Ji Huan was drowsy; she was exhausted from walking for so long.
"System, wake me up when we get to the yard."
"Yes, host."
Then she fell asleep without realizing it.
It felt like I had just closed my eyes when the system's voice rang in my mind: "Host, we've arrived."
Ji Huan forced herself to wake up, and only when she reached the bed did she pretend to be startled awake, suddenly opening her eyes.
"Ah! Who are you?"
Mu Ling didn't expect her to react this way, and quickly explained, "Ji Huan, don't be afraid, it's Father."
Ji Huan's expression gradually calmed down. She looked at Mu Ling, her eyes wide with disbelief: "Father?"
She then burst into tears: "Father, am I dreaming? Father has come to see me! Father has finally come to see me! Waaah..."
Ji Huan's crying had nothing to do with beauty; it was just because she was pitiful, being his daughter. Hearing the crying beside her, Mu Ling felt very resentful that the Fujin had gone too far. She should at least have some consideration for appearances!
"Don't be afraid, your father has come to see you," Mu Ling said awkwardly, trying to comfort her.
Ji Huan listened, looking at Mu Ling with a moved and admiring expression. Mu Ling's eyes were beautiful, and when she looked at people, they were full of emotion, allowing people to perceive the emotions contained within them.
Mu Ling felt the sincerity in it.
The doctor arrived quickly, and Ji Huan lay on the bed.
The elderly doctor, with a white beard, carefully took her pulse, his brow furrowed. After a long while, he put his hand down and said, "This young lady has quite a problem. The reason she fainted was due to hunger. Not having enough to eat, she naturally fainted after walking just a few steps. Moreover, this young lady has likely been chronically malnourished and also suffers from some cold-related ailments; she was probably chilled..."
The doctor mentioned a number of ailments that wealthy families wouldn't experience, and while they weren't serious on their own, they were quite serious when combined with the symptoms of a ten-year-old girl.
Mu Ling realized the seriousness of the matter and then remembered that Ji Huan was not born weak. She was active and lively when she was a child. When did she start to look sickly?
It was about a year after he married his second wife. His lively daughter became silent, and he had other children and many affairs at the Ministry of Rites, so he gradually forgot about her.
The more Mu Ling thought about it, the angrier she became.
He couldn't understand why Liu would do such a thing.
Lady Liu was his second wife. She came from the Han Banner Army and her father was a sixth-rank local official. Her family background was much lower than that of his primary wife, Lady Suochuoluo.
Suochuoluo only has one daughter, and even if she gets married, she will still be a member of the family's network. He can't understand why Liu is targeting and tormenting her. He has two other daughters born out of wedlock, and they haven't had such a hard time.
I can't figure it out, I can't understand it.
Mu Ling: "I would like to trouble you, doctor, to prescribe some medicine to regulate my body."
"Okay, I'll go."
After the doctor left, Mu Ling asked, "Don't you have any maids serving you?"
"Yes, Meihua only comes to bring me dinner once a day in the evening."
Mu Ling suppressed her anger: "So, you only eat one meal a day?"
Ji Huan pretended to be puzzled: "What's wrong? Mei Hua said that I've grown up and one meal a day is enough. I can't waste the food in the manor. She said that since Ma Fa passed away, the manor has been struggling. As the eldest princess, I should be considerate of my father. I'm sorry, Father. I was just too hungry today and wanted to go out to find something to eat. I didn't expect to faint."
Mu Ling could no longer contain her anger: "De Bao, go and find out what kind of life the eldest princess is living."
De Bao, who was listening nearby, also felt that the Fujin had gone too far this time.
"This servant will go immediately."
Mu Ling looked down and saw that Ji Huan looked completely bewildered. She patiently explained, "The manor is not poor. We can afford to eat."
Ji Huan looked up at him expectantly: "Really?... Then can I have some food? Mei Hua spilled her food last night, and I didn't get to eat it. I'm so hungry."
In other words, she hadn't eaten for two days.
Just when he thought his daughter was miserable enough, he was told that things could get even worse.
Mu Ling immediately arranged for food to be delivered to her.
As soon as there was any movement in the kitchen, Madam Liu found out. She led her people to Ji Huan's courtyard with a nervous expression. When she saw the empty and desolate courtyard, and Ji Huan lying on the bed with a sallow complexion, thin and weak, and clothes with sleeves that were half-short, she knew that she was in trouble this time.
"Master~" Madam Liu said, her voice trembling.
Mu Ling said coldly, "Why has the Princess Consort come?"
Lady Liu knew that the facts were right in front of her, and she had no choice but to plead guilty. If she hadn't been discovered, that would have been fine, but if she had, Ji Huan would have been tormented, which would have been a dereliction of duty on her part as the second wife.
"I am ashamed that I did not notice that the eldest princess's allowance was reduced by the servants. Please punish me, Your Highness."
Did she know she was making excuses? She simply apologized directly. However, what she said was quite interesting: the servants had withheld her allowance.
Mu Ling glanced at her indifferently, knowing full well the trickery involved; no official was a fool.
Liu had a son and a daughter, both still quite young. It was impossible for a concubine to manage the household affairs. Mu Ling was also unwilling for Liu to ruin her reputation, so he looked at Ji Huan.
"Ji Huan, what do you think?"
Ji Huan lowered her head and whispered, "Father, since Mother said it was my fault, then I must have been deceiving my superiors. Mother has to manage the household and take care of my younger siblings. I can understand if I am occasionally negligent. Father, please don't punish Mother."
Mu Ling gave Ji Huan a deep look, while Liu Shi breathed a sigh of relief.
Before Mu Ling could speak, Madam Liu looked at Ji Huan with a loving expression: "It was your mother's fault, I was careless for a moment. Don't worry, your mother will definitely punish those wicked servants properly."
"Well, then I'll have to trouble you, Mother."
After a brief exchange of "motherly love and filial piety," Mu Ling was quite satisfied with the situation. She then said, "Ji Huan is not young anymore. Let Ji Huan manage Suo Chuo Luo's dowry herself! The Fujin (Madam) is too busy to handle everything, so it would be good to have Aunt Wang help you out."
Aunt Wang was also from an official family, but her family fell into decline and she became a concubine in the mansion. She was quite talented, and Mu Ling was very fond of her. She had a son who was the eldest prince in the mansion.
Liu felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
Ji Huan lowered her head deeply, quite satisfied with Mu Ling's arrangement. Take it slow, there's no need to rush. If she shouts and screams, Mu Ling will punish Liu Shi, but not too severely.
On the contrary, if she showed more generosity, Mu Ling would give her more. She received the dowry left by her mother, and Liu Shi lost some of her power to manage the household.
This tactic is called retreating to advance.
Mu Ling might not be unaware of her little tricks, but to him, it was harmless. Liu had done something wrong, and Ji Huan had behaved in a way that pleased her, so Liu should indeed be taught a lesson. That was his thought.
Ji Huan looked up at Mu Ling with affection and said, "Thank you, Father."
Madam Liu stammered, "Master, Aunt Wang has never managed a household before, how could she possibly do a good job..."
Mu Ling interrupted her: "She didn't care, but you're here. You should teach her properly. You should still be in charge of welcoming and seeing off guests in the mansion, and leave the distribution of allowances to Aunt Wang for the children in the back courtyard."
Reluctantly, Lady Liu replied, "Yes, I understand."
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