Spring of the thirty-sixth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
It was a beautiful spring day, and the weather was perfect.
Li Chenjiao changed her clothes and then went to the main courtyard with her maid Qiu Hu.
On the way, Qiu Hu supported Li Chenjiao and said in a low voice, "Princess, don't be in a hurry. It's still early. Everyone outside says that the Fourth Princess is the kindest. Even if we are a little late, it shouldn't matter."
Li Chenjiao walked quickly, and upon hearing Qiu Hu's words, she sighed: "How can the mistress of the house be perfectly kind? Today is her first day in the mansion, and she absolutely cannot make any mistakes."
If she arrives late and the Fujin punishes her, it means she doesn't know the rules. But what if she isn't punished? The Fujin won't not punish her; otherwise, how can the rules be established?
The mansion has just been established, and the Fujin (principal wife) is also a newcomer. If she doesn't establish rules and regulations, how can she gain a foothold and manage affairs in the future?
Making no mistakes is the best approach.
Qiu Hu wasn't stupid either, and immediately said, "This servant has misunderstood..."
Li Chenjiao was assigned to the courtyard on the east side of the mansion. Further back was the garden, and further ahead was the main courtyard.
It's not far, but it actually takes some effort to get there.
The main courtyard was naturally more grand and solemn, so Li Chenjiao slowed her pace and stepped slowly into the main courtyard.
The maids in the main courtyard all obediently bowed when they saw Li Chenjiao. The maid standing at the door was dressed in a light green dress. When she saw Li Chenjiao approaching, she slightly bent her knees, smiled, lifted the beaded curtain, and said, "Princess Li."
Li Chenjiao nodded and smiled in agreement, then walked inside.
Upon entering the room and passing through the screen depicting peonies, one comes into view of the Song family.
In fact, Li Chenjiao didn't recognize Song Shi either, but she knew at a glance that this was Song Shi.
She had fair skin, almond-shaped eyes that smiled, and faint dimples when she smiled. She had a small, neat double bun hairstyle and wore an apricot-yellow qipao.
How to put it? She is gentle and charming, a girl from a modest family, and exudes a gentle aura.
Li Chenjiao blinked and gave a polite bow: "Greetings, Princess Song." Hmm, Princess Song does seem quite nice.
Madam Song stood up, and said with a slight hesitation, "Is it Princess Li? She is indeed beautiful, charming and captivating..." beyond compare.
Li Chenjiao shook her head slightly: "Gege Song is praising me too much, I can't accept it."
After exchanging brief compliments, the two sat down, with Li Chenjiao taking the seat opposite Song Shi.
A little while later, more people came in.
However, Li Chenjiao didn't recognize her. She only noticed that she wasn't performing the standard greeting and that she just stood behind after the greeting, so she guessed that she was a concubine in the mansion.
Song was also a lively person, so Li Chenjiao chatted with her.
Hmm, Bai Jia hasn't arrived yet, has she?
Bai Jiashi was a candidate for the imperial concubine examination in the same year as Li Chenjiao, and she was also a consort. However, the consort was the emperor's personally chosen primary consort, while she and Bai Jiashi were both chosen by Consort De.
In the end, Bai Jiashi arrived too late.
The Fujin had already come out, dressed in a bright red peony embroidered qipao, with a set of enamel jade headdress and a pair of jade bracelets on her wrists. Li Chenjiao didn't look at her closely, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw that she had a delicate and pretty appearance.
Li Chenjiao, on the other hand, noticed the cloisonné nail guards on the Fujin's hands; to be honest, they were quite beautiful.
The princess glanced down at her, frowned slightly, and was about to speak when a maid came in to announce, "Princess, Princess Baijia has come to pay her respects."
The princess pursed her lips and spoke after a long while: "Never mind, let her in."
The maidservant went out to deliver the message as instructed.
A moment later, Bai Jia entered, dressed simply in a light orange qipao. She bowed upon entering and said, "This servant greets you for being late. Please punish me, Madam."
The smile on the Fujin's lips faded slightly: "Bai Jia, you're late."
Bai Jia didn't dare to raise her head: "Yes."
The Fujin slowly said, "Although we are now in the manor, and the rules are not as strict as in the palace, we still have to follow the rules set by our ancestors. We don't need to pay our respects to our ancestors morning and evening, but we cannot skip paying our respects on the first and fifteenth of each month and on holidays." She paused slightly at this point.
"Alright, today isn't a day for paying respects, and it's your first day in the household, so I don't want to be harsh on you. I'll just copy two volumes of rules and regulations and send them to the main courtyard in half a month to remind you. Do you understand?"
Bai Jia bowed again and replied very politely, "Yes, this servant accepts the punishment and thanks the Fujin."
The princess paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Alright, sit down."
She really is... cautious. She punished Bai Jia, and Bai Jia obediently accepted it without arguing. She doesn't seem to be stupid.
Just as the Princess Consort was about to say something else, the maid who had delivered the message earlier came in again: "Princess Consort, the Fourth Prince is here."
The princess was surprised for a moment, but she quickly got up, and everyone else followed suit and bowed.
Fourth Master strode in, and seeing everyone bowing, he succinctly said, "Get up."
The people in the main courtyard had already moved chairs and placed them on the table. The Fourth Prince sat in the main seat, and his wife sat to the side.
Fourth Master sat down, took a sip of tea, and asked, "How is it?"
The princess consort smiled and said, "We were just paying our respects. It's only the first day since you entered the manor, so it's inevitable that there will be oversights. That's why Princess Baijia was late. But it's not a big deal. Didn't the master go to the palace today?"
Look at those sweet words, they've put a nerve and changed the subject so people can't bring it up again.
The Fourth Prince said "Oh": "The Princess Consort can take care of things from now on. There's nothing to do today, so there's no need to go to the palace."
The princess smiled and said, "Yes, I will take good care of things in the inner quarters."
Fourth Master grunted in acknowledgment, casually glanced around, and then his gaze lingered on Li Chenjiao for a couple more moments.
The Fourth Prince didn't stay long. Although he didn't have to go to the palace, he still had things to do.
After the Fourth Prince left, the Fujin turned her head and glanced at Li Chenjiao, then said with a smile, "This must be Li Shi. She is indeed beautiful and pleasing to the eye."
Li Chenjiao naturally dared not agree, and very obediently exchanged some pleasantries, then her face cramped up from smiling.
After speaking with Li Chenjiao, the Fujin understood the situation.
After recognizing the person, the princess raised her hand to adjust her hair, where a begonia hairpin was tucked.
"Now that the mansion has just been established, there must be some imperfections in various places. If there is anything, there is no need to hold back. Just come to the main courtyard and tell me, and I will make arrangements for you." The Fujin smiled and said, displaying the demeanor of a mistress of the house.
Everyone naturally smiled and agreed.
Then the Fujin's gaze fell on Song Shi: "Song Shi is an elder, and has always been the most particular about rules." Then her gaze fell on Li Chenjiao and Bai Jia Shi.
“Li Shi and Bai Jia Shi, you two are newcomers, and you may occasionally make mistakes. As your wife, I don’t want to make things difficult for you. However, the rules are something we must never forget, don’t you agree?” the wife said.
Bai Jia's face paled slightly, but she didn't say anything in the end.
Li Chenjiao understood that this was a warning from the Fujin (the wife of the deceased prince), so she wasn't too bothered and obediently agreed.
Seeing that everyone had answered, the Fujin smiled and said, "Good, it just so happens that Her Highness rewarded me with some fabric the other day. I'll have my servant deliver it to you later." The Her Highness she was referring to was Consort De in the palace, who was also the Fourth Prince's birth mother.
Is this what they call slapping someone and then giving them a sweet treat?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
