The principal wife sent someone to the nearby Fifth Prince's residence to inquire about the news from the Fifth Prince's wife. However, only half an hour after Wang Jinzhong left the residence, he suddenly heard from the gatekeeper that the guards accompanying the Fourth Prince had returned.
The princess consort, unusually, didn't even have time to tidy her clothes before hurriedly ordering someone to summon her in.
The guard spoke very clearly through the screen.
After hearing the guard's report, the princess suddenly relaxed. After a while, she came to her senses and stood up: "Is the fourth prince's injury serious? What did the imperial physician say? Does he have to stay in the palace for the next few days? —Alright, go to the front and tidy up the fourth prince's clothes."
Upon learning that the Fourth Prince had been injured while protecting the Crown Prince, the Princess Consort subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that nothing else had happened; otherwise, she would have been truly worried.
After she breathed a sigh of relief, the Fujin belatedly realized that she was concerned about the Fourth Prince's health.
The guards had been waiting outside the Qianqing Gate, so they naturally couldn't get into the Shou Kang Palace. It wasn't easy for the guards to enter the inner palace anyway.
When the princess asked, the guard simply repeated what Su Peisheng had told him. He waited for two seconds, and when the princess had no further instructions, he bowed and left the main courtyard.
Eunuch Su also instructed him to go to the backyard to inform Consort Li. However, it was not appropriate for a guard to enter the backyard. The main courtyard was located on the central axis of the backyard. He had come straight here without fear of bumping into anyone, but if he went further back, it would be bad if he encountered the women.
Finally, the guard returned to the front courtyard first, asking the servants and maids there to help tidy up the Fourth Prince's clothes. He also asked the servants and maids to go to the back courtyard to inform Consort Li.
However, just as the guards arrived at the front yard, they happened to run into Xiao Lu, who had come to the front yard to inquire about information.
This saves us some trouble.
After listening to the guard's words, Xiao Luzi's expression became extremely cautious, and at the same time, his heart couldn't help but skip a beat. This matter was neither a big deal nor a small one, but if something really happened outside, the mansion would naturally be in turmoil as well.
Fortunately, he still had some silver on him when he came out. Xiao Luzi thanked him with a smile, and then had the guards escorted into the front yard before he turned back.
Fu Lu isn't here right now either; he's probably gone to the palace.
Judging from what the guard said, he probably didn't know whether the Fourth Prince's injuries were serious or minor.
Let's go back and report to our master first, and then ask for his opinion.
Li Chenjiao quickly received the news. After Xiao Luzi finished reporting, he subconsciously swallowed and waited for his master to speak.
Li Chenjiao remained calm and composed. Although she felt a moment of panic upon hearing the news, panic was of little use.
She first instructed, "We don't know when Fourth Master will be able to return to the manor. Tomorrow morning, Qiu Hu, you should personally go to the palace to invite Physician Zhou from the Imperial Hospital to take my pulse and tell him that I am feeling unwell."
Since she couldn't get any information from outside, she decided to try to find out directly from the palace. Li Chenjiao's mind worked quickly.
Qiu Hu readily agreed.
Li Chenjiao pondered, Su Peisheng only said that the Fourth Prince was injured while protecting the Crown Prince in the martial arts arena, so the Fourth Prince's injury must be quite serious.
She then looked at Qiu Ci and instructed, "Tomorrow, you should also go to the imperial physician and ask if there are any good ointments for sprains and bruises."
After she finished speaking, she suddenly stood up again: "When I left home, did my mother give me some different kinds of ointments? I'll go and find them myself."
Her mother had prepared folk remedies for her, most of which were very potent. Since she had been doing well since entering the manor, she hadn't had to use them. The Fourth Prince was in good health, so it wouldn't hurt for him to use some of the more potent remedies.
The Imperial Medical Academy has never dared to use strong medicines. Although the prescriptions are usually correct, they mostly have a mild tonifying effect, which is effective but takes longer to take.
Li Chenjiao said she would look for it immediately, and with a quick roll of her sleeves, she headed to the back warehouse.
"By the way, are Green Plum and Green Orchid better now?"
When illness was mentioned, Li Chenjiao remembered the two sick girls in the backyard.
The two maids, Qiu Hu and Qiu Ci, hurriedly followed. Qiu Hu replied, "Lü Lan is mostly recovered, but Lü Mei still needs to rest for another two or three days. These past few days, she has often begged me to do some cleaning and sweeping work, which she is willing to do. However, I am following Master's instructions and still want her to rest and recover properly."
The masters in the palace have always been very wary of palace maids and servants falling ill. Once they find out, they will usually send them back to the Imperial Household Department or directly to the Laundry Department.
Li Chenjiao's household is not particularly short of servants. In other words, given Li Chenjiao's favor with the emperor, there are plenty of maids and servants in the Imperial Household Department who would fight tooth and nail to serve her.
Furthermore, Green Plum and the others hadn't been serving in the East Courtyard for very long. In other words, Green Plum and the other maids didn't have much of a master-servant relationship with the East Courtyard or with Li Chenjiao. If Li Chenjiao really didn't want to keep these two maids, it would be a simple matter of waving her hand.
After receiving the news, Li Chenjiao still had the two maids stay behind, but instructed the other maids to be careful so they wouldn't catch a cold and have to take care of themselves. If any of the medicines prescribed by the old eunuch were missing, Li Chenjiao would take the initiative to get them from the royal physician with money.
After this illness, although Green Plum didn't know what Green Orchid, who lived over there, was thinking, she was very grateful to her master and would only be more loyal to her master in the future. Naturally, she would also keep a close eye on Green Orchid.
Hearing Qiu Hu's words, Li Chenjiao felt a little relieved: "Nothing is more important than health, only Fourth Master is so stubborn—he doesn't even think about his own body first—"
Before Li Chenjiao could finish speaking, she was interrupted by two maids: "Master, be careful what you say."
Speaking ill of one's master behind his back—if this gets out and spreads among those with ulterior motives, and it reaches the ears of the Fourth Prince, it will cause him trouble.
Even if there are only a few of them nearby, who can say for sure whether the walls are listening?
Li Chenjiao glanced at the two maids but said nothing more.
Fourth Master acted like a gentleman and a loyal man this time, but what about the people in his entire inner courtyard?
Li Chenjiao wasn't a person of great principles; she would rather the Fourth Master had some selfish motives.
To put it bluntly, the Crown Prince's injury means that someone is plotting against him. Now that the Fourth Prince has rashly saved the Crown Prince, he has certainly gained a good reputation, but it's hard to guarantee that the person behind this won't hold a grudge against him.
Sometimes, the enemy in the open is never the most terrifying; the enemy lurking in the shadows is.
Fourth Master is the undisputed ruler of this mansion; that is an established fact.
Li Chenjiao knew that Fourth Master was in trouble and was indeed worried about him, but she was more worried about herself.
The storms and hardships outside may seem far removed from the women in the backyard, but in reality, they are very close to them most of the time.
Li Chenjiao looked down, searching for the ointment, her mind in turmoil.
She cannot dictate the Fourth Prince's choices; however, the outcome of this matter remains to be seen.
It's not time to jump to conclusions yet.
Everything will have to wait until Fourth Master returns to his residence.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
