Chapter 172 - 171: The Same
Liao Family finished speaking with Aunt Liao, then brought Yunuo and Yunluo back to the mansion.
That night, a spring rain fell, accompanied by thunderous sounds, waking Du Yunluo several times, leaving her restless.
The news received the next day jolted Du Yunluo wide awake.
A royal decree was issued from the palace.
Princess Nanyan was betrothed to Prince Rui, to be wed on March 27.
Everyone was too stunned to speak.
It wasn’t that the marriage itself was unusual; despite Princess Nanyan having no family to rely on, she grew up in the palace, raised by the Empress Dowager, and served as the study companion to Princess Yunhua, making her status already higher than most daughters of noble officials. Becoming the principal wife of Prince Rui was no surprise.
The shock came with the timing.
The decree was issued on March 18, with the wedding set for March 27.
Does this mean they will skip as many of the six wedding rites as possible?
This is too rushed, isn’t it?
Even if the palace had long been aware and tacitly consented, such haste is uncommon.
Besides, Princess Nanyan was to marry from her family’s old residence, which hadn’t been inhabited for over a decade; it’s good enough if it hasn’t collapsed. Renovating it in just ten days seems impossible.
Those with more complex thoughts speculated whether Princess Nanyan and Prince Rui had caused some incident, necessitating a hurry.
But such speculation was baseless and ungrounded.
Princess Nanyan was right under the Empress Dowager’s watch; if anything had happened, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t spare her.
Du Yunluo was equally astonished.
She had thought, even if Princess Nanyan were to marry into the Prince Rui Mansion, it would take between three months to half a year; the marriage of a princely heir is no trivial matter.
This urgency, Du Yunluo speculated, was likely attributable to Princess Yunhua.
Princess Yunhua must have strongly opposed it, and the Empress Dowager feared the princess’s antics, whatever chaos ensued would damage the royal family’s reputation, hence the need to hastily arrange for Princess Nanyan to marry from outside the palace.
Du Yunluo guessed correctly.
Princess Yunhua nearly overturned her sleeping quarters; had she not been scolded by the Empress, it would’ve been endless.
Princess Nanyan knelt outside the hall for an entire morning. Initially, a Persian cat roamed around her, but later, frightened by the sound of Princess Yunhua throwing things, it disappeared, hiding who knows where.
This kneeling lasted till sunset.
Princess Yunhua was subdued by the Empress, who unusually chose not to meet Princess Nanyan, but did nothing further.
Princess Nanyan left the palace the next morning.
The old residence was uninhabitable; she moved into Li Luan’s nearby small courtyard.
With no familial relations to connect with and having only the courtyard for her dressing room to renovate, after some urgent repairs, it somewhat regained its form.
On the evening before her departure, Princess Nanyan returned to the old residence.
The Empress Dowager personally chose her dowry, consisting of palace maids esteemed from Cining Palace, ensuring in the Prince Mansion, maids from Cining Palace serving as attendants commanded respect, no one would dare disrespect the new heir’s wife.
For the past few days, Aunt Ming was sent by the Empress Dowager to handle various matters, so busy her feet barely touched the ground.
The mourners for her departure were all hired; Princess Nanyan originally intended to invite Du Yunluo, but feared such an action might provoke Princess Yunhua’s resentment toward Du Yunluo, so she refrained.
Despite the tight schedule, the ceremony on the day of welcoming was quite grand.
Du Yunluo naturally didn’t attend but heard from Jin Ling, who visited her mother and brother, that the streets were so crowded with onlookers it was impossible to move, the bridal dowry sent to the Prince Rui Mansion mostly comprised palace items, sights not seen by the common folk.
Originally, Du Yunluo thought she’d find it hard to see Princess Nanyan again, but the next day, the Crown Princess Consort invited her into the palace.
Du Yunluo met Princess Nanyan in the garden outside of Cining Palace.
She came to express her gratitude.
Princess Nanyan stood alone beneath the rock formations, having dismissed the palace maids to a distance; she stood there alone, lost in thought.
Du Yunluo respectfully greeted her from afar, and Princess Nanyan, seemingly absorbed, did not notice.
Only when a palace maid raised her voice to remind her did Princess Nanyan snap back to reality, smiling, "Miss Du, you’re here; keep me company and talk awhile."
Du Yunluo walked slowly to her side.
Princess Nanyan wore a pomegranate-red skirt, and her high-neck blouse was finely crafted, her neck white as jade exposed a small segment, making her seem like a lotus emerging from water.
Du Yunluo, sharp-eyed, noticed a small red mark on Princess Nanyan’s neck. Having experienced two lifetimes, Du Yunluo knew well what it was; when Princess Nanyan went out she likely used powder to cover it, but it was just above the collar by a little, after the collar rubbed it, a trace revealed itself.
Du Yunluo quickly shifted her gaze; Princess Nanyan, cautious, realized instinctively, shielding it with her hand, her cheeks flushed.
Both fell into silence.
Princess Nanyan was the first to speak: "Luckily, you saw it, I’ll reapply some powder later, it would be even more troublesome if others noticed."
Du Yunluo was stunned; Princess Nanyan meant "troublesome," and this "others" must refer to Princess Yunhua.
"Is the princess still angry with you?" Du Yunluo asked in a low voice.
Princess Nanyan smiled faintly, though it was bittersweet: "She isn’t angry with me; she hates me."
Du Yunluo was momentarily at a loss on how to respond to this.
Princess Nanyan continued: "I remember when the princess was young, the North presented a set of porcelain dolls, which the princess adored, wouldn’t even let go during sleep; later when Shao Yuan came to the palace, she too loved the porcelain dolls, and the Empress gifted her one. The princess said nothing at the time; once the Empress left, she smashed all remaining porcelain dolls."
Du Yunluo was astonished, watching Princess Nanyan.
Shao Yuan was the Empress’s niece, whom Du Yunluo hadn’t met, but heard she was a delightful and lovable girl resembling Sudhana, frail, dearly cared for by the Empress, unexpectedly succumbing at age six after catching a cold.
Princess Nanyan’s sudden recollection of this wasn’t merely a reminiscence.
Du Yunluo understood the meaning.
Princess Nanyan leaving Princess Yunhua meant, to the princess, she was like a missing piece of porcelain doll; since incomplete, it should be destroyed, to be unloved further.
For over a decade together, in the princess’s eyes, Princess Nanyan was no different from a set of beautiful porcelain dolls.
"Do you know why the marriage date was suddenly set?" Princess Nanyan turned to Du Yunluo, "That day, the heir gave me a bracelet, which the princess happened to see; immediately she smashed the bracelet."
This matched Du Yunluo’s speculation: with the marriage decided, it was best to proceed swiftly, preventing the princess from causing trouble again; though the Empress Dowager could discipline it, the royal family’s reputation would suffer.
Du Yunluo glanced at the palace maids standing afar, asking: "Why did the County Princess choose to share this with me?"
"Aside from you, I have no one else to confide in," Princess Nanyan fell silent for a long while, sighed, "Miss Du, I mentioned before, actually, we are the same."
Du Yunluo widened her eyes; she recalled Princess Nanyan saying this before, yet the sentiment at present seemed altogether different in depth.