Chapter 14: The Face of Humiliation

The crowd automatically made way as Li Ning’an approached Fu Mingqi, accompanied by Hongxiu and four guards.

Fu Mingqi immediately released the girl and handed her over to his household guards.

“Sister-in-law, why are you here? Are you on your way to visit my elder cousin?”

Last time, a scholar had bumped into Fu Mingqi. He had taught the scholar a lesson and broken his leg, but the matter had been taken to the capital authorities.

By chance, Princess Ning’an had been out shopping with her third cousin nearby. Fu Mingqi, being clever, had called out “sister-in-law,” stopping the princess, who had initially intended to ignore the situation. After listening to his grievances and with the third cousin chiming in, Princess Ning’an ended up paying silver to settle the matter.

The scholar clearly didn’t dare provoke the princess, didn’t file any complaints, and left with the money.

Today, Fu Mingqi believed he was in the right.

After all, it was only natural to repay debts. Selling the land wasn’t enough, and the debtor wasn’t willing to sell his ancestral home, so he offered his daughter as collateral.

Li Ning’an was only reminded of the past when she saw the girl’s tear-streaked face, looking as if she wished she could devour Fu Mingqi alive.

Fu Mingqi had made himself out to be a pitiful victim in the previous life.

He claimed that the scholar had bumped into him and insulted him, calling him a scoundrel trying to extort money. Outraged, Fu Mingqi had hit him hard, thinking he could resolve the issue with money, but the scholar had blackmailed him, threatening to take the matter to court over his broken leg.

Li Ning’an had also listened to Fu Mingying, who was nearby at the time, saying, “If the princess helps Second Cousin today, our brother will surely be pleased.”

Wanting to make Fu Minglang happy and earn some favor, Li Ning’an had taken it upon herself to give the scholar money.

Seeing that Second Young Master Fu had Princess Ning’an backing him, the scholar didn’t dare go to the authorities, took the money, and disappeared.

Fu Mingqi was actually quite handsome, but the scheming, calculating look in his eyes made him rather unpleasant.

He was skilled at navigating social situations, using Fu Minglang’s connections to run a loan-sharking business in the capital. He also took advantage of his connection to Princess Ning’an, later playing a significant role in Fu Minglang’s intelligence network.

Cunning, lecherous, and shrewd.

He didn’t live in the Fu family residence but had bought another house not far from it.

He hadn’t married yet, still waiting for Princess Ning’an to arrange a match with a noblewoman.

However, in her previous life, Li Ning’an had seen through him. There was no way she would let him ruin another family’s daughter.

Interestingly, after she and Fu Minglang were married for over a year, she never heard of Fu Mingqi again.

Given Fu Minglang’s character, always careful not to leave any weaknesses, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had Fu Mingqi silenced.

Seeing that Princess Ning’an didn’t have her third cousin with her today, Fu Mingqi noticed the impressive group of imperial guards surrounding her, making his own household guards seem utterly incompetent.

After all, these men, who he fed and housed, were worthless—they had allowed the old man to get close enough to kneel before him.

“Princess, Princess, please save my daughter! She’s about to be married; she can’t… she can’t go with Second Master Fu!”

The old man knelt on the ground, banging his head against the ground three times.

His son might be a gambler, but he was still the only heir to carry on the family line. The old man could part with good farmland, but he couldn’t give up the ancestral home.

Though his daughter was set to marry out, she had been born to his beloved wife. How could he, like some kind of beast, sell her to pay off his son’s debts?

“Second Master Fu said the land contract was enough, yet he still wants to take my daughter. Please, I beg you, save her!”

Fu Mingqi let out a cold snort but didn’t strike or scold the old man. Instead, he called out again, “Sister-in-law.”

Li Ning’an drew a sword from one of the imperial guards and swung it.

“You think you can just claim kinship with me? Since when did Yan Ziqi have a cousin? How come I’ve never heard of it?”

Not to mention a cousin—he didn’t even have any uncles.

It wasn’t that Yan Ziqi’s grandmother didn’t bear children; it was just that all his uncles had died on the battlefield.

From inside the carriage, Yan Ziqi suspected Li Ning’an was insulting his family’s lack of descendants.

No cousins, huh? He’d make sure to father seventeen or eighteen children in the future.

Hmph.

Yan Ziqi peeked through a crack in the curtain to see how Li Ning’an would handle the situation.

Fu Mingqi instinctively dodged, realizing that the sword might actually hit him. Terrified, he knelt on the ground.

What had he done to offend Princess Ning’an?

Or was it that his elder cousin had angered her, and now he was the one being punished?

“Sister-in… I mean, Princess Ning’an, what’s going on? I’m talking about my elder cousin, Fu Minglang, Imperial Physician Fu.”

He called Fu Minglang his elder cousin, and since Princess Ning’an wanted to marry Fu Minglang, she should be his sister-in-law, right?

Last time they met, she had seemed quite happy.

“Has Princess Ning’an truly fallen for someone else?”

The crowd began to murmur softly.

“At Hanwen Bookshop, it was Princess Ning’an and Young Master Yan together. She didn’t even spare a glance for Imperial Physician Fu.”

“Maybe it’s some new trick. I distinctly heard Imperial Physician Fu talking to the princess that day.”

“Yes, usually he doesn’t pay much attention to her. It’s always her being overly enthusiastic—”

Getting carried away, that person quickly clamped their mouth shut, avoiding saying “pursuing him when he’s indifferent.”

Li Ning’an couldn’t care less about what they were saying. She had completely given up on Fu Minglang.

The love she’d had for him in her past life? It was like feeding it to a dog.

No, even a dog wouldn’t have wanted it.

Without wasting any more words, Li Ning’an told Hongxiu to report the matter to the authorities, then returned the sword to the guard.

Fu Mingqi realized that Princess Ning’an was serious, and he quickly signaled one of his household guards to rush to the Fu residence and inform his aunt.

He needed her to get his elder cousin to save him—or, rather, to bail him out.

He couldn’t directly ask his elder cousin for help; Fu Minglang surely wouldn’t be willing. He wouldn’t want to tarnish his own reputation by associating with this mess.

Fu Mingqi understood his elder cousin well.

At that moment, Fu Minglang was working at the Ministry of Revenue. He was revising a flood control plan that had already been reviewed by the Minister, and he needed to make further amendments.

The path through Master Wen was temporarily blocked, so Fu Minglang couldn’t afford to give up any other options.

Just then, Nanny Ruan from the household was waiting outside the ministry to deliver a message to Imperial Physician Fu.

When Fu Minglang heard that his mother had fallen ill, he hurriedly took leave to return home.

But when he arrived, he discovered that his mother wanted him to go to the capital’s judicial office to bail out his second cousin.

Within the family, only his second and fourth cousins had been sent to live under his care. His fourth cousin lived with the second cousin at his residence, which they found more comfortable than living at the ancestral home in the county.

Since neither of them had caused any trouble, Fu Minglang hadn’t paid much attention to them. He hadn’t even placed any spies to monitor them.

Who would’ve thought something like this would happen? Now, Princess Ning’an had even sent someone to notify the authorities.

“My son, that Princess Ning’an must have deliberately put your cousin in prison to force you to bow down to her,” Lady Fu still believed that the princess was scheming, playing tricks.

She had loved him for so many years—how could she let go so easily?

She was willing to kneel at the door just to get the deed back.

For the past few years, Lady Fu had somewhat overstepped her bounds, gradually assuming the airs of a mother-in-law. But after all, Ning’an was a princess, a noble lady of the imperial family. It was time for her to hold back a bit.

Lady Fu considered herself very capable of bending and adapting when necessary.

The second branch of the family had sent the second cousin to enjoy the blessings of living with her son, not to be sent to the capital prison.

She couldn’t bear the disgrace of having someone from her family locked up in the capital’s jail.

“My son, listen to your mother. Go and check on him.”

Fu Minglang’s eyes flashed with impatience.

He had devoted himself to studying the classics and working toward success in the imperial examinations. He had no idea what his second cousin had been up to behind his back.

He blamed Princess Ning’an for again causing delays in his career progress.

Nevertheless, he headed to the capital’s judicial office.

Upon learning that his second cousin had been running a loan-sharking business, seizing farmland, and kidnapping people’s daughters, he had no intention of bailing him out.

“I didn’t know he had committed such serious crimes.”

Not only did Fu Minglang refuse to take him back, but he also told the judicial office to handle the case impartially. All the damage caused by his second cousin, Fu Minglang would personally compensate.

After Li Ning’an had ordered Hongxiu to notify the authorities, she returned to her carriage and didn’t stop until they reached the Duke of Xiang’s residence.

Yan Ziqi couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. “Are you possessed by some spirit?”

How had she sent Fu Minglang’s cousin to the authorities?

Anyone with common sense could see that once he was sent in, he wouldn’t be coming out.

Li Ning’an swatted his hand away. “You’d better start writing your memorial. It’s time for you to head to the border.”

She had no time to waste on chit-chat with Yan Ziqi.

The Iron Cavalry Army was waiting for him to save them.