A pure heart in a jade pot

Chapter 75

After pondering for a while, Ning Wangshu said helplessly, "Have you ever heard of the seven-leaf locust flower?"

"Seven-leaf locust flower?" Mo Yan shook her head. "Is it edible?"

"It's edible. It's said to be a rare flower from Dali that can be used in medicine."

Upon hearing the words "can be used in medicine," Mo Yan immediately understood: "Is this the medicine my brother-in-law needs?"

Ning Wangshu nodded.

Mo Yan asked curiously, "Then you should have gone to Dali, why did you come to the capital again?"

"The Nangong family has been searching for this flower in Dali for several years, but they haven't found it yet. I've heard that Dali once presented this flower as tribute, so I think it might be found in the Imperial Palace," Ning Wangshu said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan was horrified, her eyes widening as she whispered, "You're going to steal something from the Imperial Palace?!"

Ning Wangshu nodded gently.

"Sister...that's the Imperial Palace!" Mo Yan shook her head repeatedly, trying to dissuade her. "If someone finds out, then..." She gestured with her hand to her neck.

Ning Wangshu smiled faintly, her words firm: "Now, I can't care about all that anymore."

Chapter Nine

Fearing that her senior sister might take a risk, Mo Yan pondered for a long time: "Even if we want to steal it, we must first find out where the item is in the palace, and we must also find out the patrol routes of the palace guards and their shift changes. In short, we can't rush this. We need to plan this matter carefully."

Ning Wangshu turned her face slightly away, her voice soft yet clear: "Xiao Qi, I'm afraid I don't have time to discuss this further."

"What? Is your brother-in-law's illness getting worse?" Mo Yan asked in surprise.

“I see he… is struggling a lot…” Ning Wangshu’s eyes welled up with tears, misty and foggy. “Doctor Xue said that even if he can make it through the winter, his body will be severely depleted.”

"..."

Mo Yan quickly put food into her bowl, saying haphazardly, "Don't worry, eat first, we'll think of something later. There's definitely a way. Maybe the emperor just casually puts those flowers on the table for fun, and you'll bump into them as soon as you go in..."

Not wanting her junior sister to worry about her, Ning Wangshu lowered her head and quickly ate a few bites of food before raising her head and forcing a smile, "You're right. Master said you're a lucky star sent from heaven. I'm honored by your golden words."

Mo Yan patted her shoulder happily, served her another bowl of soup, and said with a smile, "Anyway, don't worry. I'll inquire about this for you first. After all, I'm now considered a member of the court. Although my position is low, it will still be of some use."

Ning Wangshu smiled, knowing in her heart that her junior sister was just a lowly constable in the Kaifeng Prefecture. Even if she knew people in the palace, no one would give her face. At most, they would exchange a few words with her to maintain appearances. Meanwhile, Mo Yan's mind had already been racing. After thinking it over, it seemed that Ning Jin was the only person in the palace with whom she could be considered to have a relationship.

After the two finished their meal, Mo Yan, fearing that Ning Wangshu might rashly enter the palace alone, coaxed and pleaded with her to bring her luggage back from the inn, insisting that she stay with her in Kaifeng Prefecture. She claimed that Kaifeng Prefecture had many connections and would be better informed. Ning Wangshu smiled wryly; she had come here to be a thief, yet a constable had brazenly dragged her into Kaifeng Prefecture first.

After settling her senior sister in, Mo Yan began wandering aimlessly throughout the manor, trying to find someone to deliver a message to Ning Jin in the palace. Unfortunately, she usually dealt with constables and head constables, and even Master Gongsun wasn't allowed free access to the palace. Lord Bao could enter whenever he wanted, but he was still in the palace and hadn't returned yet, and besides, she really didn't dare ask him for a favor. She searched the entire Kaifeng manor without success, but was drenched in sweat. Back in her room, she hurriedly sought a drink of water.

"Look at all that sweat on your head..." Ning Wangshu wiped her sweat and noticed that her collar was steaming. She said with concern, "Your clothes are all soaked with sweat too. You should change your clothes quickly and make sure you don't catch a cold."

Mo Yan agreed, then fetched hot water, went behind the screen to wipe the sweat off her body, and changed her clothes. While tidying up her clothes, she saw the gray squirrel fur cloak, paused, and looked up at Ning Wangshu: "Sister, I have something to ask you."

Seeing her junior sister's unusual seriousness, Ning Wangshu nodded: "Go ahead and ask."

"Do you remember this Mid-Autumn Festival night, when your brother-in-law said he wanted to recognize you as his sister, and you got so angry that you jumped off the boat?"

Recalling that time, Ning Wangshu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart: "Of course I remember."

"...Are you angry because you liked him a lot back then?"

“Hmm,” Ning Wangshu smiled faintly, “It’s true that I like him, but I also know that he has feelings for me too, yet I insist on going against my own heart.”

Mo Yan frowned and said, "So that means if you fall in love with someone, you'll get angry if that person wants to recognize you as their sister."

"Of course."

Mo Yan frowned even more: "On the other hand, if this person wants to recognize you as his sister, and you feel upset about it, does that mean you like him?"

Ning Wangshu smiled and said, "That's not necessarily true..."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Perhaps you look down on him, think he’s not worthy of being your brother, or perhaps you simply dislike him and have no desire to have anything to do with him,” Ning Wangshu continued.

Mo Yan was stunned: "What if neither of those are true? I neither look down on him nor dislike him."

"Who is he?" Ning Wangshu asked with a smile, looking at her junior sister.

"It's Brother Zhan." Mo Yan slumped onto the table in frustration, resting her chin on her hand, and looked at her senior sister with a troubled expression: "What should I do? I think I really like him."

Ning Wangshu chuckled and patted her hair: "If you like it, you like it. What's wrong with that? Our Xiaoqi isn't unworthy of that cat!"

Mo Yan said dejectedly, "But he only treats me like a younger sister."

Ning Wangshu had met Zhan Zhao in Suzhou and found him to be very composed. He seemed to be very tolerant of Xiao Qi, but perhaps, as Xiao Qi said, he mostly treated her like a younger sister. Her junior sister was just beginning to experience romantic feelings when she met this man. His martial arts skills were renowned throughout the martial world, needless to say, and he was also handsome, refined, and gentle. It was only natural that Ning Wangshu would fall for him.

Not knowing how to comfort Mo Yan, Ning Wangshu could only pat her head and gaze at her quietly.

After a long silence, someone suddenly pushed open the courtyard gate and came in. Mo Yan opened the gate and saw that it was Old Li, the constable from the East Corner Gate.

"Miss Mo, someone outside is looking for you, it's urgent!"

Mo Yan asked curiously, "Who is it?"

"They said they came from Suzhou, Nangong..."

Hearing only the first half of what was said, Ning Wangshu jumped up and dashed out like an arrow, with Mo Yan quickly following behind.

Outside the East Corner Gate, a carriage was quietly parked nearby. Nangong Liping stood beside the carriage, frowning and looking anxiously. As soon as he saw Ning Wangshu come out of the gate, he breathed a sigh of relief and called out urgently, "Sister-in-law, my brother is here!"

Almost simultaneously, the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a haggard-looking man struggling to get out. Ning Wangshu rushed forward, supporting him before Nangong Liping could, tears welling in her eyes, and asked, "Why are you here?"