Mrs. Kang buried all her malice deep in her eyes, but plastered a kind and grateful smile on her face.
"Ah, as expected of his elder cousin's wife, who has seen the world. You've really thought this through. If Jingbai could really be taught by Scholar Pei, it would be a blessing he's earned over three lifetimes!"
She had already made up her mind: she was determined to have Pei Yanqi as a tutor, and she would never let go of the power to manage the Ningwang Mansion!
For now, she would play along and keep Li Wanming steady. Once Scholar Pei entered the mansion, she had a hundred ways to win him over. By then, it would not be too late to deal with Li Wanming slowly!
Thinking of this, Mrs. Kang pretended to be grateful as she stood up and bowed slightly to Li Wanming. "I thank you in advance, niece..."
Li Wanming had seen the evasive look in her eyes just now and already understood. However, she didn't expose her. Instead, she stood up very cooperatively, reached out to support Mrs. Kang, and said warmly,
"Auntie, what are you doing? You're an elder. Bowing to me, a junior, would make me feel unworthy. Besides, it's just a matter of inviting a tutor. It's nothing."
If Mrs. Kang didn't want to give up the power to manage the mansion, so be it. Anyway, the power to manage the mansion was not her top priority for now. Meeting the emperor in the palace tomorrow was of utmost importance.
It didn't matter. The matter of the power to manage the mansion could wait. Her top priority now was to solve the problem of meeting the emperor in the palace tomorrow.
Now, Empress Dowager Kang was seizing military power from the Xiao family and General Feng. The Xiao family was a thorn in her side. As the newlywed wife of Xiao Jingnan and the mistress of the Ningwang Mansion, Li Wanming would surely be targeted.
Tomorrow's audience with the emperor to express gratitude would not be peaceful.
She urgently needed Mrs. Kang to help her bear the brunt of the storm tomorrow. So, for now, she could only turn a blind eye to Mrs. Kang's clumsy performance.
It was a pity that all of Mrs. Kang's scheming was used in the back - yard power struggles. She knew nothing about the political situation in the court. She thought that Li Wanming was only interested in seizing the power to manage the mansion and didn't notice the twists and turns in the other's mind at all.
"Let's go. Dinner is served. Let's go and eat first." Mrs. Kang once again affectionately took Li Wanming's arm. "If you don't understand anything about the affairs of the mansion in the future, feel free to ask me."
She thought that this sentence must have hit Li Wanming's heart. Her smile became even sweeter, and she gently patted the back of her hand.
Li Wanming got goosebumps all over, but she lowered her head and put on a shy look. She said in a voice as sweet as honey, "Thank you, auntie."
The twilight was gradually falling outside the window, casting the intimate shadows of the two on the rose - colored gauze window.
Li Wanming sighed deeply in her heart: Auntie, don't worry about the power to manage the mansion for now. Please help me bear the brunt of the storm tomorrow!
——————————————
This was not Li Wanming's first time in the palace.
But it was her first time in Yonghe Palace, the residence of Empress Dowager Kang.
The eaves were solemn, and the palace walls were as majestic as ever.
The golden rays of the morning sun filtered through the beast - shaped ornaments on the solemn palace buildings. Li Wanming looked up at the magnificent golden - tiled roofs with coiled dragons on them. Suddenly, she felt a sense of the passage of time and couldn't help but think of the situation when she sent wine into the palace in the late autumn of the year before last.
That time, Zhao Yanke disguised himself as a wealthy young master and lied that he wanted to hold a banquet for the elders in his family on the Double Ninth Festival. He ordered three thousand jars of wine from her.
It was precisely because of his generosity and picky nature that she produced the Jinyutang wine under great pressure. Later, it became famous in the capital.
...
Time had flown by, and everything had changed.
She didn't expect that so many things would happen in just two years.
Li Wanming couldn't help but close her eyes.
The carriage rumbled over the alley paved with blue bricks. The dew was still on the scabbards of the guards at the gate. Their iron armors glowed with a unique blue - black color in the morning light.
After their visiting cards and tokens were checked, the carriage was allowed to pass.
Finally, they passed through Zhengyang Gate. This was the second time Li Wanming had passed through this most magnificent and majestic city gate of the Dacheng Dynasty in her life.
When she first came here a year ago, she thought it was just an ordinary autumn day.
She didn't expect that even then, the gears of fate had already started to turn, gradually tightening the connection between her and this palace city, and finally making her one of them.
"The Empress Dowager is almost finished with her breakfast. Please follow me to Qiyue Pavilion, Princess of the Heir Apparent and Lady Kang."
Outside Yonghe Palace, a middle - aged head maid in a purple palace dress smiled gently and led the way for them.
Mrs. Kang replied meekly, but suddenly quickened her steps and squeezed out a greasy smile.
"Aunt Fangrong, I wonder how the Empress Dowager's health has been recently? I got some pre - rain Longjing tea a few days ago. I've been thinking about sending it to show my respect to the Empress Dowager..."
"Lady Kang is so considerate," Fangrong said, slightly shifting her body to quietly keep a distance from Mrs. Kang.
"The Empress Dowager often says that although the noble families look prosperous on the surface, there are many difficulties inside. If everyone can live a good life and share the country's worries, that is the greatest respect for her."
The smile on her face was still gentle, but there was a hint of detachment in her tone.
Mrs. Kang was rebuffed, and her face flushed. She could only retreat awkwardly.
Li Wanming walked beside them and almost burst out laughing.
Her aunt was clearly trying to curry favor with Aunt Fangrong on purpose to show off in front of her, to prove that as a clan relative of the Empress Dowager, she had connections even in Yonghe Palace...
Unexpectedly, she had gotten a snub!
Li Wanming remembered the rumor: although Empress Dowager Kang and Mrs. Kang were clan relatives, their blood relationship was distant, and they were not close. If Mrs. Kang hadn't accidentally married the second illegitimate son of the Ningwang Mansion, Empress Dowager Kang might not even have remembered that she had a distant niece...
Oh, unexpectedly, Mrs. Kang wanted to show off in front of her with this little relationship. Sometimes, Li Wanming really didn't know whether to say she was smart or stupid.
Li Wanming tried hard to hold back her laughter and walked quietly behind Fangrong, doing her best to look dignified and elegant, like a true lady of a noble family.
They passed through the moon - shaped gate and walked westward along the corridor. After about a cup of tea's time, they came to a palace.
Six vermilion - painted and carved wooden doors were lined up in a row. A ray of morning sun happened to pierce through the clouds.
Li Wanming squinted her eyes and saw the Chaofeng beasts squatting on the eaves of the palace baring their teeth and claws in the golden light, but the copper bells in their mouths were silent.
Aunt Fangrong went in first to announce their arrival. After a moment, she came out to invite them in.
Mrs. Kang quickly tidied up her appearance, lowered her head, and even her breathing became a bit solemn. Li Wanming could feel her nervousness.
Yes, who wouldn't be nervous?
- To meet Empress Dowager Kang, the most powerful woman in the Dacheng Dynasty, anyone would surely tremble with fear.
Li Wanming also lowered her head and quietly followed behind Mrs. Kang.
The palace was very quiet. Although there were maids standing solemnly under the twelve coiled - dragon columns, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.