Yue Er smiled politely.
"It’s alright, Mother, no need to worry!"
As they talked, the leading maid beside Madam Shi had already arranged a table of dishes outside.
Through the carved Four Seasons Landscape Screen and the purple silk curtain, the three in the inner room could still catch whiffs of the aroma from the dishes.
Madam Shi smiled and said.
"Please, Princess!"
Shih Shaoling and Yue Er exchanged a glance, and both thanked her and stood up.
The dishes on the table were quite plentiful.
Although they couldn’t compare to the kitchen maids in the harem, they had the flavor of home-cooked meals enjoyed by common folk.
Yue Er found it refreshing; she was indeed hungry and ate quite a lot.
A bowl of small wontons was finished, a few aromatic and chewy pancakes were devoured completely.
The seasonal fresh vegetables placed in the middle of the table were also eaten up, almost entirely gone.
Seeing this, Madam Shi finally breathed a sigh of relief, her impression of Yue Er improved even more.
"How could the Master exaggerate so much!"
"It’s normal for the Princess to be a bit more pampered than ordinary young ladies; as long as she is sensible and knows etiquette, it’s fine."
The more she observed, the more satisfied she became, continuously urging Yue Er to eat more.
Yue Er felt a bit uneasy but knew the other was concerned she might suffer, so she endured without speaking.
...
After breakfast.
Shih Shaoling went to the front courtyard, while Yue Er accompanied Madam Shi in the backyard for a while.
After noon, the two finally left by carriage.
In front of Shi Mansion.
Madam Shi watched the distant silhouettes of her son’s and the Princess’s carriage fleet, feeling much more at ease than before.
"As long as they are reasonable!"
"Just fear someone unreasonable, it’ll be like a mute swallowing bitter medicine, unable to complain!"
The maids by her side kindly consoled her one after another.
Madam Shi’s tightly knit brows finally relaxed considerably.
"Alright, let’s return!"
"At least one of my concerns is resolved!"
Though there were regrets, she couldn’t dwell on them for long.
The situation wasn’t too bad at the moment; best to wait and watch.
...
The afternoon sun was intense, the weather hot.
Madam Shi stood outside for a moment before returning to her courtyard.
Inside the room was cooler due to ice being placed around.
Madam Shi removed her cumbersome attire and bathed and changed into light, transparent home wear in the bathing room.
With the assistance of her maid and the elder servant, she was preparing for a nap.
At this moment, another trusted maid suddenly entered from outside.
"Madam!"
Madam Shi opened her eyes again after just closing them.
"What’s the matter?"
"What about Miss Jiang? She did come seeking refuge, she can’t be left to live in the side courtyard indefinitely!" said the maid.
"Now that Young Master is married and lives in the Princess’s Mansion with the Princess, if we bring Miss Jiang back... the Princess shouldn’t mind, right?"
Madam Shi hesitated for a moment, then sighed.
"Oh!"
"Do you think I don’t feel for her?"
"She lost her mother early, and her stepmother isn’t kind to her?"
"She came seeking refuge, asking me to find a good match for her, and then this issue with the Princess arose!"
"It’s truly so unfair to her!"
Madam Shi sighed wearily.
Knowing the Madam’s mood wasn’t good, the maid didn’t press further.
...
The Jiang family was originally from Dengzhou, where Jiang Wanrong’s father served as the Magistrate.
Though the position wasn’t high, Dengzhou was wealthy historically, and the Jiang family was an influential local family with a century-old reputation.
So Jiang Wanrong, as the legitimate daughter, also belonged to a prestigious background, having noble status.
Unfortunately...
Madam Shi’s sister, Madam Jiang, passed away years ago due to illness.
A few years later, Old Master Jiang married the Stepmother.
The new wife, fearing Old Master’s authority, naturally dared not be too harsh on his legitimate daughter from the previous marriage.
But being a stepmother nevertheless couldn’t compare to a biological mother.
Thus, Madam Shi always worried about her legitimate niece.
Concerned she might suffer grievances, be bullied by her stepmother.
Worried that as the girl grows up without guidance, her marriage prospects would suffer.
But... no matter how worried she was, it wasn’t up to her.
With Jiang having her own parents, it wasn’t her place as an aunt to interfere.
Therefore, she could only harbor this concern in her heart.
...
Something she hadn’t anticipated.
When she didn’t plan to intervene, Old Master Jiang sent a letter bringing his fourteen-year-old daughter to the Capital City.
The letter was clear in its intentions.
A new emperor ascended the throne, and the selection of fine ladies would probably occur soon; even the Empress might be chosen from this first batch of fine ladies.
So the opportunity is not to be missed; sending the daughter to the Capital City early to learn etiquette is a wise choice for the future.
Of course.