Yangliuqing is not a large town; it is technically an ancient town, but it is an important town for canal transport, occupying a vital position in the entire canal route.
The women of each family were confined to the carriage. Fortunately, the sun was not too strong at the moment. Li Chenjiao was fanning herself when she suddenly heard a servant outside report that Li Jia, the concubine of the Crown Prince, had sent peach blossom cakes.
Li Chenjiao didn't like that food. After hearing this, she hesitated for half a second, but still asked Qiu Hu to accept it.
A plate of pastries is nothing.
However, Li Chenjiao didn't seem to intend to make any moves.
Li Chenjiao couldn't possibly be unaware of Li Jia's frequent attempts to curry favor; she understood it perfectly, which only made her more wary.
The last plate of peach blossom cake was also shared among the maids to fill their stomachs.
In the evening, Li Chenjiao and Xiao Luzi outside said that something had been passed in.
Now that it's time to set off, those who brought the gifts naturally wouldn't mention Li Jia's name.
This time, it was the Fourth Prince who sent the gift.
A small box with three layers.
Li Chenjiao opened it herself this time. The first two layers were filled with trinkets, not very valuable, but they were novel and interesting.
The last layer is for food.
Xiao Luzi's voice rang out from outside at just the right moment.
"Master. When Eunuch Su delivered the gifts, he said that the crispy candy and vegetarian meatball soup inside are local specialties, as are the Shawo radishes, which are excellent for quenching thirst and clearing heat."
This shows utmost care and dedication.
Li Chenjiao asked Xiao Luzi to thank the Fourth Master on her behalf, so that they could use the money when the carriage set off.
Those Shawo radishes are indeed quite good; they taste even better than fragrant pears, and they'd probably be even better to eat in autumn and winter.
Even the vegetarian meatball soup was good, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. After eating half a bowl, Li Chenjiao had finished most of her dinner.
Li Chenjiao uses less brittle candy; the brittle candy here is larger and needs to be crushed before it can be eaten.
Li Chenjiao only thought of eating the crispy candy after eating the vegetarian meatball soup. She felt too greasy for a while and didn't eat much. In the end, she gave it all to the maids.
Li Chenjiao really wanted to know how the Shawo radish was made. She could guess a little from its appearance, but she wasn't that discerning about the exact method.
The maids ultimately benefited from their master's generosity and ate their fill.
Green Bamboo, being a straightforward girl, said, "Our master truly cares about our master!"
No, that's not it. Sending clothes and jewelry is not important. What's important is that the Fourth Master knows his master likes to eat, so he sent someone to find these things as a token of his appreciation.
These are the things that are truly rare and precious.
Li Chenjiao had just finished eating and drinking and was taking a nap with her eyes closed. She didn't seem to be smiling or overjoyed at all.
I don't know if it's because I'm used to it or because I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
Zuo Youqiu glanced at her.
Green Bamboo understood and fell silent.
Seeing that their master looked somewhat tired these past two days, and knowing they still had to travel in the next few days, the servants naturally couldn't disturb their master's rest.
Beyond Yangliuqing lies Zhoujiazui, where the beef has been famous since the previous dynasty. Li Chenjiao had heard of it in travelogues before, and now she was finally able to taste it for herself.
The taste is indeed better than elsewhere.
However, the imperial procession did not stay here for long, as the important places were Suzhou and Hangzhou.
However, for Li Chenjiao, this trip was already quite satisfying; it was simply that her stomach was satisfied.
However, for several days in a row, the Fourth Prince did not have a proper rest. His only rest was when the journey was slightly interrupted and he would rest for a while in the carriage.
They never came to Li Chenjiao's carriage, after all, the Crown Prince was in front and the Fifth Master was behind—
If the Fourth Prince frequently rides in Li Chenjiao's carriage, it will not be a good thing for Li Chenjiao's reputation.
It's safe to say that Li Chenjiao has little chance of seeing the Fourth Master.
However, the sun was getting stronger in May, and Li Chenjiao thought that Fourth Master would probably get a tan after this trip.
This is really quite a hassle.
Li Chenjiao sighed silently.
"well."
Meanwhile, at the residence of the Fourth Prince in the capital, someone also let out a slow sigh.
She slowly released the letter from her hand, then pursed her red lips, maintaining her usual dignified and serious expression.
"Only this letter, nothing else?"
Yu Ru, who was standing to the side, silently shook her head: "Yes."
The princess frowned, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "This Li woman is quite well-behaved outside."
Yu Ru glanced at the Fujin's expression and boldly continued, "When Consort Li was in the palace, she was always very respectful to the Fujin. So, what exactly is she—"
Yu Ru dared not speak recklessly at the moment, and only touched upon the matter.
The Fujin glanced at her indifferently and said what Yu Ru dared not say: "After all, she comes from a humble family. Her father, Li Wenye, is mediocre, and her brother is somewhat promising, but I heard that he ran away from the Hanlin Academy to Yunnan Prefecture in the past two years, and it seems that he is not going to amount to anything."
Clearly, the Fujin (principal wife) knew everything about Li's background.
The letter in the wife's hand was sent from outside, detailing the movements of Lady Li and Lady Bai during the Fourth Prince's southern tour.
The princess was fairly satisfied after reading it.
When the topic of family background came up, the Fujin's eyes suddenly changed: "What has Niohuru been doing lately?"
"Yesterday, on the Dragon Boat Festival, she suddenly claimed to be ill. Did the physician go to see her? Did he say what was wrong?"
Yu Ru quickly replied, "As Your Highness knows, Princess Niohuru has been very well-behaved since she entered the manor and rarely leaves the courtyard. The manor physician went to see her yesterday and said that Princess Niohuru has been weak since childhood and suffers from coldness every time the seasons change; it's an old ailment."
The princess frowned even more upon hearing this: "In a few days, when the imperial physician is examining the Second Prince, have him examine all the women in the inner quarters."
Clearly, the princess did not believe such a claim.
Yu Ru's eyes flickered: "Yes, it is indeed the Fujin who is considerate."
The princess waved her hand: "Have someone keep an eye on things. If there's any disturbance at Li's place outside, report it immediately."
Yu Ru knelt down in response.
Just as the Princess Consort was saying she was going to check on the Second Prince, she suddenly heard a maid outside report that Consort Liu had arrived.
Yu Ru flattered, "Recently, Princess Liu has been frequently visiting the main courtyard; it seems she wants to curry favor with the master."
The princess stood up calmly and said, "I need to go see the second prince. Tell her to wait."
Yu Ru was not surprised and went herself.
These past few days, Consort Liu has been giving these instructions to the Fujin.
It's not hard to understand; being too easily taken in or too readily accepted is not a good thing.
The harder something is to obtain, the more precious it becomes, isn't that right?
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