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Chapter 887 Demon Dance

In order to make these Zhao Song royal family members even crazier, Suning made a lot of efforts. His greatest achievement was secretly persuading and winning over the top noble, the Duke of Yingguo. Only then could the Duke of Yingguo obediently accompany him to perform this big show for everyone. Moreover, with the help of Suning, the Duke of Yingguo did transfer the elite armed forces of the Ningyuan Army in Bianjing Prefecture. Soon, from the imperial palace guards to the city patrol, all were controlled by the troops of Prince Yong and Prince Yan. However, the Ning Prince's Mansion closed its doors every day and refused all guests.

In the eyes of the dignitaries in Bianjing City, the current situation is that the Ning Prince's Mansion is like a noble family on the decline. Many people have sensed the subtle atmosphere in Bianjing City recently and have tried their best to stay away from the once unattainable Ning Prince's Mansion, so naturally the Ning Prince's Mansion has suddenly become deserted.

"Master, Sheng Dalang from the Sheng family's main house is here." Su San, the housekeeper of Prince Ning's mansion, walked straight up to Su Ning and Princess Huirou and said.

"Oh? He is quite kind and righteous, much better than Sheng Hong from the second branch of the Sheng family. Bring them to the backyard to meet with Madam Shu and other girls from the Sheng family. Give them more gifts when you leave." At this time, Su Ning and Princess Huirou looked at each other in surprise, and then Su Ning made his own arrangements with a smile.

"Master, the eldest son of the Sheng family also brought his youngest daughter, Sheng Pinlan, who is said to have reached the age of marriage."

"Haha, interesting! It seems that this is an overlooked person. You know, many people want to stay away from our Ning Wang Mansion." At this time, Princess Huirou on the side also smiled in surprise, realizing that there are still many hidden smart people in the world.

"Master, do you want to bring Dalang from the Sheng family here?" Su San then looked at Su Ning in front of him again and asked.

"Alright! I really should come out and meet this cheap father-in-law. With the addition of Sheng Pinlan who just arrived, their Youyang hometown has married two daughters."

Soon, Su San brought Sheng Jia Dalang and Sheng Pinlan to the living room again. When she saw Su Ning on the throne and Princess Huirou beside him, she quickly bowed, "Hello, my humble servant Sheng Ze! Hello, my princess!"

"Please get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Princess."

"You don't need to be so polite! Strictly speaking, you are also my father-in-law, so please take a seat." At this time, Su Ning looked at Sheng Ze in front of him with a smile on his face, without any trace of the depression that one would feel if he was not successful.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Father-in-law, is this the Sheng family's younger sister Pinlan?" At this time, Su Ning noticed the shy and tall girl beside him, then looked at Sheng Ze with a smile and asked.

"Exactly! Thinking that Pinlan is already fifteen years old this year, I shamelessly sent her to the palace."

"Father-in-law, the life in Prince Ning's Mansion is not very good right now. Many dignitaries in Bianjing are trying to avoid us whenever possible. Why do you do the opposite?" Then Su Ning looked at Sheng Ze in front of him with a meaningful look and asked.

"Your Highness, I am just an ordinary merchant. I don't know much about the major events in the court, but I do know that our Sheng family will always be loyal to you, Prince Ning."

"Well, father-in-law, it seems that you are really a smart man. From now on, the salt business in Yangzhou will be handed over to you."

"Thank you, Your Highness! I will do my best to make this happen." Sheng Ze was surprised and quickly stood up to express his gratitude, feeling that his investment was really worthwhile.

"Haha, it's not that exaggerated! After all, it's all our Ning Wang Mansion's own business, and no one can say anything about it."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

Then, Su Ning simply looked at the slightly shy little girl, and then handed her over to the palace housekeeper Su San. After the father and daughter of the Sheng family left, Princess Huirou smiled and looked at Su Ning and said, "Your Highness, it seems that the eldest son of the Sheng family is also a wonderful person, much better than Sheng Hong from the second house."

"Huiro, Sheng Hong is mainly angry with me. I refused to use him in officialdom and was too harsh on him in private matters. In addition, he thought Minglan's way of handling the matter of Wang Ruofu and Wang Ruoyu poisoning the old lady was too harsh. He also thought that Minglan had my approval." Su Ning understood Sheng Hong's complex mentality very well, and analyzed with a nonchalant smile.

"Hmph! So pedantic! So unscrupulous! How could such a waste be reused?" Princess Huirou despised men with no bottom line the most.

"That's right! There are too many such cautious and incompetent people in the officialdom of the Song Dynasty. Naturally, they don't want him to get involved."

"Your Majesty is wise."

……

In Bianjing, at the Sheng family's courtyard, Sheng Molan hurriedly found Ling Qishuang. Then, with an eager look on her face, she asked, "Mother, did you hear someone from Youyang's hometown is coming?"

"Yes! It was your uncle who came. Besides, your uncle also brought Sheng Pinlan with him."

"Ah? Sheng Pinlan really entered Prince Ning's Mansion?" Upon hearing that Sheng Pinlan had successfully entered the palace, Sheng Molan couldn't help but feel jealous.

"Yes! I just feel that the behavior of the eldest branch of the Sheng family is too irrational. You know, the whole world knows that Prince Ning has lost power now. It would be too stupid to give away his daughter at this time." Seeing Sheng Molan's jealousy and impatience, Lin Qinshuang shook her head disapprovingly.

"My dear, I also want to go to Prince Ning's Mansion. Can you think of a way for me? As long as Prince Ning sees the Heavenly Demon Dance that I have practiced hard in the past few years, he will definitely like me." In order to successfully enter Prince Ning's Mansion, Sheng Molan has worked very hard in recent years and begged Lin Qinshuang to teach her family's ancestral Heavenly Demon Dance.

"Mo'er, are you stupid? Prince Ning has lost his military power, and even Princess Huirou, the crown prince, has been driven out of the palace. Their Prince Ning's Mansion is in a precarious situation!" Lin Qinshuang couldn't understand her daughter's extremism. She believed that people should learn to seek good fortune and avoid danger.

"My dear, this is my only chance! I have been practicing the Heavenly Demon Dance for so long just to please King Ning. Besides, the ups and downs in officialdom are normal." At this moment, Sheng Molan still insisted on her own point of view, and she did not care about Lin Qinshuang's worries and fears, because she believed that a lean camel is bigger than a horse.

"Stop talking! Your father has already decided to arrange a marriage for you with Liang Liulang from the Earl of Yongchang's Mansion. Stop thinking about going to Prince Ning's Mansion." Although seeing that her daughter was very insistent, Lin Qinshuang still refused her outright, and also told her their arrangements for Sheng Molan's marriage.

"Ah? I don't want it! I don't like that Liang Liulang."

"That's enough! It's the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. What's wrong with being the Earl of the Liang family?"

"Hmph! If you want to marry, go ahead and do it yourself. I'd rather die than go to the Liang family." "Mo'er, how can you be so unreasonable? I've put so much effort into planning for you. It seems I've been too indulgent towards you and haven't learned the wisdom and intelligence from you, your little mother."

"Humph!"

Recently, the Sheng family in Bian Jing has been a little anxious and angry. The current situation is really too delicate. In fact, Sheng Hong's original intention was to get rid of Suning's constraints as far as possible, but unfortunately now he can only follow the Ning Wang Mansion to the end, so Sheng Hong, who has ulterior motives, wants to stop the loss in time. In addition, with the pillow talk whispered by Lin Qinshuang in his ear, the Yongchang Earl's Mansion, which their Sheng family used to look down upon, has also become a good match.

At first, the Earl of Yongchang's Mansion was quite surprised by the Sheng family's change of heart, but later realized that this was because the Ning Wang Mansion was in a state of decline. The Earl of Yongchang's Mansion became a little arrogant. It was not that they were not keen on forming a marriage with the Sheng family. On the contrary, they were prepared to ask the Sheng family for a large dowry. After all, their Earl of Yongchang's Mansion was a situation where they looked good but were rotten inside, and they urgently needed a large amount of wealth to maintain their family's extravagant life.

"Mother, I have decided to arrange a marriage between Molan and Liang Liulang from the Earl of Yongchang's Mansion." Sheng Hong came to Shou'an Hall and found Old Lady Sheng, then reported his idea to her.

"Well, the Liang family is also a noble earl's mansion, so this marriage is not bad." At this time, Old Lady Sheng was also quite satisfied with the status of the earl of the Liang family. After all, Sheng Molan was just a illegitimate daughter, and she was able to marry into the Earl of Yongchang's mansion because of the relationship with the Prince Ning's mansion.

"It's just...it's just that the Yongchang Earl's Mansion suddenly demanded a large dowry, and even if Lin Xiaoniang and I took out all our savings, it wouldn't be enough." Sheng Hong then explained hesitantly. It felt like the Liang family had bitten too hard.

"What? The prince has rewarded our family with a lot of wealth in the past few years. How could it not be enough for Mo'er's dowry? How much is the Liang family asking for this time?" At this time, Old Lady Sheng couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock, realizing that the Liang family must be asking for a huge amount of money from the Sheng family.

"Ten miles of red makeup."

"What? The Liang family is so lucky to open their mouths, but they really think that our Sheng family is the one being taken advantage of?" Old Madam Sheng slammed the table in anger, feeling that the appetite of the Liang family was too excessive.

"Mother, it's because the atmosphere in Bianjing has been too subtle recently. Many people have seen the decline of Prince Ning and Princess Huirou."

"Hmph! Hong'er, do you think so too?" Old Mrs. Sheng snorted coldly at first, then looked at her son in front of her meaningfully and asked.

"Huh? Mother, Prince Ning has been impeached by court officials and has lost his military power. Even Princess Huirou, the crown prince, has been driven back to Prince Ning's mansion and is confined to her room. Isn't this a clear loss of power?" Sheng Hong explained as a matter of course.

"Idiot! Who else in the world can mobilize Prince Ning's Ningyuan Army? Maybe even the emperor himself can't do it. Don't you see the situation here?" Looking at her stupid son with limited talent, Old Lady Sheng seemed very depressed.

"Ah? The Duke of Ying is a top nobleman in our Song Dynasty. There should be no problem in mobilizing the Ningyuan Army, which is also part of the Song Army, right?" The stupid Sheng Hong immediately retorted disapprovingly. He always felt that the old lady valued Su Ning and the Ningyuan Army too much.

"Hong'er, you really disappoint me. Prince Ning and the Ningyuan Army started out as rebellions. In recent years, Prince Ning has integrated the entire Song Dynasty's military forces, and has even relocated ethnic groups in the southwest and northeast. Their control over the world far exceeds that of any previous dynasty. How could they allow others to arbitrarily interfere with their military power?"

"Then...didn't the Duke of Ying transfer all the elite Ningyuan troops from Bianjing City?"

"Hmph! Then there is only one possibility. Duke Ying is also Prince Ning's man, or he is Princess Huirou's man."

"Ah? Mother, you mean..." At this moment, Sheng Hong immediately widened his eyes in horror, realizing that Suning was deliberately playing a big game.

"That's right! Our Prince Ning is just playing a game, hoping to secure the throne for Princess Huirou and Prince Ning's son, Zhao Ren. These Zhao clan members must be completely eliminated, and there's really no better solution than for them to step forward on their own initiative."

"Mother, what about Mo'er's marriage to the Earl of Yongchang?" Sheng Hong swallowed hard, then looked at the old lady hesitantly again.

"Hmph! Tomorrow, Prince Ning's mansion is hosting a family banquet for Shulan and Pinlan, and has invited the women of our Sheng family to attend. It's just the right time for me to bring Molan with me and send her to the palace. I'm sure Prince Ning will give an old woman like me some face."

"Mother, you have suffered a lot."

"Hong'er, our Sheng family and Prince Ning's mansion are now in a state of shared destiny. This is something the Sheng family's eldest wife has long seen. So no matter how far Prince Ning and Princess Huirou go, our Sheng family cannot afford to be indecisive any longer."

"Yes! Mother, I understand."

……

The reason why Suning asked Princess Huirou to hold a family dinner for Sheng Shulan and Sheng Pinlan was mainly to let them reunite with their families more often. After all, it was not suitable for Sheng Shulan and Sheng Pinlan to leave Prince Ning's Mansion and return to their parents' home to visit their relatives. So in this delicate situation, this family dinner seemed so precious, so the first and second wives of the Sheng family were very happy and delighted.

"Pinlan, are you used to living in Prince Ning's Mansion these days?" Su Ning looked at the beautiful little girl in front of him with a smile, feeling as if it was the season of love again.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness! Pinlan is fine." Sheng Pinlan replied shyly at this time, not daring to look up at the man in front of her.

"Haha, Pinlan, I heard that you were a bit of a rascal back home in Youyang. Why do you act so restrained when you come to Prince Ning's Mansion?"

"Ah? Your Majesty, you...you know me?"

"Of course!" Su Ning pulled the surprised and delighted little girl into his arms, then looked at Sheng Pinlan with a loving expression and said with a smile, "I know a lot about you. You can still be free in Prince Ning's Mansion in the future. Those strict rules and regulations will not be imposed on you."

"Pinlan thanks His Majesty for his care."

"Silly girl, you can't just thank me with words!"

"what……"

(End of this chapter)