Li Chenjiao sighed casually and didn't turn back, heading straight for the main hall.
If the palace maids under the covered walkway were attentive, they would naturally have noticed the little incident that had just occurred.
However, it's not a very important matter.
When Li Chenjiao returned to the main hall, Consort De did not inquire about it. Consort De had already removed her armor, but had not yet moved to the dining table. Seeing this, Li Chenjiao, with her keen insight, stepped forward and helped Consort De.
Consort De didn't say much, and casually put her arm around Li Chenjiao's arm as they walked naturally out of the room.
The two of them walking together actually looked quite like a good mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
The small kitchen was bustling with activity, and Consort De didn't rush to the table. Instead, she took Li Chenjiao and stood at the outer palace gate for a while.
Standing here, the cool breeze from the ice basin inside the hall seems quite distant.
Consort De stood for a moment, then suddenly turned to Li Chenjiao and smiled gently: "How does it look?"
Then they started asking her how her appraisal was going.
Li Chenjiao inwardly grumbled, "What did all that small talk I overheard behind the screen in the inner hall amount to?" She vaguely replied, "Everything seems fine to me, but I can't tell the difference right away. I'll have to... observe carefully."
Consort De smiled again upon hearing this, and sighed, "It's like this when choosing a wife for someone else's child. When you reach my age..." you'll understand the difficulties involved.
Upon hearing Consort De's words, Li Chenjiao naturally assumed that Consort De was probably still sound asleep in her room, or perhaps having lunch. She wondered if the Fourth Prince would eat well while she was away, and how Aman's appetite was today.
She was lost in thought for a moment, but she didn't expect to go that far.
Sigh, it will be at least another ten years before the Fourth Prince reaches the age for marriage proposals. She's already starting to worry now, and she'll probably be so worried that her hair will turn white before that time even arrives.
Having a long-term vision is good, but having deep worries is not something Li Chenjiao likes to do.
Even if this matter is serious, she can't be the only one to care about it; Fourth Master will care too.
Consort De is different from her. She cannot discuss with His Majesty. She has to figure out His Majesty's intentions to choose a daughter-in-law. The same principle applies to choosing a consort for the Thirteenth Prince.
Now that the Fourth Prince no longer has to inherit the title, he naturally avoids the complicated considerations that the Thirteenth Prince had to go through when choosing a partner.
When Li Chenjiao came back to her senses, Consort De seemed to sigh, and for some reason, the conversation turned to the Fourth Prince: "The Fourth Prince's offspring are still rather few."
Upon hearing this, Li Chenjiao had no choice but to apologize.
But whether she truly believed she was wrong is another matter. After all, Fourth Master wasn't the type to frequent the inner quarters, was he? She only went there seven or eight times a month.
But Li Chenjiao really couldn't bring herself to persuade the Fourth Master to go elsewhere.
However, speaking of offspring, Li Chenjiao's mother sent her some newly made pills from Ashan two months ago, so there's no way she'll have any news about pregnancy anytime soon.
It would be strange if there were any commotion.
However, Consort De did not blame Li Chenjiao. She quickly called Li Chenjiao to get up, but did not say anything more.
Li Chenjiao was well aware of the principle that too much talk leads to mistakes, so she had no intention of continuing the conversation with Consort De. She simply stood at a distance, quietly waiting for the meal to be served.
As the palace maids from Yonghe Palace carried dishes from the small kitchen to the main hall, several young ladies from the side hall also came to the main hall together.
The young ladies were somewhat stunned when they saw Li Chenjiao, who was beside Consort De.
But Consort De showed no intention of introducing anything, and Li Chenjiao showed no interest whatsoever.
She calmly helped Consort De to sit in the main seat, and then, at Consort De's signal, she sat down next to her.
The young ladies who arrived today all came from relatively good backgrounds. They had all accompanied their female relatives to the palace during festivals. Four of the six young ladies had met the Fourth Prince's wife before, so they naturally knew that the woman next to Consort De was not the Fourth Prince's wife.
It was not Princess Wenxian, the daughter of Consort De.
Princess Wenxian was someone the six girls had all met in the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace when they entered the palace in previous years.
Of the six girls, only Lady Zhaojia and another girl had never met the Fourth Prince's Consort.
Zhao Jia only thought of the noble lady, and her gaze towards Li Chenjiao was filled with respect. In addition, because of their previous encounter, Zhao Jia even gave Li Chenjiao a well-behaved smile.
The other girl saw Li Chenjiao as a strong competitor who had suddenly appeared.
Because she was entering the palace today, Li Chenjiao dressed conservatively, but even so, she was still beautiful.
Li Chenjiao has been in the household for many years and has given birth to the Second Princess and the Fourth Prince, but her personality and preferences have not changed much. She is just more tactful and knows how to find amusement for herself than when she first entered the household.
Once a person finds a way to pass the time, they are mostly happy, and Li Chenjiao is such a person.
Aside from feeling a little homesick when she misses home, there's nothing else that truly worries her throughout the year.
Even now, she is still beautiful. Compared to her bright and cheerful appearance when she first entered the mansion, she now has a more serene and tranquil air.
Li Chenjiao simply smiled at the stares of the girls below, her delicate eyebrows softening into a pale hue, her cheeks displaying a polite yet distant smile.
She naturally noticed the disdain and contempt of some of them, but so what?
This was to choose a primary consort for the Thirteenth Prince, not for the Fourth Prince, so there was really no conflict of interest with Li Chenjiao.
Li Chenjiao never cared about other people's opinions or words.
Consort De made no attempt to introduce Li Chenjiao, and seeing the suspicious looks on everyone's faces, she found it amusing for once.
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