Although the princess consort agreed very respectfully, for some reason, she hesitated for half a second.
When the Empress Dowager's somewhat dignified gaze fell upon her, she suddenly realized and said yes.
Consort Cheng interjected at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty is right, it's just a matter of time. Back when Prince Zhi left the palace to establish his own residence, it was six or seven years ago. Now, in the blink of an eye, you are surrounded by your children and grandchildren..."
Yes, time really flies.
A hint of admiration appeared in Consort De's eyes. The laughter of the children outside seemed to be right in front of her at this moment. Her gaze towards the Fujin and Li Chenjiao was also filled with satisfaction.
Putting everything else aside, among all the princes, the fourth prince's harem was the one that was the least troublesome.
There are now six or seven children. Although the Second Prince and the Fourth Prince are not here today, the First Prince and the Third Prince are both clever and of similar age. They don't see each other often, but they can always play together.
Li Chenjiao was absent-minded; she never needed to say anything at times like this.
However, while waiting for the meal to be served, Consort De pointed at Li Chenjiao, indicating that she should stay behind.
“Good child, you have suffered during childbirth. Now that you are here with me, I have something to tell you.”
The Fujin cast a questioning glance at her, but was quickly pulled outside by Consort Cheng.
Li Chenjiao stood up first and said she didn't dare to accept such praise.
After the Fujin left, Consort De withdrew her gaze: "You have always been a person who knows etiquette, knows how to behave properly, and abides by the rules. You have done very well in this regard."
Consort De actually praised her?
Li Chenjiao squatted down: "Yes, these are what I should have received."
Inside the hall, a golden beast-shaped incense burner emitted a faint fragrance of water and wood, while a plate with intertwined lotus and precious flower patterns held lychees that were still steaming.
Consort De looked at Li Chenjiao meaningfully: "You are very good. You know what you want. I hope you can always be like this."
To put it bluntly, Consort De was also a concubine, and aren't all palace concubines also concubines?
She was actually even less willing to make things difficult for anyone. Whether one was the primary wife or a concubine, it was not an easy thing. All she could do was remind them not to make a big mistake in the fourth prince's backyard because of a momentary lapse of judgment.
Upon hearing this, Li Chenjiao, at least outwardly, bowed respectfully and said, "Yes, I understand."
Consort De stood up.
Li Chenjiao, sensing the situation, stepped forward to support Consort De.
Consort De's voice suddenly became a little low: "Sometimes, being a temporary winner means nothing. Only those who survive are not losers."
When Consort De said this, there was a clear sense of melancholy in her eyes. What was she thinking?
Was it the late Empress Hesheli Xiaoyi, or Consort Wenxi? Or perhaps Consort Min, of the Zhangjia clan?
Only Consort De herself probably knew the truth.
Consort De's words didn't really have any enlightening effect on Li Chenjiao; she remained clear-headed from the beginning.
...
In the evening, the Fujin and Li Chenjiao came out of Yonghe Palace.
The princess's gaze fell on Li Chenjiao. Although she didn't say anything harsh or difficult, her eyes were as sharp as knives.
Li Chenjiao remained calm and walked behind the Fujin with an unchanged expression.
By the end of June, the weather had already gotten warm. When Li Chenjiao saw the lychees on Consort De's table in Yonghe Palace, she couldn't help but think about them on her way back to her residence in the carriage.
The second princess was already asleep in Li Chenjiao's arms.
After lunch, the little girl went to play in the Imperial Garden with the eldest princess. It is said that they saw many strange beasts kept in the Imperial Garden.
After a day of playing, the little girl was tired.
After returning to the East Courtyard, Li Chenjiao personally carried the little girl to the side room. Fortunately, the little girl wasn't too heavy at the moment. If it were another two years, Li Chenjiao probably wouldn't have the strength anymore.
However, after watching the little girl sleep peacefully, Li Chenjiao returned to the west wing and rubbed her arms.
She had just settled into a languid cross-legged position on the soft couch when she heard that there were lychees in the small kitchen.
Li Chenjiao was both surprised and delighted, and hurriedly asked, "Was it sent from the kitchen? How much was there?"
Pingniang came in and reported, "It wasn't sent by the kitchen. It was personally delivered by Steward Su from the front courtyard at noon. He said it was a tribute from the master, and only you and the main wife in the mansion have it."
Li Chenjiao's eyes lit up: "How about chilling it with ice?"
Pingniang nodded.
Li Chenjiao was overjoyed, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Eating too many lychees can cause internal heat, so let's make lychee syrup instead."
If you're making lychee syrup, you won't need too many lychees for one bowl.
Li Chenjiao was genuinely afraid that if she indulged in her cravings and ate everything, she would get a sore throat and suffer the consequences.
"After you've made the lychee syrup, send one to the eldest princess first. Since it's not too late, let's send it over as soon as it's done. You can put some milk in the eldest princess's cup; she likes that flavor."
Pingniang noted it down.
Li Chenjiao added, "Add some more ice to my portion; it'll taste refreshing right now."
Qiu Hu, standing nearby, hurriedly said, "Let's use less ice..."
Li Chenjiao said helplessly, "Okay."
After giving all the instructions, Li Chenjiao remembered that the lychees were a gift from Fourth Master...
She smacked her lips and suddenly said to Qiu Hu, "Prepare pen and ink. You go to the front yard and deliver the letter to Fourth Master yourself."
Li Chenjiao clearly had a plan in mind. She quickly prepared paper and pen, wrote down her thoughts, and stopped writing after a short while.
...
It was already late at night when the letter reached Fourth Master's hands.
The Fourth Prince had just finished discussing matters with Dai Duo when Su Peisheng presented the letter to him.
"My lord, please take a look at the letter that Master Li sent."
Fourth Master opened the envelope: "Has the package been delivered?"
Su Peisheng smiled apologetically: "These are all the best lychees sent by the Imperial Household Department. As you instructed, they are sent back every two days. Any that are not fresh will be picked out, and the Imperial Household Department will put them into the ice cellar as soon as fresh ones arrive."
Because His Majesty was not in Beijing, the Imperial Household Department had a surplus of tribute. The lychees from Fujian had already exceeded the usual amount this year, and these surpluses were even greater.
The Fourth Master's share was much higher than in previous years. He was not a person who cared much about food and drink, so after hearing Su Peisheng's report, he immediately distributed the money.
Some were sent to Mother and the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Princes. Although there were some in the palace, the Fourth Prince always remembered them.
The main wife's family was allocated according to the rules, but since the children were all quite young, the Fourth Prince did not assign them to any different places. The rest were naturally sent to the East Courtyard.
Fourth Master grunted in agreement and waved his hand.
Su Peisheng then withdrew.
The Fourth Prince opened the letter and saw only one line of text.
His hand holding the letter seemed to tighten, and after a moment, Fourth Master suddenly smiled.
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