After Li Ma returned home, the expected scene of children around her knees and a happy family did not happen. Instead, there were only endless quarrels.
"Brother, did you take the carved grate from my room?"
"Second brother, don't talk nonsense. Why would I take your things? Besides, a comb is a woman's thing. My wife has returned to her parents' home and said she wants to remarry with my child. Who should I give the comb to?"
As Nanny Li listened to her two sons quarreling, she suddenly remembered that she had used the comb from the eldest son's room to comb her hair and forgot to put it back.
So he hurried over to return the comb.
The eldest son had a stern face and a cold tone.
"Mom, you'd better not use the things in my room."
"Your things, how dare you say that? The house, the money, your wife, your granddaughter's schooling expenses, every one of them was earned by me."
"Even you two unfilial sons fell from me."
"Yours? What's yours?"
"If I hadn't given birth to you, I wouldn't even have you."
Nanny Li's accumulated resentment for many days reached its peak and a quarrel broke out.
"Who asked you to give birth to me? Giving birth to me but not raising me is worse than having no mother at all."
Nanny Li was so angry that she slapped Li Dalang in the face. She immediately regretted her move, but it was too late to regret.
Li Dalang ran out, rushed to the river and said he was going to jump into the river.
The granddaughter also started wailing, and the yard was filled with sounds: dogs barking, chickens crowing, quarrels, and children crying.
"That's enough! Can't I just go back to the palace and do my work?"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the noise around her disappeared, and Nanny Li went back to her room to pack her bags without saying a word.
When she came back she brought ten bags, and when she left she only took one set of happy clothes.
Her two daughters-in-law who had returned to their parents' home also came to see her off. Everyone had a smile on their faces and said auspicious words, just like it was her first day back home.
The granddaughter held her hand and spoke softly, "Grandma, when I grow up, I will make money for you."
Nanny Li smiled, took off the ring on her hand and put it on her granddaughter's hand.
"Okay, grandma is waiting for you to grow up."
Nanny Li hired a donkey cart and rode on it to the capital.
Behind her, she heard the two daughters-in-law fighting for the white jade ring. Both of them wanted it. It seemed that she had once again meant well but ended up with something worse.
After returning to the palace, she handed a message to Ah Xiang, who heard what the palace maid said and later told Concubine Chen.
Chen Feidan smiled and said nothing: "A day in the mountains is a thousand years in the world. Let's not interfere in Li Ma's affairs. Just pretend we don't know and let the eldest prince's people handle it themselves."
"Yes, I understand."
Nanny Li was waiting in the ear room. She drank three cups of tea, went to the toilet twice, and sat on the bench for four hours.
Until dark, I still didn't see Ah Xiang.
In the evening, the eldest prince finished school, and Nanny Pan took people out to greet him. The eldest prince took off his cloak, handed it to Nanny Pan, and then walked towards the study.
When Nanny Li saw the eldest prince, hope ignited in her heart and she rushed forward regardless of her own safety. The maid who poured water in the ear room hugged her.
"Madame Li, you are seriously ill. If you pass your illness on to the eldest prince, you will be in great danger."
The person who said this was Ah Xiang. When Aunt Li saw Ah Xiang, it was like she had found a life-saving straw.
"Miss Ah Xiang, I'm Madam Li. I'm back now. When can I be assigned to serve the Crown Prince?"
"Madam, please go home and enjoy your retirement. The eldest prince has Madam Pan by his side, so you don't have to worry about him."
The spiritual pillar in Li Ma's heart collapsed all of a sudden. It was the kind of collapse that could not be mended, a collapse like a rupture.
"What? You're just ungrateful. I've been home for a month, and you've already found someone else to take my place."
Ah Xiang spread her hands and said, "It's the master's will. As servants, we can't go against the master's will."
"Madame Li, please speak to Madame Pan. I have things to do, and Concubine Chen needs to be served by no one."
After saying that, he turned around and left, just like the old saying goes, when people leave, the tea gets cold.
The sky in the harem was still as blue, and the layout and decoration of Huayi Palace had not changed at all, but Nanny Li knew clearly that the sky in Huayi Palace had completely changed.
Nanny Pan came to serve the eldest prince, and the relationship between the eldest prince and Concubine Xi was eased. Now that Nanny Pan has replaced Nanny Li, she absolutely refuses to let Nanny Li come back.
"Madame Li, I heard you were sick and had to return home. When you left, the eldest prince was busy with many things, so I didn't have time to see you off. I'm so sorry. How long do you plan to stay this time?"
Nanny Li's heart tightened, and Nanny Pan's words had hidden meaning.
"After all, I raised the eldest prince. When I asked for leave, I told you I would come back. Do you want to chase me away?"
"It's not that I'm chasing Madam away, it's just that the Crown Prince has enough people around him right now."
Nanny Li walked out without saying a word: "Get out of here, I want to see the eldest prince."
Two maids tried to stop Madam Li, but Madam Pan said, "Let her go."
"A lot of things were lost in the eldest prince's storeroom. I'm looking for them here. Please send Madam Li to the eldest prince. He can ask Madam Li more questions."
Upon hearing this, Nanny Li stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at Nanny Pan timidly.
"Go, why don't you go? The eldest prince is also looking forward to meeting Nanny Li."
If Nanny Li had the courage to go see the eldest prince, Nanny Pan's bluff would not work, but she had coveted the eldest prince's loose things over the years, so she didn't dare to go.
Nanny Pan and Nanny Li were like two generals fighting on the battlefield. At this moment, neither of them had made a move yet. Nanny Pan just waved the flag and shouted a few times, and Nanny Li sounded the retreat and surrendered.
After all, this silent war is a battle of psychological qualities of both sides.
"Mammy is an elder who has served the Crown Prince with great service. You have returned ill this time and will no longer be able to serve the Crown Prince. I will transfer you to the Imperial Garden to train the new palace maids who tend to the flowers."
Nanny Li had no choice but to agree.
Nanny Pan was tactful in her work and training the palace maids was an easy job for her. The palace maids knew that she was the eldest prince's wet nurse, and they all respected and loved her. Nanny Li also gradually calmed down.
Compared to taking care of the eldest prince's emotions all the time, Li Ma prefers this kind of leisurely work.
"There's grass growing in the corner. Come on, some people, pull it out."
"The flowers on the tree have fallen. Come pick two of them."
"The plum blossoms are in bloom. Hurry up and pick some and put them in a vase to send to the ladies."
Bottles of plum blossoms were sent from the Imperial Garden to various palaces, and Gu Yingxia took a light sniff of the plum blossoms.
"Madame Li is quite sensible. If she falls into my hands."
Gu Yinwei walked out from behind the screen, and Gu Yingxia hurriedly stopped talking.
"If I had fallen into your hands, I would have become a dead soul long ago."
Gu Yingxia immediately changed the subject.
"Red plum blossoms look best against white snow. The Cining Palace doesn't need just red plum blossoms. Third sister, please summon a heavy snowfall. I want to build a snowman."
"You have too many ideas, and I can't satisfy them."
"But I just want to build a snowman."
Gu Yingxia was noisy like a child.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
