The next day, upon receiving the news, the Fourth Prince accepted the order and ceased riding alongside the Emperor.
However, he did not ride in a carriage, but remained on horseback in his original position in the group.
Li Chenjiao sat in the carriage, and after the carriage started to depart, she lazily yawned. After a while, she remembered something: "Did you send the things I asked you to send?"
Qiu Hu replied, "As instructed by my master, I had Green Chrysanthemum deliver the porridge to Princess Baijia only after my master had returned to the carriage."
Li Chenjiao ate breakfast in the Fourth Prince's tent again this morning, where everything was naturally better.
Li Chenjiao spent the night in Fourth Master's tent yesterday, so it was impossible to hide it from him. However, Li Chenjiao did not intend to hide it, since it was impossible to hide it no matter what she did.
But surely Li Chenjiao knows how to do favors when things are going smoothly?
When you're out and about, it's just a matter of taking care of things as they come.
Li Chenjiao couldn't bring herself to push Fourth Master away, even though she had her period these past few days. She just had no intention of turning Fourth Master away.
That would be incredibly ungrateful, and besides, Li Chenjiao doesn't have that kind of magnanimity.
Even pretending to be magnanimous is something Li Chenjiao can't do.
That's why Li Chenjiao sent Lüju to deliver white porridge to Bai Jiagege.
After yawning, Li Chenjiao stretched and said, "Judging by the days, we should arrive at Hexiwu in two more days. Where should we rest then?"
Li Chenjiao didn't care at all about Bai Jia's reaction to receiving the item; she was more concerned about something else.
"Xiao Lu asked Su Peisheng yesterday, and he said it will be in the next few days. However, he won't stay in Hexiwu for too long, and he won't stay in Yangliuqing and Zhoujiazui for too long either. He will probably stay in Qingxian for a few more days. I heard that the scenery in Dongguang and Sangyuan further south is also very beautiful."
Li Chenjiao clicked her tongue: "This round trip will take three or four months. By the time we get back to the manor, it will be autumn."
These past few months away have been a good time to relax, and when I return home in the fall I can enjoy fresh autumn crabs.
Li Chenjiao was tempted just thinking about it, but the next second the carriage jolted, and Li Chenjiao hissed softly. If she continued to jolt like this for a few more days, her whole body would be completely transformed.
When the Emperor arrived at Hexiwu, it was a fine day, and it happened to be the Dragon Boat Festival. As Li Chenjiao got off the carriage, she smelled the aroma of zongzi leaves.
The Fourth Prince is currently by His Majesty's side. Although he is no longer accompanied by His Majesty's imperial carriage during these two days of travel, he rarely returns to the carriage to rest. He spends most of his time riding horses in the wind and sun.
Fortunately, the weather has been fine and sunny lately, otherwise the Fourth Prince would have really suffered while riding a horse.
The Emperor lived in the residence of the Prefect of Hexiwu, while the princes lived in the houses of local wealthy families.
The house that Fourth Master was assigned to wasn't very big, and it certainly couldn't compare to his mansion, but it was quiet and secluded, making it a wonderful place.
Since she wouldn't be staying long, Li Chenjiao didn't have the maids pack all their luggage. She only had them pick out a few plain clothes and some simple jewelry, put them all in a small trunk, and bring them into the house.
The two women, Bai Jia and her servant, carried even simpler things, only a small bundle.
Whether inside the manor or outside, Li Chenjiao had no intention of making any arrangements for the stewardship. At this moment, she first asked, "What did Fourth Master say?"
Qiu Hu understood what her master wanted to ask: "Eunuch Su said that the master means he will only stay here for two or three days, and he can choose any courtyard in this mansion to stay in. If he wants to go out for a stroll, he can ask the guards outside to accompany him for protection."
Fourth Master was never one to confine his female relatives to the backyard.
However, Li Chenjiao wasn't very interested at the moment.
The house had been prepared long ago, and the servants left behind were all quick-witted, observant, and well-mannered. At this moment, the head old woman had already figured out who was more noble and favored between Li Chenjiao and Bai Jiashi, so she came up to Li Chenjiao to speak.
Qiu Hu blocked her way, smiling very kindly: "Our master is a little tired from the journey and just wants to rest. Please lead the way, Granny."
Clearly, Li Chenjiao wasn't interested in the layout of the house at all, nor did she intend to compete for the best courtyard.
After traveling for several days, although Li Chenjiao had roughly washed herself during that time, she now felt quite disgusted with herself after stopping to continue her journey.
However, Bai Jiashi naturally did not dare to overstep her bounds, and simply chose a secluded and simple courtyard, showing no intention of leaving the mansion.
Li Chenjiao didn't go out either, but instead of going out, she instructed Xiao Luzi and Lüju to go out and buy some things.
Li Chenjiao naturally had no shortage of clothes and jewelry. Her main concern was to have Xiao Luzi and the others find some new and interesting things to bring back for the Second Princess, as well as some famous local delicacies.
If Li Chenjiao tastes it and finds it delicious or to her liking, she can let the Fourth Prince try it too.
This can be considered a sign of Li Chenjiao's self-awareness as a favored concubine.
Being a favored concubine means making the Fourth Prince feel comfortable and at ease when he comes to her place.
Li Chenjiao had many things she wanted to eat, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do, and she also liked to eat more things.
But right now, all Li Chenjiao wanted to do was quickly and comfortably wash herself clean and get some sleep.
When Li Chenjiao and the others arrived at Hexiwu, it was noon. By the time she lay down, feeling refreshed, and woke up, it was already evening, and she was also starving.
Upon hearing Xiao Luzi's report, Li Chenjiao's eyes lit up, and she quickly ordered several dishes.
It's colder in Hexiwu than in the capital, but it's springtime so it's not too bad. However, you can still feel a chill in the air around dusk.
The local cuisine mainly consists of stewing, boiling, and roasting. Roasted lamb skewers are a good example. Other dishes include stewed chicken, stewed fish, and stewed beef. Adding some local spices will give the dishes a different taste, according to Xiao Luzi.
Furthermore, the locals also like to pickle vegetables or meat before eating. This gave Li Chenjiao the idea of bringing some pickled vegetables to eat on the road.
However, Li Chenjiao still wanted to eat roasted lamb skewers.
This is easier than roasting a whole lamb. Before the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains, they were a nomadic people who ate more beef and mutton than pork. Counting the days, Li Chenjiao hadn't eaten mutton for a while.
So when Fourth Master arrived at Li Chenjiao's courtyard, the first thing he smelled was the aroma of roasted meat filling the entire courtyard.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
