When the Fourth Prince returned from the palace, he hesitated upon entering the house, remembering how the little woman had deliberately provoked him the day before. He wondered whether he should go to her place for dinner. After some thought, he decided against it. Seeing that the Fourth Prince hadn't gone to the south courtyard, Su Peisheng had no choice but to follow him back to the front courtyard.

"Master, shall I go and fetch you your dinner?" Su Peisheng asked cautiously as the Fourth Master walked into the study in silence.

The Fourth Prince glanced at him, shook his head, and sat down to read the booklet he had brought back from the palace.

Judging from Su Peisheng's appearance, he was probably angry and couldn't make up his mind, so he simply decided not to use it.

Seeing that the Fourth Master was frowning as he looked at something, he didn't dare to stand there any longer. He tiptoed out and stood at the door. At that moment, a woman in a plum-red brocade cheongsam with gold flecks emerged from around the corner of the corridor. It was none other than Madam Wu. Her hair was styled in a jade pillow bun, adorned with only a pale pink silk flower and a few gilded agate pearls. A butterfly-and-flower necklace hung on her chest, making her appear especially delicate and pretty. Over her cheongsam, she wore a moon-white cotton overcoat, the collar and cuffs of which were trimmed with white fur, further accentuating Madam Wu's captivating beauty.

"This servant greets Princess Wu!" Su Peisheng said with a slight bow, genuinely surprised.

"Master is finally back. I suppose you haven't had dinner yet?" Madam Wu's makeup was exquisite today, and her face radiated endless spring-like beauty.

“Master hasn’t eaten yet; he’s currently reading a book.” Su Peisheng naturally noticed that Hong Qian was carrying a basket, which looked quite heavy.

"That's perfect. Please go in and inform him that I've brought you some nourishing bird's nest. Winter is almost here, so drinking some bird's nest is always good for you," Wu said sweetly.

Su Peisheng bowed and entered the room. With a hint of unease, he approached the Fourth Master's desk. Seeing that the Fourth Master was still frowning, he said softly, "Master, Consort Wu has arrived. She said she personally stewed some bird's nest and would like to invite you to taste it."

Fourth Master, unaware of Madam Wu's intentions, assumed that Lanqin had deliberately sent Madam Wu, and without thinking, said, "Let her in."

Su Peisheng glanced at Fourth Master, quickly agreed, took a few steps back, and then turned to leave.

After receiving Su Peisheng's words, Wu smiled sweetly as she took the basket from Hong Qian and carried it herself as she followed Su Peisheng inside.

It had been a long time since Wu had spent time alone with the Fourth Prince like this, and she was quite excited. Seeing that the Fourth Prince did not look up at her, she suppressed the bitterness in her heart and said, "Your Highness, I have nothing to do today, so I stewed some bird's nest. Your Highness is working hard every day to manage state affairs, so you really should take better care of your health."

The Fourth Prince had not heard a voice other than Lanqin's for a long time, and now he found this voice to be just as delicate and charming, so he couldn't help but raise his head and look at Madam Wu.

It must be said that Wu Shi was dressed very well today. With a piece of gorgeous silk, she stood there like a delicate flower in the somewhat dull room of the Fourth Prince.

"Give me a bowl," Fourth Master couldn't help but say.

Seeing their situation, Su Peisheng had no choice but to leave.

"Ruyi, this bird's nest looks so soft, sweet and fragrant. Did you stew it for a long time?" Fourth Master saw that the bird's nest that Madam Wu scooped out was crystal clear and he could tell at a glance that she had controlled the heat very well.

"Yes, I started stewing it at noon and have been fanning myself by the small stove the whole time, afraid that it would burn dry and waste the ingredients. Please don't dislike what Ruyi made." When Wu heard the Fourth Prince call her "Ruyi", her heart was as sweet as the soft and sticky bird's nest.

The Fourth Prince watched with a smile as the charming Wu Shi ate every last bite.

Meanwhile, Lanqin, seeing that Fourth Master hadn't come, knew he wasn't coming and didn't think much of it, ordering her meal and eating alone. After finishing her meal, Cui Niang and Chen Shou rushed back before the mansion gates closed.

"Niang Cui, you can rest assured now. Your family has been settled. As for what to do next, let me think about it for a while. Just settle down and relax for now," Lanqin said to Niang Cui.

"Thank you, Master. Have you had dinner yet?" Cui Niang naturally noticed that Lan Qin's expression was slightly displeased, but she didn't want to ask directly whether the Fourth Master had come or not.

“It’s already been used. Chen Shou, you did a great job this time, and you handled things efficiently. From now on, you can serve me. Cui Niang, Chen Shou will also be under your command from now on. Let him do anything that is inconvenient for a woman.” Lan Qin said.

"Thank you for your kind words, Master. This servant will take his leave now." Chen Shou naturally noticed that Lan Qin was absent-minded and quickly withdrew.

"Master, did the master not come today?" After Chen Shou left, Cui Niang asked directly this time.

Lanqin blinked, nodded, and said with a hint of dejection, "Cui Niang, even if he doesn't come, I should still live my life well, right? He doesn't only have me; Sister Song and Sister Geng are his concubines. As his secondary consort, shouldn't I be more open-minded?"

Cui Niang looked at Lan Qin helplessly and said, "As a secondary consort of a prince, you shouldn't be jealous or worried when your master goes to other concubines. You should only hope that they can also have more children for your master and pray for a prosperous imperial line. But even the primary consort can't do that, so why should your master force himself to do it?"

Lanqin paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Yes, just do whatever you want. I can only guarantee that I won't do anything immoral, but if someone offends me, I won't back down. Alright, why don't you come for a walk with me? I'm a little full."

Cui Niang also smiled and said, "With such a good appetite, Master, how can I have any worries?"

Lanqin stuck out her tongue and said coquettishly, "Don't you know, Cui Niang, that women use food to cover up their bad moods?"

Cui Niang had never heard such words before, but she understood their meaning.

Meanwhile, news of Wu sending bird's nest to the Fourth Prince quickly reached the ears of the Prince's wife, and naturally, others also knew about it to some extent.

However, although Lady Wu stayed at the Fourth Prince's place for a long time, she was eventually sent out. The Fourth Prince did not go to her room, but instead went to Lady Yin's place to visit the Third Prince.

However, after hearing about this, the Princess Consort said to Lingxiu, "I had already anticipated that Wu would not be content to follow the example of Song. Now she has finally lost her patience, which is good. As long as she has the will to compete, she can be my friend."

Lingxiu took a jade hammer and gently tapped the Fujin's shoulder, saying softly, "Congratulations, Fujin, you've finally found someone to help you. Yin Gege is still a bit too weak on her own."

The princess squinted and said, "Why is it still not working with that stuff from Madam Yin?"