Consort De had the Fourth Prince and his wife sit down next to each other, and asked the Fourth Prince many questions with great concern. The wife smiled very politely beside him, and her gaze towards the Fourth Prince was full of concern.
The Fourth Prince answered all the questions with a calm expression, and also inquired about Consort De's health.
After exchanging pleasantries, Consort De smiled and looked at the Fujin: "It's almost time to serve the meal. You, Fourth Prince's wife, understand his wishes best. Go and see if there's anything that needs to be added or removed from today's meal."
This clearly means that she has something to say to the Fourth Prince alone, and it is inconvenient for the Princess Consort to know.
The Fujin bit her lip and got up. With the matter of letting Xianxin enter the manor hidden in her heart, she subconsciously thought that Consort De was going to talk to the Fourth Prince about it. She couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, but she remained composed on the surface and bowed.
"Yes, daughter-in-law will go right away." She curtsied gracefully and walked out. The tassel of the eight-treasure pearl hairpin she was wearing today slowly brushed against her earlobe, and the cool sensation made the Fujin tremble slightly.
Yu Ru, who was supporting the Fujin, noticed and asked in a low voice. The Fujin gently shook her head, not wanting to reveal too much emotion.
Inside the inner palace, Granny Zhao waved her hand, and the servants who were serving inside filed out, leaving only Consort De and her son, the Fourth Prince.
Consort De would naturally not bring up the concubine's daughter from the Ulanara clan at this time. The fourth prince had returned from a long and arduous journey, and if she were to bring up such unpleasant things right away, it would be rather tactless of her as his mother.
Consort De looked at the Fourth Prince carefully again before saying, "You look even thinner. How was your journey? Your mother was very worried about you in the capital. You were all alone out there—"
Fourth Master cupped his hands, raising his eyebrows slightly: "With Madam Li taking care of our son along the way, everything has gone smoothly. By the way, Madam Li is pregnant and has been five months along."
Consort De paused slightly, then clapped her hands and laughed: "There hasn't been any good news from your household for a long time. Your mother remembers that Lady Li gave birth to the Second Princess for you. If she were to give birth to a Prince this time, you would have both a son and a daughter. She is pregnant; how has her journey been?"
Consort De knew that Lady Li was a pleasing person in the fourth prince's harem. As the fourth prince's mother, she couldn't interfere with who he wanted to favor. Besides, Consort De also understood the principle of "too much of a good thing." Now that Lady Li was pregnant, it was also a good thing for the fourth prince's harem.
Upon hearing this, Fourth Master frowned and said, "I was just about to tell Mother about this. The journey has been very bumpy. In the first three months, Li almost miscarried. After three months, the pregnancy was finally stable, but then we had to return home. The journey was very difficult."
It was rare for the Fourth Prince to speak so much, and since it concerned his offspring, Consort De sat up straight upon hearing this, showing great concern: "Have you consulted the imperial physician? It's been hard on her. Tell her not to come to the palace for the Golden Offering Festival in a few days; taking good care of herself during her pregnancy is the most important thing. Your mother still has some bird's nest that your father bestowed upon her this year, and there's also old ginseng in the storeroom. Take it to Lady Li later so she can rest assured and focus on her pregnancy."
The Fourth Prince thanked Consort De on behalf of Li Chenjiao, but did not refuse her kindness.
The mother and son then discussed some important matters, including those concerning the inner palace and the imperial court. After his mother's explanation, the Fourth Prince finally had a better understanding of the situation in the capital, which had been shrouded in mystery for the past few months.
Finally, the Fourth Prince helped Consort De to the outer hall for their meal. Consort De was standing there instructing Yu Ru, who was beside her, to set out the food. Apparently, she was not satisfied with what she saw, so Consort De personally moved two dishes around.
Consort De noticed this and gently patted the Fourth Prince's hand: "While you've been away from the capital, your wife often comes to pay her respects and keep me company. Let's go have a meal."
Consort De spoke with great tact.
For her, at this age, all she wanted to see was a house full of children and grandchildren, and her son and daughter-in-law treating each other with respect. Although Ulanara had her own plans, Consort De understood that her daughter-in-law had no bad intentions, and that the foolish things she had done in the past could not be held against her forever.
People should always look forward, shouldn't they?
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince lowered his eyes slightly and only said, "Your Highness is thoughtful," before revealing no further emotion.
Consort De sighed inwardly, but there was nothing she could do.
After the Fourth Prince and his wife had their meal with Consort De, they stayed with her for a while longer. It was Consort De who urged them to leave: "The rain outside has finally subsided a bit. What are you doing here with this old woman? Go back early. There will be plenty of time to talk when the weather clears up another day."
The couple then left Yonghe Palace together.
The princess moved her lips, but before she could utter a word, the fourth prince preempted her.
"I have other matters to attend to at the Ministry of Revenue, so I'll be leaving now. Su Peisheng, escort the Princess Consort back to her residence."
The princess consort lowered her head and finally said, "The manor has prepared a welcome banquet for you and your sisters—"
The Fourth Prince had already fastened his cloak. Upon hearing this, his brow twitched, as if he had thought of something. In the end, he simply hummed in agreement: "I'll be there, thank you for your trouble, Madam."
Upon hearing these words, the princess's face regained a slight smile, but the drizzle mixed with a cool breeze stung her face, making the smile look forced no matter how you looked at it.
The Fourth Prince glanced at it and then looked away; a young eunuch was holding an umbrella for him.
The Fourth Prince's figure gradually disappeared at the end of Yongxiang Lane.
Su Peisheng stood to the side, smiling obsequiously, "This servant is escorting the Princess Consort."
Thinking that the Fourth Prince had kept Su Peisheng, who always served him closely, behind, the Fujin smiled and said, "Let's go."
Yu Ru held up her umbrella and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Perhaps it's because they haven't seen each other for so long, but the Fujin and the Fourth Prince seem quite distant now. How can things continue like this?
After the princess left the palace and got into the carriage, she closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again after a long while.
She stared at the mandarin duck pattern on the crimson cheongsam she was wearing today, embroidered with kingfisher feathers and gold thread. She raised her hand, and the lifelike mandarin ducks' eyes were easily covered.
She gave a short laugh: "That's fine then."
A loving couple? That's utterly ridiculous.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
