Chapter 103
Chapter 103: Looking Down on Luo Ning
Many people were standing beside the Imperial Hunting Grounds.
Men and women alike were dressed in hunting clothes, each looking very neat and capable.
Luo Ning noticed one person.
Her hair was tied up high, and she was wearing a dark riding outfit. Her skin was not pale, but it was even and delicate. Her eyes were not large, yet the shape was especially attractive, and her gaze was bright.
Among the many womenfolk, Luo Ning spotted her at a glance because she was so heroic and striking.
“Prince.”
“Seventh Brother.”
“Seventh Younger Brother.”
Everyone greeted Xiao Huai Feng.
Xiao Huai Feng nodded slightly, looked toward the crowd, and called: “Third Brother, Fourth Brother.”
Not only had Prince Wei come, but Prince Chen was there as well.
The late emperor had eight sons who were all grown and enfeoffed as princes. Other than these three princes born by Empress Dowager Cui, the rest had probably gone to their own fiefdoms, so Luo Ning had never seen them.
Compared to Prince Wei and Xiao Huai Feng, Prince Chen looked a bit more delicate.
Every time Prince Chen appeared, Empress Dowager Cui’s nephew, Cui Zheng Qing, was always at his side.
“A Lan, this is Prince Yong’s intended consort, Miss Luo,” Cui Zheng Qing said, introducing Luo Ning.
Then he said to Luo Ning: “This is my sister, Cui Zheng Lan.”
Luo Ning exchanged greetings with her.
Cui Zheng Lan’s eyes were dark, and her gaze was so cold it even showed some impatience.
Only because Prince Yong was present did she not dare be rude. She barely returned Luo Ning’s greeting as a form of hello. As soon as the greetings were done, she turned her face away and ignored everyone.
Luo Ning also exchanged greetings with Princess Consort Wei and the others.
“A Lan is still so proud,” Princess Consort Wei said with a smile to Cui Zheng Lan. “When you become someone else’s secondary consort in the future, you will have to rein in your temper a bit.”
Cui Zheng Lan looked at her, her gaze unfriendly: “Not every principal consort is as strict with rules as you, Princess Consort. Do not trouble yourself.”
She was calling Princess Consort Wei harsh.
Princess Consort Wei was born a Madam Wang from the Marquis of Jian Ning’s household. The Cui and Wang clans had always been at odds, yet the Imperial House had deliberately matched them together.
Back then, Princess Consort Wei’s sister had almost become the crown princess.
Cui Zheng Lan had always disliked the daughters of Madam Wang’s family and did not respect Prince Wei much either, so she spoke very bluntly.
“Strict rules are a good thing. Even in a prince’s manor, a wife is a wife and a concubine is a concubine. An enfeoffed lady is still a concubine,” Princess Consort Wei said with a smile.
Cui Zheng Lan was unmoved. The disdain on her face did not gain any anger.
She glanced sideways and said: “Madam Wang has a hundred years of noble family behind her, so her position is different. I am from the Cui family. We value imperial authority. The Cui family has never dared teach any daughter to disrespect the imperial clan or dare to call an enfeoffed lady of the Imperial House a concubine.”
Princess Consort Wei’s expression changed several times.
Seeing this, Luo Ning secretly smacked her tongue.
[This Miss Cui has quite a sharp tongue.]
Seeing that they started quarreling the moment they met, Cui Zheng Qing hurried to smooth things over: “Is it because the day is hot? A Lan’s temper is so irritable. Have some water.”
He smiled at Prince Wei and said: “Is that right, Fourth Brother?”
Prince Wei also smiled.
He did not care at all about the tension between the women and said with a laugh: “A Lan has been proud since she was a child. She looks down on everyone.”
Then he smiled at Princess Consort Wei and added: “You are speaking for her own good, but she will not take it to heart. You are just making yourself unhappy. Even if I say something to her, she will talk back to me.”
With these words, Prince Wei blocked Cui Zheng Lan’s way out.
Cui Zheng Lan could only say: “I would not dare.”
“Take your bows and arrows and let us go up the mountain,” Prince Wei said with a smile.
From beginning to end, Xiao Huai Feng did not say a word. Seeing that he stayed silent, Luo Ning naturally stood by and watched.
Prince Chen, however, smiled and teased Cui Zheng Lan from behind: “You have not grown much taller, but your temper has grown plenty. Be careful or others will hold it against you.”
“Third Brother, stop making fun of me,” Cui Zheng Lan said.
“She has been grounded for quite a few days. If I had not brought her out to hunt today, the family would not have let her leave the house. She is annoyed, so Third Brother, do not tease her,” Cui Zheng Qing said with a smile.
When Luo Ning heard the word “grounded,” she roughly understood the reason.
Princess Consort Wei, on the other hand, was very angry.
Riding in front beside Prince Wei, she could not help complaining: “I only spoke to her to give her face, yet she does not know what is good for her.”
Prince Wei’s smile deepened: “Why bother lowering yourself to her level? She is nothing.”
“I just cannot swallow this,” Princess Consort Wei said.
Compared to Cui Zheng Lan, Xiao Huai Feng’s intended consort, Luo Ning, seemed small-minded and timid. Princess Consort Wei could not even be bothered to step on her.
“Do not be angry. It is beneath your status,” Prince Wei said.
He was calm and relaxed, clearly in a very good mood.
He was not someone with an easy temper. For him to be in such high spirits today, something good had probably happened.
Before Princess Consort Wei could figure anything out, she heard Prince Wei continue: “I told you last night. You must look after Miss Luo today. When you shoot, do not use too much strength. Shoot only things that fly. Do not touch any other prey.”
He had told her this very sternly last night.
Princess Consort Wei did not dare disobey him and nodded: “Do not worry, Prince.”
She admired him and followed his lead in everything, always obeying his words.
Everyone rode their horses up the mountain.
The hill they climbed was the place chosen for the hunt that day, but it did not belong to Prince Wei. It was Prince Chen’s property. Prince Chen had released two hundred domesticated animals there for them to hunt.
Prince Chen had always been generous and cared for his brothers.
The men’s horses were faster, and in a short while they scattered.
Luo Ning rode her horse with two bodyguards following her. They would pick up the prey for her.
After going around a stretch of road, Luo Ning saw Cui Zheng Lan.
Cui Zheng Lan’s horse stayed in place as she waited patiently for prey. Her archery was excellent, and she could hit the mark at a hundred paces. In just a short time, she had already shot three or four animals, including wild rabbits and pheasants.
When Luo Ning saw her, she turned her horse around and rode away.
Her own archery was really not very good. She only managed to hit a single rabbit after half a day.
She was still thinking: [Maybe the auspicious beast will not appear today, and maybe Prince Yong will not kill the white deer today either.]
Half an hour later, Luo Ning ran into Princess Consort Wei and Cui Zheng Lan.
The two of them were galloping toward her, chasing a deer.
It was a spotted deer.
As soon as Luo Ning saw the deer, she became alert. She immediately spurred her horse forward to join the chase.
Her position was opposite that of Cui Zheng Lan and Princess Consort Wei. The deer was being driven by them and happened to be running straight toward Luo Ning.
Something brushed against the deer’s belly, revealing snow-white fur underneath.
Luo Ning’s eyes tightened.
Princess Consort Wei and Cui Zheng Lan swept past her like a gust of wind.
Luo Ning could not shout, so she had to hurry after them on her horse.
The deer was driven into a corner, and Cui Zheng Lan and Princess Consort Wei both drew their bows at the same time.
Thinking of Cui Zheng Lan’s status, Luo Ning lowered her own small bow, lifted the hand crossbow on her wrist, and aimed in Cui Zheng Lan’s direction.
Just as Cui Zheng Lan’s arrow shot out, something suddenly knocked it off course.
Luo Ning’s hand crossbow was too far from the prey, but it was just close enough to hit Cui Zheng Lan’s arrow.
Her arrow fell into the grass. Cui Zheng Lan stared in shock and turned to look at Luo Ning, displeasure rising in her eyes.
Because of this mistake, Princess Consort Wei immediately let out a cheer.
Cui Zheng Lan turned her head and saw that Princess Consort Wei’s arrow had struck the deer’s left eye. The force was strong, and the shaft sank more than halfway in. The deer died on the spot.
Princess Consort Wei laughed and said: “My luck is good today.”
Cui Zheng Lan could not bear it anymore. She let out a long breath, turned to Luo Ning, and asked: “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to shoot that deer,” Luo Ning said.
Cui Zheng Lan: “…”
These women of the inner residence who only added to the confusion were truly annoying.
Princess Consort Wei happily rode over to retrieve the deer. Luo Ning took the chance to ride closer to Cui Zheng Lan.
She lowered her voice and said to Cui Zheng Lan: “If you want to thank me, remember to give me a set of ruby hair ornaments.”
Cui Zheng Lan stared at her, completely speechless.
[Utterly ridiculous!]