When smallpox broke out in the capital, the Emperor naturally ordered the Six Ministries to thoroughly investigate the matter and mobilized the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital to treat patients day and night. The Forbidden City was also thoroughly cleaned up.
When the Fourth Prince entered the palace, he sensed the solemn atmosphere. He first went to the Qianqing Palace to pay his respects to his father, the Emperor, and then reported on his mission.
The Emperor's attitude remained the same; he simply instructed the Fourth Prince to continue with the matter.
When the Fourth Prince came out of the Qianqing Palace, he ran into Prince Zhi. Prince Zhi never said anything sarcastic to him, but he always disliked him.
Today is strange; my older brother looks rather anxious.
The Fourth Prince suppressed his doubts and went to his mother's Yonghe Palace.
This smallpox outbreak in the capital originated in Zhili (present-day Hebei Province) and somehow spread to the capital. Fortunately, it was discovered early and suppressed quickly. All those infected with smallpox have been relocated to the outskirts of the capital, and the fear among the people of the capital has been quickly quelled.
For two days, the Fourth Prince accompanied the Ministry of Revenue to oversee the resettlement of people in the outskirts of Beijing and to provide necessary comfort and support. Naturally, the Ministry of Revenue had to provide the funds for all of this.
When they arrived at Consort De's Yonghe Palace, everything was normal. After all, it was in the palace, and apart from the eunuchs and maids who needed to make purchases, few of them could leave the palace, so the possibility of contracting smallpox was naturally extremely low.
However, news of the smallpox spread, and Consort De also learned that Haha Zhuzi, who served the eldest prince in the mansion, had contracted smallpox.
The Fourth Prince originally kept this matter a secret from his mother, as he didn't want her to worry too much.
Furthermore, if we delve deeper into this matter, it would be a case of Wu's negligence in taking care of her... So the Fourth Prince simply didn't mention this matter to Consort De.
Consort De was still quite frightened after hearing this: "There was a smallpox outbreak in the palace before. How could you keep such a big thing from your mother? For now, don't bring the children out. After this is over, let the Princess Consort bring the children into the palace..."
Consort De was clearly still somewhat uneasy.
Fourth Master agreed to this, and then asked Fourteenth Master.
Because of the assassination attempt on his father, the Fourteenth Prince felt very guilty and fell ill. He then caught a cold and was sick for more than half a month.
When Consort De heard the Fourth Prince ask about it, she laughed again and again: "Don't worry about him, he's not sick. You know how energetic your Fourteenth Brother is, he's always running around, he wouldn't fall ill so easily. He was sick for a few days, but he's fully recovered. Right now, he's just been scolded by the Grand Tutor in the Imperial Study, who said that he's not as ambitious as Prince Hongxi, who's only been there for a few days."
Consort De had a clear understanding of her son, and when she revealed his secrets, her eyes were full of smiles.
Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince, with a stern face, defended the Fourteenth Prince: "When the Fourteenth Prince puts his energy into the horse racing..."
The tutor in the Imperial Study who is now in charge of the Fourth Prince used to teach him, and the Fourth Prince stopped mid-sentence.
Hearing the fourth prince defend his youngest son, Consort De's smile deepened: "Things are all so chaotic right now, it's better for him to stay sick, so he won't cause any trouble. By the way, how is everything at your residence? Is Madam Li about to give birth?"
Fourth Master nodded, saying that everything was ready.
Consort De was not worried about this. She slowly nodded and said, "When your family had no children before, your mother urged you to have them. Now your mother is not worried. Everything is based on your wishes."
The Fourth Master's ears turned slightly red upon hearing this, but he remained silent.
Consort De smiled again before getting to the point: "When your wife came to the mansion during the New Year, she recommended someone to me. I know she was injured when she gave birth to the Second Prince, but I still need to ask for your opinion on this matter."
Consort De still hoped that the fourth prince and his wife could live in harmony.
However, since the fourth prince's family was so blatantly asking her, as his mother, to speak up would damage the mother-son relationship between her and the fourth prince, Consort De naturally refused.
This matter has been delayed for a long time before it was brought up again, and the tone was being softened as much as possible.
Consort De knew her son's temperament.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, the fourth brother's face turned cold.
Consort De sighed silently in her heart.
The Fourth Master's lips were pressed tightly together. After a long while, he spoke.
"Whose daughter is she? Or...someone close to the Fujin?"
The Fourth Prince's silence for a moment was naturally a reminder of what had happened in the main courtyard last time.
Fourth Master frowned.
Consort De knew something was wrong from the tone. She paused for a moment and said, "It's not just anyone, it's a girl from your wife's Ulanara clan. Your wife is injured, so it's understandable that she's anxious. Fourth Prince, she's still young."
Consort De has already spoken up for the Fujin (the wife of the deceased). If this were someone else's domestic affair, Consort De would never have spoken up, but it just so happens to be her own family matter...
Consort De was also very disgusted by this matter. She had made up her mind that when the fourteenth prince reached the age to get married, she would choose a stupid one rather than a woman like the fourth prince's family who were so eager to court death.
Picking a dumber one might make things easier and less stressful.
Seeing that the Fourth Prince's expression was not right, Consort De spoke first: "When your wife comes to the palace next time, your mother will decline this matter. When you return to the manor, Fourth Prince, just pretend that this matter never happened."
Consort De had been thinking about this matter for several days, and in the end, she was the only one who could play the villain. This matter could not be delayed any longer, otherwise the Fourth Prince's family would probably keep it on their minds.
The Fourth Prince stood up and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your understanding, Mother. I will discuss this matter with my wife."
Consort De was still somewhat uneasy, so she reached out and pulled the Fourth Prince to sit down, asking about other matters: "When the spring selection comes, what are your thoughts, Fourth Prince?"
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