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After discussing how to decorate and furnish the house, it was already noon when Jiang Zhanwei and Lu Man left Donghui Courtyard and returned to Orchid Pavilion.
On the way, Jiang Zhanwei mentioned, “With so many rooms in the house, when mother-in-law arrives, she can stay in the east wing of the fourth courtyard.”
Lu Man suppressed a smile, as that was also her thought.
Seeing Lu Man’s smile, Jiang Zhanwei’s lips curved slightly as well.
During lunch, Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu were thrilled and kept asking about the new residence. Jiang Zhanwei quickly grew impatient with the questions, but Lu Man patiently answered each one.
After lunch, instead of resting, they all headed back to Donghui Courtyard.
The household servants assigned to Donghui Courtyard were all present, bowing to the masters one by one. Under the guidance of the steward and overseers, they began their tasks diligently.
Due to Tao’s honesty offending the eldest Madam, Jiang Zhanwei invited her parents and siblings, much to her delight. Lu Man, considering the situation further, noticed that many of the servants were family slaves from the estate. Apart from Uncle Ming’s family of three and Tao’s family of four, the others had only sent one family member. In the future, Lu Man planned to find ways to send their immediate relatives to work for the second and third families.
Realizing that the old Marquis would soon awaken, and with Jiang Zhanwei’s brothers still present, Lu Man took Jiang Jiu to Crane Hall. If the Princess hadn’t returned, it would be better for the old MArquis not to see the commotion Lu Man could potentially cause.
After chatting with the old Marquis for a while and ensuring he engaged in some physical activity, Lu Man went to the small kitchen to prepare Ten Tonic Soup for the Princess.
In the meantime, Lady Yan from the Xie Household sent a maid to deliver a letter to Lu Man. In the letter, Lady Yan expressed her awareness of the previous day’s events and offered her assistance if needed.
Considering her own poor handwriting, Lu Man politely declined to write back and asked the maid to convey her gratitude and assurance that everything was fine with the support from the Princess and others.
Shortly after, Lu Chang came, inviting Jiang Zhanwei and Lu Man to dinner at the Lu family home. Lu Fangrong had also returned home, wanting his daughter and son-in-law to visit. Upon seeing Lu Chang, Jiang Zhanwei declined the invitation directly.
Later, as the Princess returned, Lu Man heard the commotion and hurriedly went to greet her.
The Princess had swollen, red eyes and a pale complexion, even struggling to walk a bit, clearly showing signs of exhaustion.
Lu Man’s eyes welled up with sympathy as she quickly stepped forward, taking the Princess’s arm from Third Madam and assisting her slowly towards the main room. She tenderly asked, “Grandmother, you’ve been through a lot. Are you feeling okay?”
Princess Changting replied weakly, her voice hoarse, “I’m fine, just tired and in need of rest.”
Not wanting to push further, Lu Man helped the Princess into the bedroom, where they, along with the servants, tended to her hygiene. After having the Ten Tonic Soup, she was gently laid on the bed, covered with silk sheets, and the canopy was lowered.
Hearing the Princess’s voice, the old Marquis shook off the maid assisting him and staggered over. He lifted the canopy, asking, “Changting, why didn’t you come see me when you arrived? Have you lost favor with me?”
Exhausted, the Princess lacked the energy to entertain the old Marquis and didn’t notice his efforts. With her eyes closed, she replied, “Ping, go play with Pea. I’m tired and need to rest.”
Persistently, the old Marquis insisted, “Changting, I came to see you without anyone’s help, all by myself.”
Princess Changting opened her eyes and saw the old Marquis standing alone by the bed, holding the canopy. Delighted, she remarked, “Oh my, you’ve indeed made progress.”
Lu Man approached, supporting the old Marquis and jokingly said, “We all know Grandfather has made progress again. To celebrate, tonight you’ll have Xiaochunyang alone, while everyone else drinks osmanthus wine. How does that sound?”
Reluctantly, the old Marquis was coaxed to the recovery room. Once settled, Lu Man listened to the Third Madam’s recount of their time in the palace.
Princess Changting directly took the ten beautiful maids to the Empress’s Palace. There, she scolded the Marquis Cheng’en’s family and the Duke Zhou’s household for their incompetence, accusing them of coveting her granddaughter’s maidservants and even daring to snatch them on the street. Feeling old and lacking dignity, she reluctantly offered her daughter-in-law and granddaughter’s most beautiful maidservants, hoping they would be accepted to spare her and her family any further troubles. She also purchased some exceptionally beautiful maidservants to appease them, hoping for their acceptance and a peaceful year ahead.
Empress Wang initially maintained a stern stance, asserting that Wang Haobai was merely a victim of circumstances, mainly due to Song Xian’s actions. She criticized Princess Changting for venting her anger on Wang Haobai and the Wang family, accusing her of going too far. Despite repeated attempts, she adamantly refused to accept the ten beauties.
The Princess, feeling deeply wronged, broke down in tears, expressing her insignificance and fear of offending the Empress by mistreating her nephew, the grandson of Wang Guozhang. She lamented her loss of dignity, resorting to flattery and gifts without reciprocation.
Upon hearing of Princess Changting’s disturbance in Kunning Palace, the Emperor rushed to the scene. Overwhelmed with sorrow, Princess Changting nearly fainted multiple times, prompting the Emperor to call for imperial physicians and influential consorts to offer advice.
Deeply caring for Princess Changting, the Emperor was incensed at her distress. He not only reprimanded Empress Wang but also summoned old Duke Zhou and Wang Guozhang into the palace to reprimand them for failing to discipline their younger generations. Particularly harsh on Wang Guozhang, the Emperor not only denounced him but also revoked the favors promised to Wang Haobai.
Reluctantly, Empress Wang agreed to accept the ten beauties, dividing them equally between the Duke Zhou’s residence and the Marquis Cheng’en’s estate. She issued an edict condemning Song Xian and Wang Haobai for their misconduct and ordered them to reflect on their behavior for three months.
Despite the resolution, Princess Changting continued causing a commotion at Kunning Palace until late evening, only calming down upon her return to the residence.
Upon departure, the Emperor consoled Princess Changting with two carriages of gifts. Empress Wang, reluctantly, presented her with two boxes of pearls.
On the way back, they encountered the Duchess of Zhou coming to apologize, but the Princess didn’t acknowledge her.
Lu Man couldn’t help but worry, wondering if she had inadvertently caused trouble for the Princess Changting’s household.
Observing Lu Man’s concerns, Third Madam Huang patted her hand and whispered, “Don’t worry, mother-in-law is wise. If she has taken such a stand, she must have her reasons.”
Perplexed, Lu Man questioned, “If grandmother-in-law is so formidable, why is the eldest Madam still so disobedient? Having such a powerful figure in the household, is she not using her to her advantage?”