Chapter 57
Chapter 57: The Emperor’s Preferences
Luo Ning’s hopes were very small.
As long as she could protect the Luo family and keep the ancestral hall and graves from being completely burned down by Luo Yin, she could go to Shaoyang and live as a commandery princess.
Prince Yong said: “Imperial Sister-in-law, I will investigate as carefully as I can. If the accusations are true, I will not ignore the Duke of Shen trampling on the laws of the state.”
The Emperor’s expression stayed calm. He said: “Seventh Younger Brother, the Duke of Shen is a carefree man. He must have been framed. He is careful with great matters and careless with small ones. There is no need to keep digging into this.”
Prince Yong said: “Let me find out the truth. In terms of both reason and law, I will give Imperial Elder Brother an explanation. I will not wrong him.”
The Emperor gave a small nod.
The Empress Dowager never showed surprise. She looked gently at her two sons, as if she did not see their sharp clash at all.
Luo Ning did not know what she was thinking.
[If it were her in that position, what should she be thinking right now…]
She found that she could not guess the Empress Dowager’s state of mind.
The Empress Dowager smiled and said: “Eat. This black-bone chicken soup is about to get cold, hurry and drink it. A’Ning, you eat too.”
Luo Ning agreed.
Even so, the Emperor, Empress, and Prince Yong barely moved their chopsticks and did not speak. The Empress Dowager ate very little, as she had always only tasted a bit of each dish.
Luo Ning, however, ate a lot.
For one thing, she was hungry. For another, she was outside their struggle. No matter how fiercely they fought, it could not change her hope for a good future as the commandery princess of Shaoyang.
No matter how the situation changed, as long as the country did not fall, Luo Ning’s future would not run away.
It was not easy for Luo Ning to get a seat at this table, and she only wanted to eat her fill.
The Empress Dowager watched her with a smile. The Emperor and Empress also could not help glancing at her several times.
Even Prince Yong would glance at her from the corner of his eye.
This lunch had started out very tense.
But because Luo Ning ate with such a good appetite, the Empress Dowager also ate a bit more.
The imperial chef sent out two new dishes. After the eunuch attendants served him, the Emperor even ordered them to serve him twice more. Seeing him eat, the Empress forced herself to add more food as well. Prince Yong, however, drank slowly and almost did not move his chopsticks.
He drank very little wine too. He slowly finished a single cup from the beginning of the meal to the end and never asked for more.
Luo Ning secretly glanced at him.
He looked back at once, and Luo Ning quickly turned her eyes away.
After lunch, the Emperor and Empress took their leave first.
It had rained the day before, and today the sky had cleared. The glazed tiles of the palace roofs had been washed clean by the rain, the trees were freshly green, and the blue sky was bright and clear again.
The Emperor and Empress took a walk.
The way back from Shoucheng Palace was very short.
The Empress said: “Sister-in-law is rather cute.”
Compared with the gentle and well-bred noble-born ladies, Luo Ning was a bit rough.
When people in the Imperial Palace ate with the Empress Dowager, they almost never ate much.
But because of this, the Empress felt especially at ease with her. She thought Luo Ning was small and no threat in any way, only a bit too pretty…
The Emperor said: “I don’t know why, but her eyes are a little annoying. Years ago there was a Beauty Cao who also had eyes like that and was very good at flattering. My imperial mother almost suffered because of her.”
The Empress asked curiously: “I have never heard of her.”
The Emperor said: “A beauty who dared to scheme even against the Empress, how could she live long enough for you to hear of her? My imperial mother is not easy to bully.”
The Empress: “…”
The Emperor went on: “Imperial Mother probably does not remember. There have been countless beauties coming and going in the Imperial Palace. Back then I was very young and afraid Imperial Mother would suffer losses, so I was always on edge and remember it clearly.”
The Emperor added: “But Princess Consort Yong only has the same shape of eyes. In other ways she is not like her, not even in her gaze. That Beauty Cao had a narrow forehead and a narrow face, like a fox.”
The Empress gave a soft laugh.
“What are you laughing at?”
The Empress said: “I just remembered that back when I was in the Imperial Academy, Miss Wang also looked like that. At first the late emperor wanted to choose her as crown princess, but you and Imperial Mother both disagreed.”
She added: “Madam Cui and Madam Wang were mortal enemies, so it was understandable that Imperial Mother disagreed. I just did not expect that Your Majesty also did not want her.”
Miss Wang had been one of the top beauties of the Imperial Academy. Her pretty face was very charming, and everyone liked her.
Her looks and Empress Zheng’s each had their own strengths. To be honest, Miss Wang was three degrees more seductive, and young men found her hard to resist.
Only by working very hard on her studies had the Empress been able to suppress her and come out on top.
The Emperor said: “I do not like women who look like that.”
The Empress thought for a moment. In the imperial harem there had been about twenty women who had received favor, and indeed none of them had a narrow face and long eyes like a fox.
The most favored, Noble Consort, had charmed the Emperor so much that he became cold to the rest of the imperial harem, and even she had a dignified and stately appearance.
After Noble Consort helped in an attempt to assassinate the Emperor, she had been executed. Now the ones in favor were two Jieyu, both of whom looked a little like Noble Consort and were also not seductive.
The Empress quickly weighed this in her heart but showed nothing on her face.
Back in Shoucheng Palace, Prince Yong had not yet left.
The Empress Dowager asked about the Duke of Shen.
Prince Yong said to the Empress Dowager: “I did arrest him. My uncle is very wary of the Duke of Shen. A spy reported that his separate courtyard estate was hiding iron, and we found solid proof. The Ministry of Justice did not dare seize him, and Minister Zhao begged me to help.”
The Empress Dowager said: “Your uncle is not suited to lead the Ministry of War.”
Prince Yong’s dark eyes were deep and calm. “Compared with the Duke of Shen, my uncle is more capable. If he holds the qilin command tally, the army will be even more stable. The soldiers in the southern border all trust him.”
The Empress Dowager sighed. “Huai Feng, do not be too greedy.”
Prince Yong said: “Imperial Mother is quite right.”
Luo Ning slowly lowered her gaze.
She listened to the conversation between Prince Yong and his mother.
From both their tones and expressions, it seemed as if the Empress Dowager was stopping Prince Yong from taking down the Duke of Shen and supporting his own uncle to become minister of war.
But Luo Ning knew very well that the Duke of Shen had always been Prince Yong’s trusted follower.
[So does the Empress Dowager know this or not?]
[Prince Yong had been skilled in both the pen and the sword since he was young. She had not expected his acting to be this good as well.]
[At least from Luo Ning’s point of view as an observer, neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager seemed to doubt the matter of the Duke of Shen.]
[The Empress was not simple either.]
When they finished discussing the matter, Prince Yong rose to take his leave, and Luo Ning also took the chance to leave the palace.
After they left Shoucheng Palace, they had to pass through a long covered corridor.
Prince Yong walked quickly, and Luo Ning almost had to trot to keep up with him.
She was soon out of breath.
When they were close to the palace gate, the carriage from Prince Yong’s residence was waiting. It was still the same plain black, flat-topped carriage, very inconspicuous.
Prince Yong said: “Get in the carriage.”
Luo Ning answered and waited for the coachman to put down the mounting stool.
Prince Yong saw that she did not move and quickly understood. He did not bother to remind her that his carriage did not have a mounting stool, since he did not need one.
He simply caught her by the waist and lifted her straight into the carriage.
Luo Ning: “!”
Suddenly lifted off the ground, she was a little frightened and did not speak for a moment. She blinked and looked at him.
Prince Yong said: “Go in first. You’re in the way.”
Luo Ning: “…”
She sat down inside the carriage.
Sunlight shone through the thin curtain over the window, so the carriage was not very dark inside.
When Prince Yong had just picked her up, he had already seen the Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist.
He asked: “Imperial Mother gave you the Buddhist prayer beads?”
Luo Ning lifted her hand without thinking. “This? Imperial Mother said she was giving them to me.”
“You changed how you address her quite fast.”
Luo Ning felt a bit embarrassed. “The Empress Dowager ordered me to change how I address her.”
He said: “I do not object. Since you are the princess consort, you must act the part when you are outside.”
Luo Ning agreed.
Prince Yong took her hand and carefully examined the string of Buddhist prayer beads.
His palm was broad, his fingers long and well-shaped, with calluses on the pads.
Luo Ning did not dare to move.