The flower hall was abuzz with activity, filled with blooming flowers.
Madam Guo and Li Zhao'er were both present. The mother and daughter seemed slightly uneasy, but upon seeing Li Man'er arrive, their faces lit up with the relief of seeing a savior.
Li Zhao'er's gaze towards Li Man'er was tinged with jealousy and a hint of resentment. Her eyes lingered on the golden silk collar, unable to shift away for a long time.
Two other female guests were seated nearby, both with their hair styled as married women. The elder, around forty, appeared quite sharp and her gaze was piercing, giving off a formidable aura.
Li Man'er had no impression of this person but guessed she was likely the mother of the third young master Geng, Madam Jiang, wife of the official Geng.
Beside Madam Jiang sat another woman, approximately twenty-four or twenty-five years old. She was somewhat plump, with a decent appearance, but possessed a gentle demeanor that instantly evoked a sense of goodwill.
Li Man'er also did not recognize her, surmising she was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Geng family.
"Greetings to Mother," Li Man'er politely paid her respects to Madam Guo and then stood quietly to the side.
"This is my eldest daughter. Man'er, this is Madam Jiang, and this is her eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Shao."
As expected!
Li Man'er curtsied slightly, "Greetings, Madam Jiang, greetings, Madam Shao."
Madam Jiang scrutinized Li Man'er for a moment, thinking that rumors were indeed harmful and utterly unreliable. The widely circulated tales described the eldest daughter of the Iron Courage Marquis's mansion as unruly, extremely ugly, and possessing a terrible temper and no upbringing or manners.
However, the eldest daughter before her possessed both beauty and grace of the highest caliber. Judging by her attire and her overall bearing, she was the complete opposite of the rumors.
It was understandable, of course. With a stepmother in charge, one could not compare it to a biological mother. Even if there were no shortcomings in terms of food and clothing, one could only speculate about the unseen aspects.
The mother and daughter-in-law exchanged a look, both keeping their thoughts to themselves. After all, as the saying goes, leave a little room for maneuver; you might meet again someday.
"The eldest young lady is truly beautiful. Such elegance can only be cultivated in the Iron Courage Marquis's mansion."
"They say a niece resembles her aunt. Noble Consort is like a celestial being, and since the eldest young lady is the Noble Consort's niece, she is naturally extraordinary."
"I dare not accept such high praise from you, Madam Shao. If our young lady is fortunate enough to resemble the Noble Consort even a little, it would be our fortune." Madam Guo could not bear others praising Li Man'er and tried to steer the conversation towards her own daughter, Li Zhao'er.
Madam Jiang did not mind this and quickly said, "Eldest young lady, please sit down and chat with us."
Only then did Li Man'er select a seat and sit.
Throughout the entire exchange, Li Zhao'er did not utter a single word to her.
A young maid served Li Man'er tea and then quietly withdrew.
"Eldest young lady..." Madam Jiang swallowed her previously prepared words and, after a moment of thought, spoke again, "My son went to the Eldest Prince's mansion today and has not yet returned. The servants have searched everywhere, both within and outside the city, but still cannot find my wayward son. As for the Eldest Princess's palace... it is truly inconvenient to disturb her further. I am truly at my wit's end, which is why I have come to trouble your mansion."
Li Man'er feigned surprise, "Madam's words are quite unexpected! If your son is in trouble, you should immediately report it to the yamen, or have the military patrol search for him, wouldn't that be faster? Madam and eldest madam coming to our home to search, I find that rather perplexing."
Li Zhao'er, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "Eldest sister, there are no outsiders in this room. Why must you distance yourself from the third young master Geng? We won't spread it around."
Zi Yan's lungs were about to explode. The second young lady's words were clearly casting a shadow on her young lady!
"It seems there haven't been enough deaths, which is why Second Sister has such a poor memory." Li Man'er raised an eyebrow and calmly asked, "What, is the death of Chunzhi not enough? Do you need all the maids and servants in your chambers to perish before you learn your lesson!"
Li Zhao'er felt guilty, and the image of Chunzhi's unclosed eyes flashed in her mind, causing her to instinctively flinch.
Madam Guo, doting on her daughter, immediately said, "Man'er, how can you speak to your sister like that? In front of Madam Jiang, what are you talking about hitting and killing? How can you be so ill-mannered!"
"Mother is truly biased!" Li Man'er was too lazy to play along with Madam Guo anymore. She stood up and said, "You become so angry when I say a few words to her, yet you don't say a word when Second Sister slanders me with groundless rumors. To put it plainly, I am not your biological daughter, and yet I foolishly hoped for your affection like Second Sister. What a pipe dream! Since that is the case, I will call you 'Madam' from now on, so as to avoid Second Sister misunderstanding that I want to steal what is hers and constantly resent me!"
Li Man'er's words left Madam Guo speechless. She glanced awkwardly at Madam Jiang, only to find her looking equally enlightened.
They say family shame should not be aired publicly, yet this eldest young lady Li was too blunt. Exposing Madam Guo's true feelings so directly was surely too embarrassing for her! No wonder her reputation outside was not good; with such a temperament, she was likely to offend everyone.
"What are you saying!" Madam Guo was so angry her chest ached. If Madam Jiang weren't present, she would have loved to discipline this impudent girl who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.
"Madam, what do you think I am saying?" Li Man'er replied, "Go ask around the capital, which family's sisters dare to be as bold as your Li Zhao'er, slandering her elder sister to the Eldest Princess's face, and now fabricating stories about me and the third young master Geng! Those who know understand that Second Sister is spoiled and cannot bear to see me well; those who don't might think Second Sister fancies my engagement to the young duke of the Rongguo Duke's mansion, which is why she repeatedly casts aspersions on me."
"You..." Madam Guo felt as if her throat were stuffed with cotton. Her meticulously maintained image of virtue was on the verge of collapsing.
"Madam Jiang, Madam Shao, if you genuinely wish to find someone, please report it to the authorities! No matter what you have heard from others, or what Li Zhao'er has told you, my answer is this: I have not seen the third young master Geng. What kind of place is the Eldest Princess's mansion? Can an outer male freely intrude into the inner quarters during a banquet arranged by the Eldest Princess? If you two do not wish to offend the Eldest Princess, it is best not to speak of this again, lest you invite trouble upon yourselves."
Li Man'er bowed slightly, "I will not entertain you further!" With that, she paid no mind to the reactions of the people in the hall, took Zi Yan, and left the flower hall, departing directly from the Chaohui Courtyard.
As soon as Madam Shao left the Chaohui Courtyard, she placed a handkerchief over her chest, thinking she had truly seen something! This eldest young lady Li was indeed as rumored!
As soon as Li Man'er left the Chaohui Courtyard, she went to see Madam Cui and recounted the events that had just transpired, adding fuel to the fire at the end, "Grandmother, has our Iron Courage Marquis's mansion become so insignificant now? What is the rank of Official Geng, yet his wife dares to come to the Marquis's mansion to question us so casually? Truly, the world is deteriorating! Could it be they believe the Noble Consort is no longer favored in the palace?"