Chapter 129
Chapter 129: Outsmarted by Her Own Cleverness
In the Ming Hall of the East Main Courtyard, the lamps were bright.
The Marchioness, Madam Bai, was fully dressed. Her clothes were gorgeous, and she wore kingfisher feather inlay jewelry. Under the lamplight she still looked noble and rich. Her complexion, however, was poor, and she had even dusted powder on her face.
Even so, she no longer had her former gentle, graceful air.
Not only Luo Ning noticed this. Nanny Zhen could also see it clearly: Madam’s skin was suddenly loose and puffy. She looked ten years older than before.
The Marchioness had always been most proud of her looks.
Nanny Zhen thought sadly: ever since Eldest Miss returned to the manor last twelfth lunar month, it had not even been eight full months, yet Madam had been worn down until she no longer looked like herself.
This Eldest Miss really deserved to be struck by lightning.
She had killed her brother, tormented her own mother, and now persecuted Bai Ci Rong.
Nanny Zhen glanced at Luo Ning.
Luo Ning sat quietly with her hands folded and resting down, not moving at all.
Her features were as beautiful as the Marchioness’s, and she also looked three parts like Luo Chong Ye. Her face was charming but not vulgar, a kind of bold, generous beauty.
The second time Nanny Zhen looked at Luo Ning, Luo Ning raised her eyes.
Light from the lamps fell into her dark pupils. Her gaze was bright and clear, but as cold and sharp as ice, as she calmly looked back at Nanny Zhen.
Startled, Nanny Zhen hurriedly gave her a quick smile.
But Luo Ning did not smile back. She just stared at her without moving.
Annoyed, Nanny Zhen shifted her gaze away.
She had started serving Madam Bai when she was seven or eight years old and had come to the Luo family as a dowry maid. For decades she had helped Madam Bai control the Luo family’s Rear Courtyard and had grown used to having authority without even needing to raise her voice.
The servants all feared and respected her.
But she had stumbled in Luo Ning’s hands. Because of Luo Ning, she had taken the blame for the Marchioness, been beaten, and been removed from her duties in the Inner Residence.
She could feel her prestige falling sharply. Those servants who liked to flatter the high and step on the low had started to give her attitude.
Not only did the Marchioness urgently need to get the House Steward’s token back, Nanny Zhen needed it just as badly.
She was not that old yet. She could not accept living in the Inner Residence with her head down like this.
The maids first led people to search Dong Yan’s room.
Then they came back and set a bundle on the table beside the Marquis of Zhen Nan. One maid reported: “Lord Marquis, we found this inside Dong Yan’s trunk.”
The Marquis of Zhen Nan reached out to open it.
Madam Bai felt much more at ease. Bai Ci Rong’s gaze was gentle, and she watched this scene with a mild smile. Nanny Zhen also quietly let out a breath.
But Luo Ning said: “Father, the East Main Courtyard has not been searched yet. Let them finish searching there, and then we can look at everything together.”
The Marquis of Zhen Nan pulled his hand back at once.
Madam Bai, Nanny Zhen, and Bai Ci Rong all relaxed even more.
Second Madam sat quietly, not meeting anyone’s eyes.
The maids began to search the servants’ rooms in the East Main Courtyard and turn over their trunks.
During the search there were naturally some noises, but the people sitting in the Ming Hall did not show the slightest change or curiosity.
Everyone looked very calm.
The only one who seemed a bit impatient was the Marquis of Zhen Nan.
A short while later, the search was done. The maids wrapped the things that were not proper to have in the East Main Courtyard in a patterned bundle and set it on the table as well.
Those who had carried out the search included the maids from Old Madam’s Little Buddha Hall, people belonging to Second Madam, and two maids from the East Main Courtyard.
One of the East Main Courtyard maids had quick, rolling eyes and seemed very smooth and clever. She kept signaling to Nanny Zhen with her eyes.
She seemed to want to say something.
But Nanny Zhen did not look at her and was in no mood to bother with her.
The second time the maid tried to catch Nanny Zhen’s eye, Luo Ning and Second Madam both noticed her, and the maid immediately drew back.
Luo Ning said calmly: “You sisters who carried out the search have worked hard. Go wait at the door for now.”
Second Madam added: “You may withdraw.”
The maids answered and retreated to stand under the corridor outside the door.
The Marquis of Zhen Nan looked at the two bundles and said: “Very good. You even left me a bit of suspense.”
It sounded half like he was mocking himself, half like he was cursing someone.
He opened Dong Yan’s bundle first.
He flipped through it casually, let out a cold laugh, and threw two pairs of shoes onto the floor. “A’Ning, your maid is very bold. Is she passing things in secret, or are you?”
Luo Ning replied calmly: “Those are my second younger brother’s shoes. If you have someone bring his shoe size, you will see. They were given to my maid by a maid from Second Brother’s courtyard to pass on to him.
“I told the young maid to keep them for now. In a few days, when she brings some food to Second Brother, she can take the shoes along with her.”
The Marquis of Zhen Nan fell silent.
Other than the two pairs of shoes, there were only a few books, some copybooks for calligraphy, and a prescription.
He stopped looking at Luo Ning and turned his gaze on Madam Bai. “There is no little Golden Buddha Statue here. Are you convinced now? A’Ning’s maid did not steal your thing.”
Madam Bai muttered: “Who knows where she hid it, or whether there is some secret place to hide stolen goods.”
She added: “Why would things Eldest Miss is sending to A’You be left in a maid’s room? That really does not make sense.”
She stood up and walked over to flip through the two books.
Picking up Records of Great Peace, she handed it to the Marquis of Zhen Nan and said: “Lord Marquis, please look at this book. Do you see anything wrong with it?”
The cover said Records of Great Peace, but inside it was the banned book Collected Commentaries on Wild Boar.
That book had first appeared in the eighth year of the late emperor’s reign.
Back then, Prince Jiang had failed in his fight with the late emperor over the position of Crown Prince. Bitter and unwilling, he had someone write a book just to scold the late emperor.
The writer made up many stories about the late emperor’s deeds.
Because the writing was excellent and the stories shocking, the book became wildly popular for a time, spreading from Prince Jiang’s fief all the way to Shengjing.
The late emperor was furious. On the charge of spreading lies and slander about the Son of Heaven and showing great disrespect, he had Prince Jiang’s entire family killed. The advisor who wrote the book was executed along with his nine clans.
The book was declared a banned text. It was forbidden to keep or print it. Any copy found had to be burned at once.
In the late years of the emperor’s reign, the Vice Minister of Justice had hidden a copy at home. He liked it very much and read it often. He even used one of its stories as an example when he was writing a memorial.
He never thought that the late emperor also knew the book by heart. The emperor recognized the reference at once and ordered his home searched.
The Vice Minister of Justice was executed along with three generations of his family. The late emperor was so angry that he fell ill again.
Anyone who kept such a book would not only bring disaster on himself but might also get his entire clan, or even nine clans, executed.
This scheme had been Bai Ci Rong’s idea.
Luo Chong Ye was already blinded by the title “Princess Consort Yong.” If his own interests were not harmed, he would never punish Luo Ning.
They had to use a heavy dose of medicine.
If this worked, not only would Luo Ning suffer, the Second Madam who managed the household would also be in trouble.
Luo Ning could then “go mad.”
If she went mad, even Prince Yong and the Empress Dowager would have no way to deal with it. Even if she already had the title of intended consort, she would still have to be sent away to “rest and recover” first.
Madam Bai and Bai Ci Rong did not care how many servants would die tonight.
Those who took part in the search, those who handled the affairs, and even most of the servants in Wenqi Courtyard would all die.
They only wanted to deal with Luo Ning.
To avoid suspicion, Madam Bai did not open the book herself. She only picked it up and handed it to Luo Chong Ye.
Although Luo Chong Ye was a military general, he certainly knew about banned books. Only by knowing them could he know how to avoid them. That was also a way to stay alive.
Luo Chong Ye glanced at Madam Bai.
He lowered his eyes to Records of Great Peace, read a few pages, then flipped through some more. Frowning, he asked Madam Bai: “What is the meaning of this?”
Madam Bai said softly: “I do not understand. I only wanted to ask Lord Marquis.”
Luo Chong Ye said impatiently: “You tell me to flip through a book for no reason at all. There is no Golden Buddha Statue here. What do you plan to do now?”
Madam Bai stared at him in surprise, her gaze also falling on the book.
What was going on?
Was this fool Luo Chong Ye really unaware of what it was?
“Lord Marquis, have you never read Records of Great Peace?” Madam Bai asked. “Look at this book. Is it right?”
“Have you read it?” Luo Chong Ye asked her coldly.
“…Of course,” Madam Bai answered.
Luo Chong Ye threw the book toward her and said: “Then you look at it. If you find anything wrong, tell me.”