While the two were talking, Fourth Master naturally forgot about Li Chenjiao's failure to perform the proper greeting.
Since Li Chenjiao became pregnant, the two of them haven't really talked about whether the baby in Li Chenjiao's belly is a prince or a princess.
As Fourth Master listened to Li Chenjiao's words, his gaze kept falling on her abdomen.
He was also pondering this in his heart, and after a while, the Fourth Prince suddenly realized that he also hoped that Li's child would be a prince.
It's not that the Fourth Prince favors her or anything like that. Doesn't he love the Second Princess in his heart?
That's not true, but deep down, the Fourth Prince inexplicably hoped that Li's child would be a prince.
As for the reason, the Fourth Prince could only attribute it to Li's intelligence and quick wit. If she were really a prince, she would probably be a bold child like the Second Princess.
Fourth Master is still young, but he already has profound foresight.
One cannot just look at the present moment; while living in the moment, one must plan ahead for the future.
This is especially true for someone like the Fourth Prince, who is part of the royal family.
No matter what position the Fourth Prince attains in the future, whether he becomes a Prince of the Second Rank or a Prince of the First Rank, his title will ultimately be inherited by one of the princes in the mansion...
These things may seem far away, but for the women in the backyard, they are matters that affect the rest of their lives.
If Li Shi had given birth to a prince, regardless of whether the child would inherit the title, he would still be a figurehead for Li Shi.
The child is not yet born, so the Fourth Prince will not place high hopes on the child out of thin air. He already has three sons. But at this moment, he is inexplicably looking forward to the birth of the child in Li Chenjiao's belly.
When the Fourth Prince returned to the manor last time Li Chenjiao gave birth, she had already given birth to the Second Princess. This time, the Fourth Prince has already made arrangements.
Although he couldn't be by Li Chenjiao's side every moment, he could immediately set off for the mansion as soon as he received the news.
On the fifth day of the second lunar month, His Majesty set off to inspect the Yongding River. The Crown Prince oversaw the country in the capital, accompanied by the Prince of Zhi and a host of ministers and guards.
Since the assassination incident, His Majesty has often had Prince Zhi accompany him, which has aroused the envy of many princes.
This time, when His Majesty inspected the Yongding River, he only brought one prince, Prince Zhi.
The remaining Third, Fourth, and Fifth Princes were left behind to assist the Crown Prince in overseeing the country, but they mostly dealt with trivial reports of greetings from various regions.
The Fourth Prince had heard the Crown Prince mention once, in a veiled way, that the memorials he reviewed were not of great importance; the real memorials to be submitted from various regions were ultimately sent secretly to the Emperor.
Fourth Prince still clearly remembers the faint sarcasm on the Crown Prince's face when he told him about this.
However, with the Emperor away from the capital, the Fourth Prince was able to have some free time. He also started going to the East Courtyard more frequently.
It was February 15th. The weather was still a bit cold. It seemed that winter was still lingering in the capital at this time of year, and everyone was wearing a thin cloak when they arrived at the main courtyard.
Li Chenjiao's due date is approaching, so the New Year's greetings on the first day of the month are waived. The Fujin (wife of the emperor) naturally wouldn't bother her at this crucial time, so her greetings today are also waived.
To be fair, the Princess Consort was quite adept at putting on a show of politeness.
However, having been neglected for so long, the Fujin naturally had to keep a low profile, as Song Shi would say.
The Fujin (principal wife) hadn't come out yet, so everyone started gossiping. Somehow, the topic turned to the concubine who was about to give birth.
"Is the concubine about to give birth?" These were the words spoken by Consort Wu.
Madam Song glanced at her: "Sister Wu, aren't you asking a question you already know the answer to?"
Wu smiled and said, "Isn't it because I've been thinking about it?"
Song let out a sneer without any attempt to hide it.
Liu didn't respond, but when she lowered her head to drink her tea, she choked on it, and everyone's eyes fell on her.
Her face flushed slightly, but she didn't say anything in defense.
But in her heart, she was still thinking, "Why is it that the concubine is about to give birth, but the principal wife hasn't made any move? Could it be that she's lying to her? That shouldn't be the case."
It's no wonder she's so concerned about this matter. If the Fujin (principal wife) really takes action, she certainly won't let anything happen to her. Even if something does happen, she'll naturally find a scapegoat.
Liu didn't think she held any weight in the Fujin's heart, and she was unwilling to be pushed out as a scapegoat.
These days she's been on high alert, afraid that something might appear in her yard and she'll be framed.
However, it seemed that everything was indeed as usual for the concubine in the East Courtyard.
Could it be that the Princess Consort changed her mind after being reprimanded by the Fourth Prince?
Liu lowered her eyes, feeling a pang of regret.
Of all the people in the room, Bai Jiashi was probably the only one who still hoped that Li Chenjiao would have a smooth delivery.
She received a lot of charcoal from the concubine during that winter, which helped her barely get through it.
After all, her family background wasn't very good, and she didn't bring much money with her when she entered the manor. She spent it all in the first two years, and now she lives on her monthly allowance. She's not favored by the emperor, so her life is probably the most difficult among the princesses.
She genuinely hoped that the concubine would recover, even if the concubine didn't openly help her; in fact, it would be better for her to do so discreetly.
The only people in the room who hadn't spoken yet were Niohuru and Xu.
Xu Shi never spoke in such situations, and Niohuru Shi naturally didn't want to talk to them either.
After paying her respects, Niohuru passed by Consort Li's courtyard on her way back. She paused for a moment, lost in thought.
Huiyun, who was very talkative, said, "I wonder if the concubine will have a prince or a princess this time?"
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