When Chun Tao left, she was gone for most of the day.
It was already afternoon, but there was still no sign of her return.
Sun Miaoqing pursed her lips and said rather harshly, "Hey, your maid probably ran away because she was afraid of the trouble you're in, right?"
Li Wanming replied indifferently, "Oh, if she ran away, what will you do? It was you who took the bracelet to the pawnshop... Oops, your whole Sun family will be exiled."
Sun Miaoqing jumped to her feet and shouted, "Li Wanming! Don't slander me! That bracelet was clearly yours. It was your overstep, and it's you who should be exiled..."
Li Wanming retorted, "Really? So it was my bracelet. Then how did it end up in your hands?"
"I... I picked it up!"
"The owner is right in front of you. Didn't you know you should return it after you picked it up?"
Seeing that Li Wanming had led the conversation back to the topic of theft with a few twists and turns, Sun Miaoqing blushed with anger.
After a long while, she said hatefully, "Li Wanming, don't be so smug! My father - in - law is a third - rank official in the Ministry of Personnel. In the future, our family's status will be higher than yours! We won't have to beg your Li family and put up with your airs anymore..."
Li Wanming raised her eyebrows.
So, all these years, Sun Miaoqing had been causing trouble and thought she had put up with her airs?
If she didn't show Sun Miaoqing her attitude, would Sun Miaoqing have become even more arrogant?
However, seeing the look of longing for her future marriage on Sun Miaoqing's face, Li Wanming suddenly felt a bit pity for her.
She hesitated for a moment and decided she should remind Sun Miaoqing.
"Have you investigated that Guo family?"
"Of course I have!"
Sun Miaoqing said proudly, "My father - in - law is a third - rank official in the Ministry of Personnel, in charge of official promotions. It's a top - notch position. The Guo family is wealthy, and the young master of the Guo family is handsome..."
"That's not what I meant."
Li Wanming said hesitantly, "I mean, besides you, does that young master of the Guo family have... other women outside?"
Sun Miaoqing gasped sharply, and her eyebrows shot up.
"Li Wanming, what do you mean? Are you trying to sow discord between my husband and me?"
"Oh, I get it! You must be jealous because I'm marrying a perfect husband while you're married to a poor man and have to work hard selling wine every day, right?"
"I'm telling you, jealousy won't do you any good! Young Master Guo took a fancy to me, not you!"
All the words of warning Li Wanming had in mind were instantly swallowed back.
Jealous of Sun Miaoqing?
What could she possibly be jealous of?
Was it jealous that her future husband had recommended himself as a male concubine in the Princess Mansion before their marriage?
Or was it jealous that although she would enter the Guo family as the main wife, she would have to bow down to the princess who was like a mistress?
In the future, her whole family would probably live in the shadow of the princess, at her beck and call. What was there to be jealous of?
Forget it. Pitiable people must have something hateful about them. Some people were just destined to fall into a big pit and couldn't escape.
Li Wanming decided to let go of her urge to help and respect others' fates.
County Magistrate Huang paced back and forth in the courtyard, looking outside from time to time, feeling extremely anxious.
Chun Tao still hadn't returned. Could she really have run away...
If she did, would he really have to detain Li Wanming? Or should he send troops to the Cheng family to arrest someone?
If so, things would get out of hand...
What would he say to General Li then?
And there was also Sun Miaoqing... If he detained Li Wanming, should he detain Sun Miaoqing too?
Sun's father had once been his superior, and now he had been promoted to the Ministry of Personnel and become his direct superior. How dare he detain his daughter?
Alas, this matter was really difficult!
Just as he was worrying, suddenly a sweating clerk guarding the gate ran in, shouting, "My lord... My lord! You'd better go out and take a look! Someone from the Princess Mansion is here!"
"Princess? Which princess?"
County Magistrate Huang was still in a daze when four well - armed guards walked in from outside the door, escorting a female official in palace attire in the middle.
The female official said calmly, "I heard that your lordship has something from the mansion of our princess's elder brother here?"
Hearing the words "Princess Mansion" inside the room, Li Wanming's first reaction was: Oh no!
Her mind was still stuck on the idea that the Xiao family were all pirates, so she subconsciously thought: It's over. The princess has sent people to arrest us!
But when she heard the voice of the person outside, she was slightly stunned: Eh? Is it Palace Steward Wang?
Palace Steward Wang was the stewardess of the Princess Mansion. She had a high status, great power, and was quite trusted by the princess. She was the princess's confidant... Was it necessary for the confidant to be sent out for the matter of arresting thieves?
Sun Miaoqing laughed loudly, "The people from the Princess Mansion have come to arrest you! Li Wanming, you and your husband's family can't escape! You'll definitely be thrown into jail!"
"Shut up!"
Li Wanming didn't have time to deal with her. She walked out of the room nervously, bowed, and asked softly, "Palace Steward Wang, why are you here?"
To be honest, she was a bit afraid of seeing the people from the Princess Mansion of Peace and Tranquility now.
On the one hand, it was because of the bracelet and the pirates. On the other hand, she felt a bit embarrassed and guilty.
At the last flower - viewing banquet, she had spoken rudely in front of the princess, but the princess not only didn't punish her but also gave her a lot of gifts, which made her feel ashamed.
Although her father - in - law had told her to accept those gifts, deep down, Li Wanming still thought she was a bit petty.
— Look at the princess's magnanimity. She had even scolded the princess to her face, but the princess still sent her gifts!
What was noble temperament? This was noble temperament!
No wonder she was the most noble woman in the Great Sheng Dynasty besides the empress dowager. She was so graceful!
While feeling uneasy, Li Wanming blamed Xiao Jingnan for his recklessness. Without a doubt, it must have been Xiao Jingnan who had gone to beg the princess for help.
But the problem was, their whole family were pirates, and they still went to ask the top - level high - ranking officials and nobles to save them?
Wasn't this like a chicken going to pay New Year greetings to a weasel - walking straight into a trap?
Moreover, their family's relationship with the Princess of Peace and Tranquility, if analyzed in detail, was really insignificant, almost non - existent...
According to her mother - in - law, their ancestors had once worked as gatekeepers in the Langya Cheng family - it wasn't her father - in - law; it had been several generations ago.
And even if it was her father - in - law... A gatekeeper, how deep could the friendship be?
Asking the princess for help because of such a trivial friendship, would the princess get annoyed with them?
The premise of using someone's influence was that the person had to be a "dead tiger".
But now, the Princess of Peace and Tranquility was still a living and powerful "tiger". Would she get annoyed and just swallow them up?
...
Palace Steward Wang didn't know that in such a short time, so many strange thoughts had flashed through Li Wanming's mind.
She took Li Wanming's hand and said with a smile, "The princess knew that there might have been a misunderstanding because of the bracelet. She was afraid that you would be wronged, so she sent me here to explain the situation to Magistrate Huang."
"Misunderstanding? Wronged..."
Li Wanming was stunned and subconsciously asked, "So, you're not here to arrest me?"
Palace Steward Wang frowned slightly and asked, "Why would we arrest you?"
She thought for a moment and assumed that Li Wanming had been frightened in the Ting County Yamen.
So she held her hand tighter and comforted her even more softly.
"Don't be afraid, Mrs. Cheng. Our Great Sheng has always had a clean and honest government and a stable people's heart... In this matter, even if it involves the daughter of a superior official, Magistrate Huang won't bend the law for personal gain."
After saying that, she raised her eyes and swept around. Her cold gaze landed on County Magistrate Huang and said, "Magistrate Huang, am I right?"