Chapter 182
Chapter 182: Watching the Head, Not the Tail
Luo Ning stayed with the Empress Dowager in the Imperial Palace for a long time.
When she walked out of the Palace Gate, she ran into Madam Zheng and Zheng Jia’er. Mother and daughter were entering the palace to visit the Empress.
Seeing Luo Ning, Zheng Jia’er’s expression changed at once. She rushed forward a few steps and said: “Luo Ning, you caused my third brother’s death. The Duke of the Realm’s manor will never let you off!”
Luo Ning’s expression shifted slightly as she said: “Miss Zheng, throwing such filth at Prince Yong’s intended consort right at the Palace Gate, are you not looking down on Your Majesty?”
Zheng Jia’er choked for a moment, then snapped: “Don’t you dare hide behind the throne to scare people. I know it was you. Your brother is fine, but my third brother is dead…”
“He died well. His death pleased many. Both the Empress and Fahua Temple are thankful for the way he saved their face.” Luo Ning’s tone was cold. “Madam Zheng, is the Duke of the Realm’s manor thankful too?”
Madam Zheng’s eyes turned red in an instant.
She clenched her fingers hard so she would not lose control and said: “Miss Luo, for a maidservant’s death to cause such a scene is really ugly enough. You don’t need to say such unpleasant things.”
Luo Ning looked back at her and saw the anger and malice in her eyes, but her own gaze did not waver: “At this point, Madam Zheng, you still think it was only a ‘maidservant’s death’? That really surprises me.”
Zheng Jia’er wanted to say more, but Madam Zheng pulled her back.
“Jia’er, there is still a long road ahead,” Madam Zheng squeezed out each word between her teeth, as if she wanted to tear someone apart.
As she spoke, her eyes stayed locked on Luo Ning.
Luo Ning still did not back down even half a step.
In the end, Madam Zheng dragged Zheng Jia’er away first. Zheng Jia’er still wanted to curse, but at the Palace Gate she did not quite dare to make a scene.
Once they reached Kunning Palace, Madam Zheng began to cry.
The Empress had a throbbing headache, but still forced herself to comfort her: “Mother, what is wrong?”
Zheng Jia’er was furious, her small face puffed up with anger: “We met Luo Ning at the Palace Gate. She humiliated us.”
“She is not that kind of person. If you had not provoked her first, she would never have spoken rudely,” the Empress said, her face hardening.
Zheng Jia’er stared in surprise: “Your Majesty, are you afraid of her too? The Empress Dowager is just biased toward her, isn’t she? She only blocked that one knife.”
The Empress suddenly fell silent.
Madam Zheng noticed this and wiped her tears: “Your Majesty, I just feel it is unfair for you. You have served in the palace for so many years, working hard and gaining so much merit, yet you are still not as good as a sister-in-law who has not even married in.
“As a mother-in-law, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is far too biased. She wipes out all your hard work. Now they are bullying our family, and your brother has even lost his life. Who gave that girl such confidence?”
The Empress took several deep breaths.
“If you keep talking about these things, then do not come again in the future,” Empress Zheng said.
“Your Majesty is so kind and forgiving that you never fuss about anything. Besides your own family, who can understand your suffering? You have been wronged so much, yet the Empress Dowager still has to comfort Luo Ning,” Madam Zheng said. “Luo Ning entered the palace today, but did the Empress Dowager ask her to visit Your Majesty?”
Empress Zheng turned her face away.
“Your Majesty did not see how proud and arrogant Luo Ning looked just now. Her brother is fine, but your brother is dead. All for a maidservant,” Madam Zheng said, her voice choked with tears.
The steward aunt beside the Empress stepped forward and reminded Madam Zheng: “Madam, please say something cheerful. Her Majesty has been worn out these days.”
Madam Zheng quickly agreed.
She wiped her tears, put away her sad look, and turned to talk instead: “Our family found a very powerful fortune-teller. He cast a divination for the Eldest Prince. It was the best omen.”
Empress Zheng listened, but her mind kept drifting. She was absent-minded the whole time.
Madam Zheng and Zheng Jia’er only sat for a short while before leaving.
Empress Zheng’s eyes grew wet.
The trusted aunt at her side knew what she was thinking and comforted her: “Your Majesty, do not worry. The Empress Dowager has always leaned toward you.”
“Imperial Mother has never truly taken anyone’s side. She has to balance all the powers,” Empress Zheng said. “Unless that person has no one to rely on and can only depend on her.”
“Then you do not have to worry. Miss Luo is Prince Yong’s intended consort. She belongs to Prince Yong’s manor. The Empress Dowager is wary of Prince Yong and will never value Miss Luo more than you,” the aunt said.
Empress Zheng lifted her face a little and looked up at the high roof of Kunning Palace, silent.
A single tear slipped down.
After Luo Ning returned to the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor, she went first to visit her grandmother as always.
She briefly told her about running into Madam Zheng and her daughter.
“They are simply unreasonable,” the Old Madam said angrily.
“It is fine. We won anyway. There will be more days when we win in the future, so there is nothing to fear,” Luo Ning said.
“You must be more than careful,” the Old Madam replied. “In the future, that Fourth Miss Zheng will enter Prince Yong’s manor together with you.”
“I will. Grandmother, you know I treasure my life the most,” Luo Ning said.
The Old Madam held her hand with relief: “You do treasure your life. That is good. Live a long life. Nothing is more important than staying alive.”
Luo Ning nodded hard.
She had to stay alive.
The next day, before Luo Ning could go look for Luo You, Luo You came to find her first.
He told the maidservants to leave, then lowered his voice and asked: “Big Sister, when will we deal with Qiu Shi Dong, like you said? When I think of that man, it is like a poisonous snake by my pillow. I cannot rest day or night.”
“Am I not already planning?” Luo Ning said. “After what happened last time, he is probably very on guard now. I have to look for a chance.”
“Just kill him outright,” Luo You said.
“If we kill him directly with no excuse, the Government Office will investigate,” Luo Ning said. “I have many enemies now, and with the name of Prince Yong’s intended consort, a lot of people want to use this chance to smear Prince Yong or get rid of me.
“The past between Qiu Shi Dong and Madam Bai may not be completely unknown. Isn’t Bai Ci Rong still alive? She knows the whole truth.
“If the Wang family tortures Bai Ci Rong and she tells the truth, and Qiu Shi Dong then dies with no clear cause, won’t we all become suspects? That suspicion might even fall on Father and drag down our whole marquis manor.”
After hearing this, Luo You nodded hard: “We must have a proper reason.”
“Yes, a proper reason,” Luo Ning said. “There is another point. We cannot let him open his mouth.”
If Qiu Shi Dong could still talk when he was at death’s door, he might drag out the matters of the Luo family.
Luo Ning wanted to revive the marquis manor and let the innocent in this family live with dignity. The affair between Qiu Shi Dong and Madam Bai could not be exposed.
So Qiu Shi Dong could not be put on trial. He could not be given the chance to lash out like a cornered dog.
Even if the deaths of the two Concubine Mei sisters were blamed on him, once he was in prison he could still drag the Luo family down with him.
Luo Ning could not afford to bear such a huge hidden danger.
“Big Sister, Bai Ci Rong is also a risk,” Luo You said.
“I know. I am gambling,” Luo Ning said.
“Gambling on what?”
“If you want to do big things, you need some luck. I want to use Bai Ci Rong to do something very important,” Luo Ning said.
“What if she tells others? She is very similar to Mother. If she goes out and talks, she will be very convincing. Then everything you are worried about will still happen.”
“Nothing can be perfect,” Luo Ning said with a small smile. “A’You, these days I keep thinking that if we clear away the snow in front of us, a path will appear. As for the snow far up on the mountain, if it does not block the road yet, we can leave it alone for now.”
“Big Sister, that is only watching the head and not the backside,” Luo You said.
“Being able to take care of the head is already amazing. We often overestimate our abilities and think we can take care of everything. In fact, we cannot,” Luo Ning said.
Luo You was suddenly convinced by her.
His big sister’s words had a lot of strength and could move him.
“So we wait for a chance?”
“There will be one. I am already feeding out a piece of bait. We will see the result in a few days. I will need you and Zhou Huai to help,” Luo Ning said.