Since she's from the He family, it's better to return her to them.
When she was free, Lu Wanning went to talk to the princess about this: "Nanny Cao's family are all in the He family. I thought it wouldn't be good to separate her from her family. Our princely mansion isn't short of servants. Didn't the Empress Dowager say at the palace banquet last time that she wanted to give me nannies and maids? I don't need so many people to serve me. How about sending Nanny Cao's indenture back so that her family can be reunited?"
The princess didn't have any objections. She told a nanny to take Nanny Cao's indenture and make this trip when she was free.
Just as Lu Wanning returned to her courtyard, she happened to see Xiangyun going out with red - rimmed eyes. She didn't even notice Lu Wanning's return.
Lu Wanning asked Jiyue curiously, "Why is Xiangyun so unhappy?"
Jiyue sized her up, frowned and asked, "Could it be that she found out Nanny Cao isn't coming back? Xiangyun's parents passed away early, and she has no siblings. Nanny Cao doted on her the most, so she took Nanny Cao as her godmother."
This was even better. Lu Wanning rubbed her hands excitedly. "It's not good to separate her from her godmother either. Jiyue, go and tell my mother again. Send Xiangyun and her indenture to the He family as well."
Jiyue stared at Lu Wanning with blinking eyes for a long time before asking, "What's wrong with Your Highness the Princess? Nanny Cao, this maid and Xiangyun used to be Your Highness's most trusted people. Why are you sending two of them away all of a sudden?"
Lu Wanning was stunned for a moment and forced a smile. "I just thought it wasn't good to separate them. Anyway, I have you by my side, and that's enough."
Jiyue quickly knelt down. "Your Highness, if they've done something wrong, please punish them clearly. Don't drive them away. This maid and the others are absolutely loyal and will never want to leave Your Highness."
Seeing Jiyue like this, Lu Wanning couldn't insist on sending Xiangyun away anymore. She just said, "Alas, I originally meant well. Later, there will be new nannies and maids coming from the palace. I don't need them..."
Jiyue said, "But they're not people close to Your Highness."
Xiangyun was kept, but she had become very obedient. She knew that the princess didn't like her much now. Although she got the same monthly allowance as Jiyue, she was even worse than second - class maids. On normal days, if there was nothing to do, she would never go near Lu Wanning.
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Lu Wanning asked someone to prepare a carriage. Today was the day of Jiang Shishi's engagement to He Wenbo, the second young master of the He family. The engagement banquet wasn't as formal. It mainly involved the groom - to - be and his elders visiting the bride - to - be's relatives at her home. The Lu family didn't need to attend, but Lu Wanning still wanted to go and see Jiang Shishi.
All the way to the Jiang family, Jiang Shishi's maid was already waiting at the door. She was dressed festively today. Seeing Lu Wanning, she beamed and said, "This maid said early this morning that a magpie was chirping on the tree branch. The young lady said it was because Your Highness was coming. This maid immediately came here to wait."
Lu Wanning tugged at her clothes. "This bright red jacket doesn't seem to be the style your young lady usually likes you to wear."
The maid quickly said, "We don't wear it on normal days. It's appropriate to wear it today."
Lu Wanning gave Jiyue a look, and Jiyue immediately handed over a small embroidered bag with two gold peanuts in it. The maid was overjoyed and led Lu Wanning in all the way.
First, she had to go and see Imperial Scholar Jiang and Mrs. Jiang.
Lu Wanning thought that the Jiang family had a lot of things to do today. She just needed to show her face and then she could go to the back to accompany Jiang Shishi. But when she got to the main hall, she found the atmosphere in the hall was oppressive. There were many guests in the hall, and each of them frowned, looking unhappy.
Just taking a quick look around, Lu Wanning knew that there should be no one from the He family here.
She was lazy and didn't get up early today. She dawdled until this time to arrive at the Jiang family. Although the engagement banquet was not as grand as a wedding, it was still a big event for these people. How could it be that it was so late and not everyone had arrived?
When Mrs. Jiang saw Lu Wanning, she quickly got up and greeted her. "Your Highness, why did you come? That child Shishi is really, not even saying a word when Your Highness is coming."
Lu Wanning said with a smiling face, "I didn't see Sister Jiang at the palace banquet. I missed her very much. It was just a sudden thought last night. I sent someone to tell Shishi. I didn't mean to trouble you, Sir and Madam."
Mrs. Jiang knew that her daughter had a good relationship with Lu Wanning, so she didn't say much. She personally led her to the back yard.
Lu Wanning didn't show it on her face, but she was very angry inside. She had read the book. In the book, He Wenbo only liked Shi Aohan whole - heartedly. He was willing to live and die for her, but in the end, he was just a lovesick fool who got nothing. She didn't expect that the He family was already treating their future daughter - in - law so negligently at this time. It was really infuriating.
She held back her anger and didn't make a scene in the main hall. After passing through the flower - decorated gate and reaching the back yard, Mrs. Jiang was concerned about the situation in the front. She told the nanny to continue leading Lu Wanning in.
But Lu Wanning grabbed Mrs. Jiang's hand. "Madam, is Sister Jiang fully recovered?"
Mrs. Jiang patted her hand. "Your Highness, don't worry. She will get better after the spring. She will get better and better in the future."
As for the autumn and winter, that was a matter for later.
Lu Wanning asked again, "Isn't today Sister Jiang's engagement day? Why hasn't anyone from the He family come yet?"
Mrs. Jiang thought she was just being childish and was afraid that she would accidentally say something in front of Jiang Shishi. She quickly said, "Yes, there are a lot of things to do. They will come later anyway."
Lu Wanning tilted her head and thought for a while, then shook her head. "That's not right, Madam. When I was engaged last time, the Fu family went to the princely mansion very early in the morning. Madam, you have to be careful. Sister Jiang is as pure as crystal. If the He family is not good, we won't be happy to let her marry there. We mustn't let her marry into a place and then find out that it's not a good family but a den of tigers and dragons."
As if in a huff, she lifted her skirt and walked inside.
Mrs. Jiang quickly told the maid beside her to go up and persuade her, not to let her go in front of Shishi and talk nonsense, lest it would make Shishi feel bad.
On the way back, Mrs. Jiang felt very sad. Although Lu Wanning was a bit rash, what she said was the truth. When the Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict for the Lu and Fu families to get engaged, the Fu family wasn't willing, but they still went to propose the engagement early and didn't delay at all.
Since the old master of the He family passed away, the He family's attitude towards the Jiang family had dropped drastically. By the time Shishi was nearly eighteen, it was only after the master asked an acquaintance among the officials to talk to the He family subtly for a long time, saying that the two children were old enough to get married, that the engagement was finally settled.
But after exchanging the betrothal letters, the matter of proposing the engagement was postponed again and again. Such negligence today...
Shishi hasn't even married into the He family yet, and they're already so negligent. How will Shishi live in the future? Unfortunately, the He family is powerful and is the maternal family of the Queen. Their Jiang family has no choice but to think about the entire Jiang family. How could the master force the He family to break the engagement just for Shishi's sake?
Thinking like this, Mrs. Jiang's tears fell like broken beads. She felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
At this moment, in the front yard of the Jiang family, Imperial Scholar Jiang was so angry that his beard was twitching. He was shouting angrily, "Even if my daughter has no one to marry, she will never marry into your He family!"