There's still the rocking chair that Li Chenjiao loved to sit in when she last came back. Sitting there in the summer, enjoying the cool breeze from the lake, is truly delightful.
Li Chenjiao dared not let the Second Princess climb onto the rocking chair. Instead, she asked Lüju to find a small embroidered stool in the New Green Hall and placed it next to Li Chenjiao.
The little girl sat obediently next to her mother, playing with the lotus leaves that the little eunuch had picked.
Fearing the stuffiness outside, a clever eunuch had already brought out an ice basin to fan and cool the air.
Li Chenjiao planned to watch the play after dinner, and she wanted to see some of the plays that Ma Jiashi had chosen for the Second Prince's birthday last time, which were still quite interesting.
Fearing that the little girl would get bored sitting there, they had someone prepare a shadow play.
Shadow puppetry doesn't require a large stage. The puppeteer is an experienced craftsman with a kind and gentle appearance.
Two candles in the courtyard went out slightly, making the shadow play even more lifelike in the dim light.
The second princess, who was playing with the lotus leaf in her hand, was quickly drawn to the shadow play over there.
Li Chenjiao also propped herself up on her arms and looked in that direction.
The shadow play tells the story of Mencius' mother moving three times to find the right environment for her son. It's not particularly unique, but it's not one of those clichéd stories about scholars and young ladies either.
It's just right for a little girl of the Second Princess's age.
Although the little girl might not understand it yet, she was watching the shadow play with great concentration, so Li Chenjiao didn't interrupt or disturb her.
The lifelike shadows, combined with the old craftsman's deep voice, are quite captivating.
The girl was still a little dazed when the kitchen staff brought her dinner.
Since no servants had yet sent word to the Fourth Prince or the Fourteenth Prince, Li Chenjiao wasn't in a hurry: "Have someone prepare sugar water and salt water... and also prepare hot water for bathing..."
She gave the instructions carefully.
Fearing the little girl was hungry, Li Chenjiao first fed Aman half a bowl of sweet water.
The summer air was dry, and the little girl had yelled quite a few times while watching the shadow play. Li Chenjiao fed her half a bowl of food, and only put the bowl down when she saw that the little girl had stopped licking her lips.
Li Chenjiao said that having dinner in the garden was a deliberate decision. With the Fourteenth Prince present, it wouldn't be appropriate to have dinner in her own courtyard, but she couldn't leave the Fourteenth Prince out...
With all the servants in the garden and the Second Princess there, there wouldn't be too much inconvenience.
However, the prey that the Fourth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince hunted today will probably not be on the dinner table.
After the shadow play ended, the garden was already brightly lit, making dining there at night quite an experience.
After a long while, Li Chenjiao asked the kitchen to reheat the food. Fortunately, several of the dishes were cold, so they wouldn't get cold and spoil.
However, Li Chenjiao still sent Lüju to ask at the front.
She had just sent Green Chrysanthemum to inquire, and a short while later she heard the maids' exclamations in the garden.
"Look! What's that...?"
The girls' exclamations did not elicit a reprimand from Li Chenjiao. Before she could even look in the direction of the sound, she was startled by the buzzing noise from above.
Li Chenjiao instinctively bent down and covered the little girl's ears: "Were you scared?"
The little girl stared at her blankly, just smiling, not at all like someone who had been frightened.
However, Li Chenjiao was too worried to hear clearly. With Aman's ears covered and the buzzing sound still ringing, the Second Princess couldn't hear what her mother was saying.
But the little girl was soon drawn to the bright color above her head.
With her ears covered, the second princess looked up at the sky, her eyes filled with the bright projection above her head.
Li Chenjiao finally had time to look, but she didn't loosen her grip on the little girl's ears, and at the same time, she skillfully pulled the little girl into her arms.
It's fireworks.
In the past, Li Chenjiao could see such beautiful fireworks when she went to the palace during the New Year, but she only saw them once. That time it was in Consort De's Yonghe Palace. She could only see them vaguely in the inner palace.
In addition, it was Li Chenjiao's first time going to the palace for the New Year, so she was naturally extremely cautious and had no mood to appreciate the fireworks in the sky.
But things are different now.
Fireworks filled the sky overhead, some swirling like dragons, others displaying patterns of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, all in a dazzling array of colors that were a feast for the eyes.
Li Chenjiao's eyes also revealed a look of amazement.
Although it was fleeting, it was truly an unforgettable sight.
"Fourth Brother, you left way too fast? What's the rush? Dinner isn't going anywhere! Who set off those fireworks? What a grand gesture! If Father were in the capital, he'd probably call it extravagance."
The Fourteenth Prince's loud and boisterous voice pulled Li Chenjiao back to reality.
The buzzing of the fireworks gradually subsided. Li Chenjiao released her hand from covering the Second Princess's ears, raised her eyes, and immediately saw the Fourth Prince.
Perhaps because of the hunt, the Fourth Prince changed into riding clothes, looking even more capable, like a sword ready to be drawn at any moment, awe-inspiring and imposing.
As the Fourth Master approached, the fireworks above seemed to fall on his shoulders, making him appear gentler.
Li Chenjiao stood up, recalling what the Fourteenth Prince had just said, and smiled as she looked at the Fourth Prince.
She couldn't help but suspect that today's whole affair was arranged by the Fourth Master.
However, it is quite rare and unusual for the Fourth Prince to be so extravagant.
The Fourth Prince naturally heard the Fourteenth Prince's voice as well. He touched his nose, turned around and said to the Fourteenth Prince, "You know quite a lot."
Li Chenjiao bowed first: "Dinner has been prepared."
The little girl came to her senses, but she still looked up at the sky.
Li Chenjiao patted the little girl's head to prevent her from tilting her head back for too long and hurting her neck.
"Yes, I don't know who has such a big budget, it's quite a feast for our eyes."
It's unclear whether this was a sincere question or a subtle jab.
Upon hearing this, Fourth Master secretly glared at Li Chenjiao, but his gaze wasn't particularly fierce.
These days, setting off a fireworks display is truly a big undertaking.
Those living near the capital city and its outskirts all heard the commotion. The Princess Consort, who had just fallen asleep with the Second Prince, couldn't hear the commotion outside very clearly.
She had other things on her mind.
"Is the master of the front yard resting?"
Yu Ru shook her head: "The Fourteenth Prince arrived before dinner and hasn't left yet. He's probably going to stay in the front courtyard to rest."
With His Majesty not in the capital, it's not a big deal for the Fourteenth Prince to stay overnight at the Fourth Prince's residence. Even the Ninth Prince, who had moved out of the capital, often visited the Fifth Prince's residence.
Upon hearing that the Fourteenth Prince was in the front courtyard, the Princess Consort immediately abandoned her plan to visit him.
"I'm tired, let's turn off the lights."
The princess was truly exhausted and had no time to concern herself with anything else.
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