After Jiang Yuwei figured it out, she went to the front hall and said to the waiting nanny:
"The Princess said that the gifts for the Autumn Festival should be prepared. For the usual gifts, we can refer to the gift list from previous years. The Princess will also prepare a few rare items. That should be about it."
Upon receiving the message, the old woman withdrew to make preparations.
Jiang Yuwei continued:
“This mansion has many courtyards, and the types of flowers and plants to be changed with the seasons should be divided according to the grade of the courtyard. The prince and princess's courtyard should naturally be completely replaced, while the eldest son and the heir can have half of the seasonal flowers and plants replaced.”
Jiang Yuwei paused for a moment before continuing:
"As for the courtyards of the First Madam and the concubines, there's no need for a major overhaul; just move a few inexpensive flowers up there to add some color."
"But, but, this Concubine Lin has always loved flowers. In previous years, the Princess Consort never minded these things and would change the flowers in Concubine Lin's courtyard every month. But now she says she won't change them anymore. I'm afraid, I'm afraid Concubine Lin will..."
Jiang Yuwei glared at the old woman.
"What are you afraid of? If you're really afraid, then you shouldn't be the head maid. The princess was generous and didn't care about these things before, so Aunt Lin should be content. Now that so many people have been added to the household, we should cut back on unnecessary expenses."
Jiang Yuwei took a sip of tea and continued:
"If that Aunt Lin is truly obsessed with flowers, then let her use her own private funds to buy them. The princess can't stop her from buying as many as she wants. If she's unwilling to spend money, then let her find another hobby!"
The maidservants below dared not say anything more after hearing this, and could only nod in agreement with a bitter face.
"By the way, there's no need to replace the flowers and plants in the uninhabited guest courtyard. Just have someone trim the withered flowers and plants so it doesn't look too desolate. After all, no one goes to admire the flowers in an empty courtyard anyway."
The old woman nodded, then glanced timidly at Jiang Yuwei and whispered:
"What should be done with the courtyard where Madam Jiang and Granny Chen live?"
Jiang Yuwei pondered for a moment and said:
"You don't need to take care of my yard. You just need to go once to trim the dead grass. You can put some seasonal flowers and plants in the house for me."
Then Jiang Yuwei continued with a smile:
"As for Granny Chen's courtyard, there's no need to send anyone to repair it. After all, they are from farming backgrounds, and they need to find some work to do. If these elderly people are always idle, they might develop a lot of health problems."
The old woman accepted the order and left.
Jiang Yuwei looked at the last old woman standing in the front hall and spoke:
"If Granny Chen keeps causing you trouble, just laugh it off. You should be the best at this kind of thing. Also, if she doesn't like the maids and servants in her courtyard, slowly get rid of them."
Jiang Yuwei took a sip of tea and said:
"Perhaps she used to do everything herself and wasn't used to having someone serve her. If you remove the people from her life, she'll naturally be less bothered by them and won't keep bothering you."
“But, but, Chen Guixiang is indeed a formidable person. I’m afraid that if we push her too hard, she might do something that would damage the reputation of the Prince’s Mansion.”
Jiang Yuwei's eyes darkened, then she waved her hand and said:
"It's alright, I'll handle things with her. You don't need to worry. Just keep her occupied."
The old woman opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something more, but after meeting Jiang Yuwei's calm and composed eyes, she swallowed her words, nodded, and left.
After finishing her business here, Jiang Yuwei hurried into the princess's room to administer acupuncture. However, upon entering, she saw Ning Wan sitting in the princess's lap eating candied fruit. She then feigned anger and glared at Ning Wan.
"Wan'er, how can you sit in your grandmother's lap? You're becoming more and more unruly. Your grandmother isn't fully recovered yet, how can she hold you?"
As she spoke, Jiang Yuwei stepped forward and took Ning Wan out of the princess's arms.
Ning Wan pouted and reluctantly chewed on the candied fruit.
Upon seeing this, the princess smiled and said:
"You, you, why are you talking about the child? Can't I, as a grandmother, hold my precious grandson?"
Jiang Yuwei smiled and placed Ning Wan on the stool.
"I was just worried that Your Highness would get tired if I held you for too long. Once I've recovered, you can hold me for as long as you want."
As she spoke, Jiang Yuwei helped the princess to the bedside to lie down, and then took out silver needles from her medicine box.
"Your Highness, my steward has encountered a difficult problem and would like to discuss it with you."
"Oh? Is there something else that's causing you trouble? Tell me about it."
"Isn't the Empress's birthday approaching? I don't know much about the Empress, nor do I know what she usually likes, so I'm having trouble deciding on a gift. I was hoping that Your Highness could give me some pointers."
The princess smiled.
"The Empress lives in the inner palace all day long. She has seen all kinds of rare treasures. Sending her a gift now is just a token of our goodwill. You can take a look at the gift list from previous years. It's just the same few things. There's really nothing special about it."
The princess paused, then looked at Jiang Yuwei and said:
"I entrust you with the preparation of gifts for the Empress's birthday banquet this year. I think you might be able to come up with something different and novel that will make the Empress smile."
Jiang Yuwei pondered for a moment, then nodded and said:
"Alright, I'll go back and think it over carefully. I'll definitely live up to your mission."
The princess smiled and closed her eyes to rest. With Ning Wan accompanying her every day, time passed quickly.
With the help of Jiang Yuwei's recuperation methods and Wang Ma's meticulous care, the princess's illness has largely subsided, and she is no longer as weak and powerless as before. Even her complexion has improved significantly.
Now that the princess and housekeeper don't have to worry about her, she's eating well, sleeping well, and feels increasingly relaxed.
After giving the princess acupuncture, Jiang Yuwei also helped Ning Wan to sleep on the soft couch next to her. Although Ning Wan's body has almost recovered, she still needs to rest more.
In order to prevent Ning Wan from having scars, Jiang Yuwei insists on applying medicine and changing dressings for Ning Wan every day.
After finishing her business, Jiang Yuwei instructed Wang Ma on the timing for feeding the princess her medicine and removing her acupuncture needles. She then left Diancui Courtyard, found a servant to lead the way, and headed towards the courtyard where Chen Guixiang lived.
To Jiang Yuwei's surprise, as soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Chen Guixiang lying on a recliner, basking in the sun with her eyes half-closed. One maid was fanning her, while the other was feeding her grapes. She was enjoying herself immensely.
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