As soon as Bai Jiashi's figure disappeared from sight, Li Chenjiao collapsed onto the soft couch, yawning incessantly, and a few tears streamed down her face.
"Is breakfast ready? Hurry up, your master is starving right now."
People really do need to be hungry to feel that kind of hunger. Li Chenjiao had an early dinner and went to bed early yesterday. Now that she was delayed by Bai Jiashi's visit, she was indeed quite hungry.
Green Bamboo has already returned. The lotus leaf sticky rice chicken was what her master ordered for lunch, and she also brought back her master's breakfast for today when she went to the kitchen.
After Bai Jiage left, she and Lüju quickly set out breakfast.
Li Chenjiao found the breakfast in Yangzhou to her liking; it was soft, sticky, and sweet, and even the lotus seed porridge here seemed to have a different flavor.
To be honest, spending time in the Suzhou and Hangzhou area during spring and summer is a truly delightful experience.
After breakfast, Qiu Hu mentioned again: "The prescriptions written by Physician Zhou are all for improving appetite, but this month the master's period is already a few days late."
Li Chenjiao looked up at Qiu Hu, then suddenly touched her abdomen: "What if it's not because my period is late?"
Qiu Hu was stunned for half a second. At this moment, only Li Chenjiao and Qiu Hu, the mistress and servant, remained in the flower hall.
Because they were outside, Li Chenjiao didn't have to worry about so many things, so she could tell Qiu Hu so freely that she "probably" had good news. However, with so many people around, Li Chenjiao didn't choose to tell anyone else.
Upon hearing her master's words, Qiu Hu's pupils widened subconsciously, and the next second she covered her mouth in astonishment, her entire reaction seemingly becoming sluggish.
Her gaze darted uncertainly between her master's abdomen and his face.
I was overjoyed.
"Master? Could it be—" She still covered her mouth, but her voice almost changed with surprise.
Li Chenjiao's smile carried a hint of reassurance. She herself was genuinely not worried because she knew it was true. At this moment, her smile, while reassuring, also carried a touch of slyness.
"If you calculate the dates, it's probably pretty accurate."
At this moment, Qiu Hu couldn't care less about anything else. She quickly squatted down and carefully looked her master up and down, her expression unusually worried.
"These days have been arduous with travel. Is Your Majesty feeling unwell? This servant will go and fetch Physician Zhou to examine Your Majesty. Your Majesty doesn't look too well—and the journey will take another month or two. They say the first three months are the most crucial—"
As Qiu Hu spoke, he began to mutter to himself.
Li Chenjiao listened to Qiu Hu's rambling with a mixture of helplessness and amusement. She raised her hand and touched Qiu Hu's face: "Silly girl, I don't even know if I'm pregnant yet. I just invited the imperial physician yesterday. If I invite him again today, it would be too much of a fuss. Let's wait a few more days."
Qiu Hu almost shed tears at this moment, unsure whether it was from sadness or joy.
"My lady's health is more important than anything else." Her voice began to tremble.
What's the point of making such a fuss if the master's health is more important?
These days, the master's health has not been very good, and Qiu Hu has been very distressed to see this. Although she was overjoyed to hear her master's words, she quickly realized that the timing of the pregnancy was not right.
Who knows how many more bumps and bruises they'll have to endure along the way.
Li Chenjiao pulled Qiu Hu up; she certainly wouldn't take her own body lightly.
She rested her chin on her hand and pondered for two seconds: "Let me ask Physician Zhou to examine me again before we set off for Suzhou in a few days. Keep an eye on me these next few days to see if I have any other symptoms, so that I can tell Physician Zhou about them when the time comes."
Qiu Hu nodded quickly, then, having come to her senses, stopped crying and felt rather embarrassed.
Li Chenjiao found Qiu Hu adorable no matter how she looked at him.
Qiu Hu had served her since she was a child, and was about the same age as her. However, she was always mature beyond her years, and now she was crying so hard that she looked really pitiful.
The mistress and servant exchanged a smile, and finally Li Chenjiao, resting her chin on her hand, spoke up: "Right now, I'm actually thinking of going out for a stroll."
Li Chenjiao had been sleeping in these past few days and hadn't gone out for a stroll, but now she suddenly had an idea.
Qiu Hu hurriedly said, "Just the other day, Eunuch Su sent over two or three sets of newly made clothes. This servant will now restyle your hair, Master."
Li Chenjiao clapped her hands, and that was the end of it.
Last time, I spent a few days playing outside Yangzhou with Fourth Master, but I never got to experience the liveliness inside the city.
At this moment, Li Chenjiao changed into a Han-style dress made of jade-colored silk with small floral patterns and peacock motifs. The flowing skirt had a graceful and delicate beauty that was not found in the Qipao.
Her hair, which was usually styled in two small buns, was now styled into a light and elegant flowing cloud bun, with her dark hair hanging down, adding to her gentle beauty.
Because she had to wear a veil, Li Chenjiao didn't wear too much jewelry, otherwise it would just be a burden.
She simply added a pair of exquisite mutton fat jade bracelets to her bare hands; they were warm, smooth, and clear, and one could tell at a glance that they were not ordinary items.
It has a touch of luxury in its simplicity, and no one would dare to bump into it if it were out in public.
However, Li Chenjiao really couldn't just stroll around the streets, as the guards would be too conspicuous if they followed her.
Li Chenjiao herself was a low-key person, and in the end she chose a restaurant along the river. Listening to the old man's singing on the boats along the river, she asked her guard Xiao Luzi to buy any fresh delicacies she saw along the street.
Li Chenjiao could occasionally hear the storyteller downstairs raising his voice when he got excited, even from his private room on the second floor of the restaurant. It was quite an interesting experience.
If Li Chenjiao hadn't been chosen to enter the Fourth Prince's harem, she would probably have lived a peaceful and comfortable life.
Li Chenjiao rested her chin on her hand, the curtain obscuring her view of everything along the river, making it all appear blurry, as if she were always some invisible distance from this everyday life.
Occasionally a cool breeze would blow by, and Li Chenjiao would raise her hand to taste a bite of pea flour cake, her thoughts drifting away with it.
I really wish these days could last a little longer.
What a pity.
Li Chenjiao was slowly eating her pea flour cake when she suddenly heard Qiu Hu coming in from outside.
"Master, the master has sent someone to deliver the meal."
Fourth Master? How did Fourth Master know she had left the manor?
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