Chapter 143
Chapter 143: Prince Yong Invites Luo Ning to View the Lanterns
When everyone returned to the manor, they saw Marchioness Madam Bai and Second Madam standing together at the gate to welcome them.
Not only the Old Madam and the Third Madam were surprised. Luo Ning was also taken aback.
There was something hard to describe in Second Madam’s expression.
Madam Bai smiled and asked: “Mother, you are back. Have you been well these days?”
She was very thin. The sides of her forehead were sunken, but her cheeks were a little puffy. She looked quite a mess and, compared with last time, even older.
Old Madam said: “All is well. Your body is weak. You should rest well and not tire yourself.”
Then she told the people beside Madam Bai: “Help Madam back to rest.”
Madam Bai did not argue.
Madam Bai said: “Mother, when I feel better, I will go to your Little Buddha Hall to copy scriptures. These days, whenever I have free time, I copy a few lines. It makes my heart feel much better.”
She did not look at Luo Ning.
Old Madam nodded.
Then Madam Bai glanced at Concubine Song and said with a smile: “You are about to give birth, right?”
Concubine Song’s belly was already very big. She would give birth in about half a month.
When they heard Madam Bai ask this, everyone in the Luo family felt a little uneasy.
But she did not say anything more. Looking at Madam Bai now, so shaky and frail, it seemed she could not really do anything.
Concubine Song was also afraid of her. Her smile was forced as she said: “Yes, I am almost due, Madam.”
Madam Bai said: “It is a great joy. Adding a new child to the family is a great joy.”
Her words were a little disordered.
After she finished speaking, a maidservant helped her back first.
Everyone returned inside, and the house grew lively again.
At the meal in the flower hall of Old Madam’s West Main Courtyard, Wan Xi was also present, and all the family members were gathered, except for Madam Bai and Luo You, who was away studying.
It was natural that everyone was happy to be together again.
After the meal broke up, Old Madam kept Luo Chong Ye and Luo Ning behind and asked: “What is going on with Madam Bai today?”
Luo Chong Ye said: “She has been taking her medicine properly these past few days, and her spirits are much better.”
Old Madam gave him a meaningful look.
Luo Ning said: “Father, you are going back to rest at Concubine Mei’s place again, aren’t you?”
Luo Chong Ye coughed in embarrassment and said: “You are still an unmarried young lady. You should be more proper with your words and not ask about such things.”
Luo Ning did not feel disappointed.
It was just what she had expected.
She had only been away for two days, and without her watching him like a rope, Luo Chong Ye had already been coaxed again by the two young, pretty, and crafty concubines.
Luo Ning searched through her memories for a long time. The only good point she could find about Luo Chong Ye was that he was fairly filial.
Toward Old Madam, he had done his duty as a son in every way. He gave her both love and respect, lacking in neither.
And because Luo Ning had benefited from Old Madam’s help, Luo Chong Ye’s filial nature counted as a good point in her eyes. In Madam Bai’s eyes, though, it was probably an unforgivable flaw.
[People really are selfish. They judge others only from their own interests.]
Luo Ning had never placed any hopes on Luo Chong Ye, so faced with today’s situation, she did not feel very disappointed.
Luo Ning stood up and said: “Grandmother, the journey today was tiring. You should rest early.”
Luo Chong Ye also took his leave.
Father and daughter left the West Main Courtyard. Luo Chong Ye still wanted to talk with Luo Ning for a while.
He wanted to say that concubines were only servants, like decorations in the house that could be bought or sold. No matter who they had belonged to before, now they all belonged to the Luo family.
In his heart, Luo Chong Ye did not truly cherish Concubine Mei and the others. They were only for his pleasure.
He believed he knew the difference between what was important and what was not.
“A’Ning…”
He had only just opened his mouth when Luo Ning had already walked far away, her steps very fast.
Luo Chong Ye was left standing there in silence.
When Luo Ning returned to Wenqi Courtyard, Nanny Kong hurried to tell her: “Second Madam said that someone in the East Main Courtyard has crawled out through the dog hole again. That dog hole is very dangerous, and Second Madam wants to block it up.”
Luo Ning said: “No wonder Madam seemed a bit more cheerful today. So she has gotten good news from outside.”
She added: “Tell Aunt to arrange for people to start work as soon as possible. The sooner the better.”
She also said: “Send people to patrol as well. Tell the people in the East Main Courtyard that if anyone crawls out through the dog hole and is caught, they will be beaten to death with sticks.”
She went back to her room to wash up and change clothes.
The East Main Courtyard became quiet.
A few days later, on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Luo You came back from the academy.
He brought back a rabbit-shaped festival lantern for Luo Ning and said: “I sold some more of my calligraphy. At the door of the bookstore I saw people selling festival lanterns, so I bought one for each of you.”
He counted them off on his fingers for her: “Nanny Fan’s is a lotus lantern. Chun Zhi’s is a beauty lantern. This rabbit lantern was the most expensive one, made with clear horn for the shade. I picked it especially for you.”
Luo Ning asked a maidservant to hang it in her bedroom and said: “It is really pretty and finely made. It must have cost quite a bit.”
Luo You brightened at the praise and said: “As long as you like it.”
This year for the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Marquis Manor did not invite an opera troupe, afraid that the crowd and too many eyes might cause trouble. Marchioness Madam Bai’s madness was always a hidden danger.
However, the house prepared a lot of wine and dishes, and even allowed the higher-ranking stewards to sit at tables by the gate and join in the fun. The silver rewards for the servants were doubled.
The money saved from not hiring an opera troupe was used by Second Madam on practical things.
Old Madam praised her: “You handle things carefully and thoroughly.”
The servants also felt grateful for her kindness.
After the family finished eating, Luo You was about to leave. Zhou Huai had been waiting for him at the second gate for a long time to go view the lanterns together, and had sent a young maidservant to the door to look out for him several times.
Luo Wan had also made plans with the young miss from the Earl of Loyalty’s family and with Miss Chen from the Yanping Commandery Princess’s household.
Everyone else had their own plans. Only Second Madam and her husband stayed behind to keep Old Madam company.
Luo Ning had planned to stay with Grandmother and admire the moon.
But just as the mooncakes and fruit were set out, a maidservant from the second gate ran in, out of breath, and told Luo Ning: “A carriage from Prince Yong’s residence is at the gate. The Prince invites the eldest miss to go view the lanterns.”
Luo Ning was speechless.
Grandmother laughed and said: “You should go.”
Luo Ning stood up and said: “I will go back to my room to change first.”
She returned to Wenqi Courtyard and quickly washed and combed her hair. She told Nanny Kong to watch the candles carefully and ordered the main kitchen to send fruit and mooncakes so the people of Wenqi Courtyard could make offerings to the moon.
After everything was arranged, Luo Ning took a maidservant and Lin Zhao with her and slowly walked out through the main gate of the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor.
Red lantern light spread across the ground. A black, flat-topped carriage stood quietly in the shadows, silent and plain.
Luo Ning walked forward and called softly: “Prince.”
The carriage curtain was lifted by long fingers. His face stayed hidden in the darkness of the carriage, and only his voice came out: “Are you ready?”
Luo Ning said: “Prince, you never said we were going to see the lanterns, so I came out a little late. You must have waited a long time.”
He said: “It does not matter,” and let the curtain fall.
His carriage turned around. Luo Ning’s coachman drove her carriage over and set down the footstool. She stepped on it and got into the carriage.
Lin Zhao sat in the carriage with Luo Ning, while Qiu Hua and Qiu Lan rode in the carriage behind them.
After getting into the carriage, Luo Ning closed her eyes and dozed.
Lin Zhao asked her: “Princess Consort, are you tired?”
Luo Ning shook her head.
She said: “I am just resting for a while and thinking about some things.”
In her heart, she was still thinking about all the strange things about Madam Bai today.
Every matter in the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor flashed through Luo Ning’s mind. She simply closed her eyes and thought carefully, not wanting to miss any clue.
When the carriage stopped in front of a restaurant, Lin Zhao called to her softly: “Princess Consort, we have arrived.”
Luo Ning got out of the carriage.
She was dazzled for a moment by the beautiful scene in front of her.