Fourth Master found Li Chenjiao's reaction quite amusing. He squeezed Li Chenjiao's wrist and said, "Alright, do as you say."
Fourth Master still has seven or eight servants by his side, all of whom were chosen to serve him when they were young.
However, at that time, the girls around the Fourth Prince were all selected by Empress Xiaoyiren. Two of them were from the collateral relatives of the Tongjia clan. The Fourth Prince kept the girls who were useful to him, but he didn't care about any feelings for the girls who weren't useful.
At that time, the Fourth Prince was still being raised by Empress Xiaoyiren, so the matter of choosing the Haha Pearl was naturally not something Consort De had to concern herself with. Later, after Empress Xiaoyiren passed away, the Fourth Prince had actually heard from his mother's maid, Zhao, about this matter.
Back then, Consort De reprimanded Granny Zhao once. My mother's meaning was similar to Li Chenjiao's now, except that he had just returned to my mother's side, so my mother didn't interfere too much in anything...
The smile on Fourth Master's face gradually faded when he thought of his mother.
Li Chenjiao noticed this and simply changed the subject: "Next month, Wanwan will be going to study in the front courtyard. Many of the things I prepared for you back then, Second Princess, will not be used. Why don't you and I go and take a look together to see if there is anything missing?"
Li Chenjiao always prepares everything perfectly, so how could anything be missing?
Fourth Master naturally understood, and thus readily got up.
After the Lantern Festival, the Emperor stopped writing, and many more tasks piled up in the court.
All the princes were given extra tasks, which seemed to be a kind of training exercise. Even the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, who had already gotten married, were given tasks.
She got married last year and is still living in the prince's residence, and hasn't been assigned any jobs yet.
With the arrival of spring, Wen Xian's wedding will take place, and in two or three months, the Thirteenth Prince's wedding will follow. For now, the Fourth Prince can finally relax a bit.
During a rare moment of leisure, Li Chenjiao prepared the same gifts for the Fourth Prince as she had prepared for the Second Princess when she entered school. The Fourth Prince found some things new and interesting. Later, they talked about the wedding gifts for Princess Wenxian. The atmosphere in the study was just right when they heard Su Peisheng outside say that he had something to report.
"My lord, someone from Song Gege's place said that Song Gege twisted her ankle while playing with the eldest princess."
Fourth Master hadn't visited Madam Song for a while. He had visited the Eldest Princess a few times during the first month of the lunar year, but he hadn't been to Madam Song's place for quite some time.
Li Chenjiao stopped talking and simply sat upright in the armchair in the study. Fourth Master was the one standing to the side looking for a book. Su Peisheng was standing behind the screen, and it was unclear whether he saw her or not. After replying, he lowered his head slightly.
Li Chenjiao remained silent, looking down as she counted the small beads adorning her sleeves. Yesterday, the Second Princess and the Fourth Prince each took one of them, and the maids had searched for half a day before finally finding them.
Fourth Master tilted his head to look at the top of Li Chenjiao's head, and suddenly raised his hand to press on Li Chenjiao's shoulder.
Li Chenjiao then looked up and said, "I'm worried. Let me go take a look."
She didn't say anything before the Fourth Master made his statement, but she understood his meaning just from the way he pressed her shoulder.
Fourth Master was never just Li Chenjiao's.
As usual, Fourth Master said he would come to see Li Chenjiao when he had time, and Li Chenjiao, as usual, stood up to see Fourth Master off.
The Fourth Prince was a sentimental man. The woman who twisted her ankle was Madam Song, an old friend, and it was because she was playing with the eldest princess. So, the Fourth Prince would still go to visit her, both out of sentiment and reason.
After seeing Fourth Master off, Li Chenjiao returned to her study. She sat back in her armchair, lounging lazily and crookedly, covering her face with the book beside her, as if she found the candlelight nearby too bright.
Qiu Hu came in a little while later and trimmed the lamp wick. Li Chenjiao didn't move and her breathing was even.
Qiu Hu thought for a moment, then went back to the main room to get a blanket. She knelt down and covered her master's lap with it. As she left, she stirred the charcoal brazier.
Qiu Ci was also outside. She gestured with her lips towards the east courtyard and said, "In the dead of night... the eldest princess's energy is truly remarkable..."
Qiu Hu glanced at her sideways.
Qiu Ci then stopped talking.
"Is the hot water ready?" Qiu Hu asked, and Qiu Ci answered.
The two men had been waiting outside for a short while when they suddenly heard a servant come in and say that Princess Niohuru had sent someone to deliver plum wine.
"I heard it was brewed last year, and it tastes quite different when it's heated up now, so I sent over a jar."
Qiu Ci's expression was not good. Her master had just left, so what did it mean for Princess Niohuru to send wine?
Qiu Hu was also somewhat surprised, but she still accepted the plum wine. Just as she was about to take it inside, Xiao Luzi suddenly stopped her again.
"What's wrong? Is something amiss?" Qiu Ci asked first.
Xiao Luzi shook his head and said no. He swallowed hard, feeling like he'd seen a ghost even as he said it: "Huiyun, who serves Princess Niohuru, also said that if our master thinks the wine is good, she can come and have a couple of drinks with him..."
Qiu Ci couldn't help but stare in astonishment upon hearing this: ? ? Huh?
Drinking together? With whom?
Their mistress and the Niohuru Princess behind her—this Niohuru Princess was truly an extraordinary person.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Hu couldn't help but be speechless, and the plum wine he was holding became scalding hot.
The people inside seemed to be disturbed by the noise of their conversation outside.
"What's wrong? What are you all saying outside?" Li Chenjiao's voice was still lazy.
Qiu Hu then took the plum wine inside.
Let's see what our master has to say.
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