A deep frown line appeared between Lady Yuan's eyebrows, clearly indicating her great worry.
"How old is she? How can she be the adoptive mother of the maids in the mansion? If this gets out, won't people say that the Crown Prince's Consort is reckless and frivolous?"
For a lady from a noble family, reputation is of the utmost importance.
The gossips that spread among the mansions are often sharper than swords. One slight slip, and a person can be ruined and live a life worse than death.
Li Wanming has just gotten married and hasn't stepped into the social circle of the noble ladies in the city yet. She doesn't know the horror of the power of public opinion, so she dares to take such a bold risk.
But now that it's almost early summer, various banquets such as flower - viewing, boat - riding, polo games, and the Dragon Boat Festival will soon follow one after another.
If Li Wanming really gets a bad reputation of being "frivolous", how will she be able to get along among these ladies whose tongues are sharper than knives?
"Madam, there's no need to worry too much," Nanny Song quickly comforted when she saw this. "After that day, I paid close attention. Although our Crown Prince's Consort did something a bit out of the ordinary, there weren't many gossips among the maids in the Prince Ning's Mansion. Instead, they were secretly envious of that girl Zifu..."
"Envious?" Lady Yuan was taken aback. Her fingers unconsciously curled slightly. This answer was beyond her expectation.
Nanny Song said with a beaming smile, "Yes, envious. I can't be wrong."
"The Crown Prince's Consort used to do business in the capital and has a reputation for being capable. Even the maids and servants in the inner courtyard have heard of it. They all know that the Crown Prince's Consort has savings!"
"Now that the Crown Prince's Consort is the mistress of the mansion, having received the keys and taken charge of the affairs in the mansion... They think that since the Crown Prince's Consort said she would give a dowry comparable to that of a county princess, even if she can't fully fulfill it, it won't be too far off."
"So, those little girls in the mansion are all eagerly looking forward to it. They are secretly jealous and say that Zifu has a better future following our Crown Prince's Consort than being a concubine!"
Hearing this, Lady Yuan's tense fingers gradually relaxed, and her expression softened.
That's right. The little maids try so hard to sleep with the master and become concubines just to earn a good future for themselves. Who is born to be humble and willing to be a plaything to be humiliated?
She had been the mistress for too long, and her mind was bound by the ideas of the main wife and concubines. She was too self - righteous and had overlooked the real thoughts of the servants.
"However," Lady Yuan still had some concerns. "Chuntao has been with Wanming for many years, and Qinglan is also a capable assistant beside her. But now she publicly promised such a generous dowry to Zifu, who wanted to be a concubine. Won't it chill the hearts of those around her?"
"Speaking of this, I can't help but praise our Crown Prince's Consort again."
The smile lines on Nanny Song's face deepened. Her eyes were full of admiration. "That night, the Crown Prince's Consort called Chuntao, Qinglan, and me into the room and explained everything clearly."
"She said that although what she said that morning was just a temporary measure to silence Lady Kang, Zifu couldn't become her adopted sister or daughter. But a promise is a promise. With so many people in the mansion watching, she will surely find a good family for Zifu in the future and marry her off in style."
"The Crown Prince's Consort calculated her assets and the betrothal gifts from the mansion. She said that as long as she managed well, in a few years, she would surely be able to give each of us a valuable dowry, which would definitely not be worse than Zifu's. She also said that if we had any other ideas, we could tell her, and she would try her best to fulfill them for us."
"One dowry for each of us?"
Lady Yuan raised her eyebrows, surprised by Li Wanming's "generosity". She thought to herself: It's really true that you don't know how expensive daily necessities are until you run a household. This girl is really generous!
It's only the most capable maids around the mistress who have the privilege of having the mistress prepare a dowry and arrange a wedding for them.
Li Wanming is even better. She directly promised four dowries!
Moreover, Nanny Song is already old. It's not embarrassing for her to talk about dowries in front of the two maids...
"Yes," Nanny Song couldn't help covering her mouth with her sleeve and smiling softly. "I'm already this old, and my grandson is already in school. What do I need a dowry for?"
"As soon as the Crown Prince's Consort said this, it made Chuntao and Qinglan burst into laughter. They made fun of me for a while."
Her face blushed slightly. After laughing for a while, she continued, "Chuntao immediately said that she didn't want a dowry. She wanted to stay by the Crown Prince's Consort's side for a lifetime. Miss Qinglan directly knelt down and said that she owed her current life to the Crown Prince's Consort and didn't dare to covet the Crown Prince's Consort's property..."
"The Crown Prince's Consort said that even if we didn't want it, she would still prepare it. She also said that she regarded us who served beside her as her own family. As long as she had something, our lives would not be bad."
Speaking of this, Nanny Song couldn't help sighing softly, her tone full of admiration.
"The Crown Prince's Consort is kind - hearted and open - minded. By putting these things on the table and making them clear, she removed all the grudges in everyone's hearts. Acting like this, she truly has the grace of a mistress."
Hearing her praise Li Wanming so highly, Lady Yuan finally completely let go of the worry in her heart.
"I thought that since her husband was away and her in - laws had gone to the suburban villa, she would be wronged in the Prince Ning's Mansion. But now that I've heard what you said, she has her own ideas. I've been worrying about her for nothing."
"The Crown Prince's Consort may seem reckless, but in fact, she acts quite methodically. Madam, don't worry too much." After Nanny Song said this, she briefly told Lady Yuan what had happened in the palace yesterday.
She didn't go into the palace with them yesterday, so she only knew that the Empress Dowager had made things difficult for Li Wanming. It was Li Wanming who had planned ahead and sent Qinglan to invite Princess Chengping in advance, which turned the situation around.
Lady Yuan lowered her eyes and murmured, "As soon as Xiao Jingnan left, the Empress Dowager couldn't wait to make things difficult for his family. Her intentions are obvious. I'm afraid the court will be in turmoil again..."
Hearing Lady Yuan start to comment on the affairs of the court, Nanny Song immediately lowered her head, looking at her nose and nose at her heart, and silently took two steps back. She didn't dare to say a word.
After a long time, Lady Yuan looked up and said, "You've done a good job. From now on, please take good care of Wanming."
After that, Lady Yuan asked Nanny Song many detailed questions, from Li Wanming's daily life in the Prince Ning's Mansion, to her way of dealing with people, and then to the complex interpersonal relationships in the mansion. She left nothing out.
Nanny Song answered them one by one, with a respectful and detailed tone.
After Lady Yuan heard her finish, her heart finally completely settled in her chest.