Chapter 47
Chapter 47: No One Deserves to Be the Prince’s Beloved
Luo Ning and her cousin walked off with Prince Yong.
Soon, Luo Wan met an acquaintance, Miss Chen, and went off with her to stroll around.
Luo Ning stayed near Prince Yong and the others.
“…Why did Third Young Master Zheng kneel to you just now?” Cui Zheng Qing asked on purpose.
Luo Ning was about to answer, but Prince Yong gave her a look.
He did not allow her to say more.
She had to mumble: “It was just a small matter.”
Prince Yong looked at Cui Zheng Qing impatiently and said: “Go walk around. Hurry and give away that flower in your hand.”
“I am not giving it,” Cui Zheng Qing said.
“Keeping it to wear yourself?”
Cui Zheng Qing: “…”
Prince Chen was already four or five parts drunk. He wandered as he walked, mind drifting. Hearing them, he came back to himself and said to Prince Yong: “The flower on the Third Day of the Third Month Festival means a wish to marry. Zheng Qing already has three beautiful concubines in his rooms and lives a carefree life. He does not want to take a proper wife.”
Cui Zheng Qing nodded again and again: “That is exactly it.”
He added: “Once I send a flower, it means I promise to ask for her hand. With my family background and looks, what young lady would refuse me? Would that not make her expect something for nothing?”
Prince Yong lowered his head and looked at the peony in his hand.
Luo Ning followed his gaze.
The pink peony had many layers of petals opening, giving off a light fragrance. His skin was dark, the veins stood out on the back of his hand as he held the stem. The contrast was so sharp that it was strangely beautiful.
Realizing what she was thinking, she quickly looked away.
“Sending a flower means you will marry her, and you do not have to go through the proper three matchmakers and six gifts?” Prince Yong said coolly. “Is that not cheating?”
“Sending a flower means you like her, that she is in your heart, and that you will not let her down. You will marry her properly,” Cui Zheng Qing explained. “Of course, some rakes treat these flowers as nothing but a romantic game.”
Then he urged Prince Yong: “That peony in your hand is truly beautiful. Hurry and give it to your princess consort.”
When Luo Ning heard this, she looked at Prince Yong again.
Seeing him pause for a moment, she guessed he was embarrassed, so she naturally lifted her flower basket a little closer to him.
But Prince Yong took her flower basket.
He threw the basket into the river. He casually snapped the peony and tossed it into the river as well.
Luo Ning: “…”
Cui Zheng Qing and Prince Chen both looked at him.
Xiao Huai Feng’s expression was plain as he said: “People with nothing better to do, making such a fuss over one flower. Who has the right to enter this king’s heart?”
Prince Chen glanced at Luo Ning and gave a small cough: “Huai Feng, that is a bit rude.”
“Miss Luo understands,” Xiao Huai Feng said.
“Yes,” Luo Ning said.
She of course understood.
Her Deed of Sale was still in his hands. Even if an Imperial Edict granted the marriage, she would only be his servant. If she dared to dream of more, he would be angry.
Since Luo Ning had already given him her Deed of Sale, she naturally had to marry him and could not accept flowers from anyone else. Carrying that basket was pointless.
So she said: “Throwing it away is good. It was heavy to carry anyway.”
Prince Chen: “…”
Cui Zheng Qing laughed. In front of Luo Ning, he said to Xiao Huai Feng again: “Your princess consort is really generous.”
He also asked: “When will the Imperial Edict for the marriage be given?”
Prince Chen said: “It was matters in my manor that delayed your marriage.”
He added: “I am fine now. The dead should not block the living. Ask Imperial Elder Brother to grant your marriage by Imperial Edict as soon as possible.”
“I was thinking the same,” Prince Yong said.
Luo Ning showed no reaction.
Whether it was earlier or later did not matter much. She had money in hand and people at her side. Her days were not bad.
Xiao Huai Feng took out a command token from his robe and handed it to Luo Ning: “Your maidservant sent this to the Prince’s Manor last time. Keep it.”
Luo Ning already knew how important this command token was. Unlike last time, she did not take it lightly. She carefully held it with both hands and said: “Thank you, Prince.”
Prince Yong nodded.
He had come to find Luo Ning this time because he had a few words to say to her.
Since Luo Ning had asked him for help with something about her mother, her life in the Marquis Manor must be hard. Prince Yong wanted to arrange the marriage earlier, to tell her in advance so she could be prepared.
He had no plan to delay it until the hundredth-day memorial.
But Prince Chen had just spoken of it, so Prince Yong did not need to repeat himself. He let the matter rest and only returned the command token.
Just after noon, the Luo Family womenfolk prepared to return to the city first.
Leaving early would keep their carriage from being stuck in a crowd at the city gate.
When they returned to the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s estate, the sun was leaning west. The trees in the courtyards were bathed in warm light, new leaves tender green and flowers blooming everywhere.
Luo Ning and the others went first to Old Madam’s courtyard.
“…How many flowers did you get?” Old Madam asked Luo Ning and Luo Wan with a smile.
Luo Wan’s cheeks turned red: “Three.”
“I did not get any,” Luo Ning said.
Everyone looked at her, including Old Madam.
She explained: “My flower basket fell into the river, and I was too lazy to fish it out. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager already said she would ask for an Imperial Edict to arrange my marriage, so I cannot accept flowers from anyone else.”
Grandmother said: “You mentioned this last time. It has been more than a month…”
“Before, they said we had to wait for Prince Chen’s princess consort’s hundredth-day memorial,” Luo Ning said. “This time I met Prince Chen, and he said he does not want his late princess consort to block other people’s happy events. It should be soon.”
She did not say more.
Luo Ning kept in mind that things succeeded in secrecy. The Deed of Sale was a private agreement between her and Prince Yong. On the surface, she would be granted to the most powerful prince in the Capital City. That would surely stir people’s hearts.
She had to wait for the Imperial Edict.
Until the Imperial Edict was in her hands, Luo Ning would not reveal a single extra word.
Grandmother did not ask further.
She turned instead to ask Luo Wan which young masters had given her flowers.
Luo Wan told Grandmother each one.
Two of their fathers held rank and status similar to the Luo Family’s second master. They were all military generals of junior fourth rank. The other was the fifth young master of the Loyal Earl’s manor.
“They are all acceptable,” Old Madam said to Second Madam. “Help take a closer look. A’Wan has already had her Hairpin Ceremony. Her marriage should be settled early.”
Second Madam agreed.
Sister-in-law Madam Wen left first. Aunt also sent Luo Wan back, leaving herself to chat with Old Madam and Luo Ning.
Aunt told Old Madam about how Bai Ci Rong had shamed herself today: “…From now on, I fear her path to making a high marriage in Shengjing is cut off.”
After hearing this, Old Madam snorted in anger: “Her ruined reputation is one thing. She must not drag down the young ladies of the Marquis Manor. From top to bottom, there are five young ladies in the Marquis Manor, all still unmarried.”
Luo Ning had two younger half sisters, plus her cousin Luo Wan. In the third branch there was also a concubine-born daughter, three years old this year.
Aunt carefully asked: “Mother, do we need to tell Lord Marquis about this?”
“I will tell him,” Grandmother said.
Aunt was worried that Bai Ci Rong’s bad name would affect Cousin Luo Wan. This was just when Luo Wan’s marriage talks were most important.
She sat for a while, then got up and left.
Luo Ning stayed to have dinner with Old Madam.
Old Madam kept feeling there was something strange about this matter, so she questioned Luo Ning in detail.
Luo Ning did not hide anything from her and told her everything.
Before, Old Madam had only been annoyed. Now she was so angry that her hands shook and would not stop trembling.
Luo Ning helped smooth her breathing and gently comforted her: “At your age, getting angry is dangerous. If you fall ill, who will stand up for me?”
To raise Bai Ci Rong up, the Marchioness would purposely ruin Luo Ning.
After failing again and again, their methods would only grow fiercer and more mad.
The Marquis of Zhen Nan was a military general who spent all day chasing power. In truth, his brains and ability were quite average. He still had some feelings for Madam Bai, and she could sway him easily.
“She treats you like this, she actually treats her own child like this,” Old Madam said, pausing for a long breath. “You are the one she gave birth to, and that Bai Ci Rong…”
Here, Old Madam’s expression suddenly changed.
She had seen much of the world. Many times, she had been blind to what was right under her nose and had underestimated how shameless people could be, so she had never thought this way.
Because of what happened this time, Old Madam suddenly grasped the key point.
But Luo Ning did not go on.
She let the doubt stay in Grandmother’s heart and slowly ferment. Only then could it break through the barriers and let Grandmother see the truth.
Grandmother surely could not believe it.
Who would think Madam Bai would have such nerve?
“…You go back first. You have had a busy day,” Old Madam said.
“Yes,” Luo Ning answered.
After she left, Old Madam called in her trusted aide, Steward Nanny.
“Look into this Bai Ci Rong. Send someone to Yuhang,” Old Madam said.