Li Chenjiao slowly swallowed the bitterness between her lips and teeth. She remained silent, lost in thought.
After a while, when the Fujin arrived, it was Qiu Hu, who was behind her, who noticed and helped her up. Li Chenjiao slowly stood up and bowed to the Fujin with everyone else.
As soon as the Fujin entered, she naturally noticed the rise and fall of Li Chenjiao's belly first. Her expression did not fluctuate much. She simply adjusted the crimson tassel hanging from the eight-treasure pearl hairpin at her temple, her eyes gentle, and smiled as she asked everyone to stand up.
"Please sit down, everyone. It's been a long time since the manor has been so well-gathered. It's good that all the younger sisters have arrived."
Hearing this, Lady Wu smiled and said, "You've misunderstood, Your Highness. There's another younger sister who hasn't arrived yet. Indeed, it's windy and rainy today, so it's inevitable that some will be late. But since Your Highness has arrived, and she hasn't—"
Upon hearing Wu's words, the Fujin seemed to realize that Niohuru had not yet arrived, and her smile faded slightly: "She has been frequently ill these past few days, and I wonder if it's because she hasn't fully recovered. Yuru, go and invite the family physician to Niohuru's courtyard to examine her."
Wu Shi still had a smile on her face and praised, "As expected of the Fujin (wife of the emperor), she is virtuous and generous."
After giving her instructions, the Fujin did not rush to ask about Li Chenjiao's belly, but instead looked at Song Shi first.
"Speaking of illness, how has the eldest princess been lately? Autumn is here and the weather is getting colder. Her servants are taking good care of her. I haven't seen her for quite some time."
With a forced smile, Madam Song said, "In this weather, I was afraid that the eldest princess might fall or catch a cold from the wind, so I didn't have anyone bring her out. When the weather clears up, I will personally bring the eldest princess to pay her respects."
The princess seemed to hum in satisfaction, but as soon as her eyelids twitched and her lips parted, what she said was not so pleasant: "The servants who serve the eldest princess are indeed meticulous and thoughtful. No wonder Her Majesty wants to reward them."
Madam Song's expression changed slightly, and she became somewhat unnatural. She clearly wanted to say something, but after a while, she thought that Fourth Master would probably arrive soon. If Fourth Master saw her, it would be terrible.
She pursed her lips, cursing the Fujin in her heart.
The Fujin seemed oblivious to Song's gaze, and then turned to look at Wu.
"Where is the eldest prince? He has always been the healthiest among all the children in the manor, so why haven't we seen him today? It's not easy for the master to come back, so the fourth prince should be allowed to see him."
Upon hearing this, Lady Wu raised her handkerchief to cover her nose: "Replying to Your Highness, the First Prince's health was originally quite good, but ever since he was offended by Consort Niohuru last time, he has been seriously ill for more than half a month. He has finally recovered somewhat, but I am still afraid that someone might suddenly appear and offend him again today?"
Upon hearing this, Li Chenjiao showed a surprised expression.
She still has to pretend she doesn't know.
The Fujin sighed, "I understand what you're saying. It's just that it's rare for the Fourth Prince to come home today, and Niohuru has been behaving very well lately, reflecting on her actions. That's why I made an exception and let her out, so the Fourth Prince would see her and know she exists. I was originally planning to have her personally apologize to the First Prince when she arrived—"
Yes, because Niohuru offended the eldest prince, the empress in the palace specifically ordered Niohuru to stay at home for three months to reflect on her mistakes.
Wu Shi, unusually, interrupted before the Fujin could finish speaking, pouting, "Fujin is joking. How could this servant dare to ask Niohuru Gege to apologize to the First Prince? I only ask that Niohuru Gege treat the First Prince kindly."
The Fujin (principal wife) looked at Wu Shi's behavior with a calm and indifferent expression.
After waiting for Wu Shi to finish speaking, he said, "What you're saying is a bit alarmist. Niohuru Shi also deeply regretted what happened that day. The Second Prince has been frequently ill these days, and I'm already overwhelmed with work. If you continue like this, where in this mansion can I find someone to share my burdens?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Jiashi, sitting at the lower seat, subconsciously glanced at Li Chenjiao, who was sitting in front of her.
All she could see was Li Chenjiao's beautiful profile and her weary yawning.
Bai Jia was stunned for half a second, and when she came to her senses, Wu had already stood up to apologize.
“I dare not accept such words from you, Madam. All the time I have been helping you these days is because the ladies and masters in the palace value me. It is not proper for me to do so. In the end, now that Consort Li has returned, she can help you share the burden.”
Finally, the topic turned to Li Chenjiao.
However, Li Chenjiao did not expect that Wu would drag her into the matter of managing the household, even though she knew that the Fujin (wife of the emperor) had always been most wary of taking control of the household.
However, this wasn't the first time the Fujin had used such words to test her ambition for control of the household.
It's so boring.
Upon hearing this, Li Chenjiao yawned twice more, then gently supported her back as she stood up.
"You know me well, my wife. I love to be lazy and idle. With Consort Wu ahead of me, I'm all set. Besides, I'm currently pregnant. This journey has been so bumpy, I'm really exhausted right now. I hope you won't blame me."
As she spoke, she mimicked the gestures of Princess Wu, covering her nose with a handkerchief and occasionally letting out a sob. She also supported her waist with one hand, making the rise and fall of her abdomen more noticeable.
She was already beautiful, and now that she was on the verge of tears, even Liu couldn't help but stare at her.
However, he was actually more wary of the Niohuru clan.
The Fujin reacted faster and was about to say something comforting when Su Peisheng's voice came from outside: "Fourth Master has arrived."
The words stuck in the Fujin's throat. As she curtsied and paid her respects, she caught a glimpse of the rise and fall of Li's abdomen out of the corner of her eye. The glass lamps in the flower hall were shining brightly, and the light was so bright that it hurt the Fujin's eyes.
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