Less than ten days remained until July sixteenth.
Although the Imperial Court handled everything, Consort Wei felt it was too rushed and not grand enough.
Therefore, she personally added many items, wishing she could send the entire Hanzhang Palace to the Ninth Prince.
During this period, she had observed secretly and her impression of Princess Huaran had improved significantly.
While she was still far from Princess Qianling, she was indeed good compared to the noble ladies in the capital nowadays.
Despite her young age, she handled matters methodically and never lost her composure when provoked by Liang Luo.
Thus, after Duke Wei revealed that there were already movements from Qianzhou, she deliberately summoned Princess Huaran to the palace for a "mother-in-law and daughter-in-law talk."
Outsiders did not know the specifics of their conversation, only that after that heart-to-heart, Consort Wei's attitude towards her future daughter-in-law had normalized considerably.
Although not to the point of doting, she was much warmer than her previously cold and stern demeanor.
In Changle Palace, the Empress, as the legitimate mother, was naturally in charge of the Ninth Prince's upcoming wedding.
Huaran was also a member of the royal family, so it was only right and proper for her to put in effort.
She specifically ordered the Imperial Court to craft a set of rosewood cabinets for Huaran's dowry. Now that everything was prepared, the Imperial Court specially sent them to the Empress for her inspection.
The official from the Imperial Court present today was Official Huang, who was reliable and not one for many words.
To have weathered the ups and downs of the deep palace for so many years and still hold the position of official demonstrated his considerable skill and shrewdness.
"The Imperial Court's work has become increasingly systematic. These cabinets are beautifully made."
"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty."
"Indeed. Send them to Prince Yu's residence. They will accompany Princess Huaran as part of her dowry to Prince Li's mansion."
"Yes!"
As soon as the words were spoken, several nimble young eunuchs arrived, packed the cabinets intact, and sent them directly to Prince Yu's residence outside the palace.
The Empress, pleased, specially rewarded Official Huang with a pot of tea.
"This tea is most soothing to the throat. I trust Official Huang will find it comfortable."
"This servant thanks Your Majesty for the gift."
Upon saying this, Official Huang immediately picked up the teacup and drank it down in one gulp, without even a flicker of his brows.
Seeing this, the Empress's smile deepened.
"Official Huang has managed the Imperial Court for many years, always with utmost diligence. I recently acquired an ivory pendant, which is quite exquisite. I shall bestow it upon you."
With that, the palace maid behind her presented the item.
On the red brocade plate, the ivory pendant was flawless white, appearing similar to jade in material but different in essence.
When Official Huang saw the item, his heart skipped a beat. He immediately knelt on the ground and thanked the Empress profusely.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant's heart will forever be devoted to Changle Palace."
The Empress smiled faintly, her authority tinged with a hint of pride.
At Prince Yu's residence, when Princess Huaran received the cabinets, others considered it an immense honor.
"Rosewood cabinets! These are treasures that even the late Princess Ke did not receive."
Princess Huaran's mother examined them from top to bottom. The carving was intricate, adorned with a depiction of a hundred children and grandchildren, a most auspicious symbol.
The more she looked, the more she cherished them, her smile reaching her back teeth.
"If you ask me, this Empress is far better than Consort Wei. Although the items sent from Hanzhang Palace last time were good, they seemed more like gifts for the Ninth Prince, especially the stationery. The inkstones and brushes were so valuable they could buy a whole restaurant, but you don't care for scholarly pursuits. Sending them was just to annoy you, wasn't it?"
Speaking of Consort Wei, Princess Huaran's mother was quite displeased.
However, the vast difference between them meant she could only vent her frustrations at home. If she were to face Consort Wei directly, she would likely be so intimidated her legs would go weak.
Princess Huaran, on the other hand, showed little interest in the "precious" items.
Her fingers traced the depiction of a hundred children and grandchildren, and she couldn't help but shake her head.
How could the Empress truly wish her to have a hundred children and grandchildren? These cabinets likely contained something that would render her infertile.
She had not forgotten the gifted wine from last time. If she hadn't been cautious and refrained from drinking it, she would likely be like Liang Luo now, her ability to bear children already extinguished.
But these items were personally bestowed by the Empress, and they were crafted in the style of a woman's boudoir. To not use them would be difficult to explain.
Huaran found herself in a quandary.
Fortunately, if something was designed to be undetectable, its effects would likely manifest only over time.
Therefore, she only needed to quickly devise a way to destroy the item.
Liang Luo, still confined to her sickbed, heard the news of the Ninth Prince's wedding and coughed again in her anxiety.
Her menstrual period this time had been perilous; not only could it not be stopped, but she had also caught a cold.
The combination of these ailments had developed into a condition of "blood cold," causing concern among the Liang family.
The most anxious among them was Liang Pan.
Although he had voiced his opposition when his sister decided to marry the Ninth Prince, now that her position as a secondary consort was settled, it was best for her to marry soon.
But now, with the Ninth Prince's wedding imminent, and expecting to enter the prince's mansion in ten days or so, she had fallen gravely ill.
Their father was not at home, and the doctor he had summoned offered no improvement.
He could only watch as she grew thinner day by day.
"Sister, how can you be like this? Shall I have the Wei family send an invitation to summon an imperial physician?"
"Brother, no."
"Why? Didn't you still look forward to marrying into the prince's mansion? How can you continue like this?"
Liang Luo remained silent. Ever since she learned the Ninth Prince's secret, she wished her illness would worsen. If it could even disrupt the marriage, that would be even better, saving her from suffering after marrying in.
Her former deep affection for the Ninth Prince had now turned into burning anxiety.
Yet, these matters were difficult to explain directly to her brother, so she could only weep silently.
Seeing his sister in such a state, Liang Pan felt distressed.
"Alright, alright. If you don't want to see an imperial physician, then so be it. But you must take your medicine diligently. This blood cold condition is not to be trifled with. If not treated properly, it will be difficult for you to conceive in the future. The royal family has always placed great importance on offspring; your future prospects depend on having children."
"Brother..."
Liang Luo had unspeakable bitterness in her heart.
"Don't worry. I am highly regarded in the Ministry of Rites. In a few days, I might even be promoted again. With Father and me here, even if you are only a secondary consort, Princess Huaran would not dare to mistreat you!"
Up to this point, Liang Pan was still planning for Liang Luo's future prospects in Prince Li's mansion. However, Liang Luo had lost all desire to marry into it.
As night fell, the Eastern Capital city returned to its silent slumber.
Yet, it was at this very time that Duke Wei, with his men, went to see Zhu Hong, who had been sent from Jinling City.
After a long and arduous journey, Zhu Hong had lost much weight, but his spirits were still relatively good.