Chapter 157
Chapter 157: Growing Afraid of Luo Ning
Qiu Shi Dong did not say another word about Yu Zhuo.
He had keenly seen that the Valiant Cavalry General’s death was already tangled up in the struggle between imperial power and the great clans, and it had even pulled in the long-standing feud between two prestigious clans.
A merchant might want to borrow strength from such a storm, but he could not seek death.
“…Father, is Yu Zhuo really dead?” Bai Ci Rong was extremely shocked when she heard the news.
After all, Yu Zhuo was a third rank Valiant Cavalry General. He carried real weight. Although the great clans and meritorious aristocratic families looked down on him, in the eyes of common people, he was a dragon among men with a boundless future.
He was also Bai Ci Rong’s way out.
She was confident she could handle Yu Zhuo and Madam Yu, because they had titles and stipends but lacked money.
They took Luo Chong Ye as their model and wanted to step into the prestigious clans one step at a time. Rather than marrying up to a noble born lady, it was better for him to marry Bai Ci Rong, who would bring a rich dowry.
Each side had its own pros and cons, but among all the women Yu Zhuo could choose, Bai Ci Rong was the one with the highest value in every way.
They each had their own plans. After Bai Ci Rong climbed up to the Wang family, Yu Zhuo was even more delighted. She not only had money now, she also had status.
Yu Zhuo would definitely wait for her.
Bai Ci Rong could advance and retreat freely. With someone like him as her backup, she feared nothing.
She had never imagined he would die.
She could not believe it.
Yu Zhuo was like money hidden at the bottom of a chest. She did not have to spend it, but she had to have it. That was her confidence.
“Was it Luo Ning? Did she get Yu Zhuo killed?” Bai Ci Rong’s fingers clutched Qiu Shi Dong’s sleeve tightly. Her eyes were full of bloodshot veins.
“It was her,” Qiu Shi Dong said.
Tears slid down Bai Ci Rong’s face.
“An ant trying to shake a tree, and she really broke the tree,” Qiu Shi Dong said earnestly. “Do not look down on her. She is not like you.”
“She is so vicious. Father, how can her heart be so cruel?” Bai Ci Rong choked. “Yu Zhuo grew up knowing her. How could she bear to do it?”
“Do not worry about Yu Zhuo. Think about yourself,” Qiu Shi Dong said.
Bai Ci Rong shivered.
This was the first time she felt fear toward Luo Ning.
She was afraid of Luo Ning.
After almost a year of clashes, she had always thought she lost because of bad luck or poor planning. She had never thought about how ruthless Luo Ning was.
Not until Yu Zhuo died.
Luo Ning was like a venomous snake, striking in secret when they were unprepared and killing in just a short time.
Bai Ci Rong was still shaking when she returned to the Wang family.
She truly had only one path now, to become a favored consort. Otherwise, Luo Ning would kill her too.
In her heart, they had gone from being evenly matched to Luo Ning alone towering over her. So she grew timid.
Qiu Shi Dong had stirred up the fear deep in Bai Ci Rong’s heart, and he was very pleased about it.
If a person wanted to succeed, they had to fear something. Only then would they act more carefully.
Because of Yu Zhuo’s death, the Cui and Wang clans were fighting fiercely in the Imperial Court Hall.
Officials of the current dynasty were all recommended into office. Besides honoring imperial power, in their hearts they still relied on the prestigious clans that had once recommended them.
The officials on Madam Wang’s side and those on Madam Cui’s side were evenly matched. They made a great fuss over the “Valiant Cavalry General’s death.” Who Yu Zhuo was no longer mattered. What mattered was that he had started an incident they could use to openly find fault.
The Emperor sat on high, calmly watching the “clans beating each other” from the side.
Luo Ning entered the palace again.
“…He was unreasonable, and he had regional troops in his hands. I was very afraid he would harm me again, so I killed him,” Luo Ning told the Empress Dowager about what had happened.
The Empress Dowager had guessed a bit, but she was still greatly shocked when she heard this.
She looked at Luo Ning, almost unable to believe it: “You did it yourself?”
Luo Ning knelt before her, bowing low: “Imperial Mother, I am guilty. Please do not hand me over to the Dali Court. You may scold me. You may even take back my Princess Consort Yong Investiture Decree and Seal. I only beg you to leave me a way to live.”
The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment.
She let out a soft sigh and walked forward to help Luo Ning up.
Luo Ning’s face was already covered in tears.
“I said from the start that this matter was strange. It even drags in the Cui family. You two have been too reckless,” the Empress Dowager said, using a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.
There was blame and severity in her voice.
Luo Ning then knew that the Empress Dowager understood her and did not plan to dig deeper.
“Imperial Mother, the Prince only cleaned up after me. I planned this alone. It has nothing to do with the Prince. Yu Zhuo was General Cui’s man. He went with General Cui to pacify the state of Nanzhao and only then received his reward. It was he who implicated General Cui,” Luo Ning said.
She added: “With how proud he was, if the Cui family had taken him in as a subordinate, he would still have brought disaster and trouble to General Cui in the future.”
“That is not wrong,” the Empress Dowager said.
She fell silent again.
At last the Empress Dowager said to her: “You may go back first. In the coming days, you must not go out. Stay home and reflect. A’Ning, you must think carefully this time.”
Luo Ning agreed.
After she left, the Empress Dowager sat alone.
For some reason, the Empress Dowager still felt quite pleased.
“I really must be old now.”
The Empress Dowager clearly knew that Luo Ning told her all this in order to coax her, to show goodwill in advance, and also because she was afraid that if the matter leaked in the future, she would be punished.
Luo Ning’s little plans were almost transparent in the Empress Dowager’s eyes.
Rationally, she understood Luo Ning’s intentions very clearly. Emotionally, she was still very happy.
First, this child was honest with her and treated her as a closest relative. Second, Luo Ning’s methods were ruthless, and she did not let herself suffer.
Maybe for someone of her age, these were the only two things she still hoped for from her juniors.
The Empress Dowager knew one thing very well: to be honest required great courage and absolute trust.
Luo Ning felt that the Empress Dowager was her greatest support. Because her trust in the Empress Dowager was without reserve, she dared to tell the truth.
Feelings between people were very subtle. The Empress Dowager had always felt that trust could not be calculated. It was a kind of respect and reliance that came from the heart.
Luo Ning treated her this way. She acknowledged the Empress Dowager’s ability and also acknowledged the Empress Dowager’s affection for her.
The Empress Dowager felt comforted, because in the imperial house, this kind of selfless trust between mother and child was rare as well.
The Empress Dowager shook her head, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips: “This A’Ning…”
Xiao Huai Feng had also taken part in the matter.
But he did not come to Shoucheng Palace to act obedient.
He did not rely on the Empress Dowager. His mother and son bond with her was distant and lukewarm.
He was not afraid of the Empress Dowager either.
Compared side by side, the Empress Dowager felt that Luo Ning was much more well behaved and pleasing.
The Empress Dowager sent someone to the Imperial Study to invite the Emperor.
The Emperor was receiving his cousin Pei Ying.
Pei Ying had asked for an audience of his own accord, and he had brought someone with him: the Dali Court Vice Minister, Wang Tang Yao.
Wang Tang Yao was in charge of this case and already had all the evidence. He wanted to report to the Emperor in person, in order to use this chance to attack Madam Cui.
Pei Ying helped him with this favor and led him into the palace.
As for the fight between the Cui and Wang clans, the Emperor was just like someone sitting in the mountains watching tigers fight. He was not in a hurry to end the matter and did not side with either clan.
But Wang Tang Yao was very eloquent.
The Emperor grew a bit annoyed. At that moment, a eunuch attendant came to report: “Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress heard that the Dali Court Vice Minister is in the Imperial Study. She wishes to see Your Majesty and ask about the case.”
“Let her in,” the Emperor said. He was more than happy to have someone break things up.
The Empress had only just arrived when the Empress Dowager sent someone to invite the Emperor, likely also to ask about the case.
The Emperor left the Empress and the others there and went off himself.
After he left, Pei Ying and Wang Tang Yao finished their business and were also about to take their leave.
“…Vice Minister Wang, I have not seen you for many years. You are not quite the same as when you were young,” the Empress said with a smile.
Wang Tang Yao bowed.
He secretly glanced at Pei Ying’s face.
Pei Ying looked open and at ease.
The two of them walked out of the Imperial Study. On the passageway in front of the palace gate, they ran into Luo Ning.
Luo Ning was walking slowly.
“Miss Luo,” Pei Ying called to her.