Rebirth of the Cannon Fodder in the Entertainment Circle
Chapter 512: Cannon Fodder Princess Consort (5)

Chapter 512: Cannon Fodder Princess Consort (5)

The next day, Luo Ning visited her parental home at Duke Dingguo Mansion.

Duke Dingguo was currently employed at the Ministry of War and was not at home at the moment.

The Marchioness was Luo Ning’s mother, and the Princely Heir was her elder brother.

When they heard that Luo Ning had arrived, the Marchioness, accompanied by the Heir’s wife, walked to the door to greet her.

Luo Ning reached out her hand to stop the Marchioness, who was about to perform a courtesy, "Mother, there’s no need for such formality."

She had now merged with her original self’s memories and emotions, so she felt very close to the Marchioness.

The Marchioness, looking a bit pale, held Luo Ning’s hand and smiled, "Etiquette cannot be abandoned; how comes the Princess Consort?"

Luo Ning supported the Marchioness as they entered, "I heard that mother has been unwell recently, and I was worried, so I came to visit."

At the palace, the Empress Dowager and her scumbag husband were often not at the Prince Mansion, so she was relatively free.

The Marchioness felt warmed by the thought, "I’m fine; it’s just that I’ve been lacking energy recently. The Imperial Physician said it is due to the harsh summer."

However, Luo Ning could tell from the Marchioness’s complexion that it was not caused by the harsh summer.

She had grown up learning Feng Shui divination from her father, and thus she recognized the signs of early demise in the Marchioness.

Luo Ning smiled, "Let’s have lunch together then."

The Marchioness also wanted to talk to her daughter, "Good!"

The two of them went to the backyard, where the Marchioness asked the Heir’s wife to prepare the meal, leaving only a trusted nanny.

Then she took Luo Ning’s hand worriedly and asked, "I heard that yesterday you brought two concubines bestowed by the Imperial Concubine from the palace?"

Luo Ning nodded, "Yes, the Imperial Concubine wants the Prince to spread his seeds, and I naturally would not stop it."

The Marchioness’s expression grew even more worried; she knew that the Prince had previously kept only to his daughter.

Now suddenly having two beautiful concubines, her daughter must be heartbroken.

She could only advise, "Since these are bestowed by the Imperial Concubine, you should not neglect them, but do not mistreat yourself either."

Luo Ning sighed, "I won’t mistreat myself, but I’ve also stopped caring, which is why I agreed to help him accept concubines."

The Marchioness looked puzzled, "Did you and the Prince have a fight?"

Luo Ning did not hide it, leaned towards her and whispered, "Mother, before, Lu Xiao always said he loved and valued only me, and thus he would not take concubines, but it was not really the case."

The Marchioness was shocked beyond belief, "What do you mean by that?"

Luo Ning explained frankly, "He has someone else in his heart. Before we were married, he and Luo Chun already had a secret affair, so now he is preserving himself for someone in the palace. I’m just a shield."

Though the affair between the two had not yet been discovered at the palace banquet, Luo Ning decided to first clarify this with the Marchioness.

The Marchioness was initially stunned, then furiously said, "How dare they?"

"Shameless, utterly shameless; truly the offspring of that woman."

Luo Ning grasped the Marchioness’s hand, "Mother, no need to be angry, I’ve already come to terms with it and won’t let them get away easily."

She asked, "By the way, is Father still bringing up the matter of the equal wife?"

The Marchioness’s face still carried anger, "How could he not mention it? Just yesterday, he was nagging me about it, saying that since Luo Chun has borne a Prince and risen to the status of a concubine, having another woman as a mistress is not fitting."

"He wants me to agree, to quickly promote that woman to an equal wife."

She scoffed coldly, "But as long as I am here, that woman will never become a wife."

Although she was the legally married wife of Duke Dingguo, that man had been in love with Luo Chun’s mother, his mistress, before marrying her.

Aware of this, she directly brought the woman back as a concubine and kept her under close watch.

"I just never expected that even Duke Dingguo had such a devoted side, doting on that woman for over twenty years without change, and now, at his old age, he still protects her like she’s something precious."

"Especially after that woman’s daughter entered the palace, gave birth to a prince, and was made a concubine, the entire Marquis Mansion started treating that woman almost like the legitimate wife."

"If Duke Dingguo had admitted his true love before the betrothal and brought her back to the mansion, I definitely wouldn’t have married into this family."

"Yet, that man deceived me, and by the time I married into the family and found out, it was too late. After enduring for so many years, I couldn’t accept it."

"Luo Ning knew that it wouldn’t be long before the Marchioness would pass away due to illness, and that woman wouldn’t even need to be the equal wife; she could directly become the Dowager and take charge of the Marquis Mansion."

"Her older brother also died in an accident on the battlefield half a year later, and that woman’s son became the Princely Heir."

"After Luo Chun became the Empress Dowager, the Marquis Mansion received even greater favor and gained immense power."

"Mother, have you ever considered that they might want you out of the picture?" Luo Ning didn’t beat around the bush.

"To stay alive, the Marchioness needed to be vigilant and, ideally, stay as far away from the Marquis Mansion as possible."

"It was because the Marchioness disagreed with the mistress that the scumbag and his true love caused her to pass away, a very ruthless and venomous couple."

The Marchioness trembled, "Are you saying they want to harm me?"

Luo Ning nodded, "I suspect your current illness is their doing."

"Originally, I also suspected that the scumbag killed the Marchioness and my brother, but after consulting the Imperial Physician and other doctors from outside, it was found that the Marchioness didn’t die from poisoning."

"Although there is no evidence, it is unlikely that both of them died coincidentally, just to make way for Luo Chun’s mother and brother."

"Luo Ning warned, "Mother, you should have someone check your food and the items in your room. Many things might not be poisonous by themselves, but together they could cause physical harm and even death."

"She had previously acted in palace dramas, so she specifically looked into many such novels and shows, which led to some of her conjectures."

The Marchioness appeared somewhat dejected and sad, "I never thought that after over twenty years of marriage, he would not cherish our past."

"She believed her daughter’s words and also felt something was wrong with her own body."

"However, she had secretly sought outside medical advice, and they had all stated it was caused by the harsh summer."

Luo Ning held her hand and persuaded, "Mother, if you are sure they are targeting you, then you should leave the Marquis Mansion."

"This place is like a den of wolves, and I am not at ease with you staying here," she added.

"The scumbag and his true love wanted the Marchioness dead, and as long as she was in the Marquis Mansion, she would never be safe."

The Marchioness hesitated, "Let me think about it."

"You don’t have to worry about any impact on me and brother, as long as you are safe and comfortable, I believe he would want the same," Luo Ning said.

Just then, the Heir’s wife walked in, "Princess Consort, Mother, it’s time to eat."

Luo Ning supported the somewhat dazed Marchioness, and they went to dine together.

In addition to the Heir’s wife, the ladies of the other three branches, along with their daughters-in-law, also came to join the meal.

After sitting down and seeing the dishes laid out on the table, Luo Ning’s eyes revealed a knowing look.

With an unchanged expression, she smiled and asked, "Did sister-in-law arrange these dishes?"

The Heir’s wife replied truthfully, "Some dishes were already fixed beforehand, but I asked the kitchen to add a few that the Princess Consort likes."

After speaking, she also pointed, "These were added by my kitchen, not sure if the Princess Consort will like them."

Luo Ning suddenly realized, they had not been prepared initially, so she had specifically asked the kitchen to add the dishes.

Smiling, Luo Ning said, "Thanks for the consideration, sister-in-law, my tastes haven’t changed."

She then pointed with her finger at several dishes in front of the Marchioness and asked, "Do you often eat these dishes?"

As soon as she asked this, Luo Ning noticed that the personal maid standing behind the Marchioness showed a nervous expression, but it was quickly controlled, yet Luo Ning caught it.

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