The atmosphere inside the main courtyard wasn't actually very good.
Ever since the Fourth Master stormed off in anger that day, he had indeed not stayed overnight in the main courtyard for a full two months.
For the Fujin (principal wife), the Fourth Prince in front of her was indeed somewhat unfamiliar.
She was unusually flustered as she directed the maids to set the table, but the Fourth Master's attitude was clearly very cold.
It was the Fourth Prince who stopped the Princess Consort from running around busily.
The princess sat down with a hint of surprise: "Your Majesty, we have a new cook in our small kitchen. Would you like to try his cooking?"
As she spoke, she raised her hand and placed a piece of food on Fourth Master's plate.
The Fourth Prince glanced at her, his expression softening slightly: "The Princess Consort can use it too."
The princess's nose tingled at these words, and she held back her tears, saying, "Yes."
She became quieter at this point.
The two then ate their meal in silence.
After dinner, the Fourth Prince did not stand up, and the Princess Consort knew that he had something to say.
After the maids had methodically cleared away the leftover food, the Fujin felt a little relieved.
She is the wife of the fourth prince, and no matter what, there are some things that the fourth prince still needs to discuss with her and ask for her opinion, right?
Fourth Master's hand landed on the table and tapped it very lightly.
"Father will soon be inspecting the Yongding River, and many of the princes will be accompanying him. You will need to keep a close eye on the affairs of the household, my lady." The Fourth Prince's voice came slowly and deliberately, but it struck the Lady's heart like a heavy hammer.
The princess clasped her hands together and let them hang down, making a mental note of the matter before nodding in agreement.
Her movements were elegant and skillful, as if she had experienced such scenes countless times, but only she knew that she felt uneasy at this moment.
"You must be tired from traveling back and forth, Your Highness, you must take care of yourself," the Fujin said again with a soft, caring tone.
Her tone was unusually gentle, but her heart felt as if something was blocking it, causing a slight swelling.
The two months of neglect were definitely unbearable for the Fujin, even more so than when the Fourth Prince neglected her after Song gave birth.
She was the principal wife, the legitimate wife whom the Fourth Prince married with proper ceremony. She bore him children, but how did things come to this?
The Fourth Prince glanced at her, and his only response to his wife was a faint "hmm".
"These days I've been away from the manor. Madam Li in the East Courtyard needs to rest during her postpartum period, so I'll have to ask you to take good care of her."
The Fourth Prince spoke these words in a calm tone, but his gaze toward his wife carried a subtle warning.
The Fourth Master's trip would take several days, and he was worried about Li Shi.
He would naturally arrange for someone to look after Madam Li in the East Courtyard, but after the Fourth Prince gave his instructions to his wife today, she should think twice before making any moves.
Upon hearing this, the princess was stunned for a moment, and then her heart was filled with sorrow.
She opened her lips, her voice slightly hoarse: "The affairs of the inner quarters are originally my duty. Sister Li is focused on recuperating, so she is exempt from paying her respects today... While Your Highness is not at home, I will naturally do my best to protect Sister Li."
She tried to sow discord between Li and her, but Li didn't have a chance to say anything disrespectful.
The Fujin spoke in her usual gentle tone, but the imposing aura of a primary Fujin towards the princesses seemed to vanish in an instant.
She couldn't help herself and looked up at the Fourth Master, but when she met his gaze, she unconsciously wanted to look away.
The Fourth Master's eyes were devoid of any warmth, even carrying a hint of disgust.
She knew he was still angry about what had happened before. But it wasn't her fault at all! What had she done wrong?
"Your Highness, you..." The Fujin was about to explain when she was interrupted by the Fourth Prince.
"Alright, that's enough." Fourth Master seemed a little impatient and suddenly stood up. "I'll go to my room to rest."
The princess was stunned for half a second, then subconsciously stood up as well.
She gazed at the Fourth Master's retreating figure.
The Fourth Prince's back was tall and straight, yet it also seemed somewhat lonely. Looking at his back, the Princess Consort felt a strange emotion welling up inside her; she suddenly felt as if she were drifting further and further away from the Fourth Prince.
The princess moved her lips, raised her voice, and forcefully called out to the fourth prince.
"Master..."
Fourth Master paused slightly, then stopped and turned around.
At this moment, the usual decisiveness of the Fujin crumbled amidst her tears, and with her strength failing, she could only gasp and sob.
It's rare for the Princess Consort to cry like this.
The Fourth Prince seemed to pause for a moment. It was indeed rare for his wife to shed tears, but he suddenly recalled the way Li Chenjiao silently shed tears in the delivery room that day.
Fourth Master's heart clenched again.
At this moment, he could still seem to feel the lingering fear from the day Li Chenjiao gave birth...
The Fourth Prince gave his wife a deep look, then turned and went to the side room without lingering.
The princess finally couldn't hold back her tears and they flowed down her cheeks.
She knew that Fourth Master was blaming her. But what could she do?
Lady Li rose from a concubine to a secondary consort, and her status in the household was second only to the primary consort herself.
In recent years, Li has given birth to the second princess for the Fourth Prince, and now she has given birth to the Fourth Prince, who is deeply loved by the Fourth Prince.
As for the Fujin herself, she didn't have Li's good looks, and she and the Fourth Prince could only be described as respectful to each other... These days, she couldn't even see the Fourth Prince.
The princess slumped to the ground, and after a moment, Yu Ru and Granny Qian quietly entered from the outer room.
Seeing the Fujin's tears, Granny Qian gave Yuru a look.
Yu Ru then withdrew to prepare a hot cloth to apply to the Fujin's eyes.
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