Since Liang Luo was aware of the Ninth Prince's preference for men, she could make good use of it.
The Wei family surely knew that Feng Jinlin had saved Liang Quanbin multiple times. They might even hold the Feng family accountable. If so, then he should find some trouble for the First Prince.
Regardless, the First Prince harbored no less animosity towards the Ninth Prince and Duke Wei than they did.
Soon, some rough maids were sent to Liang Luo's courtyard.
Among them, one named Zhiteng was quite capable.
Within a few days, she had appeased everyone in the courtyard, especially Jinxiu, who placed great trust in her.
Liang Luo had now figured things out and had reverted to her previous arrogant and overbearing personality.
A few days ago, the concubine Ruan, who had mocked her during a morning greeting, tried the same trick again in the garden.
Without a word, Liang Luo slapped her, causing her hairpins to jingle and her hairstyle to become disheveled. Her cheek swelled up high.
She then fiercely threatened:
"My father is the supervisor of the Grand Canal, my brother holds a position in the Ministry of Rites, my maternal grandfather is the Earl of Changyi, and my sister-in-law is a legitimate daughter of the Wei family. What right do you have to repeatedly humiliate me? Do you think your family background is better than mine? Or is your favor with the Prince greater?"
"You!"
The concubine Ruan, who had been slapped, had a father who was a fourth-rank official in the court, and he was about to be promoted to the third rank.
In terms of family background, she was indeed inferior to Liang Luo.
However, since she entered the manor, she had served the Ninth Prince the most, so she was currently quite "favored."
Let alone Liang Luo, she barely paid attention to the Princess Consort.
Her conduct was flamboyant and arrogant. Those who were friendly with her benefited, but the other concubines who were not as favored were often dealt with by her in secret, so they all harbored resentment but dared not speak out.
Liang Luo's slap was satisfying, but they dared not make a fuss, fearing retaliation from Concubine Ruan.
After regaining her true nature, Liang Luo feared nothing.
Her greatest reliance was that her father's position in the Grand Canal provided significant assistance to the Wei family, which was why she was not afraid of Concubine Ruan.
She hadn't even paid attention to Xu Mingyue and Bai Siruo before, so how could she be afraid of the daughter of a mere fourth-rank official?
"What 'you'? Be careful, or this concubine will dig out your eyeballs and soak them in wine! If you dare to be disrespectful again next time, watch your life!"
After speaking, she strode away. Concubine Ruan, having lost all face, shouted that she would pay the price.
Unfortunately, Liang Luo didn't care at all. Jinxiu, however, was a little worried.
"Miss, is it appropriate to fall out with Concubine Ruan so directly? What if she runs to the Prince and complains..."
Before she could finish, Liang Luo interrupted her.
"What are you afraid of? If the Prince comes, I have my ways of dealing with him. Go and fetch..."
As she spoke, she whispered to Jinxiu, her eyes full of confidence that she would not be punished.
Although Jinxiu was surprised, her surprise was quickly swallowed. She nodded, and after returning to the courtyard, she went to carry out Liang Luo's instructions.
As expected, Concubine Ruan, with her red face, found the Ninth Prince and began to cry profusely.
She spoke of all sorts of grievances, fearing that the Ninth Prince would not severely punish Liang Luo, and exaggerated her "crimes" to the extreme.
The Ninth Prince disliked dealing with these women. If it weren't for the need for heirs, he would rather go out and mingle with the men than listen to women cry here.
Unfortunately, Concubine Ruan was unaware of this aspect of his character, so she continued to speak and cry without restraint.
"Enough! What's there to cry about? You weren't badly hurt, so why are you howling for so long?"
Hearing this, Concubine Ruan suddenly stopped crying.
She stared at the man in front of her, her eyes wide. How could he defend that slut Liang Luo? Didn't he dislike Liang Luo the most?
Otherwise, why would he have humiliated her so much on her first day in the manor?
"Your Highness..."
Her娇滴滴 (delicate and charming) voice, if heard by others, would have made their bones go soft, but the Ninth Prince appeared extremely disgusted.
"Shut up. If I hear that voice again, I'll cut out your tongue!"
Concubine Ruan was so frightened that she knelt on the ground. She knew very little about this Ninth Prince before, and she never expected him to be so capricious!
She was now in a dilemma. She had come to seek justice from the Ninth Prince, but she was driven out instead.
For a long time afterward, no one dared to provoke Liang Luo.
They thought the Ninth Prince had driven Concubine Ruan out because he favored Liang Luo. Some rumors even circulated, saying that they had sworn eternal love before their marriage, but then had some conflicts, which led to the situation upon her entering the manor.
Suddenly, everyone felt insecure. Those who had offended Liang Luo before were now as obedient as dogs with their tails tucked between their legs. They didn't beg for mercy, but wherever Liang Luo appeared, they were always obedient and fawning.
In this regard, Liang Luo's reputation in the inner courtyard soared, and even the Princess Consort looked at her with some admiration.
"I thought she had lost her spirit and energy from being sick for so long. I didn't expect her to use this tactic."
She played hard to get with the Ninth Prince and used overwhelming force against the women in the inner courtyard. Within a few days, she had established a firm footing in the Prince's manor, and ordinary people no longer dared to act rashly. She was quite capable.
"Hmph, no matter how capable she is, she's just a concubine. Doesn't this behavior slap the Empress's face?"
The wet nurse who had entered the manor with the Princess Consort was very displeased. Liang Luo's demeanor was even more imposing than the Princess Consort's, which was unacceptable!
However, the Princess Consort didn't mind these things. With Liang Luo dealing with the troublemakers in the inner courtyard, they became more disciplined. Since she wasn't the one playing the villain, why should she care?
Simply put, once Liang Luo had dealt with the subordinates, she could then deal with Liang Luo, wouldn't that save time and effort?
When she explained her thoughts to the wet nurse, the latter felt relieved.
"As long as the Princess Consort has a plan in mind. We are from the Prince Yu's manor, we must not be insulted by a minister's daughter."
"Don't worry, wet nurse. I know what to do."
Liang Luo, whom the two were discussing, was also listening to Jinxiu recount matters from outside.
The vague rumors were spread by her through Jinxiu. The truth and falsehood of these rumors were not entirely clear, but they led people to conjecture.
This not only reversed their declining fortunes but also reduced the number of people who came to provoke them.
"This maid Zhiteng is truly capable. She handled this matter, and no one discovered that the information came from our courtyard."
Jinxiu said with a smile, but Liang Luo felt uneasy.
How could an ordinary maid be so capable? There must be a problem.
If she were loyal, then she would indeed be useful.
But if she were disloyal, wouldn't she end up shooting herself in the foot in the future?
Therefore, after much deliberation, she said to Jinxiu.