The Laba Festival banquet in the mansion was naturally not as grand as that in the palace.
Li Chenjiao knew that such banquets looked like they were full of delicious delicacies, but in reality, most of the dishes were cold dishes for the sake of beautiful presentation, and they didn't taste very good.
So before attending the banquet that evening, Li Chenjiao went to the kitchen and ordered a bowl of Laba porridge.
After eating a bowl of Laba porridge, which barely filled her stomach, Li Chenjiao had Qiu Hu tie a cloak around her neck before carrying the hot water bottle out of the courtyard.
Halfway there, Li Chenjiao thought for a moment and said, "Later, I'll ask Xiao Luzi to go to the kitchen and ask them to make some eight-treasure porridge for us to try."
Li Chenjiao has been eating Laba porridge frequently these past few days. Although she's not tired of it, she's started craving Eight Treasure Porridge again.
Because it was an evening banquet, it was already dark outside when Li Chenjiao arrived at the Qingyuan Courtyard.
The concubines arrived very early, probably because they knew they would be sent away after the New Year. Hu was unusually well-behaved today.
Hu had known for some time that the Fourth Master would send her and Zhang away. For a while, Hu had been wavering in her thoughts, wanting to truly become the Fourth Master's woman before the New Year.
However, after witnessing Bai Jia's fate, Hu became more subdued.
She was indeed envious of the wealth and luxury in the Fourth Prince's mansion, but she valued her life even more.
At this moment, she regretted entering the Fourth Prince's mansion. If she had entered the mansion of the chivalrous Third Prince or the amorous Fifth Prince, things wouldn't be like this now.
Xu and Zhang stood aside and greeted Li Chenjiao politely with bowed eyes when she entered.
Li Chenjiao nodded slightly in return, and said with a light laugh, "Today is quite rare, I'm the first one here."
As is customary, when paying respects to elders or attending the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at the mansion, the first to arrive is usually Lady Song.
Of the three, only Xu dared to speak up: "Li Gege, you spoke too soon. Song Gege was already here before the servants arrived. It's just that the wet nurse of the eldest princess in the front courtyard sent word that the eldest princess was spitting up milk. Sure enough, Song Gege had just left when Li Gege arrived."
Li Chenjiao covered her lips, suppressing the surprise in her eyes: "Why did you suddenly start spitting up milk? Didn't the imperial physician say the eldest princess was much better a few days ago?"
Madam Xu sighed: "No one here has ever given birth or raised children, so how would we know these things? I just think that children's stomachs are weaker, so we have to be more careful when taking care of them."
Xu did not mention the eldest princess's weakness.
Li Chenjiao didn't want to bring up the topic of children, so after sitting down and taking a sip of hot tea, she quickly changed the subject.
Li Chenjiao didn't actually like this kind of idle chatter, but disliking it didn't mean she couldn't do it. Chatting with Xu Shi and Zhang Shi was much easier than coaxing the Fourth Master.
These casual chats were of no practical use, and Li Chenjiao didn't expect to develop any relationship with the women in the backyard.
Li Chenjiao regretted not arriving later, but maintained a faint smile and occasionally echoed Xu's words.
Later that evening, Princess Wu and Granny Xu arrived.
Li Chenjiao's gaze swept subtly over Wu Gege's lower abdomen, her mind still filled with the image of an unborn baby.
Xu Mama didn't ask Song Gege any questions, obviously someone had already informed her. She clapped her hands, signaling the kitchen to serve the dishes.
Wu Gege wore her usual smile: "Since there are no masters or wives here today, we are all sisters, so let's not stand on ceremony. Please sit down."
After declining a few times, the Xu family members sat down.
Wu Gege mentioned Song Gege: "On the way here, I heard from the maid that Song Gege went to the front yard to visit Gu Da Gege. It's really pitiful for that child."
It's hard not to connect Wu's words with the actions of the principal wife.
Li Chenjiao didn't reply. She just watched the maids file in to serve the meal, and the dishes laid out in front of her. Her appetite had vanished.
Li Chenjiao didn't want to respond, so Xu Shi and the others naturally didn't dare to respond either.
Wu Gege didn't feel embarrassed at all. After all the dishes were served, she turned to ask Xu Mama, "Song Gege hasn't arrived yet. Why don't we send someone to the front yard to ask? It won't take long either. What do you think, Mama?"
Granny Xu remained composed and respectful: "We'll do as the princess says."
As soon as she finished speaking, a clever maidservant hurried off to the front yard.
By the time Song Gege arrived, all the dishes on the table were completely cold.
Before Madam Song could explain, a servant suddenly entered and bowed: "Granny, the palace has sent out a meal."
Wu Gege immediately stood up, then looked at Xu Mama after realizing what had happened.
Xu Mama arranged things methodically: "Have someone set up an incense table, and let all the masters go outside to express their gratitude for the Emperor's grace."
Li Chenjiao, who had been lost in thought, finally brightened up. On days like Laba Festival, the food bestowed by the palace was usually Laba porridge.
Although Li Chenjiao didn't know why the Fourth Prince and his wife had entered the palace and why the palace had come to her residence to bestow food upon them, for Li Chenjiao, being able to taste the Laba porridge from the imperial kitchen was a great bonus.
However, kneeling and bowing in the freezing cold was truly unbearable. Fortunately, it wasn't snowing at the moment, and the servants had laid out cushions, so kneeling for a while wasn't too cold.
After Xu Mama personally delivered the food to the eunuchs from the palace, she returned and ordered the kitchen to distribute the Laba porridge.
Li Chenjiao finally got to eat the Laba porridge from the palace that she had been longing for.
However, when Li Chenjiao looked down at the bowl of Laba porridge, she couldn't help but twitch her lips.
Forgot that there was a distance between the palace and the Fourth Prince's residence, and now the Laba porridge in the bowl was almost frozen solid, and Li Chenjiao could even see ice crystals on the surface.
It turns out that what the Fourth Prince said about the Laba porridge made in the palace not being as good as the one in the mansion was true.
Li Chenjiao took a bite perfunctorily, which was practically the same as eating a lump of snow.
But both Wu Gege and Song Gege next to her were full of praise, making Li Chenjiao almost suspect that there was something wrong with her tongue.
Li Chenjiao took a couple of bites, glancing out of the corner of her eye as Wu Gege and Song Gege stopped eating. She casually wiped her mouth and pushed her bowl away as well.
Later that evening, everyone exchanged some pleasantries. It seemed that Consort Wu and Consort Song were waiting for the Fourth Prince and his wife to return.
Finally, it was Granny Xu who spoke up: "I reckon it will be a while before the master and the princess return. Perhaps you and the young ladies should disperse for now."
Li Chenjiao replied lazily, "What you say is true, nanny. In that case, I'll go back first."
Li Chenjiao was genuinely favored in the Fourth Prince's harem, and no one dared to stop her.
As soon as Li Chenjiao left the Qingyuan Courtyard, she rushed to the courtyard: "Quick, quick, is the eight-treasure rice prepared by the kitchen ready? Tell them to add an easy dish of scallion oil noodles, I'm really craving it right now."
There wasn't a single edible dish at today's banquet. Li Chenjiao only drank a bowl of chicken soup, which she already found greasy. After eating the cold Laba porridge bestowed by the palace, she felt nauseous.
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