After Mr. Ji had left, Madame Li bowed to the Empress and said, "Empress, using the larger portion may make you uncomfortable, but using the smaller one... might be deemed inappropriate by outsiders at court. The Crown Prince has just returned to the palace, and if his treatment is not as good as that of our King Jin, I fear the courtiers might speak unfavorably. Your image has always been one of magnanimity, and these external possessions, in the eyes of your old servant, need not be overly concerned with. We aim for greater achievements, so why bother with such meticulousness?"
Madame Li was brought from the Empress's maternal home, prepared early by the Ducal Residence because they knew Jin Yushu would eventually enter the palace, so they had singled out an intelligent woman to groom and accompany her into the Crown Prince Residence.
