The time was too tight. Originally, Princess Zhaoming intended to postpone the wedding to the twelfth lunar month and let Rong Xuan escort Shi Ning'an back to Nanling.
But Rong Sui argued reasonably, saying that their father and the others couldn't wait that long to return to the capital.
Princess Zhaoming thought it over and felt that he was right. It wasn't good to delay for too long.
"But Ning'an has just returned. Is it too hasty for her to rush back for the wedding right away? Isn't it too rushed?"
Rong Sui quickly shook his head. "It's too rushed. Then she doesn't need to go back. Just let Ning'an stay in the manor. It will be convenient for the wedding."
Princess Zhaoming suddenly realized and patted Rong Sui on the shoulder. "I didn't expect you, a child who usually looks so cold, to be so impatient when it comes to your wedding."
Rong Xuan winked. "Mother, it's not that Third Brother is impatient about the wedding. As long as it's about Cousin, which thing is he not impatient about?"
Princess Zhaoming clapped her hands and laughed. "You used to treat Ning'an very well. I thought it was because she was your cousin. It turns out... Oh, no wonder when Uncle was arranging a marriage for Ning'an, you disliked this one and that one. In the end, you said only you were the most suitable. It turns out you've had this idea for a long time. Tsk tsk tsk. Now Grandpa doesn't have to worry anymore, afraid that you, an ice block, will hurt his precious Ning'an."
Rong Sui's ears turned red slightly, and he took a sip of tea to cover it up.
The Rong Mansion had regained its ducal title and was once again the Duke's Mansion. Princess Zhaoming was extremely busy. She had to resettle the family members, arrange for the second branch of the family to return, and immediately prepare for Rong Sui's grand wedding.
Rong Sui was now a third - rank Commander of the Yulin Guards. To reach the third rank at the age of twenty couldn't be achieved solely by family inheritance. The Emperor and the Crown Prince valued him highly. In the entire capital's guards, Rong Sui was also very important.
His wedding was highly regarded even in the palace. The Empress Dowager even sent people several times to inquire. It wasn't for Rong Sui but for the entire Rong family.
Shi Ning'an stayed in the manor, waiting for the Zeng family to come and see her off for the wedding. Without her own family, the Zeng family was her family.
In a blink of an eye, it was mid - October. The young ladies who were familiar in the capital came to the Rong family's manor to give wedding gifts to Shi Ning'an. Shi Ning'an had done her makeup and watched the young ladies coming and going. Most of them were strange faces.
She had only been back in the capital for a year and a half, and the noble families in the capital had changed. It was really sigh - inducing.
A thoughtless young lady stood in front of the window. "She's just a fallen family who has taken refuge in the Rong family. Now she can marry a young man like the third young master of the Rong family. Tsk tsk. She still has to get married in the manor. She doesn't even have a proper family to see her off."
Maybe she didn't know that this window was right in front of the room, and her words could be clearly heard inside.
Ying Tao's face changed, and she was about to go out and scold the young lady when another female voice sounded.
"Miss, do you come to the host's house to discuss where the bride's family is?"
It was Zeng Ruoyun's voice.
Shi Ning'an happily looked up but couldn't see Zeng Ruoyun. Her second uncle and fourth uncle had come, and several cousins had also come. But they said that Zeng Ruoyun had gone on a long - distance trip and couldn't return, so she couldn't come with them.
She originally thought that Zeng Ruoyun wouldn't make it, but unexpectedly, she did.
Shi Ning'an wanted to go out, but the wedding maid quickly stopped her. "The groom hasn't come to pick up the bride yet. The bride can't go out."
The young lady outside the window sized up Zeng Ruoyun from head to toe. Seeing that her clothes were ordinary, disdain showed in her eyes. "Who are you? How dare you lecture me? Do you know who my father is?"
Zeng Ruoyun sneered. "Who your father is has nothing to do with me. You're so arrogant and come to the host's house to mock the bride. I don't think you come from a well - educated family."
"You..."
Zeng Ruoyun continued to sneer. "Moreover, which well - educated young lady only judges people by their clothes? Do you think that as long as you have money and wear gold and silver, you can be superior to others?"
The young lady was from the Su family, the newly - appointed Minister of War. The Su family was also a noble family in the capital, but they had been oppressed by the Dong family for years and couldn't turn things around. Now that the Dong family had fallen, the Su family had been promoted.
Miss Su was so angry that she was dizzy and shouted, "No matter what, I'm better than you, right? You can't stand others telling the truth. Is the person in the room your sister? Looking at you, you're just like a fallen family."
The Shao family was entrusted with an important task today. The Rong family needed to welcome the bride, and they were afraid that the Zeng family was not familiar with the procedures and there would be no one to take care of things, so they entrusted the Shao family to come and help.
Lord Shao and Lady Shao were in the front helping the Zeng family receive guests, while Miss Shao led the young ladies to play in the backyard. When Miss Shao heard the report, she rushed over in a hurry and saw Miss Su and Miss Zeng arguing.
She rushed over quickly and pulled Miss Su hard. "Miss Su, this is the Rong family. You're not allowed to be so presumptuous here."
Miss Su was so angry that her eyes were full of tears. "You... Didn't you hear how she scolded me?"
Miss Shao said, "She scolded you? You came to someone else's place to cause trouble. Why can't she scold you? This is the new bride's yard. What are you talking nonsense about?"
Miss Su questioned, "Whose place is this? She's not a member of the Rong family. So what you're saying is that she's a relative of that Shi Ning'an? Humph, a fallen family who climbed up by relying on relatives..."
A little girl beside her reached out and pulled her, but she impatiently shook her off. Looking around again, all the noble ladies were far away from her, as if they were afraid that getting close to her would contaminate them.
Miss Su glared at them. "What are you doing?"
No one answered her.
She quickly walked up to a familiar friend, but the friend immediately avoided her and walked away quickly.
Only then did Miss Su panic. She turned back and asked, "What... What's going on?"
Zeng Ruoyun gave her a cold look and said loudly, "Insulting the young mistress of the Rong family in the Rong family's place. I really admire you. However, why is such a noisy person still allowed to stay in the inner courtyard?"
Immediately, two old women came over with serious faces. Although they were inviting, they held her on both sides, clearly meaning to force her out.
Miss Su hurriedly shouted, "You... I'm a guest of the Rong family. What do you mean?"
The old women were merciless. "We're the servants of the Rong family. Today, this is the place where the Zeng family is marrying off their daughter. Princess Zhaoming has already given instructions. The Zeng family saved the Emperor. If anyone dares to be disrespectful to the Zeng family, they're disrespecting the Rong family, the princess, and the Emperor."
Miss Su's legs went weak, and she almost fell.
The commotion outside stopped. Zeng Ruoyun shook her head and walked in. She handed a small package to Shi Ning'an. "Here, wedding gift."
Ying Tao curiously held it and asked, "Miss Zeng, what is this?"
Zeng Ruoyun smiled mysteriously. "Open it and you'll know."
Ying Tao opened it and was stunned. "This is... acupuncture needles?"
Shi Ning'an also looked up in surprise. "Why did you give this to me?"
Zeng Ruoyun was even happier. She quickly sat next to Shi Ning'an and pulled her. "Let me tell you. I recently went on a free medical consultation in various counties in Nanling. I met a traveling doctor. She gave me this set of acupuncture needles and taught me a set of techniques that can..."
She was very mysterious. Seeing that all the noble ladies in the room had left and only a few servants and the wedding maid were in the room, she then continued with a smile. "Since then, when I encounter people with evil intentions, I don't have to use those itching powders anymore. Just one needle can make a man infertile."
The wedding maid's eyelids twitched, and she quickly stepped forward to cover Zeng Ruoyun's mouth. "Oh, my dear girl. How can you say such things casually?"
Ying Tao didn't think these words couldn't be said casually. She just curiously asked, "Then what's the meaning of Miss Zeng giving this as a wedding gift?"
Zeng Ruoyun nodded proudly. "Of course it does. The meaning is very great. Come on, Ning'an. Let me teach you. When you encounter a man, stab him here like this, and the man will be useless..."
Ying Tao was so shocked that she really covered Zeng Ruoyun's mouth. "Miss Zeng, why are you saying such things? Our young lady is getting married, not going to kill someone. You..."
Zeng Ruoyun pulled her hand away. "Oh, are you stupid? With your young lady's appearance, if she's bullied in the future and doesn't even have the ability to fight back. Women are too vulnerable and it's too hard. Aren't they just at the mercy of men? With the third young master of the Rong family like that, if you don't have any means to resist, with this needle, you can..."
Shi Ning'an's face was as red as blood, and she covered her ears and refused to listen.
How could Zeng Ruoyun let her go? "You listen to me. I'm not asking you to make the third young master of the Rong family infertile. I'm just asking you to make him temporarily impotent. If he begs for mercy, then you can use the needle to cure him. Come on, take it, take it, take it."
Everyone in the room was stunned. They didn't know why this young lady was so bold in her speech and so unconventional in her actions.
Ying Tao made a quick decision. "Miss Zeng, I think this thing is not suitable for our young lady. But for you, Miss Zeng, it's very practical for self - defense when you're out."
Lu'er and the wedding maid also nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Zeng Ruoyun shook her head. "I have plenty of ways, but Ning'an is different. Ning'an, this needle has more uses than this. I observe that the third young master of the Rong family has a cold personality and is not close to women. Maybe he has problems in that aspect. You can also give him two needles here. I'm sure it will make him..."
The wedding maid was so anxious that she was jumping up and down. Fortunately, there was a sound from outside, saying that the wedding procession had come. The wedding maid quickly pushed Zeng Ruoyun, who hadn't finished speaking, out of the room.
"Miss Zeng, hurry up and block the door. This is a big happy day. We can't let the groom pick up the bride too easily."
Hearing this, Zeng Ruoyun thought it was very reasonable. She quickly put down the acupuncture needles in her hand and rushed out.
Ying Tao quickly packed up the things. When she got to the set of acupuncture needles, she originally wanted to put them aside and not take them. But for some reason, she thought of Miss Zeng's last words. If the third young master of the Rong family was too cold, maybe two needles would make him more enthusiastic?
She calmed down and put the acupuncture needles in the portable box. Then she thought about it, took them out, and put them in the young lady's dressing box.
The happy sounds outside made people feel much better. The Miss Su just now and Zeng Ruoyun's embarrassing words seemed like just an interlude.
I don't know how long it had passed. Shi Ning'an was helped out of the room by the wedding maid. Zeng Haomiao was waiting at the door. He carried Shi Ning'an on his back and walked out step by step.