As they were talking, a dignified man in brocade clothes and a noble lady in luxurious clothes came in with a group of servants. They looked majestic and imposing. If they hadn't worn hats on their heads, they would have looked even more majestic.
If this isn’t Prince Li and his wife, then who else could it be
Zi'an stood up, "Third brother, Third sister-in-law, you are here!"
She bowed slightly to hide the sharpness in the corner of her eyes, and when she raised her head, she was already smiling brightly. From her memory, Prince Li's appearance was mostly like this: you would hear his voice first, then see him.
The maids naturally recognized Prince Li and his wife.
Prince Li stepped in unhappily and said sternly, "I just arrived at the corridor and heard you guys yelling here. Whose servant is this that doesn't know the rules?"
Zi'an said quickly, "I'm sorry to have called you Third Brother a laughing stock."
Prince Li glanced at Zi'an and said, "I've said before that the servants in this mansion are disorganized and poorly managed, so sooner or later there will be trouble."
"When did Third Brother say that?" Zi'an was stunned.
"When the noble concubine was still alive, this prince has said it again and again."
Zi'an looked at the Princess of Li, and the Princess nodded, "I did say that."
Zi'an was not surprised at all. Given Prince Li's personality, he would probably even dare to contradict the Empress Dowager if he didn't like her.
Zi'an smiled bitterly and invited them both to sit down. She walked to the incense burner and pressed down the spices in the burner with a spoon. Only when she saw that all the spices were extinguished did she sit down.
Prince Li sat down and saw Nanny Liang standing in front of Nanny Yang, trembling slightly. Nanny Yang fell to the ground and struggled to get up.
"Were you the one who spoke like a hen just now?" Prince Li glanced at her and asked.
Nanny Liang gradually regained consciousness. Thinking of her actions just now, she was so scared that she knelt down with a plop. "I am rude, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Prince Li didn't look at her first, but looked at Nanny Yang, "Nanny Yang, what's wrong with you?"
Nanny Yang sighed, "Your Highness, please forgive me for making fun of you. I sprained my waist and cannot stand up."
"Are you dead? Why don't you help her up?" Prince Li shouted.
Chun, Xia, Qiu and Dong hurried forward to help Nanny Yang up. Nanny Yang cried out in pain and frowned.
Nanny Liang glared at her and complained in her heart: I just bumped into you, why are you pretending like this? Who would believe it
Prince Li looked at Madam Liang, his handsome face shrouded in displeasure, "Are you a servant in this mansion?"
Madam Liang straightened her back and said, "In reply to your Highness, I was sent out of the palace by the Empress Dowager to serve the Princess."
Prince Li said angrily, "Serve? How can you serve like this? If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have known that the person sent by the Queen Mother was so arrogant and domineering. I'm afraid I have to go to the palace to ask the Queen Mother. Is this the rule of serving the master that she taught me?"
Nanny Liang listened to his angry scolding and dared not say anything. She just knelt there with her head lowered.
Prince Li glanced at Zi'an and said angrily, "You are a princess after all, so why do you allow her to be so presumptuous? If she dares to hit the people around you now, she will dare to hit you in the future."
Zi'an was at a loss, "Third brother, she is someone close to the Empress Dowager, my sister-in-law..."
"So what? Even if someone around the Emperor doesn't know the rules, they still have to be taught."
Zi'an immediately asked humbly, "How should I punish a servant like her who attacked me in front of my master? If I don't punish her properly, she will report to the Empress Dowager in the palace, and the Empress Dowager will probably blame me."
Zi'an sounded extremely aggrieved, not even a bit of his usual calmness and composure.
Ah Man laughed secretly in his heart, you girl, you really pretend to be like this.
Prince Li stared at Nanny Liang with extremely sharp eyes.
Madam Liang shuddered all over and said tremblingly, "My Lord, I am a member of the Queen Mother's family. She didn't know the rules just now, so I was just teaching her a lesson."
"Did the master tell you to teach him a lesson?" Prince Li asked seriously.
"This..." Nanny Liang glanced at Zi'an and said hesitantly, "The princess is kind-hearted, and she was once the queen's close friend..."
"Just answer whatever you are asked. Did your master tell you to teach him a lesson?" Prince Li raised his voice, a little angry.
"This... isn't the case." Madam Liang stammered.
"The master didn't say anything about teaching me a lesson, so what right do you have to teach me a lesson? You are a servant, you can only follow the master's orders. The master hasn't said anything yet, but you took action. Are you trying to bypass the princess?"
Madam Liang said unconvincedly: "I didn't say that."
"How dare you talk back?" Prince Li was extremely angry. In Prince Li's mansion, such unruly people would not be tolerated. He immediately said to Zi'an, "She is so harsh in her words and has contradicted the master. First, she will be slapped thirty times and then she will be charged for her physical behavior."
After hearing what Prince Li said, Zi'an quickly said humbly, "Thank you for your advice, Third Brother. I have only been in charge of the affairs of the mansion for a short time and I really don't know how to strike a balance."
After saying that, she pointed her finger at Huang Mama and said, "You, go up and slap her in the face!"
Nanny Huang was stunned for a moment, but did not dare to step forward and take action.
Seeing this, Nanny Liang said, "Princess, I was sent by the Empress Dowager..."
Zi An stood up and said sternly, "It seems that I can no longer order you around. I will report to the Empress Dowager tomorrow and have you all sent back. I will personally execute you."
Nanny Huang was stunned. If they were sent back, the Empress Dowager would definitely say that they were not doing their job well. Not only would they not be promoted, they would probably be punished.
Thinking of this, Nanny Huang hurriedly said, "Why bother your princess to help? I'll do it for you."
After saying that, she walked over and was about to strike him when Prince Li said sinisterly, "If you don't have the strength, I will ask the guards to come in and strike you."
The guards took action and slapped him thirty times. I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to speak for a month.
Nanny Huang had originally wanted to be gentler, but after hearing Prince Li's words, she dared not hold back and slapped him in the face with a "crackling" sound.
These old women were very good at teaching the young palace maids a lesson in the past. The thirty slaps were so powerful that they made Madam Liang dizzy, her ears buzzing, and she screamed like a pig being slaughtered.
After thirty slaps, she collapsed to the ground, unable to move, and her head was swollen and painful.
"Drag him away!" Zi'an said sternly.
This move had shocked Chun, Xia, Qiu, Dong and several other maids. Upon hearing Zi'an's order, they hurried forward and dragged away Nanny Liang.
Nanny Liang couldn't stand straight, and said resentfully: "Thank you, Princess, for the reward. I will definitely report it to the Empress Dowager."
Chunxiaqiudong dared not let her say anything more, and just dragged her away. Didn't she hear what Prince Li said just now? The thirty slaps were just for her talking back, not for hitting others.
Zi'an ordered him to be dragged away, but Prince Li refused and said expressionlessly, "Come on, drag this old man who doesn't know the rules away and give him twenty lashes of the cane."
Nanny Liang's body went limp and she fell to the ground again.
Prince Li's orders were always followed. His guards immediately came in and dragged the man out. They beat him with twenty boards in a swift and decisive manner. Then they heard the sound of pigs being slaughtered coming from outside. After a while, the guards came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the man has fainted."
"Have you finished the twenty strokes of the cane?"
"It's over."
Prince Li nodded with satisfaction, "Well, drag it away."
(End of this chapter)