Chapter 320 Taking Care of My Sister
Ning Hanwang remained polite and replied with a smile.
"My little girl has made a great mistake, and I am teaching her a lesson."
Xu Mingqian's charming eyes are like the spring willows, with their own charm, and the silk threads hanging down are infinitely soft and beautiful.
"May I ask, sir, what fault did Princess Yuexi commit?"
Ning Han looked at the face that was dignified without being angry, and felt a little embarrassed.
"I'm afraid that Master Xu will laugh at me if I tell you this. As the elder sister, I taught my younger sister to do such a thing. This is against etiquette and cannot be forgiven."
Xu Mingqian has eyes like water and is polite; his brows are dignified and he looks heroic.
"It is also against etiquette to punish her in public. After all, the princess was given the title of 'Yue'."
Ning Hanwang raised his head to the sky, then bowed his head and stood respectfully, solemnly expressing his loyalty.
"I have absolutely no intention of disrespecting the country's name. I hope that the successive lords will understand this."
After the ceremony, he turned around and looked at Xu Mingqian with a friendly face.
"If you don't punish them severely, how can they remember the lesson? The Ning clan's family rules have always been strict, so please don't be offended, Lord Xu."
Xu Mingqian lowered his eyebrows in respect, looking calm and composed.
"I have no right to interfere with the Ning Mansion's family rules. However, the live broadcast of Yiren Qingcheng was approved by Prince Dijin. If the Duke has any objections, he should ask to see Prince Dijin instead of questioning the Princess."
Upon hearing the name of King Di Jin, Ning Han looked at him with anxiety and a hint of fear.
"How dare I bother the prince?"
Xu Mingqian's suggestion sounded like a proposal, but it was actually a threat.
"If the Lord is not available, how about I take the princess with me and ask the Lord?"
Ning Hanwang's panic was so intense that it almost showed on his face.
"It's really not necessary. Lord Xu is too polite."
He hastily refused and ordered them to leave.
"I will take care of Xi'er's matter. If you are busy, please feel free to do so."
Xu Mingqian stands gracefully, with colorful flowers blooming everywhere; his handsome face is open and brilliant.
"If the lord punishes me, I will stay and accompany the princess."
Ning Hanwang's face darkened slightly, and a hint of sinisterness appeared unintentionally.
"But why?"
Xu Mingqian remained calm and made up stories.
"To be honest, before Lord Ning left, he asked me to take care of my younger sister while he was away."
Ning Hanwang's pupils flashed with doubt.
"is it?"
Xu Mingqian's gentle face is meticulously carved, which further highlights his elegance and charm.
"I dare not deceive you, sir."
"During this period of time, if the princess is punished, please also punish her to kneel down, just like Lord Ning, and stay by her side."
Ning Hanwang was filled with awe and looked into Xu Mingqian's eyes with a hint of wariness.
"Lord Xu, your words are respectful."
"The one who has the power to punish the eight prime ministers is either Prince Di Jin or the emperor. As a subject, I would never dare to overstep my authority."
Xu Mingqian lowered his eyes humbly and his lips fell in shame.
"The Emperor has allowed me to take a leave of absence for a while. I don't need to go to the Tongshitai for anything else. All matters will be decided by Lord An. In other words, my position as Tongshitai has become a nominal one."
Unconsciously, every word he spoke was filled with shock.
"My Lord, please be lenient in your punishment. I have no complaints."
Ning Hanwang understood the implication, his smile became stiff and he looked embarrassed.
"There is no rush for punishment. Let me think about it and then discuss it."
He naturally made an excuse, showed some courtesy, bowed, and said goodbye with a smile.
"There are still some family matters that need to be dealt with in the Ningguo Mansion. I will leave first. There is an urgent matter and I cannot stay any longer. Lord Xu, we will meet again another day."
Seeing that he was respectful and courteous, Xu Mingqian showed a bit of fear and bowed hastily, being extremely respectful and not negligent.
"Sir, please take care. I will see you off respectfully."
After watching Ning Hanwang get on the carriage and gradually move away, Xu Mingqian withdrew his gaze and walked a few steps to Ning Yunxi's side.
"Please stand up, my lord."
Ning Yunxi was still wondering whether Xu Mingqian's move was related to the political situation. She was stunned for a moment, but after hearing these words, she came back to her senses and stood up.
"Thank you for your help, brother."
Xu Mingqian smiled with spring in his eyes.
"I should thank you."
Ning Yunxi was confused for a moment.
"Thank me?"
Xu Mingqian gestured to let him take a step forward to talk.
Ning Yunxi understood and went back to Yirenqingcheng with him, closing the door behind them.
She felt a little uneasy and looked up at Xu Mingqian in confusion.
"Brother, do you have something to discuss?"
Xu Mingqian smiled with relief and knelt down without hesitation.
"Thank you, Princess, for taking care of things for me and Miss Ning Si!"
Ning Yunxi's eyes were filled with fear and panic. She couldn't hold him up, so she had to kneel down with him.
"I dare not accept such a respectful gesture. Please stand up quickly, brother."
She was puzzled.
What does he mean?
When did I ever take care of the affairs between him and my fourth sister?
I was testing my feelings earlier, but he found out? He wouldn't be so grateful as to kneel down.
Could it be that he misunderstood that I truly admired her and wanted to persuade me to give up so that they could be together?
Or maybe, seeing that Fourth Sister was being pitied, he wanted to persuade me to stop the live broadcast?
If you think about it this way, offering a helping hand should have nothing to do with the political situation?
After thinking a lot, he still couldn't figure it out, so Ning Yunxi guided him with words in a straightforward manner.
"Brother, if you have anything to say, just speak up. If I can be of any use to you, I will do my best to help you."
Xu Mingqian smiled kindly, held her arms, stood up with her, and answered slowly.
"You are very smart. You were able to predict everything from a few simple words yesterday, so you did this today."
Ning Yunxi was completely confused.
What to expect? What to do?
Xu Mingqian continued to reply.
"You guessed right. I did have an excuse to report to His Majesty and welcome the Fourth Miss Ning into the palace just to use her."
"In Qianyan Snow Mountain, Lord Feng was too greedy to deal with people, so King Dijin escaped. She didn't want to take the blame, so she spread rumors in the secret office, trying to put all the blame on me. I had no choice but to do this."
"You must not worry too much. I treat Fourth Miss Ning sincerely. The only solution I mentioned is that the situation is urgent and I have to make her my concubine. My original intention was to wait until Madam made other arrangements before officially marrying Fourth Miss Ning."
"Because of the secret petition, the emperor has many doubts about me. Fortunately, the princess has a clever idea and taught Fourth Miss Ning to pretend to be seductive during the live broadcast to conceal my feelings. The princess would rather give up her virtuous sister, and Fourth Miss Ning is willing to lose her reputation. I have no way to repay you for your kindness!"
Ning Yunxi suddenly realized something, but her expression remained calm.
"Brother, does this plan seem to be the eldest brother's idea?"
Originally he didn't want to say more, but she guessed it right. Xu Mingqian smiled awkwardly and answered truthfully.
"The princess is very quick-witted and can see the big picture from the small details. I am far behind her."
Ning Yunxi secretly harbored a trace of suspicion.
Since it is the eldest brother's plan, it must be related to the political situation!
She smiled calmly and didn't point it out.
"When two people are in love, it will become a good story. It is natural for my fourth sister and I to do this. Brother, don't worry."
As she spoke, she made a tentative remark, intentionally or unintentionally.
"My brother's mindset is different from mine. From now on, I will persuade my sister to follow you with peace of mind."
Xu Mingqian sighed softly, expressing a sense of helplessness.
"So, the princess was indeed joking during the conversation in the teahouse yesterday. Alas, in fact, your brother had already told you that Miss Ning cherished her sister and was unwilling to confront her. At that time, I knew that the princess must be sincere in following Prince Dijin."
"In fact, my determination is not completely unchangeable. If she really doesn't want to, I... I..."
After hesitating for several times, he still couldn't say anything, so he turned around and talked about etiquette and morality.
"Here, there are only two of us, and I will speak from the bottom of my heart. Your Majesty, as a minister of Yan, really should not have the heart to become emperor; all the civil and military officials in the court should assist Emperor Jin and Prince, which is the right way..."