Fourth Master had given a definite answer that he would go to the main courtyard, and he did go in the end. However, when he arrived at the main courtyard, the food there had been changed and reheated several times.
When the princess came out to greet the Fourth Prince, her smile was somewhat stiff. The Fourth Prince told her to dispense with the formalities, but before she could speak, he said he was going to see the Second Prince.
For a moment, the Fujin was unsure whether to laugh or not. She should be happy that the Fourth Prince still cared about her Second Prince, but she hadn't missed the fact that the Fourth Prince hadn't even glanced at her.
From the moment Fourth Master entered the main courtyard, he didn't even give a second glance.
The Fujin was supported by Yu Ru behind her, and she still managed a smile as she went with the Fourth Prince to see the Second Prince.
The Second Prince had just woken up after taking his medicine. When the Fourth Prince arrived, he was sitting by the bed listening to Haha Zhuzi reading to him.
Putting everything else aside, the Second Prince was indeed a well-behaved child who was so endearing that it broke one's heart.
The Second Prince resembled the Fourth Prince, but due to his intermittent illness, his features always appeared somewhat frail, which weakened the sharpness that originally resembled that of the Princess Consort.
At this moment, the Second Prince was sitting on the bed in a snow-white nightgown, listening obediently as Haha Zhuzi read aloud. Even the Fujin herself couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat when she saw this scene.
She whispered, "Although the Second Prince is ill, he dares not neglect his studies for even a day."
Hearing the sounds of everyone bowing, the Second Prince raised his eyes, his eyes unusually clear and beautiful: "Father! Mother!"
His voice was low, but his enunciation was clear.
The Fourth Prince stepped forward and gently patted the Second Prince's head, while also exempting the Second Prince from formalities: "Mr. Dai said that your studies have improved again."
The Fourth Prince always had a gentle expression when he was talking to the Second Prince. His wife was delighted and was talking to the Second Prince when the Fourth Prince suddenly glanced at her.
The princess bit her lip, naturally understanding what the fourth prince meant. She paused for two seconds, and finally reluctantly waved her hand, signaling everyone to leave, and then she followed him out.
Along with Haha Zhuzi beside the Second Prince, only the Fourth Prince and the Second Prince remained in the room.
After the Fujin left, her face remained dark. Even when Yu Ru brought her a chair outside, she still had a sullen expression. It wasn't until she heard the Second Prince's laughter inside that her expression softened slightly.
Is Fourth Prince wary of her? Is there anything he can say to Second Prince but not to her?
The princess was furious, but there was nothing she could do.
She knew better than anyone that the Fourth Prince was blaming her for the First Prince's accident. But the incident happened so suddenly that she had originally planned to find someone to take the blame, but who knew that the Fourth Prince would return to the mansion the very next day?
The wife's countermeasures were naturally too late to be implemented, and now it would be difficult to convince the Fourth Prince of any other explanation.
The reason why the Princess Consort invited the Fourth Prince today was not only because she genuinely had something to discuss with him, but also because she wanted to clarify things with him.
When the Fourth Prince came out of the Second Prince's room, the Second Prince seemed to have already fallen asleep. The Fourth Prince's expression was unusually gentle, but as soon as he left the room, that gentleness seemed to be just a fleeting illusion, like that of the Princess Consort.
She had already stood up, and the armchair had been removed long ago, as if she had been standing at the door waiting for the Fourth Master all along: "Dinner has been prepared in the flower hall, and it has just been heated up. If you don't mind, please have some?"
The Fourth Master's cold attitude was obvious to anyone with eyes: "No need."
Upon hearing this, the princess softened her tone even more: "Yes, hot water has been prepared in the washroom..."
The Fourth Prince said it wasn't necessary again, and finally glanced at his wife: "Didn't you call me here because you have something to discuss?"
He glanced at his wife, then walked straight from the corridor to the side room.
Judging from his appearance, he was unwilling to even discuss matters with the Fujin (wife), as if he only wanted to finalize things on the way to the side room.
The Fujin could no longer maintain her smile. She had to catch up with the Fourth Prince. She was silent for a moment, then said, "I originally wanted to discuss Your Highness's birthday in a few days. However, considering that tomorrow is the 21st day after the First Prince's death, I thought it best to have a Buddhist ceremony held in the outskirts of the capital. That child passed away so young, and as his legal mother, I still feel heartbroken even though I haven't thought of it. Things haven't been peaceful lately, so for the birthday celebration, I thought it would be better to just have a simple gathering at the manor. Since you returned to the manor more than half a month ago, the ladies in the inner quarters have been thinking of you."
Knowing that the Fourth Prince was probably impatient to listen to her, the Fujin simply made herself clear. What she had originally planned to ask the Fourth Prince for his opinion turned into a question and discussion.
The Fourth Prince probably hadn't expected that his wife would still remember the First Prince's 37th birthday. He first said, "You're so thoughtful, wife," before saying, "Let's keep the birthday celebrations simple, as you suggested. It's getting late, wife, you should get settled in as soon as possible."
As the Fujin spoke, she followed the Fourth Prince and knew that he wouldn't be staying in her room today. Her heart was pierced, and looking at the Fourth Prince's back, she still called out to him.
"It is true that I failed in my duty to supervise the eldest prince. If you are angry and wish to punish me, I am willing to accept it. However, I have not committed any other fabricated crimes. Your Majesty, is that the kind of person Ulanara is in your heart?"
The Fourth Prince did not turn around. He repeated himself, but this time in a commanding tone: "It's getting late. Help the Princess Consort downstairs and get settled as soon as possible."
Yu Ru stepped forward to support the Fujin (principal wife). She felt a pang of pity, but she dared not utter a single word.
The princess was helped down by Yu Ru, and after a long while, Yu Ru heard the princess's bitter voice.
"Yu Ru. Fourth Master... doesn't believe me anymore."
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