Chapter 222
Chapter 220: Husband and Wife of One Heart
This morning could not really be called chaotic.
Zheng Jia’er making a fuss was within expectations. If she had obediently kowtowed, that would have been like seeing a ghost.
After the ceremony, Luo Ning did not make things awkward for them or for herself, and simply told them all to leave.
Cui Zheng Lan stayed behind. She said: “Princess Consort, I would like to copy your calligraphy to practice my handwriting.”
She remained in the main courtyard.
Walking out of the main courtyard, Pei Yu deliberately moved closer to Wang Jun, lowered her voice, and said with a soft laugh: “Secondary Consort Cui gets along quite well with the Princess Consort, and her courtyard is better than ours too.”
Wang Jun smiled and said: “Sister has a very good eye. I could not tell at all.”
Pei Yu was stunned. [Why am I the one being called Sister?]
Pei Yu said: “Sister is too modest. You are the truly clever one. If you can call me Sister, why can’t I call you Sister too?”
Wang Jun smiled again and said: “In the Inner Courtyard of this Prince’s Manor, the only truly clever person is the Princess Consort.”
After she spoke, she slightly quickened her steps and left Pei Yu behind.
Pei Yu felt choked by those words and a little stifled.
Zheng Jia’er was behind them again. Pei Yu could not be bothered to pay attention to her and kept walking forward.
Before they even stepped through the gate of the courtyard, they heard Zheng Jia’er cursing again.
Pei Yu’s dowry maidservant said: “This Prince’s Secondary Consort really has her heart set higher than the sky.”
As fellow secondary consorts, if Wang Jun had wanted to make friends, she should have first addressed Pei Yu as “Sister”. With Pei Yu’s temper, she would probably have called her “Sister” in return.
“Sister” was not an actual rank, but a respectful form of address.
But Wang Jun had not been polite at all. She had simply opened her mouth and called Pei Yu “Sister”.
Pei Yu said: “Even I was dragged down by her and lost my poise.”
In what household did secondary consorts call each other “Sister”? It was very improper. Yet she still refused to accept being pressed down by Wang Jun.
Used like this, the title sounded like it held no respect, only hidden mockery. Outsiders who heard it would laugh.
Pei Yu said: “I guess Luo Ning is very happy to see us compete like this. That damned Wang Jun is useless, letting a woman from a humble family watch us make a fool of ourselves.”
Given the Luo family’s place among noble households, Luo Ning sitting in such a high position was not proper in status or name.
Yet Wang Jun was actually supporting Luo Ning a little.
The maidservant said: “Miss, why do I feel that the Prince’s Secondary Consort did this on purpose? She is stirring up trouble between us and the Principal Consort so she can profit from it.”
Wang Jun lowering herself and acting small was a way of lying low, but it also hid a bit of provocation.
Pei Yu said: “She is full of tricks. Since she wants to hide for now, then let her be a rat in the gutter forever. We will keep our eyes on Luo Ning.”
Thinking of Luo Ning made Pei Yu feel a little sour.
When they were paying morning respects just now, Pei Yu saw Zheng Jia’er standing in front of Luo Ning, and even Zheng Jia’er’s looks lost to Luo Ning.
Pei Yu had always thought Zheng Jia’er was the prettier one, bright and bold, grand and richly stunning. Luo Ning, on the other hand, seemed very low-key.
Someone that low-key, with gentle brows and a quiet expression, made people think she was nothing special. If beauty had no thorns, it was like a doll made of white porcelain, lifeless and without charm.
Luo Ning had always seemed like that.
Yet when she stood in front of Zheng Jia’er, still just as gentle and quiet, she somehow did not lose out at all.
Who did not love beauty?
Prince Yong was only about twenty-one or twenty-two this year, a young man. How could he be any different?
“Luo Ning is too sly.”
She knew she was beautiful, but her behavior was always held back, which made it easy for others to lower their guard. She was like a young tiger that often pretended to be a cat.
Pei Yu’s family background could not compare to Zheng Jia’er’s. Her looks could not compare to Luo Ning’s. As for schemes and depth, she was not as good as Wang Jun either.
She could probably only hold down Cui Zheng Lan.
She let out a sigh.
Cui Zheng Lan stayed in the main courtyard. Her maidservant left and came back with a blood coral ornament and a set of sapphire hair ornaments for Luo Ning.
Cui Zheng Lan said: “I thought these would suit you. When my Aunt picked things out for me, she specially chose these two.”
Luo Ning really liked them and smiled, saying: “You were very thoughtful.”
She said: “From now on, I will be counting on your protection.”
Luo Ning could not help laughing and said: “Is this a bribe?”
“Yes,” Cui Zheng Lan said. “You have already accepted it. You cannot give it back.”
Forced bribery was something Luo Ning was seeing for the first time.
She took out one hairpin from the set. There was a sapphire set at the end of the pin. It was elegant and refined and just right to add to her hair bun.
Cui Zheng Lan, rare in having good sense, said: “Let me put it on for you.”
When Xiao Huai Feng returned to the main courtyard, he happened to see this scene.
Luo Ning and Cui Zheng Lan bowed to him.
He only nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Luo Ning’s hair, and asked: “What are you wearing?”
Luo Ning said: “A hairpin.”
“She knows martial arts, and hairpins are sharp. If she wanted to attack you, this pin could pierce your skull,” Xiao Huai Feng said.
Cui Zheng Lan was speechless. [What kind of nonsense is that?] She did not even need to think back on the past to remember why she hated this man. The moment he opened his mouth in front of her, he was already annoying.
Luo Ning said: “The Prince is right. I will be more careful in the future.”
Xiao Huai Feng took the sapphire hairpin off and put it back into the jewelry box. Then he asked: “Where did this come from?”
“A’Lan gave it to me,” Luo Ning said.
Xiao Huai Feng said: “So it is from the Cui family. Not bad. Put it away and give it out as a reward someday.”
Cui Zheng Lan: “…”
Not a single one of those sentences sounded pleasant.
Seeing that she did not understand good from bad, Xiao Huai Feng had to ask her directly: “Do you still have something else to do here?”
Cui Zheng Lan came back to her senses.
So he was chasing her away.
She said: “Nothing. Prince, Princess Consort, I will take my leave now.”
After she left, Luo Ning told a maidservant to put away the gifts she had sent.
Luo Ning asked him: “Is there a morning court session today?”
Xiao Huai Feng said: “There will probably be no morning court sessions for at least half a month. Tomorrow Imperial Mother may summon me to the palace, to the Imperial Study, to help review memorials.”
“Is the illness that serious?”
“He has lost control of his body,” Xiao Huai Feng said.
Luo Ning: “…”
The Emperor might not last until the end of the year. It was even earlier than in her previous life.
When would the Wang family send Bai Ci Rong into the palace? If they delayed and the Wang family realized the Emperor would not make it, what if they canceled this plan?
Luo Ning was still waiting.
She asked: “What did Court Physician Gu say?”
Xiao Huai Feng said: “He is using medicine to regulate His Majesty’s body. For now, it is not too serious.”
[For now it is not too serious… he should still be able to drag it out until the end of the year, right?]
Luo Ning understood.
With such a big matter happening, Xiao Huai Feng had probably escaped a disaster.
The Censorate had been scolding him in front of the Emperor. Without someone there to listen, no matter how sharp their words were, it meant nothing.
Luo Ning said: “Prince, do you need me to enter the palace as well? I can keep Imperial Mother company and help you gather news.”
Xiao Huai Feng said: “That will do. When Imperial Mother sends a summons, go with her.”
Then he added: “That will also keep the people in the inner residence from bothering you.”
So Luo Ning told Xiao Huai Feng everything that had happened with the kowtowing that morning.
“You handled it very well,” Xiao Huai Feng praised her.
His expression was calm and his tone was light, as if Luo Ning were just casually praising the servants.
The next morning, Shoucheng Palace did indeed send a summons, and Xiao Huai Feng and Luo Ning entered the palace.
Luo Ning stayed in Shoucheng Palace to keep the Empress Dowager company, telling her small stories to relieve her boredom.
Prince Yong went to the Imperial Study.
Once again, the news was tightly blocked. People outside only knew the Emperor was ill. They did not know how serious it was. Prince Wei and his wife wanted to see the Empress Dowager, but she kept them outside the door.
The Empress came to Shoucheng Palace twice.
She was very haggard, and her eyes were bloodshot.
She said to Luo Ning: “Sister-in-law, with you here keeping Imperial Mother company, I am most at ease. If you lack anything, just tell me.”
Luo Ning agreed.
The Empress went back to Kunning Palace, changed into a different set of clothes, and then went to the Imperial Study.
She had something to say to Prince Yong.
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