Did the eldest daughter ascend the throne today?

At the emperor's command, the Imperial Guards escorted the women of the Ning family back to the mansion. Outside the mansion, heavy troops were stationed and no one was allowed to enter or leave without the emperor's order.

At the same time, he summoned imperial physicians to treat the injuries of the women of the Ning family and ensure that they were safe and sound.

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Marquis Dingyuan looked at the direction where the Ning family was leaving with an inexplicably complicated expression.

Dingyuan Hou's mortal enemy, the Minister of Works, came over and said, "Dingyuan Hou, which branch of the Ning family is this Fifth Miss Ning who suddenly appeared from? How come I have never heard of her?"

Having said that, his expression was meaningful, as if he had already seen through everything.

Dingyuan Hou cursed the old fox inwardly and asked coldly, "How should I know?"

The Minister of Industry laughed and said sarcastically, "You were relatives in the past, so you know each other very well. To be honest, I envy the Ning family for having such a descendant. He is brave, resourceful, loyal, filial, and righteous. He is so rare."

Dingyuan Hou's expression became even uglier. The Minister of Rites suddenly appeared from nowhere and said, "What a pity it's a daughter."

Everyone fell silent at the same time. If it was a son, the Ning family would have a successor and would be able to prosper for three generations.

It's a pity that now that all the adult male members of the Ning family have died, what can a group of female relatives accomplish? The Ning family has no future to speak of.

It is sad and lamentable that a family that has been prominent for a hundred years has come to an end in this way.

The General's Mansion is very large, with seven courtyards, pavilions, towers, flying eaves, green tiles, carved beams and painted buildings, giving it a scene of wealth and splendor.

After the house was searched, valuables were snatched away and damaged items were thrown everywhere.

Ci Xin Tang was the residence of Old Madam Ning. The door of the storehouse was smashed, all the things inside were emptied, and the flowers and plants were trampled into a mess.

In the east wing, there was only a large bed left in the empty room, on which lay a pale girl. The wound on her back had been treated, but it was still bleeding. She lay there unable to move, her face pale and her breath weak.

The imperial physician took the girl's thin arm and felt her pulse, his brows furrowed.

"Fifth Miss is weak and injured. Take good care of yourself and don't get angry. Otherwise, it will affect your lifespan."

He said it implicitly, but those who understood understood it.

The Ning family members looked as if they had lost their parents, their faces were solemn, and some even had red eyes.

Ning Zhiwei, on the other hand, was very calm. “Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by heaven.”

The imperial physician sighed silently, this girl was too open-minded.

She wrote out a prescription, left some golden medicine for wound healing, and gave some detailed instructions before being sent out by Madam Ning.

As soon as the others left, Ning Zhiwei couldn't bear it anymore. He yawned and fell asleep quietly.

Old Madam Ning watched from the side for a while, told Shaoyao to keep a good look at it, and gave a wink to Ning Xiaolong who was guarding the door, and Ning Xiaolong followed her out quietly.

Ning Xiaolong did not hide anything and recounted his experiences of the past few days one by one, blaming himself for talking about the painful parts.

"It was my incompetence that caused me to fail to save several generals."

Everyone's last bit of hope was completely shattered, and they couldn't help but burst into tears.

Old Madam Ning could not help but feel extremely heartbroken when she thought about her only biological son being shot in the throat and being separated from life and death forever.

"I can't blame you. Even a god can't help you in that situation."

I can't escape the motive, so I'll just blame...

Amid the crying, Ning Xiaolong hesitated for a moment and said, "The family head's token was passed on to the fifth young lady."

But the matter of the military token was of great importance, so it was kept secret. Now Ning Zhiwei is the master to whom they swear allegiance until death.

Everyone was silent. Although it was unreasonable, the Ning family had no more suitable candidate.

After a long while, Madam Ning asked, "What kind of person is she?"

Ning Xiaolong opened his mouth, wanting to say countless things, but the only thing that came out was, "Not an ordinary person."

……

The women and children of the Ning family had always lived a life of luxury. After experiencing the pain of losing their loved ones, they endured hunger and torture in the prison, and were beaten with a stick. They felt pain and fear, and were severely traumatized both physically and mentally. They fell ill as soon as they returned to the mansion.

Several children had high fevers.

The chief steward was so scared that he knocked on the door at night and asked the Jinyiwei guarding outside the mansion to pass a message to the palace. When the emperor heard the news, he sent two imperial doctors to stay at the Ning family until the Ning family members recovered.

Ning Zhiwei's injuries were the most serious, and the imperial physician was watching him 24 hours a day. Shaoyao personally prepared the medicine and kept watch over him at all times, not daring to delegate the task to anyone else.

Inside the mansion, everyone was recuperating peacefully, but outside, huge waves were already rising.

The sky is blue, white clouds are floating, and the sun is shining.

Outside the window, the crabapple blossoms are in full bloom, with branches full of flowers. The petals are gorgeous and charming, like clouds in the sky, with a lingering elegant fragrance.

Ning Zhiwei was dressed in white, half lying on the beauty couch by the window, flipping through a military book nonchalantly.

Ning Xiaolong cleared his cough outside, and Ning Zhiwei raised his eyes, "Come in."

Ning Xiaolong handed over several thick booklets, "Miss, this is the information that the old lady sent over. It contains information about the palace, officials in the capital, and the families of the nobles."

The harem and the former dynasty are intricately connected, and a single move can affect the entire body.

The complicated network of relationships among officials and nobles in the capital is so entangled that one can be shattered if one is not careful.

These are all necessary tasks. Only when you are clear about them can you proceed step by step and seize the initiative.

Ning Zhiwei first picked up the palace book and started flipping through it. The current emperor had five sons and three daughters, including the eldest prince born to a palace maid. He had the character "eldest" and was the focus of much attention inside and outside the court.

The crown prince is the second child in the family and is the legitimate son of Empress Yuan. He is extremely noble and was named crown prince at birth and is the most respected.

The third prince died young, and the fourth prince and the eldest princess were born to Concubine Li, who was extremely beautiful and favored by the emperor.

The fifth prince was born to Concubine Xian, who was the niece of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were not biological mother and son.

The Sixth Prince and the Third Princess were the Queen's legitimate children, and their level of nobility was only slightly lower than that of the Crown Prince.

As for the second princess, she was born to Concubine Ye. Concubine Ye and the emperor were childhood sweethearts and had a special relationship.

However, Concubine Ye is the younger sister of Marquis Dingyuan.

Ning Zhiwei circled the names of Concubine Ye and Marquis Dingyuan and tapped the table with his finger, seeming to be thinking about something.

Now that the princes have grown up, the fight for the throne is becoming more and more intense, and various forces have come on the scene.

She laughed sarcastically. The emperor was in his prime, but these people couldn't wait to stand on the side of the prince. They were so dazzled by his wealth and fame.

The merit of following the dragon is enough for a family to place all their bets on it. If they win, they can move up to the next level, and their wealth and glory can continue for another day.

If they lose, the family will be overthrown.

But what we should never do is to use 100,000 Ning family soldiers and hundreds of thousands of people living on the border as cannon fodder.

What's wrong with them?

The Ning family has been guarding the border for a hundred years and has never interfered in the establishment of the throne. They are wholeheartedly loyal to the emperor and dedicated to protecting the people on the border. However, the emperor may not necessarily trust the loyal and passionate Ning family army.

The butler rushed in, sweating profusely, "Miss, Dingyuan Marquis and the Dali Temple Minister want to see you. They said they are here to investigate a case."

Marquis Dingyuan? Speak of Cao Cao and he will appear. Ning Zhiwei narrowed his eyes dangerously. How will you behave in this life?