However, having just spoiled Fourth Master's mood, Li Chenjiao moved her lips, clearly still caught in a dilemma.
Compared to their master's feelings, what do their own feelings matter?
Li Chenjiao is favored and can usually be quite unrestrained, but knowing that the Fourth Master is not in a good mood, she really can't bring herself to ask.
She dared not use her current favor to test the extent of the Fourth Prince's tolerance for her.
At least for now, Li Chenjiao wouldn't dare.
Pampering also depends on how long it lasts, and Li Chenjiao has always been clear about this.
Li Chenjiao closed her eyes, ready to endure it all night; she could always make up for it tomorrow.
The tent was quiet. After a while, Li Chenjiao suddenly heard a faint "cooing" sound.
She swallowed hard, her hand sliding down from under the quilt. A chill ran down her spine, and her face felt hot.
She pressed very gently, trying to suppress the sounds coming from her stomach.
However, the commotion at this moment could not be suppressed.
That's really something; even without her saying anything, Fourth Master knows she's hungry.
Fourth Master naturally heard it too, and after a while, he turned his head and asked, "Hungry?"
Li Chenjiao kept her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling.
Since Fourth Master already knows she's hungry, she might as well pretend to be well-behaved.
"Yes, it wasn't dinner time when we arrived."
The emperor and even the people of the Forbidden City followed Manchu eating customs, emphasizing two meals a day.
These past few days, the Fourth Prince has been staying by his father's side, eating breakfast later and dinner earlier.
Although the Manchus had a rule of eating two meals a day, the tea and snacks they ate each day could actually be considered half a meal.
So when the Fourth Prince returned from the Emperor's presence, he wasn't too hungry.
However, Li Chenjiao has always been a Han Chinese who eats three meals a day. After entering the mansion, she continued this habit for most of the time. When it was inconvenient to trouble the kitchen, there was a small kitchen to give her extra meals.
Li Chenjiao pursed her lips, showing obvious unease.
The Fourth Prince turned his head to look at her, and naturally he could see her too.
He raised his hand and gently tapped Li's head in a soothing manner: "Why didn't you say anything just now?"
Li Chenjiao twitched her lips upon hearing the sound, but kept her eyes closed, and it took her a long time to suppress her emotions.
Listen to what Fourth Master is saying. Fourth Master, you said you wanted to rest, but she had the guts to ask if she was hungry.
However, after hearing what Fourth Master said, Li Chenjiao felt a little more at ease.
After a long while, Li Chenjiao opened her eyes with trembling eyelids, her voice slow and deliberate: "This concubine—wants to eat oil-splashed noodles..."
Now that she's put on an act, Li Chenjiao can finally show some of her little temper.
The imperial kitchen staff had already started cooking, and making oil-splashed noodles wasn't difficult. Li Chenjiao's request was naturally well-considered.
Fourth Master propped himself up and said to the outside of the tent, "Su Peisheng, go to the kitchen and tell them that I didn't eat much for dinner and would like a bowl of oil-splashed noodles."
The old woman, Li Chenjiao, who was still lying down, shrank her head and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Thank you for your consideration, Master."
Fourth Master looked back at her, and seeing Li Chenjiao like this now, he felt a strange and inexplicable feeling in his heart.
He lay back down and closed his eyes like Li Chenjiao: "Next time I'm hungry, just tell Su Peisheng."
Oh, Fourth Master has spoken.
With Fourth Master's words, this trip was worthwhile.
Li Chenjiao naturally wouldn't bother Su Peisheng every day, but the fact that the Fourth Prince had given her such a definite answer at least meant that he had a place in his heart. That's why Su Peisheng, who was also the Fourth Prince's chief eunuch, was at Li Chenjiao's beck and call.
Li Chenjiao perked up considerably after hearing the Fourth Prince's words: "Then—this humble servant will accept without hesitation."
Refuse when you should, but when you really want something, there's no need to pretend.
It's better to be more genuine when dealing with the Fourth Master.
The Fourth Prince had already closed his eyes, and upon hearing this, he simply gave a soft "hmm".
Su Peisheng moved very quickly, or rather, the Imperial Kitchen staff were very efficient.
However, it must be said that Su Peisheng put in a lot of effort. The Fourth Master ordered a bowl of oil-splashed noodles, but in the end, two bowls of oil-splashed noodles were delivered to the tent.
Su Peisheng and Qiu Hu brought it in together. The two of them placed the oil-splashed noodles on the small table, lit the candle with a tinderbox, and then quietly withdrew.
Li Chenjiao got up and went to call the Fourth Master. She pulled him, and the Fourth Master, who was not asleep, got up.
After eating dry rations for two days, a bowl of oil-splashed noodles was warming and comforting. It was also the time when Li Chenjiao was hungry, so she finished the whole bowl of oil-splashed noodles.
They even drank all the soup, which shows they were really starving.
Furthermore, the Imperial Kitchen's cooking skills are truly excellent; Li Chenjiao noticed this when the Fourth Prince had Su Peisheng deliver fish soup last time.
During the southern tour, His Majesty had stipulated that everything should be kept simple, so the imperial kitchen was essentially out of food. However, the fish soup was exceptionally well-prepared, even better than the cooking of Chef Guo in the mansion's kitchen.
However, upon further reflection, although His Majesty's southern tour was to be simple, his food and lodging could not be perfunctory or careless. Otherwise, if His Majesty were to suffer any mishap, no one could bear the responsibility.
Seeing that Li Chenjiao was eating with great relish, Fourth Master, though he said he wasn't hungry, ended up eating half a bowl of oil-splashed noodles.
After a quick wash, the two extinguished the candles in the tent.
Li Chenjiao and Fourth Master snuggled together on the small bed, sleeping in each other's arms.
The candles in Fourth Prince's tent went out relatively early; His Majesty's tent is still quite bright.
The Emperor's tent was naturally the largest, but instead of candlelight, the candlelight inside was encased in a glass lamp, making it appear even brighter.
However, candlelight at night can be dazzling, so instead of glass lamps, the Emperor used nightlights.
His Majesty is still reviewing memorials, memorials sent to him by express courier from the capital.
The Emperor had only been gone from Beijing for two or three days, yet secret memorials from the capital and other parts of the country were already piling up on his desk.
It was at this moment that Liang Jiugong brought in the ginseng soup.
"Has Bao Cheng taken a rest?" His Majesty asked.
Liang Jiugong steadily put down the ginseng soup: "Yes, it's already dark in the Crown Prince's tent. After traveling for two days, the imperial physician said the Crown Prince is not fully recovered—"
His Majesty remained silent.
Liang Jiugong stood silently by his side, and when the time came, he spoke up: "Your Majesty, the ginseng soup is getting cold."
The Emperor glanced at Liang Jiugong indifferently, and only put down his pen after a long while. He took the ginseng soup that Liang Jiugong had been holding at some point, and as he stirred it, he suddenly seemed to think of something.
"Has the fourth brother settled down?"
Liang Jiugong replied, "They ordered a bowl of oil-splashed noodles earlier, and they've already closed up shop."
The Emperor, holding a bowl of ginseng soup, said, "The fourth prince's temperament is just like Consort De's."
If it weren't for the imperial physician's report, who knows how much longer the fourth prince would have had to hold on.
"Let the fourth brother rest well these next few days."
Liang Jiugong hurriedly agreed, thinking to himself that Fourth Master had recently gained a lot of favor with the Emperor.
That person is very low-key; if His Majesty hadn't recently taken notice, he probably would have remained low-key.
It's good to keep a low profile. Look at Consort De, hasn't she been keeping a low profile all these years and finally become one of the four consorts?
People who keep a low profile are less likely to run into trouble or make mistakes.
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