Tao Qianmian, as soon as he left the morning court, saw a ferocious old woman bullying his darling. Anger surged in his heart, and he grabbed the bamboo stick that Rong Mama was about to strike down. With a forceful flick, he sent Rong Mama’s plump body to the ground. Rong Mama cried out in pain.
Tao Qianmian paid no mind to Rong Mama, reaching out to take the bowl from Zheng Wan’er’s head and supporting her as she swayed. He looked at her hands, swollen from being whipped, and gently cupped them, his eyes full of tenderness. "Does it hurt, Wan'er? I will kill this old servant later to vent your anger."
Zheng Wan’er, her eyes blurred with tears, was secretly delighted that Tao Qianmian would stand up for her. She said coyly, "Wan'er doesn't hurt. Aunt Jiang said my manners and etiquette are lacking, so she specially found Rong Mama to teach me. General, please don't be angry. It's all my fault for being too foolish, which made Mama angry."
"Hmph, I think she's just finding an excuse to torment you. This Madam Jiang is becoming more and more unruly. I will go and reason with her later. I think your etiquette is excellent, Wan'er, and you shouldn't have to suffer this."
"General, is… is that really true? Can you really do that? Rong Mama really hurts when she hits people." As she spoke, big tears streamed down her face.
Just as Tao Qianmian was about to deal with Rong Mama, the old woman quickly rose and bowed. "This old servant is not a servant of the General’s mansion. I was sincerely invited by the General’s wife to teach Miss Zheng. The General may not have the right to punish me."
"You're just an ordinary old woman, yet you put on airs in front of this General?"
"This old servant is not talented, but I once served Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Hearing this, Tao Qianmian dared not do anything to her. This was the current Emperor’s wet nurse. He had been careless just now. Although she had left the palace to enjoy her retirement, the Emperor still showed her some respect, and he could not act presumptuously. Madam Jiang had truly invited a powerful figure.
Tao Qianmian, feeling wronged, cupped his hands. "So, it's Rong Mama. My apologies, my apologies. Rong Mama, you must be tired from teaching Wan'er all morning. Please go back and rest, and come again tomorrow."
"Hmm." With that, Rong Mama turned and left without any hesitation.
After the person had gone far away, Zheng Wan’er complained coquettishly, "Qianmian Gege, why didn't you punish her? You even said you would stand up for me. She's just a servant who served the Empress Dowager. Are you, a dignified General, afraid of her?"
"Oh, my little ancestor. Don't be childish. You will benefit greatly from her teaching. She is the current Emperor's wet nurse. Any official in court will give her some face when they see her. How could I possibly punish her?"
"Then wasn't Wan'er's suffering today in vain? And she has to continue suffering tomorrow. Qianmian Gege, I don't like her. Can you find me a different etiquette嬷嬷?" Zheng Wan'er shook his hand and pouted.
Tao Qianmian found this very pleasing and looked on with enjoyment. However, he still said firmly, "Impossible. This Mama’s temperament changed greatly after leaving the palace. She loves gossip. If you, in your spoiled way, insist on changing her, gossip about you will spread throughout the capital tomorrow."
"Qianmian Gege, I'm not talking to you anymore." Zheng Wan’er was very upset. She stomped her foot and ran towards her courtyard.
At this moment, Tao Qianmian’s breathing hitched. Rong Mama loved to gossip. He carefully recalled if he had made any overly intimate movements just now. He had only treated Rong Mama as an ordinary servant, thinking he could kill her instantly, so his actions had been a bit too familiar. He hoped Rong Mama hadn’t seen anything when she fell to the ground. However, he wasn't worried. If gossip were to spread, he could have Madam Jiang explain it. There was a 20-year age gap between him and Wan'er, so people would only think Rong Mama was spreading rumors. Thinking this, he angrily headed towards Tingxue Pavilion. His body had recovered quite a bit, and he was determined to force that poisonous woman to hand over the antidote.
"Madam Jiang, come out. Why did you torment Wan'er like that?" This roar, like a she-wolf’s cry, greatly annoyed Jun Jiuli, who was lying down reading a storybook. Jun Jiuli stretched her wrists, tied her long dress, and took a steel pipe from her spatial dimension. Just as Tao Qianmian pushed the door open, she brought it down heavily on his forehead. Of course, he didn’t die. Then she casually struck him all over his body, beating him soundly. After that, she found a sack, tied him up, concealed her figure, and threw him directly to the entrance of his courtyard.
The two guards were startled. Mustering their courage, they pulled open the mouth of the sack and saw the battered General. If not for his official uniform, they wouldn’t have recognized him. They quickly carried him back to his room, sent some maids to notify the madam to come and care for him, and one rushed to fetch a doctor. The other stayed to guard him.
By the time the doctor arrived, Jun Jiuli was already by Tao Qianmian’s bedside, her eyes red and swollen from crying. After the doctor took his pulse, he began to set Tao Qianmian’s bones and apply splints. During the process, Tao Qianmian cried out in pain, while several guards held him down firmly. Jun Jiuli wrung her handkerchief at his side, looking worried. "Wang Hu, my husband cannot attend court in this condition. Quickly go and invite an official from the Ministry of Personnel to examine his injuries so that my husband can apply for sick leave."
"Yes, Madam." After the doctor finished everything, Tao Qianmian also fainted.
"Doctor, how is my husband? He cannot be in any trouble. If anything happens to him, I won't live either. Wuwuwu~"
"Madam, the General is not seriously injured. His internal organs are unharmed, and he only has a few fractures. With good care, he will be able to walk again in about a month."
"Thank you, Doctor, thank you, Doctor. Xiao Tao, quickly take the doctor to the accounting department to collect the silver. Give Doctor Li an extra ten taels of silver."
"Yes, Madam." Doctor Li cupped his hands and praised with a smile, "General Tao is truly fortunate to have such a virtuous wife. You two are truly a devoted couple, making this old man very envious."
"Doctor Li, you are too kind. This is all I should do." Doctor Li was naturally happy to receive the silver and praised them lavishly. With Jun Jiuli's embellishments and dissemination, the news quickly spread throughout the capital. Coupled with the fact that there were no concubines in the General's mansion, any young lady in the capital would wish to marry such an ideal husband. They were even more envious of the affection between the couple.
In the teahouses, stories about the couple began to circulate. For instance, General Tao was loyal and righteous. Even after achieving fame and success, he did not abandon his wife of humble status, and he was even willing to let his eldest son take the surname Jiang. Truly, he was a righteous and righteous man, a rare good man in this world. Furthermore, the General’s wife was virtuous and generous, managing the household well. She kept the home in perfect order even during her husband’s three-year military campaign and bore the General two sons, contributing greatly. However, at this very moment, discordant voices began to emerge in the capital.