After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 187 Matchmaking for the Second Daughter
Upon hearing Pei Yanzhi's words, Xiang Ning frowned slightly.

His words carried a clear hint of amusement, but Xiang Ning sensed pressure.

She lowered her eyes and distanced herself from Pei Yanzhi.

"Lord Pei, please have some self-respect."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yanzhi's eyes flickered slightly, and he did not continue to coerce him.

The surrounding guests all turned their attention to them, and Lu Jiang immediately stepped in front of Xiang Ning.

He cupped his hands in a respectful bow, performing a flawless gesture of respect to Pei Yanzhi.

“Lord Pei, today is a banquet hosted by my father for his friends. Your forceful entry is somewhat against the rules.”

Hearing Lu Jiang's words, Pei Yanzhi seemed not to hear them, still staring intently at Xiang Ning, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

Even though he didn't say anything, Xiang Ning seemed to be able to read some emotions from his eyes.

It's unclear why Pei Yanzhi didn't say it; he didn't stop Xiang Ning when she turned to leave.

"Since the second young lady doesn't welcome me, I'll just come again next time."

Pei Yanzhi slightly raised his hand, said this, and left with a meaningful look.

Xiang Ning, who had her back turned, listened to Pei Yanzhi's footsteps fading into the distance before turning back.

She thought he would continue to pester her, but to her surprise, he left decisively.

Xiang Ning breathed a sigh of relief, and then heard Lu Jiang calling out to the others.

The banquet did not seem to be disrupted by Pei Yanzhi's arrival, and everything continued to proceed in an orderly manner.

But Xiang Ning no longer had the same emotions as at the beginning.

I don't know why, but suddenly I felt like a piece of my heart had collapsed and could never be repaired.

In the days that followed, Xiang Ning would often inadvertently recall Pei Yanzhi's meaningful gaze.

Pei Yan never came looking for Xiang Ning again, which made her feel even more uneasy.

Fortunately, the collaboration with Shang Yan has been put on the agenda.

With things to do, Xiang Ning was no longer bothered by Pei Yanzhi.

That day, Shang Yan invited Xiang Ning to the Shang family to discuss matters. Fearing that the Lu family would not agree, he also sent an invitation to Lu Jiang.

After the brother and sister got dressed, they went to the Shang residence together.

Xiangning had visited the Shang residence once before, when she and the embroiderer delivered embroidery to Madam Shang.

This time, her mindset was somewhat different; she was the invited guest.

Stepping into the Shang Mansion, one is immediately struck by the opulent grandeur of the merchant family, evident in its carved beams and painted rafters.

Xiang Ning and Lu Jiang were led to the flower hall by servants. Shang Yan was already waiting there. When he saw the two arrive, he quickly got up to greet them, a slight smile on his face.

"Second Miss, Young Master, please have a seat."

After gesturing for the two to sit down, Shang Yan got down to business.

Xiang Ning listened attentively to Shang Yan's words, occasionally offering her own insights. Her keen business acumen and unique ideas earned Shang Yan's frequent nods of praise.

Lu Jiang stood to the side, saying little, but his admiration for Xiang Ning was undisguised in his eyes.

After finishing their business, Shang Yan looked at Xiang Ning and said, "It's already noon. Why don't you and the young master have lunch at the mansion?"

“My mother happens to be home as well. She has been thinking about the embroidery that the second daughter sent over last time.”

The delivery of those embroidered items to the capital opened up many avenues for merchants.

Although the embroidery pattern was provided by the merchant, Xiang Ning's ability to make it even better than the pattern is her skill.

Shang Yan naturally wanted to get along well with Xiang Ning. Lu Jiang frowned slightly, but ultimately did not refuse her outright. Instead, he looked at Xiang Ning.

Xiang Ning had just reached a cooperation agreement with Shang Yan, so she was naturally unwilling to do something so unpleasant. Therefore, she nodded slightly, which was considered as her agreement.

Seeing that Xiang Ning agreed, Shang Yan raised his hand to signal the servants to make the preparations.

When Madam Shang heard that Xiang Ning had stayed for dinner, she was very happy and even asked the kitchen to prepare extra dishes.

During the meal, a table was laden with delicacies, and Madam Shang and Xiang Ning chatted happily.

Halfway through the meal, Madam Shang suddenly asked, "I was in such a rush last time that I forgot to ask, is the Second Miss married now?"

When Xiang Ning heard Madam Shang's question, she paused with her chopsticks, and a slight blush rose to her cheeks.

She lowered her head instinctively, concealing the emotions in her eyes, and said softly, "In reply to Madam, I am not yet married."

A subtle glint flashed in Madam Shang's eyes. A smile played on her lips as she turned to look at Shang Yan beside her, her gaze full of meaning.

"The second young lady is exceptionally beautiful and comes from a distinguished family, but I don't know what kind of girl you prefer..."

Lu Jiang realized Madam Shang's intention. He put down his chopsticks and interrupted her with a smile.

“A-Ning is still young, and our Lu family doesn’t want to rush things regarding marriage. We’ll wait for her to decide for herself.”

Madam Shang nodded slightly, but then changed the subject.

“What Young Master Lu says is absolutely right. However, since the Second Miss is so outstanding, it would be a wonderful thing if she could find a good marriage. I do know quite a few talented young men. If the Second Miss is interested, I can act as a matchmaker.”

She is now very satisfied with Xiang Ning. As the saying goes, "Don't let good things go to outsiders," and if she could become her daughter-in-law, she would be more than willing.

Xiang Ning smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

At this moment, Shang Yan spoke up to break the deadlock: "Mother, let the Second Miss decide on her own marriage. Our discussion is putting her in a difficult position."

"Young women are easily embarrassed."

After having a son, Madam Shang stopped mentioning the matter and the topic returned to everyday family matters.

After their meal, Xiang Ning and Lu Jiang took their leave of the Shang residence.

On the carriage ride home, Lu Jiang couldn't help but chuckle. He looked at Xiang Ning and said, "This Madam Shang seems to be trying to match you up with Shang Yan."

"Others may not know, but surely you, brother, know my past?"

Xiang Ning shook her head helplessly; she had never thought about matters of love and romance.

She may not care that she was once someone's concubine, but others will.

They would say she wasn't a virgin and use that as an excuse to attack the Lu family.

Therefore, Xiang Ning never thought about getting married, let alone marrying someone.

Now she has a loving family and things she wants to do, and she feels quite content with this kind of life.

"All I know is that our Ah Ning deserves the best of everything in this world. If you are willing to get married, I will definitely find you the best man in Ling'an."

Lu Jiang said nonchalantly that in his heart, he felt that Xiang Ning deserved everything.

In Ling'an, the Lu family has everything they could want; finding a son-in-law to live with them is a piece of cake.

"I've never thought about getting married. Right now, all I want to do is run the embroidery shop well. That's all I want to do."

"I dream that one day I will be able to earn enough money to repay my uncle and older brother."

Or perhaps, she has the ability to travel to places beyond mountains and skies.

She will fully realize the freedom she often talks about.

Go travel thousands of miles, experience true freedom, and feel the vastness of the world.

(End of this chapter)