Fourth Master could easily see that the little princess was asking the question on purpose, so he deliberately put on a stern face and said, "You know you're wrong?"
Upon hearing Fourth Master's words, Li Chenjiao knew that he wasn't angry with her, so she immediately served him two bites of food in a flattering manner.
"I know I was wrong, and there won't be a next time. Even if the Princess Consort says that again, this servant will not utter a single word in rebuttal."
Fourth Master could easily tell that Li Chenjiao was being sarcastic: "Ahem, didn't I tell you to behave yourself when you're out in public?"
Li Chenjiao genuinely felt that the Fourth Master was indulging her, and she spoke the truth for once: "Isn't it because the Fourth Master is here? If the Fourth Master weren't here, this servant wouldn't dare to be so bold."
All of the previous sentences were just Li Chenjiao joking around to coax the Fourth Master; only this sentence was sincere.
Li Chenjiao is incredibly sweet-talking; every word she says sounds so real.
Even the previously stern-faced Fourth Prince looked at her helplessly: "Regarding the matter of offspring, the imperial physician said that your health is fine, so you don't need to worry too much. Let's have your meal first."
Fourth Master's favoritism is so obvious.
Of all the people in the mansion, the only one who could bring the Fourth Prince any comfort was this unruly yet sweet-talking little princess.
Fourth Master is biased, but he's not brainless.
It was indeed the Fujin who provoked us today. If the Fujin hadn't said those words, even if the little princess was unruly, she wouldn't have been so disrespectful to the Fujin.
However, we still need to learn the lessons that are due.
Naturally, these lessons would not be known to the servants.
In the dead of night, the Fourth Prince gently nibbled on the little princess's earlobe: "Where is the mercury mirror that I had Fulu deliver?"
Li Chenjiao flinched slightly, her voice hoarse: "In front of the dressing table."
The room wasn't cold because of the burning charcoal fire, but the mercury mirror itself was icy cold.
Afterwards, the Fourth Master seemed dissatisfied: "Isn't this mercury mirror a bit too small? After the New Year, I'll have Su Peisheng go to Liulichang to find a larger one?"
Li Chenjiao no longer wanted to speak.
When Li Chenjiao woke up the next morning, the Fourth Prince was no longer by her side.
Since she didn't have to go to the main courtyard to pay her respects, Li Chenjiao felt weak all over, so she turned over and lay down for a while.
When Li Chenjiao got up and went to the dressing table, she could hardly look directly at the mercury mirror in front of her.
"Qiuhu, where is the bronze mirror we used to have? I don't want to see this mercury mirror these days."
Although Qiu Hu was completely confused as to why her princess suddenly disliked the mercury mirror, she still obediently agreed.
When Li Chenjiao returned to her inner room after breakfast and caught a glimpse of the bronze mirror, she felt slightly relieved.
Qiu Ci entered the inner room to serve tea, making a sound at the same time.
"Yesterday, the Fourth Master came to our courtyard. I heard that the procession dispersed not long after it started. The Princess Consort even forgot to ask Physician Chen to check on Princess Wu. It wasn't until this morning that she finally sent Physician Chen to the front to see Princess Wu."
Li Chenjiao noticed Qiu Ci suddenly pause, picked up her teacup, pinched the lid to savor the aroma of matcha, and asked, "Why did you stop talking?"
Qiu Ci naturally didn't want to upset her princess again, but she also knew very well that her princess would find out sooner or later. So she gritted her teeth and said, "I heard from Doctor Chen that Princess Wu is pregnant and has been pregnant for two months."
Li Chenjiao said "Oh" and counted the days in her mind; it was indeed just over two months.
"What was the reaction from the Fujin (wife of the deceased)?" Li Chenjiao placed her teacup on the table.
Seeing that her princess did not show any sadness on her face, Qiu Ci assumed that her princess did not want to show it, and felt even more sorry for her.
"Just like when Consort Song had a happy occasion last time, many things were given to Consort Wu's courtyard as gifts. However, I heard that Yu Ru from the main courtyard wanted the account book back after delivering the gifts, but Xu Mama, who accompanied her, took it away."
Li Chenjiao waited for half a day but no one from the main courtyard came to lecture or punish her. After lunch, she went to rest happily.
I really didn't get enough sleep last night.
After the Lantern Festival, everything will return to normal, whether in the mansion or the palace.
The Crown Prince, having just recovered from a serious illness, quickly returned to the court.
Besides his daily duties at the Ministry of Revenue, Fourth Master also had to deal with the arrangements for Seventh Prince's wedding.
The Ministry of Works naturally took care of the seventh prince's residence, and the Ministry of Rites naturally handled the wedding ceremony. However, the Ministry of Revenue ultimately had to pay for all the necessary items for the wedding.
If it were only the Ministry of Revenue, it would be fine, but the Imperial Household Department inevitably gets involved in the prince's wedding.
When money is mentioned, the Imperial Household Department pushes the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Revenue pushes the Imperial Household Department, clearly showing their disdain for the seventh prince, who is not often in the Emperor's presence and does not yet have a title.
Fortunately, the Fourth Prince kept a close eye on things at the Imperial Household Department every day. Although it was still necessary to urge and plead with them repeatedly, the people at the Imperial Household Department never cut corners.
It wasn't that the Imperial Household Department didn't give the Fourth Prince face; it was just that those parasites in the Imperial Household Department treated everything within the department as if it were their own, and they acted as if taking the head steward's life for anything they wanted.
Until the last day of the first month, Emperor Kangxi, for reasons unknown, suddenly bestowed titles upon his seventh and eighth sons.
However, the Fourth Prince was quite satisfied with the final conferment of the title upon seeing it at the Ministry of Revenue.
The seventh prince, like the third and fourth princes, was a Beile (a Manchu noble title), while the eighth prince's title was slightly lower, being only a Beizi (a Manchu noble title).
However, the servants no longer addressed the seventh and eighth princes as "Seventh Prince" or "Eighth Prince," but instead called them "Seventh Master" and "Eighth Master."
Later, when the Fourth Prince had some free time to go to Yonghe Palace to pay his respects to Consort De, he learned that it was his own mother who had mentioned to the Emperor that the Seventh Prince had been studying hard lately.
Princes who were not granted a title were not allowed to hold any official positions; they had to study in the Imperial Study every day, just like the other young princes.
The Eighth Prince was no exception; otherwise, he wouldn't have had so many opportunities to seduce the Fourteenth Prince.
Taking this opportunity, the Fourth Prince also mentioned this matter to Consort De. However, he carefully considered his words for a long time before mentioning it to Consort De when he left Yonghe Palace.
As Consort De watched the fourth prince's departing figure, she still felt a pang of sadness: "Fourth prince, you've still lost touch with my heart—"
Zhao Mama quickly comforted Consort De: "Your Highness, what are you saying? Has Your Highness forgotten what the Fourth Prince just mentioned about Consort Wu's pregnancy two months ago? It's clear that the Fourth Prince holds Your Highness in high esteem."
Consort De finally smiled: "She is a good child. If Lady Wu gives birth to a prince safely this time, the Fourth Prince's household should be able to have a concubine. At that time, she can rightfully share some of the burden for the Fourth Prince's family."
Zhao Mama smiled and agreed, but she couldn't help but recall that when the Fourth Master mentioned Wu Gege's good fortune earlier, there was no smile on his face at all; he seemed to be acting very businesslike.
I'm afraid the Fourth Prince doesn't really want to take a concubine.
Since the Empress was in a good mood, Granny Zhao didn't say much, but she secretly hoped that a safe and healthy little prince would be born in the Fourth Prince's mansion.
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