Was it all for Rong Heng?
Shi Ning'an stared coldly at Shi Ningxin.
Shi Ningxin's face flushed all the way to her neck. She quickly waved her hands and said, "My Lady, I didn't mean anything else. I just wanted to ask... Were those days of affection... all fake?"
Shi Ning'an asked indifferently, "Do you think it was love?"
Shi Ningxin trembled and subconsciously took a step back.
Shi Ning'an continued, "I asked him. He hardly even met you a few times. Why do you think there was love?"
Tears welled up in Shi Ningxin's eyes. She covered her face tightly with a handkerchief, trying not to let out a sob.
Shi Ning'an understood her. Shi Ningxin was originally instigated by Shi Qingmei to seduce Rong Heng. Perhaps Shi Qingmei just casually placed a pawn without really caring whether it would succeed or not.
But who was Rong Heng? He was not the robust and valiant general that others thought he was. Instead, he was a young man even more elegant than Rong Sui. What's more, he was gentle to others. Every smile of his was beyond the resistance of an ordinary girl.
Moreover, Rong Heng's scheme even included some deliberate gestures of kindness.
Such a heroic and outstanding young man was usually out of Shi Ningxin's reach. Just a few smiles were enough to make her fall in love for a lifetime.
Shi Ning'an softened a bit and sighed helplessly. "Shi Ningxin, you should be clear about your own identity."
Shi Ningxin nodded absent - mindedly. "I know. I never had any delusions. It's just..."
"Just that you always thought those smiles might carry love?"
Shi Ningxin lowered her head. She couldn't stop her tears.
Shi Ning'an continued, "Rong Heng will be the future marshal of the Great Zhou and is like a god. What kind of girl do you think he would like?"
Shi Ningxin's face turned deathly pale. "I know I'm not worthy of him. My status..."
"Just because of your status? Not anything else?"
Shi Ningxin looked up at her in surprise.
Shi Ning'an sneered. "A woman who just sits at home all day doing nothing is probably unworthy of the patron saint of the Great Zhou, isn't she?"
Shi Ningxin somehow stopped crying and felt that Shi Ning'an was absolutely right.
Shi Ning'an didn't say much more and got up to leave. When she reached the steps, she seemed to remember something. "If you have some wild and unrealistic dreams in your heart, I suggest you decline the marriage with that squire. Otherwise, you'll just ruin a good young man."
Although Shi Ning'an spoke sharply, Shi Ningxin didn't feel any hatred at all. She left absent - mindedly with Nanny Yu.
Lu'er quickly asked, "My Lady, what about Shi Ningxin?"
Shi Ning'an shook her head. "Don't worry about her. I've said everything I needed to. It depends on what she thinks."
It was just an episode. Once it was over, it was over.
In the following days, Shi Ning'an felt a bit bored. She couldn't get involved in the medicine - making business of the Zeng family, and she couldn't help much in the Zeng family's medical clinic either.
Occasionally, she went to Zeng Ruoyun's yard. Zeng Ruoyun was always holding a pen and paper, writing and drawing something. There were thick medical books beside her, which were really dazzling.
Shi Ning'an picked up a few medical books on top and then looked at the open book on the table.
Zeng Ruoyun quickly stopped her. "Put them down! Don't move them around!"
Shi Ning'an said irritably, "Come on, cousin. Your place is such a mess, and you still tell me not to move things?"
Zeng Ruoyun waved her hand. "You don't understand. I know where I left off. If you move them, I won't know where to start again."
Shi Ning'an looked at the pages curiously and asked, "They're all related to gynecology. Are you planning to specialize in this field?"
Zeng Ruoyun nodded. "Yes. I've thought about it. Most of the doctors in the medical clinic are men. Both men and women go to see doctors. But many women's diseases are hard to talk about. Rich families may have female doctors, but ordinary people don't. Most wandering doctors are also men. Even if women practice medicine, they usually only play a supporting role. After they get married, they basically won't show up in public. However, practicing medicine requires a lot of practical experience. Even if a young girl has excellent medical skills, it's useless if she has seen too few patients."
Shi Ning'an listened to her reasonable explanation and quickly asked, "So what are you going to do?"
Zeng Ruoyun continued, "When I was doing free medical consultations on the outskirts of the capital, I found that many women came from far away to ask me for diagnosis. They didn't come because of the Zeng family's reputation but because they heard that I was a girl. It shows that female doctors are even rarer than male doctors. I plan to gather all the female disciples of the Zeng family and recruit willing women from the folk. In the future, we'll specialize in gynecology. Then the women of our Great Zhou won't have to avoid seeing doctors because of the difference between men and women."
Shi Ning'an nodded slowly. Looking at the shining eyes of Zeng Ruoyun when she was talking, she felt quite touched.
Actually, she said that Shi Ningxin was a woman who did nothing at home and was unworthy of a good general like Rong Heng who dedicated himself to the country and the people. But thinking carefully, wasn't she herself such a useless person? How was she worthy of Rong Sui, who was a member of the Yulin Guards?
It seemed that none of them had the same broad - mindedness as Zeng Ruoyun.
As days went by, Shi Ning'an received letters from Rong Sui every few days. Sometimes Zeng Ruoyun would laugh at her, and sometimes she would look lost.
Seeing this, Shi Ning'an asked again, "Is there really no hope between you and Rong Heng?"
Zeng Ruoyun rolled her eyes. "I've already told you. It's impossible between us."
Shi Ning'an always felt it was a pity and couldn't help asking, "But you two are well - matched. If you're willing, you can go to Wuyun..."
"I'm not willing," Zeng Ruoyun said calmly. "If you love someone, you'll naturally be willing to do anything for him. I know what you're thinking, but I'm not willing. I'm not completely indifferent to him, but this feeling probably just comes from an ordinary girl's admiration for a hero. It's just admiration, not love."
Shi Ning'an didn't say much. The weather became hotter and hotter. In the midsummer of July, it was unbearably hot. When she was a child, she often went swimming in the lotus pond with her brothers and sisters. But now that she was grown - up, it was inappropriate to do such things.
Zeng Ruoyun still came up with a way. She fenced off a part of the lotus pond on their estate, set up barriers, and asked the maids and nannies in the family to guard around. The girls only wore light and thin shorts and short tops and swam in the river happily.
Lu'er was used to this since childhood and didn't think it was a big deal, but Nanny Liang almost dropped her eyes out.
However, Shi Ning'an was always worried. She couldn't even enjoy swimming. She got out of the water early, changed her clothes, and sat in the shade under the tree, watching the younger girls play.
Zeng Ruoyun also remembered the unfinished things in her heart and got up early. She told the nannies and maids to take good care of the girls and not let them play for too long.
"Ning'an, why do I think you're so absent - minded? Is there something wrong?"
Shi Ning'an said in a low voice, "Rong Sui hasn't sent me a letter for ten days."
Zeng Ruoyun sneered. "I thought it was something serious when I saw you like this. Oh no, waiting for Rong Sanlang's letter for too long is really a big deal for you, isn't it?"
Shi Ning'an glared at her irritably and said in a low voice again, "I'm talking to you seriously. Usually, even if there's a delay, it's only two or three days. Why has it been delayed for five days this time?"
"Three or five days, it's just a difference of two days," Zeng Ruoyun patted her cousin's head. "You're really cute. A woman in love is really different."
Shi Ning'an shook her head. "No, cousin. I'm worried that something might have happened in the capital. It takes about half a month for the letter to reach here. Could something have happened half a month ago that prevented Rong Sui from sending me a letter?"
Zeng Ruoyun spread her hands. "What did he write in his last letter? Is there any clue?"
Shi Ning'an's face suddenly turned completely red. She turned her face away and didn't say a word.
Zeng Ruoyun was almost laughed out of anger. She patted her cousin's head helplessly. "Tsk tsk tsk. Can't you even stand a few days without the tender feelings?"
Shi Ning'an felt embarrassed and quickly stammered an explanation. "No, no. There's nothing special in the letter. It's just some idle talk."
Zeng Ruoyun didn't believe it at all. "Just idle talk? Then why is your face so red? Did Rong Sui write something improper in the letter?"
Shi Ning'an was not happy. She whipped Zeng Ruoyun with the branch in her hand. "Nonsense, cousin. What are you talking about? It's a letter. How could he write something like that..."
"Really?"
"Really." Shi Ning'an tried to hold herself together and nodded seriously.
"Then let me have a look!" Zeng Ruoyun said and laughed, stretching out her hand.
Shi Ning'an slapped her palm hard and turned her head. "Cousin, if you keep doing this, I won't talk to you anymore."
Zeng Ruoyun laughed out loud and tickled her. "Okay, okay, my silly sister. I won't tease you anymore. But I'm also being serious. Don't worry. They're doing fine in the capital, preparing for your big wedding. What could happen? I think maybe your aunt thought it was inappropriate for you two to communicate by letters and stopped him from sending you letters."
Shi Ning'an shook her head. She didn't think this explanation was reasonable, but she didn't know how to explain it either. She didn't know how to calm her uneasiness.
Zeng Ruoyun patted her hand again. "Don't worry. In a few more days, Uncle Zeng will send a letter back. If there's any big movement in the capital, he will definitely tell us in the letter."
However, before Uncle Zeng's letter arrived, the Zeng family received news from Wuyun.
The Zeng family had medical clinics all over the place, big and small, and had disciples everywhere. Wuyun was no exception. Moreover, the former head of the Zeng family had once gone to Wuyun in person and stayed there for half a year. The medical clinic there was established by him, and he left three of his personally - trained disciples there. Over the years, the three disciples in Wuyun had quickly sent back news about the local affairs.
This time, the letter was related to the second branch of the Rong family.
It was said that some days ago, the northern barbarian army launched a sudden attack, catching the Rong army off guard. Fortunately, Rong Heng was a good fighter and quickly turned the situation around, directly beheading the enemy general.
It should have been a great achievement, but the city - guarding official, Lord Xia, actually found something different from the captives. The northern barbarians didn't have enough troops and originally wouldn't have attacked the Great Zhou. This battle was entirely self - directed and self - acted by the Rong family. The Rong family had long had the heart of treason, and this move was just to climb higher.