The carriage was no longer quiet once Li Chenjiao asked about it. The Fourth Prince's voice was still very immature, but his pronunciation was clear, and every word was easy to hear.
The Fourth Prince talked for a while about what the Second Princess liked, then suddenly brought up what Li Chenjiao's mother liked.
Li Chenjiao couldn't help but smile, her eyes crinkling as she patted the Fourth Prince's head: "Tell me. What do you want?"
No one knows a child better than their mother. Li Chenjiao didn't know her two children completely, but she had a pretty good grasp of most of them.
The Fourth Prince smiled ingratiatingly: "Kite! Fly a kite."
Even the smartest child has a playful side.
Li Chenjiao turned her head and glanced at Qiu Hu: "Where did this kite come from?"
This child must have seen a kite somewhere to want to fly one, and even specifically chose his birthday to bring it up.
Qiu Hu thought for a moment and then realized something: "Could it be an old kite that Dong Li found in the storeroom? I heard it was sent by another family last spring, but none of the princes and princesses in the manor have ever used it."
Li Chenjiao also has a few kites here, left over from when she flew kites on the estate, but the maids have all put them away in the storeroom.
Li Chenjiao's warehouse has been expanded again and again.
Li Chenjiao then understood; it was no wonder that Wanwan, who played with Dongli every day, would see the kite.
She readily agreed to the Fourth Prince's request, and even told him to go back and talk to Xiao Luzi to clarify what kind of food he wanted. She didn't want to use the ones in the storeroom, but rather to either make new ones or buy them from outside.
However, Li Chenjiao was only responsible for providing the kite; she couldn't manage anything else: "But we still have to ask your father to fly the kite."
February was drawing to a close, and the weather in the capital was gradually warming up.
Fourth Master had been idle for more than half a month, but he still went to Li Chenjiao's place in the East Courtyard the most. Qiu Hu was also gradually troubled by the fact that the porcelain box was almost empty.
Fourth Master stopped sending "tonics" to the East Courtyard half a year ago.
Li Chenjiao's body had been recuperating for over a year. Although she hadn't fully recovered to her pre-pregnancy state, according to the imperial physician, she had indeed recovered quite well. If she continued to recuperate, it might have the opposite effect.
However, every time Fourth Master came to the East Courtyard, he would observe Li Chenjiao's complexion. He only stopped taking the medicine after confirming that Li Chenjiao's complexion was indeed getting better day by day.
Whenever he thought of Li Chenjiao's body, the Fourth Prince would inevitably think of his wife in the main courtyard, followed by his eldest son who had been gone for almost half a year.
So, during the more than half a month that the Fourth Prince had plenty of free time, he didn't go to his wife's place much. At most, he would go to see the Second Prince after noon when he came out of the front yard.
If the Second Prince were to continue his studies in the front courtyard as before, then the Fourth Prince would probably never go to the main courtyard.
The Fourth Prince did not neglect any of the princes and princesses in the mansion. However, every time he finished seeing the children, he would feel inexplicably uncomfortable. He would always go back to the front courtyard to sit for a while before going to Li Chenjiao's place in the east courtyard.
It seemed like he was somewhat guilty.
But this is so strange and illogical. The Fourth Prince actually felt guilty when he went to see his own child.
Even when he returned to the East Courtyard and saw Li Chenjiao's smiling face, Fourth Master always felt like he was forcing a smile, and his unease and faint sense of guilt were even stronger.
Li Chenjiao was completely unaware of Fourth Master's little schemes. She could only vaguely sense that Fourth Master was sometimes absent-minded, but she wouldn't ask too much. Whether it was something outside or something in the manor, Li Chenjiao had no need to be curious.
...
Two days after the Fourth Prince's birthday, it was already March, and the capital was gradually warming up, with the usual liveliness slowly returning.
After all, it would be the Emperor's fiftieth birthday in just over half a month. Li Chenjiao had already asked the Fourth Prince and was relieved to learn that she didn't need to prepare anything.
Indeed, from the imperial concubines and princes to the imperial family members, court officials, and local officials, the emperor's birthday is naturally an extremely important event.
Li Chenjiao, this little concubine, doesn't need to worry about this matter for now, and no one will care.
However, Li Chenjiao was still surprised to learn that the Fourth Prince had prepared a birthday gift for His Majesty. The reason was that the birthday gift prepared by the Fourth Prince was quite familiar to her.
Last year, Li Chenjiao gave the Fourth Prince a futon as a birthday gift, while the Fourth Prince prepared a more exquisite and luxurious futon for His Majesty.
Li Chenjiao had seen it before. The side of the futon used for cooling off was made of the finest golden nanmu wood, which was completely different from what Li Chenjiao had chosen. It was also soaked in ambergris. The other side was made of a material that Li Chenjiao had never even heard of before, which was a rare material from Southeast Asia.
The cushion that Li Chenjiao made was called a futon because it was small.
What the Fourth Prince prepared for His Majesty could be called a blanket. On the fabric side, the birthday wishes written by the Fourth Prince himself were embroidered in gold thread, in Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese.
However, in the past few days, the Fourth Prince has personally sent a master to the Anhua Hall in the palace to chant sutras and pray for blessings.
Zuo You was even more thorough than Li Chenjiao had thought of.
The Fujin (Prince's wife) was also busy preparing birthday gifts for His Majesty. After all, she was His Majesty's chosen daughter-in-law, and she naturally had to give her all for His Majesty's 50th birthday.
The greetings to the left and right sides of the first month were peaceful and uneventful.
What's somewhat strange is that, despite being busy lately, the Princess Consort's complexion has become increasingly better. She even looks more radiant than before she gave birth to the Second Prince.
In March, the Fourth Prince finally got busy again. The Crown Prince was confined to Yuqing Palace because of the Ping Beile incident. However, in March, the various Mongol tribes had already begun to enter the capital to prepare to celebrate the Emperor's birthday.
There were also envoys from Southeast Asia, and their accommodations were naturally arranged by the Court of State Ceremonial.
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