When Li Chenjiao returned to the East Courtyard, Xiao Luzi had already gone to the kitchen to bring back breakfast.

Since it's the twelfth lunar month and Laba Festival is just around the corner, the kitchen specially cooked a pot of Laba porridge this morning. Xiao Luzi wasn't sure if his princess would like it, so he asked the kitchen staff to scoop out a bowl for her.

Li Chenjiao has always loved drinking all kinds of porridge, and the Manchu Laba porridge also contains various grains and dried fruits.

A bowl of Laba porridge containing ingredients such as red beans, pine nuts, red dates, lilies, peanuts, lotus seeds, and longan can fill your stomach.

The ingredients were too mixed together, so it didn't smell very good, but it tasted sweet.

After finishing a bowl of Laba porridge, Li Chenjiao rubbed her full stomach and said, "I heard that His Majesty would bestow Laba porridge upon each household on Laba Festival?"

Qiu Ci had worked in the Imperial Household Department for a while, and after thinking for a moment, she replied, "I've heard that's true. All the princes who have built their own residences outside the palace have one."

Li Chenjiao had never tasted the Laba porridge in the palace before. Upon hearing this, her eyes lit up. Then she thought for a moment, "Doesn't Fourth Prince go to the palace that day?"

Qiu Ci shook her head: "This servant does not know. In principle, the princes should enter the palace for each solar term."

Li Chenjiao gave a disappointed "Oh".

If the Fourth Prince and his wife were to go to the palace on the Laba Festival, then the so-called Laba porridge as a reward would naturally not need to be sent to their residence, since they did not have a young prince in their household.

Li Chenjiao was too lazy to think about it. She figured that today was the first day of the month, and the Fourth Master would either go to the main courtyard or stay in the front courtyard like he did on the fifteenth of last month.

Since Li Chenjiao was free in both directions, she started thinking about what to eat today.

"The kitchen said they bought a basket of frozen pears today. Some were sent to the front courtyard and to the Fujin's quarters. There are still quite a few left. When Xiao Lu went to get breakfast, she asked the princess if she wanted to try some."

Qiu Ci came in with a smile, lifting the curtain. She had just returned from outside and immediately stood guard in front of the charcoal brazier.

Li Chenjiao straightened up: "Then have Xiao Luzi make a trip there later. Remember to tell him to bring some silver."

Li Chenjiao is currently favored, so the kitchen staff are naturally very attentive to her. However, Li Chenjiao is not ignorant of social etiquette. Whenever the Fourth Prince comes or orders extra food, she will have Xiao Luzi bring some loose silver to the kitchen.

If you've smoothed things over with the kitchen staff, even if you fall out of favor later, it won't be so difficult to bear.

As for the money, she hasn't even used up the small box of silver that Fourth Master sent her last time, not to mention the silver she brought with her when she entered the mansion and the silver notes her family gave her after she entered.

As for Gege's monthly allowance, Li Chenjiao also had Qiu Hu register it, leaving herself enough room for maneuver.

Li Chenjiao considers herself a common person, and it's inevitable that she loves money, but she's not greedy and doesn't have excessive greed.

Regarding my conversation with Wu Gege today, Wu Gege has the power she desires, but she doesn't; what she wants has always remained at a very basic level.

Living well and eating and drinking well is more important than anything else.

Before lunch, the kitchen delivered a small basket of frozen pears. Li Chenjiao ate a little too much, so she ate less at lunch.

Li Chenjiao pondered the last time Granny Xu came to measure her winter clothes, then touched her belly, and suddenly sat up and called out to the outer room, "Qiuhu, see if we have any shuttlecocks in our yard?"

Li Chenjiao suddenly started exercising.

Fourth Master was indeed busy in the twelfth lunar month. Li Chenjiao played shuttlecock every day because she didn't want to miss out on wearing beautiful winter clothes before the New Year. Fourth Master, on the other hand, was exhausted and thin from his daily running around.

On the sixth day of the month, a message came from the main courtyard that the Fourth Prince and his wife would be going to the palace on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month this year. The mansion would still set up a table at the Qing Courtyard, which would be handled by Granny Xu and Consort Wu.

Li Chenjiao was disappointed when she received the news.

Yu Ru, who came to deliver the message, naturally did not miss the change in Li Chenjiao's eyes. After returning to the main courtyard, she vividly described the scene to the Fujin.

After hearing this, the princess's mood improved considerably.

"I knew it! What woman wouldn't want the power to manage the household? Hearing that Consort Wu could work with Granny Xu to run the household, I don't believe Li Shi would have cursed Consort Wu behind her back countless times. No matter how clever Li Shi is, I don't believe she won't reveal her true colors once she gets what she wants."

Whether it was Lady Wu or Lady Li, they were both thorns in the side of the Fujin. Even Lady Song, who was currently disliked by the Fourth Prince, was also disliked by the Fujin.

Yu Ru said a few flattering words.

As for Li Chenjiao, Qiu Hu saw Yu Ru off and returned to find his princess looking sad, her face resting on her hands.

Qiu Hu understood her princess's temperament and could only smile secretly.

Li Chenjiao was truly disappointed. Since the Fourth Prince and his wife were going to the palace, the Emperor would not bestow Laba porridge upon the household.

The thought of not being able to taste the Laba porridge made by the imperial kitchen in the palace made Li Chenjiao's heart ache.

As Li Chenjiao was feeling melancholy, she suddenly heard Qiu Ci's voice from outside: "Greetings to Fourth Master."

Why did Fourth Master arrive at this time?

Li Chenjiao and Qiu Hu exchanged a glance, and Qiu Hu quickly helped his princess down from the soft couch.

Before he could finish speaking, Fourth Master had already entered, and Su Peisheng had already put away his snow-covered cloak.

Fourth Master dismissed Li Chenjiao's formalities and sat down on the couch with an air of authority: "What are you doing?"

Li Chenjiao couldn't say she was daydreaming, so she just said, "I was just thinking with the maid that the day after tomorrow is Laba Festival, so we'll ask the kitchen to make some Laba porridge to try later."

Li Chenjiao sat back down on the couch as she spoke.

Qiu Hu, sensing the danger, withdrew to serve tea.

The Fourth Prince knew that his wife had arranged for Granny Xu and Madam Wu to handle the affairs of the mansion on the night of Laba Festival. When Li Chenjiao suddenly mentioned Laba Festival, he naturally made the connection.

He hesitated for a moment: "You mind?"

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!