The first thing Li Wanming did after returning to the Prince Ning's Mansion was to send Chuntao to reserve the best private room at Muyun Pavilion. She was going to invite Pei Yanqi.
As for the affairs of the mansion—
In the two days since she received the keys and tokens, Li Wanming deliberately detached herself from them.
Whenever a maid or a daughter - in - law came to ask for her instructions, she would always smile and say:
"I just arrived. How could I understand these things? All you madams are experienced. You might as well make your own decisions."
"What? You must ask for my opinion? Oh, I'm just a young daughter - in - law who has been here for less than three days. How would I know what to do? Just handle things according to the old rules as Second Aunt used to do. If it's really not possible, go and ask Second Aunt Kang. She has managed the mansion for many years and must know. Just do as she says."
"The keys and silver? Oh, if Second Aunt Kang agrees, just follow Qinglan to get the silver."
As for Li Wanming herself, she simply chose to turn a deaf ear, blind eye, and not care about anything, pretending to know nothing!
She was well aware that Kang must have laid many "landmines" for her in the daily affairs of the mansion. One wrong step and she might step on them.
Before she managed to win Pei Yanqi over, every step she took meant more risks.
Rather than taking risks, it was better to just play dumb. Under the pretext of "being new here and knowing nothing", she delayed and avoided the affairs of the mansion as much as possible. If she couldn't delay or avoid them, she would push them all back to Kang.
Anyway, it was only for these two days. Nothing too serious would happen.
Once she invited Pei Yanqi back to the mansion and let Kang see that she really had the ability to invite the top scholar to be a private tutor, those "pits" full of hidden traps would naturally be filled overnight.
After that, Kang's attitude towards her would also change. At least, she wouldn't blatantly trip her up anymore.
Now, the question was, how could she get Pei Yanqi to agree?
She wondered if five times the usual tuition fee would be enough.
She hoped this top scholar wouldn't ask for an exorbitant amount...
On the day after returning to her natal family, Li Wanming got up very early. She asked Qinglan to do a simple hairstyle for her and picked out a set of low - key yet elegant clothes that could show the dignity of the princess of the heir apparent. After paying respects to Kang, she left the mansion.
When Kang heard the reason for her going out, she immediately smiled and didn't stop her at all. She even ordered someone to prepare the carriage and personally came to the door to see her off.
This put a lot of pressure on Li Wanming...
If she failed to bring back Scholar Pei, wouldn't Kang eat her alive?
Don't panic. She hoped that five times the tuition fee would work, so that she wouldn't have to use her trump card.
...
Muyun Pavilion was still as elegant as ever.
The weeping crabapple in the courtyard stretched over the blue tiles, and the magnolia branches were dotted with morning dew that hadn't evaporated.
The pearl curtains tinkled gently in the cross - breeze. The veils hung in layers, sifting the sunlight into fine golden flakes that fell on the corridor covered with the brocade carpet with a pattern of ten thousand characters.
There was a faint fragrance like smoke in the hall. On the crescent - shaped stage, a singer was softly singing. Her voice was gentle and charming, like a narcissus leaning against a Taihu stone.
Li Wanming went straight to the private room at the innermost part of the second floor. She ordered a pot of Baihao Yinzhen tea and several plates of delicate fruits. She poured herself a cup of tea and sat quietly inside, waiting for Pei Yanqi.
Before long, Pei Yanqi arrived. His first words were: "Li Wanming, are you crazy?"
"I know you're now married into the Prince Ning's Mansion. Your status has changed, and you have money. But you can't be so extravagant and wasteful!"
"What kind of place is Muyun Pavilion? It's the most luxurious restaurant in the capital. Every inch of land here is extremely valuable!"
"Do you really need to come to a place like this just to invite me to dinner? Couldn't we talk at Hongbin Lou or a street - side wonton stall?"
Li Wanming silently pushed the teacup in front of her over and said, "My current status is the princess of the heir apparent. It's not appropriate for me to sit at a street - side wonton stall, is it?"
"What's inappropriate? Precisely because you're the princess of the heir apparent, you should practice thrift and avoid extravagance and waste. Only in this way can you set an example for the world!"
Pei Yanqi was tired of talking. He drank the tea in front of him in one gulp, then picked up a chestnut cake and put it into his mouth. Immediately, his eyes lit up. But then he became even more righteous and imposing: "Even a snack is so delicious. You tell me, isn't this a money - burning den?"
"Ah, yes, yes, yes. Muyun Pavilion is the most extravagant place in the Great Sheng Dynasty. Take the chestnut cake you just ate. It costs two taels of silver for one piece." Li Wanming leaned back in her chair and replied lazily.
Pei Yanqi's eyes instantly widened like copper bells. He spat out the snack in his mouth and said in horror, "Why are you telling me this? You're the one who invited me to dinner today... Let me tell you, you're the one who chose this place. I'm not going to pay!"
"Eww..." Li Wanming frowned in disgust. "You're a top scholar, for goodness' sake. Can you be a bit more decent? I haven't even said anything yet, and you're talking about money all the time."
Pei Yanqi flicked his sleeves and stood up. "Precisely because I'm a top scholar and a pillar of the country, I know better about the hardships of the common people. I must resolutely resist the extravagant and wasteful practices of you noble lords and ladies!"
Li Wanming was too lazy to argue with him. She just said, "I have a way to make money. Do you want to do it?"
Pei Yanqi replied simply and crisply, "No!"
Huh???
This really surprised Li Wanming.
No?
A way to make money, and he didn't want to do it?
Could it be that this money - grubbing guy had changed his nature? He actually didn't pounce on money but pushed it away?
"You haven't even heard what it is..."
"No need to hear." Pei Yanqi lifted the corner of his robe and sat down. "You've just entered the Prince Ning's Mansion and haven't taken over the affairs of the mansion yet. So it must not be a business like the shops or farmlands in the mansion that needs to be managed."
"In the past two days, there have been many things in the Prince Ning's Mansion, but none of them have anything to do with me. The only thing that could make you put aside all the complicated affairs of the mansion and come here specifically to invite me to dinner is one thing—"
Pei Yanqi slightly raised his eyebrows and said proudly, "It must be that your family's Second Young Master is looking for a tutor!
"Your family's Second Young Master is notoriously known. After much thought, the only great talent around you is me. I'm highly talented, good - looking, and was the top scholar that year. I entered the Imperial Academy at a young age... You just want to use me to curry favor with that Second Madam Kang so that she'll go easy on you when she hands over the power of the mansion!"
"Not bad, Pei Yanqi!" Li Wanming opened her eyes in surprise. "You can even analyze this. You're really not a fool!"
"What are you talking about!" Pei Yanqi glared at her angrily. "I'm a top scholar. I'm going to be a prime minister in the future!"
"Then why did you refuse?" Li Wanming asked curiously. "The tuition fee from the Prince Ning's Mansion won't be low."
Pei Yanqi said proudly, "A gentleman loves wealth but acquires it in a proper way. Your family's Second Young Master, Xiao, is notoriously disrespectful to teachers and extremely naughty. I heard that since he started his schooling, he has managed to drive away six teachers one after another. No teacher has ever managed to stay in the Prince Ning's Mansion for more than three months..."
"So what?" Li Wanming said indifferently. "All he does is put a few toads on the table. It might scare those old pedants, but can it scare you?"