Chapter 46: Majesty (Part 1)

  Thank you for Piva's reward, Shan Hui's tip, thank you Xiaozui for everyone's support, bowing.

  "Miss Bai, don't just stand there, Old Lady is calling you over. Once she's explained everything clearly, the people from Anqing Wangfu can also leave."

  Li Ziqing saw Baoqin and still had lingering fears in her heart. She asked: "Who has come?"

  "It was An Qinwang Fu Jin's dowry maid, known as the first iron mouth in Beijing, Li Nian, who made the old lady almost unable to support herself. Cousin, in Li Nian's eyes, there is no Gong Duke Mansion."

  Li Ziqing had heard of Li Jiaojiao's reputation, relying on Anqin Wang Fujin, and being able to speak eloquently, no one could argue with her. The most brilliant achievement was that she single-handedly defeated three people. Li Ziqing wanted to retreat, "I have a headache..."

  Baoqin grabbed Li Ziqing's arm and ran out, "Miss, please forgive me, the old lady said that she must invite you over, I dare not disobey the old lady's orders." Li Ziqing was almost dragged away by Baoqin. She regretted it, why didn't she pretend to faint for a while? Facing the eloquent Li Popo, Li Ziqing had no confidence in her heart.

  "Xiao Yao, Xiao Yao?" Guar Jia pushed Shu Yao who was lying on the kang table, "You silly girl, you fell asleep again. You said you wanted to write big characters? You can even fall asleep while holding a brush."

  Gual Jia took the brush from Shu Yao's hand, and Shu Yao rubbed her eyes with her small hands, saying softly: "It's too warm, the sun is just right, it helps to sleep." Shu Yao rolled into Gual Jia's arms, her little head resting on her mother's thigh, making a gentle humming sound as she took a nap. Who let her go pick tomatoes in space yesterday? If she hadn't picked them, they would have rotted, and she was inexperienced at planting, so Shu Yao had been busy for a long time. Planting is really tiring!

  Guar Jia gently touched her daughter's forehead, and Shu Yao was unable to respond. Usually, Guar Jia would let Shu Yao sleep in, but today at noon, Shu Yao had eaten half a bowl of rice more than usual because she was excited from arguing with Li Qinger in the morning. Guar Jia was worried that Shu Yao might have overeaten and hurt her body, so she told Shu Yao to write some large characters. Shu Yao was sleeping like a lazy cat, which made Guar Jia even more worried. "Yao'er?"

  "Hmm." Shu Yao rolled her small brain, Gua Erjia thought for a moment and then said: "You never thought about what happened this morning?"

  "Hmm." Shu Yao's tone rose slightly, indicating that she was not asleep and was listening. Guajia said: "Before we left, I told you not to get close to Li Zhiqing, just now in the old lady's room, I let you and Li Zhiqing..."

  "Second mistress, you'd better go take a look, old mistress's courtyard is in a mess."

  Shu Yao opened her dazed eyes, what's the commotion about? Madame Gual Jia pulled Shu Yao up and started styling her hair, saying calmly: "What's the hurry, the sky hasn't fallen yet."

  "Guarantee death, guarantee death," reported the new maid of Gualjia's family, named Feicui. After returning to the Duke's mansion, Gualjia needed to reassign the servants. Since Feicui was clean and honest, Gualjia let her become a second-class maid. Gualjia said: "You will be demoted back to third-class maid tomorrow."

  Jade wiped away tears, "Madam, spare me this time, I will never dare again."

  "Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. You lack a sense of stability and seriousness. If you stay by my side like this, something will go wrong sooner or later."

  Feicui saw that Madame Gualjia was resolute, and knelt down sobbing: "Thank you, Second Mistress." What had happened in the old lady's courtyard?

  Feicui was surprised and thought that Second Madam didn't care, so she told the whole story. "The wet nurse of Prince An's estate is talking about your cousin."

  It's all well and good to say, but in reality, Li Jiaojiao didn't mince words, saying some very unpleasant things. The ladies felt guilty and couldn't argue with Li Jiaojiao, especially since it involved the eldest sister-in-law who married into the Anqin Wangfu after Anqin Wang's passing. The Anqin Wangfu hadn't split up yet, so the eldest sister-in-law was still living off of them as a concubine-born wife. It was already somewhat humiliating for the legitimate daughter of the Duke to marry the sixteenth son of the Anqin Wang, but originally, the old lady had wanted her to marry the fifteenth son, Malgun, who would inherit the title. However, Malgun married a woman from the Khorchin Borjigit clan, the daughter of Prince ?cileng of the Zhuo League. Could the Duke's family background be any higher than that of the Khorchin Prince?

  The old lady made a mistake in arranging the marriage, and could only marry off her eldest daughter, who was as big as an eyeball, to a concubine's son. Fortunately, the elder sister-in-law was very astute and gained many benefits when Anqin Wang Yuelai was reborn, and had a lot of face. But this also made the current Anqin Wang Fujun dissatisfied, as the saying goes: "There must be gains and losses, and a gentleman takes revenge ten years later."

  Gua Lijia stood up and said, "Shu Yao, remember this: in this world, there is no such thing as retreating a step. Although I don't think much of Li Xiang's arrogance, I also cannot tolerate some insignificant servant bullying the Duke's Manor."

  Shu Yao quickened her pace, following the fiery and impetuous Gual Jia. She watched as her mother-in-law's majestic presence commanded respect, and Shu Yao's blood boiled with excitement. After all, Gual Jia had once instructed her that no matter how fiercely they argued behind closed doors, once they stepped outside, they were all members of the noble House of Shu Mu Lu, and family dignity was at stake.

  Just as Guajia entered the courtyard, she heard: "Is this how the Zhongyong Duke's mansion is run? Not a single person gives me an explanation?" Strangely, no one in the house spoke up. Li Ziqing sobbed softly, "I was just trying to be kind."

  Gua Lian jumped out from behind the curtain and said: "How can the Zhongyong Duke's mansion be run like this? Do you have a share in meddling?"

  As soon as the words came out, the old lady and others immediately regained their spirits. They had all suffered more or less at the hands of Gualgiya, but now they regarded Gualgiya as a savior. Shu Yao's abilities were fully open, and she was almost overwhelmed by the eagerness of the old lady and others. Shu Yao stopped in her tracks, she and her mother had never received such ardent attention before, not that Shu Yao didn't understand, but this world changed fast.

  Guarjia curtsied to the old lady and saluted her, ignoring Li Mama, "Mother is well."

  Lao Tian said to Guajia and Yan Yuese: "Sit down, sit down."

  Guarjia sat in the first place, waited for a while with a frown and asked: "Why not serve tea? I heard that mother's Bile Spring is good, I've been thinking about it for a long time. Mother, let me try some, how is it?"

  "After a while you go back and bring Bi Luo Chun back slowly to taste, I'm not used to drinking it."

  The old lady was very generous, and after seeing the maid serve tea, she retreated. Shu Yao frowned, the Duke's Mansion was indeed as her mother had said, strong on the outside but weak on the inside. The majestic and brave Duke's Mansion was being bullied by a mere servant girl, and no one could do anything about it. It was completely lacking in dignity. Even if they were trying to curry favor with the Anping Prince's Mansion, there was no need to be so spineless. The Duke's Mansion had plenty of money thanks to Li Zhiyin, but because they interacted too much with merchants, they lost their noble air. The people left in the capital, Zhicheng and Zhaohao, didn't have any great abilities, and the people in the mansion didn't have any confidence. They only dared to show off their power to ordinary citizens, but when faced with high-ranking officials, they became soft and spineless. Who would look up to them?

  Don't blame Eldest Princess for saying that if the Duke's estate isn't tidied up, it will gradually decline and thoroughly distance itself from the noble families of the capital. Only a wealthy old lady is likely to lack the foresight of Eldest Princess Gua'er Jia Shi.

  Gual Jia took a sip of tea and relaxed her eyebrows, "Good tea."

  Mrs. Li was completely ignored and stood up straight, saying: "Who are you?"

  "Someone is going to get a slap." Guanjia's hands paused, widening the tea leaves, without even raising an eyebrow. Everyone in the room was stunned, it was Li Nian's mother from Anqing Wangfu, not some trivial matter, saying she would hit someone meant she would hit them, and even if it were a cat or dog, one had to consider the master of the house.