"I..."
Madam Zui opened her mouth, but naturally didn't dare say anything about Zui Yiming.
She hadn't forgotten that just a careless comment by her precious daughter about Zui Yiming had resulted in twenty lashes. Surely, it was Zui Yiming who ordered it.
If she were to embarrass Zui Yiming here, with the head of the family absent, who knows if she herself might fall at Zui Yiming's hands.
"Is Mother suggesting that I, of the palace, am ignoring my familial ties? Where Father wants to go is his affair. Could I, a daughter married away, have any say in it?"
"No, no, that's not... I didn't mean that."
Madam Zui shook her head repeatedly, afraid that Zui Yiming might actually make things difficult for her.
"It's just that lately, your father... has been a bit confused, his eyesight worsening, and who knows who he's keeping company with. He hasn't visited Mother's courtyard for quite some time..."
"Mother is getting old, and naturally Father no longer favors you."
