First, he praised Lady Bai, but with a hint of farewell. Finally, he flattered the concubine he hadn't met yet, leaving no room for error.
Bai Jia smiled meaningfully: "When I first saw Consort, I was also amazed by her beauty. At that time, I could only look at her with my eyes. You will know when you see her later."
Bai Jia's words had really whetted Liu's appetite. Only now did she realize that the saying that the concubine was a beauty was probably not an exaggeration. At the same time, her vigilance grew even stronger.
At this moment, Liu realized who was sitting opposite her.
There were only two people accompanying the Fourth Prince on his southern tour this time. If they weren't his concubines, then it could only be another woman, Bai Jia, who wasn't favored.
Liu forced a smile, smoothed things over, and then had no other intention to talk to Bai Jia.
Everyone here is a princess, but Bai Jia is an unfavored princess, and being an elderly woman without any children to rely on, she is even less worth trying to win over.
Just as the two were talking, Qiu Hu came in with two maids to serve tea and snacks.
Bai Jia became a little warmer, and when Qiu Hu served her tea, she still had a slight smile on her face: "The concubine is still busy. I'm not in a hurry. The concubine's affairs are more important, don't you think, Sister Liu?"
Liu raised her eyebrows. She wasn't in a hurry. She wished she could sit with the concubine for a whole day. Maybe she could even run into the Fourth Prince.
Now that she's here, she's here to vie for favor.
So she nodded in agreement with Bai Jia's words and even smiled.
Qiu Hu knew in her heart that this was an excuse that Bai Jia Gege had come up with for her master, and she smiled respectfully: "My master said that he was afraid of keeping the two princesses waiting for a while, and he will be there shortly."
Bai Jia smiled gently: "The concubine is too kind."
When she needs something from someone, she is usually very humble.
After serving the tea, the two maids, Green Bamboo and Green Chrysanthemum, withdrew, leaving Qiu Hu in the flower hall to keep them company.
However, she was pretending to be a blockhead, listening to the voices of Bai Jia and Liu Shi talking.
Li Chenjiao was fast asleep in the inner room when the two maids, Lüzhu and Lüju, tiptoed in. The two maids exchanged a glance and finally decided to wake their mistress together.
Green Chrysanthemum couldn't help but grumble inwardly. Sister Qiuhu clearly knew that her master had been sleeping lately, and anyone who came and disturbed her would be given a dirty look by her.
Although the master wasn't really angry, his cold expression was still quite intimidating.
Sister Qiuhu is so wicked.
Li Chenjiao's expression was indeed not good after being woken up. She ground her back teeth, her face slightly flushed, as if she had just woken up: "What is it?"
Green Bamboo, that reckless fellow, explained the matter clearly in just a few words.
Li Chenjiao rubbed her temples. It would be a lie to say she wasn't surprised, but she wasn't exactly surprised either.
How could the Princess Consort be someone who wouldn't do anything without making a move?
The movement was indeed a bit too fast.
"Fetch me some water to wash my face, and bring me the clothes from that rack. As for my hair—how does it look? Just make sure it's not messy."
Li Chenjiao wasn't unkempt; she was just dressed casually, which made her seem less concerned about receiving guests.
On the shelf was a cheongsam made of Mingke Spring Grass Green Cicada Wing Fabric. The fabric was comfortable to wear and wouldn't feel stuffy in the summer. Although the embroidery was simple, Li Chenjiao liked that it was comfortable to wear.
It wasn't that she didn't have more luxurious clothes, nor did she intend to suppress the Liu family.
However, Liu's arrival was ill-intentioned and disturbed her peace, which made Li Chenjiao somewhat impatient.
Green Chrysanthemum was inevitably a little apprehensive when she was helping Li Chenjiao with her hair and makeup, after all, her mistress's complexion was quite bad.
The two maids quickly and efficiently did Li Chenjiao's simple hair and makeup, mainly changing her clothes and tidying up her messy hair. They didn't apply much makeup, as Li Chenjiao found it too troublesome.
However, it still took a quarter of an hour.
When Li Chenjiao came out, the flower hall was quiet.
Bai Jia and Liu sat facing each other, but neither of them uttered a sound.
Bai Jiashi, with her sharp eyes, spotted Li Chenjiao and stood up to greet her, saying, "Greetings to the Consort."
Lady Liu was probably distracted and reacted a beat late. She only stood up after hearing Lady Bai's voice: "This servant greets Consort Li. May Consort Li be blessed."
This time she learned her lesson and stopped looking around aimlessly. When she bowed, she lowered her eyes properly.
Liu lowered her eyes, and after a while she heard a clear, slightly languid female voice: "Get up, all of you. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
The sound alone is incredibly pleasant to the ear.
Liu's heart sank slightly, but she appeared even more respectful. After taking her seat, she spoke before Bai Jia could, saying, "It is only the duty of servants. I am afraid that my presumptuous visit will disturb the peace of the secondary consort."
Upon hearing this, Li Chenjiao sat at the head of the table, smiling faintly without saying a word.
Liu didn't hear a sound, and while drinking tea, she secretly glanced at Consort Li, who was seated at the head of the table.
She considered herself to be quite beautiful and talented, no less so than Niohuru. The concubine was indeed a beauty, but after all these years, she couldn't believe the Fourth Prince hadn't grown tired of her.
She held her teacup, slightly raised her eyes, and was stunned when her gaze fell upon the woman at the head of the table.
A snow-white pearl earring kissed the edge of the green cloud, but compared to the pearl earring, the face seemed even whiter and more delicate.
It was a beautiful face, even more beautiful than the face that Niohuru was so proud of, breathtakingly beautiful.
Only then did Liu realize that Bai Jia's words about not being able to take her eyes off the concubine when she first saw her were not just empty flattery.
That was indeed a face that was hard to ignore. Even among all the young ladies that Lady Liu had seen this time, none could compare to the concubine before her.
Lady Liu was at a loss for words to describe the beauty of the concubine at the head of the table. Her eyes were like two clear lake mirrors, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to carry a hint of coldness and a touch of charm. They were very alluring eyes.
Liu hurriedly averted her gaze, her mind in turmoil.
The concubine didn't look like she had ever given birth; her face was more like that of a young girl in her prime, and her figure showed no signs of having given birth.
Liu had met the Fujin, Wu, and Song before. The Fujin was severely depleted of health and looked quite old. Song was well-maintained, but she lacked the vibrancy of the concubine in front of her. Wu also looked like she had given birth.
And what about the concubine before me? She had a slender waist, fair skin and delicate bones, and her slender fingers touched her brow. The exposed part of her wrist was as smooth as jade. The cheongsam, which was originally a bit too big, looked slender and graceful on her.
Liu felt an even stronger sense of crisis.
No wonder he's so favored.
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