"Replying to Your Highness, this estate was originally a royal estate bestowed by His Majesty when the Fourth Prince got married. I heard that it was originally a gift from His Majesty when an old prince was granted the title of prince. Later, after the old prince passed away, it was taken back into the national treasury."
"Most of the servants on the estate were left over from when the former prince was still alive. However, after the Fourth Prince became the master of this imperial estate, most of the servants in charge were replaced by his own people."
Upon hearing this, Li Chenjiao understood that there were probably no spies of the Fujin on the estate, so she could stay there for a month without worry.
After Xiao Luzi finished speaking, Qiu Ci returned from the kitchen after ordering the food, and the little girl's expression was not very good.
"When I went to the kitchen, Wu Gege's maid was there. The little eunuch was quite enthusiastic towards Wu Gege. Since I was new here, I didn't say anything. I waited until Wu Gege's maid left before asking for some food. As a result, the little eunuch gave me a very disdainful look."
"While I was waiting, I heard Juxiang from Consort Wu's courtyard order extra soup. The little eunuch's expression only improved after I took out the money."
Qiu Ci was furious: "But before I even left, that little eunuch took the money and said in front of me, 'What kind of nonsense is this? You think you can order food with just a few taels of silver?'"
When Qiu Ci was in the manor, she had never suffered such grievances. If she didn't want to do it, she shouldn't have accepted the money from her mistress. Why did she accept the money and then complain?
It was one thing for the eunuch to have a bad attitude, but Qiu Ci had seen plenty of arrogant servants in the main courtyard of the mansion before.
However, the little eunuch's grumbling and cursing after accepting the money was really unpleasant. After Qiu Ci finished speaking, she glanced at Li Chenjiao cautiously.
"At that time, I was worried that if the princess got into a fight with the people on the estate as soon as she arrived, it would affect her." She was not a weak person.
Li Chenjiao really didn't expect there to be such a person on the estate. Did he look down on her or didn't know that she was currently favored?
Li Chenjiao rested her chin on her hand: "I'm sorry to have wronged you, spending money and still getting treated badly. But I can't make a scene right now, let's wait until the kitchen brings lunch. Don't worry, you won't suffer this injustice for nothing."
After Li Chenjiao finished speaking, she turned to look at Xiao Luzi: "Go and fetch the meal later, and see what kind of attitude the kitchen in this manor has."
Xiao Luzi was also indignant after hearing this, and he quickly agreed to Li Chenjiao's instructions.
When Xiao Luzi brought back his lunch, there was no smile on his face, clearly indicating that he had also witnessed the attitude of the kitchen staff.
The two maids quickly set out lunch, and Qiu Hu frowned slightly when she brought out one of the dishes.
She was thinking of putting the dish back in the food box as if it didn't exist, but Li Chenjiao came out from the inner room yawning and naturally saw it when she glanced around.
If Li Chenjiao didn't understand that the kitchen didn't like her, then she would have lived in vain all these years.
However, Li Chenjiao still asked Qiu Ci first: "Did you tell me my taboos when you went to the kitchen to order food?"
Qiu Ci nodded repeatedly: "It was mentioned before the meal was ordered—" She hadn't said more than a few words when the little eunuch started clicking his tongue impatiently.
Their princess has always loved to eat, but she doesn't eat animal organs or pumpkin. She does eat pumpkin pancakes, and she also loves to drink pumpkin soup, but she absolutely hates stir-fried pumpkin.
But what Qiu Hu was holding at that moment was a dish of stir-fried pumpkin.
Li Chenjiao couldn't figure out when she had offended the manor's kitchen: "Don't put that dish on the table. You and Qiuci can share it later. There's no need to punish it yet."
Li Chenjiao already had a plan in mind.
Both maids were very obedient and loyal. Although they were angry, they listened to Li Chenjiao and held back.
So when Xiao Luzi returned the food box to the kitchen with a big smile on his face, the little eunuch in the kitchen was completely baffled.
After seeing Xiao Luzi off, the young eunuch quietly went to the back to report to his master.
"This Lady Li seems to be an easy target. Master has taken money from the Fourth Prince's wife, but I've heard that she's quite favored in the Fourth Prince's mansion."
The plump chef, sitting down and biting his pipe, said, "You're panicking again now? Who was it that took the Fourth Prince's silver notes first, and then had your chef clean up your mess? What's done is done. If that Consort Li really complains to the Fourth Prince, it's just a matter of serving the wrong dish. Didn't we do plenty of these kinds of things back in the palace?"
The young eunuch understood his master's meaning; this matter still needed to be continued.
During dinner, Li Chenjiao looked at the plate of stir-fried pumpkin but did not get angry. Instead, she laughed first.
This kind of behavior, which doesn't cause any harm but is extremely disgusting, reminded her of someone.
"You and Qiuci can split up later, Qiuhu."
Even Qiu Hu, who is usually good-tempered, was a little annoyed at this moment: "Is the kitchen staff doing this on purpose?"
Before dinner, Li Chenjiao suddenly instructed Qiu Hu, "Is there any fresh pears in the small kitchen at the back? Make a bowl of pear soup and have Xiao Luzi deliver it to Fourth Master later. Just say that Fourth Master has worked hard today and this is to soothe his throat."
Qiu Hu is quite skilled at making soups and stews.
Li Chenjiao invited the Fourth Master to her place not to complain to him, but because such a trivial matter was not worth telling him.
——
When Fourth Master finished his business at the Ministry of Revenue and rode his horse to the estate, he was indeed taken aback to hear that Li Chenjiao had sent him snow pear soup.
Li Chenjiao rarely sent soup or water to the front courtyard when she was still in the manor. The only time she did so was when the eldest princess caught a cold.
Fourth Master's mood at this moment was similar to Li Chenjiao's when she asked him for the mercury mirror last time; it was quite novel.
"Go to Xinlutang." Xinlutang is the courtyard where Li Chenjiao lives on the estate.
When Fourth Master arrived at Xinlutang, Li Chenjiao had already had dinner.
To be fair, the kitchen staff's cooking skills were quite good, even better than the kitchen staff in the mansion, which suited Li Chenjiao's taste.
Li Chenjiao wasn't surprised to hear that the Fourth Master had arrived. She got up to greet him and gave Xiao Luzi, who was standing in the corridor, a wink.
Xiao Luzi had been instructed in advance, and once Fourth Master and his own princess entered the inner room, he approached Su Peisheng.
"Tea and side dishes have been prepared in the side room. Since Eunuch Su and Fourth Master have been busy all day, why don't you go to the side room for a seat?"
Su Peisheng thought to himself that this was quite strange.
The servants in Li Gege's courtyard were always well-behaved and never fawned over the servants in the front yard, and the silver they were given was always very generous. However, they were rarely as attentive as they were today.
Su Peisheng knew how much Li Gege meant to his master, so he was being accommodating, though he left Fulu behind before going to the side room.
Giving face is one thing, but neglecting to serve the Fourth Master is unacceptable.
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