Chapter 172
Chapter 172: The Prince Sends Someone To Steady Luo Ning
On September twentieth, it snowed in Shengjing. The snow was thin, as fine as rain.
Luo Ning, wrapped in a cloak, stood under the eaves watching the snow. Nanny Kong brought her a cup of hot tea to warm her hands and stood beside her, saying: “The first snow came a bit early this year. In past years it always came after the tenth month.”
“It is early,” Luo Ning said.
She was thinking that she should send someone to Chunshan Academy with some clothes and bedding for Luo You, as well as a hand warmer, charcoal, and other things.
She thought for a moment, then ordered: “Qiu Hua, go ask Second Young Master’s wet nurse if she has arranged for someone to bring him extra clothes.”
Qiu Hua agreed and went out with an umbrella.
A short while later she came back and said to Luo Ning: “It was cold this morning, so Nanny Fan already had Chun Zhi pack everything properly and sent her along with the house steward.”
“Nanny Fan is still the most thoughtful. She thinks farther ahead than we do,” Luo Ning said.
“She is his wet nurse. Her whole heart is set on Second Young Master. No one can compare to that,” Nanny Kong said with a smile.
Luo Ning felt a bit jealous of that.
Since Nanny Fan had already arranged everything, Luo Ning did not need to interfere and went back to her room.
The light snow turned back into fine rain. The courtyard was wet, the bluestone slabs damp with moisture, and mist hung everywhere.
Since she could not practice with her whip, Luo Ning sat with Nanny Kong and Qiu Lan to do needlework.
She planned to make an embroidered pouch to practice her skills.
As a young lady from a good family, she not only had to read and write, she also could not ignore women’s work like sewing and embroidery. She at least had to manage a few stitches so she could put on a decent show.
Someone knocked on the side gate, and a rough-servant daughter-in-law went to open it. Cheng Yan of the Dou family, the First Madam, had come again to deliver this month’s profit.
Luo Ning received her and told Qiu Lan to brew tea.
“It is raining outside, so I thought the Princess Consort would be free. I checked the account books early and brought them over. These are the silver banknotes, please count them,” First Madam Dou said.
Luo Ning took them without opening them and said: “You are careful in your work, I feel at ease. By the way, is there any news in the streets lately?”
She had told Madam Dou to add a person in each shop to gather information.
Madam Dou said: “Everyone is praising Her Majesty the Empress. Her Majesty is wise and kind. The Eldest Prince is ill, and Her Majesty herself knelt to pray for blessings, showing her care for all the people.”
Luo Ning listened and nodded.
The Zheng Empress deserved such praise.
As the Empress, she had fulfilled her duty and always done it perfectly.
“Besides praising Her Majesty the Empress, the rest is just small matters,” First Madam Dou added.
Luo Ning was also interested in small matters.
First Madam Dou talked for almost two hours. When it was almost lunchtime, Luo Ning kept her for a meal.
That evening at dusk, the side gate was knocked on again.
“Eldest Miss, Deputy General Zhou is here,” Qiu Hua said with surprise to Luo Ning, who was still in the inner room practicing her writing.
Luo Ning came out at once.
Deputy General Zhou did not come inside, but stood under the corridor of the main hall in Wenqi Courtyard. He bowed and said: “Princess Consort, the Prince asks you not to worry. Everything has been arranged for Second Young Master. When the matter is over, he can come home.”
“My second younger brother? I have not heard anything. What happened to him?” Luo Ning said.
“Second Young Master beat someone up, and he also stabbed someone. The injury is quite serious,” Deputy General Zhou said.
The cold wind under the eaves felt like knives stabbing into Luo Ning’s sleeves. In an instant, she felt cold all over.
“Do you know the reason? I did not hear a single hint of this,” Luo Ning said.
Deputy General Zhou said: “The ones Second Young Master hit were the attendants beside Zheng Xiao. They harassed Second Young Master’s maidservant.”
“Chun Zhi?”
“That maidservant cut her own throat in front of the gate of Chunshan Academy. The Academy might have notified your manor to collect her body, but the Prince sent people to snatch the body back first,” Deputy General Zhou said.
Luo Ning felt cold to her bones and asked: “She is already dead?”
“Yes.”
Wenqi Courtyard fell silent. Everyone, including Qiu Hua, Qiu Lan, and Nanny Kong, looked at Luo Ning.
Luo Ning came back to herself and said: “Deputy General Zhou, please thank the Prince for me.”
“Princess Consort, do not panic. The maidservant’s body is in our hands, and she was indeed abused. The Zheng family indulged their wicked servants to commit violence. They are the ones in the wrong first,” Deputy General Zhou said.
Luo Ning thanked him again.
After he finished speaking, Deputy General Zhou was ready to leave.
As soon as he left, Second Madam came.
Second Madam’s face was very ugly. She was also here about this matter: “Your second uncle has gone to the Academy to gather news, and your Father and your third uncle have gone to the prison to see how they can get A’You out.”
She added: “This was planned. They probably set a trap for A’You.”
The rings linked one after another. The mastermind was truly vicious.
On top of that, the Emperor was seriously ill and had no time to look elsewhere, so someone was using this chance to cause trouble for Luo Ning.
“Aunt, Prince Yong already knows about this. Let us not panic and first see clearly what is going on,” Luo Ning said.
Yu Zhuo’s death had already dragged the Cui family and the Wang family into the mess. If Luo You’s matter blew up as well, the Zheng Empress’s maiden family and Prince Yong’s manor might end up clashing head-on.
Prince Yong wanted two tigers to fight, and others wanted to fish in muddy waters even more.
The Zheng Empress had just won great fame everywhere for praying for blessings, yet now her younger brother’s attendants had forced a Luo family maidservant to death and been stabbed by Luo You.
Even if they wanted to stay quiet, the trouble would not stop.
“First we will make the whole story clear, then we can take revenge,” Luo Ning said. “I know what I am doing, so please do not worry.”
“What about the Lord Marquis…”
“We will wait and see,” Luo Ning said.
Second Madam said: “Should we tell your Grandmother? I am afraid the servants might let something slip, and if your Grandmother hears it, she will only worry more.”
“I will go tell her,” Luo Ning said.
This way, Grandmother would not hear it from others, be frightened, and have her mind disturbed.
Luo Ning at once changed into wooden clogs and went to the West Main Courtyard.
Grandmother had already lain down, but she had not yet fallen asleep.
Luo Ning sat by her bed and carefully told her everything.
“Prince Yong has already arranged things. Please do not worry,” Luo Ning said at last.
Grandmother was indeed shocked, but when she heard the words “Prince Yong”, her expression relaxed a little.
After a long moment, she asked Luo Ning: “Will A’You have to go to prison?”
“I do not really understand the law. But the one he stabbed was not Zheng Xiao himself, only his attendant. He should not have to sit in prison for long, only be held for a few days. Our family’s maidservant is the one who died.”
Grandmother said: “That maidservant killed herself by cutting her own throat.”
“She was forced to her death. According to the law, it is Zheng Xiao who might go to prison,” Luo Ning said.
“We have only had a few peaceful days, and now this again?” Grandmother sighed deeply. “Can A’You bear such hardship?”
“He will not suffer too much. The Prince’s people will look after him,” Luo Ning said.
Then the Old Madam asked Luo Ning what the Luo family should do.
Luo Ning said: “The Prince sent Deputy General Zhou to tell us about this in the middle of the night because he wants us to stay put for now and keep calm.”
Old Madam said: “Someone, go to the Lord Marquis’s Outer Study and tell him to come see me as soon as he returns.”
A maidservant answered at the door.
“I am only afraid that your Father will flail about and ruin things even if he means well,” Grandmother said.
“I suspect he is scared out of his wits and will not dare to make a fuss,” Luo Ning said.
The grandmother and granddaughter sat there in silence.
The north wind howled past, cold and sharp, like the cry of a night owl.
Old Madam held Luo Ning’s hand and comforted her again and again: “You must not be afraid either.”