Li Tian'er had only been back for a few days, but the drastic changes throughout the Li household truly startled her. Li Man'er, who was previously the most disliked, was now treated like a prized gem. Not only were the servants in the manor respectful to her, but even Cui Shi, the matriarch, showed her immense affection, a complete reversal from before.
Li Man'er was now even more favored than Li Zhao'er, yet Li Zhao'er had been married off to an old man. This was simply beyond Li Tian'er's comprehension.
"Why are you competing with her?" Madam Bai said dismissively. "You and she are on completely different paths. No matter how much your grandmother dotes on her, she can't decide matters of the imperial family."
Li Tian'er, however, was filled with worry. "But what about the Empress Dowager..."
While it wasn't unheard of for a family to have two imperial consorts, it was extremely rare. The Li family already had a Shu Fei. Li Tian'er's chances of entering the palace to serve the Emperor were slim, and besides, she herself was unwilling.
The Emperor was as old as her grandfather; naturally, she was unwilling. But what if she were to marry a prince? That might be a different story.
The prerequisite was that only one of them could marry a prince and become a princely consort.
Li Man'er was exceptionally beautiful and deeply favored by the Empress Dowager, coupled with Cui Shi's support, she might truly overshadow Li Tian'er.
Li Tian'er felt a flicker of self-doubt. Even Madam Bai, after hearing her words, wore a pensive expression.
"If someone had told me before that elder sister could steal my thunder, I wouldn't have believed them for a second. But now, the facts are right before my eyes. I heard that the Old Princess Yu personally placed that jade bracelet on her hand. This is no small matter. In recent years, besides Princess Wuyou, I haven't heard of the Old Princess showing special favor to anyone else."
Madam Bai mused inwardly but said nothing.
Li Tian'er, however, was deep in thought. "As for the Duke of Rong's mansion, that's an excellent marriage prospect. What's wrong with Tong Qiao that she looks down on him and insists on breaking off the engagement? Unless she's set her sights on a prince."
Madam Bai simply said, "Why are you worrying so much? Leave this to me. Don't worry, Li Man'er's reputation is ruined; she can't possibly surpass you."
Li Tian'er seemed relieved but then added, "Mother, the wet nurse said that for us women, our husbands are our heavens, and virtues, grace, and reputation are paramount. But I feel what the wet nurse said is both right and wrong."
"Right and wrong?" Madam Bai exclaimed. "That wet nurse is no ordinary person; can her words be wrong?"
"The wet nurse may not be ordinary, but in the end, she's just a servant. How much can she truly fathom what the master thinks?" Li Tian'er argued, "When princes select consorts, they also look at family background and status, just like our alliances."
"That's natural," Madam Bai agreed wholeheartedly. "The girls who can marry princes are naturally from distinguished families."
"So, in the end, princes also want to marry capable wives who can support them. Li Man'er's reputation has improved now, and with the Empress Dowager and Old Princess Yu's backing, perhaps she already is..."
Madam Wang's expression grew somewhat grim. The thought of Li Man'er's maternal family being immensely wealthy made her feel even more suffocated. No matter what one did, it required money, especially for princes. To achieve great things, there were many expenses.
"You don't need to concern yourself with this matter. Put your mind at ease," Madam Wang said. "Learn your etiquette properly; that's what's most important."
Li Tian'er knew Madam Bai was angry, and Li Man'er would surely not get off lightly. She smiled sweetly and replied, "Mother, I understand."
Li Tian'er's concerns were not entirely unfounded. Ever since receiving the jade bracelet from the Old Princess Yu, Li Man'er's standing seemed to have risen further. Many households hosting banquets sent invitations to Li Man'er. However, as Madam Guo's hundred-day mourning period had not yet passed, Li Man'er declined them all and attended none.
This angered Madam Bai greatly. How times had changed! Previously, she could easily find fault with Li Man'er, but now? She couldn't find a single mistake.
Li Tian'er, a master of inadvertently implicating her mother, subtly guided Madam Bai. "To make her make a mistake isn't difficult. As long as her reputation is ruined, who cares whether she actually did it or not!"
Madam Bai thought her daughter was exceptionally clever and immediately devised a plan.
The weather grew increasingly cold. Although the heated flooring hadn't been lit yet, charcoal braziers had already been placed in the rooms.
Li Man'er, wrapped in a padded quilt, slept soundly in her room, like a small pig hibernating.
There was no other choice. Life in ancient times was too boring. Besides reading and embroidering, there seemed to be nothing else to do.
As for the matter of consolidating accounts from the various shops, she summarized them once a month. The ledgers posed no challenge to her. The bookkeeping and reconciliation work that others found incredibly dry and tedious was a piece of cake for her.
After all, the power of a calculator was something the ancients could never comprehend. Moreover, she possessed a modern accounting management system, so she was unfazed by the small matter of auditing and reconciling accounts.
Just as Li Man'er was sleeping soundly, she suddenly heard a faint slithering sound from inside the room. Her reaction was swift. She opened her eyes and sat up from the bed. Indeed, she saw several snakes in the room.
An ordinary person seeing these three-foot-long creatures would likely be too terrified to move. However, Li Man'er was not afraid at all. She got out of bed and calmly picked up the sluggish snakes.
The snakes were already hibernating at this time. The fact that several appeared in her room was clearly deliberate; otherwise, it would be too coincidental.
Li Man'er immediately called for Zi Yan and asked her to fetch a sack.
Seeing the snakes, Zi Yan's speech became faltering, and her pretty face turned pale. "Miss, where did these things come from?"
"Don't worry about it. Go get a sack, and keep your voice down so no one else finds out."
Zi Yan, still shaken, dared not cry out. She immediately turned to find a sack.
Li Man'er put the snakes into the sack and tied the opening tightly before saying, "You come out with me."
Zi Yan helped her change clothes. "Miss, where are we going?"
"Guess?"
Zi Yan really couldn't guess. She fetched Li Man'er's brocade cloak and helped her tie it. "Are we perhaps going to release them?"
These creatures were considered auspicious; perhaps the young lady was kind-hearted and wanted to set them all free.
"Heh heh, your young lady is not that benevolent. We are going to catch the person who put the snakes here."
"Miss, these things were deliberately placed in your room? That's too hateful! What if someone had been bitten?"
"They are all non-venomous. Perhaps the person just wanted to scare us!"
The mistress and servant, holding their hand warmers, left the room and began circling Qingping Xuan.
Two young servants who had been hiding in the shadows, their noses running from the cold, whispered, "Why haven't they made a sound yet? Are all those long creatures frozen to death?"
"How is that possible? They weren't stiff when they were brought out!" The two huddled together for warmth, constantly breathing on their hands.
"Qian Ge, I'm a little scared."