Chapter 90
Chapter 90: Prince Yong and Luo Ning Exchange Gifts
The Dragon Boat Festival was very lively.
The Empress Dowager sat in command. Aside from Princess Consort Wei saying a few improper words, no one dared to cause trouble.
When it was time to shoot at the mugwort rice dumplings, Princess Ping Yang was the first to pick up the small bow.
She was the Empress Dowager’s most beloved princess, and her archery was not very good. She went first to set an example, so the people who came after her would not be too nervous.
Those who were good at archery naturally would not show off and make Princess Ping Yang lose face. Because of this, the ones who were poor at archery could also relax and did not have to worry about embarrassing themselves too much.
As expected, Empress Zheng and Princess Consort Wei also missed twice. According to Prince Yong, they were usually able to hit the target every time.
Luo Ning matched herself to Princess Consort Wei and also hit the mugwort rice dumpling on her third shot.
The Dragon Boat Festival banquet did not end until the middle of the afternoon. After it was over, Luo Ning left the palace and went home.
In the carriage, she quickly took out her own bat-pattern tassel and compared it over and over.
She had a habit when tying tassels. She always added one thin black thread and one thin gold thread to the red thread, believing that this made the decoration brighter and prettier.
The purple bamboo flute she had given to Madam Feng also had this kind of tassel tied to it.
Luo Ning was lost in thought when someone knocked on the carriage wall. Right after that, the curtain was lifted.
Xiao Huai Feng stood outside the curtain, as if he had something to tell her.
But his gaze fell on the bat-pattern tassel in her hand.
After hesitating for a moment, he asked: “What is this?”
“A tassel.”
“Let me see it,” Prince Yong said.
Luo Ning handed it to him.
She did not know whether he had noticed Pei Ying’s tassel earlier.
Should she explain?
She had never had dealings with the Grand Princess Jia Hong’s manor, and she had never spoken with Pei Ying in private. Even if Luo Ning wanted to explain, she had nothing to say.
She hesitated and looked at Prince Yong.
“Is it for me?” he asked blankly.
Luo Ning said: “If Your Highness does not mind that it is plain, then I will give it to you. I tied it myself.”
Xiao Huai Feng took it casually.
“Your Highness, did you need something?”
“How is your practice with the soft whip? The time has come,” he said.
Luo Ning immediately grew nervous.
“Sister Lin has taught me carefully, and I have worked hard too. Maybe my talent is only average. I can barely manage to keep up.”
“From the sound of it, you did not learn very well.”
Luo Ning nodded honestly: “Yes.”
Prince Yong said: “Put in some effort. I do not have many days to wait for you. The Astronomical Bureau has already chosen the wedding date. They will tell you soon.”
Luo Ning had not expected it to be so soon.
Her days were being pushed forward quickly, not giving her a single moment to catch her breath.
“I will do my best, Your Highness,” Luo Ning said. She did not retreat at all and lifted her eyes to look at him.
Prince Yong nodded and tossed something into the carriage.
He no longer looked at her. He put down the curtain and turned to leave. The light inside the carriage dimmed at once. Luo Ning picked up the thing he had thrown in.
It was a soft whip.
Compared with the one Luo Ning usually used, this soft whip was lighter and more convenient. It could be folded down to the size of a dagger and hidden in a sleeve.
She looked at it again and again.
By the time the carriage returned to the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor, it was already evening. Brilliant red clouds were sinking in the western sky.
Stepping in the glow of the sunset, Luo Ning went to see her grandmother.
Grandmother had saved some rice dumplings and Five Poisons Cakes for her. Luo Ning tasted a bite of each.
She also carefully told Grandmother about what had happened in the imperial palace.
She picked out the pleasant and interesting parts to say, reporting only good news and not worries.
“It is late. Go back and rest. You were tired all day,” Grandmother said.
Luo Ning agreed.
At the gate of Wenqi Courtyard, calamus and mugwort were hanging. On the canopy inside the room, pomegranate blossoms were scattered everywhere.
Nanny Kong had made an herb sachet from mugwort and hung it on the golden hook of Luo Ning’s bed curtains. A faint herbal fragrance filled the room.
“Sister Lin, His Highness gave this to me. Take a look,” Luo Ning said, showing the soft whip to Lin Zhao.
Lin Zhao took it. The usually reserved woman even had her eyes light up a little. “A buffalo hide soft whip.”
She explained to Luo Ning: “It is made from water buffalo hide from the country of Nanzhao. It is soaked in oil for half a year, then dried in the sun, then polished and tempered with iron tools, and then soaked in oil for another half year.
“It is not only light. The rare part is that it is sharp but still flexible. With just a bit of skill, one lash can draw blood, and it is very hard for others to snatch it away.”
She spoke on and on.
Seeing Luo Ning watching her with a smile, she drew back a little. “I was lucky enough to see it twice before. It really is a good thing.”
“Sister Lin, you can play with it for a few days. Since it was a gift from His Highness, I cannot give it to you. If I had gotten it on my own, I would definitely give it to you. Your whip skills are good. Only in your hands can it be used to the fullest,” Luo Ning said.
Lin Zhao quickly waved her hand. “Your Ladyship is too polite. You should keep it well. With this, you can make up for your weak wrist strength.”
She asked Luo Ning, “Did you tell His Highness that your difficulty lies in your wrist strength?”
“I did,” Luo Ning said.
She and Prince Yong had almost nothing to talk about.
Every time they met there were only one or two matters, so Luo Ning had to try hard to find topics and ended up telling him about her whip skills in detail.
After he listened, he almost did not react. Luo Ning had not expected him to really remember.
“His Highness is very thoughtful,” Lin Zhao said with a smile.
Luo Ning very much wanted to say that His Highness was counting on her.
There were many matters in the inner residence that Prince Yong could not handle easily himself. He hoped Luo Ning would be able to stand firm.
If she could stand firm, the inner residence would not fall into chaos. A thousand-mile dike can collapse from an ant hole. Prince Yong had never thought that the affairs of the inner residence were all small matters.
He was farsighted and also very cautious.
“It shows that His Highness manages his people well,” Luo Ning said with a smile.
Lin Zhao was speechless.
“Sister Lin, actually I am the same as you. You will understand in the future,” Luo Ning said.
Lin Zhao had always been someone who did not ask many questions. If Luo Ning only said half a sentence, she would only listen to half a sentence.
The soft whip was left with Lin Zhao for now so she could admire it for a few days. Luo Ning was not in a hurry to use it.
Lin Zhao did not refuse again.
Luo Ning then took some Five Poisons Cakes to visit the two nursemaids. She drank tea and ate cakes with them, chatting about small matters.
She asked about Princess Consort Wei.
“No one else dared to mention Beauty Chen. Only she brought her up,” Luo Ning said. “Prince Yong also said he and Prince Wei are not on good terms.”
“Prince Yong and His Majesty became estranged as brothers because Prince Wei has been stirring up trouble between them for many years. His Majesty taking the Blessing-and-Longevity Pill was also because Prince Wei introduced that Daoist priest,” Nanny He said.
Luo Ning’s heart gave a sudden jump.
Even brothers born of the same mother could have very different temperaments.
From birth, the imperial princes were raised by wet nurses. Each had his own palace.
As their birth mother, the Empress Dowager could not possibly be deeply attached to every child.
Luo Ning actually could not see through the Empress Dowager’s feelings. She did not know whom the Empress Dowager favored more.
The only thing that was clear was that the Empress Dowager carried great authority. Her sons and daughters all respected and feared her. She walked among them with ease.
“Princess Consort Wei was chosen by Prince Wei himself. Her mother is Madam Wang. The Empress Dowager also likes her. She has a very straightforward temper,” Nanny Yin said.
Luo Ning was silent.
That single word “likes” held endless meaning.
As for Prince Wei, had he chosen this woman, or the family standing behind her?
That night, Luo Ning lay looking up at the lush, fragrant pomegranate blossoms painted on her bed canopy and smiled quietly.
The next three years would be lively.
The schemes inside the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s manor were nothing compared with those of the imperial clan.
Luo Ning did not have the slightest thought of backing down.
[If I really manage to endure, it will count as great merit. In Xiao Huai Feng’s heart, my contribution as his subordinate will be huge. In the future, if anything happens to me in Shaoyang, he will protect me.]
Luo Ning might one day marry.
If she had a child, perhaps she could use these three years of favor to win a future for that child.
Her thoughts wandered wildly as she slowly fell asleep.
She even dreamed of Xiao Huai Feng.