Why did you bring up the concubine again? He didn't mean to say the flowers in the garden were blooming well; he meant to hint that you should take a closer look at the new ladies in the mansion.
Since the birth of the fourth prince by the concubine, there had been no good news in the household for over a year.
Aside from the occasional request for water from the master in the east courtyard, he would later have someone personally bring over a gentle, mild contraceptive medicine to prevent pregnancy, out of concern for the concubine's health.
He couldn't understand what the concubine was keeping, and why the master always preferred to go to Master Li's east courtyard.
Otherwise, they would rest in the front yard, or go to see the princes and princesses...
Princess Liu and Princess Niohuru weren't ugly either... At the very least, Princess Song and Princess Baijia among the old ladies weren't bad either, so why did the master always seem to be in a trance, showing no reaction at all?
Su Peisheng was genuinely worried about his master.
Our master isn't as lustful as the former Third Master, but it wouldn't do if he wasn't lustful at all...
Su Peisheng had a long face, but he only dared to think about these things in his heart.
He was actually somewhat relieved at this moment, since his master still liked to visit Consort Li at least a little. If he didn't even like visiting Consort Li anymore, he would probably have to stay in the front courtyard all day, which would be even more worrying.
However, the Fourth Prince only gave the order, but did not say where to go, such as the East Courtyard or the Back Courtyard. Although the official business was finished, things were not very peaceful in the court recently.
With Prime Minister Suo losing power, some court officials and even his protégés who had previously favored the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Suo are now subtly leaning towards Prime Minister Ming and Prince Zhi.
Being an outsider, Fourth Master naturally saw these developments clearly.
This is not a good thing, whether for Prince Zhi, the Crown Prince, or even the Emperor.
But to be honest, for the Crown Prince and his father, the Emperor, this situation also seems to have its advantages.
Therefore, in the past few days, the Emperor has been much more concerned about the Crown Prince's health than before, but the fact that Prime Minister Suo is confined to his room to reflect on his mistakes is an indisputable fact.
How much of the Emperor's concern for the Crown Prince is genuine and how much is feigned...?
Such thoughts and doubts echoed in the mind of the Fourth Master.
The answer is self-evident.
On a sweltering night, an ice basin was placed in the study, which Fourth Master simply set up there, but his mind remained unsettled for a long time.
...
By July, the Crown Prince's health had improved to about 70-80%, but the rain and the long kneeling outside the Qianqing Palace had ultimately left him with a lingering ailment. If he walked or stood for a long time, his knees would ache uncontrollably, and if he spoke too hastily or was exposed to the wind, he would cough incessantly.
As a result, the imperial physicians were severely reprimanded by the emperor. However, the physicians were truly helpless and could only offer some temporary remedies to help the crown prince recover.
However, the weather was gradually getting hot in July. Every time after court, the Fourth Prince could hear the Crown Prince coughing from time to time. Although he had been resting for more than a month, he still lost weight.
Fortunately, the young master seemed to be in good spirits.
After the Crown Prince fell ill, he seemed to be much gentler to everyone he met than before. Even when speaking to the Third Master, whose words were not exactly pleasant, he still smiled and nodded in agreement.
This makes it seem as if Third Master is still an immature child.
The Crown Prince seems to be a little different again, but in a way, he is not really any different.
You've probably figured some things out by now, haven't you?
In early July, His Majesty visited Rehe to escape the summer heat. Perhaps out of guilt or something else, His Majesty actually brought the Crown Prince with him this time. In addition to the Crown Prince, His Majesty also brought along the Prince of Zhi, the Fourth Prince, the Thirteenth Prince, the Fourteenth Prince, the Fifteenth Prince, and the Sixteenth Prince.
Rehe is surrounded by mountains, with mild winters and cool summers. It also has remote control over Northwest Mongolia and other places. It can be used for both summer retreat and office work. This year the weather is extremely hot, no wonder His Majesty wants to go to Rehe.
Because the imperial decree was so sudden, the Fujin was preparing to invite the Fourth Prince to discuss who to take with him this time. Unexpectedly, the Fourth Prince sent Fulu to tell her that this time, Consort Li, Princess Baijia, and Princess Niohuru should prepare to accompany him.
This time, among the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Masters, only the Fourth Master was chosen to accompany them, and the Fourth Master himself could guess why.
The Ministry of Revenue has been busy with the expansion and renovation of the Rehe Imperial Palace, also known as the Chengde Mountain Resort, for the past two years. The Fourth Prince works in the Ministry of Revenue, and the Emperor probably thought of him because of this.
However, the renovation of the Rehe Imperial Palace is only halfway complete. The Ministry of Revenue is under tight budget, so everything must be done step by step.
The Fourth Prince sat in the Ministry of Revenue, merely looking at the draft drawings sent by the Ministry of Works and nodding to the Minister of Revenue. In truth, he himself was not entirely clear about what the Rehe Imperial Palace had become.
There should still be some interesting things to see on the left and right.
As for the female companions that the Fourth Prince chose to accompany him this time, Li Chenjiao was naturally the first person he thought of. The remaining two were women who he thought were honest and well-behaved.
The Third Prince has been coughing a bit these past few days, so Madam Xu has to take care of him.
So the Song and Wu families stayed as well, otherwise the Fourth Prince wouldn't feel at ease.
The Second Princess from the East Courtyard can accompany them, but if no other family brings a princess, the Fourth Prince probably won't bring the Second Princess, as being too conspicuous isn't a good thing.
The Fourth Prince is still young, so the Fourth Prince will send trusted confidants to keep an eye on him.
It's not just the Fourth Prince; the Fourth Prince is keeping a close eye on all the princes and princesses in the mansion, and he won't give anyone with ulterior motives a chance to make a move.
Since the Fourth Prince had already decided on the candidates, his wife naturally couldn't argue anymore. Besides, this time, in addition to Lady Li from the East Courtyard, Lady Baijia and Lady Niohuru were also with her.
The Fujin felt a little more at ease, and immediately asked Yuru to select a few bolts of fine fabric that had just been sent by the Imperial Household Department from the storeroom and deliver them to Baijia and Niohuru, and also asked Yuru to give them a few "advice".
Oh, she naturally sent some fabric to Madam Li in the East Courtyard as well, it wouldn't be right to show favoritism, but that's all.
Li Chenjiao had already received the news when the Fujin sent over the fabric. Being able to go out for a month or two, and even go to escape the summer heat, would be quite comfortable.
However, Fourth Master didn't say whether the children would go with them...
Li Chenjiao still planned to have the maids pack their things in advance. It wasn't the first time she had gone out with the Fourth Master. Two senior maids led several servants to pack the things they needed to take into the trunks in an orderly manner.
The little girl was standing to the side, holding the toy horse and watching it, her eyes blinking.
Li Chenjiao naturally wanted to bring the Second Princess along, but then she thought that although the Second Princess was active and healthy, the journey would inevitably be bumpy, and a three-year-old child would not be able to withstand it. In the end, it would be the child who would suffer.
She gave up on the idea.
With the nanny and these maids around, she felt at ease even when she wasn't in the east courtyard.
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