There were no more questions.
The words had been spoken, and who could possibly have any more doubts?
Tong Qiuwu’s face was flushed crimson. The humiliation came so swiftly that she wished she could crawl into a crack in the earth. If it were anyone else, it would be one thing, but these words came from Princess Wuyou herself, equivalent to a slap delivered by the Princess. She could only endure it.
“But, but even so, it’s a fact that Li Man’er came to the gathering without regard for the elderly Madam Li still being ill, right? This, this is unfilial.”
Li Zhaozr, with a look of pitiable helplessness, said softly, “Your Highness, please forgive me. My elder sister was simply too eager to experience the gathering, which is why she came without permission. I beg Your Highness to overlook her youthful ignorance and not hold it against her.” She then bowed deeply to Princess Wuyou. “I apologize to Your Highness on behalf of my sister.”
Li Zhaozr’s words were clever; she was subtly mocking Li Man’er as impetuous and lacking experience. Li Man’er was a year older than her, yet Li Zhaozr knew things Li Man’er didn't. Could it be that Li Man’er was a simpleton?
“Heh, my dear sister, thank you for your concern, but why are you apologizing on my behalf? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Seeing Li Man’er’s stubborn defiance, Li Zhaozr’s heart bloomed with delight. The Princess valued filial piety above all else, so how could she possibly favor someone like Li Man’er, who was unfilial?
“Elder Sister, Grandmother is unwell, and you ran out on your own, even deceiving Your Highness. This is unacceptable.” By the end, she even started acting like a moral instructor.
“Shut your mouth,” Li Man’er called out. “Is wet nurse Du here?”
Wet nurse Du, who had anticipated her presence being needed, quickly responded, “This old servant is here.” She then hurried to Li Man’er’s side.
“Ladies, this is wet nurse Du, who serves my grandmother. Perhaps you would like to hear what she has to say.”
Li Man’er cast a meaningful glance at Li Zhaozr, whose face had turned pale and whose body was swaying slightly. She then said, “Wet nurse Du, perhaps you could tell everyone how you accompanied me here and what Grandmother told you before you came.”
Wet nurse Du performed a curtsy and then said, “Greetings to Your Highness and all the ladies. This servant was assigned to the eldest young lady by the Old Madam to accompany her to Your Highness’s poetry gathering. Before we came, the Old Madam specifically instructed this servant to take good care of the eldest young lady.”
Princess Wuyou’s gaze swept over Li Zhaozr and Tong Qiuwu. She said softly, “The two young ladies are feeling unwell. Have someone escort them back.”
“Yes!” Wet nurse Min’s voice was full of vigor and presence. “Two young ladies, please come with this old servant. I will personally escort you out.” wap.kanshuwu.net
The words of plea they had intended to utter caught in their throats, unable to be spoken. This was wet nurse Min, who had served the Empress Dowager, and she was acting on the Princess’s orders. How could they dare to resist?
At this point, Li Zhaozr knew regret. She knew fear. From the moment she received the invitation, she had been secretly preparing, planning to shine brilliantly at the poetry gathering and establish her reputation as a talented woman. But she never imagined that because of Li Man’er, she would not only lose the opportunity to attend but also incur the displeasure of Princess Wuyou!
The loss far outweighed any gain!
Li Zhaozr’s tears were on the verge of falling, but her pitiable appearance was seen by the crowd as self-inflicted.
Ziyan felt a great sense of satisfaction. For years, her mother and daughter had bullied her mistress, and now the tables had turned.
It was satisfying, exhilarating.
Just as Li Zhaozr and Tong Qiuwu were preparing to leave, Li Man’er’s voice rang out again. “Your Highness, my second sister is my mother’s darling. Now that my second sister is unwell, my mother will surely be most anxious. However, I haven’t seen my mother since the beginning, and I don’t know where she is. Should I not inform her so she can accompany my second sister home?”
“You are indeed thoughtful,” Princess Wuyou said, glancing at the female attendant beside her. The latter immediately nodded in understanding and departed.
Li Zhaozr’s eyes turned red with fury. This was a stab to the heart; Li Man’er was intent on trampling their mother and daughter’s reputation into the mud.
Not to mention that Li Man’er now utterly disregarded Li Zhaozr’s feelings. *I'm stepping on you, and what can you do about it?*
Before long, the female attendant brought Madam Guo over.
Since entering the manor, Madam Guo had been acting separately from Li Zhaozr. Li Zhaozr would make public appearances and foster relationships with the young ladies of various households. Madam Guo, on the other hand, was socializing with the noble ladies of other manors, with the aim of finding a good marriage for her disappointing nephew.
The Guo family was not a prominent lineage. Guo Lingyu was merely a minor official of the sixth rank, and Madam Guo’s elder brother, Guo Tao, was only a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, with no hope of passing the higher Jinshi exam.
For such a family, marrying a noble daughter was a pipe dream; even a concubine’s daughter would be unlikely to marry into their family.
Even with the connection to the Marquis of Iron Courage’s manor, few were willing to form a marital alliance with the Guo family.
Madam Guo faced difficulties, but her maternal family constantly pressured her, causing her considerable distress.
Coincidentally, she had met several like-minded confidantes today and was seeking their advice. The matter was somewhat unsavory, so they had moved further away. It wasn’t until Princess Wuyou’s female attendant found her that they learned of the events that had transpired.
“Why are you suddenly feeling unwell?” Madam Guo absolutely did not anticipate that Li Zhaozr had brought this upon herself.
The female attendant led Madam Guo directly outside the side gate and bowed slightly. “Madam, please.”
Only then did Madam Guo notice something was amiss. “Young lady, has my daughter already left the manor?”
“Indeed, Madam. Rest assured, the second young lady is not seriously ill. You will see when you meet her,” the female attendant said, bowing slightly before leaving without waiting for Madam Guo.
What was the meaning of this?
This was the Princess’s manor, and Madam Guo could not afford to cause a scene. She could only lead her attendants through the side gate to find their carriage.
“Madam, Madam.” Cailian hurried forward. “Madam, the carriage is over there.”
“What happened? Did something happen?” Madam Guo’s face turned ashen with fear, thinking Li Zhaozr had been schemed against or had a sudden severe illness.
“The young lady is fine…” No, the young lady was heartbroken. How could she be called fine? But she really wasn’t ill.
Cailian was momentarily at a loss for words. “Madam, let’s return to the manor first. We can discuss it there.”
The coachman brought the carriage closer. Cailian lowered the footstool and helped Madam Guo into the carriage.
As soon as Madam Guo was seated, Li Zhaozr threw herself into her arms. “Mother, you must avenge me!” she sobbed softly, her eyes swollen.
Madam Guo was alarmed. “Who bullied you? What exactly happened?”
“Mother, it’s Li Man’er! Princess Wuyou favors her at every turn and slapped my face! Sob, I can’t go on living.” Li Zhaozr began to wail as she spoke of her sorrow, her words jumbled and incoherent, causing Madam Guo a terrible headache.
What Li Man’er? Why did Princess Wuyou favor her at every turn? What was going on?
“Let’s go back to the manor first, we’ll discuss it when we get back.”