The reborn daughter of the Marquis Mansion takes over the world

Because Ning Ziqing pretended to be unwell and wanted to rest at home, except for Cao Yanyan and Song Yu who came to visit once, the Ninghou Mansion declined all visitors.

Ning Ziqing was pretending to be sick because she was bored. Early that morning, she asked for eight-treasure rice pudding and fish sashimi for lunch. Lin Wanqiao couldn't persuade her, so she had to order the servants to invite a famous chef to cook for her.

When Ning Zijun came back from his inspection in the western suburbs camp, he saw Ning Ziqing sitting in front of a table full of delicious food, eating with great pleasure.

Ning Zijun scolded her with a headache: "You are almost ill. Now the whole capital knows that you are seriously ill, and you are still sitting here eating and drinking. If the news reaches His Majesty, be careful to punish you for deceiving the emperor!"

Ning Ziqing stuffed a piece of roasted lamb in his mouth and smiled nonchalantly, "It's okay, brother. If anyone sees me, just say I'm having a last gasp and want to have a good meal while I still have breath."

Ning Zijun: ………

Lin Wanqiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She tapped Ning Ziqing's forehead with her finger and said, "You little rascal, it's so cold, but you insist on eating fish sashimi. Be careful not to get an upset stomach."

Ning Ziqing smiled at her, and seeing that the soup in the copper pot on the table was boiling, he quickly called Ning Zijun: "Brother, come and wash your hands and try this new way of eating fish sashimi. I asked someone to prepare a copper pot. Slightly heat the fish slices before eating. It is delicious and warms the body."

"And this eight-treasure rice, the cooking method is very particular. First wrap it with lotus leaves, then put it in the goose's belly, and then stuff the whole goose into the sheep's stomach, seal it with yellow mud, and finally bury it in the charcoal fire and bake it for two hours. The taste is simply the best in the world."

Ning Ziqing's face was full of excitement when she talked about delicious food. She couldn't wait to open the lotus leaf, picked up a bite of the fragrant eight-treasure rice with chopsticks and ate it with relish.

Ning Zijun's stomach had been rumbling with hunger for a long time. After hearing Ning Ziqing's introduction, he quickly washed his hands, sat down, picked up his chopsticks and started to eat.

"Little greedy cat, these are all famous dishes from the Burning Tail Banquet. It's a pity that your sister-in-law dotes on you so much that she allows you to be so extravagant."

Ning Zijun smiled as he ate, his eyes full of doting.

Ning Ziqing rolled her eyes at Ning Zijun in dissatisfaction, pouted and complained to Lin Wanqiao: "Sister-in-law, look at the way my brother eats. How did you fall in love with him in the first place?"

Lin Wanqiao laughed out loud instantly, covering her mouth and jokingly said, "As for me, I guess I was attracted by the delicious smell of the cake when he was eating it."

After saying that, she leaned on Ning Ziqing's shoulder and laughed with her, even the servants in the room were amused.

Ning Zijun felt a little embarrassed by their laughter, and glared at the two of them unhappily: "I have been dealing with a bunch of big and strong men in the military camp for many years, and I am used to eating like this. I have to eat faster and eat more, so that I can have the strength to fight."

Ning Ziqing and Lin Wanqiao felt sad after hearing this and immediately apologized to Ning Zijun.

Ning Ziqing assured him earnestly: "Brother, don't be angry. You have suffered alone outside for so many years. I will never bully you again."

She pushed all the dishes in front of her, including Mao soup and stuffed fish with milk, to Ning Zijun.

"Brother, eat more. You are still responsible for the things outside."

Ning Zijun put a piece of blanched fish fillet into her bowl and said.

"Qingqing, don't worry, just stay in the mansion. His Majesty issued an order today to punish Princess Jiarou. She has now been demoted to a commoner and will have to stay in a nunnery for a year. This is enough for her."

"Ning Zilan has now been expelled from the Ning Marquis' Mansion. Everything is her own fault. Her life and death have nothing to do with us from now on."

"As for grandpa, I have also comforted him, so you can rest assured."

"Your sister-in-law and I will take care of the outside world. We will handle these trivial matters properly. Don't worry about anything in the future. Just stay in Xiyuan and eat and drink happily every day. Only then can I feel at ease."

Ning Ziqing nodded happily and picked up a few more dishes for Ning Zijun.

But when Lin Wanqiao thought about the rumors against Ning Ziqing, she couldn't help but feel a little worried: "Since Your Majesty has already convicted Princess Jiarou, shouldn't we also deal with those who maliciously slandered Qingqing's reputation?"

Ning Ziqing comforted her: "Sister-in-law, the innocent are innocent. I don't care what others say about me. The more we suppress them, the more they will think we are bullying them. Let them talk as much as they want. Anyway, I won't lose a piece of meat."

But Lin Wanqiao was still worried and looked at Ning Zijun with worried eyes, hoping that he could come up with an idea.

Ning Zijun took over and said, "Aqiao, Qingqing is right. Those sinister villains with ill intentions are only trying to gain temporary pleasure with their words. We don't need to pay attention to them. They will only bring trouble to themselves."

"Besides, Qingqing has already been engaged to Qi Langjun. Qi Langjun knows what kind of person she is better than anyone else. He doesn't care about Qingqing's reputation. Our Qingqing is the best girl in Nanyao Country. To be able to marry her is a blessing that others cannot obtain in several lifetimes."

Looking at Ning Zijun's shameless look, Ning Ziqing's mouth twitched, and she silently complained in her heart: Ning Zijun has become so shameless that even she feels inferior to him.

While they were talking, the butler suddenly came running to report that an eunuch had come to convey an imperial decree.

When Ning Ziqing heard this, he hurriedly put down his chopsticks and quickly ran back to the dormitory to lie down.

After learning that it was Emperor Yao who wanted to summon Ning Ziqing to the palace to meet him, Ning Zijun looked embarrassed and pleaded with the eunuch, "Eunuch, my sister has been feeling unwell recently. Could you please ask His Majesty for a favor and let her stay at home to recuperate for a few more days?"

The eunuch stood at the gate of Xiyuan, looked inside, and kindly reminded Ning Zijun.

"General Feilong, Princess Azhao has suffered this disaster, and His Majesty must want to comfort her. If the princess does not come to the palace to see him, wouldn't it be a waste of His Majesty's good intentions?"

Ning Zijun was silent for a moment, then told the eunuch that he needed to see Ning Ziqing's physical condition first.

However, the eunuch told him that Emperor Yao had arranged two imperial physicians and a team of attendants to wait in the front yard with a sedan chair, so Ning Ziqing could enter the palace without worry.

Ning Zijun reacted and realized that it seemed that Ning Ziqing could not escape today.

He sighed helplessly and motioned Lin Wanqiao to go in and help Ning Ziqing dress up.

Half an hour later, Ning Zijun personally rode on horseback to escort Ning Ziqing to the imperial city.

Ning Ziqing sat in the sedan chair, looking at the gradually darkening sky, feeling a little uneasy.

When they arrived at the palace gate, the eunuchs stopped Ning Zijun, Yinxiang, Jiang Qie and others outside the palace gate on the grounds that Emperor Yao only summoned Ning Ziqing.

Although Ning Ziqing felt it was very strange that Emperor Yao suddenly summoned her at this critical moment, she remained calm and said a few words of farewell to Ning Zijun and the others. She was then carried directly to the outside of the imperial study by the attendants.

When she came down from the pride, she saw Su Yanqi and Concubine Wan standing at the door of the palace. Her heart skipped a beat and she suddenly had a bad premonition.

The three men met each other, and before Ning Ziqing could say a word to them, he was urged by Eunuch Wu, who had been waiting nearby, to go inside to meet Emperor Yao.

Ning Ziqing could only exchange a subtle glance with Su Yanqi hurriedly. Just as he stepped into the imperial study, Eunuch Wu closed the door with his backhand.

Ning Ziqing felt a little uneasy in his heart. He lowered his head and walked forward respectfully to kneel before Emperor Yao.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty live a long and healthy life."

Emperor Yao sat in front of the imperial desk with a sullen look on his face, and for a long time he did not ask Ning Ziqing to stand up.

Ning Ziqing knelt quietly on the ground, not daring to breathe, secretly guessing the real intention of Emperor Yao summoning her this time.

Could it be that Emperor Yao wanted to blame her for holding the Black Feather Order?

Ning Ziqing's heart tightened.

After a long time, the majestic voice of Emperor Yao was heard above his head.

"Ning Ziqing, do you admit your guilt?"

Ning Ziqing was at a loss, and asked boldly: "May I ask Your Majesty, what crime have I committed?"

"presumptuous!"

Emperor Yao shouted angrily, frightening Ning Ziqing so much that she immediately kowtowed and apologized: "I really don't know, please tell me clearly, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yao stared at Ning Ziqing coldly and asked angrily, "Ning Ziqing, how dare you instigate Su Yanqi and deceive your superiors and subordinates? Are you still unwilling to plead guilty?"

Ning Ziqing was stunned: "Your Majesty...why do you say that?"

Seeing that she pretended to be ignorant, Emperor Yao became even more furious and sternly rebuked her, "Ning Ziqing, even now, you are still stubborn and refuse to admit it!"

"I'm telling you, you want to marry the fourth brother, that's wishful thinking! Your mother had already arranged a marriage between you and Su Yanqi before you were born, so you can only marry into the Su family!"

"In this life, you will be a Su family woman when you are alive and a Su family ghost when you die. Stop coveting things that you shouldn't have."

Emperor Yao slapped the imperial desk, becoming more and more stern: "I called you here today to tell you that I want you to get married with Su Yan in seven or three days!"

Ning Ziqing was shocked when he heard this, and said, "Your Majesty, even if you don't agree with me and the Fourth Prince being together, why are you so eager to force me to marry Su Yanqi?"

Emperor Yao snorted coldly, staring at Ning Ziqing with sharp eyes and said, "Only by letting you marry Su Yanqi as soon as possible can we completely stop the fourth brother's thoughts. As long as you don't marry, his heart will be with you. This rebellious son, I really should beat him dozens of times to wake him up!"

Ning Ziqing suddenly heard the news that Huo Yunjue was being punished, and looked up in astonishment: "Your Majesty, you...you punished the Fourth Prince?"

Emperor Yao glanced at her coldly: "For your sake, he abused his power, arbitrarily dealt with Jiarou, and disregarded the law of the country. Shouldn't I punish him?"

"Not only will I punish him, I will also banish him to Jinzhou and never allow him to return to Kyoto again!"

Emperor Yao was resolute and stared closely at Ning Ziqing's reaction, expecting her to show concern for Huo Yunjue's injury, to compromise with him, or to cry and beg him.

However, Ning Ziqing just frowned and struggled painfully for a while, then with red eyes, she looked directly into the eyes of Emperor Yao and pleaded: "Your Majesty, since you know that the Fourth Prince and I love each other, but you have the heart to separate us. Although I dare not disobey your will, I will never marry Su Yanqi. As long as Your Majesty can forgive the Fourth Prince, I am willing to swear to you that I will never marry."

After saying that, she kowtowed three times to Yao solemnly.

Emperor Yao sneered and refused to give in. "Ning Ziqing, don't think I can't see the little tricks in your heart. You want to use the pretext of not marrying to fool me first, and then wait for the fourth son to inherit the throne in the future, and then wait for him to marry you, right?"

Ning Ziqing smiled bitterly and stated her position: "Your Majesty, please understand. I have never had such thoughts. You don't want me to marry the Fourth Prince, and I don't want to marry Su Yanqi. In this case, I would rather choose not to marry for life. This should make Your Majesty let down his guard against me, right?"

She wanted to fight for it again. No matter what, Huo Yunjue could not be demoted to Jinzhou. Otherwise, the throne would probably fall into the hands of Huo Yunhong.

However, Emperor Yao interrupted her thought without hesitation.

"Ning Ziqing, I will say this one last time. Only if you marry Su Yanqi will I let you, the Fourth Master, and the Ning Marquis' Mansion go."

He raised his eyelids coldly and said to Ning Ziqing in a threatening tone: "You have to think it over. I can abandon this son, but can you abandon the Ninghou Mansion, the Fu Family, your master, and Zhanyuan Hall? If I investigate further, your previous collusion with Bai Yifeng and the things you did in Qingzhou and Lianzhou are enough for me to convict you of the crime of deceiving the emperor and punish you severely."

"How dare you bargain with me? How shameless!"

When Ning Ziqing heard this, his face turned pale and cold sweat broke out on his back.

But as long as she thought about marrying Su Yanqi and repeating the painful mistakes of her previous life, she simply made up her mind, gritted her teeth, and said unwillingly: "Your Majesty, do you have to force me like this? Aren't you afraid that my royal brother will come to you to question you later?"

Emperor Yao's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness, and he snorted disdainfully: "Since ancient times, marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmakers' words. Even if King Qian comes, there is no reason for him to make the decision for you."

"But you, Ning Ziqing, were already engaged, yet you dared to seduce the Fourth Brother and have an affair with him. If this matter were to get out, outsiders would only accuse you of being a fickle woman."

"How can you and King Qian stop the people from talking nonsense? I'm afraid your father, brother, and sister-in-law will no longer be able to face the people of Kyoto."

Every word of Emperor Yao's words was heart-piercing, as if they had slapped Ning Ziqing hard in the face.

She knelt there with a numb expression, and her light green dress made her look fresh and refined. Her pretty face had lost its color, and her lovely eyes were filled with tears, making her look particularly sad and pitiful.

Emperor Yao couldn't help but look at her a few more times. Any man would be moved by such a stunning beauty. No wonder she could have captivated his two sons.

Emperor Yao retracted his gaze and silently sighed that beauty is a disaster and he must not give her any chance to marry into the royal family.

He narrowed his eyes and said to Ning Ziqing sternly: "Have you thought it through? Give me an answer quickly."

"As long as you marry Su Yanqi and stay in the Su family to take care of your husband and children, I can forgive you for all the mistakes you made before."

Ning Ziqing pinched her palms and slowly came back to her senses. After a long while, she spoke with difficulty: "Your servant... obeys your order."

Standing beside Emperor Yao, Eunuch Wu, who had been on tenterhooks, finally breathed a sigh of relief. With a look of joy on his face, he stepped forward to support Ning Ziqing and said, "Congratulations, Princess Azhao, on your wedding."

Ning Ziqing stood there at a loss, preparing to bow and leave.

Emperor Yao also warned her: "Ning Ziqing, I'm not kidding, you better take care of yourself."

"Your Majesty, I will always remember your grace."

Ning Ziqing nodded in agreement, performed his greetings, and quickly left the imperial study.