68話 利民という男
さらに立勇が話を続ける。
「宮女であっても宦官であっても武人であっても、人は数人寄れば下世話な話をしたがるもの。
今の内容を、雨妹は脳内で整理する。
「つまり、使用人たちが潘公主や私たちを軽んじるのは、利民様が軽んじているからだということですか?」
「もしくは、こうした皇族批判が日常であるため、大した問題と考えていないのかもな」
――ああ、そういうことってあるかも。
自分の常識を他人にも常識だと考えてしまう人というのは、世の中には一定数いる。
皇族への悪口を些細なお喋り程度にしか考えていなかったら、咎めるという発想すらないだろう。
「それにおそらく利民殿は、屋敷の中のゴタゴタに興味がないのだ」
立勇の口から出た言葉に、雨妹は眉を上げる。
「興味がないって、自分のお屋敷でしょう?
しかしこれに、あっさりと立勇が返す。
「黄家の男はほとんどが船乗りだ。
実際、今日だって利民は既に屋敷にいない。
船に乗って数日戻らないと言っていたとか。
雨妹は今朝、利民の所在を使用人に尋ねた際に、「いつ戻られるかわかりかねます」と当然の顔をして言われた時は、なにを言われたのか理解できなかったものだが。
「仮にも公主を娶った人なのに、それでいいんですか?」
なるほど、そんな事情もあったとは。
そして利民の問題点はまだある。
「その上、潘公主が黄県主にいいように言われているにもかかわらず、なにも言葉を補えていないことも、懸念されるべき点だろうな」
黄県主という黄家のお偉方が来たのなら、誰もその場に立ち会っていないはずがない。
潘公主に厳しく接している様子くらい、たとえ潘公主本人が黙っていても耳に入っているだろうに。
利民がそこで潘公主を励まして「一緒に頑張ろう」と言えていたら、彼女はあんな風になっていなかったのではなかろうか。
雨妹はどうにもここまでの話の中の利民から、駄目男な空気を感じる。
「利民様ってもしかして、女の扱いに疎い方なんですかね?」
雨妹の疑問に、立勇が微妙な顔をした。
「先程も言ったが、黄家の男は海の男だ。
――ああ、野郎だけで群れて今まで来ちゃったタイプか。
それはさぞかし女に疎そうだ。
心配を口にしつつも、あんなになるまで潘公主を放っておいた利民である。
それもこれも黄家の女との確執による心労なのだが、果たして利民がどれだけ理解できているのか。
「うーん、だとするとそもそもの問題は利民様ってことに......」
首を捻る雨妹に、立勇も軽く息を吐く。
「利民殿が女の扱いにある程度長けていたなら、おそらく黄家内の娘を娶っていただろうな」
皇帝と対立するお土地柄の黄家である。
もし利民が黄家の娘を娶っていれば、一族は皇帝の横やりを受けることもなく、丸く収まっただろう。
それなのに嫁を黄家ではなく他所から連れて来た件を鑑みるに、利民は一族の女性を御する能力がいまいちだと、黄大公に判断されたのではないだろうかと推測される。
となれば潘公主が痩せただけでは、問題解決とはならないだろう。
――父よ、もっとお姉様の結婚環境に興味を持ってあげて欲しかった!
黄家との衝突を考え、変に遠慮してしまったのかもしれない。
家財道具などをたくさん贈っても、人間関係で躓けばどうしようもないだろうに。
これは、潘公主が痩せたらお仕事完了、というわけにはいかなくなってきた雰囲気である。
Chapter 68
Li Yong continued on.
"Be it court ladies, eunuchs, or soldiers, people love to gossip when they're gathered together. However, it is the duty of the lord of the palace, in other words, His Highness the Crown Prince, to forbid that and smooth it over in front of the guests. If the crown prince so intended, the skills of the wives will then be questioned."
Yui Mei tried to sort out the information in her mind.
"In short, the servants were looking down on us because Lord Li Min is also taking us lightly?"
"Otherwise, criticizing the royal family has been a daily occurrence that they no longer think anything of it."
'Ahh, that's also possible.'
There are people in the world who think that their own common sense is common to all.
If badmouthing royalty was just a trivial matter for him, he probably wouldn't rebuke them.
"Not only that, Lord Li Min isn't interested in the troubles inside the mansion."
Yui Mei raised her brow when Li Yong said that.
"Not interested, isn't it his own mansion? Wouldn't it be nicer if there's no quarrels there?"
Li Yong refuted that thought.
"Most of the men of the Huang family are seafarers. That's why, they prioritize their lives onboard rather than inside the mansion. If the things in the mansion become too troublesome, they would board the ship, thinking that they'd just return once everything settled down. That's how it is."
Actually, Li Min was no longer in the mansion.
He boarded the ship, saying he wouldn't return until a few days later -- notwithstanding the guests that the crown prince left behind were still staying here.
Yui Mei asked a servant this morning regarding Li Min's whereabouts. She was told that 'we do not know when he will return' with a justified expression, so she didn't know what was told to them.
"Even if it's a joke, he's the one who sought to marry the princess. Is this really fine?"
Indeed, that was also possible.
And Li Min also had one more problem.
"Moreover, Princess Pan must've heard an earful from the Huang County Lord, but in spite of that, he did nothing to compensate for those words, so it's only natural that she will be anxious."
It was impossible that no one would be present when the Huang County Lord, the big shot of the Huang family, came.
Even if Princess Pan didn't say anything about it, that incident would definitely reach his ears.
If Li Min told Princess Pan, 'let's do our best together', she probably wouldn't end up in such a state.
Yui Mei couldn't help but think that Li Min was such a no-good guy based on what she heard so far.
"Maybe Lord Li Min couldn't handle ladies pretty well?"
Li Yong made a subtle expression when he heard Yui Mei's question.
"As I've said, the Huang family men are men of the sea. He must've been an exemplary leader on board, so this harbor was placed under his charge. Naturally, the people on the ship are all men."
'Ahh, so he's been the type that's surrounded by guys until now.'
Then surely he's ignorant about women.
Even though he said he's worried, Li Min still let Princess Pan reach that state.
Her anxiety was the result of clashing against the women of the Huang family, but how much of this did Li Min understand?
"Hmmmm, so the problem originally lies in Lord Li Min, huh...."
Yui Mei was wracking her brains, and Li Yong also lightly sighed.
"If Lord Li Min excelled in womanly affairs even just by a bit, then he probably took a daughter from within the Huang family as his bride."
The Huang family's local government is in conflict with the emperor.
If Li Min had wedded a Huang maiden, there would be no opportunity for the emperor to intervene, and the family would settle harmoniously.
However, Grand Duke Huang must have thought that Li MIn did not have the ability to control the women of the clan, judging from the fact that his bride did not come from the Huang family.
In that case, Princess Pan losing weight won't solve this problem.
'Father, you should've put more thought into Elder Sister's marriage circumstances!'
He must've been strangely reserved, probably because of the conflict with the Huang family..
But even if he provided her with plenty of household items and furniture, it'd be difficult if she stumbled in her relationships with people.
This, it seemed that Yui Mei's work won't end just by Princess Pan losing weight.
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ