Chapter 98
Chapter 98: Her Problem, Prince Yong Solved It
Xiao Huai Feng was a rather patient man.
Whether he was killing enemies or training his subordinates, he was strict, but he never rushed for quick results.
Luo Ning had talent, so he taught her slowly.
He said: “Imperial Mother asked me to tell you that she will train a group of people to serve as your dowry maidservants and send them to the Prince’s Manor in the future.”
Luo Ning said: “Imperial Mother is very kind to me.”
Prince Yong said: “I told Imperial Mother not to trouble herself. She does not need to handle such small matters. I already had the Chief Steward choose the people and place them in my residence ahead of time. Two days before the wedding, they will be sent to your home. You can prepare a courtyard for them then.”
He added: “I have prepared sixteen dowry maidservants for you.”
As an Imperial Prince’s Consort, she was entitled to no fewer than eight dowry maidservants. Xiao Huai Feng had doubled that for her.
Luo Ning said: “Thank you, Your Highness.” As she spoke, she stood up and gave him a formal curtsey.
Her original plan had been to hand this problem over to the Empress Dowager.
She needed people, but she could not keep them in Wenqi Courtyard. The best solution Luo Ning had thought of was for the Empress Dowager to prepare them for her.
She did not feel at ease with maidservants trained by anyone else.
She had not expected Xiao Huai Feng to take this “errand” onto himself instead.
It was even better to have them raised directly in Prince Yong’s residence, because these maidservants would all follow Luo Ning to live in the Prince’s Manor in the future.
A weight in Luo Ning’s heart was completely lifted, and her gratitude was sincere.
When she rose to give her salute, the camellia at her temple trembled slightly, as if shaken by the wind.
The camellia was white, with a touch of red in the center of its petals, bright and lovely in color. Against her cheeks, it made her skin look even fairer and her lips even redder.
Her looks were far from ordinary.
Madam Luo’s daughter was even more beautiful than the camellia itself.
Xiao Huai Feng withdrew his gaze and said: “Sit down. There is no need for such formality.”
They chatted idly for a while, when someone spoke outside the door.
Luo Ning faintly heard Prince Wei’s voice. She had seen him once before.
Xiao Huai Feng listened for a moment, then said toward the door: “Deputy General Zhou, let him come in.”
The door of the private room was pushed open.
Prince Wei wore a light purple long robe. He looked noble and scholarly as he walked in with a broad smile: “So you are having tea here with Sister-in-law.”
Chang Ying, the Grand General, who had been lying quietly to the side, suddenly stood up and bared his teeth at Prince Wei.
Prince Wei’s calm vanished. He looked at the dog with clear wariness.
“Fourth Brother, what brings you here for tea as well?” Xiao Huai Feng’s tone was flat as he glanced at the Black Dog.
The Black Dog did not move forward, but it did not lie back down either. It kept staring at Prince Wei.
“This dog is really scary,” Prince Wei said. “Back when you went to the Northern Frontier, Imperial Father held this little puppy in his arms and gave it to you. It was only the size of a cat, and now it has grown into a giant.”
Xiao Huai Feng said coolly: “That was many years ago.”
“This dog even has a title? Imperial Elder Brother still has not taken it away?” Prince Wei asked.
Xiao Huai Feng said: “Imperial Elder Brother rules the world with filial piety. He would not revoke a title granted by Imperial Father for no reason. Grand General Chang Ying has not done anything wrong.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Prince Wei glanced at the dog, his smile very stiff: “So that was its name. I almost forgot.”
He really feared this dog.
If the dog pounced on him, he was afraid he would not be able to fight it off and would be injured for nothing.
“In a few days we are going hunting. You should come too,” Prince Wei said. Then he turned to Luo Ning and added: “Sister-in-law, you should come as well. My Princess Consort and Secondary Consort will also be going. Zheng Lan may go too.”
Xiao Huai Feng said: “All right, I will agree for her.”
Prince Wei was satisfied and nodded: “I will not disturb you further. The date is set for the seventeenth. I will send you a proper invitation tomorrow.”
Then he left.
As soon as he left, Xiao Huai Feng whistled, and the Black Dog obediently lay down.
Luo Ning looked at the dog with a smile and said: “Your Highness, he is very fierce. Everyone is afraid of him.”
“What they fear is the Late Emperor’s will,” Xiao Huai Feng said lightly.
Luo Ning asked: “Are we really going hunting? If it is not convenient, I can claim to be sick.”
“We are going to relax,” Xiao Huai Feng said.
“…” Luo Ning had nothing to say.
She had thought that Xiao Huai Feng and Prince Wei had a very poor relationship. Last time he had even warned Luo Ning to be careful of him.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Xiao Huai Feng explained: “If you want to know someone, you should spend more time with him and watch him carefully, not rely on what others say.
“In the future, when you become Princess Consort Yong, you will have to deal with my brothers and relatives. You must learn to understand them yourself.”
Luo Ning nodded.
Then she heard Xiao Huai Feng continue: “My cousin Cui Zheng Lan will go too.”
He said the word “cousin” in a very open and natural way, with no hint of any improper feeling, so Luo Ning did not think much of it.
She only kept the impression that this was “a relative”. Then Xiao Huai Feng went on: “Cui Zheng Lan is one of the four Secondary Consorts that Imperial Elder Brother chose for me.”
Luo Ning was stunned.
She knew that the Secondary Consorts included Fourth Miss Zheng, Seventh Miss Pei, Ninth Miss Cui, and Third Miss Wang.
She had heard the nursemaids talk about them.
When they talked, they mentioned Ninth Miss Cui the least. The nursemaids said she had been raised deep in the inner chambers, had a withdrawn temper, and rarely socialized.
Luo Ning had not expected that the Cui Zheng Lan the Prince spoke of was her.
“She can also work for me.” When Xiao Huai Feng saw Luo Ning lost in thought, he said it plainly: “If she is useful, you can have her assist you. If she is not, you and she can simply get along peacefully.”
Luo Ning nodded in understanding.
She had to go on this hunt.
She needed to get to know Prince Wei and his wife, and also to meet her future “peers”.
[No, given their ranks, Luo Ning was the superior, and Cui Zheng Lan could only count as her subordinate.]
“Your Highness, please be at ease. I know what to do,” Luo Ning promised him.
Xiao Huai Feng poured tea.
He first poured a cup for Luo Ning, then one for himself, and sipped slowly: “I place great hopes on you.”
Luo Ning answered quietly and also picked up her tea to drink.
The tea was fragrant, clear and sweet, with a lasting taste. Luo Ning slowly finished the cup.
Xiao Huai Feng then asked her about her whip technique and the lessons the two nursemaids had taught her. He even tested her on several people, such as the heads of the Cui family and the Wang family.
Luo Ning answered fluently and smoothly, without mixing anything up.
Xiao Huai Feng’s face did not change; he only nodded slightly.
Just then, the sound of a flute came from the next private room.
Luo Ning was a little distracted and listened carefully to the flute, wanting to know what tune was being played.
Xiao Huai Feng’s brows drew together slightly: “Do you like the bamboo flute very much?”
“No.” She came back to herself and covered it with a small smile.
“Do you know how to play it yourself?”
“No. But when there is a flute playing along with the zither, it is not so dull.”
“If you like it, I will find a female musician who can play the flute and send her to you next time,” Xiao Huai Feng said.
Luo Ning quickly waved her hand: “I rarely play the zither now. I do not have the time.”
She was busy every day.
For the next few years, she was destined to be busy every single day. Luo Ning planned to pick up the zither again and practice after she went to Shaoyang.
She might get to know Madam Feng again.
She could not think too deeply about Madam Feng’s matters, because Madam Feng was far away, thousands of miles from here. If Luo Ning simply guessed, she would not figure anything out and might even form the wrong ideas.
She put the matter aside.
The flute soon stopped.
After Luo Ning finished her tea, it was getting late, so she went back.
With the matter of the dowry maidservants settled, she had one less thing to worry about and was in a fairly good mood.
She was still thinking about Qiu Shi Dong’s “Imperial Merchant” matter and how it might be moved up, when, unexpectedly, Grand Princess Jia Hong and Pei Ying actually came to pay a visit.
They went to Old Madam’s West Main Courtyard.
Old Madam sent someone to call for Luo Ning.
Luo Ning had thought that only the Princess would be with Grandmother, and that Pei Ying would be in the outer courtyard. She had not expected Pei Ying to be sitting right beside the Princess.
She looked at him right away.
Pei Ying looked back at her, a bit of a smile in his dark eyes. He stood up and greeted her: “Miss Luo.”