The capital city is not far from Mount Wutai, and if the messengers at the post station send a letter by fast horse, it can be delivered in about a day.
After seeing Xie off at the manor, Li Chenjiao and her two maids ate a sweet soup made with candied osmanthus flowers.
As April arrives, the weather is gradually warming up.
Li Chenjiao chewed on the peach gum, her eyes crinkling with satisfaction as she sighed, "If you put it in the well beforehand to chill it, it would be so much more enjoyable to eat."
Li Chenjiao has always disliked the heat, so she started craving ice cream in April.
The two girls could only exchange a helpless glance.
In the afternoon, Li Chenjiao sat on the veranda playing card games with two maids. She was always good at it, and the two maids almost lost their entire monthly allowance while playing with her.
Li Chenjiao then propped herself up on her arms and ordered, "Qiuhu, go get the dried crabapple petals we stored last year to make tea, and Qiuci, go to the kitchen to order a bowl of almond milk for your princess."
The two maids performed the greetings in perfect unison.
Just as the commotion ended, Xiao Luzi came in from outside.
"Princess, Princess Xie went to Princess Wu's East Wind Courtyard in the back."
After hearing this, Li Chenjiao inexplicably burst out laughing.
——
As for Wu Gege, she has been suffering from severe morning sickness these past few days, and when she sees Xie Gege, she covers her lips with a handkerchief.
When Xie Hengyi greeted her, she quickly glanced at Wu Gege's face, her indifference undisguised.
Princess Wu knew that her appearance was only that of a girl from a modest family, but it was precisely because of her looks that she caught the eye of Consort De.
As for Xie Shi in front of her, Wu Gege knew very well that this was not the kind of appearance the Empress would like, so it could only be that the Empress thought the Fourth Prince would like someone like her.
However, Princess Wu was really impatient with playing games with Madam Xie here.
"Gege Xie has only just arrived at the estate today, she should be settled in and rest properly."
Xie Hengyi could tell at a glance that the Wu Gege in front of her was much easier to talk to than the previous Li Gege.
"It's just that I'm new here and the Fourth Master isn't in the manor right now. I'm really worried that he won't like me when he comes back, so I've come to you, my sister, to learn from you."
Xie Hengyi's words were truly brilliant.
Like you, Consort Wu, I was also forced into the household by Consort De. Now that you, Consort Wu, are pregnant, I suppose Fourth Prince doesn't dislike this forced placement. But what if? I must ask him for clarification.
Upon hearing Xie's words, Wu Gege finally looked up and sized her up, while touching her own protruding belly.
"I've only been in the manor for a few months, how could I possibly understand Fourth Master's temperament? But haven't you already met Consort Li? Don't you have a plan in mind yet? There's a saying that Heaven helps those who help themselves. With your beauty, you really don't need to be like a headless fly."
She didn't take Wu's lecturing words at the end to heart, but simply raised her eyelashes slowly and spoke softly.
"My sister also hopes that, as my sister said, there will be a day when heaven rewards those who persevere. No matter how many songs and dances I prepare, if the Fourth Prince cannot see them, he will inevitably feel that it is meaningless."
Wu Gege sneered inwardly. Did they think they could tie her and Xie Shi together just because they were both chosen by Consort De?
On her face, Wu Gege still covered the corner of her lips with a handkerchief: "That day will come. I've been feeling weak lately since I got pregnant, and I really can't hold on any longer. Sister, come and talk to me again when you have time."
Xie Hengyi stared intently at Wu Gege: "Thank you for your hospitality today, sister."
Princess Wu had her maid escort Xie Shi to her quarters. As she watched Xie Shi's retreating figure, she murmured to herself, "Did she get turned away by Princess Li up ahead?"
The next morning, Li Chenjiao had been hungry the night before and got up in the middle of the night to ask Qiu Hu to make her a bowl of vegetarian noodles, so she couldn't sleep well.
Early in the morning, just as dawn broke, I heard the sound of a heavy object being dragged across the stone path.
Li Chenjiao stared at the gauze curtain above her head. After lying there for a while, seeing that the commotion outside still showed no signs of abating, she rubbed her temples and sat up straight from the bed.
Li Chenjiao slipped on her shoes and opened the small window in front of the couch: "What's going on outside again?"
Qiu Ci was startled, but then smiled and replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, Fu Lu from the front courtyard sent someone to say that it is the master's will for Your Highness to return to the manor. That's why Fu Lu has been keeping an eye on the servants in Your Highness's courtyard this morning, telling them to pack their trunks."
Li Chenjiao, supporting herself with her hands, didn't give them any face: "Wasn't it quite quiet yesterday? Give some silver to the servants outside and tell them to work harder."
Seeing that her mistress was about to close the small window, Qiu Hu hurriedly said, "Fu Lu sent a letter this morning, and when he heard that the mistress was still resting, he didn't want to disturb her."
Qiu Hu handed the letter to Li Chenjiao.
Li Chenjiao still asked, "Did Fourth Master send this over?"
Seeing her mistress looking dazed, Qiu Hu suppressed a laugh and said, "Of course."
Li Chenjiao smiled and said, "There's no need to wait outside. Is breakfast ready? I'll come out for breakfast after I finish reading the letter."
After saying this, he waited for the two maids to nod before closing the small window.
Li Chenjiao sat in front of the small couch and opened the letter sent by the Fourth Master.
It has a very Fourth Master's style, consisting of only a thin sheet of paper.
Li Chenjiao read it slowly and deliberately, but was still somewhat confused afterward.
The letter only mentioned that Fourth Master was doing well after arriving at Mount Wutai, as well as some of his observations there. Finally, Fourth Master wrote a sentence telling Li Chenjiao to be careful at the estate and not to run around there all the time.
And Fourth Master will be back soon.
Li Chenjiao truly did not understand the purpose of Fourth Master's letter.
Li Chenjiao couldn't figure it out, but she had a gut feeling that it had something to do with Xie Gege, who had just been sent into the mansion by Consort De. She thought that the Fourth Prince was unhappy, which was why he wrote this nonsensical letter.
Li Chenjiao originally intended to write a reply, but when she went to the outer room for breakfast, she heard Qiu Hu say that Fulu had already sent Xie Gege away from the estate.
Li Chenjiao then gave up the idea.
Furthermore, the officials in the manor were quite displeased upon receiving the message.
She had forgotten that there was a messenger named Fulu in the front yard.
However, he couldn't go to the palace to talk to the Empress about this matter. Originally, the Empress had asked him to settle Xie Shi in the manor, but she had taken it upon herself to arrange for Xie Shi to be placed on the estate.
The Princess Consort knew very well that the Fourth Prince's arrangement clearly angered him.
At this moment, all they could do was curse Xie for being so useless.
However, Xie Shi never had a chance to see the Fourth Master, so how can you blame Xie Shi?
It was Xie who, after going from the estate back to the manor, ended up losing face.
As Xie Hengyi boarded the carriage to return to the mansion, she cursed her wife as a fool a thousand times in her heart.
——
Let's talk about Mount Wutai.
After delivering the message, Su Peisheng quickly went up the mountain to tell his master about meeting Feng Zhong on his way down.
Just after Su Peisheng finished his report, a servant came to say that His Majesty was angry.
Fourth Prince could guess without asking that it was related to the Crown Prince who was overseeing the country in the capital.
"I heard that the Crown Princess's maternal family embezzled the wedding gift list of the Seventh Prince and the Eighth Prince from the Imperial Household Department."
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