Wei Changtian and Liang Zhen didn’t leave the palace until almost dinner time.
After that, Ning Qingyu didn’t bother with “writing poetry” anymore, and they chatted about the customs and people of Shu State.
Ning Yuke didn’t leave either, occasionally adding a few words from the side.
Although she didn’t say much, every time she spoke, she would hit the nail on the head, and her demeanor was very elegant and refined.
If you ignored the scar on her face, this Rong’an Princess should be the most well-behaved woman Wei Changtian had met so far.
Gentle, reserved, and virtuous.
At least his current women didn’t possess this kind of temperament.
Lu Jingyao and Liang Qin were both decent, but they still retained the mentality and behavior of young women.
Yang Liu was open-minded and should be one of the most understanding, but unfortunately, she was a fox spirit and a courtesan, and her background was problematic.
As for Xu Qingwan…… perhaps she could be fierce and kill demons, but when it came to socializing……
In short, Ning Yuke was truly a model of a virtuous wife that men dreamed of.
“Uncle Liang, what’s the reputation of Princess Ruo’an in Shuzhou?”
Sitting in the returning horse-drawn carriage, Wei Changtian casually asked Liang Zhen.
“Reputation? Most people only know of her existence, but haven’t seen her, so there’s no reputation to speak of.”
Liang Zhen shook his head: “I used to have a good relationship with the King, but today is also my first time seeing her.”
“Is that so……”
Wei Changtian nodded, putting Ning Yuke’s matters aside, and then asked: “Uncle Liang, why did you bring me to meet Prince Shunqin today? It can’t be just to exchange poetry with him, right?”
“Ha ha ha, definitely not.”
Liang Zhen laughed loudly, patted Wei Changtian’s shoulder: “Changtian, don’t look at Prince Shunqin as just a poetry enthusiast, but no matter what, he’s a prince with the same bloodline as the Emperor.”
“You’ll only benefit from getting to know him, with no harm.”
“I don’t know what benefits there are; please enlighten me, Uncle.”
Wei Changtian was puzzled.
What could Ning Qingyu, who only had money but no power, do to help himself?
Liang Zhen didn’t answer directly, but instead smiled faintly and counter-questioned: “Changtian, in this complicated Shuzhou city, who do you think has the most precious life?”
“Of course, it’s Prince Shunqin.”
“Then whose life is the second most precious?”
“The second most precious……”
Wei Changtian thought for a moment before slowly testing the waters: “Princess Ruo’an?”
“Exactly! It’s Princess Ruo’an, or the three daughters of the King.”
Liang Zhen said: “Although the other two younger daughters don’t have the title of princess, they are still of the Ning family bloodline, and their lives are far more valuable than mine as a general or Shaoying’an as a provincial governor.”
“No, Uncle Liang.”
Wei Changtian didn’t understand: “What does this have to do with me?”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with you now, but it can be made to have a connection.”
Liang Zhen said seriously: “Changtian, before you left, your father repeatedly entrusted me to take care of you in Shuzhou.”
“After all, you killed Liu Yuanshan, and although the Emperor has let it go, the Liu family won’t let it slide so easily.”
“For now, it’s just that they don’t want to be caught in the act, but once this matter dies down, the Liu family will likely try to take action against you.”
“And I won’t be able to protect you all the time, so I need to find a life-saving token for you.”
“Uncle Liang, your meaning is……”
Wei Changtian’s eyes widened slightly: “Prince Shunqin, no, his daughters are my life-saving token?”
“That’s right.”
Liang Zhen nodded solemnly: “No matter how powerless Prince Shunqin’s family is, one thing is certain……”
“That is, unless the Emperor agrees, no one would dare to take their lives!”
“If you can marry one of the King’s three daughters, the Liu family will have to carefully consider whether they can afford the consequences.”
“Whoa……”
After listening to Liang Zhen’s plan, Wei Changtian fell into deep thought.
Well, it’s actually quite reliable!
Just as Liang Zhen said, although the Liu family is calm for now, they’ll eventually seek revenge, and it’ll be a ruthless one.
When that day comes, Liang Zhen and the Xuanjing Bureau might not be able to guarantee his safety, but if he marries one of Ning Qingyu’s daughters…… that would mean being related to Ning Yongnian!
Although it’s not a very valuable connection, it’s enough to intimidate the Liu family.
“Uncle Liang……”
As I think about this, Wei Changtian’s gaze towards Liang Zhen suddenly became somewhat strange: “This method is indeed feasible, but if I were to marry the Princess of Ning, I’m afraid I’d need… ah, I’m afraid I’d need the Emperor’s approval.”
“This is natural; the Emperor should agree.”
Liang Zhen analyzed, “Although the Suspense Mirror Agency has lost two guards, it is still one of the top influential powers in the capital. No matter how you look at it, a marriage between our families would not harm the imperial family.”
“Uh-huh.”
Wei Changtian nodded, then hesitated, “And what about Qin’er…”
“What about Qin’er?”
Liang Zhen was taken aback for a moment, but soon understood Wei Changtian’s meaning and couldn’t help but burst into laughter: “Hahaha, Changtian, you don’t need to worry about Qin’er’s status after marrying her.”
“The position of the main wife will definitely belong to the Princess of Ning; Qin’er can be a secondary wife.”
A main wife refers to the primary wife, of which there can only be one. A secondary wife’s status is slightly lower than that of the main wife, but higher than that of a concubine. Generally, there can be two secondary wives.
This is where the phrase “three wives and four concubines” comes from.
Wei Changtian never expected Liang Zhen to have such “enlightenment.” For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
But since Liang Zhen was willing to sacrifice his daughter’s interests for him, he must also “live up to his trust”!
“Uncle Liang, okay! I’ll give it a try!”
“Hahaha, Nephew, no need to be modest. You’re not only handsome and talented, but you also have such poetic talent…”
Liang Zhen patted his thigh affirmatively: “I’m sure the Princess of Ning will not object to this marriage!”
“Uh-huh, indeed.”
Wei Changtian shamelessly nodded: “But today, I only saw the Princess of Rong, and the other two…”
“Don’t worry, Nephew, I’ll tell you about it…”
“Okay…”
…
The Prince of Ning’s Residence.
Just as Wei Changtian was discussing with Liang Zhen which of Ning Qingyu’s daughters to marry, Ning Yuke was sitting in her own chamber, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
She gently touched the scar on her cheek, and her eyes seemed to hold a hint of sadness.
“Sister!”
Suddenly, a bright and clear call, like the song of an oriole, came from outside the door, followed by a delicate figure rushing in.
“I heard the maid say that the Young Master Wei came by earlier? Father has called for you?”
“Hmph! Why didn’t Father call me?”
“Sister, what’s Young Master Wei like? Tell me quickly!”
The 15- or 16-year-old girl wouldn’t stop chattering, her bright and fair face filled with excitement.
Ning Yuke turned her head to look at the girl, waiting for her to finish asking before lightly smiling: “Young Master Wei is quite handsome, and he’s indeed very talented.”
“Really?!”
The girl’s eyes sparkled, and she whispered to Ning Yuke: “Sister, do you think if I sneak out to find him, Father will get angry if he finds out?”
“You should ask Father about this.”
Ning Yuke gently said: “Father also appreciates Young Master Wei, so he shouldn’t object.”
“Wow! That’s great! I’ll go ask Father right away!”
The girl was overjoyed and quickly ran out like a whirlwind.
Ning Yuke watched the girl’s back, then looked at her own reflection in the copper mirror, letting out a soft sigh.