"Alright, that's enough. It would be my fault if I missed the time to pay my respects to the Princess Consort."
As soon as he finished speaking, two figures walked out of the garden.
One of the figures stood gracefully. Her makeup was simple and light, her hair was neatly styled in two buns, and her eyes, as clear as a waterbird's, added to her serene beauty.
From its slender figure and elegant bearing, one can almost glimpse a graceful lotus and a lush, upright pine tree.
Niohuru walked very properly, yet her gait still carried a certain beauty, a pure beauty.
Pure and flawless beauty.
When Niohuru arrived at the main courtyard, she was indeed late. Judging from her clothes, it was clear that her clothes and headdress did not match.
When Song saw Niohuru's face, she curled her lip and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Three years have passed, and the way the Princess Consort intimidates people is still the same; she hasn't improved at all.
As expected, the Fujin (princess) began with the same words: "Niohuru, you are late."
Niohuru, equally astute, did not defend herself but instead politely bowed and apologized.
This time, however, the Fujin (principal wife) did not criticize them too harshly: "It's inevitable that newcomers to the household will make mistakes, it's alright. The Fourth Prince is not here right now, so you don't need to be so reserved. Just get to know each other."
“This is Lady Wu. That is Lady Song. That is Lady Xu.”
The Fujin (principal wife) led Liu and Niohuru to meet the people.
Liu and Niohuru remained extremely respectful throughout.
"By the way, how has the eldest princess been feeling lately? It's been quite a while since I've seen her."
Madam Song twitched the corners of her mouth: "I'm sorry to trouble you, Madam. As you know, it's not convenient for the eldest princess to come outside in the spring. How could she dare to come here so casually when the flowers are so beautiful in the main courtyard?"
Song's words were loaded with hidden meaning.
The Fujin remained unfazed: "You are the eldest princess's birth mother, so it's a good thing that you care about her taboos. Otherwise, like last time—even if the Fourth Prince were thousands of miles away, he would still have to worry about it."
The Fujin spoke these words to Song Shi in a gentle tone, and then turned to Liu Shi and Niohuru Shi to mention the taboos of the eldest princess.
"You've only just entered the manor and don't know the reasons behind this—"
Hearing the voice of the Fujin in her ear, Madam Song almost turned green with anger.
She had tried to use the title of "Eldest Princess" to put down Li Shi of the East Courtyard, but she ended up making a fool of herself and angering the Fourth Prince. Now, the Fujin was clearly poking at her sore spot in front of Liu Shi and Niohuru Shi, making her lose face.
Madam Song never had a kind word for the First Prince's wife, and this time was no exception: "It's all thanks to the Fourth Prince's favor that the First Princess's health is improving day by day. By the spring, she's much more lively than before. By the way, I heard that the Second Prince is ill again?"
What a joke! Who wouldn't stab someone in the heart?
The Second Prince of the main courtyard is plagued by illnesses and misfortunes; who in the entire mansion doesn't know that?
The princess remained seated, but the smile on her lips slowly faded after Song finished speaking, and she remained silent for a long time.
Neither of the two newcomers dared to utter a sound.
Liu lowered her eyes slightly, but couldn't help glancing at Song, who was sitting in front of her, out of the corner of her eye.
Knowing full well that today is the day the new bride enters the household, this Song Gege still dares to disrespect the Fujin (the wife's husband), which suggests that she is a prominent figure in the household.
Judging from what was said earlier, this Song Gege gave birth to the eldest princess, but it seemed that there was some kind of discord between them, according to what the Fujin said.
I heard there is another concubine named Li in the manor, but she is on the Fourth Prince's southern tour this time, so naturally we won't see her today.
The Fourth Prince's mansion is truly a place where hidden talents abound. It seems that making a good living here is no easy task.
Liu lowered her eyes, having made up her mind.
Finally, Lady Wu broke the silence: "I heard that the Third Prince can already walk. Why haven't we seen Miss Xu bring him out?"
The Fujin's gaze also fell on Xu Shi.
This is a classic case of shifting the blame eastward.
Lady Liu and Lady Niohuru had long noticed the woman standing by their side, whose attire did not resemble that of a maid. They had vaguely guessed from Lady Fujin's words that she was a concubine in the household, and Lady Wu's words confirmed their guess.
But Xu was just a concubine, how could she raise the Third Prince of the mansion?
Liu then looked up at Xu with a kind smile on her face.
But when he lowered his head again, a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.
Madam Xu bowed respectfully, saying, "Replying to Your Highness, the Third Prince has been coughing these past few days. Fearing he might infect others, I dared not bring him out."
Upon hearing Xu's words, the Fujin (principal wife) indeed showed a concerned expression on her face, and gave her some earnest instructions. She even had a maid from the main courtyard take her token to invite the imperial physician, which was quite the demeanor of a kind and benevolent principal wife.
The Second Prince and the Third Prince have already brought it up, so naturally the First Prince should also add his own comment.
"I heard that the eldest prince is already learning to write? You really are the one who puts in the effort."
Lady Wu replied respectfully, "The eldest prince is foolish, so he has no choice but to start early. Otherwise, how can he assist the second prince in the future? In a few days, this servant will bring the eldest prince to pay his respects to the princess."
With Lady Li from the East Courtyard not at the mansion, Lady Wu would only choose to confront the Fujin at this time if she were truly out of her mind. It would be better for her to feign respect, since it would all be just talk anyway.
Upon hearing Wu's words, the Fujin's face showed satisfaction: "You are indeed well-mannered."
"In a few days it will be the Second Princess's first birthday. By the way, none of you have met the Second Princess, have you? She is the daughter of Consort Li of the East Courtyard. However, before the Fourth Prince left, he told me that since Father Emperor is not in the capital, it is not appropriate to be extravagant. So the Second Princess's first birthday will be kept simple, and we will hold a grand celebration after the Fourth Prince returns to the mansion. The same will be true for the Third Prince's first birthday."
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