Chapter 105
Chapter 105: Miss Luo Is a Formidable Person
Cui Zheng Lan went home.
She belonged to the second branch of the Cui family.
Although her father had also received a fief and been granted the title of marquis by the Late Emperor, everyone in the Eldest Branch was outstanding. The second branch just muddled along and lived a rich, idle life.
Because of this, the second branch was far less well informed than the Eldest Branch.
Her brother Cui Zheng Qing had gone into the palace again.
With the Auspicious Beast killed, this was no small matter. Later, Cui Zheng Lan finally understood that Luo Ning had saved her life.
Luo Ning had also removed a problem for the Cui family and the Empress Dowager.
But Cui Zheng Lan did not dare go see Luo Ning rashly. Her brother Cui Zheng Qing had not come home. Once he went into the palace, there was no news.
This matter was more complicated than Cui Zheng Lan had imagined.
Cui Zheng Lan wanted to go to the Eldest Branch to ask for news, but she usually did not visit her Aunt much. If she suddenly ran over now, people might notice that something was wrong.
She had to wait.
[How is Miss Luo feeling right now?]
Cui Zheng Lan was like an ant on a hot pot. She paced in worry. She waited three days without seeing any sign of her brother, and she started to imagine all sorts of things.
She even thought of Luo Ning.
Was Luo Ning as anxious as she was?
Why had Luo Ning knocked her arrow aside and made her lose to Princess Consort Wei?
If this matter was a plot, who was behind it?
The Imperial Hunting Grounds belonged to Prince Chen. The idea and arrangement for the hunt came from Prince Wei. So why did it seem that Luo Ning knew the key secret?
On the fourth day, Cui Zheng Qing finally came home.
He planned to bathe, change clothes, and take a short nap, but Cui Zheng Lan came over.
“Tell me quickly, what has happened?” she asked.
Cui Zheng Qing was helpless. He called a concubine to bring him a cup of strong tea. He drank it slowly to lift his spirits.
“Half an hour before we entered the palace, Your Majesty fainted,” Cui Zheng Qing said.
Cui Zheng Lan gasped.
“In the morning, auspicious clouds appeared in the sky. Then, in the late morning, the Auspicious Beast, the White Deer that the Southern Region was offering, was killed, and the Emperor fainted. The Empress Dowager, the Empress, and several important ministers were right there,” Cui Zheng Qing said.
Cui Zheng Lan asked: “Did Prince Wei get scolded?”
“The Empress Dowager did not scold him. She only waited for Your Majesty to wake up,” Cui Zheng Qing said in a very low voice. “Your Majesty takes alchemical pills. This time, I heard he was favoring Consort Li and also lit incense to stir things up, and then he fainted.”
Cui Zheng Lan did not know what to say.
Every New Year, the imperial princes born from the Empress Dowager would come to the Cui family to pay their respects.
Cui Zheng Lan often saw them and could be considered quite familiar with them.
When the Emperor was young, he was very similar to his third cousin, Prince Chen. He was gentle in nature, calm and unhurried. Even their looks were alike.
As for her fourth cousin, Prince Wei, he had been lively, slick, and clever since childhood. Xiao Huai Feng was another type. He always looked down on others and was proud and arrogant.
Among these cousins, Cui Zheng Lan disliked the cold and quiet Xiao Huai Feng the most and liked the Emperor the most.
But somehow, the Emperor had slowly become gloomy and pale.
He was obsessed with alchemical pills.
Even though everyone advised him that these things were bad for his health, he still could not stop.
Maybe it was because, since childhood, his full brothers had all been better than him. Even Prince Chen, who was most like him, was stronger in his studies.
The Late Emperor had openly favored Xiao Huai Feng. This shocked court and commoners alike. Even Cui Zheng Lan had heard about it.
If not for the year when the Late Emperor’s health and spirit were very poor, when the Empress Dowager joined with the Cui family to force Prince Yong away, there might have been a disaster of “discarding the eldest to set up the worthy.”
If that had really happened, countless court officials would have been dragged into it.
Thinking of the past, Cui Zheng Lan still found it a bit surprising that the Emperor had fallen so far and now relied on alchemical pills to keep his life going.
“…Your Majesty’s health grows worse by the day, and there are few imperial heirs in the Inner Court. I do not know if the Empress Dowager regrets it now,” Cui Zheng Qing said to his sister.
Cui Zheng Lan came back to herself and said: “Aunt has always wanted to avoid chaos and brothers killing each other.”
“Whether as a mother or as the Empress Dowager, she thinks for everyone. And because of that, she delayed the matter,” Cui Zheng Qing said.
Sometimes one has to make cruel choices.
When the Late Emperor’s health was at its worst, he had almost made up his mind.
He wanted to depose the Crown Prince and set up Xiao Huai Feng.
It was the Empress Dowager who refused.
“If they opened that door, later successions would be in chaos, and it would set a bad example for the future,” Cui Zheng Qing said. “The Imperial Court has always relied on clear order between elder and younger to keep things stable.”
“Even now, I still admire Aunt’s foresight,” Cui Zheng Lan said. “No matter how bad the Emperor’s health is or how few imperial heirs there are, at least in terms of succession she has shut people’s mouths.”
In the future, when the Emperor passed away and the young prince took the throne, the Imperial Clan would have a rightful position, and others would not dare to have wild thoughts.
“She has worked herself to the bone. Aunt has never had a peaceful life,” Cui Zheng Qing said.
“Indeed,” Cui Zheng Lan said.
“But Aunt does not seek peace either. She was still calm this time. I did not see her show any tiredness,” Cui Zheng Qing added.
“Will Prince Wei have to take responsibility?” Cui Zheng Lan asked.
“Of course. The Auspicious Beast was shot dead by his princess consort, and then the Emperor fainted, so Prince Wei must take the blame. Otherwise, the court officials and imperial censors will insist on saying the Emperor fainted because he took alchemical pills. Would that not damage the Emperor’s prestige? The Auspicious Beast being killed might not be a bad thing for the Emperor,” Cui Zheng Qing said.
Cui Zheng Lan shivered.
Cui Zheng Qing looked at her. “What is wrong?”
Cui Zheng Lan then told her brother what Luo Ning had done and what she had said.
Now Prince Wei, Princess Consort Wei, and Madam Wang of the Marquis of Jian Ning’s household were shouldering the blame. If not for Luo Ning, Cui Zheng Lan, who believed her archery was better than Princess Consort Wei’s, felt that the deer would surely have been hers, and the disaster would have fallen on the Cui family.
It might even have dragged down the Empress Dowager.
It might even have involved Prince Yong too. The Ministry of Rites had already written Cui Zheng Lan’s name into the records as a Secondary Consort. She was counted as someone from Prince Yong’s manor now.
“…It should not have been Seventh Brother’s idea,” Cui Zheng Qing said. “He did not know.”
“Then Luo Ning noticed it herself,” Cui Zheng Lan said. “But she never showed it. She was very calm.”
Cui Zheng Qing sighed with feeling.
“I told you, Miss Luo is a formidable person. Was I wrong?” Cui Zheng Qing said.
Cui Zheng Lan was speechless.
He even had the mood to joke.
But when she thought about it, the Emperor had already woken up. Prince Wei and the Marquis of Jian Ning’s household were about to suffer, and the Cui family was safe and sound. Why should they not laugh?
She could even laugh out loud.
“There must be something fishy,” Cui Zheng Qing said, putting away his smile. “I do not believe it is such a coincidence. Never mind that Prince Wei looks unlucky. Maybe he brought this on himself.”
“Will they investigate?” Cui Zheng Lan asked.
“I do not know,” Cui Zheng Qing said. “The Empress Dowager does not want to make a big fuss. She can do nothing about Prince Wei. The Emperor has only just recovered a little. He has the will but not the strength. Third Brother stays outside of court affairs and has no time for politics. As for Huai Feng, even if he finds out the truth, the Emperor’s hostility toward him is much deeper than toward Prince Wei. If he tells the truth, it will only make him look suspicious.”
In short, this matter would be set aside. It would become a fact that Princess Consort Wei had shot the Auspicious Beast and caused the Emperor’s serious illness.
That was also good.
Maybe it really was not wronging her.
Cui Zheng Lan disliked Xiao Huai Feng only because his personality was unpleasant. His character was not bad, and his ability was outstanding. She disliked Prince Wei because of Prince Wei’s morals.
Whether Xiao Huai Feng or Prince Wei suffered misfortune, Cui Zheng Lan would be happy.
Of course, it was even better if it was Prince Wei, since Xiao Huai Feng held Cui Zheng Lan’s future in his hands and was tied closely to her fate.
“…Brother.” After she finished speaking, Cui Zheng Lan hesitated, which was rare for her.
Cui Zheng Qing had never seen her so shy and was surprised. “What is it?”
“It is about Luo Ning. She said that when I thank her, I should send her a set of ruby headpieces,” Cui Zheng Lan said, very troubled. “Do I need to give it?”
“Are you grateful to her?” Cui Zheng Qing asked.
“Of course.”
“Then give it,” Cui Zheng Qing said.
“But I do not want to associate with her,” Cui Zheng Lan said. “She and I do not cross paths. We will not have any friendship in the future.”
“You are expressing thanks, not giving a gift. It does not count as a relationship,” Cui Zheng Qing said.
“Brother, you send it for me.”
Cui Zheng Qing was speechless.