After the Fourth Prince got up early and sent Su Peisheng to the main courtyard, he did not rush to leave the east courtyard.
Aside from sending Su Peisheng to the main courtyard to give instructions, Fulu was immediately sent to the Ministry of Revenue to ask for leave. Yes, the Fourth Master, who never missed a day of work at the Ministry of Revenue, asked for leave again.
However, the Minister and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue knew about these things and could understand them. The Minister and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue sent letters of condolence to the Ministry of Revenue.
If Fourth Master wasn't in a hurry to get up, Li Chenjiao was even less in a hurry.
However, neither of them stayed in bed for too long, because the Second Princess, who was going to study in the front courtyard, came to wake them up just before leaving.
The little girl was clever; she peeked out from behind the screen, her sweet, childlike voice tinged with laughter: "Is Mother sleepy again? Oh! Father's here too!"
The little girl went to bed early last night, and by the time Fourth Master arrived, Second Princess was already asleep.
"Sui...sui jue..." The little girl had barely finished speaking when a little tail popped out from behind her. Wasn't that the Fourth Prince who had just learned to walk?
Currently, the only one in the household who doesn't need to attend school in the front courtyard is the Fourth Prince.
This child has become quite articulate in just a few months.
The siblings standing together, one tall and one short, were so striking that it was impossible not to smile.
Li Chenjiao propped herself up and first covered Fourth Master's face with her hands, then used her usual method of coaxing little girls: "Okay, Mother will get up now. When you come back from school, Mother will knit flowers with you."
The little girl's eyes were bright, as if she wanted to say something. She peeked out again, without calling to her father, whose head was covered by a blanket by her mother: "Okay!"
She actually still missed her older brother a little; he even said he wanted to play crickets with her, but her mother said her father was sad, so she…
As soon as the Second Princess led the Fourth Prince out, the Fourth Prince pinched Li Chenjiao's waist through the brocade quilt, and Li Chenjiao lay back down.
Even after a night, Fourth Master still smelled of alcohol. What could Li Chenjiao do?
But how did she end up sleeping on the bed? She was sleeping on the outer side of the bed, so it must have been Fourth Master who carried her onto the bed.
You've already had a good sleep, what's there to complain about?
Li Chenjiao ignored it all and went back to sleep.
Fourth Master remained silent, seemingly closing his eyes again in bed.
The two of them slept quietly for a while longer.
It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Fourth Master and Li Chenjiao finally got up.
After having breakfast, Fourth Master went to the other side room, which was Li Chenjiao's half-study.
This was clearly something to discuss and instruct. Li Chenjiao understood. She simply watched the maids sweeping the courtyard from the corridor. Having not returned to the East Courtyard for several months, Li Chenjiao felt that everything looked unfamiliar.
She was dressed simply today, in a moon-white autumn cheongsam with dark embroidery, which wasn't too eye-catching. The most common head ornaments she wore were small beaded and silk flowers that she had borrowed from the second princess's dressing case. However, the silk flowers in the little girl's dressing case were all brightly colored, and Li Chenjiao had just tidied up the little girl's dressing case.
Su Peisheng and Fulu went in and out of the other room several times. Li Chenjiao witnessed this from the corridor and knew that the Fourth Prince had taken a nap and then started to busy himself with the eldest prince's funeral.
Even after losing her own son, she still had to brace herself for the funeral arrangements.
Li Chenjiao sighed and sat down in her favorite rocking chair. Green Plum asked her about the details of making the futon, as she had already started making it yesterday.
With nothing to do and some time to spare before the Second Princess returned from school, she decided to work with Green Plum on how to make a futon, while Little Luzi busied herself finding various tools.
After the Second Princess finished school at noon, Li Chenjiao thought for a moment, and since the Fourth Master hadn't come out yet, she ordered food first, and then took a wine pot to pick up the Second Princess.
With Chen Shi and Lü Ju by her side on the way, Li Chenjiao had nothing to worry about; she just wanted to go for a stroll outside.
It was probably because of the accident involving the eldest prince that Li Chenjiao encountered Xu Shi, who was raising the third prince, on her way.
When Xu saw her, she bowed respectfully as usual, saying, "Greetings to Consort Li." Her voice was quite distinctive in the mansion; it was deep and resonant, and listening to her speak inexplicably brought a sense of peace.
In this respect, she is somewhat similar to Consort De in the palace.
Li Chenjiao hummed in agreement. It was a bit chilly today, and Li Chenjiao wasn't sure if it was going to rain. She absentmindedly thought that she and the Second Princess shouldn't go back soaked to the bone.
Madam Xu looked at her and exchanged pleasantries, asking, "Is the concubine here to fetch the Second Princess?"
Li Chenjiao glanced at her and felt that Xu Shi was acting a little strange today.
She didn't say anything, but nodded somewhat coldly, thinking about the glance she had just given Xu Shi.
Today, Madam Xu seemed to have dressed up. She didn't wear any makeup on her face, but she wore a pair of elegant kingfisher feather hairpins in her hair, which were not exactly understated.
This is quite unlike the Xu family we usually know.
Li Chenjiao silently observed, without asking any further questions.
After the second princess came out of school, she simply nodded slightly to Madam Xu and then led the little girl back home.
The mother and daughter returned to the East Courtyard, but Fourth Master was about to leave.
Seeing that Fourth Master looked quite anxious, it seemed that something important had happened. Li Chenjiao did not try to stop him, but simply asked the kitchen to bring two dishes that would be convenient for him to eat on the road.
The Fourth Master looked as if he was about to leave the manor.
In the end, only Li Chenjiao and the Second Princess and her daughter ate lunch. The Fourth Prince had already started to be weaned, but the child was a bit picky, so Li Chenjiao simply didn't let the child join them, so that the brat wouldn't be envious of everything he saw.
After the meal, Li Chenjiao heard Qiu Hu say that the First Prince's funeral was scheduled for October 12th, which is the day before the Golden Banquet Festival. Counting the days, today is already the 8th of the month, so it is actually a bit rushed.
However, since the eldest prince was a grandson of the emperor without a title, the funeral could not be held more than a month later. With the Golden Banquet Festival approaching, it was impossible to go against the custom, so the date was set for October 12.
With such a grand occasion as the Golden Banquet Festival, even the drowning of a royal grandson was no different from a speck of dust in the eyes of the public. Apart from a few individuals, it seemed that no one would keep it in mind.
October 12th is not a good day. The rain started the night before last. The rain in October is stuffy and humid, making people feel indescribably uncomfortable.
No one in the backyard was allowed to leave the mansion, not even Wu Shi, the birth mother.
In the end, the little horse was still burned for the eldest prince, but Li Chenjiao didn't know if the eldest prince would like it.
If he doesn't like it, hopefully he can find someone he does.
Being born into the imperial family is perhaps inherently difficult.
Misfortune and fortune are intertwined.
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