"Today is Jin Yu's birthday. Has my gift arrived?"
On his way back, Ming Ruyi had already found something fresh and interesting for Song Jinyu and sent it to Liuzhou.
"Your Highness, it has surely been delivered," the attendant replied.
Ming Ruyi had been busy in vain these days. Not only did he fail to disgrace the emperor, but he also lost many of his men. Now he felt dispirited.
"Presumably, she won't take it to heart..." The farther he got from the capital, the lonelier he felt. Exhausted, Ming Ruyi often recalled the days he spent with Song Jinyu during the flash - flood.
It was relaxed, pleasant, and free from scheming. It was a pity that she had met Zhongli Mingye before him.
That fox! He directly asked the emperor for a marriage decree, cutting off Ming Ruyi's hopes. How hateful! Ming Ruyi lit an incense burner in the carriage and sipped a cup of tea. His thoughts gradually drifted away... until
"Your Highness! There's a carriage of the Duke Rong's Mansion up ahead!"
Oh? Ming Ruyi opened his eyes, a flash of disgust in his eyes. "What happened?"
The guard Liuli stepped forward to check. It turned out that the legitimate daughter of the Duke Rong's Mansion had gone out of the city to pay respects to the Buddha today, but her carriage had broken down.
Seeing the carriage of the King of Zhongzhou stop, Rong Shuang'er walked straight forward and bowed. "It's cold. Please do me a favor, Your Highness."
For a long time, Ming Ruyi didn't say a word. He was just calculating something in his mind. The eldest daughter of the Duke Rong's Mansion... Her reputation in the capital had been growing louder in the past few months. She was an interesting person.
"Miss Rong, if you don't mind, you can get in my carriage." After saying that, he stretched out his hand.
The teasing in Ming Ruyi's words made Rong Shuang'er a little dissatisfied, but the situation was beyond her control.
She had been framed today when she went out of the city. After the horse died suddenly, bandits immediately appeared. The guards and maidservants fought to protect her, but now some were injured and some were dead. If she didn't return to the mansion before the city gate closed, those concubines in the mansion would surely make a big deal out of it.
Thinking of this, she grabbed the well - jointed, slender and powerful hand. Although the King of Zhongzhou was not a gentleman, there was no better choice at the moment.
"Please take me back to the capital, Your Highness... I will surely repay you handsomely in the future." Her words were neither overbearing nor humble, and her face was as calm as water. Ming Ruyi looked at her meaningfully. Her temperament was so much like Song Jinyu's. Calm, generous, and neither overbearing nor humble.
A strange look flashed in Ming Ruyi's phoenix eyes. "There's no need for handsome repayment. But I've just left the capital by the emperor's order, and now I have to turn back because of you."
"This kindness is great... I wonder how Miss Rong will repay me?" Ming Ruyi never did a losing deal.
Phew... Hearing this, Rong Shuang'er felt relieved. A deal was better than some absurd conditions like marrying her off. So she smiled and said, "If Your Highness doesn't mind, I will surely offer a generous gift after I return to the mansion."
Ming Ruyi sneered. "Hehe... I lack nothing..."
"How about... Miss Rong owes me a promise. You'll do whatever I ask you to do!"
Rong Shuang'er looked at the man who was more beautiful than a woman thoughtfully. "As long as it doesn't harm others, deceive others, or damage my reputation, Your Highness, whatever I have, I'll offer it to you!"
Both being daughters of the Rong family, how could there be such a big difference between Rong Shuang'er and Rong Qing'er? Ming Ruyi thought of Rong Qing'er and couldn't help sighing. This Rong Shuang'er in front of him was elegant and generous.
She didn't say much on the way. Finally, they managed to return to the Duke Rong's Mansion before the city gate closed, successfully silencing those concubines.
Moreover, she took advantage of this incident to suppress those illegitimate sons and daughters. Since then, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Duke Rong's Mansion had been in the limelight. But that was all for later.
It was many days after Ming Ruyi left the capital that he got news of her again, and he was quite touched. Most ordinary women would be infatuated with him when they saw him, but neither Song Jinyu nor Rong Shuang'er had any such thoughts. Ming Ruyi felt a bit resentful.
Rong Shuang'er was sitting in her mother's room, drinking tea calmly. "Now that your heart - ailment is gone, please take good care of your health so that the Rong family can have more legitimate sons and daughters."
"Don't let those concubines find a chance!"
The Duchess of the Rong Mansion smiled. "Shuang'er, you've become more and more sensible. Having you is enough for mother!"
"Some things you need to know. A few months ago, your younger sister Qing'er was betrothed by the queen to be the concubine of the Prince Yu."
Although the Duchess didn't really care about the life or death of the illegitimate daughter, she still told her daughter about this.
After hearing this, Rong Shuang'er said, "Song Jinyu was the one the Prince Yu personally asked for. Sister Qing'er is really courting death!"
"Provoking again and again. Does she really think others are fools?" The person the Prince Yu personally asked to marry couldn't be just an ordinary young lady. Rong Shuang'er couldn't help being curious about the future Princess Yu. What kind of woman was she?
The Duchess said, "Because of this, your father has gone to a lot of trouble to calm down the anger of the Prince Yu."
"However... our Duke Rong's Mansion is now further away from the court!"
"Mother, we are already related to the queen. No matter how far we try to stay away, people will still think we are on the queen's side. How about..."
"Let father gradually withdraw from the court!"
At this time, the Duchess fell silent. "Daughter, in this position, we can't just leave whenever we want. And..." She sighed and continued, "The other day, it seemed from the queen's words that she was going to betroth you to someone."
What? Rong Shuang'er couldn't keep calm. "Daughter has just returned to the capital for how long?" She thought of Rong Qing'er's end and looked at herself. Although she knew she couldn't avoid the queen's scheme...
She had her own ways. Rong Shuang'er made up her mind. Her "fame" had spread far and wide in the capital the other day. It was time to add fuel to the fire so that the person in the high position would stop having ideas about her.
Rong Shuang'er's eyebrows showed a heroic air. Although she lacked some gentle charm, she had a unique temperament. She recalled the day she met Ming Ruyi and thought of his awkward position in the capital. A smile crept onto her face as a plan came to her mind.
When Ming Ruyi heard these strange rumors in a far - away place, he could hardly believe that this was how Rong Shuang'er repaid him. Listening to his subordinate's report, he was both angry and amused!
In the capital, it was rumored that the eldest daughter of the Duke Rong's Mansion was infatuated with the playboy king in the capital because of his rescue. She missed him day and night and couldn't eat.
The Duchess of the Rong Mansion was so angry that she fell ill!
The subordinate didn't dare to look at Ming Ruyi's face. After a long time, they heard Ming Ruyi sneer. "Very good! How dare she scheme against me!" He didn't believe that Rong Shuang'er would develop any feelings for him just because he had saved her. That woman had a clear mind. Otherwise, how could she have managed the mansion so well in just a few months after returning?
It was so ridiculous!
He, who was known for his deep scheming, had been schemed against by a woman! Rong Shuang'er, Rong Shuang'er, did she think he was not often in the capital?
The woman who had schemed against him was leisurely brewing a pot of tea at the moment. "Pining away for love and losing my appetite. I'm so pitiful!"
The maid Qingqing laughed. "Miss, you should at least act the part! Now, how are you going to get married?"
Rong Shuang'er looked at her helplessly. "It's better not to get married than to be schemed against!" By the way, she had used Ming Ruyi, and she hoped the news wouldn't reach his ears.
That man was really good - looking. If it weren't for his irresponsible words, she might really have fallen ill with lovesickness because of his good looks!