothes, slowly walked into the inner hall, where candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow.
She looked around and saw that everyone was already seated. Xiao Hengzhi was looking at her with a calm and meaningful gaze.
Jiang Mian looked away and deliberately chose a seat far away from him, her heart filled with a hint of wariness.
But as soon as he sat down, Xiao Hengzhi picked up his wine glass and, taking the opportunity of toasting Jiang Xun, casually sat down next to her.
Her heart tightened slightly, and she was about to move her body when a hand suddenly reached out from under the table and silently pressed down on her leg.
A pair of large hands, hidden beneath the sleeves of his robe, were placed on her legs in public.
Jiang Mian remained calm, not daring to let anyone notice anything amiss.
However, Xiao Hengzhi seemed completely unaffected, a gentle smile on his lips, and continued talking to Jiang Xun.
"Hengzhi was orphaned at a young age, but was fortunate to be rescued by Madam Jiang and protected by Uncle Jiang, which allowed him to return to his grandmother's side. Hengzhi will always remember the great kindness of the Jiang family."
"..."
Taking advantage of the pause in his speech, Jiang Mian shifted her legs, trying to move away.
But for every movement she made, Xiao Hengzhi would move up an inch.