Chapter 67
Chapter 67: Luo Ning Also Hits Prince Yong
Grand Princess Jia Hong was evasive.
She could not bring herself to describe who Madam Feng had lost. Faced with Luo Ning’s slightly probing question, she was at a loss for words.
Luo Ning gave her a way out and said: “It must be someone very important, so it cannot be described to an outsider. Princess, I am afraid my comfort would only be useless effort.”
The princess gave a bitter smile.
Luo Ning took her leave and went back first.
When the princess got into the carriage, Pei Ying was sitting there properly. He was handsome, as calm as a pine tree. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, he was always extremely graceful. Even when he was sad, he did not look the least bit miserable.
Seeing him like this made the princess feel even worse.
The princess said to him: “The imperial edict has already granted the marriage and cannot be changed. You should shift your thoughts.”
Pei Ying said: “I understand. Mother, you do not need to worry about me.”
Being gently rebuffed like this only made the princess feel even more upset.
It was truly unexpected that Luo Ning had been granted in marriage to Prince Yong. Who could have thought that it would be settled so hastily? Who could have thought that Prince Yong would actually agree?
The princess was full of thoughts, secretly thinking: [There may still be a chance for change.]
She was definitely not the only one who wanted to ruin this marriage.
The princess could not accept her son going off to travel again. She wanted him to stay in the capital, marry, have children, and have his sons and grandsons gathered around her knees.
Luo Ning had to marry Pei Ying!
There was nothing in this world that Grand Princess Jia Hong could not do.
She would find a way to turn this matter around.
Sitting in the carriage, Luo Ning sneezed twice and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
She paused for a moment, still thinking about that bamboo flute.
When the carriage returned to the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s residence, she was still in a daze.
[The princess was hinting at something.]
Luo Ning did not know whether today’s words were a blessing or a curse. From what she knew of the grand princess, the woman acted entirely on her likes and dislikes. If you pleased her, she would lift you up. Once she came to fear you, her way of striking you down was fast, ruthless, and accurate.
Back at the Marquis Manor, Luo Ning first went to see her grandmother and briefly told her about what had happened in the Imperial Palace, so that her grandmother would not worry.
She only reported the good news and not the bad.
Her grandmother said: “You must be tired. Go back and rest.”
Luo Ning agreed.
The next day, Luo Ning received a meeting gift sent from Princess Ping Yang’s manor.
It was a set of gold hair ornaments inlaid with rubies.
The workmanship was extremely exquisite, the carvings vivid, clearly showing the extraordinary skill of the goldsmith.
Luo Ning accepted it and personally went to the princess manor to thank Princess Ping Yang.
Princess Ping Yang entertained her warmly.
The two of them chatted for a while. Princess Ping Yang had a gentle nature, but her speech was forthright.
She told Luo Ning to call her Imperial Elder Sister instead of Princess.
Princess Ping Yang told Luo Ning: “There is something you may not know. Imperial Elder Brother has ordered the Ministry of Rites to choose four secondary consorts for Seventh Younger Brother, and the candidates have already been decided.”
It was probably the Empress Dowager who had asked Princess Ping Yang to remind Luo Ning of this.
Curious, Luo Ning asked: “Imperial Elder Sister, do you know which noble households’ treasured daughters they are?”
The princess said: “The great prestigious clans each have their own power. To stop their complaints, they must be included evenly, without favoring any one. Cui, Wang, Zheng, and Pei.”
Hearing this, Luo Ning secretly sighed in her heart.
Being Princess Consort Yong was indeed not an easy job.
All four secondary consorts came from great prestigious clans. They would surely have been trained by their families, with high vision and ruthless methods. Their maiden homes were rich and held great power at court.
Only if Luo Ning could hold her own would she have the chance to go to Shaoyang as a Commandery Princess.
Luo Ning said: “No wonder Imperial Mother assigned two nursemaids to teach me and the prince gave me an instructor. They are afraid I will not survive a single day after entering the prince’s manor.”
Princess Ping Yang could not help laughing.
Smiling, she said to Luo Ning: “Imperial Mother does have worries. I told her that Seventh Sister-in-law can handle it. Forget secondary consorts; Seventh Sister-in-law has never shown any timidity even in front of Imperial Elder Brother.”
Luo Ning said: “Imperial Elder Sister, you are making fun of me. I have just never seen the world, so I am ignorant and fearless.”
The princess laughed and said: “We want you to be fearless. Imperial Mother hopes you will manage the Inner Residence well, so that both Seventh Younger Brother and Imperial Mother can feel at ease.”
“I will of course do my best,” Luo Ning said.
Luo Ning stayed at the princess manor for lunch before returning home.
Thinking of the four secondary consorts, she was not panicked, because they were within her expectations. Luo Ning knew very well how aristocratic families usually ended. She did not fear those highborn ladies.
Besides, she held the title of principal consort and had the Empress Dowager backing her. What was there to fear?
Working hard for three years in exchange for a lifetime of smooth, free days was a very good bargain.
Take Prince Yong himself. He had suffered for seven years on the border before he finally received the Tiger Tally. If he had stayed in the capital, with his remarkable intelligence and talent, the court officials who supported the Crown Prince might have gotten him killed.
He had paid a great deal of hardship to reach his position today.
Luo Ning was sure that Prince Yong’s manor was nowhere near as poor and dangerous as the border.
Whose future was not earned by risking their life?
With light steps, Luo Ning returned to Wenqi Courtyard.
She received many invitations to banquets.
In early summer, the titled ladies could not wait to change into light clothing, hold grand banquets, and enjoy the peace and wealth of a prosperous age.
As Prince Yong’s intended consort, Luo Ning received so many invitation cards that her hands ached, but she refused every one of them.
The marchioness went to two of them.
Luo Ning did not pay attention to that either.
No one knew Bai Ci Rong’s current reputation better than the marchioness. If she dared to take Bai Ci Rong out with her, it would only ruin the girl’s name.
The marchioness was not that brainless.
At the two banquets she attended, when everyone saw that Luo Ning was not there, they began to whisper and even openly mock her.
She gained no benefit from going.
Some people even took the initiative to provoke her.
The marchioness then understood that no one was willing to accept Luo Ning as the intended consort. If she went out under Luo Ning’s name, she was only helping Luo Ning take the anger and difficulties for her.
After suffering twice, she stopped going.
When Luo Ning heard about this, she found it a bit funny, but still did not bother with it because she was too busy to spare the time.
The two nursemaids set a strict curriculum for her, from the rules and systems of the Inner Court to the regulations of the prince’s manor, and even the people and affairs of the meritorious aristocratic families in the capital. It was all extremely vast and complicated.
Luo Ning not only had to understand it, she also had to remember and recite it by heart.
This work was enough to tire her out, and she still had to find time every day to practice the whip.
Prince Yong had said he would test her.
In the blink of an eye, Instructor Lin Zhao had already been in the manor for a month.
Without waiting for Prince Yong to send someone to urge her, Luo Ning took the initiative to bring Lin Zhao with her and went to Prince Yong’s manor.
Prince Yong was in the rear courtyard, training in martial arts.
His regional troops trained for six hours every day, never relaxing, comparable to a garrison. He himself practiced for two hours daily without a single day off.
“How has the princess consort’s practice been?” Prince Yong planted his long spear in the ground and stood beside it, his figure even straighter and sharper than the spear itself.
Lin Zhao answered truthfully: “She has barely entered the door. The princess consort has many duties and cannot focus on whip practice. To have this level is already very diligent.”
Sweat dampened Prince Yong’s temples, and his black hair was all tied up, yet he did not look tired at all.
To make it easier to wield the spear, he wore a fitted training outfit, simple and neat.
He looked at Luo Ning and said calmly: “Show me your whip technique.”
“Yes,” Luo Ning replied.
She took out the long whip.
Prince Yong picked up his long spear and told her to use the whip to seize the spear from him.
Luo Ning kept his requirement in mind: she must not let anyone take her whip easily.
She swung the whip at Prince Yong.
He gave the long spear a twist, and it almost stabbed toward her face. Startled, Luo Ning still refused to let go and tried to flick the whip’s tail over.
Lin Zhao was startled by her.
The way she was attacking was to crash directly into the tip of Prince Yong’s spear.
Prince Yong also seemed not to have expected her to be so stubborn. Afraid that the long spear would really injure her, he had to give ground and pull the spear back.
Luo Ning did not know whether her skills were lacking or she was simply too nervous facing the bright spear tip, but even as Prince Yong deliberately retreated, she still brought the whip down.
The whip’s tail tore open the skin of Prince Yong’s palm between thumb and forefinger, and fresh blood gushed out.
Everyone fell silent.
So did Luo Ning.