Ning Yi didn't know that Lu Hongti had overheard his conversation with his wife on the roof, so he naturally didn't think too much about her reaction. From the beginning to the end, he could only be considered to be speaking casually. There wasn't much scheming. The speaker didn't mean it, but the listener did.
Of course, even under certain circumstances, a heroine like Hongti would be particularly emotional, but it didn't mean that her heart would be touched to any extent. It could even be said that even though she didn't hate Ning Yi, and even admired him, in her heart, in reality, she had already dispelled some of the thoughts and speculations that she had when she went down the mountain. The man in front of her was an existence that didn't belong to the same world as her. With this understanding, the rest became simple.
Since he had decided to return to Jiangning as soon as possible, the next morning, Ning Yi found an official ship through his connections with the Tang family. All kinds of rich people, officials, and businessmen in Jiangnan were intertwined. The good karma made on the way to escape could also be influential even in Zhenjiang. Although big shots like Tang Xiuxuan weren't in Zhenjiang, some of the Tang family's children, rich people, and relatives who had received favors from him also hurried over when they heard that he was leaving. They all said that if there was any trouble in the future, he could find them. They would definitely do anything to help him. The Su family was a businessman. If they wanted to do business, they would also say some polite words if they had connections.
On the way to escape, after Ning Yi fainted, the whole team fell into a predicament. Later, when they learned that the pursuers wanted to catch Ning Yi, someone in the team used some means to divert the pursuers' attention to him. For example, when An Xifu and the others launched a sneak attack on the camp, they specially sent a group of people to protect Ning Yi. In fact, it was an unnecessary move to attract attention. After Ning Yi was caught, he vaguely figured out the purpose of the whole thing, but he didn't intend to pursue what happened in that situation. The other party was just taking advantage of the situation, and they didn't really have any malicious intent. After all, at that time, Ning Yi didn't expect the people around him to have high moral character. He didn't treat them as companions, so it couldn't be said that this kind of thing happened completely unexpected.
Now that he had returned and they were willing to form a good relationship with him, there was no need to stand on ceremony. When he left Hangzhou, he was prepared to give up the business because of the Lou Family. Now, he could use these connections to spread the business directly to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
Su Tan'er had been pregnant for nearly nine months. With every day that passed, she would be closer to delivery. Therefore, at noon that day, the whole family boarded the ship. The ship that belonged to the government was currently the largest ship that could be found on the inland waterway. Even if they were to go up the Yangtze River, the journey was still rather smooth. The boat was divided into two floors. Ning Yi and the others were arranged to stay in a room on the first floor that was the least bumpy. According to the plan, they would rest for a few hours at night. By the evening of the next day, they would arrive at Jiangning.
On the twenty-eighth day of the second month in the tenth year of Jinghan, in the bright spring sunshine, a huge ship slowly sailed against the current of the Yangtze River. The trees on both sides of the ship were verdant, and occasionally, fields, farmhouses, and villages flashed across their vision. Lu Hongti stood at the bow of the ship and watched everything. She told Ning Yi that she was about to leave.
"After we disembark tomorrow evening, I will head north. I won't enter the city."
Ning Yi was silent for a while. "I know you are in a hurry to go back, but a few more days won't make a difference. Besides, I haven't finished sorting out the ideas I wanted to give you. Stay for a few more days. I'll show you around Jiangning."
Lu Hongti smiled. "I know you're almost done. This should be your habit. You don't procrastinate on anything."
"It's a bad habit …"
"And after you go back, there should be a lot of things to deal with at home. If you want to divert your attention to entertain me, there's no need. Besides, I've been away for too long this time. The earlier I can go back, the better. After all, I have a lot of things to do. "
Lu Hongti's words were sincere. She wasn't just being polite. Ning Yi thought for a while. "If it's about the family, there really isn't much to be busy about. It's all very simple. But since you …"
"I'm really worried about the stronghold. I've been away for too long. I miss it," Lu Hongti said with a smile.
"Mm." Ning Yi nodded. "Then I'll prepare everything tonight."
"Thank you." Lu Hongti cupped his hands.
"We're from Jianghu. We don't need to say such pretentious words."
"Haha …" Lu Hongti's body trembled with laughter. "I also wrote a small book for you. It's not the kind of secret book in your Wuxia stories, but it should be useful to you. You probably won't be able to become a first-class master in the future, but if you keep practicing, you'll be able to defend yourself in three to five years."
"I say … what do you mean by a first-class master …"
"The Master of Watermelon Manor, Chief Liu Tiannan, Chen Fan, his master Fang Qisfo, Li Tianrun, Wang Yin, and even Bao Daoyi, who you killed, are all first-class masters. You're too focused, and your foundation isn't stable. I'm afraid you won't be able to reach that level in your lifetime." Lu Hongti said with a smile.
Ning Yi naturally wouldn't be affected by this kind of thing. If Lu Hongti said he could fight with these people one-on-one, he would feel that the world was very mysterious. He thought for a while and asked, "Do Fang Shuchang and the others count?"
"Then the seven of them are almost there. Mr. Du Sha, who ranks first, has already reached the threshold of first-class masters. Currently, the most powerful one should be 'Evil Saber' Luo Bingren, but he has always kept a low profile. However, the most talented one is Qian Luoning, who ranks last. In the future, his achievements should be above his companions. You won't be able to reach that level. If you work harder in the future … Mm, you should be able to reach the level of Fang Shuchang. "
Her martial arts skills were probably already at the level of a grandmaster, so her evaluation wouldn't be wrong. After saying this, she looked at Ning Yi for a while. Then, she sighed and murmured, "However, the difference in battle strength isn't something that can be judged by these …" She probably thought of Ning Yi's abnormal temperament, decisive methods, and the fact that he could always control people's hearts in the palm of his hand, which was not something an ordinary person could compare to.
Of course, she wouldn't tell this to Ning Yi directly. After chatting for a while, she sighed and said, "Actually, there's something I've always wanted to ask along the way …"
"What is it?"
"The things you did in Saber Manor and the things you told Miss Liu, can they really be realized?"
Ning Yi glanced at her. "Those who can ask these questions are probably warm-hearted people …"
"Mm?"
"I don't know." Ning Yi said, "I don't know what will happen if I continue to do it. If I do it seriously, it might be useful. Maybe in 100 or 200 years, someone will realize something, but it's also possible that these things will be buried for 400 or 500 years before someone finds them. But no matter what, as long as it's within 800 years, we'll be one step ahead … "
Lu Hongti didn't understand what he meant by "within 800 years", but she was used to Ning Yi's strange words. Ning Yi shook his head with a smile and continued, "You don't have to think about it for the time being … Of course, you can think about it, but you won't be able to do anything about it. It's better for you guys to do some practical things first. To be honest, the siege of Hangzhou has been solved. I don't know if there's a need for me to go to the capital now. Also … if I really make a big mess in the future, I might have to go to you for help. "
"Mm?" Lu Hongti blinked. She was quite interested.
"People always do things like this. In the beginning, you just want to do something. In the process, you will encounter all kinds of people and things. You will offend people that you shouldn't offend, and you will use methods that you shouldn't use. In the end … I'm afraid these things will overwhelm your original intentions. Do you know? Most of the officials in the imperial court were capable. In the beginning, they also had a patriotic heart. But slowly, the interests that they gathered behind them were different, and the direction was different. The interests that they needed to protect in front of them became more important than what they had thought at the beginning. I'm probably no different from them. Also … I'm afraid I'll have even less scruples than them. One day in the future, I'll become a bandit. "
"I welcome that." Without any hesitation, Lu Hongti smiled and said, "To put it bluntly, it would be great if that day really comes. I'll be waiting for you."
"I'll try my best to restrain myself."
The two of them laughed. After a while, Lu Hongti looked back. Seeing that Su Tan 'er and the others were not there, she said softly, "Your wife is actually very good to you. Do you know? When I was monitoring her in Hu Zhou, the servants around said that if you really died, your wife would probably disregard the baby in her belly and follow you. For a woman to be able to do this, she really likes you. I … I kind of admire her. "
Ning Yi nodded solemnly. "… I know."
"Then what about Miss Nie in Jiangning? She's also a good woman. I know that she had a rough life in the early years and fell into prostitution, but she has always been clean. Now, she loves you wholeheartedly. If you abandon her, she'll have nothing. What will you do? "
Surprisingly, Ning Yi did not have much hesitation in this question. "What do you think?"
"I don't know … but you men always have a lot of wives and concubines. Heh, you always meet good women. And that Miss Liu …"
"Hey." Ning Yi tilted his head and looked at her with a smile. "This is too much. There's no need to put everything on me …"
"You answered so quickly just now. It means that you've been thinking about this. You're not so heartless." Lu Hongti said with a smile. "What's your conclusion? What's the conclusion you came up with?"
Ning Yi looked at her. "If I break up with Yunzhu for Tan'Er and never contact her again, what do you think?"
Lu Hongti looked at him and did not speak. She frowned slightly.
"Then if I leave the Su family for Yunzhu, what do you think?"
"…"
Lu Hongti frowned and still did not answer. Although this was the era of having multiple wives and concubines, it was just that the idea of a man being loyal was less. The reason why Lu Hongti asked was probably because she hoped that Ning Yi was a more perfect person.
Ning Yi looked down at his hands, the back of his hands, and his palms. "Actually, there was a time when I wanted to leave the Su family for Yunzhu, but it didn't work out. Recently, I've actually been thinking about breaking up with Yunzhu for Tan'Er, but … "
Ning Yi shook his head and smiled. In the end, he did not say anything. Lu Hongti pursed her lips and then smiled slightly. It seemed that she thought that Ning Yi would also have such a dilemma. They chatted like this for a while until they finished dinner at night. The boat stopped at a village on the way and they rented a farmhouse to stay for the night. After lighting the lamp and settling down, Lu Hongti heard Ning Yi's voice coming from the yard. "It was said that there was a scholar named Ning Caichen, he …"
Xiaochan said, "Son-in-law … uh, Husband, Husband, I've heard this story before …" Although Xiaochan and Ning Yi had been married for some time, she often called Ning Yi as son-in-law.
"You've heard it before. Let's hear it again."
Lu Hongti knew that the relationship of this family was quite harmonious. They chatted at night, told stories, or played chess and cards. Even if the maids, such as Juan'Er and Xing'Er, did embroidery or made shoe soles, Ning Yi could always find something to do with them. She walked out of the door and sure enough, Su Tan'Er was also sitting under the eaves. After all, the weather had warmed up. On such days, they could enjoy the moon and stars in the yard. Of course, it was the end of the month and there were only stars in the sky.
Ning Yi was talking about a story she had heard more than a year ago called "A Chinese Ghost Story" that she hadn't finished listening to. When she came out, Su Tan'Er and others also waved to her. She moved a stool and sat next to Su Tan'Er, farthest from Ning Yi.
"… After Ning Caichen met Nie Xiaoqian in Lanruo Temple … Yan Chixia shouted 'Heaven and Earth are infinite, borrow the power of heaven and earth', and eight swords flew to the Witch of Black Mountain at the same time … Finally, Nie Xiaoqian finished this sentence to Ning Caichen …"
The stars were blurred. Ning Yi sat there and finished this not too long story. When he finished, he told a strange story called "Plum Girl" under Xiaochan's call. From beginning to end, he did not talk to Lu Hongti.
After the story was finished, it was already late at night. The next morning, the official ship set off early in the morning. In the afternoon, it was already close to Jiangning. Lu Hongti packed her small bag and prepared to get off the ship near Jiangning.
"The story I promised to tell you last time is finally finished."
"I thought you would have to keep me guessing for the second story."
"Then it will become the Thousand and One Nights …"
When he gave her the booklet and other things he wrote, Ning Yi said so. Then he smiled and gave her a stack of banknotes, "There are 24,000 taels of silver in total. This is the limit I can take out recently. Take it as my investment, or the investment of the Su family."
Lu Hongti frowned, "We … don't lack these …"
"Money can make money. It is not for your internal use, but to buy things from those businessmen. First, put these investments into operation. These banknotes can be exchanged in the pass, so they will accept them. Good weapons and armors are the most important. We also need to invest in training soldiers, including food and use. But don't feed lazy people. Let them eat, live, and suffer together and train to death. Heh, you know these things best. Force is the foundation, and economic operation can expand. Everything is in it. Your Grandpa Liang is very powerful. Show him. I am still waiting to take refuge in your place one day. "
"Then I will wait for that day to come." Lu Hongti accepted the banknotes and looked at him with a smile. She wanted to say something but stopped. In the end, she smiled and said, "Whether it is Miss Su or Miss Nie, treat them well. They deserve this. You also … deserve this. Don't let them down. Don't mess it up. "
Ning Yi nodded, "I know. Next time I will tell you a story, I will listen to you talk about Lu Liang. If there is any trouble, you can find me in the capital. I will be on your side."
Lu Hongti looked at him, and her expression changed. After a moment of silence, she smiled and nodded, "Okay."
Lu Hongti disembarked from the boat on the north bank of the Yangtze River. After saying goodbye, Ning Yi returned to the boat. They watched this highly skilled but lonely woman riding on a horse, gradually disappearing into the distance.
Half an hour later, the ship entered Jiangning and docked at the dock.
Jiangning was bustling as usual. People came and went at the dock. They went to the nearby warehouse of the Su family to get the carriage. The shopkeeper came to see Su Tan'er and Ning Yi, and then told them about the recent changes in the family. In fact, Su Tan'er said that she was going to Hangzhou to relax. If everything was fine, the Su family might be quiet. However, since the outbreak of the war in Hangzhou and Ning Yi and the others lost contact there, the second and third branches of the Su family would definitely make some moves. After such a long time, there must have been a lot of changes.
Listening to the news brought by the shopkeeper, Su Tan'er leaned against Ning Yi and just smiled faintly. Ning Yi then helped her into the carriage.
The sun had already set, rendering the red of spring in the distance. "Let's go." They looked at the street view of Jiangning in the distance. "Let's see what has become of the family."
The carriage drove through the street. The sun fell, and the wind blew the willow trees on the side of the road, as if waving at them. Ning Yi looked at the scene in the distance through the window. Occasionally, the tributary of the Qinhuai River appeared in his field of vision, and the light of the setting sun rippled on the water. Ning Yi knew that there would be a small building on a bend in the city, and there would be a person waiting for his return …
*****
The power was cut yesterday afternoon, and the internet was cut this afternoon. Did my continuous update plan alarm God?
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