Chapter 171 - 170: Longings
Du Yunluo vaguely remembers that Princess Nanyan had a very rushed marriage.
It is said that Prince Rui was marrying, and even if it was to fill the room, it should have been ceremoniously and grandly done, but in reality, that wedding was very low-key.
Mu Lianhui once said, entering through those doors in such a manner, how could there be any dignity or splendor?
The Empress Dowager wished she didn’t have such a daughter-in-law; Princess Yunhua was annoyed with her, and Princess Nanyan, with no maternal family to rely on, hurried into the marriage.
She was married off from in the palace, and from the time of the incident to the completion of the marriage, it was just about ten days, leaving no time for her to prepare.
This marriage happened strangely, and the generational gap involved made it all the more bewildering, but since it concerned the Prince Rui Mansion, no one dared to inquire about it. Du Yunluo heard about it from Mu Lianhui.
This time, Princess Nanyan was to marry from the old residence outside the palace...
Du Yunluo pondered quietly, most likely because the marriage satisfied the Empress Dowager – the most crucial thing is that Princess Yunhua was not pleased.
Princess An Ran sat upright at the dressing table, carefully observing her makeup.
She was not exceptionally delicate in appearance, but one’s looks reflect one’s heart. Princess An Ran’s bold and fearless nature showed between her brows. Coupled with the red dresses she always loved to wear, she was like a fiery blaze, burning fiercely.
Today, grandly dressed, this aura was even more evident; her phoenix-like eyes exuded sharpness yet maintained charm.
She quietly watched for a moment and then chuckled: "Nanyan doesn’t look like me at all."
Princess Nanyan was slender and gentle, her smile like a paper umbrella unfolding in the misty rain of Jiangnan, hazy, yet like a painting.
A painting unforgettable to those who behold it.
She clearly wasn’t the most beautiful, but her features joined harmoniously, offering an indescribable comfort and attractiveness.
"I used to think, Nanyan and I are both County Princesses. She grew up in the palace, cherished by the Empress Dowager, and served as a study companion to the princess. Yet, she had no parents, was alone, whereas I, I had grandparents, a father, a concubine, the Duke Jing Mansion, and so many noblewomen in the capital; even Princess Hui did not intimidate me..." Princess An Ran paused, her smile carrying slight helplessness and bitterness, "But now comparing, her life seems far better than mine. The Prince Rui Mansion, Enrong Bo Mansion, worlds apart."
Du Yunnuo’s cherry lips moved, wanting to say something but couldn’t.
That feeling of being unable to compare truly felt terrible, she deeply understood it, and precisely because she understood, she couldn’t say anything.
Du Yunluo smiled faintly.
When misfortune strikes, how can one tell if it’s not a blessing?
If Princess An Ran knew that eight years from now Prince Rui would rebel, even if Princess Nanyan survived, the best outcome would be spending her life guarding the Imperial Mausoleum; would she still feel this way?
But Du Yunluo couldn’t say these words; after pondering, she finally uttered: "At least, Huo Ziming will listen to you."
Princess An Ran froze.
She recalled the day at Wangmei Garden, Huo Ziming was about to struggle, but her words blocked him from speaking, and afterward, everything was left to her discretion.
It was long heard that Huo Ziming’s personality was somewhat mild, initially looked down on by Princess An Ran, a man with such a soft disposition, how does that make sense?
But with Du Yunluo’s words, it didn’t seem so bad after all.
After all, this person listens to her; she says east, and Huo Ziming won’t go west. She wants to deal with Shi Lian’er, Huo Ziming wouldn’t stop her; she wants Huo Ziming to be a helper, most likely he’d let her direct him.
"Is this your way of enlightening me?" Princess An Ran raised her eyes and asked Du Yunluo.
Du Yunluo laughed: "People need hopes to cling to. You envy Princess Nanyan’s good marriage, but she definitely cannot command Prince Rui. In this regard, aren’t you better off than her?"
Princess An Ran gritted her teeth.
This sounded reasonable, yet there was something amiss; thinking it over, something always felt off, finally responding with "talking nonsense."
Be it nonsense or truth, Princess An Ran felt much relieved.
Du Yunnuo pursed her lips silently, merely glancing Du Yunluo up and down.
At the auspicious hour, Princess An Ran went to kowtow to the Old Master’s wife.
In terms of major backyard matters, Aunt Liao shouldn’t have intervened, yet the Young Master’s wife had been ill for years, and the Old Master’s wife was aged and not handling affairs anymore; these past two years Aunt Liao managed some matters in the mansion.
Aunt Liao understood that once the Young Master’s wife closed her eyes and the new wife entered, the power in her hands would be taken away entirely.
Whether unwilling or angry, she took the opportunity to flaunt authority with the feather, making Princess An Ran’s marriage as grand and costly as possible.
The Old Master and Young Master saw this, and since Aunt Liao wasn’t driven to madness, they let her be.
After all, anything solvable by silver wasn’t really a matter.
Peace and harmony are cherished in the backyard since life goes on, it wasn’t necessary to drive Aunt Liao to lose her mind, leading to chaos and disorder.
Among the sound of firecrackers, Princess An Ran was carried away in the flower palanquin.
The Duke Mansion’s backyard hosted a banquet.
After the banquet was enjoyed, the guests gradually departed. Liao didn’t rush to leave, waiting for Aunt Liao to have some spare time before quietly exchanging private words.
Du Yunnuo accompanied Du Yunluo, casually walking in the small garden beside Aunt Liao’s courtyard, softly asking: "Fifth sister, were you serious about what you just told the princess?"
"Which part?" Du Yunluo was puzzled, but when she remembered her nonsense reasoning, she laughed, "Finding joy amidst suffering? Since it’s a fixed matter now, thinking otherwise will only trouble the princess herself."
Du Yunnuo paused, turning to gaze into Du Yunluo’s almond eyes, images of Du Yunluo accepting the imperial decree flooded her mind.
She remembered very clearly, then Du Yunluo’s eyes were red, and the spot where she knelt bore water stains, she obviously had cried.
"And you? Do you also find joy amidst suffering?" Du Yunnuo pursued.
Du Yunluo lowered her gaze; she hadn’t forgotten how she had "manipulated" Du Yunnuo, making her believe she didn’t want to marry Mu Lianxiao back then.
Their sisterly relationship wasn’t hostile, nor was it warm enough for Du Yunnuo to tolerate such manipulation; Du Yunluo didn’t wish to set herself ablaze, saying: "After getting to know the Princely Heir, I found him to be truly a good person, so now I’m genuinely happy and not finding joy amidst suffering."
Du Yunluo hadn’t lied; this was indeed the truth, only she had known Mu Lianxiao much earlier than Du Yunnuo realized.
Du Yunnuo responded vaguely: "Over in Lindong, Second Sister also got married..."
Du Yun Hu’s wedding was five days ago, celebrated in Lindong, and no one from the capital attended the ceremony, but the Yang Family was thorough in such matters, surely wouldn’t mistreat a concubine’s daughter, sending her off grandly.
Calculating this, life indeed flies by quickly.
She awoke, already nearing a full year.