Chapter 719 It Is Not an Exaggeration to Say that They Are Old Enemies!
Nanny Zheng looked at Nanny Xi with cold eyes.
“Aren’t… aren’t you…” Nanny Xi stammered and pointed at Nanny Zheng in astonishment.
It was very rude of her to do so. In the imperial palace, if someone was found pointing at someone else in the conversation, she would be beaten or even driven out of the imperial palace. It could be seen that Nanny Xi was so shocked that she lost her composure.
“I am the etiquette instructor and have served my master for several years.” Nanny Zheng looked at Nanny Xi calmly and said as if she did not notice her extremely rude behavior.
“Weren’t… weren’t you driven out of the imperial palace?” Nanny Xi gasped with surprise, put down her hand, looked Nanny Zheng up and down, and said in disbelief.
She got the news from the Empress that Nanny Zheng had been driven out of the imperial palace. Unexpectedly, she met her in the Fifth Miss Shao’s courtyard. How could she not panic?
“I was indeed driven out of the imperial palace. Coincidentally, the Qin’s Mansion was in need of an etiquette instructor at that time, so I have been the Fifth Miss’s etiquette instructor since then and have educated her for many years.”
In contrast to Nanny Xi who looked astonished, Nanny Zheng looked very calm, as if she didn’t realize Nanny Xi’s implication. Being driven out of the imperial palace was not only a disgrace but also an indication of her being out of favor. Of course, it could also be said that her former master was too incompetent to protect her servant.
Nanny Zheng suggested with a smile before Nanny Xi could say anything else, “Nanny Xi, since you come here under the Empress’s order, let’s educate my master together!”
Shao Wanru fixed her eyes on Nanny Xi, who seemed to be in a dilemma and obviously very reluctant to accept it.
“I’m sent by the Empress…” Nanny Xi pulled herself together and calmed down at this time. She looked at Nanny Zheng and said with a gloomy face, “The Empress wants me to educate the Fifth Miss all by myself.”
“Why does the Empress want you to educate the Fifth Miss all by yourself?” Nanny Zheng did not get angry at Nanny Xi’s blunt words but asked lightly.
“Of course, it’s because the Fifth Miss is going to enter the imperial palace to attend the consort selection. Shouldn’t she receive meticulous guidance? There are plenty of noble masters in the imperial palace, and it’s not good if she offends any of them. The Empress sent me here out of kindness. If it weren’t for the Empress’s kinship with Duke Xing’s Mansion, the Empress wouldn’t have bothered about it.”
Nanny Xi spoke.
Shao Wanru raised the corners of her mouth slightly. Nanny Xi said in a much softer tone, not assuming a haughty air as she had done in front of Old Madam.
Nanny Zheng said with a faint smile on her face, “When I served my former master, even the Empress spoke highly of my manners. Nanny Xi, are you doubting my work in educating the Fifth Miss and thinking that she needs to be educated by you?”
Nanny Xi got choked and subconsciously didn’t dare to answer her directly.
As a trusted servant of the Empress, she knew something about the Empress. If there was anyone in the imperial palace the Empress considered as a threat, it would be Nanny Zheng’s former master, who was such a low-profile consort in the imperial palace that she was almost an invisible person.
No new imperial concubines took her seriously. They didn’t see her in favor with the Emperor nor even her in person, so they didn’t need to be jealous of her.
In fact, not only the new imperial concubines, but even the old imperial concubines showed no concern for her. However, the Empress considered her as the biggest threat.
Since the Empress considered her as the biggest threat, the Empress’s trusted servants certainly had made some efforts to check her out.
Of course, they knew that they should be very cautious and avoid being caught when dealing with her servants. Speaking of which, Nanny Zheng was driven out of the imperial palace in a battle where the Empress got the upper hand.
However, Nanny Zheng was only driven out of the imperial palace. Although the Empress wanted to get rid of Nanny Zheng, she did not dare to interfere for fear of enraging the Emperor. As such, most of the servants driven out of the imperial palace did not end up well, while Nanny Zheng became an etiquette instructor although she was driven out of the imperial palace.
In fact, Nanny Zheng had just served her former master as a major palace maid.
But even so, Nanny Xi didn’t dare to say that Nanny Zheng didn’t teach the Fifth Miss well, not only because the Empress had praised Nanny Zheng indeed, but also because Nanny Xi was afraid that she would end up like Nanny Zheng.
Moreover, she was sure that if she got into that kind of trouble, she would face a punishment much more severe than being driven out of the imperial palace. Being beaten to death was just a light penalty. It was very likely that not only she would be killed, but also her relatives would be implicated.
Thinking of this, Nanny Xi didn’t dare to argue with Nanny Zheng on impulse.
Nanny Zheng was saved by her former master, but the Empress would not necessarily save her.
“Nanny Xi, if you think it inappropriate, you can go back to the imperial palace and ask the Empress.” Nanny Zheng did not aggressively force Nanny Xi to answer directly.
With her face darkening, Nanny Xi nodded righteously and said, “This kind of thing should be reported to the Empress and be decided by her!”
It was not an exaggeration to say that she and Nanny Zheng were old enemies. They, who worked for their respective masters, had fought many times in secret.
After saying that, Nanny Xi cast a few more glances at Shao Wanru, who was standing behind Nanny Zheng, wondering what made her win the favor of that person? Or was it just a coincidence that Nanny Zheng was hired as Shao Wanru’s etiquette instructor and educated her in the past three years?
Shao Wanru looked at Nanny Xi calmly with clear ripples in her watery eyes. Then she smiled slightly with her long eyelashes fluttering, looking increasingly ravishing and delicate. But at the same time, she remained dignified and refined in manners, not panicked at Nanny Xi’s gaze.
Even in the imperial palace, as the Empress’s trusted servant, when Nanny Xi fixed her eyes on any of those imperial concubines, they all avoided eye contact with her in fear. However, this Fifth Miss Shao, who had not turned 15 years old yet, looked at her with composure, as if she really didn’t know what an intimidating person she was in the imperial palace!
It seemed that she didn’t know it!
After thinking it through, Nanny Xi turned around and left, because she really couldn’t make the decision.
Seeing Nanny Xi turn around and leave, those who came with her and had been waiting in the courtyard, immediately followed her out and returned to Old Madam’s courtyard.
“Nanny Zheng, will she come back?” Shao Wanru blinked her eyes, watched Nanny Xi and the others leave in a hurry as they came, and asked with a smile. Standing by the window, she clearly saw that Nanny Xi was almost in a flurry at the moment.
Nanny Zheng also walked up to the window and stood behind Shao Wanru. Seeing Nanny Xi and the others leave, she said with a smile, “They will come back, but they won’t be too harsh on you on the surface, Fifth Miss.”
How could the Empress back down so easily? Moreover, the First Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion should be the one she chose as her daughter-in-law, so she would never let go of such an opportunity.
Judging from the Empress’s character, she would take action to make Shao Yanru, the perfect daughter-in-law she chose, marry Prince Zhou so that Prince Zhou could have the backing of Duke Xing’s Mansion.
The Empress had cast greedy eyes on the throne long before.
“Well, I’m waiting for her!” Shao Wanru said with a nod and looked thoughtfully at the gate of the courtyard where she could no longer see Nanny Xi and the others. She was really not afraid of Nanny Xi’s coming back.
The fighting spirit aroused by the first roll of drums was depleted by the second. What was more, she had prepared other things for Nanny Xi!
In the main room, Old Madam had already gotten her breath back. She took a sip of tea slowly and was thinking about something with a gloomy face. Suddenly there came some sounds from the door. She looked up and was stunned when she saw Nanny Xi coming in angrily.
Wasn’t Nanny Xi supposed to be picking on Shao Wanru in the Piaoyun Courtyard at this moment? Nanny Xi had the support of the Empress, so Shao Wanru could not refuse to let Nanny Xi stay in the Piaoyun Courtyard even if she was unwilling to accept it.
Even if she told Great Elder Princess about it, Great Elder Princess could do nothing about it.
Even Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t dare to refuse the Empress.
At the thought that she finally gained the upper hand this time after all these battles with Shao Wanru, Old Madam was very satisfied. Unexpectedly, not long after Nanny Xi went there, she came back angrily. The situation seemed to be terrible.
“Old Madam, since the Fifth Miss of your mansion already has an etiquette instructor, why did you trick us and even keep the Empress in the dark!” As soon as Nanny Xi entered the room, she said with her face darkening. How could she not be angry? She led a large group of people to the Piaoyun Courtyard in order to suppress Shao Wanru. Unexpectedly, she not only failed to do that but also had to come back in disgrace.
Nanny Xi could neither suppress her indignation nor vent it. It was stuck in her throat, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
“Nanny Xi, what do you mean by saying that? Our manor has never done such a thing.” Old Madam said with her face darkening. Although she did not know what had happened to Nanny Xi, she could not allow her to talk nonsense.
After all, she was the Old Madam of Duke Xing’s Mansion. Although Nanny Xi worked for the Empress, Nanny Xi had to show her some respect. After being scolded by Old Madam, Nanny Xi took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and said with her face darkening, “The Fifth Miss has an etiquette instructor and has been educated by her for several years. Old Madam, why didn’t you tell me about it?”
If Old Madam had told her clearly just now, at least she would have thought it through before going there. In this case, she would not have been at a disadvantage when she suddenly met Nanny Zheng and confronted her.
“When did Shao Wanru have an etiquette instructor? She has cultivated in seclusion on the mountain. How could she hire an etiquette instructor?” Old Madam said in surprise.
“Old Madam, it turns out that you didn’t know it either! It seems that you really don’t care about this granddaughter, who has just returned to your mansion, as the rumors say!” Nanny Xi couldn’t help mocking her, “Your granddaughter has an etiquette instructor, who was probably hired when she was in the Qin’s Mansion three years ago and had followed her since then. Maybe her etiquette instructor didn’t live in your mansion before, so you didn’t know it.”
The sarcasm in Nanny Xi’s words was obvious. Hearing this, Old Madam was angry and upset. She turned to look at Nanny Yu.
Nanny Yu thought for a while and shook her head, indicating that she did not know it either.
“Old Madam, since you didn’t know it either, let’s put it aside for the time being. I’ll go back to the imperial palace to report it to my master. At least I should let my master know it. This etiquette instructor is not a simple nanny. In the past, even I should be very polite to her when meeting her in the imperial palace!” Nanny Xi said with sarcasm.
She worked for the Empress. Although the two of them had never met in public before, she had seen Nanny Zheng secretly. Nanny Zheng probably had seen her as well. Otherwise, they would not have recognized each other as soon as they met!
Was it a coincidence?