Throughout the ages, the trick of stuffing girls into the junior's household has always been a good way for mothers - in - law to torment their daughters - in - law, and it's extremely troublesome.
If the daughter - in - law meekly agrees, she'll be watching helplessly as all kinds of coquettish women come to vie for her husband's favor, turning her husband's chambers into a complete mess.
If, by any chance, the husband is good - for - nothing, there might even be an illegitimate eldest son... That would be truly disgusting.
But if she refuses, she'll be labeled as selfish, jealous, intolerant, and inconsiderate.
Therefore, when Qinglan saw Zifu kneeling on the ground to offer tea with a smug smile on her lips, she was filled with fury and almost wanted to rush over and tear Zifu's face apart...
However, unexpectedly—
With just a few words, the Princess of the Heir Apparent managed to resolve the situation!
She even made Lady Kang suffer a great setback. It was really satisfying!
Qinglan felt extremely delighted.
Over the years, the Princess of Ning had been less and less involved in the affairs of the mansion, leaving all matters, big and small, to Lady Kang. This had made Lady Kang overbearing. Even towards them, the top - ranked maids, she would often show a bad temper.
Qinglan and the others had long been dissatisfied with Lady Kang, but they had refrained from showing it out of respect for the Princess of Ning.
Now, seeing Lady Kang so angry that she was trembling all over like a drenched lapdog, Qinglan could hardly hold back her laughter.
Li Wanming saw what had happened. She casually draped her arm over Qinglan's and gracefully walked out of the pavilion.
However, just as she was passing through the wisteria trellis and about to step onto the three - arched bridge, she seemed to suddenly remember something and abruptly turned around.
"Oops, I almost forgot! Second Auntie, you said that taking Zifu as an adopted daughter is a matter for our eldest branch, and you're not convenient to interfere. I wonder if you'll still interfere in the matter of making Zifu a concubine?"
Upon hearing this, Lady Kang's face turned pale again. She tightened her fist in her sleeve and finally stared fixedly at Li Wanming, squeezing out a sentence through her gritted teeth, "The matters of your eldest branch, you decide for yourselves!"
After saying that, she angrily flung her sleeve and left, not even caring about the etiquette and self - restraint she usually adhered to.
Li Wanming watched her hasty back and deliberately shouted loudly from behind, "Oh, you're not going to interfere? Really not going to interfere? Then this niece - in - law will just handle it as she sees fit!"
On the way back, Li Wanming was overjoyed.
In the several rounds of confrontation with Lady Kang this morning, she could be said to have achieved a complete victory.
She had obtained the power to manage the mansion, refused the concubine, and refuted Lady Kang's face. All the losses were just a few kowtows to Lady Kang during the worship and standing for a while longer during breakfast...
These were nothing!
The more Li Wanming thought about it, the more proud she became. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up, and even her walking posture became haughty.
Qinglan, walking beside her, was a bit worried and couldn't help but whisper, "Princess of the Heir Apparent, why bother? Why did you have to say that last sentence? The Second Lady suffered a great loss today and is already angry. You're still so sharp - tongued. What if she..."
Li Wanming shook the hairpin on her head, and her vision passed through the swaying ornaments beside her forehead. She said, "Would it be useful to be lenient with my words? Look at her this morning. Has she ever shown me any leniency?"
At first, she also thought that as a new bride, it would be better to keep a low profile and not have too many conflicts with Lady Kang.
But who would have thought that Lady Kang would press on step by step, giving her a hard time from the very beginning and not even thinking about getting along well with her!
Qinglan of course knew she was right, but her worry didn't diminish. "That's true, but you still have to go to the palace to express your gratitude tomorrow. Now that the Princess of Ning is not here, it's the Second Lady who will take you into the palace. This servant is afraid that she'll cause you more trouble."
"Hmm, this is indeed a problem..."
Li Wanming slowly stopped, lowered her eyes, thought for a while, and then said to Qinglan, "Leave the matter of helping Zifu move to her new courtyard to Chuntao. I have another important task for you."
After saying that, she lowered her head and whispered a few words in Qinglan's ear.
After hearing the instructions, Qinglan's eyes immediately flashed with a sharp light. She pursed her lips and smiled, "Yes, this servant will go and handle it right away."
As soon as Li Wanming returned to Shiyongzhai and hadn't even sat down properly, she heard that someone sent by Lady Kang had come to invite her, saying that lunch was served and asking the Princess of the Heir Apparent to go to Jujingtang for the meal.
Chuntao pouted, "Why do we have to go right after we come back? We should have known that the Princess of the Heir Apparent shouldn't have come back. We could have saved a few steps!"
"There's nothing we can do." Li Wanming smiled slightly and comforted her, "Being a daughter - in - law just means having no freedom."
But Chuntao stared blankly at her, "Miss, haven't you been a daughter - in - law for two years already?"
"Ah, that... " Li Wanming embarrassedly touched her nose, "It was a formal marriage, just for show... It doesn't count."
In the past two years in Pingkangfang, rather than being a daughter - in - law, it was more like the Prince and Princess of Ning were trying their best to flatter and please her for the sake of their son's life.
Therefore, in that small courtyard, she was like a mountain king.
She could get whatever she wanted. She had the final say in everything.
From the Prince and Princess down to the stewards and maids, no one dared to go against her wishes.
Whether it was training the whole family to run five kilometers at dawn or opening a wine shop, a school, an inn, or a pawnshop, the whole family would do their best to support her.
When had she ever suffered the slightest bit as a daughter - in - law?
Now it was different. Now she had been officially married into the mansion, and Xiao Jingnan had already lived past twenty years old. The prophecy on him had been self - refuted...
For the Mansion of Ning, she was no longer of any use and had become an ordinary daughter - in - law.
The more Li Wanming thought about it, the more bored she felt.
Alas, a fish is always treated best when it's still in the pond. Once it's caught in the basket, no one is willing to feed it bait anymore!
She tidied up her makeup a bit and walked out listlessly.
Just as she reached the door, she happened to meet Zifu, who had come to express her gratitude.
Zifu had taken off the ostentatious purple gauze outer robe, and most of the delicate hairpins on her head had been removed. Only a pair of jasper earrings were left, gently swaying under her ears like the trembling dew on a leaf, about to fall but not yet.
"Thank you, Princess of the Heir Apparent..."
Zifu lowered her head, and her voice was very soft and small.
Li Wanming looked at her for a while and then asked, "Do you know why I asked you to move back to Shiyongzhai?"
Zifu looked up at her blankly.
Li Wanming sighed softly.
Alas, compared with Caiwei and Qinglan, she was really stupid.
No wonder she only had one thought in mind, which was to climb into a man's bed. If Zifu really left the mansion, she might starve to death because she couldn't find any other way to make a living.
"Were you just about to offer me tea?" Li Wanming asked patiently.
Zifu nodded.
"Then was that cup of tea you were going to offer the tea for a concubine or the tea to pay respects to an elder?"
Zifu was immediately stunned.
Li Wanming pressed on, "I guess it wasn't the tea for a concubine. Judging from your expression, when you finally stepped forward, you wanted to call me sister - in - law or mother, right?"
She leaned down slightly, looking kind - hearted, "Then do you think Lady Kang noticed your intention?"