Chapter 134
Chapter 134: The Fierceness and Restraint of Prince Yong’s Feelings
Luo Ning spent most of the day in the Imperial Palace. A guqin could not be finished in one sitting. When she saw that it was already late, Luo Ning went back.
She had even said to Xiao Huai Feng: “Prince, now that the Spring Ripple Guqin is finished, let me try its sound too.”
Xiao Huai Feng did not answer. He had always been cold and distant. Luo Ning felt he must have heard her, so she did not say more and turned to leave the palace. Xiao Huai Feng only left later.
A few days later, when it was almost the Ulsheepana Festival, which is also the Zhongyuan Festival, Luo Ning entered the palace again.
She said: “Imperial Mother, this is a river lantern I made myself. Every year people set river lanterns on the crossing to send their grief to the dead.
I brought this one for you. If you have anything you want to say, say it to the lantern or write it down. Later I will go to the river crossing and set it afloat for you.”
The Empress Dowager was slightly surprised and also a little pleased. Maybe it was because Luo Ning could think of her in such small details.
The Empress Dowager said: “Then I will change clothes and burn incense, tell it what I want to say, and you can set it afloat for me.”
Luo Ning agreed.
The Empress Dowager then said: “The guqin Master Sun made for me last time is with the Empress. Go take a look at it and bring it back by the way.”
Luo Ning agreed again. Empress Zheng had a very good ear for music and was skilled at the qin, so the Empress Dowager had asked her to tune this new instrument.
When Luo Ning arrived, Empress Zheng was playing the qin. Her music was grand, long, and ethereal. It felt as if it left the mortal world behind and walked into an ancient forest with her notes. The trees were dense, the air was fresh, and birds called from far away, their voices clear.
When the piece ended, Empress Zheng finally lifted her head and saw Luo Ning. Luo Ning first bowed: “Your Majesty.”
Empress Zheng told her to rise and asked with a smile: “Did you come to visit the Imperial Mother?”
Luo Ning said: “Yes. Imperial Mother said her guqin is here with Your Majesty the Empress, and told me to bring it back.”
Empress Zheng said: “It has already been tuned. I was planning to send it to Imperial Mother this evening. Since my sister-in-law is here, try its sound.” She ordered someone to bring out that guqin.
Luo Ning then noticed that there was also a new guqin on the Empress’s own qin bench. The face of this instrument seemed to be the one Xiao Huai Feng had chosen last time.
Luo Ning was speechless. So he had actually made it himself to give to the Empress. No wonder, when Luo Ning had asked him to play for her, he had ignored her.
Luo Ning had never been able to see through the relationship between these two. Only at a moment like this could she glimpse a trace of fierce feeling and restraint.
Luo Ning thought: [No wonder they can achieve great things. The two of them can endure so much. In front of others they do not show a trace.]
She quickly pulled all her thoughts back in. She knew Empress Zheng was clever and observant. Luo Ning did not want her to notice anything strange.
A palace maid quickly carried out a guqin. Luo Ning tried a few simple notes and only felt that this guqin had a deep, rich tone. It should be the kind the Empress Dowager liked.
She smiled at Empress Zheng and said: “I will go back and report to Imperial Mother.”
Empress Zheng looked at her, then turned her gaze back to her own guqin and did not say anything. But Luo Ning’s back was slightly damp with sweat.
In the Imperial Palace, it was best to act like a fool and not think about anything. Once she had any thoughts, even if she believed she hid them very well, others might still notice.
From that moment on, Luo Ning emptied her mind, looked back at Empress Zheng, and said: “Your Majesty the Empress, do you have any other orders?”
Empress Zheng smiled and said: “No. The sun outside is strong. Walk slowly.”
Luo Ning bowed and took her leave.
Empress Zheng turned back to look at her own guqin and said to the Steward Aunt: “Put this guqin away in the storeroom. Do not take it out again in the future.”
The Steward Aunt did not understand: “Your Majesty, did you not like it very much?”
The Empress said: “Just put it away for now.” She turned and went into the inner hall.
When Luo Ning returned to Shoucheng Palace, the Empress Dowager had already finished speaking her thoughts to the lotus festival lantern and carefully handed it to Luo Ning.
She smiled and said: “When I was a young lady, I also went to set river lanterns afloat. That was something from decades ago. I was so young then, how could I understand parting and death?
Every festival is celebrated in the Imperial Palace, but for the Ulsheepana Festival, they actually forgot about setting river lanterns. After so many decades, there were many things I wanted to say, and I have now said them all to this river lantern.”
Luo Ning said: “Imperial Mother, do not worry. I will set it afloat for you properly.”
The Empress Dowager patted her hand, then told her to bring the guqin over.
The Empress Dowager said: “A’Ning, play a piece for me to hear.”
Just like earlier in Kunning Palace, Luo Ning refused to think about anything. She emptied her mind and did not let any thoughts pass through. She only recalled a lingering, tender melody and began to play.
It had truly been a long time since she played. At first she was stiff, and only slowly did her movements become smooth.
The Empress Dowager smiled and said: “Your qin skills are quite good.” For some reason, there was a bit of comfort in her tone.
Luo Ning said: “I practiced hard when I was a child.”
She did not know why she had practiced the qin. Maybe she had wanted to have a skill so her parents would look at her with more respect. Maybe it was simply because she liked it.
She could not say for sure. Childhood was too far away. However she had thought back then, she had completely forgotten now.
Luo Ning took the river lantern and left the palace again. On the carriage ride back, Luo Ning thought for a bit about why the Empress Dowager had sent her to Kunning Palace to fetch the guqin and why she felt pleased with her qin skills.
Then she decided to put it down and not take it to heart. She was not truly Princess Consort Yong. This matter had nothing to do with her. She only needed to do the duties that were hers.
Some people were destined to be dragons and phoenixes among men, like Xiao Huai Feng and like Empress Zheng. Other people could only be their backdrop.
Luo Ning, like Cui Zheng Lan, only wanted to be a “local emperor.”
At times, Luo Ning could not guess or understand the Empress Dowager at all. The only thing she could do was grasp what she could hold onto and keep walking forward.
In the blink of an eye, it was the Zhongyuan Festival. Xiao Huai Feng sent people to the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s residence to pick up Luo Ning. That night, he was going to take Luo Ning to set river lanterns afloat.
Luo Ning brought her maidservants Qiu Hua and Qiu Lan and also called Lin Zhao along. Since it was rare to go out, even the Grand Master went out to relax.
The river crossing was in the Southern City District, quite far away. A temporary market would be set up there.
Luo Ning asked: “Prince, do you have a pleasure boat going on the water?”
Xiao Huai Feng said: “Yes.”
Luo Ning was a bit stunned. She was a little surprised. She had only asked in passing.
Every year, there were about a dozen pleasure boats on the river. They belonged to powerful nobles who arranged things with the government office ahead of time so the boats would be launched on schedule. That night, the pleasure boats were bright with lanterns and filled with pleasant music, while ordinary commoners stood on the banks, setting river lanterns afloat and admiring the boats.
Xiao Huai Feng explained: “The Prince’s Manor has everything. I just do not use much of it, so it is all stored in the warehouses. When you marry in, you can go see for yourself.”
Luo Ning laughed. She really wanted to praise him. The first guqin he had carved, the Spring Ripple Guqin, had such a clear and outstanding sound. It was very impressive.
But she felt it was not right to say that. After all, that guqin had been given to his Imperial sister-in-law. He had surely given it to her in a fair and open way. But what each of them felt in their hearts was hard to say. Luo Ning was afraid her flattery would backfire, so she held back.
Xiao Huai Feng suddenly turned his head to look at Luo Ning in the carriage and asked: “What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
Xiao Huai Feng said: “If it is nothing, then do not stare at me so hard. My side vision reaches far. I know when you are peeking at me.”
Luo Ning was speechless again. She awkwardly moved her eyes away.
She took a few deep breaths and began to empty her mind. In a short while she squeezed out all the messy thoughts so that her head was filled only with the idea of setting river lanterns afloat.
Who should she send her river lantern to?
After thinking for a long time, Luo Ning could only think of one person.