"But I don't want it to be like this..."

Inside the small building, Yunzhu looked at him and said, "It's a wonderful thing that you want to be good to your wife, to Xiaochuan, to Jin'er, and to me. We all like you. But some things just shouldn't be your responsibility… Liheng, if there's anything good about being in a brothel, it's that it taught me how to understand you and how to please you. I told you, if I can do something for you, I'll be very happy…"

Ning Yi smiled wryly, "So you think the problem is serious enough that you need to leave so I can cool off for a while?"

Yunzhu shook her head with a smile, "I don't know. But actually… I really want to go back to Xuanzhou to have a look. I'm not sure what you want us to be like, Liheng. I want to think about it carefully. Zhu’s Business doesn't need me anymore. I'm thinking about whether to go out and continue teaching music, or maybe write a musical score at home… But anyway, Nie Yunzhu is yours now, heart and body, forever. Liheng, I'll always be by your side, you can't shake me off, who told you to chase me back last time…"

Her gentle and refreshing voice floated slowly in the room, and Ning Yi sighed.

"Yeah, after all, I can still beat you up when I'm unhappy." He shook his head, pushed Yunzhu onto the bedding, and loosened her belt, "Actually, I think you might just be missing a child…"

Undressing, revealing her pure body beneath, Yunzhu met his movements with a gentle smile. The atmosphere in the room became ambiguous…

Perhaps the original intention was not what was happening now. Ning Yi knew that if he said very domineeringly that Yunzhu was not allowed to leave, she would naturally stay. But in the end, Ning Yi couldn't say it, he just instructed: "I'll arrange people. You must let me know where you are at all times. Don't run away."

When it was time to leave, Jin'er, still angry with him, came over, but finally took his hand. Ning Yi smiled and said, "You knew it all along, you wanted to remind me, right?"

He remembered Jin'er's soft embrace last time, and her words telling him not to think so much. Jin'er nudged him, "I don't know." After a moment, she whispered, "I want to go with Sister Yunzhu." Ning Yi naturally understood.

So, on the nineteenth day of the first month, Yunzhu and Jin'er finally set off. At this time, the winter snow was gradually melting. Ning Yi arranged for guards and servants, and the Right Chancellor's Residence also arranged for people to follow. Xuanzhou is located in the south, farther away from Bianliang than Liangshan, but after all, it is already a wealthy place in Jiangnan, and safety is ultimately guaranteed.

Ning Yi knew that he had some problems. He thought it might be a good idea to clear his mind for a while and think carefully. By the way, he also had many things to do.

During this time, Zhu Biao should have already set off from Dulinggang, accompanied by Hū Sanniáng, presumably. In Bianliang City, both Zhu’s Businesses have opened, and business is not bad. Many places have used coal stoves, which are both novel and convenient.

Paired with Zhu’s Business is a small shop called "Xingfuxiang," which is actually located within Zhu’s Business. It currently only sells newly made small coal stoves and also undertakes fixed stove construction services. The sale of briquettes is delivered to your door, which is actually similar to modern situations. Although it is a novel thing, it has not reached an exceptionally popular level, but is unfolding step by step. Ning Yi is not in a hurry. Now the store has the participation of the Chancellor's Residence. Since the coal stoves were sent to the Right and Left Chancellor's Residences, many officials have come to buy them back. The profit is not bad, and it will take some time for the advertising to take off.

Ning Yi was planning these things. After Yunzhu left, his mood was not necessarily good, and he understood that it was the machismo nature at play. But doctors may not be able to heal themselves. It takes time to find a way out emotionally, and it takes even more time to find a solution. In the following days, Tan'er was busy with the cloth business. It is said that some merchants were not friendly to the Su family's cloth business. The external reason was that the shop was managed by a woman, which was not proper. In fact, it was said that the words came from a large merchant in the capital, named Zuo Houwen.

It is said that this Zuo Houwen is a Confucian businessman. He heard that the Su family's cloth business was showing off women's faces and said a word of dissatisfaction. Some merchants under his command or related to him joined forces to cut off the Su family's silk supply. Now several good cloths of the Su family's cloth business may have problems.

Tan'er occasionally mentioned it to Ning Yi, and Ning Yi also inquired about it.

"The Zuo family of Zuo Houwen is not simple. He is actually Zuo Duanyou's cousin. Zuo Duanyou was one of the people in the middle when the Secret Intelligence Department was established. After Wang Qisong's death, the Black Water Alliance, Zuo Duanyou had a falling out with Qin Siyuan, and they broke off relations ever since, but it was a gentleman's breakup, the kind that doesn't speak ill of each other. The Zuo family has a great influence, although it is not obvious on the surface, they have connections in the court… What are you going to do?"

When talking about this, it was night, and the couple was chatting in the bedroom. Tan'er was happily embroidering a flower with needles and thread: "The Zuo family has great power, but it's not just his family doing business. Zuo Houwen just said a word, how could someone of that status keep staring at us? He probably forgot about it after saying it. I have contacted two silk merchants walking south, and I plan to build a workshop in Muyuan County. Everything is cheap there, and the goods can be transported into the capital, so the cost of raw silk can be reduced."

"Muyuan County?"

"It's about a hundred miles from here."

"Oh…"

Ning Yi nodded. Although doing business depends on relationships, you can't always rely on relationships to solve everything. Opponents and enemies will always exist, and solving problems is ultimately a pleasure. Seeing Ning Yi nodding, Tan'er looked at him: "Because I have chosen a place, I should go there recently. I have to watch the workshop being built, and there are some things to talk about."

"Can't Wen Ding go?" Ning Yi frowned.

"Wen Ding, he… still has a lot of things to do. Muyuan is more important…"

"…Oh." Ning Yi thought for a while and nodded, "If it's really necessary, I can accompany you there after I finish my work… Actually, if there are any problems, I can ask Shanyue to visit the Zuo family. Zuo Duanyou and Qin Siyuan had a falling out, but Wang Qisong's favor is still there. They won't make things difficult for a cloth merchant, it's just a matter of saying a word."

"No need, it's not like I haven't been out before." Tan'er looked at him with a smile, her eyes sparkling.

Ning Yi nodded: "We'll see." His relationship with Tan'er is good after all.

What Tan'er said at this time left a slight impression in his heart. But in fact, the plan for the year lies in spring. After the Lantern Festival, the Right Chancellor's Residence was also exceptionally busy. The new year has begun, and the war in the north will continue. Now the great hero Guo Yaoshi has entered the capital, and he has been promoted and granted titles. In the north, the information received by the Secret Intelligence Department is that the Ever Victorious Army is frantically conscripting men to prepare for the new year's war.

Although such things often lead to economic decline, the Secret Intelligence Department also knows that there is no way to avoid it. The Right Chancellor's Residence needs to be responsible for calculating all the material, money and grain allocation issues. Ning Yi participated in it and began to busy himself with these pragmatic issues.

Compared to clumsy feelings, he was quite familiar with these things. In the blink of an eye, he replaced Yao Zunian, Ji Kun and others, and was responsible for supervising and carrying out the overall planning and budgeting. However, Yao Zunian and others were more experienced than him in pragmatic issues such as various allocation plans, and the cooperation between the two parties was quite good. So much so that in the past few days, everyone has been saying that Ning Yi should stop running that lousy restaurant and come out to be an official quickly. Qin Siyuan even joked that he could directly stuff him into the Ministry of Revenue. If anyone had any objections, he could come out and reason with him.

On the afternoon of the twenty-eighth day of the first month, Ning Yi came back early. He was thinking of taking Tan'er and Xiaochuan out for a walk in the evening. When he arrived home and returned to the courtyard where he lived, he heard the child seemed to be crying, and someone was teasing him, so the crying gradually stopped. But there was no one in the courtyard. Juan'er was teasing Ning Xi in the room.

"Where did everyone go? Where's Xiaochuan? Is the child hungry?"

"Young Master just had milk." Juan'er sat on the edge of the bed, holding the child, and said in a low voice looking at him, "Xiaochuan, she and Miss went to Muyuan County. Didn't the son-in-law know?"

"Uh, Xiaochuan… I know Tan'er went to Muyuan, but what is Xiaochuan doing there… Wait, you…" Ning Yi frowned, suddenly feeling something was wrong, "Where is your Miss?"

On one side of the room, the package that had been packed up two days ago had been taken out at this time. Juan'er said, "Miss and the others, they are still at the side gate, I don't know if they have left…"

"What's going on." Ning Yi muttered a sentence, turned around and went out, but saw a figure walking over on the courtyard side, he suddenly called out to the other party: "Su Wending! You come here!"

The one who walked over there was Su Wending. Among the Su family's cousins, he was helping Tan'er. The others were following Ning Yi. He called him over at this time, and Ning Yi asked, "What exactly is going on in Muyuan County? What have you been in charge of recently? Why didn't Tan'er call you to go, but had to go herself!"

Su Wending's face became tangled, and he stammered a little, but then he said softly: "Second Brother-in-law, don't you really know?"

"What do I know?"

"They all say that you are resourceful, but to be honest, women's affairs, Second Brother-in-law, you should…"

"What are you talking about?"

Ning Yi was a little angry, and Su Wending didn't dare to stammer anymore: "I heard that, actually… I also heard that that Miss Nie left. Second Sister heard about this a few days ago, and she was in a daze in the room for an afternoon. Of course, Second Brother-in-law, I think it's okay for a man to have three wives and four concubines, as long as you don't make Second Sister sad… And for Second Sister, this is a good thing anyway, I'm a little confused too…"

Ning Yi was stunned: "How did she know?"

"Then I'm not sure, but I heard that after coming to the capital, Second Sister and that Miss Nie had met, right? Actually, I think with Second Sister's shrewdness, and she is full of concern for you, it's not surprising that she knows these things…"

Amid Su Wending's nagging, Ning Yi passed this courtyard. When he reached near the side gate, he saw a group of people gathered here. The carriage was ready, and Tan'er was saying goodbye to her family with a smile. Xiaochuan was carrying a bag beside her. Seeing Ning Yi coming at this time, she was also stunned for a moment, and reached out to poke Tan'er's arm. Tan'er looked over here, and smiled subconsciously, but in her eyes, a complex look flashed.

Everyone turned around and greeted Ning Yi. Ning Yi waved his hand, and after a moment, he walked closer: "I… I have something to say to Tan'er, everyone…"

With his wave, everyone also expressed their understanding and left.

Tan'er stood there, clasping her hands in front of her, smiling quietly. Ning Yi looked at her: "What exactly is going on?"

"Nothing, I'm just going to Muyuan County for a while."

"Xiaochuan is also going?"

"She…" Tan'er glanced at Xiaochuan, "She insisted on going…" When she said the last word with a normal expression, her tone couldn't help but choke, like the tone of an ordinary person when they were wronged, but at this time, it seemed very different. Tan'er frowned, with a look of refusing to talk.

"If there's anything, you have to tell me…"

Tan'er shook her head.

"What's with you leaving Xiaoxi behind…"

Tan'er continued to shake her head.

"Even if… even if it's because of Nie Yunzhu's matter…"

"I know she left the capital."

This time, Tan'er finally raised her head and said this sentence. It was a flat statement. Ning Yi frowned: "Yeah, she's already left, but… she's gone, why are you still…"

"I didn't want her to leave."

Ning Yi wanted to say that I didn't want her to leave either, but these words ultimately couldn't be uttered. He looked at the wife in front of him. The woman with the face of a girl but also with a more mature mentality than a girl was looking at him with her supported fortitude: "I… I stay here, I don't want you to think that I drove her away…"

"What are you kidding me, you know it's impossible…"

"But she's gone, I'm left behind, she's sad, I'm happy, that's what you'll think, you'll feel sorry for her…" Tan'er looked at him with cold eyes, then gritted her teeth, and her body shook, trying to suppress the choking in her consciousness. She breathed several times in a row, and finally said: "Husband, I actually… I haven't really seriously asked you, after you married me, have you ever remembered anything from the past?"

Ning Yi thought for a while, and looked at her and shook his head slightly: "No, not at all."

Tan'er's tears fell: "You see, after you forgot about the past, you are another person. I didn't care before, I actually… I wouldn't care about that Ning Liheng from the past either, but in this way, there is one thing that I have been thinking about since I met Miss Nie. I think… I'm not good to you, I eloped, and I lived in separate rooms with you. At that time, I still thought that I was good enough to you, and one day I would become your wife. But after I investigated Miss Nie's affairs, I suddenly thought of…"

"What I suddenly thought of was… in this way, the relationship between you and Miss Nie…" She cried out.

"…Is it earlier than with me?"

In the courtyard, Tan'er cried sadly. He didn't know how to answer for a moment. He only heard Tan'er say.

"Did you fall in love with her long ago? With your character, you haven't taken the Su family seriously. Was there a time when you thought about leaving the Su family and leaving with her…"

"Hey…" Ning Yi approached her, Tan'er took a step back.

"I don't mind you marrying her into the family, I don't mind you liking her and her liking you, I don't even mind you taking her everywhere when she's sick, I don't even mind you letting Prime Minister Qin take her as his goddaughter. I only mind one thing, do you know…"

Ning Yi grabbed her arm, and the wife in front of him broke free for the first time.

"You are my husband—"

She cried and shouted.

In Ning Yi's heart, it was as if something suddenly grabbed him.

**************

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