The second princess was playing on the inner side of the corridor, while Li Chenjiao and the fourth master watched from the open window under the soft couch by the east window.
Fourth Master probably really has nothing to do today; he didn't even have any official documents.
As they were chatting, Su Peisheng came in from outside. As soon as he entered, Fourth Master gave him a cold look.
Li Chenjiao rested her chin on her hand and waited quietly to see what Su Peisheng wanted to say.
Su Peisheng bowed and replied with his head down, "When Consort Liu went to visit the Second Prince just now, she slipped and twisted her ankle. The physician from the manor has already gone there."
The Fourth Master seemed a little impatient upon hearing this, and he grunted, "I know."
Su Peisheng paused for two seconds, then understood and quickly withdrew.
The Fourth Master had just come out of the main courtyard when Madam Liu, quick on her feet, headed straight for it.
Li Chenjiao rested her chin on her hand and watched Su Peisheng leave. She hadn't moved an inch while Su Peisheng was speaking, but now she slowly turned her gaze back to the Second Princess under the eaves.
If Fourth Master really wanted to leave, she couldn't force him to stay, so for now she simply remained quiet.
After a moment, Fourth Master followed Li Chenjiao's gaze and looked outside. After a long while, Li Chenjiao seemed to hear a faint sigh in the sound of rain.
Li Chenjiao didn't turn around, she just listened to the sound of the rain.
After a long while, the Fourth Prince finally spoke again: "It's getting late. I still have official business to attend to in the front courtyard, so I'll head back now. You and the Second Princess should both be well. The Dragon Boat Festival is in a couple of days, and the weather is getting hot. Be careful not to get heatstroke."
Li Chenjiao rarely heard the Fourth Master ramble on like this.
A teasing smile unconsciously appeared on her face. She nodded from time to time, waiting for the Fourth Master to finish speaking before saying, "Master, please be careful in the sun outside. If you have a poor appetite, eat something refreshing and appetizing first."
As she spoke, she stood up again and straightened the Fourth Master's slightly wrinkled sleeves.
Fourth Master grunted in response, paused briefly, and then strode outside.
He had only planned to have dinner in the east courtyard after leaving the main courtyard today, but it's already getting late.
He had just come out of the main courtyard; it wouldn't be good for Li Chenjiao if he stayed overnight in the east courtyard.
Li Chenjiao understood this as well, and smiled as she watched the Fourth Master leave the East Courtyard.
The second princess was playing outside when the fourth prince walked under the covered walkway. The father and daughter exchanged a few words, which Li Chenjiao, sitting under the east window, naturally couldn't hear.
After the Fourth Master left, the Second Princess came skipping in a short while later, and the little girl did not show any sign of disappointment on her face.
"Father said we can go out and play in a few days! Mother!"
Upon hearing this, Li Chenjiao slightly squatted down, guessing that it was probably because of the Second Princess's birthday. Wasn't it the same last year?
She smiled and echoed the little girl, "Okay, Mother also wants to go out and play with our Aman."
The little girl laughed even more happily, and was overjoyed to receive Li Chenjiao's approval. Before long, she ran to the outer room again.
Li Chenjiao sat upright and listened to the rain for a while, idly waving the round fan beside her.
As May began, no one from the main courtyard came to say anything on the first day of the month, so everyone went to the main courtyard early in the morning to prepare to pay their respects.
The Second Prince's health did not seem to improve after several days. When the Fujin came out of the inner room, her complexion was also unusually poor. She had applied several layers of makeup, but the signs of her haggardness were still visible.
The Fujin (principal wife) was clearly not in the mood either. After saying a few casual words, she said, "Yesterday, when I was flipping through the records, it seems that you, Li Shi, have been serving the master the most lately. You are raising the Second Princess and the Fourth Prince. When you are too busy to attend to them, you should think of the sisters in the back courtyard."
Indeed, since the beginning of this year, the Fourth Master has spent half of his time in the East Courtyard when he enters the back courtyard. Even when he occasionally visits Madam Song or Madam Wu, he usually doesn't stay overnight and returns to the front courtyard. As for whether he actually had sex with Madam Song or Madam Wu when he stayed overnight, only Madam Song and Madam Wu themselves know the answer.
Of course, the Song family wouldn't talk about what happened in the bedroom in broad daylight, even with Song's sharp tongue.
As for the Baijia, Liu, and Niohuru clans who had no offspring, they had absolutely no chance.
Bai Jia and Niu Hulu would occasionally fall ill for a few days, or have their menstrual periods. The two Fujin (princesses) had been frowning all day yesterday as they flipped through that book.
All eyes were on Li Chenjiao.
Before she could speak, Niohuru, who was sitting to the left of her, scoffed, "What you're saying, Madam, is interesting. We can't exactly let Consort Li put the Fourth Prince in our courtyard, can we? What would that make us? And what would that make our master?"
Bai Jia laughed after hearing this.
Madam Song glanced at Li Chenjiao sitting opposite her with a lingering look, her tone ambiguous: "People can't be easily persuaded, but some principles still need to be explained, don't they?"
Li Chenjiao put down her teacup and smiled, "I will naturally say what I should say, but Your Highness should not generalize. Don't you think so?"
The princess's eyelids twitched slightly, but she forced a smile: "I've seen your character all these years. When the sisters in the harem are of one mind, everyone naturally has to put in their effort."
Li Chenjiao's expression didn't change much when she came out of the main courtyard, but her eyes were so hot from the sun that she couldn't open them.
This time, Niohuru walked behind her again. Li Chenjiao kept walking, and Niohuru followed closely behind.
Niohuru watched Li Chenjiao's retreating figure, waving a round fan embroidered with images of ladies flying kites, her expression somewhat peculiar. She murmured, "She really is... spoiled..."
As soon as he came out of the main courtyard, he asked someone to hold an umbrella to shield him from the sun.
Upon hearing this, Huiyun quickly glanced forward and said, "Princess, you should lower your voice. Why are you speaking up for Consort today? Just now, I noticed that everyone's expressions outside were not right."
Niohuru snorted, her face completely unconcerned: "I didn't say a single wrong word. Hurry up and go."
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