Zi'an took a look and found that he didn't recognize any of them except the servants who had just gone out to move things.
Zi'an didn't say anything, just nodded slightly, then stepped in, and Xiaosun followed closely behind him.
Nanny Yang was from the palace, so she was familiar with the place and recognized some of these people. She said calmly, "The princess just came back and looks a little tired. You can go and pay your respects later."
The maid who had just spoken smiled slightly and said, "Madam Yang, I haven't seen you for a long time. I didn't expect that someone who used to be close to the Empress would come to serve in the palace. As the saying goes, people always strive for higher positions, but I didn't expect that Madam Yang would go back to her old ways."
Nanny Yang's gloomy face was shrouded in a layer of sarcasm. "Nanny Liang has made great progress. Didn't she come to the palace?"
This person is Madam Liang, who originally served in the Yanxi Palace of Concubine Xi. When she entered the palace in the past, she served the Empress Dowager for two years. Later, she was sent out for some reason. She was in charge of rouge and powder for a while, and finally moved around several times and served many masters. Later, she was arranged by the inner court to serve in the room of Concubine Xi.
The fall of Concubine Xi from favor was like a deserted office. In the past, she had to bow her head when meeting people. Now, Concubine Xi has been promoted to the position of Empress Dowager, and everyone in the Yanxi Palace has become successful. They no longer have to bow their heads, but can walk with their heads held high.
Nanny Liang still maintained her faint smile, and the maids behind her also glared at Nanny Yang with arrogant eyes.
Nanny Yang ignored everything and went straight in.
Zi'an went back to his room first. All the servants in the yard were sent away. There were a few new maids and servants busy in the yard. When they saw Zi'an and others coming back, they all came forward to greet them.
Zi'an didn't care and just ordered people to fetch water and cook.
Nanny Yang and Xiaosun put away their luggage. Xiaosun said angrily, "The servants in the room have been replaced. The master doesn't like strangers to serve him. I'm afraid he will be furious when he comes back."
Madam Yang glared at Xiaosun and said, "Nowadays, things are different from the past. Someone is watching your every word and action. Be careful with your words in the future."
Xiaosun had always been afraid of Mammy's authority. After hearing her scolding, he knew that the situation was different now. "I understand."
The nanny closed the door and lowered her voice and asked, "Princess, what are your plans?"
Zi'an smiled, his eyes twinkling, "I don't have any plans. As the old saying goes, when the enemy comes, we will stop him with soldiers and when the water comes, we will block it with earth."
For a time-traveling girl, killing monsters and leveling up is a common thing. After this experience in Beimo, she feels that she can hold on no matter how difficult it is.
Seeing that she knew what was going on, the nanny felt relieved.
"By the way, call Guiyuan over later." Zi'an ordered.
Xiaosun immediately said, "I will go find him."
After saying that, he skipped away without waiting for Zi'an to speak.
Mammy couldn't help but smile, "This girl is really interested in Guiyuan."
Zian was stunned for a moment, "Really?"
"Isn't it? Princess, you are really slow to realize it."
Zi'an had thought about Xiaosun's marriage. She was a maid by his side, and he always wanted to find a good family for her.
It would be best if she has someone she likes.
The maid came over to fetch water. After the nanny helped Zi'an wash up, she saw Xiaosun coming back with an angry face. "I looked around but couldn't find Guiyuan. I asked that nanny Liang and found out that Guiyuan had been sent away."
"Send her out?" Nanny Yang was slightly annoyed. "Guiyuan was brought here by the princess. Why should she send her out?"
"They said they needed help at the farm, so they sent him to help."
"Isn't there a village head on the farm?"
"Who knows? Anyway, we just have to send the original people away." Xiao Sun held his breath and didn't dare to say anything, for fear that someone outside would hear him.
"Guiyuan has been sent away, but what about the accountant?" Zi'an asked.
"He is not the same person anymore. He said that there is an order from the palace to replace the accountant of the palace."
Zi'an sneered, "Since when have people in the palace been able to interfere in the affairs of the palace? If you don't like someone, you can just replace him. Do you want to replace me too?"
"Princess, what do you think we should do? Guiyuan has gone to the farm, and I don't know what job he is doing." Xiaosun said worriedly.
"Xiao Sun, Prince Li lives close to our home. You can go there and tell him that I brought something for him and ask him to come get it." Zi'an finished combing his hair and turned back to give instructions.
"Okay, I'll go right away."
After Xiaosun left, Zi'an said to the nanny, "It's good to replace some of the people in the mansion in the past. In the past, the prince didn't care about things, and the mansion was run by the noble concubine and the concubine Sun. Those people may not be loyal to me. You go find a boy and ask him to bring some people. You should select a group of people carefully. It's best to find people who have been trained so that they won't make mistakes after entering the mansion. You should pick them carefully, and don't let anyone who is clever be selected."
"What about the people sent by the Empress Dowager?" asked Nanny Yang.
Zi'an said coldly: "Just assign him an idle position and don't allow him to serve in the house."
"Will this... offend the Empress Dowager?" Nanny Yang asked cautiously.
Zi'an didn't answer, but just said: "Watch the time. If Prince Li is about to arrive, go and call Madam Liang and the maids over."
Zi'an opened the gilded bronze beast incense burner and took a small spoonful of spices and put it in. Seeing this, Madam Yang was startled, "Princess, that's..."
Zian smiled slightly, "Shh!"
She took out a small tortoise-shell box from the cabinet, picked up a little with her fingernail, and sniffed it under her nose, then let the nanny smell it, and said, "Don't worry, since the Queen Mother wants to give me a warning, we should just follow her wishes."
"I understand." Nanny Yang's eyes sparkled and she smiled.
Prince Li's mansion was just a meal's distance away from the Regent Princess. When Prince Li and the Princess heard that Zi'an had returned and brought some things with him, they hurried over.
Princess Ah Man said to Prince Li in the carriage, "I think what Zi'an picked must be the most interesting."
"I have something to discuss with her." Prince Li said seriously.
Ah Man smiled and said, "I have something to do, how can I say I'm going to take someone else's things?"
Prince Li said unhappily, "What do you know, woman?"
Ah Man snorted, "What kind of hero is it to vent your anger on me? If you have the guts, go to the palace and cause some trouble."
"What are you making a fuss about? Since the emperor has named her the empress dowager, the etiquette and laws are there, and we can't be disrespectful."
"Yes, yes!" Ah Man rolled his eyes.
Following Zi'an's instructions, Madam Yang estimated that it was about time, so she went to call Madam Liang and a group of old women over.
These are the old maids in the palace. Those who are favored are now serving the masters of various palaces, so it is impossible for them to be assigned.
They had once enjoyed glory, but a new emperor appointed new ministers. Those concubines with children followed their sons to live in other palaces, and only the capable people around them were selected to move out. They were abandoned in the palace and given sinecure positions. In addition, they were getting older, so it was difficult to reuse them. Now that they were employed by the Empress Dowager, they made up their minds to serve her and did not take Zi'an seriously at all.
(End of this chapter)