What exactly did Song Gege do to anger the Fourth Prince?
It was probably only Song Gege and Fourth Master who entered the front courtyard that knew, while Su Peisheng, who was serving outside the door, only knew that not long after Song Gege went in, he heard Fourth Master's angry shout from inside.
"Who gives you the right to speak out of turn? Get out of here!"
Su Peisheng stood respectfully at the door, eyes downcast and mindful of his surroundings: "Master—"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Song Gege kneeling out with tears in her eyes.
Song Gege's face was ashen, and all she could think about was: if she went back to the backyard now, she would be laughed at and ridiculed by countless people behind her back.
Liu Xu came forward to help her up, but Song Gege shook off her hand and, with an unusually stubborn streak, knelt down outside the door: "I did something wrong, so I'll kneel here."
When Fourth Master left the front yard, Su Peisheng glanced back and saw that Song Gege was still kneeling in the freezing cold. Although she was under the eaves and out of the wind and rain, she was still cold in the winter month.
When Fourth Master came out of the clean room, Li Chenjiao didn't say anything to plead for Song Gege. She sat in front of the small couch, touching the warm and smooth leaf-shaped plaque, and just found it funny.
Whether Song Gege was trying to gain sympathy or to win favor, Li Chenjiao didn't think much of her actions in going to the front yard today.
It would be better not to see the Fourth Prince at all, and just take good care of the eldest princess.
It might be better than it is now. Why does Song Gege always make such a mistake when it comes to the affairs of the eldest princess?
Before extinguishing the candle, Li Chenjiao heard Fourth Master instruct Su Peisheng.
"Go tell her whether she wants to walk back herself or have someone carry her back in the end; it's her choice."
Fourth Master wouldn't extend his pity to everyone; in his eyes, Song's words today didn't deserve any pity either.
She is utterly unfit to be a mother!
Perhaps because of the eldest princess's illness, or perhaps because Song Gege was confused, the Fourth Prince had no interest in anything else tonight.
Li Chenjiao was happy not to serve the Fourth Master. After that matter was over in the winter, she would go to the clean room again. Even though there was a charcoal fire burning in the room, it was still not as comfortable as being in a warm bed with fragrant pillows.
Before going to bed, Li Chenjiao thought for a moment and patted the Fourth Prince's back as if coaxing a princess: "Don't worry too much, Your Highness. Tomorrow is not a day off."
In the winter, it was still the Fourth Master who was warm. As Li Chenjiao spoke, she leaned closer to the Fourth Master, half-resting on his shoulder, and comfortably closed her eyes.
The room was silent for a long time before Li Chenjiao heard the Fourth Master sigh.
Li Chenjiao had already closed her eyes in sleepiness when she suddenly heard the Fourth Master's question.
"I ask you, if you were to give birth to a son or daughter in the future, would you be willing to send them to the main courtyard for your wife to raise?"
Upon hearing this question, Li Chenjiao instantly became more alert. She subconsciously asked, "Can't I be sent to the front courtyard to be with Fourth Master like the eldest princess?"
She had barely finished speaking when she suddenly felt a sharp pain; it turned out that Fourth Master had grabbed her wrist.
"You don't want to raise them yourself either?"
Li Chenjiao could easily hear the disappointment and displeasure in Fourth Master's words.
Li Chenjiao was not in a hurry. She turned over to face the Fourth Prince and said, "I heard from the nanny that the princes born to the princesses cannot be raised by themselves when they are one or two years old. I don't know if the princesses are the same. If I cannot raise them by myself, I only ask that they be sent to the front courtyard. With the Fourth Prince here, I will feel much more at ease."
This is Li Chenjiao's truth. Is she stupid or foolish to let the Fujin raise her?
Fourth Master was also looking at Li Chenjiao: "Do you really think so?"
Li Chenjiao now guessed how Song Gege had angered the Fourth Prince, and she said first, "If this servant could stay with them for a few more years, that would be even better."
Li Chenjiao was praying for a favor. She didn't know how long she could stay in his favor, but she would never let her child be raised by someone else.
The Fourth Prince hummed in agreement: "I promise you, if you have a princess, I will raise her by your side. If you have a prince, I will raise him until he begins his education."
Fourth Master thought that a woman like Li Chenjiao would surely raise a child with a good temperament.
Fourth Master no longer asked Li Chenjiao why she was unwilling to send the child to the main courtyard. Anyone who cherishes their own flesh and blood would not say such a thing.
Seeing that Fourth Master was no longer speaking, Li Chenjiao remained silent, but then she remembered something else.
The Fourth Prince's birth mother was Consort De, of the Uya clan, but he grew up with the late Empress Tongjia during his childhood.
Li Chenjiao had heard rumors that Consort De, who was originally a palace maid, sent the Fourth Prince to Empress Tongjia in order to secure her favor with the emperor.
Later, Consort De gave birth to the Sixth Prince and was promoted to Consort De, but she was depressed for a while because the Sixth Prince died young.
However, there are also many rumors among the people that the Sixth Prince's early death was related to the Fourth Prince at that time. In fact, according to the rumors among the people, the Fourth Prince and Consort De did not seem to have a good relationship.
However, after Li Chenjiao had been in the manor for more than half a year, the Fourth Prince never showed any dissatisfaction when he returned from the palace, so Li Chenjiao always insisted that the rumors circulating among the people were just rumors.
When she was still a young lady in her boudoir, she came to the capital to be selected for the imperial concubine selection. Out of curiosity, she asked her mother, Lady Shen, about these palace secrets.
Her mother gently stroked her hair and said, "When people are young, they are bound to believe what others say. They may believe half of what is true or false."
Li Chenjiao thought that the reason why the Fourth Prince asked this question tonight was probably because he was dissatisfied with being sent to Empress Tongjia when he was young.
Li Chenjiao sighed inwardly, raised her arm and wrapped it around Fourth Master's arm: "Fourth Master should rest now."
With his questions answered and the warmth and fragrance of her body in his arms, Fourth Master was even more unable to sleep.
Fourth Master stroked the back of Li Chenjiao's neck, making no attempt to hide it, and whispered, "I can't sleep—"
Li Chenjiao rolled her eyes in the darkness.
In the heat of the moment, Li Chenjiao angrily grabbed Fourth Master's back. Fourth Master hissed softly, but wasn't annoyed. He coaxed her in a low voice, "It'll be soon—"
Li Chenjiao's hand dangled to the edge of the bed like a kite with a broken string. Apart from the red mark left by the Fourth Master when he pinched her, there were also ambiguous red marks on her fair wrist.
The room was warm from the burning charcoal fire, but Li Chenjiao was covered in sweat and really didn't want to move.
Hot water had been prepared in the clean room. Seeing her expression, the Fourth Master bent down and picked her up in his arms.
Li Chenjiao slightly lifted her eyelids, but did not push away the Fourth Master, and was happy to enjoy it for a while.
Fourth Master is indeed a master, but when it comes to matters of the bedroom, Li Chenjiao really doesn't want to wrong herself for the rest of her life. Otherwise, what's the difference between her and a mere object for sexual release? She's not happy about that.
However, it's quite rare that Fourth Master was so considerate today, sparing Li Chenjiao from her tests.
When Li Chenjiao woke up the next day, the bedside was still warm, so the Fourth Master probably had only left recently.
Today isn't the fifteenth, and she slept late last night. Li Chenjiao turned over and continued to catch up on her sleep.
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