Xiao Jingnan stood beside her, watching her frown in deep thought. Suddenly, he smiled.
Li Wanming brought up these trivial matters on purpose.
She was trying to pull him out of the gloom and make him focus on the present, rather than dwelling on what was already lost.
Since she had put so much effort into it, he would surely cooperate.
Xiao Jingnan began to follow her train of thought and consider what would happen after they got married and she moved into his mansion.
"You're familiar with my father and the queen, and you've also met Uncle Zhong and Nanny Yu... Actually, the Prince Ning's Mansion is just a bit bigger than this place. It's just a change of residence. You don't need to worry too much..."
Don't need to worry?
Li Wanming let out a cold snort and looked up at him askance. "Really? Then tell me about your second aunt. What kind of person is she? Is she easy to get along with?"
Among all the shocking things that happened tonight, Mrs. Kang was definitely one of them.
This woman had single - handedly reversed the situation in the court and outwitted all the old foxes.
The most ironic thing was that she hadn't even intended to influence the court situation.
She had only wanted to prevent Li Wanming from entering the mansion and fight for a title for her son.
What a remarkable woman...
Now Xiao Jingnan was telling her that the Prince Ning's Mansion was no different from Pingkangfang, just a bigger house... Was he stupid, or did he think she was?
When Xiao Jingnan heard her question, his expression instantly turned solemn.
He knew exactly what kind of person Mrs. Kang was.
One of the main reasons he was determined to welcome Li Wanming into the mansion was precisely because of Mrs. Kang!
Mrs. Kang was bold but lacked strategy. She was all bark and no bite.
Once Li Wanming officially entered the mansion, she would be the officially - registered princess of the heir apparent. Her name would be written in the clan register, and she would be the rightful mistress of the Prince Ning's Mansion. Mrs. Kang would never dare to lay a finger on her.
Moreover, there were black - armored cavalry in the mansion, so Li Wanming's safety would be better protected.
However, being out of life - threatening danger didn't mean there would be no other troubles.
He was well aware that the petty tricks among the women in the inner courtyard could be extremely tormenting.
Moreover, Mrs. Kang had the favor of his parents.
His father, out of brotherly affection, would always give her some face, and his mother still didn't know what Mrs. Kang had done...
Although he could protect Li Wanming, the tricks of the inner - courtyard women were hard to guard against. It wasn't just a matter of him saying "I'll protect you" for her to get through safely.
Li Wanming might still have a hard time.
"Wanming, I..."
Xiao Jingnan frowned, wanting to say something, but Li Wanming raised her hand to interrupt him. "Stop! Don't say anything!"
She waved her hand. "Isn't it just the petty squabbles in the inner courtyard? Don't worry. It's no big deal!"
She used to be a street - urchin in Min. She had seen all kinds of despicable tricks from all sorts of small - time villains.
After returning to the capital, she had also had actual battles with Mrs. He and Sun Miaoqing.
She had dealt with all kinds of people, from the riff - raff to the noble ladies in the capital. She could truly be called "battle - hardened and experienced".
"Besides, I'm familiar with your father and mother. I know they're reasonable people... It can't be harder for me to live in your mansion than under my muddle - headed grandmother, right?"
"No, Wanming. Things might not be as simple as you think..."
Xiao Jingnan hesitated, not knowing how to tell her.
"My mother is in poor health. For all these years, it's been my second aunt who has managed the affairs of the mansion. She might be more difficult to deal with than you think. And..."
Xiao Jingnan paused for a moment and then continued. "My father only has my second uncle as his younger brother. There's a ten - year age gap between them, so he has doted on my second uncle since childhood. If there's a conflict between you and my second uncle and second aunt... He might not side with you."
It was difficult for him to say these words, but he still managed to.
Li Wanming blinked and said, "I get it. She's a green tea bitch."
"..."
"You mentioned your father when I was talking about dealing with your second aunt. That means when your second aunt can't beat me, she'll go to him to complain."
Li Wanming rolled her eyes. "If you don't have the ability and just go to the master of the house to whine, what else could it be but a green tea bitch?"
"This..."
Xiao Jingnan pursed his lips, and his mind was gradually becoming clearer.
He raised his eyelids and looked at her with a somewhat expectant look. "Do you have any experience in dealing with green tea bitches?"
Li Wanming let out a "ha". "I sure do! My great - aunt is an old - fashioned green tea bitch."
Mrs. He's tactics were not very sophisticated, but with Li's mother's bottom - less partiality, she had been on a par with Li Wanming in their years of fighting.
Mrs. Kang might be much more capable in a one - on - one fight, but she was the second lady of the mansion and a gentlewoman from a good family. She definitely wouldn't be as unscrupulous as Mrs. He when it came to throwing tantrums...
So, it was really hard to say who would win if they really had a showdown.
Seeing her relaxed attitude, Xiao Jingnan felt much more at ease.
But after thinking for a while, he still reminded her. "Wanming, once you marry into the mansion, you'll be a new bride. My father and mother might treat you differently. They may not treat you as well as they did in Pingkangfang..."
He recalled the attitude of the Prince Ning that night and couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
But he couldn't tell Li Wanming too clearly.
After all, once Li Wanming entered the Prince Ning's Mansion, she would have to learn all the etiquette rules and how to handle social interactions from scratch. Creating a rift between her and her in - laws before she entered the door would only make her situation more difficult.
"What about you?"
Li Wanming looked up at him, her eyes shining brightly.
"I..."
Xiao Jingnan was taken aback and didn't understand at first.
Li Wanming said, "How will you treat me?"
The cold night wind caressed the tip of her nose, carrying away wisps of warm air.
The girl's eyes were as black as ink, filled with eager hope.
Xiao Jingnan finally understood.
Li Wanming meant that as long as he didn't change, she wouldn't be afraid.
"My heart is as clear as the sun and the moon. It will never change..."
His hand gently brushed through her hair, and he smiled tenderly. "If you say one, I won't say two. If you go east, I won't go west. I'll be a good and virtuous husband and do my duty."
These were the words she had said to him in a fit of anger right after their wedding ceremony.
She didn't expect that he still remembered...
"Humph, it's easy to talk the talk. Haven't you been doing things that go against your words?"
A faint blush appeared on Li Wanming's face. She glared at him reproachfully.
Then, her gaze softened. She straightened the collar of his robe with her hand and murmured, "You don't have to be overly virtuous. After all, you're a prince. As long as you don't take sides when I fight with your second aunt in the future..."
Xiao Jingnan laughed. "Why not take sides? Of course I will, and I'll take your side big - time! At that time, I'll only hold her back and let you fight to your heart's content. How about that?"
"If I beat her black and blue, you'll still stand by me."
"No matter when and where, I'll always stand by your side."