The maid was so frightened by the sudden stern voice of the Fujin that she trembled and hurriedly knelt down to apologize.
The princess's good mood vanished almost entirely. She lowered her head and took another sip of hot tea: "I'm still busy here. Let her wait in the side room for now. Have someone prepare hot tea and pastries to serve her."
This means to keep things calm.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then quickly agreed and left.
The princess consort's smile returned somewhat: "Where were we? I've been ill lately, so it's rare for me to see you all. It seems like you have so much to say."
Wu Shi pursed her lips: "It seems that the Princess Consort has guests. The servants are not such ignorant servants, how could they dare to detain the Princess Consort?"
Wu's words sounded very considerate and thoughtful of the Fujin, but the Fujin's expression just now clearly showed that she did not want to see the guests. Wu was actually using words to push the Fujin away.
Li Chenjiao was too lazy to speak or respond, but instead turned her head to glance at the Fujin at the head of the table.
Those who could come to the Fourth Prince's residence as guests, if they were the wives of princes or the wives of high-ranking officials, would naturally not have such an expression; they could only be the female relatives of ministers or similar families.
Who could possibly be so impatient as to make the Princess Consort look so annoyed?
The head wife gave Wu's reply indifferently, and then slowly inquired about how things were going in the mansion. She seemed very gentle and kind.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the little maid who had just gone out came back in in a panic.
Yu Ru was standing below, and this time she simply waved her hand to let the little maid go up to the Fujin and report.
The maid whispered in the princess's ear, "Princess, that man is making a fuss right now. He says that since you're busy and can't see him, he'll have to go back to the manor first—and when Lord Longkodo asks, she'll say it's..."
Before the maid could finish speaking, the princess slammed her hand heavily on the table, making a loud noise: "You wretched thing, how dare she threaten me!"
Even the Song family, who had been at odds with the Wu family, shrank back because of the sudden noise.
The princess was so angry that she couldn't even maintain her composure.
The princess glanced down, her anger finding an outlet, and her face grew even more unpleasant: "What's all this commotion about? Li, you come with me to greet the guests, the rest of you may leave and go home."
Everyone stood up, and Wu and Song apologized first.
Then everyone said in unison, "This servant takes his leave."
Except for Li Chenjiao.
The Princess Consort gave Li Chenjiao a cold look from the head of the table, then stood up leisurely: "Aren't you coming with us?"
Li Chenjiao stood up, a few steps behind the Fujin, and said lazily, "I have never received female guests before, so I only hope that I will not embarrass the household."
The Fujin glanced at Li Chenjiao lightly, her face still showing the same disdainful and contemptuous expression, as if to say, "At least you have some self-awareness."
However, the princess still maintained a very kind demeanor.
"It's alright. My sister doesn't know how now, but she'll naturally learn as she meets more people."
But listening to the wife's words, it sounded like she was gritting her teeth in dissatisfaction.
Li Chenjiao pretended not to understand and just smiled obediently at the Fujin: "I am not very knowledgeable and learn slowly. I will have to listen to Fujin's instructions in the future."
As they left the flower hall, Li Chenjiao lagged a few steps behind the Fujin: "Have you found out who came?"
Qiu Hu nodded slightly, moved closer to her master, and lowered her voice: "I heard the maids in the main courtyard are talking about the one who seems to be Longkodo's favorite concubine, Li Si'er."
Li Si'er?
Oh, this is someone who is known to everyone in the capital.
Upon hearing Qiu Hu say that the visitor was Li Si'er, Li Chenjiao paused in her steps and blinked, saying, "No wonder the Fujin is so unhappy."
In the entire capital, every ordinary person knew the perfect example of favoring a concubine over one's wife—wasn't that Longkodo and Li Si'er?
This woman's popularity has consistently surpassed that of the recent Eighth Prince's wife.
Furthermore, I've heard that his background isn't exactly spotless.
Li Chenjiao lowered her eyes: "Did you find out anything else?"
Qiu Hu shook her head silently. In this short time, she could only find out this much from the main courtyard. If she could go to the front courtyard, she might be able to find out even more.
Li Chenjiao sighed, said she understood, and quickened her pace to catch up with the Fujin.
Her attitude toward Li Si'er depends on how the Fourth Master treats Lord Longkodo.
Of course, these are all public facts. If we're talking about what's really going on in my heart, Li Chenjiao has heard a lot of rumors about Li Si'er. She'll have to see Li Si'er in person before she can make a judgment.
Even though Li Chenjiao became a secondary consort and was listed in the imperial genealogy, in the end, she was still a concubine.
To put it bluntly, everyone in the capital knows that Lord Longkodo favors his concubine over his wife, which has put Li Si'er in the eye of the storm.
Furthermore, a woman's reputation is already limited. Lord Longkodo favored his concubine over his wife, and in the end, it was only Li Si'er who suffered damage to her reputation and was subjected to insults and spittle.
Li Chenjiao has always felt that things that are out in the open are indeed beautiful, but whether they are truly good or not, what is out in the open may not be the real thing.
Li Chenjiao followed the Fujin into the side room, where she saw a woman in a peach-colored qipao with her back to her and the Fujin.
There was a maid standing to the side who looked a little timid. When she saw Li Chenjiao and the Fujin, she first bowed and then called out to her mistress in a low voice.
After a while, Li Chenjiao first heard a charming voice: "We've finally arrived."
The voice was charming, but not in a contrived way; rather, every syllable carried a natural allure.
As she spoke, Li Si'er, who had her back to Li Chenjiao and the Fujin, finally turned around.
Perhaps impatient from waiting, Li Si'er turned around while yawning.
Li Si'er was very beautiful, and naturally, a woman who could make Longkodo favor his concubine over his wife was no ordinary woman.
The Xie family in the old mansion was also beautiful and charming, but she also had a delicate and helpless appearance that made people feel sorry for her. But Li Si'er in front of me is different.
Li Si'er embodied the word "allure" just by standing there, even her eyes seemed to have a captivating blush color.
However, when Li Si'er opened her mouth, her charm was mixed with a bit of shrewishness.
"Fourth Prince's wife has really kept me waiting. Could it be that Fourth Prince's wife doesn't want to see me?"
As Li Si'er said this, he curtsied perfunctorily, but before the Fujin could say anything, he had already stood up on his own.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
