Li Mengru thought to herself that even this maidservant, who had always been silent and timid, had become bold now that Li Luru was about to become Princess Consort, bold enough to talk back to her own mistress.
If Li Luru really became Princess Consort, would there still be any place in this household for her and her concubine mother?
Hmph, originally she wouldnât have lost her composure like this, but the thought of having been pressed beneath a bastard girl for over ten years made her so angry she could barely breathe.
And that fruit tea was no ordinary fruit; it was bought specially from the prefecture and simmered just for that little slut. In the past, if she wanted to drink it she had to ask Madam, yet that wild child actually got to drink it every day.
Living more luxuriously than her, the legitimate young ladyâon what grounds? Moreover, her concubine mother had told her that Father had already agreed to her idea, so when she saw her drink that fruit tea just now, she couldnât hold back.
She exchanged a glance with Concubine Sun, and Concubine Sun immediately began to wail, "Oh heavens, how is one supposed to live like this? Even a maid dares to lecture her mistressâwhat kind of rules are these? Old Master, you must stand up for Second Miss."
"Tch, theyâre all servantsâwhoâs really nobler than whom?" This mutter was very soft, but Li Luru and Third Young Master Li both heard it.
"You girl, who wouldâve thought your tongueâs grown so sharp now."
"Third Young Master, times have changed. Isnât my young lady in a special situation now? Naturally this maid must defend her mistress."
Seeing the siblings chatting so merrily over there, without the slightest regard for her sobbing, and Madam not showing the least intention of scolding Xiaohong, Concubine Sun tugged at Li Shan and said, "Old Master, Third Miss is going too far. Itâs only a bowl of tea; if itâs changed, itâs changed. Yet she actually lets a maid talk back to Second Missâdoes she not put this elder sister in her eyes at all!"
"Insolence!" Yang Aoshuang slammed the tea bowl heavily onto the table. "What do you think you are? Just a lowly concubineâwho gave you the guts to cling to the legitimate young lady? A concubine consorting with servants, this is clearly against the rules recorded in the annals. That second girl never thought this tea soup was bad on ordinary daysâhow is it that today she suddenly finds fault with it? Even if she truly thought it bad, she should have asked Miss Le before changing it. To change it without askingâwhat is that? Is this what you call Concubine Sunâs rules?"
"Mother, Third Sister never said she disagreed," Li Mengru hastily said.
Yang Aoshuang looked over with a smile that was not quite a smile, but did not argue with her. Instead she turned her spearhead toward Concubine Sun. "Iâve long said that the second girl should be raised by me. You insisted that you are her birth concubine mother, as if afraid Iâd separate you mother and daughter, insisting on staying together. Staying together was one thingâsince she came out of your belly, you should have taught her well. But you, you actually raised her into something like this."
"Knowing full well that Miss Le cannot speak, yet still saying that if Miss Le doesnât open her mouth... What, are you mocking your younger sister? Youâre not so young anymore; itâs time you properly study the precepts and virtues for women, lest you marry out someday and disgrace the Li Familyâs name."
Yang Aoshuang very much disliked these illegitimate sons and daughters, yet she rarely tore their faces in front of so many people. But today they had stepped on her daughter, so she couldnât be bothered with that.
"Uu... Father..."
"Ohhh... Old Master..."
With those words, mother and daughter immediately burst into tears, each crying louder than the other.
"Weâre not even married out yet, and sheâs already suppressing her own elder sisterâhow will there be any place left in this household for us to stand in the future?"
"Old Master, itâs fortunate your body is still sound now, but if one day... how am I supposed to live?"
As she cried, she set off the other concubines to weeping as well; they were all worried about pretty much the same things.