The news of Li Chenjiao's good fortune indeed spread throughout the backyard that very night. Wu Gege was not at peace, and similarly, it was not easy for others to remain calm either.
The pregnant lady was suffering from severe morning sickness. The few jars of pickled fruit that Granny Qian brought were to her liking. She hadn't eaten much at the dinner party, but after eating some pickled fruit, her mouth was watering and she finally had a bit of an appetite.
Upon seeing this, Yu Ru went to the small kitchen to prepare the food.
Granny Qian was serving her. When the maid came to report that Consort Li had been pregnant for two months, the Fujin didn't react much. Instead, she asked if there was any news from Consort Wu's courtyard.
Upon receiving the maid's denial, the Fujin looked away with some disappointment.
Right now, she's actually hoping that Lady Wu will start a fight with Lady Li over the position of concubine.
The pregnant lady was also feeling listless and couldn't think of anything to do, so she lowered her head and asked Granny Qian, "Granny, what should I do right now?"
It's estimated that Lady Li's petition to be made a secondary consort has already been submitted. At this critical juncture, with the Fourth Prince not in the residence, should the consort give Lady Li a show of force to keep her in line, or should she sit back and watch the two tigers fight?
The princess was also somewhat undecided.
Granny Qian smiled and said, "This old servant should speak frankly, but a woman who is pregnant should not overwork herself, as it is to accumulate good fortune for the child in her womb. For now, the Princess should just focus on resting and recuperating. As for matters in the manor, the most important thing right now is the power of Consort Wu to audit the accounts. As for Consort Li, we'll deal with that after Consort Li's pregnancy is over."
If it's a princess, then it doesn't matter much; but if it's a prince—a prince born to a concubine—then it's definitely different.
The lady-in-law suddenly realized, and she smiled as well: "I'll leave the matter of Lady Wu to you these days, and I'll focus on praying to Buddha for the baby in my womb. As for any matters in the manor that are not in accordance with the proper procedures, please feel free to handle them."
Granny Qian slowly shook her head: "We still need to ask Granny Xu's opinion on this." This was, of course, a polite way of putting it.
The princess chuckled, finally feeling somewhat relieved.
The next day, after the Fujin got up, she heard Yu Ru say that Wu had sent something to Li's courtyard. She just snorted and said, "She certainly knows how to flatter and fawn."
The "she" in this context naturally refers to Lady Wu.
Li Chenjiao didn't react much to what Qiu Hu said. It was true that Madam Wu sent someone to congratulate her on her good fortune, but it was also true that she was using the gifts to express her attitude.
This is Wu telling Li Chenjiao that she should keep to herself and not interfere with Li Chenjiao's affairs.
Li Chenjiao yawned: "Didn't you embroider a pair of tiger-head shoes a while ago? Find them, take a close look at the stitches, and then send them to Princess Wu."
When Qiu Ci came in carrying the cleaned pomegranates, she heard this and exclaimed, "Ah!" "That's embroidered for the child in the princess's belly. Qiu Hu specially chose obsidian to decorate the eyes."
Li Chenjiao understood what the two girls meant and smiled helplessly.
Of the two maids, Qiu Hu was more meticulous and better at needlework. Ever since she learned that Li Chenjiao was pregnant, she had started making all sorts of little clothes. Fearing that Li Chenjiao's unborn child would not be used to wearing them, Qiu Ci even went to the sewing room to ask what kind of material was most suitable for the baby.
However, the two little girls subconsciously made more clothes for the prince, as well as tiger-head hats and tiger-head shoes.
The two maids naturally felt that it was better for their princess to give birth to either a prince or a little princess, but giving birth to a prince earlier would make a difference.
However, Li Chenjiao knew very well that this pregnancy was for a princess, but she really didn't want to dampen the enthusiasm of the two girls.
"My pregnancy is still far off, and besides, it's hard to say whether it'll be a prince or a princess. You can go deliver it in a bit." Li Chenjiao looked down at the pomegranate that Qiu Ci brought in.
Three months into her pregnancy, Li Chenjiao no longer showed any preference for spicy or sour foods. She still ate the same things she used to, but now she preferred fruit.
When Qiu Hu found the tiger-head shoes, Li Chenjiao praised Qiu Hu's craftsmanship again, saying it was just as good as the girls in the sewing room.
Qiu Ci delivered the things, and when she returned, a smile finally appeared on her face, and she started chattering away.
"I took a look from afar, and it's clear that Consort Wu really cares about the First Prince. The decorations in the room are all carefully chosen. When I went there, I even saw Consort Wu holding the First Prince and coaxing him to sleep."
However, what Qiu Ci meant by saying this was more about Song Gege. The attitudes towards Song Gege's eldest daughter and Wu Gege's eldest son were completely different.
If you put her in Song Gege's courtyard, it's likely that Song Gege has never held the eldest princess since she was born. I heard that when the eldest princess had her first birthday celebration a few days ago, Song Gege didn't even glance at her.
Although princesses and princes are different, she was still born of her own child after ten months of pregnancy, and Song Gege seemed rather cold-hearted.
Upon seeing this, Li Chenjiao touched her belly and said, "Whether this child is a prince or a princess, I will never look down on her, and neither will you. This child will be the second mistress of our courtyard from the moment she is born."
The first master was naturally Li Chenjiao.
Both girls stopped laughing and solemnly agreed.
The Fourth Prince left the capital without saying when he would return, but Li Chenjiao estimated that it would take at least half a month to a month.
Then we won't have to worry about the Fourth Prince's birthday gift this year.
Li Chenjiao rested her chin on her hand: "The Frost's Descent is just around the corner. I'll ask the kitchen if they have any fresh persimmons then, and have them make some dried persimmons to try."
The persimmon, which had been sunbathing outside, suddenly cried out twice, arched its back and hissed, and then slowly found a comfortable spot at the end of the tatami mat to lick its paw pads.
Li Chenjiao and the two maids both laughed.
On the day of Frost's Descent, the kitchen delivered a small basket of fresh persimmons early in the morning, and dried persimmons were also delivered at lunchtime.
Li Chenjiao tasted one, and just as she finished wiping her hands, Qiu Ci came running in, her face flushed. Upon seeing Li Chenjiao, she gasped, "Princess, great joy! Great joy!"
Li Chenjiao showed neither curiosity nor surprise on her face, but instead asked first, "Who delivered the message?"
Seeing this, Qiu Ci calmed down a bit: "It's the fortune of the front yard."
When the Fourth Prince left the capital, he was always accompanied by Su Peisheng, while Fulu was usually left in the mansion. The other day, Li Chenjiao received a message from Fulu in the front courtyard that if anything was missing, she should send Xiao Luzi to the front courtyard to make a trip.
Li Chenjiao then asked, "What happy event is it?"
Before the Fourth Prince left the capital, he had told Li Chenjiao about requesting the title of Consort. However, before the Fourth Prince left the capital, there was still no result. At that time, Li Chenjiao guessed that the Fourth Prince had suppressed the memorial.
Now that Qiu Ci had told her that she had been invited to be made a concubine, Li Chenjiao blinked slowly, still somewhat taken aback.
"Is there any set procedure?" Li Chenjiao asked again after regaining her senses.
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