Meanwhile, in a garden pavilion of the Princess Dowager's Mansion, several maids were chatting while dusting the ornaments in the pavilion.
"The princess is so overbearing! Miss Chu is such a nice person, yet she was sent to the servants' quarters. How can the princess be so intolerant!"
"Exactly! Fortunately, our son - in - law is a good man. When he learned that Miss Chu was being bullied, he sent two more maids to take good care of her. If it weren't for the son - in - law, Miss Chu might have been bullied away by the princess!"
"If such a nice person as Miss Chu were really bullied away by the princess, I wouldn't want to stay here either!"
"Right! Miss Chu said that all men are created equal. And as soon as she entered the mansion, she asked the son - in - law to double our monthly allowances. Where can we find such a nice person? If you leave, I'll leave too!"
"Me too!"
As they talked, they burst into laughter.
"Good."
A soft voice rang out. When they turned around and saw who it was, the smiles on their faces were instantly replaced by panic. They all knelt down in unison: "Greetings to the princess!"
Jiang Ning'an's gaze slowly swept over them.
After a moment, Jiang Ning'an walked into the pavilion and sat down. Meng Chun stepped forward to pour her tea.
The teapot tilted, and the clear red liquid slowly flowed out.
This was a fruit drink made by mashing the cherries just sent from the palace and mixing them with jasmine tea. It was sweet, sour and refreshing.
Jiang Ning'an took a sip of the fruit drink and then leisurely said, "I heard everything you just said."
The maids who had been chatting merrily just now were now trembling and didn't dare to say a word.
The spring sun was clearly so warm and bright, but they felt colder than in winter.
Meng Chun's sharp eyes swept over them, and she said sternly, "The monthly allowances of the servants in the Princess Dowager's Mansion are already the highest among all the families in the capital, and the rewards during festivals are never deducted. Your Miss Chu is so good in your eyes, but where did the doubled silver for you come from? It came from the accounts of the Princess Dowager's Mansion! She could win you over with just a few words. How come we never found such stupid people in the mansion before!"
The maids' faces turned pale and red from being scolded by Meng Chun. They all kowtowed and begged for mercy, shouting for their lives and crying with red - rimmed eyes. They looked extremely pitiful.
But Jiang Ning'an just looked at them calmly and didn't say a word.
After a while, Jiang Ning'an said, "You all know that I've never been a tolerant person. You've been two - faced right under my nose. I can't and won't tolerate this.
Take them away and beat them to death with sticks."
Jiang Ning'an's tone was as casual as if she were talking about the weather.
But with just these light words, she decided the fate of these people.
The maids had their mouths gagged and were dragged away.
Jiang Ning'an's gaze lingered on them for a moment.
People who ate her food but praised others were just a nuisance. She might as well get rid of them to deter the others who were two - faced.
Not far away, some servants who were watching the commotion were staring at the maids being dragged away.
Although the Princess Dowager's Mansion was large, the news that these people had been beaten to death with sticks would probably spread throughout the mansion within half a day.
The fruit tea in Jiang Ning'an's cup was finished, and Meng Chun stepped forward to refill it.
After drinking another cup of fruit tea, Lin Ji quietly landed outside the pavilion: "Princess, Wutong Residence has been tidied up."
Jiang Ning'an stood up: "This tea is good. Take it back."
Meng Chun responded and picked up the teapot again, following Jiang Ning'an back to Wutong Residence.
At this time, all the large and small items in Wutong Residence had been replaced, and the servants in the yard were also the familiar faces of Jiang Ning'an. She couldn't help but feel a moment of daze, as if she had never left.
Seeing that she didn't say a word for a long time, Meng Chun asked, "Princess, is there something wrong with the decoration?"
"… No," Jiang Ning'an shook her head. "It's all good."
Only then did Meng Chun heave a sigh of relief.
Jiang Ning'an walked around the room and said, "Lin Ji, take some people to seal off the accounting room. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Find a place to lock up the accountant, and then invite some efficient accountants from outside."
She was going to audit the accounts.
In the past two years, she had done so many stupid things. She had even handed over all the financial power of the mansion to Chu Ming.
In her dream, the accountant who came to the mansion two years ago was Chu Ming's man. The accounts of the Princess Dowager's Mansion must be in a complete mess now.
With her mother gone, every single coin in the Princess Dowager's Mansion belonged to her. She had to sort it out and make sure that no outsiders could take advantage.
Jiang Ning'an took a deep breath: "Meng Chun, go and check on the two maids sent to Chu Yu's side."
The two of them responded and left.
---
Two days later.
In the Fengyi Palace of the imperial palace.
"You girl, just come. Why did you bring gifts?"
The queen had been in a high position for many years. Even in her informal clothes, her grace and dignity were undiminished.
Jiang Ning'an sat cross - legged on the couch, eating fresh cherries: "I've been living in the palace for the past six months, causing a lot of trouble for my aunt. If I didn't bring some gifts, I'd be too embarrassed to come."
The queen had no choice but to rummage through the fruit plate for a while and then handed Jiang Ning'an the roundest and biggest cherry: "Don't do this again. It makes us seem so distant."
Jiang Ning'an took it and took a bite without hesitation: "Got it, aunt. I haven't seen Crown Prince brother for a long time. What's he busy with?"
"The floods in the south of the Yangtze River have been continuous. Your Crown Prince brother thought there was a problem with the dikes, so he went there to check in person."
At this moment, a rush of footsteps came. The two of them turned their heads at the same time and saw the emperor in a black dragon - robe coming over.
Just by looking at his attire, one could tell that he had just come from the court and rushed here in a hurry.
As soon as the emperor entered, his eyes were attracted by the fabric held by the palace servants.
Seeing this, the queen said, "This is the Xiangyun silk that Ning'er brought for me."
Saying that, the queen told someone to put it away, as if she was afraid someone would snatch it.
The emperor walked closer, glanced at Jiang Ning'an who was happily eating cherries, and coughed, obviously hinting at something.
Jiang Ning'an was well - prepared. With a wave of her hand, Meng Chun stepped forward with a long and slender box.
The box was opened, and a writing brush lay quietly inside.
The body of the brush was made of golden nanmu, and the tip was made of high - quality weasel hair. The tips of the hair were long, clear and free of any stray hairs.
The emperor's eyes lit up. He picked it up and played with it for a while: "Do you still have such good things hidden in your mansion? Could it be that I gave it to you sometime and you're giving it back to me?"
Jiang Ning'an was speechless: "Uncle, when did you ever give me such things?"
The emperor had given her a lot of things. He had always been generous with her food, clothing and daily necessities. But when it came to such elegant things, the emperor really hadn't given her any.
"That's because you've never been able to study since you were a child. Giving you such things would be a waste." The emperor said righteously.
Knowing that this thing hadn't come from the palace, the emperor stopped playing with it and put the brush back into the box.
Jiang Ning'an didn't want to say anything.
She had come with gifts, so the emperor and the queen naturally wouldn't let her leave empty - handed. Even before Jiang Ning'an left the palace, a whole cart of gifts had already been sent back to the Princess Dowager's Mansion.
After Jiang Ning'an left, the emperor looked at the queen: "Give me two bolts of the fabric?"
The queen sized him up and finally her gaze landed on the box stuck in his belt: "Let me use that brush."
The emperor didn't say a word. He quickly walked away with the brush in his pocket.