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Chapter 883 The Thin Harem

The conspiracy of the Zhao Song royal family, such as Prince Yong and Prince Yan, thought that it was very secretive, but they didn't know that it had been monitored in detail by the all-pervasive Jinyiwei. Suning also hoped that these Zhao Song royal family members would jump out to cause trouble, so that he could easily deal with them all at once, so that his queen could sit firmly on the throne of the Song Dynasty, and his own biological son Zhao Ren would also be able to sit firmly on the throne when he inherited it. As for the old woman Queen Cao, she was really not a big trouble in his eyes.

"Master, Gu Yankai is asking to see you outside the gate of the palace." Su San, the female steward of Prince Ning's palace, walked into Su Ning's study and reported.

"Oh? Just him?" Su Ning looked at his absolute confidant in front of him in surprise and asked.

"No! There are also Xiao Qinshi and Gu Tingyu's family of three."

"Well, take them to Tingchao Pavilion."

"Yes! Master."

Tingchao Pavilion is Suning's favorite place to relax in Prince Ning's Mansion. The surrounding bamboo forest is swayed by the wind like the ebb and flow of the tide. Suning often brings his women here to sit and relax. Of course, when he is interested, he will do what he likes to do. He realizes that he still likes this kind of leisurely life the most, and the reason why he works tirelessly is to enjoy it better.

"Gu Tingyu, I remember I warned you last time in Jiangning Mansion. Why are you here again?" Su Ning looked at the people in front of him with some annoyance, then stared into Gu Tingyu's eyes and questioned.

"Prince Ning..."

"Erlang, how can you be so heartless and ungrateful? You should know that I, your mother, raised you with great difficulty!" Before Gu Tingyu could explain anything, Xiao Qinshi on the side began her acting skills.

"Xiao Qinshi, I feel like you were really born in the wrong era. I even think you should go to a theatre troupe and be an actor." At this moment, Su Ning looked at Xiao Qinshi in front of him with sarcasm, feeling that she, Zhu Manniang, and Lin Qinshuang were all top-notch masters.

"Erlang, you..." Xiao Qin's shamelessness could not stand Su Ning's sarcasm.

"Gu Tingye, you evil creature, how can you be so rude to your mother?" At this time, Gu Yankai on the side immediately looked at Su Ning and cursed. When he saw his second son, he forgot his own situation again.

"Xiao Qinshi, you and Gu Tingyu can be said to have made great contributions to the current relationship between me and your Gu family. Under your instigation, Gu Tingyu believed that it was my mother Bai who killed his biological mother Da Qinshi, so he has always regarded me as his mortal enemy. The reason why you, Xiao Qinshi, have gone to great lengths to discredit me and cause tension between me and the Gu family is nothing more than to make me lose the right to inherit the title of Marquis of Ningyuan, so that your biological son Gu Tingwei can inherit the title of Marquis of Ningyuan as he wished." Su Ning was too lazy to pay attention to the stupid and irritable Gu Yankai. He was the one who was fooled in the whole play. Then he looked at Xiao Qinshi and exposed her mercilessly.

"Erlang, I didn't expect that your mother is so unbearable in your heart. You really misunderstood me. I really treat you as my own son." Xiao Qin naturally continued to perform while suppressing her shock.

"Hmph! You evil creature! You didn't live up to your expectations when you were young, but instead you blame your mother. How can there be a place in this world for a beast like you?" Sure enough, Gu Yankai on the side started cursing again at this time.

"Gu Yankai, do you really think that I dare not destroy your entire Gu family?" At this time, Su Ning looked at Gu Yankai in front of him with a cold face and asked back, and every word he said revealed his murderous intention towards the entire Gu family.

"Ah? You..." Meeting his second son's cold eyes, Gu Yankai immediately became frightened.

"Gu Yankai, if you say another word of nonsense, I'll immediately drag you down and chop you off. Even your third son, Gu Tingwei, won't be able to inherit the title of Marquis of Xiangyang."

"..."

"Hey! Prince Ning, no matter who was right or wrong in the past, please give our Gu family a future for the sake of you and the Gu family's bloodline." Seeing that Su Ning had broken down in the talks with Gu Yan, Gu Tingyu on the side immediately bit the bullet and tried to smooth things over.

"Gu Tingyu, I didn't kill all of your Gu family members outright because of my own body and the bloodline of your Gu family. You even wanted me to give your Gu family a future. It seems that the children of your Gu family are still so greedy." Su Ning looked at the people in front of him with ridicule again, feeling that the Gu family was still as greedy as ever.

"what……"

"Gu Yankai, my maid is named Zhao Linger, her grandmother is named Zhao Paner, and her father is Zhao Nian Gu. I guess you should have some impression of this family?" Then Su Ning pointed at Zhao Linger who was thinking about something and looked at Gu Yankai and asked.

"What? She is my third uncle's granddaughter?" Gu Yankai immediately looked at Zhao Linger with wide eyes in shock, and couldn't help but think of his distant third uncle who taught him martial arts.

"Hmph! Gu Yankai, you still remember your third uncle. I wonder how long it has been since you thought of this distant younger brother of the Gu family?" Su Ning looked at Gu Yankai, who was an accomplice to the evil, with disgust, and wished he could spit in his face.

"..."

"Gu Yankai, the fact that your Gu family has ended up in this state today is entirely your own fault. Gu Qianfan was once the deputy commander of the Imperial City Division. He was so glorious and made so many contributions to the entire Gu family. You, the Gu family, owed so much to Gu Qianfan. Yet, after he died on the battlefield, you actually drove his widow and orphan out of the entire Gu family. Your actions are truly insane."

"You...what do you know? The Gu family did not approve of the marriage between Third Uncle and Zhao Pan'er back then, that's why..." Gu Yankai wanted to refute with a guilty conscience and a sullen face, but his reason was so ridiculous and pale.

"Hmph! Gu Yankai, don't you think your excuse is ridiculous?"

"..."

"Gu Yankai, my mother, Bai, was tricked into marrying into your Gu family. She saved your entire family. Now, I will personally bring your entire Gu family down to earth. From now on, we are even. If you come to harass me again, I will make sure your entire Gu family disappear completely."

"Gu Tingye, you..."

"Ling'er, show the guest out!"

"Guys, please."

Gu Yankai, now filled with shame, stood up and left with Xiao Qinshi. However, Gu Tingyu remained with his wife and daughter. He then knelt before Su Ning, who had a playful expression on his face, and pleaded, "Prince Ning, there's no point in arguing about who was right and wrong in the past. I just want to consider my daughter, Xianjie'er. After I die, I hope you, Prince Ning, will take good care of my wife and daughter."

"Gu Tingyu, you really asked the wrong person for help. You should ask the future Marquis of Xiangyang, Gu Tingwei. After all, Gu Tingwei is Xianjie'er's uncle."

"Prince Ning..."

"Alright! Don't say anything in front of me anymore. Parents' love for their children will always be a long-term plan. If you really love Sister Xian, then never come here to provoke my Ning Wang Mansion."

"..."

In the end, Gu Tingyu left with his wife and daughter in disappointment. He was not someone who would be easily morally kidnapped, and naturally had no interest in having any further involvement with the Gu family, so he simply rejected Gu Tingyu's request, which made Gu Tingyu spend his last bit of energy.

……

In the evening, when the Ning Wangfu family sat together for dinner, Princess Huirou looked at Su Ning in front of her with a smile and asked, "Your Highness, I heard that someone from the Gu family came today?"

"Yes! Gu Yankai and the Xiao Qin couple, as well as Gu Tingyu and his wife and daughter are all here." "Oh? I also heard that Gu Tingyu wanted to leave a way out for his daughter?"

"Hui Rou, what exactly do you want to say?" Su Ning looked at Zhao Linger who was serving everyone on the side, knowing that it must be her who passed the message to Princess Hui Rou, and then asked Princess Hui Rou in front of him with a bad look.

"Your Highness, no matter how sharp the conflict between the adults is, the child is truly innocent. There's nothing wrong with us helping the mother and daughter to the best of our ability. After all, we can't be as heartless as the Gu family before us."

"Huirou, what do you want to do?" Su Ning looked at Princess Huirou without comment and asked back.

"Your Highness, since Gu Tingyu's health is very poor, I'm sure he won't be able to hold on for much longer. Why not bring Xian Jie'er and her mother to the palace? After all, we in the Ning Palace don't need them to feed us."

"..."

"Your Highness, please forgive me when you can. Besides, Sister Xian has done nothing wrong."

"Ling'er, what do you think?" Su Ning did not immediately agree to Princess Huirou. Instead, he looked up at Zhao Ling'er who was serving beside him and asked.

"Your Majesty, I support the princess's idea. We really shouldn't turn a blind eye to Sister Xian."

"Alright! Then wait until Gu Tingyu dies of illness, and you, Princess, will take care of the rest."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

Suning now has Princess Huirou as his legal wife, and two concubines, Sheng Hualan and Sheng Shulan, as well as Shen Hezhen who is still kept in the palace, and Zhao Linger, a personal maid who is always with Su Ning. There are only five women in total. For the ancients who had many wives and concubines, it is not too many, but what happens every day still gives Su Ning a headache. He realizes that having too many women is really troublesome.

Because Princess Huirou was of too noble a birth, the sisters Sheng Hualan and Sheng Shulan had to be cautious. However, ever since they had their own children, and since Suning had completely dominated the entire Song Dynasty court, Sheng Hualan and Sheng Shulan couldn't help but have their own little thoughts. You know, Zhao Zheng, born to Sheng Hualan, was Suning's eldest son, and what was even more difficult was that there was no so-called distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children in Suning.

"Your Highness, my grandmother came to visit the palace a few days ago and said that the eldest branch of the Sheng family intends to send Sheng Pinlan to the palace." After dinner, Sheng Hualan looked at Su Ning in front of her with a smile on her face and explained.

"Oh? Pinlan is only twelve years old this year, right?"

"Yes! Pinlan and Minglan are both born in the same year, but Minglan is a few months older than Pinlan."

"Well, she's still too young, and the palace has a lot of rules. It's better to let Pinlan have fun in Youyang for a few more years."

"Yes, Your Highness," Sheng Hualan replied honestly. She then looked at Su Ning and said, "Your Highness, my fourth sister, Sheng Molan, is already fourteen years old this year and is also very beautiful. Would you like to bring her into our Ning Palace to serve you, Your Highness?"

"Hualan, what's wrong with you today? Why do you always want to force girls on me?" Su Ning couldn't help but look at Sheng Hualan in front of him with some surprise and asked.

"Ah? Prince, there have been many people coming to the Sheng family to propose marriage recently, so I intend to bring them all into the palace to dispel other people's little thoughts." Sheng Hualan quickly and obediently answered Su Ning's doubts, and also wanted to deepen the relationship with the Ning Palace.

"No need! Go back and tell your grandmother that even if Molan and Rulan have arranged marriages with other people, I have no intention of bringing them into the palace." A man with bad intentions and a fool who really doesn't want to have them in his harem.

"Ah? Yes! Your Majesty."

"Hualan, I heard that sister Minglan has been smart since she was a child, so let her enter the palace and serve as a maid behind the princess, so that she can be trained as a good helper for the princess." Although Su Ning had no interest in Sheng Molan and Sheng Rulan, he had already made arrangements for the heroine Sheng Minglan.

"Yes! Your Highness, I will go back and inform my grandmother and the others." Sheng Hualan showed an expression of surprise again. It is even more honorable to be a maid beside the Crown Princess, and her future will become brighter and brighter.

"Hui Rou, your father's health is getting worse. Go to the palace more often to accompany him and the Empress Dowager."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Naturally, Su Ning had heard a long time ago that the daughter of the Sheng family had become a hot commodity, and the dignitaries in Bianjing City were almost breaking down the Sheng family's doorstep. In fact, these people wanted to marry their daughters directly into the Ning Wang Mansion, but it was a pity that the wealthy and powerful people in the Ning Wang Mansion were too lazy to pay attention to them, so they had no choice but to settle for the second best and run to the Sheng family to propose marriage.

Now, not only the three daughters of the Sheng family have become the objects of pursuit, but even Sheng Changbai and Sheng Changfeng have many noble families coming to discuss marriage. What's more, some have set their sights on Sheng Changsong, who is only five years old. It can be seen how crazy and unreasonable these noble families in Bianjing City are.

"Your Highness, do you value Sheng Minglan very much?" After Suning's wives left after dinner, Princess Huirou looked at Suning in front of her with curiosity and asked.

"Of course! I've known her since I was a child in Yangzhou. She was only about seven or eight years old back then, and she was the only one who could defeat me."

"Oh? Your Majesty, please tell me the details of the situation." Princess Huirou looked at Su Ning with great interest and asked

"Haha, back then, I was part of the betrothal team at the Earl of Zhongqin's mansion. I hid my tracks because I was worried the Bai family would get the news. But Yuan Wenchun from the Earl of Zhongqin's mansion actually wanted to use my pitching skills to win back the betrothal geese and give the Sheng family a hard time. But at the last moment, Sheng Minglan managed to defeat me."

"Your Highness, I believe you must have deliberately let her go at that time." The clever Princess Huirou immediately guessed that Su Ning intended to let Sheng Minglan go.

"Haha, Huirou, this Minglan is really very smart. If you train her well, she will definitely become a good assistant to you. In addition, no new eunuchs will be admitted to the palace in the future, and this inhumane profession of eunuch will be abolished."

"Yes! Your Majesty, I will definitely train Sheng Minglan well."

"Well, Huirou, I have great confidence in you."

"Your Highness, I suddenly remembered another thing. The Hai family came to the Empress Dowager a while ago and asked to marry their daughter Hai Chaoyun to the Ning Palace."

"Oh? Hai Chaoyun?"

"Yes! Hai Chaoyun is already seventeen years old this year, and besides the four Hanlin scholars, the Hai family is quite powerful in the court."

"Okay! Just follow the arrangements. I'm going to Shen Ruzhen's place tonight. I've been raising her for so long, it's time to eat her."

"Humph! Bad guy."

……

(End of this chapter)