Ning Xu put down the list in his hand, words came to his lips, but he swallowed them back. The people sent to investigate Rongchuan would not be back for a while. Zhoujia Village was a bit far away, but he had a feeling in his heart that Rongchuan was related to the Ning family, no, it should be said that he was related to the person in front of him.
Ning Xu sighed in his heart. If his eldest brother hadn't died too early and died before establishing a dynasty, Rongchuan's age would not have fit. He would have thought of his eldest brother. As for his second brother, he had thought about him too, but his second brother and his second sister-in-law had a very good relationship. Plus, his two nephews in the mansion were older than Rongchuan, so he just thought about it.
The emperor felt that he was particularly good-tempered towards Ning Xu, "Why are you silent?"
Ning Xu knew how to strike a balance. "I feel deeply that Lord Zhou's son and future son-in-law are both good. I heard that there is another son in the family who is also good at studying. Yes, it is said that Lord Zhou's eldest grandson is also good."
Emperor Zhang Yu thought Ning Xu was thinking about his offspring again. "You like children so much. Your second brother's grandsons are also good. You can adopt one."
Ning Xu waved his hand, "My second brother's grandchildren are all treasures. Forget it. When I am a hundred years old, I will return the title of Marquis to the court."
In the capital, Mr. Deng from the Zhou Mansion came to congratulate him, and the young officials that Chang Lian had just met and had a good relationship with also came. Fortunately, because they had to prepare for the palace examination, they all studied hard after the list was announced, and there were no more invitations.
Two days later, Mr. Deng came to visit and bowed to Zhulan. Zhulan asked hurriedly, "Why are you doing this?"
Deng Xiucai blushed, "I came here today to ask for your help, but I don't know how to start."
Zhulan thought she was being polite right away. "Since you've come here, you already have a plan in mind. What's the matter? Tell me first. I want to listen carefully."
Mr. Deng encouraged himself in his heart, "I would like to ask you to help me find a woman who is well-educated, well-mannered, and has a clean family background."
Zhulan didn't think much about it and continued, "You are looking for a wife for your daughter, it's easy to do."
Mr. Deng blushed again, "No, no, Mr. Deng wants to marry again."
Zhulan: "... Marry again!"
If she remembered correctly, she seemed to have heard Zhou Shuren say that Mr. Deng had no plans to remarry. Why did he change his mind now
Zhulan asked, "Do you have a favorite?"
Then I felt that I had been asking nonsense questions. Since she was asked to help look for one, it meant that she must not have found anyone she liked.
Mr. Deng explained hurriedly, "No, no, I took my daughter back, but she is still young. If I only had a son, it would be fine, but my daughter is different. The uneducated women in the upper house have a bad reputation for women, and they broke off the engagement a few days ago, which has damaged their reputation. So I thought about it and decided that I need a mistress at home. I also hope to teach my daughter to be sensible and understand the rules."
Zhulan understood that Deng Xiucai still wanted a mistress who could manage the household well so as not to distract him. Although she did not pay much attention to Deng Xiucai's household, it was clear that Deng Xiucai's household was not peaceful.
Zhulan understood that Deng Xiucai came to her not only because he hoped she could help him find a good man, but also because he wanted to show his attitude through marriage, and that he had no second thoughts about the Zhou Mansion. "I've made a note of this, and I'll look for him more."
Mr. Deng was delighted. He trusted the judgment of the Zhou family mistress and said, "Thank you, Madam."
Zhulan waited for Mr. Deng to leave, and thought about the people she knew. There was really no one suitable among those she knew, so she asked Mrs. Song, "Do you know anyone?"
Mrs. Song did have a candidate. "Madam, among the gentlemen we invited to our house, there is a Mr. Sun whose sister has been divorced. Do you still remember?"
Zhu Lan recalled, "When I investigated it, it was true. I remember Mr. Sun's sister was about 20 years old."
Mrs. Song remembered clearly, "She is 22 years old this year. She divorced because she had no children. She married a minor official at the time. He had a broad vision and was literate. He was a good match for Mr. Deng."
Zhulan thought to herself, it is indeed appropriate, "Is it really true that I can't have children?"
Mrs. Song said, "That's how the investigation was conducted. I don't know the details."
Zhulan said, "Mr. Deng has children, so it's better to check carefully."
Mrs. Song took note of it.
Zhulan sighed again, "Mr. Deng is really good to his daughter. He is a rare good father."
Mr. Deng really put a lot of thought into this daughter.
In the Ning Mansion, after dinner, Mr. Ning motioned his youngest son to go with him to the tea room for tea, then sat down on a chair and asked, "Are you having any happy events these days?"
What the old man wants to ask is, are you feeling better now
Ning Xu sat there without any image, "Dad, is my performance very obvious?"
Old Man Ning snorted, "It's more than obvious."
Okay, he was happy for nothing.
Ning Xu ate the fruit at hand and said, "Dad, you asked me to come here not just to ask this, right?"
Old Master Ning frowned and said, "Since you have regained your status, you have been too diligent in going to the palace. You must remember that you are still a subject. Don't wear out your affection."
The daughter is not a daughter, she is the queen, and the emperor will never be a son-in-law, he is just the ruler of a country.
Ning Xu wiped his hands with a handkerchief, "Dad, I know better than you, it's not that I really want to go, it's the Emperor and the Empress who asked me to go, this is a favor, I have to accept it as your son."
Old Master Ning was silent for a moment. "It's good that you have some sense in your heart. Your second brother is not in good health, but he has two sons, both of whom are precious. These two children are not outstanding. It was because of me at the beginning. Three of my sons died or were injured. I thought that no matter how glorious the Ning Mansion is, it must have successors, so I let go and spoiled the two children. There is no successor to the Ning Mansion, so don't be too outrageous."
Ning Xu felt very upset. His father spoiled his two nephews and wanted to protect their lives, especially the one who was in good health. In order to make the emperor feel more at ease, his father decided to make his two nephews moderate, which was good for everyone.
In the afternoon, Zhulan saw Dong holding a letter in her hand, "Is there something wrong?"
Mrs. Dong was furious. The letter in her hand was forwarded to her by her sister-in-law. She became even angrier after reading it. This was a letter from her elder brother and sister-in-law. Although the two did not write it clearly, the letter also expressed their intentions. What childhood sweethearts? He was planning to take advantage of her daughter. He really dared to think, "Mother, my nephew has been in Zhou's house for a while. I just received a letter from my sister. The child's illness has recovered. I was thinking, we still have a while to go back. Do you think it is feasible to let him study with Deng Yun?"
In the end, she softened her heart. Her eldest brother must have written the letter behind their parents' back. After all, he was her nephew, and she still hoped that he would be fine. At the moment, she couldn't send the child back, so she could only educate him well. It was not a good idea to just ignore him.
Zhulan, "It's fine as long as you think it through."
She had thought about it, but since he was Dong's nephew, it would be better for Dong to speak up.
Dong thought to herself, this is just her own mother-in-law. If it were any other mother-in-law, the Dong family would definitely feel uncomfortable with her if they did this.