Chapter 88 - The Long Journey To Ningzhuo 4
Chapter 88 – The Long Journey To Ningzhuo 4
In the palace two days before, Lu Yaozhu and Su Liya left for Ningzhuo.
Empress Lu sat on a stool by the open window, she held a threaded needle in her right hand and slowly passed it through a square-shaped, embroidered screen. She tied up her wide sleeve with a thin ribbon to keep it from getting in the way of her work.
It was 4:45 pm, nearly 5 pm and the once-hot sun was now getting cooler as sunset drew near. Empress Lu sat there with a slight smile as she made several small stitches on the main white material attached to the screen. There was nothing as relaxing to her as embroidering, it was the only thing she felt that she could control.
Her ladies maid Xuanyi rushed in as she moved her stitches lower, Xuanyi was a well-taught maid. She didn't so much as breath faster than normal, much so run except in dare situations. The last dare situation, they had in the palace was the day Lu Yaozhu had gone missing so she had Empress Lu worried.
Empress Lu paused her sewing and gazed at the planting Xuanyi with creased eyebrows, however, Xuanyi's next words soon make the worried empress relax and resume her sewing.
"Your highness a letter came in from Grand Princess Ni'an," Xuanyi said holding up a cream coloured folded paper.
Empress Lu didn't give any serious response, but just replied with a carefree smile "open it and tell me what it says".
Xuanyi was shocked at her mistress's strange reaction, they had only three days till the extended deadline given by the Emperor elapsed. Surely her mistress should be as worried as she was, why was she acting carefree. Has her mistress surrendered to the Emperor's punishment already?
No that wasn't the type of person, he master was. Well at least she hoped that wasn't the case, her mistress was so worried about the second young master Lu. Surely she hadn't decided to give up on her life all because of worry for him. When Empress Lu glanced at her expectantly, Xuanyi swallowed operated the letter and read through.
Grand Princess Ni'an didn't write much, the message was only a sentence. "It is a short message, your Highness. It reads "I will be arriving at the capital tomorrow". Xuanyi felt the breath rush out of her on reading the message but her mistress didn't look concerned, no she wasn't concerned.
Empress Lu just nodded said this was nothing special "Mm, prepare a few gifts and send it over as soon as the Grand Princess arrives".
Xuanyi didn't understand her Calm response, she couldn't stay still anymore and asked, "Just that, is there anything else I should prepare?"
Empress Lu looked up from her work and shook her head "no need"
Xuanyi nodded and walked to the door, only to stop halfway there. She turned back to Empress Lu, her wrinkled face filled with worry "mistress tge Grand princess is arriving two days to the Emperor's deadline for commander princess Xia Ying's marriage. What are we going to do about that?"
"Nothing, these things usually sort themselves out. I already made the grand princess an offer that Ste can't refuse. The fact that she is coming to the capital was all the answer I needed" she smiled sweetly "be at ease Xuanyi, Xiao Zhu already thought if a good solution".
Xuanyi sighed loudly "since second master Lu has thought of a solution, I can now relax. I will go get tge gifts ready". She bowed her head and left the room.
*******
Commandery Princess Xia Ying also received a letter from her grandmother around this time but unlike the Empress's letter, which was brief hers was filled with more words. Yet she was stuck at the second paragraph of her grandmother's letter. The paragraph that read that the Empress had come up with another suitable marriage match for her.
Her grandmother didn't go into details as to who it was, which just made her more worried. Xia Ying looked up from the letter and asked her maid "Daiyu, please find out if her Highness the Empress is receiving guests".
The plump ladies maid bowed "Yes" and left the room. She came back sometime later and reported "the Empress isn't receiving any guest but is doing some embroidery".
A light sparked in Xia Ying's mind, "okay, get out my Embroidery kit. We will be joining her soon".
Minutes later, She walked into Jiangxi Palace. The Eunuch at the front door announced her presence and led her in before returning to his post. Empress borough the needle down once more,
"I was surprised to hear that you came Xiao Ying. It has been some days since you came over, I just received a letter from your Grandmother. She would be arriving at the capital tomorrow, you can give her a day to rest before moving in. I will have Xuanyi make the necessary arrangement".
Xia Ying stood closer to Empress Lu, "Please don't stress yourself with the arrangement, Your Highness. Daiyu can make the arrangements. That is why she is here".
"Since you are confident in that, I will let you handle that. However, I can not rest easy just leaving you to do all the work. Since you are my guest." She looked at the young plump maid behind Xia Ying as she spoke "if there is anything you don't understand, please speak with Xuanyi"
"Yes, your highness" Daiyu replied head bowed.
Empress Lu glanced down at the Embroidery basket in Daiyu's hands, "are you here to join me? I didn't know you Embroidered?"
Xia Yong blushed, "answering her Highness, I do but sadly, I am not as good as you are. I hope you don't mind, I wanted to learn a little from you."
"How would I ever mind, please get seated" she motioned to the seat opposite her.
"Then I will be in your care, your highness," Xia Ying said as she set up her Embroidery screen and thread.
"You know Xiao Ying, haven't we gotten close enough to desperate of the honorifics? Just call me Aunt, we are family and after your marriage to the Crown Prince, you can start calling me mother" Empress Lu said grinning.
Her heart sank as she heard that but she presented like it was all good until she returned to her room. She was a soulless person for a whole day until she returned to her Grandmother's house. She had been called over to her grandmother's courtyard as soon as she got arrived.
"Right this way, your highness", Her grandmother's elderly maid Nanny Fu said motioning her to go in.
"Thanks, Nanny," she said as she walked past her.
Her grandmother stood from her seat and stretched out her hands as she walked in. Xiao Ying ran into her hands with a big smile, "Grandmother!"
"Ying Ying, you look good. Her highness took good care of you" she pulled her away and looked her down then continued "You look fine, I can now rest easy. I thought that you will let the broken engagement trouble you but I am glad you didn't".
Xia Ying felt her heart tug at the mention of the broken engagement. It brought back all the bad memories that she wished to forget. She stepped away from her grandmother's tight embrace, "must I marry the Crown Prince, Grandmother".
Her grandmother narrowed her eyes and asked "what is wrong, Ying Ying? Is there something I should know about the Crown Prince?"
Xia Ying shook her head "no-no that is not it. The problem is not his highness"
"If it isn't the highness, then why are you against such an adventurous union?"
Xia Yong looked away for some seconds "grandmother, I grew up hearing about you and grandfather and my parents love story. They were so beautiful that I wanted to have something like that. I am not in love with the Crown Prince, I ha someone else I love. If I marry the Crown Prince, I will be denying my_"
"You stupid child! I must have spoiled you a lot that you think you can have a say in this. What love story? Ying Ying, you are no longer a child but an adult. Marriage is between two families, not just you and your precious love. How can anyone compare to the next Emperor of Northern Wei? So what if I humour you? Who is this Precious love, he had better be someone of status!" Princess Ni'an interrupted her foolish granddaughter.
Tears rolled down her face, "he is someone of high statue grandmother!"
"Who is it?"
"It is General Lu"
"General Lu! You are refusing a valuable union with the next Emperor for a mere General and one that is already married at that! Do you intend to become a concubine" when she saw her granddaughter's bashful expression she sort out "you impudent child! No granddaughter of mine will ever downgrade herself to become the concubine of a mere General"
Xia Ying fell to her knees and cried out, "why! But you were okay with me marrying him"
"As the main wife, not a concubine or secondary wife. As far as he has a wife, he is not worthy of you. However, that was before marriage to the Crown Prince was into the picture"
Xia Ying wiped her face and said in a mellow voice "Then Grandmother, can you please give me a few days to get adjusted before agreeing to the union"
Grand Princess Ni'an gazed at her stubborn expression and asked "what are you up to Ying Ying?"
Xia Ying was helped up by Daiyu, "you said that can not be anything but the main wife of General Lu, so what if his new wife was no more. Would you let me marry him"
Grand Princess Ni'an smiled, "you have 7 days if you can make that happen. I will personally go arrange the union myself"