Chapter 642 Bullied Piaoyun Courtyard
When they stepped into Duke Xing’s Mansion again, the gate of Duke Xing’s Mansion was wide open. Seeing Shao Wanru’s carriage coming over, they hurriedly stepped forward and saluted. Their respect was even more than that in Rui’an Great Elder Princess’s Mansion.
It made people feel that everyone was currying favor with this Fifth Miss Shao in front of them.
After she was invited in, she went to visit Old Madam first. Old Madam did not see her with a sick body this time. Although her expression was not cold or warm, she managed to squeeze out some kind expressions on her face and asked something about what had happened in Huaguang Temple.
The most important thing was to ask about the a.s.sa.s.sination of Chu Liuchen. Now it was widely said that Shao Wanru saved Chu Liuchen.
Although Chu Liuchen was always in bad health, his life had always been precious. Shao Wanru saved his life, which was equivalent to being appreciated by Empress Dowager Queen. Even if Old Madam of Duke Xing was secretly angry, there was nothing she could do.
She could not respect Shao Wanru, but she had to respect Empress Dowager Queen. The Empress Dowager Queen had sent the reward just now and praised Shao Wanru again and again. She also sent someone to say to Old Madam of Duke Xing that it had taken Shao Wanru three years to observe mourning. In the next period of time, she could stay in the mansion. After all, there would not be much time left.
Although it was said that mourning in Huaguang Temple was a more filial form, most people would mourn in their own homes. Shao Wanru had done a very good job. For such a long time, she had been mourning with the green lamp and ancient Buddha. It was even rare in the capital city!
Since the Empress Dowager Queen had said so, Old Madam didn’t dare to disobey her. Fortunately, the courtyard had been prepared before, and Shao Wanru’s supervisor old maid was in charge of it. It didn’t matter if she moved in now!
“Grandma, I don’t know much about Prince Chen Your highness. I happened to meet him at that time and didn’t think too much, so I blocked for him. Fortunately, Your highness is fine!” Shao Wanru said honestly.
“Can you tell who it was?” Madam of Duke Xing said with a gentle face, and her concern was obvious.
“I didn’t see it. It was very chaotic at that time and it happened suddenly. I accidentally ran into it…” Shao Wanru shook her head and frowned slightly.
“You can’t tell anything at all. Have you found anything?” Madam of Duke Xing asked again.
Shao Wanru shook her head.
“Go down and have a good rest first. Then you don’t have to go to Huaguang Temple. After the thing happened to Prince Chen, the Huaguang Temple has to be investigated again. You won’t feel quiet if you stay there. Just stay at home and observe mourning!” Seeing that she couldn’t get any information, Old Madam’s expression became cold.
“Yes!” Shao Wanru had already expected such a result. She stood up respectfully and bowed. When she was about to leave, she stopped at the door. On the table by the window, there were some gifts like some beautiful satin and embroidery patterns on some gorgeous brocade boxes.
At first glance, one could tell that it was not ordinary things. She slightly narrowed her watery eyes and walked out of the door calmly as if she had not seen the pile of gifts.
Those were rewards from the palace!
Outside the door, Yujie came up and looked angry. Fortunately, she could bear it. When she saw Shao Wanru’s calm face, she took a deep breath and suppressed the anger she had just suffered. Even her Miss could bear it, she could not. She glared at a proud servant girl beside her and followed Shao Wanru.
They left Old Madam’s courtyard one after the other and returned to their own courtyard. At the gate of the courtyard, Nanny Yu had been waiting there for a long time. When she saw Shao Wanru coming over, she immediately came up to greet her.
“Have you set up everything?” Shao Wanru asked as she walked in.
“Everything has been arranged. Great Elder Princess brought a few people to help me set up. When her people went back, Madam of Duke Xing asked someone to come here to help. I chose some second-cla.s.s and third-cla.s.s servant girls and old maids.” Nanny Yu said as she led Shao Wanru inside.
Rui’an Great Elder Princess was Shao Wanru’s grandmother, so she couldn’t interfere in the affairs of Duke Xing’s Mansion. She just asked someone to clean up the yard for Nanny Yu and then they went back. Duke Xing’s Mansion sent a lot of people here. Nanny Yu picked some who looked capable and put them in the yard.
As for the position of the princ.i.p.al maid, Yujie and Qu Le would take it. Shao Wanru also had Qing Yue. There were three of them. Although the First Miss of an aristocratic family often had four princ.i.p.al maids at her side, two or three were enough. Only when they got married would they had four princ.i.p.al maids.
Shao Wanru had three now, which was not a small number. Even Shao Yanru, the First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion, didn’t have four.
Nanny Yu was in charge of the affairs. Nanny Zheng, as an etiquette instructor, also entered into Piaoyun Courtyard where Shao Wanru lived now. Nanny Zheng came with the people of Rui’an Great Elder Princess. Because she worked for Rui’an Great Elder Princess and said that she would leave after helping them, Duke Xing’s Mansion didn’t baffle them and let them enter Duke Xing’s Mansion easily.
After the people of Rui’an Great Elder Princess left, Nanny Zheng stayed alone and no one paid attention to her.
Nanny Zheng, who stayed in the Piaoyun Courtyard, temporarily helped Nanny Yu deal with affairs. Although Nanny Yu was loyal, because of her vision, she did not do well in many places. With Nanny Zheng’s help, she could arrange the whole courtyard better.
Fortunately, with Nanny Zheng’s help, the whole courtyard became much more organized so that Shao Wanru could live in even though she returned to the mansion in advance.
However, there were still some things that were not satisfying. After all, the person in charge of Duke Xing’s Mansion was Madam of Duke Xing. Nanny Yu was just a servant from other places. It was very inconvenient for her to ask for something from the people of powerful Madam of Duke Xing!
Qing Yue also came with Nanny Zheng. When they heard that Shao Wanru had come back, the group of trusted subordinates greeted Shao Wanru in the room and talked about what had happened in Duke Xing’s Mansion during this period of time.
Nanny Yu started the talk.
“Miss, when I came here, although this courtyard could accommodate people and everything was complete, the things were not good. Not to compare them with those from Great Elder Princess’s Mansion, they were even not as good as those of the Qin’s Mansion where you lived before. They looked very bright on the surface, but in fact, they were nothing. They just looked good!”
Nanny Yu said angrily. She had been in Duke Xing’s Mansion for a period of time, and she could not get anything she wanted. But no one refused her directly. When she asked for things, everyone s.h.i.+rked and she was busy all day but couldn’t find a person who could make the decision.
“Miss, it’s the same with me. Every time we needed something in the Piao Yun Yard, they would refuse us. It’s as if no one wanted to get involved in our Piao Yun Yard. Because of them, every small thing could not be finished. In the end, it’s our mistake!”
Qing Yue, who had always owned a good temper, also said angrily.
Fortunately, Miss didn’t live in Duke Xing’s Mansion in the past three years. Otherwise, she would be ground to death because of such little things. Moreover, Miss was still young at that time. Even if she had something to say, she wouldn’t say it directly. In the whole Duke Xing’s Mansion, Miss had no one to rely on.
“Miss, when I was standing outside the door just now, Old Madam’s princ.i.p.al maid talked to me as if she was giving charity to me. She also asked me to take this and that. I just endured her when I thought of you!” Thinking of what had happened just now, Yujie said angrily.
She had just arrived at Duke Xing’s Mansion today. Even if there was anything, Yujie could only bear it. Otherwise, what would others think of her Miss!
“Yes, I came back first. I asked some old maids and servant girls I met along the way how to come to Piaoyun Courtyard. They all seemed to avoid me as if I took poison with me. Someone answered me. Some of them hurried to avoid me, and some even spat at me!”
Qu Le also said angrily. She came back first with Qing’er after entering the door, and she had suffered a lot because of her anger along the way.
Shao Wanru smiled slightly, and there was a trace of darkness in her watery eyes. The whole Duke Xing’s Mansion did not like her. This was what she thought before, but she was no longer herself three years ago. Although she had no right to speak as a fourteen years old girl, no one could ignore what she said as she was a child.
There were many thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls in marriage. They couldn’t be considered as children anymore!
With a buffer of nearly three years, it was not so easy for Duke Xing’s Mansion to control her. Moreover, some situations had changed a lot because of these three years.
Duke Xing’s Mansion didn’t dare to go too far. This time she came back with saving Chu Liuchen’s life.
“Don’t worry, Nanny Yu. Let the people in our courtyard come to the corridor to see me first!” Shao Wanru said after thinking for a while.
“Yes, I will ask them to come over right away!” Nanny Yu nodded. Shao Wanru should have been like this since she entered the Piaoyun Courtyard. It was necessary to establish her prestige. The people sent by Madam of Duke Xing just looked good, but Nanny Yu could not find out whether they were loyal or not, or belonged to someone else.
When Nanny Yu called all the people over and tidied up, Shao Wanru came out with Qu Le, Yujie, and Qing Yue. They stood in the corridor.
Nanny Zheng didn’t come out since Shao Wanru had other arrangements!
There were more than a dozen of second-cla.s.s and third-cla.s.s servant girls and old maids standing in the yard. All of them looked at the Miss standing in the corridor in amazement. They didn’t expect the most unfavored Fifth Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion to be so outstanding!
The servants of Duke Xing’s Mansion had always been proud of their First Miss. In the capital city, there could not be a Miss from an aristocratic family who could be compared with First Miss. But what was going on with this Miss in front of them? Wasn’t she the most inferior Fifth Miss? She was also the least liked by Old Madam and Madam. But no one expected that the Fifth Miss was so beautiful.
Even though she stood in the corridor with a serious face, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. However, compared with the First Miss who had always been smiling and dignified, she seemed to be mightier. At first glance, one could tell that she was not easy to deal with!
Didn’t they say that she didn’t have the favor of Old Madam and Madam so she didn’t have the confidence? Why was the Fifth Miss Shao so confident? It seemed that she was going to deal with the servants harshly.
Without the support of Old Madam and Madam, why could she do this?
The servant girls and old maids whispered to each other in groups. They were so surprised that they couldn’t help whispering on the spot.
Of course, this discussion was also in control. Anyway, the Fifth Miss hadn’t said anything yet, so it didn’t matter if they just talked about it in a low voice…