What a way to put me in my place!
This move might work on others, but for Li Man'er, it was less than nothing.
“I already paid my respects to the Princess, are you blind?”
“You…” Tong Xinrui suppressed her humiliation and patiently said, “You are supposed to perform a kowtow.”
This was taking things too far.
Normally, only when meeting the Emperor, Empress Dowager, Empress, or the four Imperial Consorts in formal settings was a kowtow required. On other occasions, a simple bow to other members of the royal family was sufficient. Who would demand a kowtow at every turn?
Especially since the Eldest Princess was married off, and Li Man'er was personally enfeoffed as a Junzhu by the Emperor, a simple salute was entirely within the bounds of etiquette.
“This Junzhu bears military merit. The Emperor has long issued a decree that this Junzhu need not kneel before anyone except the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Have you forgotten?”
The Eldest Princess was taken aback. Madam Cui was also stunned. Tong Xinrui had no idea about this and could only look towards the Eldest Princess.
The Eldest Princess nodded slightly. The Emperor indeed had such a decree. When the Emperor first enfeoffed Anning Junzhu, many had objected, believing that Li Man'er was already a noble lady from a marquis’s household and there was no need to grant her the title of Junzhu. Even with her contributions, it was excessive to grant her such a high rank as Anning Junzhu.
But how could the Emperor’s imperial power be questioned by a bunch of officials? Especially the censors who were always threatening to impeach, which infuriated the Emperor to no end. He had lost his temper in court and berated those who voiced their opposition.
The barbarians had attacked the border. Tens of thousands of troops. It wasn't as if all of them were wiped out by Li Man'er single-handedly, but at least she alone could stand against thousands of soldiers. The reports from the border had been thoroughly reviewed by the Emperor, and Li Man'er had undoubtedly made immense contributions.
Such a person, and a woman at that, posed no threat to the empire. What was wrong with bestowing upon her the title of Junzhu? If she were a man, she might have even been granted a military token to lead troops.
In his anger, the Emperor immediately issued another decree: Anning Junzhu, except when meeting the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, need not kneel before any other member of the royal family, including princes, princesses, and imperial princes.
This decree was for those eloquent Confucian officials. It was less a reward for Li Man'er and more an expression of the Emperor’s displeasure with those officials.
Li Man'er, in effect, had received a huge benefit.
As a result, she had a perfectly legitimate reason to refuse to kneel before the Eldest Princess, and no one could fault her!
How could she have forgotten about this!
At this moment, the Eldest Princess detested those old fogeys to death. If not for their instigation, Li Man'er wouldn’t be so arrogant now. Even if she didn’t want to kneel, no one would have said anything if she had been forced to.
“Enough, this Princess and Anning are, after all, family of a sort. There's no need to make things so difficult for her.”
Li Man'er sneered, but said nothing more. However, she cast a chilling glance at Madam Cui, her eyes as cold as if she were looking at a dead person.
Madam Cui felt a chill down her spine, as if her life were about to be taken at any moment, and her heart began to pound.
After being afflicted with the蛊毒 (gǔ dú -蛊 poison), her body had been slowly deteriorating. Even with current medication, her age meant she couldn’t withstand further hardship, and it would certainly shorten her lifespan.
Thinking of this, Madam Cui’s hatred for Li Man'er grew even deeper. However, Li Man'er was right about one thing: when people are dead, they know nothing and experience no more pain in this world. Only by living can one feel heartbroken and regret their past actions.
“My respects have been paid. May this Junzhu leave now?”
“Insolent!” The Eldest Princess’s eyes sharpened. “Anning, you are utterly lacking in manners.”
Li Man'er raised her eyebrows slightly. “Oh? Anning is unaware of Your Highness’s meaning. Pray, Princess, enlighten me.”
“Putting other matters aside, I ask you, where were you yesterday? You actually spent the night away from home. Do you have any semblance of a woman’s modesty?”
Before Li Man'er could speak, Tong Xinrui chimed in, “As a woman, how can you disregard propriety and behave in such a manner? Junzhu, have you perhaps never read the rules and teachings for women?”
Ah, so they wanted to find a handle against her.
“Yesterday, I went to the suburban estate with Ninth Prince and rested for a day. Is there a problem with that?”
Tong Xinrui’s eyes widened as if she had heard something scandalous. “You, how can you be so open and unashamed? Even if the Ninth Prince is your future husband, Junzhu, as a woman, you cannot act so recklessly.”
“None of your business?”
Tong Xinrui felt insulted and, agitated, declared, “Junzhu’s actions like this, where do they place the Prince? By extension, it makes him appear as someone who has acted against gentlemanly conduct. How can you be a wife like this?”
“Ha!” Li Man'er was amused. “Let me ask you again, none of your business?”
“I…” Tong Xinrui was speechless. She was in no position to speak now. She looked pleadingly at the Eldest Princess for help.
The Eldest Princess, receiving the signal from the “big radish,” immediately said, “Anning, this matter is indeed your fault. Besides, Xin'er is not just anyone.”
Li Man'er had long known that Tong Xinrui was the one the Eldest Princess had scouted for the role of Little Shan, but she could still put on an act. She deliberately asked, “Oh, not just anyone? Then who is she? I thought she was merely a relative from the Tong family. Now it seems she has some other identity.”
Madam Cui prepared to watch the show.
Tong Xinrui also showed a hint of shyness, her expression one of wanting to speak but hesitating.
The Eldest Princess then said, “The Empress Dowager decreed a marriage between you and Ninth Prince, which is a happy occasion. However, your spirited nature and lack of composure mean you might find the domestic affairs of the household bothersome. Therefore, I thought, why not also arrange for a secondary wife for Ninth Prince? This way, she can help you share the responsibilities of the household, preventing you from becoming too constrained, and also assist Ninth Prince in procreating. Isn't that the best of both worlds?”
Truly, human greed knows no bounds. They not only wanted to foist another woman onto Qi Yihan but also have her manage the household and usurp the rights of the Princess Consort, all while speaking so sanctimoniously.
When people are shameless, they are invincible.
Li Man'er glanced at Tong Xinrui. “In other words, this Miss Tong is a concubine that the Eldest Princess has prepared for the Ninth Prince?”
Upon hearing this, Tong Xinrui swayed, looking as if she were a delicate flower battered by wind and rain.
“She’s a secondary consort!” the Eldest Princess gritted her teeth.
“Isn’t that a concubine? Since ancient times, concubines have never had the right to manage the household. Is the Eldest Princess doing this to make the Ninth Prince dote on his concubine and neglect his wife?”
“You…”
Everyone was rendered speechless by her retort.
Li Man'er then walked in front of Tong Xinrui, lifted her chin, and clicked her tongue twice.
Tong Xinrui was terrified, her eyes turning red. “What… what are you doing?” She looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
“Since ancient times, concubines are merely maids, mere playthings who rely on their looks to serve. You don’t even have any allure, looking so bland and uninteresting. How do you have the confidence to be a concubine for the Prince?”
Tong Xinrui’s tears began to stream down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.
This was too much bullying!